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. […]
Are you Booked for ASTA’s Biggest Seed Event of the Year? The Field Crop Seed Convention
A new (warmer!) location isn’t the only exciting thing about this year’s Field Crop Seed Convention, coming up December 5-8 in Orlando, Florida. The North American seed industry’s biggest event […]
Indiana Crop Improvement Association Seeking New CEO
The Indiana Crop Improvement Association (ICIA) is in the market for a new team leader, according to a press release signed by Jim Parks, ICIA’s immediate past president. “The Indiana Crop […]
6 Mavericks Show What it Means to be a Successful Leader in 2023
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, […]
10 Years Ago, I Knew Little About Agriculture. The Seed Industry Changed That
I began my career in the world of newspapers. I wrote the odd weather-related farming story, but that was about it. Then I came on with Seed World Group. Fast-forward […]
Do More Agriculture Launches Walk With Me Campaign
The Do More Agriculture Foundation, a leading organization dedicated to promoting mental health awareness in the agriculture industry, is proud to announce the launch of the Walk With Me campaign […]
Changing the Fertilizer Game
Learn how a new fertilizer technology is revolutionizing the agricultural industry and how it can benefit farmers. Discover the potential of this game-changing technology.
New U of Illinois-led Project Aims to Sequence 400 Soybean Genomes
: The project will empower soybean researchers and breeders to directly select for otherwise hidden genetic variation in genes that can be targeted for variety development. Soybean is an important crop, both […]