Seed E-News

January 28, 2005

Vegetable & Flower Conference Success
ASTA's 44th Annual Vegetable and Flower Seed Conference was held January 22-25, 2005 at the Grand Hyatt San Francisco and was a great success with a near record attendance of approximately 535 seed industry professionals (a more than 10% increase over 2004). The exhibit area was sold out as was the first ever Reserved Appointment Table room, which allowed companies to protect a meeting table space for their own use throughout the conference. The always-popular Trading Room was once again a very active area of networking for attendees and remained full for the entire conference.

A special highlight of the conference was California Secretary of Food and Agriculture A.G. Kawamura, who spoke at the opening General Session on Monday, January 24.Secretary Kawamura spoke to delegates about the significant impact of the seed industry on agriculture in California, California policy initiatives affecting the seed industry, local ballot initiatives, the obesity epidemic in the United States, and the importance of FDA dietary guidelines to vegetable growers.Another special event was a second kick-off event for the Future Seed Executives, or FuSE, a new subcommittee of the ASTA Management Skills Committee, intended for those in the seed industry for five years or less. The event was well attended and served as a great beginning for this new effort.

The Vegetable & Flower Seed Conference also featured a full schedule of meetings, including the Vegetable & Flower Division and Associates Division and the ASTA International, Biotechnology, Phytosanitary and Intellectual Property Rights committees, as well as a meeting of the Bacterial Fruit Blotch Industry Concerns committee that was filled to capacity.The ASTA Organic Seed Committee, Vegetable & Flower Division Organic Seed Committee, the new Vegetable & Flower Legislative and Regulatory Committee, and the Vegetable & Flower Permanent Seed Research Committee also met.

ASTA is looking forward to the 45th Annual Vegetable & Flower Seed Conference at Amelia Island Plantation, Amelia Island, FL, to be held January 28 - 31, 2006.

ASTA and Purdue University Offer Two Different Management Development Programs
During February and March 2005, Purdue University and the ASTA Management Skill Committee will be offering two programs. On February 16-18, the ASTA Advanced Management Forum provides an opportunity for participants to dig deeper into the topics introduced in the ASTA Management Academy. It offers upper- and mid-level managers a forum for examining key management issues and discussing the implications for developing successful business strategies. New tools for developing longer-term strategies at the firm level as well as the operational level will be just one area of focus.

On February 28-March 4, the ASTA Management Academy (now in its 18th year) focuses on important concepts in four key areas of management: marketing, finance, human resource management, and strategy. Throughout the week, current topics of interest to the seed industry are addresses in different classroom formats. Discussions in class, small groups and social events with colleagues from across the continent and from different segments of the industry continue to be of great benefit.

Registrations are still being accepted for both programs. If you are interested, or need more information, please contact Betty Sue Jones, Associate Director, Center for Food & Agricultural Business at Purdue University on (765) 494-4328 or by e-mail at bettyso@pudue.edu.

3rd Annual USDA/ASTA Conservation Workshop The 3rd Annual USDA/ASTA Conservation Workshop will be held in the Washington, DC area on March 17 (all day) and March 18, 2005 (ø day) at the Doubletree Inn, Crystal City, VA. Crystal City is conveniently located close to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (one stop on the Metroās Blue or Yellow Lines). More information about the venue will be notified as it becomes available. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact Leslie Cahill on (703) 837-8140 or at lcahill@amseed.org.

Asian Soybean Rust Detection Gets a Boost
Tracking the spread of Asian soybean rust and other plant diseases that may threaten U.S. agriculture received a boost in the form of a $900,000 grant to Iowa State University. A team of researchers led by plant epidemiologist Forrest Nutter plan to develop a web-based system by May that will detect, identify, map and predict the spread of plant pathogens and pests. They will first focus on Asian soybean rust, which was discovered in the United State in November. The goal is to develop a system that will detect any disease or pest that threatens American agriculture. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing the three-year grant for the work. To read more, follow this link ISU.

Vermont GM Seed Sales Nearly Triple
The amount of GM seeds sold to Vermont distributors last year was nearly triple the amount recorded two years ago, the state's agriculture secretary told lawmakers Tuesday. Almost 460,000 pounds of GM soybean and corn seeds were purchased by the companies who ultimately sell them to farmers compared to just under 170,000 pounds two years ago, according to Steve Kerr, the secretary of agriculture, food and markets. To read more, follow this link Vermont.

