b'I N D U S T R Y N E W S Delivering the news you need to know. Submissions welcomeemail us at news@issuesink.com. a new tool that helps ease this process by coaxing the transformed cells, including those modified with the gene-editing system CRISPR-Cas9, to regenerate new plants. This new methodology, reported in Nature Biotechnology, shows that the technology, devel-oped in wheat and tested in other crops significantly improves transformation success rates.Albertas Barley Program Moving to Olds CollegeAgriculture and Forestrys field crop development centre will now be housed at Olds College, leveraging research capacity and creating new teaching oppor-tunities. An initial $10.5-million grant over three years will fund the program at Olds College. The college will Silvina Arias and Charles Block have received atake ownership of the program, providing it the capac-ity to support more world-leading research, according $38,882 grant from the American Seed Tradeto a news release. Albertas barley breeding program Associations Seed Science Foundation (SSF) tohas successfully developed and introduced several develop a test that will differentiate between twonew varieties of barley to both domestic and interna-closely-related corn bacteria. One of the bacteriational markets.causes Stewarts wilt, a disease that prevents cornBUSINESS NEWSseed from being exported. The other bacterium is aASTAs 60th Vegetable & Flower Seed close relative that does not cause disease on corn.Conference Going VirtualThe problem with current testing methods is that theyASTAs 60th Vegetable & Flower Seed Conference, formerly planned for Orlando, Florida, will be held cannot tell the two apart, potentially resulting in false- virtual, February 1-3, 2021. positive test resultsAmazon to Remove Listings for Seeds for Planting By Non-U.S. ResidentsIowa State University Scientists Advance PlantIn response to the recent influx of unsolicited seed Breeding for Organic Industry shipments into the U.S., Amazon had announced that A new federal grant from the U.S. Departmenteffective Sept. 3, the company will remove listings for of Agriculture Organic Agriculture Research andlive plants and seeds for planting that are offered and Extension Initiative (OREI) will support Iowa Statefulfilled by non-U.S. residents.scientists and collaborators as they develop improved seed corn tailored to the needs of the rapidly grow- Verisem Acquires State-of-the-Art Vegetable ing organic industry. The award is part of a $17 millionSeed Processing Facilitynational initiative to improve yields, quality and profit- Verisem North America announced that it has ability for producers and processors who use organicacquired a new vegetable seed processing facility standards. The project builds on the germplasm,in Warden, Washington. The approximately 134,851 methods and technologies Scott and Lbberstedtsquare foot state-of-the-art, turnkey facility, which have developed in previous OREI projects. includes 14 buildings and a rail spur over 11.6 acres, immediately enhances Verisems seed processing New Technology Accelerates Cropcapabilities and increases production capacity. Improvement with CRISPRResearchers know how to make precise geneticNufarm and CROP.ZONE Bring Alternative changes within the genomes of crops, but the trans- Weed Control to Major European Marketsformed cells often refuse to grow into plantsoneThe Australian crop protection and specialty seed international team has devised a new solution. Thecompany Nufarm and the German ag-tech startup Dubcovsky lab at UC Davis in California has developedCROP.ZONE have entered into a cooperation agree-124/ SEEDWORLD.COMDECEMBER 2020'