b'NAPB Breaks New GroundThe NAPB invests in younger generations during their 2020 virtual meeting. Marc ZienkiewiczTHE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of Plant Breeders (NAPB) broke new ground this year both in terms of its membership and its technological capa-bilities with regard to its annual meeting. The meeting was held virtually this year, taking place Aug. 17-20 and organ-ized by members at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. It was the 10th annual meeting of the NAPB.Despite challenges posed by recent global events, attendance numbers2020 NAPB Early CareerKandall Lamkey is theThomas Osborn, 2020 NAPB Scientist Award winnerNAPBs Public Sector PlantPrivate Sector Plant Breeding exceeded expectations and the organiza- Diego Jarquin. Breeding Impact AwardImpact Award winner.tion continues to grow. winner for 2020.Part of my mission will be to continue to engage the private sector and ensure we have a good level of private sectoracademia, the public sector and gradthing the PBCC accomplished was bring-involvement and support. Im not thestudents. Someday I may be in a positioning agronomic, horticultural and forestry first president to come from the privatewhere I need to recruit future employ- crop breeders together as plant breed-sector, said incoming NAPB chair Daveees, so I need to stay connected with theers. These organizations really unify plant Bubeck, research director logistics forpublic sector, Bubeck added. breeders.global breeding services and NA regionalRichard Pratt, incoming chair of theThe NAPB restructured its annual crops for Corteva Agriscience. Plant Breeding Coordinating Committeeawards program for 2020 to reflect its From a private sector perspective,(PBCC), said due to recent changes inpublic and private sector involvement. the public sector is training our futurefederal funding and the fact the industryInstead of handing out its annual Plant employees. In order to stay the coursein general is heading in new directions,Breeding Impact Award, it now gives and continue fostering technologies thatnow is an important time for plant breed- out three different honours: the Public improve plant breeding and crop perfor- ers everywhere to unite. Sector Plant Breeding Impact Award mance, to be able to be shoulder to shoul- Its not public versus private sector.(awarded to Kendall R. Lamkey, chair of der with the public sector is important forIts about the important of plant breed- the Department of Agronomy at Iowa us in the private sphere to do. ing. What weve found is theres a lack ofState University); the Private Sector Due to the decreased costs associ- recognition for the importance of plantPlant Breeding Impact Award (going to ated with holding a virtual event, thebreeding, and its in the interests of bothThomas C. Osborn, head of global analyt-NAPB was able to sponsor significantlythe public and private sector to increaseics and pipeline design for vegetable R&D more young plant breeders to be Borlaugthat awareness. Were in this together andat Bayer Crop Science; and the Friends of Scholars this year. Eighteen studentswere much stronger united. I think thePlant Breeding Award (awarded to corn (16 graduate and two undergraduatemultigenerational aspect of the PBCC andbreeder Don Cummings).SWstudents) were able to attend the virtualthe NAPB is really important, said Pratt, ON THE WEBmeeting and get involved with the NAPB.a corn and bean breeder at New MexicoWHERE Everybody in the private sectorState University. should remain compelled to ask them- Theres a real focus on mentoringFor interviews from this years NAPB meeting and a listing of the selves, Whats the interaction I need withgrad students and a ground-breaking2020 award winners visit seedworld.com/napb-202056/ SEEDWORLD.COMOCTOBER 2020'