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DECEMBER 2015 SEEDWORLD.COM 93 Industry plant breeders tell us what theyre excited about how they stay on top of changes what hurdles the industry needs to overcome and more. Q1. What are you working on that youre most excited about right now Yates I am most excited about our ability to further understand GxE or said another way genetic potential of plants in different environments using new tools available in precision agriculture like remote sensing and in soil health. McCall Enhancing the germplasm base. Q2. The evolution of plant breeding techniques seems to be changing at an ever-increasing rate. How do you stay on top of these changes Yates I stay on top of new techniques and changes in plant breeding by reading journals attending conferences and focus- ing on hiring talented students and post-docs who are skilled in these new areas. Realizing that I cant be an expert in all of these areas I utilize other subject matter experts and teams who work in areas like automation for example. McCall It is very difficult but we must devote time for educa- tion and build a network of contacts with expertise. Q3. Theres concern about whether some of these new breeding techniques will eventually be regulated like GMOs. Should they be and why or why not McCall I am not an expert in this arena but have read some. Most of the comments that favor regulation are lacking a sci- entific basis.If there is a solid fact-based reason for regulation then OK if the reasons are politically or emotionally based then no regulation. Q4. What are the biggest hurdles that the plant breeding industry needs to overcome Yates In plant breeding we are always working toward identi- fying and incorporating more genetic variation but it is a long process. To continue delivering value to growers we are chal- lenged to find new ways to improve other components of the genetic gain equation. This is both an exciting proposition but also challenging because it means we have to change the way we have bred crops in the past. McCall The general public does not know what we do or under- stand how important we are to the future security of their food and fiber needs. With an ever-expanding global population and decrease in cultivated land area we must continually increase output and breeding plays a key role. Q5. What are your three biggest concerns for the plant breeding industry Yates One concern is the timing for the recovery of the ag economy and commodity prices. In these challenging cir- cumstances we need to prioritize our research with a greater amount of rigor. A second concern is finding the talent to fill positions in new technology areas. Since these roles are non- traditional agricultural disciplines the industry is facing limited supply of candidates. Finally I am concerned about product differentiation and continuing to drive the genetic diversity of products in an industry which is going through continuous evo- lution and change. McCall 1 Genetic diversity 2 Germplasm access and 3 Lack of young plant breeders. Q6. If you can peer into your crystal ball whats the future of plant breeding look like in the next five to 10 years Yates I believe in addressing the concerns above in the next five to 10 years the outcome of our creativity and innovation will show up as increased value to growers through more custom- ized information about our Asgrow and DEKALB seed products maximizing a growers return across the fields while minimizing inputs. In doing this we will have not only understood the par- ticular GxE affecting yield across a growers field but will have leveraged the environment to produce higher yield. McCall With the progress of science and increased understand- ing of plant biology and genetics plant breeding has become much more precise and more efficient.The art of breeding today is how the different technologies are utilized as a pack- age to develop new productsand not so much the eye of the breeder.However while we are able to do more and more evalu- ationpredictions in the lab materials will still need to be evalu- ated in field conditions thus I anticipate breeders will still need field training and will need to spend significant time in the field. Q7. Whats your advice for students who are interested in pursuing a degree in plant breeding and genetics Yates The field of plant breeding and genetics is undergoing a renaissance. Never before have we had so many tools to understand genetic variation to increase it to select for it and to affect the other parts of the breeding equation to drive yield and performance to the next level. It is a great career. We need creative students who can think outside the box and apply standards and protocols from unconventional disciplines to continue creating innovations in this space. McCall Dont hesitate do it but get a well-rounded education with experience in both lab and field situations. SW