b'Challenging Yourself to Learn MoreThis years recipient of the European Seed Associations Outstanding Student Award understands that as years go by, its important to continue to self-improve and learn. Alex Martin amartin@issuesink.comIF THERES ONEperson who knows the meaning of hard work, its Benot Foucault, assistant wheat breeder at KWS and recipient of this years European Seed Association Outstanding Student Award at the European Plant Breeding Academy (EPBA). Growing up in the small town of Limoges in the center of France, Foucault is no stranger to agriculture and work-ing hard to achieve his goals. He began his career by getting his bachelors and masters degree in agronomy and crop sciences, thinking he wanted to breed vegetables and flowers.I wasnt so interested in field crops, Foucault says. I did an Erasmus intern-ship in Denmark while I was in school which focused on wheat.However, while row crops didnt catch his interest in his studies, during his internship, Foucault learned that wheatBenoit Foucault (left) and his classmates show off their European Plant Breeding Academy was an incredibly diverse crop with adiplomas after two hard years of work.long, global history. The last year of my studies, I decided tothat he felt that he was distanced fromAlthough working and completing the do a second internship in wheat, he says. Itthese new techniques after being awayprogram was hard work, that didnt slow focused on analyzing winter wheats geneticfrom school. Since my background isFoucault down. In fact, he even continued variability under drought stress. mostly agronomy, I always wanted toand discovered a new position at work he One reason in particular that Foucaultimprove my plant breeding knowledge.was excited to tackle. says he really likes working with wheat isNot only that, but I was excited about theIn 2018, I applied to work on a new because it breeders have been workingaspect of meeting other breeders work- project at KWS, he says. They began a with it for years.ing in vegetables and row crops. program on breeding hybrid wheat. I was Theres no new challenges in wheatSo, alongside his day-to-day job,really interested because it was quite a breeding, he says.Foucault started attending classes for thechange from a traditional wheat pro-For the last six years, Foucault hasEPBA.gram.found himself as a wheat breeder withThe programs a fantastic oppor- In his new position, Foucault says he KWS. However, after hearing about thetunity, says Rale Gjuric, director of thespends a lot of his time educating about University of California, Davis, (UC-Davis)UC-Davis Plant Breeding Academythe benefits of hybrid wheat, which led EPBA, he decided not only was it time toprogram. As technology evolves, thehim to the perfect final project. And why better himself, but it was time to expandprogram evolves. If you have a PhD, in fivenot use his final project as a platform to his plant breeding knowledge.years your knowledge isnt obsolete, buttalk more about hybrid wheat? I wanted to keep up with the newyou lose a clear understanding of newI looked at how to implement a new technologies and breeding strategiesbreeding tools. Our program is here to fillsystem of breeding in wheat, he says. being developed, Foucault says, addingin the gaps. Hybrid breeding is really complicated in 22/ SEEDWORLD.COMOCTOBER 2019'