b'Breeding Innovation on Display Its interesting to see this new market It was the first in-person NAPB meet- class in the retail space both in the ing since 2019 and nearly 400 plantgrocery store and in restaurants.breeders were brought together,It was just one example of the ranging from undergraduate studentsinnovation on display at this years to established breeders like IrwinNAPB meeting, being ushered in by a Goldman from the University ofnew generation of both plant breed-Wisconsin-Madison, who has workeders and businesspeople who have an to develop new table beet varieties toeye on the future.cater to modern tastes.The predominant theme for thisRecord Membershipvegetable is its polarizing nature.That forward-thinking approach Some people love it. Some peopletoward the NAPBs expanding appeal love it a lot less. Its an acquired taste.can be seen on the NAPB board Its a vegetable that brings out strongas well. Incoming NAPB president feelings in people, Goldman says.Hannah Senior is not a plant breeder. Part of this polarizing qualityShe leads Pollination Bag SpecialistsDuke Pauli is incoming chair of the Plant Breeding Coordinating Committee, which revolves around the volatile organic(PBS) International based in thefounded the NAPB.molecule geosmin. The compoundUnited Kingdom. The company is what creates the earthy smell inuses fabric technology in pollination soil, and it is found in certain foodscontrol, manufacturing a range of like beets, spinach and a few others.products for plant breeders and seed It is produced by streptomyces bacte- producers.ria in soil. Humans are very sensitiveShes also the first NAPB president to geosmin and can detect it at levelsfrom outside North America.of 100 parts per trillion.Its really exciting that weve got Goldmans own association witha record level of membership. We beet goes back to his grandparentssurpassed our goal of reaching 500 or who came to the United States frommore members by this year and now eastern Europe. Since then, the beethave over 600. I think what NAPB has taken on a new life thanks tobrings is a combination of things. influencers like Martha Stewart andNumber one, the connecting of plant has become a resurgent crop breeders across multiple crops and the number of farms in Wisconsinmultiple geographies. Theres alsoIrwin Goldman of the University of Wisconsin-growing beets more than doubledcommunicating what plant breedingMadison works to develop new table beet between 2012 and 2017. is about, she said.varieties to cater to modern tastes. Photo: Michael P. King/UWMadison CALSAlong with the resurgence came aThe third thing that NAPB brings familiar complaint, Goldman said. is this huge energy around the stu-People would say, Cant you dodent community and encouraging anything about the fact they taste likemore people who are going through dirt? their education to think about plant So, Goldman and his team beganbreeding as a career path and under-working to select away from not onlystand what that might look like and the earthy intensity and the flavourget involved.of geosmin, but also away from theThe almost 400 people who astringency associated with oxalicattended this years meeting repre-acid contained in beet. Two low- sents over half the NAPBs member-geosmin varieties have arrived onship. Organizers Thomas Lubberstedt consumers dinner plates as a resultand Paul Scott had to cap registra- Snow Globe (white flesh) andtions due to overwhelming demand, Evansville Ember (red flesh). showing that members want to return Two high-geosmin varieties areto in-person meetings after a pan-available as well. demic that raised questions about theBorlaug Scholar Gurleen Kaur also serves as chair of the George Washington Carver Some people enjoy the earthinessviability of in-person events in a post- Scholarship program, designed to provide in their food, and some really want topandemic world. an opportunity for plant breeding students stay away from it. Weve made theseWe were worried if we werebelonging to underrepresented groups in the cultivars for both groups of people.going to get 300 people like we hadU.S. to attend the NAPB meeting.SEPTEMBER 2022GERMINATION.CA 45'