Seed E-News

March 4, 2005

3rd Annual USDA/ASTA Conservation Workshop — Spaces Still Available
The 3rd Annual USDA/ASTA Conservation Workshop will be held in the South Building of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. on March 17 and 18, 2005. The workshop will run from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on March 17 and from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon on March 18. The workshop, for ASTA member companies, is being held to discuss current and future Farm Bill programs, to identify opportunities for seed companies to work with USDA agencies and to discuss ways to more effectively communicate and coordinate programs affecting the sale and use of conservation seed.

The deadline for reservations at the group rate at the Doubletree Crystal City Hotel at National Airport has passed.

USDA Headquarters is located at 14th and Jefferson Streets. The closest Metro stop is "Smithsonian." To get to the Smithsonian station from either the Crystal City or Pentagon City Metro stop, take the Blue Line towards Largo Town Center. The trip takes approximately 16 minutes and costs $1.35 during peak hours each way. Please feel free to contact the ASTA office at (703) 837-8140 if you would like to notify us of your intention to attend or have further questions about the ASTA Conservation Workshop.

APHIS/ASTA Workshop
The next APHIS/ASTA Workshop is scheduled for April 21, 2005 to be held at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Headquarters in Washington, DC. The program for the workshop which will last the whole day is still being developed. Anyone interested in attending, or seeking more information, should contact Alexis Ellicott on (703) 837-8140 or at aellicot@amseed.org.

Recent Biotech Developments in the European Union
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Services has issued a report on recent biotech developments in the EU, noting that the new EU Commission has decided to engage in a policy debate on biotech sometime during the next 2 months. Faced with a number of challenges to its regulatory approach to biotech, the Commission's decision to undertake the debate has likely been prompted by a number of contentious and unresolved issues:

• the inability to get member states to approve biotech events and to overturn marketing bans dating back to 1997;
• the emergence of trade-restricting member state proposals for national coexistence laws;
• Hungary's recent banning of the planting of MON810;
• the absence of seed labeling legislation for the presence of biotech seed;
• and finally, about 30 biotech events in the pipeline awaiting approval. Read the full report in PDF or Word.

EU Agency All-Clear is First Step to Growing GMO
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Europe's leading food safety agency gave a clean bill of health on Friday, March 4, for the planting of a GMO maize, only the first step toward possible EU approval for growing. The maize, known as 1507, is made jointly by ASTA members Pioneer Hi-Bred International, a subsidiary of DuPont Co., and Dow AgroSciences unit Mycogen seeds. It is engineered to resist the corn borer insect, among other pests, and a widely used type of herbicide. Full Story.

Lawmaking on GM Food is Minefield for EU
The European Union remains deeply divided over genetically modified (GMO) foods, with the planting of biotech seeds a tremendously touchy area even though Brussels has resumed authorizing GMO products after a break of nearly six years. Several EU states have passed a patchwork of laws to control growing of biotech crops but many are holding back in the hope that uniform EU rules will be drafted, officials say. At the moment, EU governments must make their own rules for separating different crop types to minimize cross-pollination and for financial liability if a farmer claims a neighbor's sowings have damaged his crop. Very few have yet done so. Full Story.

BASF Transfers Brazilian Expert to Address U.S. Concerns on Asian Soybean Rust
BASF has announced it will bring its leading Brazilian-based expert on Plant Health and Asian soybean rust to the United States to help U.S. soybean producers manage the disease. Full Story.

End of Brazil GMO Ban to Curb Rampant Black Market
Brazil, with an agricultural potential rivaling the United States, is about to legalize genetically modified (GMO) crops, before its black market in the coveted farm technology gets any bigger. Full Story.

Iowa Bill Would Prevent GMO Bans
A bill, sponsored by state Rep. Sandy Greiner, R-Keota, would render "void and unenforceable" any attempt by a county, city or other local government to regulate the production, use or sale of agricultural seed. Local opponents of genetic engineering are campaigning against a bill, saying it would prevent local governments from choosing to ban GM seed. Full Story.

Sonoma County to Put GM Ban to the Voters
Continuing a story from last week, Sonoma County supervisors agreed on March 1 to allow voters to decide whether to become the fourth California county to ban genetically modified organisms. The measure, which will likely be voted on in November, would prohibit the cultivation of genetically altered plants and animals for 10 years. Full Story.

New Hampshire Voters Asked to Oppose GM Food
Voters at a Town Meeting in Warner, NH will be asked to discourage the growing of genetically engineered crops in town and to support any state or federal laws calling for a moratorium on them and making manufacturers liable for damages if they cause harm. Full Story.

International Seed Federation Congress 2005
ISF reports that 725 delegates have already for the Congress and, with the usual trend of registration, expects more than 1,100 people in Santiago. If you are interested in attending the Congress, and wish to take advantage of the reduced registration fee of US$ 1,150 you will have to register before March 15, 2005. After that date the registration fee will be US$ 1, 250. ISF reports that it also has a few booths still available.

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 March 4, 2005.

Industry and People

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

March 17-18, 2005
3rd Annual USDA/ASTA Conservation Workshop
U.S. Department of Agriculture
14th and Jefferson Streets
Washington, DC

April 21, 2005
APHIS/ASTA Workshop
U.S. Department of Agriculture
14th and Jefferson Streets
Washington, DC

June 18-22, 2005
122nd ASTA Annual Convention
Sheraton Seattle Hotel and Tower
Seattle, WA

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
Hyatt Regency
Chicago, IL

January 2006
Vegetable & Flower Seed Conference
Amelia Island Plantation
Amelia Island, FL

Upcoming Events

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
PCR Workshops
The Society of Commercial Seed Technologists (SCST) and the Association of Official Seed Analysts (AOSA) are sponsoring a three part workshop for those interested in learning about Real-Time PCR and its purpose in seed testing. The workshop will consist of:

The first two parts will not require any traveling. However, you will need access to a computer and phone. In the first part, topics will include how Real-Time works and what it does. The 2nd part will involve how to design the primers and probes. Part three is the hands-on workshop at Iowa State Seed Science Center and will include running through hands-on sample processing and experiment from DNA isolation to data analysis. Quality-critical steps and the use of appropriate controls will be highlighted throughout the process, pointing out what the critical steps are, and what control to include in order to have interpretable results. Workshop participants will receive RGT/CGT continuing education points, one for each seminar attended and 3 for the hands-on workshop.

The Registration Form can be downloaded from the SCST website. www.seedtechnology.net. If you have any questions contact Anita Hall, SCST executive director: 607-256-3313, scst@twcny.rr.com.

To register, visit: https://www.ucs.iastate.edu/mnet/pcr/quickregister.html.

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. The final program can be downloaded Here.

May 2005
International Seed Federation 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 studentâs 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, CO 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).

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. This will be a national level workshop based on science. There is no venue yet for the meeting.