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Seed E-News
August 12, 2005
U.S. Grains Council honors Owen Newlin
On Tuesday, July 26, past Chairman of the U.S. Grains Council, Paul
Williams presented Owen Newlin with the first ever lifetime achievement
award from the Council. "The words 'vision, strength, courage,
powerful and ambition' hardly do this man justice" Williams
said, reflecting on Owen's 35 years as a delegate to the Council.
Elected in to the officer rotation in 1976, Owen served as Chairman
in 1979 and on the Long-Range Planning Committee for 20 years. He
participated in nine Pioneer missions as well as two Grain Export
Market (GEM) Missions, visiting numerous countries such as Argentina,
Brazil, Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Russia, China, Taiwan,
Korea, India, Morocco, Hungry and Italy. Owen has received accolades
from many organizations over the years, including the American Society
of Agronomy, the Crop Science Society of America, the Future Farmers
of America, the American Association for the Advancement of Science
and National Agricultural Marketing Association, to name just a
few. Owen was ASTA President in 1985 and was declared an Honorary
Member in 1991.
USDA grants Protection to Sixteen New Plant Varieties
WASHINGTON, August 11, 2005 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture
has issued certificates of protection to developers of sixteen new
varieties of seed-reproduced and tuber-propagated plants. They include
bluegrass, fescue, ryegrass, sorghum, and soybean. The sixteen certificates
are being issued under the Plant Variety Protection Act. The certificates
require that the varieties be new, distinct, uniform and stable.
The owners will have the exclusive right to reproduce, sell, import
and export their products in the United States for the duration
of protection. The sixteen certificates are:
- the Tsunami variety of Kentucky bluegrass, developed by Jacklin
Seed / Simplot, Post Falls, ID;
- the Jasper II variety of red fescue, developed by Pickseed West,
Inc., Albany, OR;
- the Bingo variety of tall fescue, developed by DLF International
Seeds and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Halsey,
OR;
- the Dandy II variety of perennial ryegrass, developed by Ag
Biotech of Oregon, Inc., Corvallis, OR;
- the Atlas bmr-12* variety of sorghum, developed by U.S. Government,
as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture, Lincoln, NE;
- the Walsh* variety of soybean, developed by NDSU Research Foundation,
Fargo, ND; and
- the 93M12, 93M42, 93M51, 93M94, 94M50, 94M80, 95M30, 95M50,
95M81, and 96M60 variety of soybean, developed by Pioneer Hi-Bred
International, Inc., Johnston, IA.
* In the United States, seed of this variety (1) shall be sold
by variety name only as a class of certified seed and (2) shall
conform to the number of generations specified by the owner of the
rights (84 STAT. 1542, as amended, 7 U.S.C. 2321 ET SEQ). USDA's
Agricultural Marketing Service administers the Plant Variety Protection
Act, which provides time- limited marketing protection to developers
of new and distinct seed- reproduced and tuber-propagated plants
ranging from farm crops to flowers. For additional information contact
the Plant Variety Protection Office at telephone (301) 504-5518,
fax (301) 504-5291 or the Internet at www.ams.usda.gov/science/PVPO/pvpindex.htm.
APHIS Adopts Final Recommendations on Safeguarding American
Plant Resources
WASHINGTON, Aug. 9, 2005 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture's
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, plant protection and
quarantine program, released its fourth and final report, Safeguarding
Implementation — A Time for Celebration and Reflection, announcing
its implementation of more than 300 recommendations for bolstering
protection of U.S. agriculture and plant resources from destructive,
nonnative plant pests. Full
Story.
A Tale of Two Seeds
India and Brazil are continents apart, but human aspirations are
universal. The experience of farmers in both these countries illustrates
their common desire to access new technologies, improve productivity
and reach new markets. Indeed, the future of agriculture biotechnology
may rest on what happens in these two large agriculturally significant
countries. The increasing demand for GM seeds by farmers is forcing
the hands of the governments in both these countries. Full
Story.
Rebuilding Iraq's Collapsed Seed Industry
8 August 2005, Rome — Iraq's seed industry has collapsed and
the country is currently not able to meet farmers' needs for improved
crop varieties, FAO warned today. The lack of high-quality seeds
could seriously threaten Iraq's food security situation, the UN
agency said. Full
Story.
EU Environment Council votes "No" to lifting Biotech
Bans
On June 24, 2005 the Environment Council, consisting of the Environment
Ministers of the Member States in the European Union, voted against
the Commission proposal to lift the bans or restrictions imposed
on GMO products in some of the MS. This is the first time that the
Council found a qualified majority against a Commission proposal
on GMOs. Download PDF
or MS
Word.
