FROM OUR DESK
BY AIMEE NIELSON
Seed World U.S., Editor
Why Seed Matters More Than Ever
The Technology Transformation
Artificial intelligence appears throughout these 
pages as well. On a South Carolina certified seed 
farm, Rachael Sharp is using AI to streamline records, 
sharpen operational decisions and reclaim some­
thing every business leader needs more of: time. In a 
broader feature, we explore how AI-powered imaging, 
drones and high-throughput phenotyping are helping 
breeders evaluate traits faster and improve selection 
accuracy across environments.
A Lifetime of Seed and Connection
We also honor the Independent Professional Seed 
Association’s (IPSA) Lifetime Achievement honorees 
and recognize Seed World’s inaugural Connector of 
the Year, Lisa Branco of Radicle Seed, whose work 
reminds us that while seed may be the starting point, 
people and relationships are what turn potential into 
progress.
The technologies will evolve. Markets will shift. 
Policies will change.
But one truth is still constant: nearly every advance 
in agriculture begins with a seed and the people com­
mitted to unlocking what it can become.
As always, it’s an honor to partner with you,
Aimee
4  / SEEDWORLD.COM  JUNE 2026
ONE SENTENCE IN this month’s cover story cap­
tures the essence of this issue and, in many ways, the 
entire seed industry.
“There’s not much that doesn’t start around the 
seed.”
That observation from Bryan Gerard, the new chair 
of the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA), is 
deceptively simple, but it carries remarkable weight.
When you stop to consider everything that begins 
with seed, the scope is extraordinary. The crops that 
feed and clothe us, the grains that power renewable 
fuels, the plants that restore landscapes after wildfire 
and the genetics that help agriculture adapt to chang­
ing conditions all trace back to this small but powerful 
starting point.
The Biggest Picture
That idea serves as the connective tissue for our June 
issue.
In our cover story, Gerard explains why his theme 
for the coming year, Back to the Future, is not about 
looking backward. It is about reclaiming the entrepre­
neurial energy and optimism that have long defined 
the seed industry and applying them to the opportuni­
ties ahead.
Pressure on Every Front
Elsewhere in this issue, ASTA’s Janae Brady and Sam 
Crowell explain how policy uncertainty, tariffs and 
conservation funding are reshaping the business envi­
ronment for seed companies. Brady offers a reminder 
that deserves to be repeated often: “The seed is the 
solution to so many problems.”
We examine how global fertilizer disruptions are 
tightening margins and influencing decisions far 
beyond crop nutrition.
We look at how KWS is applying 170 years of 
breeding expertise to help farmers meet modern 
challenges.

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