USDA Grants Protection to 32 New Plant Varieties
On January 18, 2005, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued certificates of protection to developers of 11 new varieties of seed-reproduced and tuber-propagated plants. They include barley, bentgrass, bluegrass, eggplant, fescue, oat, rice and wheat. The 11 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 11 certificates are:

• the Catchpenny* variety of barley, developed by University of Maryland, Riverdale, MD.;
• the Alister and Glory varieties of colonial bentgrass, developed by Pure Seed Testing Inc., Hubbard, OR;
• the Fuzzy variety of rough bluegrass, developed by DLF International Seeds Inc., Halsey, OR;
• the EZZ 24-0547 variety of eggplant, developed by Seminis Vegetable Seeds Inc., Oxnard, CA;
• the Pathfinder variety of strong creeping red fescue, developed by Lebanon Seaboard Corporation, Huntsville, UT;
• the Drumlin variety of oat, developed by Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, Madison, WS;
• the Ahrent variety of rice, developed by University of Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Fayetteville, AR;
• the Clear White* variety of common wheat, developed by The Regents of the University of California, Oakland, CA.;
• the Harvard* variety of common wheat, developed by Dr. Peter Franck, Schwabisch Hall, Germany; and
• the Mohler variety of common wheat, developed by WestBred LLC, Bozeman, MT.

On January 19, 2005, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued certificates of protection to developers of 10 new varieties of seed-reproduced and tuber-propagated plants. They include fescue, pepper, ryegrass, soybean and zinnia. The 10 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 10 certificates are:

• the Focus variety of tall fescue, developed by Turf Merchants Inc., Tangent, OR;
• the Prospect variety of tall fescue, developed by Pennington Seed Inc., Madison, GA;
• the Finelawn Elite variety of tall fescue, developed by ProSeeds Marketing, Inc., Jefferson, OR;
• the CH-19 AMA variety of red pepper, developed by Ajinomoto CO. Inc., Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan;
• the Pizzazz variety of perennial ryegrass, developed by Turf Merchants Inc., Tangent, OR;
• the Quick Trans and Brightstar SLT varieties of perennial ryegrass, developed by Pure Seed Testing, Inc, Hubbard, OR;
• the 5601T* variety of soybean, developed by Tennessee Advanced Genetics, Inc., Nashville, TN; and
• the Profusion Fire and Profusion Apricot varieties of zinnia, developed by Sakata Seed Corp., Tsuzuki-Ku, Yokohama, Japan.

On January 21, 2005, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued certificates of protection to developers of 11 new varieties of seed-reproduced and tuber-propagated plants. They include bentgrass, bluegrass, fescue, and ryegrass. The 11 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 11 certificates are:

• the Penn A-4* variety of creeping bentgrass, developed by Pennsylvania Agricultural Experiment Station, University Park, PA;
• the Monte Carlo variety of Kentucky bluegrass, developed by Pennington Seed Inc., Madison, GA.
• the Bedazzled and Royale varieties of Kentucky bluegrass, developed by Rutgers University - Cook College c/o Dr. William Meyer, New Brunswick, N.J.;
• the SR 8600 variety of tall fescue, developed by Seed Research of Oregon, Corvallis, OR;
• the Gibraltar variety of strong creeping red fescue, developed by Ampac Seeds Inc., Tangent, OR;
• the Amazing variety of perennial ryegrass, developed by Ampac seeds Inc., Tangent, OR;
• the Integra variety of perennial ryegrass, developed by Pennington Seed Inc., Madison, GA;
• the Promise variety of perennial ryegrass, developed by Turf Merchants Inc., Tangent, OR; and
• the R2 and Kokomo varieties of perennial ryegrass, developed by DLF International Seeds & Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Halsey, OR.

* 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.

US Grains Council Global Update
The weekly global update is provided at the request of the Corn & Sorghum Division. Follow the links for updates for weeks ending January 21 and January 28.

USDA Proposes Supplemental Fees for Plant Variety Protection Certificates
On January 10, 2005, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service announced that it is proposing to establish supplemental fees for its Plant Variety Protection Office. The proposed rule will allow the PVPO to charge supplemental fees for a variety of administrative services that are not currently charged by the program. These include: replenishment of seed low in germination or seed number; submission of new application data after notice of allowance, but prior to certification issuance; recording any revision, withdrawal or revocation of an assignment; and protest to issuance of certificate. In addition, the allowance and issuance fee will be increased to recover the costs of enhancing the PVPO electronic archiving capabilities. A list of the proposed supplemental fees may be found at http://www.ams.usda.gov/science/PVPO/pvpindex.htm. The Plant Variety Protection Act of 1970, as amended, requires that reasonable fees be collected in order to maintain the program.

The proposed rule was published in the January 11, 2005, Federal Register. Comments must be received on or before February 10, 2005. For further information, contact Paul Zankowski, Commissioner, Plant Variety Protection Office, Rm. 401, National Agricultural Library Building, 10301 Baltimore Blvd., Beltsville MD. 20705. Full details of the proposals can be found in the Federal Register in HTML format or here in PDF format.

