Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
August 10, 2012
Nearly 200 plant breeding students, members of academia and plant science leaders from around the U.S. recently attended the 6th annual Plant Breeding Coordinating Committee (PBCC) and 2nd annual National Association of Plant Breeders (NAPB) Meeting at Dow AgroSciences’ headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The PBCC and NAPB event was a four-day meeting that included educational sessions and an “Evening at Dow AgroSciences” event. Topics of discussion included current challenges and opportunities the plant breeding field faces as the world population continues to increase.
Daniel R. Kittle, global leader, Research and Development at Dow AgroSciences was one of several who spoke to those in attendance and explained the need for new plant breeding technology for the future.
“The demands of the world food supply continue to grow as our land and water resources decrease. It will be up to all of us to collaborate and innovate in order to meet those demands in a way that is sustainable for future generations of the world’s growing population,” Kittle said.
Rita Mumm, Ph.D., from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign commented on the importance of the event and said, “The NAPB is an organization focused on the profession and science of plant breeding. We’re looking to ensure the national capacity of plant breeding is strengthened because it strengthens our overall agricultural community. We appreciate Dow AgroSciences graciously hosting this year’s annual conference to showcase the importance of plant breeding, and it is especially impactful to the students in attendance as future leaders of the industry.”
Graduate student Daniela Sarti, who plans on graduating with her Ph.D. next summer, said, “This is an exciting event for students like me because it helps me know that what I have been working towards for the last five years is needed and that I will be able make an important contribution to society.”
The annual meeting is held once a year and alternates its locations between industry leaders and university settings.
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