July 2011 E-News

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
HIGHLIGHTS
PUBLICATIONS

Annual Report now available!
The Seed Biotechnology Center has a newly designed annual report. The report captures our education, outreach and research activities during 2010, with an emphasis on education and the importance of partnerships. Comments from Director Kent Bradford open the report.  Mike Campbell’s “A Glance at the Future” closes the piece. We hope you enjoy this new document which was designed and produced by Donna Van Dolah.  We welcome your feedback and comments.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

2011 SolCAP workshop at the Potato Association of America Meeting:
Using SolCAP phenotype and Infinium SNP data in Potato Breeding
The USDA Solanaceae Coordinated Ag project (solcap.msu.edu) is hosting the workshop "Using SolCAP phenotype and Infinium SNP data in Potato Breeding" in conjunction with the 95th Annual Meeting of the Potato Association of America.

Location and Date:  Hilton Wilmington Riverside, 301 North Water Street, Wilmington, North Carolina, on Sunday, August 14, 2011 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. 

Speakers and topics include:
Phenotyping the SolCAP potato germplasm panel - Walter De Jong (Cornell University)
Potato Genomics: What's Next? - Robin Buell (Michigan State University)
SNP-based genetic maps: Linkage and QTL analysis - Dave Douches (Michigan State University)
Breeding in a Genomics Era - Dave Francis (The Ohio State University, Wooster)
Developing the Breeder's Toolbox at SGN - Joyce Van Eck (Cornell University)

Who should attend?
This workshop is specifically designed for potato breeders, breeding assistants and lab personnel.

Registration: Registration is FREE but REQUIRED in order to track the total number of participants. If you would like to attend, when registering for the PAA meeting, select the SolCAP Workshop option. If you have already registered for the PAA meeting and overlooked the SolCAP workshop registration please contact Jeanette Martins by email: jmartins@ucdavis.edu or visit the website to register for the SolCAP Workshop SolCAP Workshop Registration

2011 SolCAP workshop at the Tomato Disease Workshop
This workshop will be held in conjunction with the Tomato Disease Workshop.

Location & Date:
Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, Tuesday, October 11, 2011 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Registration: Registration is FREE but REQUIRED to track the total number of participants. If you would like to attend, when registering for the Tomato Disease Workshop Meeting, select the SolCAP Workshop option. If you have already registered for the Tomato Disease Workshop and overlooked the SolCAP workshop registration please contact Jeanette Martins email: jmartins@ucdavis.edu or visit the website to register for the SolCAP Workshop - SolCAP Workshop Registration

Gene Flow Conference
The Science of Gene Flow in Agriculture and its Role in
Co-existence Washington DC, September 7-8, 2011
Experts from academia and industry will discuss the impact of gene flow in agriculture, and current and upcoming transgenic and non-transgenic technologies to control gene flow. Given the introduction of new crops for, diverse traits, biofuels and production systems aimed to capture markets with high purity standards, a comprehensive understanding of gene flow biology and control is crucial for co-existence to maintain seed purity in all sectors of the agricultural community.

Confirmed Speakers:
Mark Albertson; Pioneer Hi-Bred Int., Inc.
Kent Bradford; University of California
Mike Portereiko; Ceres, Inc.
Henry Daniell; University of Central Florida
Joe DiTomaso; University of California
Ric Dunkle; American Seed Trade Association
Ray Johnson; Top Notch Seed, Inc.
Nicholas Kalaitzandonakes; University of Missouri
Mark Lipson; Office of the Secretary of Agriculture
Alison Snow; The Ohio State University
Neal Stewart; University of Tennessee
Larry Teuber; University of California
Rene van Acker; University of Guelph
Allen Van Deynze; University of California

We cordially invite participants from the seed and plant production industries, the plant sciences community, and the government to join us for a science-based workshop focused on gene flow in agriculture.
Registration There is no fee to attend this workshop. Registration includes daily breaks, however, lunch is not included (there is a cafeteria in the building). For questions contact Susan DiTomaso. This workshop is sponsored by the USDA.

