Founded in 2010 as an outgrowth of the PBCC (Plant Breeding Coordinating Committee).

Represents the common interests of the plant breeding community working in field, forest, horticultural, and specialty crops.

Serves a forum for leadership regarding issues, challenges, and opportunities of long-term strategic importance where plant breeding contributes to national goals.

http://www.plantbreeding.org/napb/index.htm

NAPBNational Association of Plant Breeders

PBCCPlant Breeding Coordinating Committee

Officers- President (Rita Mumm)- Vice President (David Stelly)- Secretary (Liz Lee)- Past President (Todd Wehner)- Treasurer (Shelley Jansky)- Web Editor (Seth Murray)- Assistant Web Editor (Jim Hancock)- Archivist (Tom Stalker)

Officers- Chair (Mike Havey) - Vice Chair (Allen Van Deynze)- Secretary (Marcelo Carena)- Past Chair (Phil Simon)- Admin. Advisor (George Askew) - CSREES Rep. (Anne Marie Thro)- USDA-ARS Rep. (Roy Scott)- US Forest Service Advisor( Randy Johnson)

Liaisons- International Plant Breeding Centers

(Stephen Baenziger, Paul Gepts)- Private Non-Profit Breeders (Bill Tracy)- Forestry Plant Breeders (Ross Whetten)- CSSA Plant Breeders (Andrea Cardinal)- ASA (Karl Glasener, Caron Gala) - ASHS (Chris Cramer, Amy Iezzoni)- NCCPB (Tom Koch)- ASTA (Donn Cummings, Don Blackburn)- EUCARPIA (Rale Gjuric)- NPGCC (David Baltensperger)- Organic Seed Alliance (Jim Myers)

Subcommittee Chairs- Grand Challenges (t.b.d.)- Science, Technology and Informatics (Mitch McGrath)- Communications and Outreach (Pat Byrne)- Awards (Brooks Blanche)- Education and Training of Plant Breeders

(Jamie Sherman)

Membership: Voluntary / Email listserv Membership: Institutional representatives

Activities- Advocacy- Lead organizer of annual meeting- Websitegovernance

Activities- USDA reporting- USDA advising- NIMSS website

Activities- Identifying needs of plant breeders- Meeting organization- Communicating with the public- Recognizing achievements of plant breeders- Identifying educational needs and challenges

Who is NAPB?

Originally the definition was: Plant breeders from land grant universities, US government, and industry.

The more accurate definition is:Anyone who is interested in or associated with the science and/or business of plant breeding.

• plant breeders from universities, research institutes, ngos, & industry• graduate students & post-docs• lawyers• social scientists• molecular geneticists and biologists, bioinformaticists, & quantitative

geneticists• administrators

NAPB’s mission statement:

To strengthen capacities for U.S. plant breeding research, technology, education, and public awareness to meet needs for plants on which our nation and world rely -- for food, feed, fiber, fuels, environmental stewardship, aesthetics, recreation, and human health.

• Strengthening plant breeding capacity by encouraging improvements to infrastructure and education. Currently this is a US focus, but will probably move beyond the borders.

• Educating the next generation of plant breeders.

• Funding for public sector plant breeding.

Some of our key issues:

Developing a “Common Voice” in conjunction with ASTA

Vision of the NAPB:The basis of sustainability of the US is to invest, amply and re-vitalize public field-based plant breeding and plant breeding educational programs.

Big Harry Audacious Goal(s):1. Sustaining Society through Science and Innovation and …..2. Sustaining Society through an Educated Workforce…….

The basis of the vision:

1. Plant Breeding Capacities: Conserve and enhance US capacities for field-based breeding of all plant species important to the US in agri-regionally relevant manners.

2. Education: Foster federal and state-based efforts and investments to retain and strengthen plant breeding education in agri-regionally relevant manners. Investment in education is essential to maintain and enhance our competitiveness in crop improvement.

3. Science and Innovations: Identify, research and exploit new approaches and targets that augment the range and speed of field-based plant breeding that enhance our economy, environment, health, sustainability and food security.

4. Germplasm: Conserve, organize, evaluate and develop germplasm.

5. Outreach: Communicate and exemplify why society needs plants, plant breeders, and plant breeding programs.

2011 annual meeting was hosted by TAMU

Speakers:Dr. Joe Bouton – “Breeding and Climate Change”Dr. Yanqi Wu – “Breeding and Molecular Research in Bermudagrass and Switchgrass”Dr. Jim Myers – “Organic Breeding”

Ms. Susan Dworkin, Author, The Viking in the Wheat Field

Dr. Helen Hambly Odame – “Education Strategies”Dr. Rob Hansen – “Intellectual Property Issues”Dr. Pat Schnable – “The Maize Genome”Dr. Ed Buckler – “Genotyping by Sequencing”Dr. Tom Brutnell – “The Maize Transcriptome”Dr. Ben Hayes – “The GWS Experience in Dairy Cattle”Dr. Bill Rooney – “Sorghum Bioenergy Breeding”

2011 annual meeting was hosted by TAMU

Intellectual Properties Panel Discussion:“Looking Ahead at the Intellectual Property Landscape for Plant Breeding”Panelists Include:Dr. Robert Hanson – SNR Denton – Panel ModeratorDr. Stephen Smith – Pioneer Hybrid InternationalDr. Peter Schuerman – Office of Technology Commercialization, Texas A&MDr. Erich E. Veitenheimer – Partner, Cooley LLP

Tours:CERES bioenergy cropsTAMU breeding programs in: wheat, sorghum, maize, cotton, roses, hot peppers, melons, cukes, perennial grasses, forage grasses, vegetables and fruits

2012 NAPB annual meeting will be held August 5-8th (Mon-Wed). Dow AgroSciences is the meeting coordinator/host.