b'in Georgia in 2019, said Ksenijaultimately change nitrogen and Gasic, outgoing NAPB president andPODCAST ALERT protein quantity in soybean seed to peach breeder at Clemson University.result in more efficient plants.Being a volunteer-based associa-tion, it shows you the commitment ofEnsuring Access to Germplasmour newest members and long-timeProviding germplasm to breeders was ones. a major topic tackled during a talk Those new members includegiven by Patrick Byrne, a professor a variety of scholarship winnersin the Department of Soil and Crop who comprised this years BorlaugSciences at Colorado State University.Scholars (which supports attendanceThe U.S. National Germplasm of future leaders at the NAPB annualSystem has around 600,000 acces-meeting) and George Washingtonsions across all species of crops and Carver Scholars (designed to advancetheir relatives. It distributes germ-access, equity, justice, and inclusion,plasm to researchers around the and to enhance the diversity of theworld free of charge. graduate student population).Through an online portal known Edgar Sierra Orozco hails from Mexico whereas the Germplasm Resources Encouraging Diversity for seven years he worked as a pest and diseaseInformation Network (GRIN), breed-The NAPB has always welcomed newmanager at a farm. Hes now a graduate studenters can access a database that lists all working on target spot resistance in tomato. Listen blood into its organization with pro- to a podcast interview with him and access aof the accessions and they can search grams like the Borlaug Scholarship.variety of other materials from the annual meeting atby species, variety name, and plant The George Washington Carverseedworld.com/napb2022 introduction (PI) number. It has a Scholarship was formerly known asCanadian offshoot, GRIN-Global-CA.the Diversity Scholars program. Thisthan what I know right now, he said.Improvements are continually year, 23 undergraduate and gradu- Now a PhD student in the hor- being made, including improving ate students attended the meeting asticultural sciences department ofthe availability of phenotypic data to Borlaug Scholars, while six attendedthe University of Florida, his projectmake it easier for a breeder to find as Carver scholars. includes screening and mapping ofseeds of interest. The Carver program providesresistance to target spot of tomatoPlant breeders realize and appre-an opportunity for plant breedingfrom several wild tomato species tociate the importance of having access students belonging to underrepre- ultimately provide the first-ever targetto an extensive set of germplasm for sented groups in the U.S. to attendspot resistant tomato varieties. their breeding needs. Everyone is the meeting along with a mentor inWith Mexico being the largestfaced with new objectives in their the program.exporter of tomatoes worldwide, itprogram, be it for a new disease or Its an excellent program forwas a vegetable he gravitated toward. insect or looking for novel nutritional plant breeding students for equalHelping growers back in Mexicotraits, or simply to improve yield and representation in the plant breedingis a major motivation that makes meresilience, Byrne said. community, says University of Floridawant to learn more, he added. These days, most people include grad student Gurleen Kaur, herselfHis work could have a majorheat and drought tolerance among a Borlaug Scholar and chair of theinfluence on the tomato world, withtheir objectives, and some of the Carver scholarship program. the resulting genetics being in highmaterials in the public germplasm Of course, welcoming breedersdemand around the world and for- system are potentially very excellent from all walks of life into the NAPBever changing tomato as a crop. for that, especially some of the wild fold is something the organizationIowa State PhD candidate Claytonrelatives of crop plants. has always excelled at. Edgar SierraCarley, himself an NAPB BorlaugByrne is part of an information Orozco hails from Mexico where forScholar in 2020, hopes to have a sim- campaign (found at grin-u.org) to seven years he worked as a pest andilar influence on soybean germplasmraise awareness of the system and disease manager at a farm that pro- by exploring soybean root nodules.ensure its used to its maximum duced mainly bell pepper, a relativeHis project won this years posterpotential. of the tomato. He attended the meet- competition and explores six diverseFor example, on my campus at ing this year as a Borlaug Scholar. soybean genotypes across three fieldColorado State University, we have At first, I didnt really think aboutyear combinations in three early veg- the USDAs largest backup collec-pursuing a graduate degree. I thoughtetative stages of development.tion of seeds. Its really a gold mine, I was mostly fine in terms of my job.His teams work has unveiledbut its often so under the radar that Sometime later when circumstancesunique relationships between soy- many people students and even around my job changed, I thought,bean nodules in the taproot andstaff who work theredont realize OK, I guess I need to go learn morenon-taproot growth zones. It couldthe facility is there. 46GERMINATION.CASEPTEMBER 2022'