EU Authorizes GMO Maize Type
BRUSSELS, Aug 8 (Reuters) — The European Union authorized imports
of a genetically modified (GMO) maize on Monday, the third GMO product
to win approval since the EU ended its unofficial biotech ban last
year, officials said. The maize, known as MON 863, is engineered
by Monsanto to resist the corn rootworm insect. In theory, the maize
may now be sold across EU territory for processing into animal feed
— not for growing — but will have to receive a second
EU approval for use in food before shipments can start. This might
take another month, officials said. Full
Story.
'No Evidence' GM Genes Are Still in Local Mexican Maize
Research published on August 9 says that there is no evidence to
support controversial claims made in 2001 that genetically modified
(GM) maize had 'contaminated' local varieties of the crop in Mexico.
In 2001, Nature published research showing that genes from GM maize
had entered wild maize in the Mexican state of Oaxaca despite the
country not allowing GM maize to be grown at the time (see GM
maize found 'contaminating' wild strains). Full
Story.
Space Seeds Return for Final Installment of 'Tomatosphere'
When the space shuttle Discovery returned safely to Earth, it brought
some 500,000 Heinz tomato seeds that will be used in an ongoing
space science and education outreach project involving the University
of Guelph, the Canadian Space Agency, Agriculture and Agri-Food
Canada, the Ontario Centres of Excellence, Stokes Seeds Ltd. and
Heinz Canada. The seeds will eventually be distributed to thousands
of classrooms across Canada to be tested by students in grades 3
to 10. The students are responsible for planting, germinating and
taking care of the plants, then recording and submitting germination
rates and growth data to Guelph researchers. Full
Story.
Soybean Rust Fears Premature in Texas
Diseases resembling Asian soybean rust have caused concerns among
Panhandle producers in recent weeks. However, Dr. Tom Allen, assistant
research scientist and head of the Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratory
with Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, said Asian soybean rust
has not yet spread to the Texas Panhandle. Full
Story.
Kentucky Soybean Update: Rust, No. Sudden Death Syndrome: Yes
A report by Donald Hershman, Plant Pathologist at the University
of Kentucky states that, as of August 4, there is no confirmed soybean
rust anywhere near Kentucky. However, the University of Kentucky
Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab at Princeton has received numerous
samples of soybean sudden death syndrome (SDS). Full
Story.
Soybean Rust Web Sites
The following links will be maintained through October 2005, those
interested, should bookmark them:
2005 Northern Corn Breeding Research Day
The Department of Plant Sciences, North Dakota State University
extends an invitation to its fifth annual northern corn-breeding
research day in Fargo, ND and to share its 2005 corn-breeding nursery.
The purposes of this meeting are to exchange ideas and discuss ways
to complement efforts to maximize genetic improvement of early-maturing
corn. Marcelo J. Carena asks that you check your schedule between
August 29 and September 9, 2005 and contact him via email or telephone.
He will select the date that is convenient for the majority of respondents.
The contact details are:
Marcelo J. Carena
Corn Breeding and Genetics
Department of Plant Sciences
North Dakota State University
PO Box 5051
Fargo, ND 58105
Tel: 701-231-8138
marcelo.carena@ndsu.nodak.edu
If you are not a breeder in your Company, let your breeder know
about this initiative.
California County Board Supports Biotech
Stanislaus County enters the growing debate over genetically engineered
crops as the Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a resolution
in support of biotechnology in agriculture. In 2004, Mendocino,
Marin and Trinity counties became the first in the nation to adopt
such initiatives, fueling the debate over genetically altered foods.
The controversy is expected to continue this fall as nine counties,
mostly small ag producers on the coast, consider similar bans. Full
Story.
Biotech Crops Get Backing in Poll
Also in California, as Sonoma County voters consider making theirs
the fourth California county to ban genetically modified crops,
backers of agricultural biotechnology have released a poll showing
54 percent of likely state voters believe farmers should be able
to grow biotech crops. Full
Story.
US Grains Council Global Update
The weekly global update is provided at the request of the Corn
& Sorghum Division. Follow the link for the update for week ending
August
12, 2005.
Industry and People
Jeff Sernett joins Channel Bio Corp. as Technical
Support Manager. He will focus on the flow of technical information
into each of the Channel brands including Crows, Midwest, NC+ and
Wilson. He will also be a key link with the BioFuture research and
education site under construction at Huxley, Iowa where the future
in seeds is already being shown to customers through a unique mobile
truck classroom while the facility is being built. Sernett has over13
years of agricultural seeds experience in corn product management,
soybean product management, corn product development and field agronomy
with Garst.
Pau Seeds, Inc. changes Name to Pannar Genetics Inc. The
Pannar Group has recently changed the name of Pau Seeds Inc., the
United States corn breeding company which it acquired in January
2005, to Pannar Genetics Inc. and has also expanded the scope of
its research activities to include sunflower and sorghum. In another
development Dr Dana Eaton, until recently Research Director of NC+
Hybrids in Nebraska, has joined Pannar Genetics Inc. as Research
Director and General Manager. Dr Eaton holds a PhD in Plant Breeding
from the University of Minnesota and has spent most of his working
life in plant breeding. He worked for Oregon State University and
CIMMYT in Mexico before entering the commercial world of plant breeding.