Industry and People

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

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

March 17-18, 2005
3rd Annual USDA/ASTA Conservation Workshop
Washington DC (venue to be advised)

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

November 5-8, 2005
ASTA 51st Farm & Lawn Seed Conference
Westin Crown Center
Kansas City, MO
(held in conjunction with the Western Seed Association)

December 7-9. 2005
ASTA 60th Corn & Sorghum and
35th Soybean Conferences and
Seed Expo 2005
Hyatt Regency
Chicago, IL

Upcoming Events

February 2005
2005 Annual Meeting of the New Mexico Seedsmenās Association
The NMSA annual meeting will be held February 9-10, 2005 at the La Quinta Inn of Clovis located at 4521 N. Prince Street in Clovis, NM. A block of rooms have been reserved under New Mexico Seedsmenās Association. The rate of $71.99(plus tax) per room will apply for one or more persons. Each room will have two queen-sized beds. For reservations, call 505-763-8777. Be sure to mention that you are with the New Mexico Seedsmen's Association so that you will receive the special rate. If you have further questions, please call (505) 646-4125 or contact Tye Curtis at tye@curtisseed.com or NMSA President T. J. Curtis at tj@curtiseed.com.

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 here Plant Breeding Symposium.

2005 Annual Congress of the African Seed Trade Association
The 2005 Annual Congress of the African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA) will take place March 15-18, 2005 in Yaounde, Cameroon. Last year over 200 delegates from 41 countries participated in the meetings and events of this growing and effective Association representing the interests of the African seed industry.

The 2005 AFSTA Congress will be preceded by a full-day workshop on UPOV and intellectual property rights. The Workshop is designed to provide African seed company representatives and government policy makers the opportunity to increase their understanding on subjects such as the protection afforded plants under the 1991 UPOV Convention and how the UPOV Convention is not in conflict with the provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

The program will also provide the opportunity for attendees to learn more about the critical issues affecting African private seed sector development and trade. Technical sessions are organized to present and discuss important topics such as vegetable seed trade in Africa, IPR, FAO and material transfer agreements, industry accreditation under international regulatory schemes, biosafety regulations and stewardship, coexistence, arbitration and many more.

Trade between companies is also expected to be very active as every year the AFSTA Congress draws increasing numbers of company representatives from Africa and around the globe. Registration has commenced. Registration materials, the Congress program, as well as information on pre- and post-Congress tours can be accessed at www.afsta.org.

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.

July 2005
Colorado State University Seed Analyst Workshops
Two five-day Seed Analyst Workshops will again be held at Colorado State University (CSU), in Fort Collins, Colorado, July 11-22, 2005. Each will be restricted to 10-20 students. The July 11-15 workshop, "Seed Identification and Purity Analysis," provides an extensive hands-on experience with seeds of legumes, cereals, grasses, revegetation species, vegetables and flowers. The emphasis will be on grass species identification and the use of blowing points and multiple unit factors for determining pure seed. Noxious weeds common to these groups are also emphasized. Participants in this workshop will have the opportunity to collect seeds of many different grasses and legumes. The July 18-22 workshop, "Seed Viability," offers lectures and practical experience in viability testing, including germination dormancy, vigor and tetrazolium. The emphasis will be on the use of tetrazolium when testing seed viability of native species. An educational tour of regional seed labs and a visit to the Denver Botanical Gardens are included with this workshop.

The workshops are an excellent preparation for taking the qualifying exams to become a Registered Seed Technologist (RST) or a Certified Seed Analyst. The workshops provide a review of fundamentals of seed anatomy, identification, purity, physiology, and viability testing. The fee for each workshop, including materials, is $200 ($350 if both workshops are taken). Reasonable accommodations are available at nearby motels. The workshops are offered in conjunction with the Seed Analyst Training Program offered by CSU through its Division of Educational Outreach. This program introduced in early 1998, is comprised of the following courses, some of which may be prerequisites for the workshops, depending on the studentās training and experience:

These courses may be taken throughout the year, anywhere in the world. To date, over 350 students have enrolled representing 24 states and 7 countries. The courses are recommended by AOSA/SCST for beginning and experienced seed analysts. Credits apply towards points needed to take the RST accreditation examination. To register for the courses and workshops, contact:

Colorado State University
Division of Continuing Education
1040 Campus Delivery, Spruce Hall
Fort Collins, COŹ 80523-1040
Phone: 1-877-491-4336 OR 1-970-491-5288
E-Mail: info@learn.colostate.edu
Website: www.learn.colostate.edu

For information or questions on the courses and workshops, contact Carissa Schow (970-491-6295) or Jim Bruce (970-495-3246).