European Plant Breeding Second Class Starts October 2011
Applications are now being accepted for the second class of the European Plant Breeding Academy beginning in October of 2011. The integrated postgraduate program, which is not crop specific, teaches the fundamentals of plant breeding, genetics, and statistics  through lectures, discussion, and field trips to public and private breeding programs. Employers appreciate the opportunity to provide their valued employees advanced training without disrupting their full-time employment. Participants will attend six 6-day sessions in five countries. The instructors are internationally recognized experts in plant breeding and seed technology.

For more information on the UC Davis European Plant Breeding Academy or the Plant Breeding Academy in the United States visit http://pba.ucdavis.edu or contact Joy Patterson at jpatterson@ucdavis.edu

Seed Biotechnology Center takes the Classroom to the Professionals:
Seed Business 101
Seed Business 101 was created with input from industry executives to accelerate the careers of promising new employees. It offers invaluable insights and perspectives to employees of seed producers, seed dealers and companies offering products and services to the seed industry, including seed treatments, crop protection, seed enhancement and technology, machinery and equipment. The purpose of this course is to shorten the learning curve for new employees teaching them what every employee must know about the main functional areas of a seed company in order to perform optimally in the team as quickly as possible and avoid mistakes. The course is designed to focus on optimum operations of the five major functional areas of a seed company:  Research and Development, Production, Operations, Sales and Marketing and Administration.

Participants will acquire a broad understanding of the major aspects of a seed company’s operations and cross-departmental knowledge of best practices for profitability. Case studies are designed to immerse participants in the decision-making roles in all five functional areas of a seed company.

Dates and Location:
December 5–9, 2011, Davis, CA and January 17–21, 2012, Wimauma, FL
For more information contact Jeannette Martins at jmartins@ucdavis.edu or go to SB101.

Breeding with Molecular Markers Course
This course is designed for professional plant breeders who want to learn when and how molecular tools can be integrated in their breeding programs. It is also an opportunity for breeders who are already using these tools to expand their knowledge of new strategies and technologies.

Topics include:
Types and availability of molecular markers
Working with quantitative trait loci
Maker– assisted selection
Using association studies in breeding
Effects of population structure on applications of molecular markers
Hands- on software demonstrations to analyze traits with molecular markers
New breeding strategies with markers

Location and Dates: UC Davis – Conference Center, February 14-15, 2012
For more information contact Jeannette Martins at jmartins@ucdavis.edu or (530) 752-4984

HIGHLIGHTS

Biotechnology for Sustainability
Genetically engineered (GE) crops have been in commercial production since 1996 and much information is available regarding ways they are benefiting farmers and consumers. As global agriculture continues to be challenged to enhance sustainability and reduce pressures on land, water and fuel, studies are showing that GE crops will be one part of the solution. To date, research has been conducted on over 100 agricultural crops and many new promising traits have been identified. As part of a grant from the American Society of Plant Biologists, SBC has developed a website dedicated to the theme of Biotechnology for Sustainability. Here you will find information on the 5 most promising GE traits, recent peer-reviewed publications, and useful websites and opinion pieces on this topic. We hope this will provide a useful reference on how biotech traits are enhancing environmental sustainability.

UPDATE: National Association of Plant Breeders (NAPB) Meeting
As the chair of Communications committee, Allen Van Deynze attended the NAPB annual meeting at Texas A&M on May 23, 2011. The NAPB is partnering with SeedWorld (www.seedworld.com) to highlight the importance of plant breeding in our society. Look for monthly stories, interviews and videos in SeedWorld and on the NAPB website (www.plantbreeding.org). Allen was also elected vice chair of the Plant Breeding Coordinating Committee. For a press release of events please see www.plantbreeding.org.

If you would like to add a contact, or remove a contact to the Seed Biotechnology Center Enews distribution, please reply to or send a request to dlvandolah@ucdavis.edu.  Thank you!