90 / SEEDWORLD.COM DECEMBER 2017 SEEDS MAY BE tiny, but that doesn’t make them any less powerful. These miniature powerhouses are what keep life as know it going, and they’re poised to literally fuel a world expected to reach nine billion by 2050. The power contained within them was on full display at the 12th triennial conference of the International Society for Seed Science (ISSS) held in Monterey, Calif., in September. The theme this year was Seeds as Systems, and the nearly 200 people present discovered how much has been accomplished, and how much is left to be learned about how these tiny factories contrib- ute to human life. “Scientists need to get together once in awhile and have their ideas challenged and learn from others,” says Kent Bradford, director of the Seed Biotechnology Center at the University of California, Davis. “This meeting is quite broad — we cover everything from seed ecology to molecular biology. It gives us seed scientists a chance to ask people from the industry what their problems are, what they’re working on. Scientists need to cross-fertilize their ideas and learn from one another. It’s a small community, but a tight one.” Quality is Critical Holding the conference in Monterey this year, not far from the Salinas Valley, was significant. The vast majority of salad greens eaten in the United States and Canada are grown in the valley, known as “America's Salad Bowl”. “Seed is really a baseline resource we use here. We need high-quality seed and well developed varieties with charac- teristics the market wants. The market is very demanding,” says Richard Smith, Cooperative Extension farm adviser in the Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of California, who took attendees on a tour of the valley’s artichoke and lettuce fields. Artichokes have been a seed success story in the valley in recent years. The once-dominant perennial artichoke propa- gated by cuttings has been displaced by the annual (seeded) artichoke, which is now grown extensively for its resistance to disease and the fact that less labor is needed to harvest them. Dominant varieties include Imperial Star and Emerald. “The growers have needs for high production, so disease resistance and everything else is very important. We rely on the seed industry for new products that meet those needs.” The International Society for Seed Science showcases groundbreaking research at its 12th triennial conference. Marc Zienkiewicz mzienkiewicz@issuesink.com ISSS Looks at Seeds as Systems Muhammad Bari, entomologist for the Artichoke Research Association in Salinas, California gives ISSS conference attendees a look at one of the many artichoke fields in the Salinas Valley.