Seed E-News

November 5, 2004

Chicago Registration On-Line
You can now register on-line for ASTA’s Corn & Sorghum and Soybean Conferences in Chicago December 8-10, 2004. Simply follow this link Registration. Please note that pre-registration ends on November 15, 2004, after which date you can only register on site.

Vegetable & Flower Conference Registration
You can now register on-line for ASTA’s Vegetable & Flower Conference in San Francisco January 22-25, 2005. Simply follow this link Registration. Please note that late fees will be charged for registrations made after January 12, 2005.

ASTA/APHIS Workshop
All spaces for the first ASTA/APHIS workshop on November 10, 2004 at USDA in Washington D.C. have been taken up. Thank you to all ASTA members who expressed an interest in attending. Details of future workshops will be posted on ASTA E-News and our newsletter Inside ASTA.

Monsanto's Roundup Ready Corn 2 Technology Completes European Union Food Approval Process
On October 26, 2004, the European Commission approved the use of Monsanto's Roundup Ready^® Corn NK603 and its processed products as food and food ingredients under the Novel Foods Regulation. Monsanto's NK603, which is designed to be tolerant to the active ingredient in the Roundup^® family of agricultural herbicides, is currently marketed as Roundup Ready Corn 2 in the United States. With this decision, the European Union (EU) authorizes the use of NK603 for human consumption. At the same time, the decision completes the necessary steps for allowing the import, processing and use of NK603 grain in animal feed in the EU, which was announced in July 2004. The decision will be published in the Official Journal of the EU in the coming weeks. The European Commission's decision does not include the approval of Roundup Ready Corn 2 for cultivation in the EU, which is the subject of a separate submission under Directive 2001/18/EC. To read more, follow this link Monsanto.

FuSE Ignited
At ASTA’s recent Executive Committee meeting, the Future Seed Executives (FuSE) became an official sub-committee of ASTA’s Management Skills Committee! FuSE will focus on educating and supporting future seed industry executives, namely those with fewer than seven years of seed industry experience. FuSE is planning an industry launch at the 2004 ASTA Corn & Sorghum and Soybean Research Conference in Chicago, IL on Thursday, December 9 from 5-6 p.m. A similar launch event will be scheduled at the January ASTA Vegetable and Flower Conference in San Francisco. To participate in the launch events, individuals must be registered for the ASTA Conference. Whether you are a more senior seed industry executive or a future seed executive, we welcome you to attend, network with future executives and learn how FuSE will prepare the seed industry’s next generation. If you would like more information on getting involved with FuSE, please contact one of the following FuSE representatives.

Get more information on becoming a member of ASTA or register for the ASTA December or January Conference.

2004 Record Corn Harvest
The weather was a big help, but seed genetics and technologies can take some credit, too. A wide array of new hybrids and soybean varieties paired with traits and seed treatments are offered to help farmers swing for the fences again in 2005. To read more, follow this link to agweb.com.

University of Illinois 2004 Corn and Soybean Variety Testing Results Available
The University of Illinois (U of I) has released the 2004 results from its variety testing program for corn and soybeans. To read the article, follow this link SeedQuest. To access the corn results, follow this link Corn. To access the soybean results, follow this link Soybeans. Results are also available for Small Grains and Forage Crops.

Gene Found to Help Soybeans Repel Aphids
University of Illinois researchers have found a soybean gene that makes the plant resistant to aphids, a discovery that soon could provide a natural alternative to the application of expensive insecticide. Soybean seed carrying the genetic trait could be available within five years, researchers say. To read more, follow this link to USATODAY.com.

Bioengineered Crops Ban defeated in 3 California Counties
Following Mendocino County's lead in March, activists in four California counties – Marin, Butte, Humboldt and San Luis Obispo – placed bans on the growing of GM crops on the November 2, 2004 ballot. The Humboldt County ballot proposal contained a drafting error and its supporters urged a "no" vote, saying they will rewrite the proposal. In the event, the electorate in Butte, San Luis Obispo and Humboldt counties rejected bans on biotech crops, a serious setback for a national movement that wants to stop genetic engineering over safety and social concerns. Only Marin County adopted a ban in Tuesday's election. For more, read this report from The Sacramento Bee.

U.S. Grains Council Global Update
At the request of the Corn & Sorghum Division, ASTA E-News includes a link to the U.S. Grains Council’s weekly Global Updates. Click on the links to read the update for October 29, 2004 and November 5, 2004.

Industry and People
ASTA member Becker Underwood has announced that it has commenced commercial operations in Chile through the formation of Becker Underwood Chile Ltda. This further extends Becker Underwood’s South American activities from Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Argentina. To read more, follow this link Becker Underwood.

If you have any personnel changes, or other developments in your company, that you would like included in E-News, please send details to ppatterson@amseed.org.

