b'Over 400 people came out for the 2019 meeting of the National Association of Plant Breeders held in Pine Mountain, Georgia. A group shot was taken with a drone during a tour of the University of Georgias Griffin campus.NAPB GROWS TO MEET THE FUTUREThe National Association of Plant Breeders holds its biggest-ever meeting as its growing membership works to tackle the challenges posed by regulatory andclimate changes. Marc Zienkiewicz mzienkiewicz@issuesink.comGETTING BIGGER ISa challenge that many organizationsing is as important as everperhaps more soit also shows wish they were faced with.that theres a lot of interest in helping reverse what some see as Peggy Ozias-Akins and the organizers of this years meetinga decline in public sector plant breeding. of the National Association of Plant Breeders (NAPB) in PineAccording to new PBCC chair Michael Kantar, an assis-Mountain, Georgia, found out first-hand what its like to facilitatetant professor at the University of Hawaii, the NAPBs growth the gathering of a rapidly-growing group of professionals work- comes as the PBCC is developing its new strategic objectives in ing to make a difference. light of changes within public sector plant breedinglike the We were scrambling a bit when we found out just how manyrecent announcement that the National Institute of Food and registrations were coming in, says Ozias-Akins, plant breederAgriculture (NIFA) is being moved out of Washington, D.C. to at the University of Georgia (UGA) and chair of the organizingKansas City.committee. Its a great problem to have, and its so gratifying toMany NIFA staffershave chosen to quit rather than relocate, see this group grow as word gets out about the NAPB. causing concern that NIFA offices will be staffed by skeleton With over 400 people attending the ninth annual meeting ofcrews that lack the resources needed to do their work.the NAPB from Aug. 25-29, 2019, it was a record turnout. WithAs a disciplinein terms of sheer numberspublic sector 451 members, the NAPB is also enjoying its highest member- plant breeding isnt healthy. We need to look to the future and ship to-date. As many groups in an array of industries work tofigure out how we can keep public sector breeding healthy and simply maintain their numbers, the NAPB is enjoying continualmove it forward, says Kantar. The PBCC, struck in 2006, held its growth since it was founded by the Plant Breeding Coordinatingannual general meeting as part of the event in Pine Mountain.Committee (PBCC), which works to advance the interests ofEvery five years we have to decide what our new objectives public sector plant breeders in the United States and beyond. are, how we promote plant breeding, how to ensure we continue By contrast, the NAPB strengthens both public and pri- with this discipline thats fundamental to human survival. Were vate sector plant breeding to promote food security, quality ofin the process of drafting our new objectives and finding people life and a sustainable future. It represents both American andwho want to take these on.Canadian breeders, and while its growth shows that plant breed- One proposed objective is to foster communication among 64/ SEEDWORLD.COMOCTOBER 2019'