Syngenta Names Hengde Qin New CFO
Hengde Qin has been named the new Chief Financial Officer of Syngenta Group, effective Dec 1, 2023, according to an Oct. 20 news release. Qin, 53, is currently the Chief Human Resources […]
Resurrection of Plant Breeding Innovation in the EU?
The EU Proposal on certain New Genomic Techniques. WHY IT MATTERS In 2018, after a ruling of the European Court of Justice put the latest breeding methods under the burdensome […]
Gene Editing can Earn Consumers’ Trust. Logan Skori says That has Big Implications
The role of the modern CEO has evolved to encompass a wide range of responsibilities that extend beyond traditional business functions. A CEO is now expected to be a visionary, a […]
Data from the World and European Seed Market
Dr. Nomman Ahmed presented at the The EU and World Seed Market – a sneak preview of a new data collection panel during the Section Forage and Grasses at Euroseeds […]
Preserving Seed Purity: Exploring the Vital Role of Licensed Seed Crop Inspectors
I consider myself fortunate to be both a licensed seed crop inspector and an accredited seed analyst. We’re a select group, a handful of individuals with specialized expertise that’s essential […]
Should a State-Level Seed Cert. Agency Invest $ Outside their State and Outside of Seed Certification?
We at the Minnesota Crop Improvement Association (MCIA) are generating attention with our innovative efforts. Here’s why we think our path is beneficial to Minnesota farmers and might be a path others want to follow too. […]
Seeds of Uncertainty: Our Industry Needs to Prepare for What’s Coming
In a world experiencing ever-increasing unrest, the Canadian seed industry faces a pressing question: how should it prepare for the growing global instability that seems to be on the horizon? […]
Soil Health Observations: Western Canada vs. Western Australia
I had a great opportunity to spend eight months in Western Australia in early 2023 learning about agriculture production systems that local producers were using. The experience was an enlightening […]
How Social Media Impacts Weather Reporting
Social media is everywhere these days, if you’re not on X or Facebook or TikTok, you’re probably missing out on receiving some real-time information. A lot is posted to these […]
Arkansas Orders Syngenta to Sell R&D Land
The state of Arkansas on Tuesday ordered Syngenta to sell 160 acres of farmland owned by Syngenta subsidiary, Northrup King Seed Co., in the state because Syngenta is Chinese-owned, according to […]
Low Profile, High Goals: How Greg Gerard Put JoMar Seeds on the Map
The role of the modern CEO has evolved to encompass a wide range of responsibilities that extend beyond traditional business functions. A CEO is now expected to be a visionary, a […]
Seed World Europe: Report from Euroseeds — Day 3
On the last day of the Congress, the trade show was open until 16.00, as were the exhibition booths. On today’s program are two ‘Members Only’ Section meetings, one of […]
Perspective on Israel-Palestine: When ‘Our Thoughts and Prayers’ Aren’t Enough
I’m sure you, like I, have been watching the conflict between Israel and Hamas with horror over the past week. It feels insufficient to post a ‘our hearts and prayers […]
U.S. Major Crop Production Expectations Down from September
Corn, soybean and cotton production expectations have dropped from last month, according to a Crop Production report issued last week by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). The forecasts, based on […]
Kenyan Enviro Court Tosses GM Crop Case
On Oct. 12, Kenya’s Environment Court dismissed a case that challenged the importation and cultivation of GM crops. The Court ruled that the Kenyan government has indeed taken appropriate measures to regulate […]
Shades of Green
How to avoid Greenwashing while working towards real sustainability goals Almost everyone is familiar with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): the 17 global goals set out by the UN […]
Naturalness – Who is Fooling Whom?
