b'CONTENT FROM APSAMr. Pachok PongpanichSeed in (Pacific Seed, Thailand) APSA Awardee 2022 (Private sector)Mr. Pongpanich has been chosen from the privateExcellence! sector as his colleagues acknowledged his major contributions in both the business and research aspects, as well as his leadership efforts that helped steered the Thai seed industry to where it is now. Insights & Inspiration from the A seasoned agriculturist who also specializes in2022 APSA Award recipientscorn breeding, Pongpanich has been a well-known business leader as he led Pacific Seeds Thailand toThe Asia and Pacific Seed Alliance (APSA) be among the major companies not only in the countryand Thai Seed Trade Association (ThaSTA) are but also in the region, since he started his professionalproud to name Pachok Pongpanich (Pacific work there in 1983. He went up the ranks to becomeSeed, Thailand) and Associate Professor Dr. the Regional Business Growth Lead (ASEANPetcharat Thammabenjapone (Khon Kaen and Northeast Asia) of Pacific Seeds. His vast knowledge of plant breeding and his comprehensive seed business acumen have made him a highlyEvaluator of the Plant Breeding Project of Biotech-recognizable name in the Thai seed industry, thusNational Science and Technology Development Agency, bringing his colleagues to elect him as President ofwhere he also previously held a seat as an Executive THASTA from 2008-2012. His leadership term asCommittee member.Presidentup to the present where he still serves as Advisor and Executive Committee member of thePongpanich, who had also served as the Vice President Associationhas made it possible to continue to workof the Plant Breeding and Multiplication Association of on his vision to see Thailand at the forefront of theThailand, holds a Masters Degree in Agriculture-Plant international seed trade and bring the quality produceBreeding and graduated with a degree in Agronomy from of Thai farmers to the world. Chiang Mai University. I want to believe that Thailand has already possessedAsian Seed: What has been your biggest a high standard in seed production and trade. Weinspiration(s) in your path to seed must leverage this standard and be seed-solution providers at an international level. This will ensure thatPachok Pongpanich: My advisor, Dr Kritsada our farmers will be able to access high-quality seedsSamphantharak, at the Department of Agronomy, for high productivity and profitability in a sustainableKasetsart University, had inspired me to study plant manner,Pongpanich said.hybrids. I conducted my thesis on the heterotic Aside frommagnitude of F1 sorghum hybrids. I experienced at remaining asthe field level the powerful heterosis that the F1 hybrid an Advisoryielded against its parental lines and OPVs. At that to Pacifictime (1980), a corn variety named Suwan 1 (an open-Seeds andpollinated corn variety bred by a team at the National THASTA, heCorn and Sorghum Research Centre, Kasetsart continues toUniversity, led by Dr Sujin Jinahyon) had become popular contribute hisin Thailand. It was very hard for F1 hybrids to produce expertise in thegreater yields over Suwan 1 at the farm level. I admired seed industrythe corn breeding team of Kasetsart University at Farm as a ResearchSuwan. They had developed an open-pollinated variety that had been widely used as elite germplasm in private corn breeding programs. I joined Pacific Seeds Thailand in 1983. Col Seccombe, who was the General Manager of Pacific Seeds Australia, inspired me with his success in leading Pacific Seeds Australia to become the number one seed company there, and I wanted to repeat his 90/ SEEDWORLD.COMDECEMBER 2022 The full interviewing article available at'