b'I would be excited by a non-browning avocado, which is under development by several entities. The manufacturer of the Impossible Burger makes it clear they use GMO soybeans in their product, and its still hugely popular, she said. If consumers are excited by the prod-uct, then there will be acceptance.Sean Finnie, manager of cultivar development and research for the Massachusetts-based Bay State Milling Company, spoke about building a high amylose wheat supply chain and the need for what he calls a paradigm shift in the way breeders sell a new cultivar to growers and, ultimately, consumers.Although starches high in amylose are associated with numerous health benefits, they have not tradition-ally been used in most food products due to the lack of a high-amylose supply chain. Finnie wants to change that. Bay State Milling Company is using high-amylose wheat varieties to create new products including healthier ramen noodles, pasta and pizza crust.As my breeders pitch I often say that high amylose wheat is a cross between nutrition and affordability with a strong disease package for Type 2 diabetes, some can-cers, coronary heart disease, obesity, and overall holistic benefits for digestive health and immune system health, he said.Finding what WorksSuccessfully commercializing a variety isnt always about figuring out what consumers want, though. Charlie Rohwer, horticultural scientist at the University of Minnesota Southern Research and Outreach Center, knows what fans of craft beer already desire. He pre- Charlie Rohwer is working to develop new hop varieties for craft brewers sented on small-scale hop breeding for regional growersin Minnesota. Photo courtesy University of Minnesotaand brewers.Craft beer was a small portion of the beer market until mid-2000s when it took right off. Craft beer usesCreating a functional product with the consumer a lot more hops than mass produced brands. Craft beerin mind is a philosophy Wayne Hanna drove home to enthusiasts want that full hop flavour you dont find in ameeting attendees during his talk on what makes a good beer like Bud Light, he said. cultivar. Hanna, who spent his career at the University of Problem is, farmers in Minnesota who want to growGeorgia, is an internationally recognized plant breeder of hops have a hard time doing so due to competition fromgrasses and grain crops, particularly turf grass and pearl producers in states like Washington, Oregon and Idaho.millet. Hes also last years NAPB Lifetime Achievement Also, many popular hop varieties do not grow well inAward winner.Minnesota, and several varieties that might grow well inIn recent years he has taken to breeding pine trees the North Star State are proprietary. for the ornamental market. He said he got chuckles from Hop growers in Minnesota need new cultivars forsuppliers when he floated the idea of breeding a coneless marketing purposes, Rohwer said. As a result, hes usingpine tree, something he is currently working at doing.public varieties to create made-in-Minnesota hops thatPeople said I was crazy to want to make a pine tree can be marketed under new names to craft beer makerswith no cones. I said, If you ask homeowners in the in the state and potentially beyond. South, about 1% will tell you they dont mind having Were not doing anything extraordinary; were simplypinecones all over their lawn. Everyone else says theyre working to create something that works for growers inaggravating. If you can breed a pine tree that redirects its Minnesota that will be appealing to craft brewers andenergy to tree growth instead of making cones, it could their customers. be a billion-dollar business, he said. NOVEMBER 2020 GERMINATION.CA 23'