ASTA Meetings & Opportunities

December 8-10, 2004
ASTA 34th Soybean & 59th Corn & Sorghum Conferences and Seed Expo 2004
Hyatt Regency Chicago
Chicago, IL
Tel: 1-888.890.7333

January 22-25, 2005
ASTA 44th Vegetable & Flower Conference
Grand Hyatt San Francisco
San Francisco, CA

February 16-18, 2005
ASTA Advanced Management Forum
Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN

February 28-March 3, 2005
18th ASTA Management Academy
Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN

June 19-22, 2005
122nd ASTA Annual Convention
Sheraton Seattle Hotel and Tower
Seattle, WA

July 8-12, 2006
Joint ASTA-CSTA Annual Convention
Hyatt Regency Chicago
Chicago, IL

Upcoming Events

November 2004
Indiana Seed Trade Association 2004 Corn Belt Seed Conference
Indiana Seed Trade Association will be holding its 2004 Corn Belt Seed Conference on November 11-12, 2004 at the Marriott East. Indianapolis. For more information, check out the Indiana Seed Trade Association web site at t www.indianaseed.com.

ISTA Workshop on Statistical Aspects of GMO Detection
The International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) is organizing a workshop with the aim of helping laboratories address the test planning, and the use of results, on GM detection in seeds. The objective of the workshop is to give and exchange information on matters that have been mentioned by laboratories which already participated to the ISTA proficiency tests, or intend to join. The workshop will run November 17-19 at Monsanto, St Louis, MO. The number of participants is limited to a maximum of 20, so register early. For more information and to register, follow this link ISTA.

Seed Sampling Workshop
Mid-West Seed Services, Inc. will be holding seed sampling workshop in Boise, ID, November 30-December 1, 2004 immediately preceding the IEOSA meeting to be held there. ISTA, AOSA and CFIA sampling rules will be reviewed, as will sampling methods, sealing seed lots, subdividing samples and a review of ISTA certificates. Participants completing the workshop will be taking the first step towards accreditation to sample for ISTA certificates. The session will begin at 8:00 a.m. on November 30th and conclude at noon on December 1st. The workshop will be held at the Grove Hotel in Boise, ID. Please see www.mwseed.com or contact Mid-West Seed Services, Inc at (605)-692-7611 for more details.

January 2005
Minnesota Crop Improvement Association
The Minnesota Crop Improvement Association will be holding its annual meeting on January 20-21, 2005, in St. Cloud, MN. If you require more information, you should contact:

Alana Rogers
Project Support Specialist
Minnesota Crop Improvement Association
1900 Hendon Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55108
Tel: 1-800-510-MCIA

February 2005
Indiana Crop Improvement Association Annual Conference
The Indiana Crop Improvement Association (ICIA) will be holding its 2005 Annual Conference on February 3-4, 2005 at the Sheraton North Hotel, Keystone at the Crossing, Indianapolis, IN. Prior that on February 2, ICIA is also holding the Illinois/Indiana Seed Conditioning Workshop at the same location. For more information, check out the web site at www.indianacrop.org or contact ICIA at

Larry Svajgr, Executive Director
Indiana Crop Improvement Association, Inc.
7700 Stockwell Road
Lafayette, IN 47909
Tel: 765-523-2535
Fax: 765-523-2536
Email: svajgr@indianacrop.org

March 2005
Symposium on “Plant Breeding and the Public Sector”
Michigan State University will be conducting a symposium March 9-11, 2005 to address the issue of who will train plant breeders in the U.S. and around the world. The keynote speakers will be:

• Dr. P. Stephen Baenziger (Eugene W. Price Distinguished Professor, University of Nebraska) – Plant Breeding Training in North America
• Dr. Fred Bliss (Senior Director, R & D Special Projects, Seminis Seeds and former Will W. Lester Endowed Chair at The University of California) – Plant Breeding in the Private Sector
• Gurdev Khush (Former Head of Plant Breeding at IRRI and World Food Prize 1996) – Plant Breeding Training in the International Sector

During the symposium, the participants will discuss:

• What kind of training do plant breeders need?
• What is the most effective balance between classical and molecular training?
• Should the training differ between domestic and international students?
• How will we provide improved varieties of subsistence crops?
• How can the private and public sector most effectively partner to train new generations of plant breeders

The number of participants will be limited to about 100 people to facilitate discussion. You can find more information and a registration form at http://www.hrt.msu.edu/PBSymp/.

April 2005
ISTA Ordinary Meeting 2005
At the invitation of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DOAE) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, ISTA will be holding its Ordinary Meeting 2005 in Bangkok, Thailand April 25-28, 2005. To register, follow this link ISTA Online. The meeting is aimed at discussing and deciding on proposals for changes to the ISTA International Rules for Seed Testing and business items of the Association, with the international participation of ISTA delegates and representatives from both the seed industry and governments, including experts in seed technology, scientific research and laboratory accreditation.

May 2005
ISF Congress 2005
The ISF Congress 2005 will be held in Santiago, Chile, May 30-June 1, 2005. The ISF Congress 2005 web site, which is under construction, can be found Here.