The word ‘natural’ has a positive sound in consumers’ ears, especially when it refers to food. But is it? Do claims about ‘naturalness’ have any ground? The term is used […]
New Study Shows Grasses ‘Borrow’ Genes from Surrounding Plants
According to a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Sheffield and published in New Phytologist, grasses shortcut evolution by transferring in genes from their neighbours in a way that […]
There’s Light at the End of the SRM Tunnel
The last of eight Seed Regulatory Modernization (SRM) task teams — this one tasked with information (labelling and records) — will soon begin its work as the SRM process approaches […]
To be a Successful Leader, Know the Importance of Cultural Differences
The role of the modern CEO has evolved to encompass a wide range of responsibilities that extend beyond traditional business functions. A CEO is now expected to be a visionary, a […]
Seed World Europe: Report from Euroseeds — Day 2
The trading floor and the exhibition booths were open again from 08.00 until 18.30. For those of you who were not busy on the trading floor or in the booths, […]
Statement from ISF to their Members and Partners
The following is a statement from ISF to their members and partners: A MESSAGE FOR OUR MEMBERS AND PARTNERS Like all of you, we have been following the situation in […]
Perspective on Israel-Palestine: When ‘Our Thoughts and Prayers’ Aren’t Enough
I’m sure you, like I, have been watching the conflict between Israel and Hamas with horror over the past week. It feels insufficient to post a ‘our hearts and prayers […]
How Plant Breeders Breed for Climate Resilient Agriculture
For most of our long history, humans have bred plants to meet our changing needs. Now, the stakes are even higher. With the climate changing fast and more mouths to […]
Yield10 Makes Strides on Weed Control for Camelina
Yield10 Bioscience, Inc. has made significant progress on enabling weed control for camelina cultivation, an Oct. 11 news release said. Yield10 is developing camelina with tolerance to a broad leaf […]
Seed World Europe: Report from Euroseeds — Day 1
The trading floor and the exhibition booths opened this morning at 08.00, closing for the day at 18.30. For those of you who were not busy on the trading floor […]
How Karen Churchill is Leading the Way to a Sustainable Future
The role of the modern CEO has evolved to encompass a wide range of responsibilities that extend beyond traditional business functions. A CEO is now expected to be a visionary, a […]
ASTA’s New and Improved Leadership Conference Should Be on Everyone’s Calendar
The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) hosts four major events every year. Three of the four are very heavily focused on business-to-business networking: the Forage, Turf and Conservation Conference (Nov. […]
MCIA wins AOSCA’s First Annual Excellence in Innovation Award MCIA
The Minnesota Crop Improvement Association’s international education and other diversification efforts recognized with first annual Excellence in Innovation Award from the Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA). At its 2023 Annual Meeting held June 5, the Association of […]
Reflections of an Expert
With the new proposed EU legislation on Plant Reproductive Material now public, European Seed checked in with John van Ruiten, managing director of the Netherlands’ Quality and Inspection Service in Horticulture, Naktuinbouw. Van Ruiten has a long history in seed quality systems, and we wanted to get his opinion on various topics and developments in plant health as well as the new proposed EU legislation and its impact on the seed sector. Van Ruiten is now in his last year as managing director of Naktuinbouw. In 2024, he will retire after 23 years of leading the Dutch system for seed inspection.
Have You Considered: What If You’re Wrong?
Every Wednesday morning (Wednesday nights for our team in Europe), we gather our entire global Seed World team for a Zoom meeting we call Heads Up. Heads Up is a […]
Researchers Successfully Measure Soybeans’ ‘Glow’ To Assess Crop Stress
USDA and U of Illinois researchers are using fluorescence – the tiny glow of light plants release – to measure the level of stress soybeans undergo from elevated levels of […]
Attack on Israel Leaves NRGene Concerned About Co-Workers
The genomics company, which operates a satellite office in Saskatchewan, has 40 employees based in Ness Ziona near Tel Aviv. Hamas’ Saturday morning surprise attack on Israel is having reverberations for those […]
A New Report Shows the Move to UPOV ’91 was a Smart One
A new economic analysis shows the clear benefits that ratifying UPOV 91 has had for Canada — including growth in the number of Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR) filings currently being […]
EDVs: Why They Play a Crucial Role in the Plant Breeder’s Toolbox
The move to UPOV ’91 has been a game-changer for breeders in the horticulture space. Since 1936, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) has operated a successful sweet cherry breeding program […]
El Nino vs. La Nina: What Are They Really?
El Nino and La Nina are commonly discussed weather patterns, but do you understand what they actually are? We’re currently moving from a La Nina cycle into El Nino cycle. […]