He has extensive experience in wheat, corn and sorghum breeding
and is extremely well equipped to head Pannarās research activities
in the United States, as well as contribute to Pannarās global research
activities.
Pannar Genetics Inc. (as Pau Seeds) has been involved in hybrid
corn breeding and evaluation in the US Corn Belt for the past 14
years, but some of the corn breeding programmes that it acquired
at inception date back much further. "The acquisition of the
company in January has considerably strengthened Pannar's corn research
and breeding efforts in the US, with very positive spin-offs for
some of our other markets, and has also provided the necessary infrastructure
for the expansion of Pannarās existing sunflower and sorghum breeding
and evaluation programs in the US," says the Pannar Group's
Research Director, Ron Drgemller. "With Dana Eaton now leading
our well-motivated and experienced team of breeders and support
staff in the US, we expect Pannar Genetics Inc. to show consistent
growth and to make an increasingly important contribution to our
Group."
Pannar Genetics Inc. operates from modern facilities in Iowa, Minnesota,
Indiana and Nebraska. Its corn genetics, with the addition of existing
Pannar genetics, now encompasses the maturities required in most
of the US Corn Belt and Mexico, and parts of Europe, Africa and
South America. The South African owned Pannar Group was founded
in South Africa in 1958 and has grown to become the largest seed
group in Africa, covering a wide range of field crop and vegetable
seeds. The Group owns seed companies in the USA, EU, Argentina and
several African countries, and operates in many other countries
through an extensive network of distributors and licensees. Its
existing retail seed operation in the USA is Pannar Seed Inc., which
commercializes its products in several US states under the Kaystar
Seed brand.
If your company or organization has any personnel changes or other
developments that you would like to see included in the ASTA E-News,
please send details to ppatterson@amseed.org.
ASTA Conferences and Activities
November 5-8, 2005
ASTA Farm & Lawn Seed Meeting
Westin Crown Center
Kansas City, MO
(held in conjunction with the Western Seed Association)
December 7-9, 2005
60th Corn & Sorghum and
35th Soybean Research Conferences
Seed Expo (Dec. 7-8, 2005)
Hyatt Regency
Chicago, IL
January 28-31, 2006
Vegetable & Flower
Seed Conference
Amelia
Island Plantation
Amelia Island, FL
Other Upcoming Events
August 2005
National Workshop on Stored Product Protection
of Organic Grains & End Products
The first National Workshop on Stored Product Protection of Organic
Grains & End Products is to be held August 24-25, 2005 at Purdue
University in West Lafayette, IN. You can register on-line at http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/qualitygrains/.
The meeting site and lodging is:
University Inn - Conference Center
3001 Northwestern Avenue
West Lafayette, IN 47906
http://www.uiccwl.com/
Please use the toll free number (T: 800-777-9808 & F: 765-497-3850)
to make your lodging reservations. A room block is available under
the caption "Quality Grains Research Consortium." Room Rate: Single:
$74/Double: $84.
September 2005
New England Invasive Plant Summit
The New England Invasive Plant Summit will be held September 16-17,
2005 at Sheraton Framingham Hotel, Framingham, MA. Gather with scientists,
land managers, policy-makers, educators, horticulturists, industry
leaders and volunteers who are seeking and sharing information about
how to work together to find solutions to the invasive plant problem
in the region.
The preliminary agenda and registration information are now available
online. Also available are instructions for submitting an abstract
for a presentation or poster. The deadline for submitting an abstract
has been extended to June 8, 2005. A limited number of Student Scholarships
are available. For more information, go to www.ipane.org
and follow the link to "2005 Invasive Plant Summit" in red at the
foot of the home page. Information is also available from:
Cynthia Boettner, Coordinator
New England Invasive Plant Group
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge
52 Avenue A
Turners Falls, MA 01376
Phone: (413) 863-0209 ext. 6
Fax: (413)-863-3070
Email: Cynthia_Boettner@fws.gov
November 2005
Soybean Rust Workshop
The American Phyto-Pathological Society has scheduled a workshop
in conjunction with USDA and the American Soybean Board for November
15-16, 2005 to discuss soybean rust. The symposium will be held
at the Renaissance Hotel in Nashville, TN. Check out the APS web
site http://www.apsnet.org/online/sbr/
for more information about the symposium and to subscribe to the
mailing list for periodic updates.
January 2006
Fourth Biennial Organic Seed Growers Conference
The Organic Seed Alliance will be holding the Fourth Biennial Organic
Seed Growers Conference on January 11 & 12, 2006 at McMenamins
Edgefield in Troutdale, OR. On January 10, 2006, they will
be holding a one day Seed Biology Short Course. You can register
for the conference and the course Here.
Contact Organic Seed Alliance info@seedalliance.org
or (360) 385-7192 for additional information.
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