60 / SEEDWORLD.COM OCTOBER 2018 BY COMBINING FORCES and working toward the same goals, the boards of directors for the National Council of Commercial Plant Breeders and the American Seed Research Foundation recognized the synergies and ability to make an impact to be gained. That’s why the two organizations during their June board meetings made the decision to merge and create the Seed Science Foundation, a new not-for-profit foundation. “The Seed Science Foundation will be a proac- tive and integrated source of plant science exper- tise for the U.S. seed industry,” says Ric Dunkle, American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) senior director of seed health and trade. “It’s some- thing I’m really excited about, and I think it will have much more of an impact in advancing basic research, working with students and informing policymakers.” With the mission to address seed and plant science challenges and to encourage plant breed- ing education and seed research, the Seed Science Foundation will support the ever-changing needs of the global seed industry. According to a news release from ASTA, it will also continue efforts to fund public research programs in basic seed science and to explore opportunities for public and private research organizations to further their knowledge of “how seeds work the way they do.” Established in the 1950s, both the American Seed Research Foundation and the National Council of Commercial Plant Breeders have long and impactful histories. Historically, the foundation Combining Forces to Launch Seed Science Foundation Two long-time stalwart organizations merge with the renewed goal of funding research, informing policy and creating a bigger impact within the seed industry’s scientific community. Julie Deering jdeering@issuesink.com Breeding Systems Chair Seed Health and Pathology Chair Digital Agriculture Chair Seed Quality and Testing Chair Seed Production Technology and Equipment Chair Seed- Applied Technologies Chair 1 ASRF representative 1 NCCP representative 2 ASTA representatives PROPOSED MAKEUP OF THE SEED SCIENCE FOUNDATION BOARD