b'SW USAFirst haploid reported 1922GLOBAL SEED SECTOR 1859: On the Origin of Species - Charles Darwin Federation (FIS) Blakeslee et al.1924: Foundation of the International Seed Trade Darwins ground-breaking book argued that organisms TIMELINE gradually evolve via natural selection. The concept thatIn the early 1900s, the public and private seed sector1923 Start of the Canadian Seed organisms with genetic variations best suited to their en- witnessed continuous growth, with science andTrade Association (CSTA)vironment tend to produce more o spring than organismscommerce expanding. With growth came the need of the same species without that variation was an entirelyto establish harmonized trade rules, which led to the new concept at the time. Part of Darwins arguments for theestablishment of FIS. [In 1938, the desire to protect theFoundation of FIS (one of1924Now that Seed World Group has unveiled its global family of Seedpower of natural selection came from plant breeders afterfruits of their labor led plant breeders to form a sepa- two ancestors of ISF)World publications, we felt it would be good to look back at somehe saw their success in improving crops via selection.rate organization, the International Association of Plant of the events that have had a big impact on the plant breeding andBreeders (ASSINSEL). In 2002, the two organizations seed sector over the past 160+ years. The overview of these eventsmerged to form the International Seed Federation (ISF)]. 1924 Foundation of International Seed will of course never be complete, but even these few key momentsTesting Association (ISTA)in the seed sectors history showcase the incredible work done in a century and a half, and paint a good picture of where our SeedFirst experiments with seed1930sWorld publicationst into a global timeline. coating1865: Publication of experiments on plant hybridization - Gregor Mendel1859 On the Origin of SpeciesThrough his work on pea plants, Mendel discovered the fundamental1948: Discovery of transposition - McClintock 1933 CMS developed in maizepublished - Darwin laws of inheritance. He deduced that genes come in pairs and areTransposable elements, or jumping genes that change position on the chromosome, wererst identi ed by Experiments on plant1865 inherited as distinct units, one from each parent. Mendel tracked theBarbara McClintock. Through her work in maize, she hybridizationMendel segregation of parental genes and their appearance in the o springFoundation of Assinsel (one as dominant or recessive traits. He recognized the mathematicalwas able to demonstrate that genes are responsible forof two ancestors of ISF) 19381869 Discovery of DNA from nucleipatterns of inheritance from one generation to the next. He stat- turning physical characteristics on and o . She developedMiescher ed the three laws of heredity: the Law of Segregation, the Law oftheories to explain the suppression and expression ofFirst continuously growing callus Paris Convention for theIndependent Assortment and the Law of Dominance. When geneticgenetic information from one generation of maize plants1939 culturesGautheret, White & protection of industrial property 1883 traits follow the rules of inheritance that Mendel proposed, it is calledto the next. Her discovery challenged the concept of theNobecourtMendelian inheritance, no matter the organism. genome as a static set of instructions passed between Start of American Seed Tradegenerations. In 1983, she received the Nobel prize inCon rmation that DNA carries 1883 Association (ASTA) Physiology or Medicine for her work. genetic informationAvery,1943McCleod & McCarthyRediscovery of Mendel lawsde Vries, Tschermak1900 1948 Discovery of transposition - & Correns McClintock1908: Discovery of heterosis (hybrid vigor)Shull and East1902 Culture of isolated plant cellsIn 1876, Darwin noted that cross-pollinated (hybrid) plants have1953: Description double helix structure of DNA - Watson, Crick,Start of the International PlantHaberlandt Protection Convention (IPPC) 1951greater height, weight, and fertility than their self-pollinatedFranklin & Wilkinscounterparts. The agronomic exploitation of hybrid vigor isThe earlier discoveries of Miescher (1869), Levene (1919) and ChargaFirst embryo culture -1904 based on the independent rediscovery of heterosis in maize by(1950) laid the groundwork for the work of Watson and Crick. TheStart of the OECD Seed Hanning George Shull and Edward East, as reported in their landmarkearlierndings, combined with the work on X-ray di raction of Franklin1953 Schemespublications in 1908. Shull and East went beyond Darwins 1904 Canadian Seed Growersexperiments by generating distinct and virtually homozygousand Wilkins made it possible for Watson and Crick to come to the deri-Association (CSGA) established vation of the three-dimensional, double-helical model for the structure lines that were subsequently crossed to generate hybridof DNA. In 1962, Watson, Crick and Wilkins jointly received the NobelInduction of haploid callus from1953plants. The observation that cross-pollinated hybrids are morePrize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of the structure ofmature pollen grainsTuleckeDiscovery heterosis1908 vigorous than their parents is nowadays commonly referred to(DNA). Franklin was already deceased. (hybrid vigor)Shull as heterosis and is the major reason why hybrids plant varietiesDescription double helix are so popular. 1953 structure of DNAWatson 1908 Association of Ocial Seed& CrickAnalysts formedStart of Seed World Firsteld of hybrid sorghum1955magazine 1915 planted1960s: Commercial development of seed coatingIdenti cation of the base, sugar1915: Start of magazine Seed treatment isnt a new concept: ancient Egyptians and Romans1958 Development of somatic Seed World1919 and phosphate nucleotide unitsFounded in 1915, Seed World treated seeds with, among other options, onion sap to protect themembryosReinert & Steward started as a monthly journal of DNA - Levene devoted exclusively to Seed Interests, with its copyrightfrom pests. It wasnt until the 1960s, however, that commercial appli- First plant regenerated from Association of Ocial Seedheld by the Seed Trade Reporting Bureau in Chicago, U.S. Certifying Agencies foundedThe publication has been covering the seed industryscation of low amounts of exogenous materials was pioneered, with themature plant cellBraun 1959(originally named International1919 news, issues and people on everything from alfalfa togoal of improving the number of seeds that germinate and producing Crop Improvement Association) zucchini and plant breeding to management for more thanhealthier roots and young shoots. Besides better crop establishment, seeding coating delivers signi cantly reduced environmental impact, Quantitative genetics and100 years. Today, Seed World more ecient planting, and improved ease of seed handling. 1960s Commercial developmentdelivers business-critical 1920s breeding developed information to readers in print, online, via social media andof seed coatingthrough its e-newsletters. First commercial double cross in corn hybrid1921 Production of large quantities1960released of protoplastsCocking14/ SEEDWORLD.COMDECEMBER 2023'