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Genome Editing Panel at #ASTACSS

Cindy Zimmerman

Gene editing is still a relatively new technology but the promise that it holds for future food production continues to grow. It was only four years ago that the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) featured gene editing at the annual CSS and Seed Expo and held a press conference to introduce the technology to media. This year, ASTA CSS offered …

ASTA, Audio, Plant Breeding, Seed

ZimmCast 642 – Conversation with Calyxt

Chuck Zimmerman

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. How are y’all doing? We hope you’re well and safe. We also want to see an end to this stay at home situation. Although the ZimmComm Team has not been traveling, we have been pretty busy. Podcast production, video editing, recording media calls, interviews via phone, sending news releases are part of our stock …

Agribusiness, Audio, Plant Breeding, ZimmCast

#ASTACSS Student Video Award Winner

Cindy Zimmerman

Iowa State University PhD candidate Kevin Falk received the grand prize this year in the American Seed Trade Association’s (ASTA) second annual “Better Seed, Better Life” student video contest during the CSS 2018 & Seed Expo in Chicago this week. The award was presented to him by Kerry Grossweiler of BASF, which sponsors the ASTA Communications Committee. The contest is …

AgWired Precision, ASTA, Audio, Plant Breeding, Seed, Video

Gene Editing is Disruptive Innovation for Agriculture

Cindy Zimmerman

A disruptive innovation is one that creates a new market and value network and eventually disrupts an existing market and value network, displacing established market-leading firms, products, and alliances. That definition fits the innovation of gene editing for agriculture and why Bayer included it in a series of Innovation Talks at the recent Future of Farming Dialogue. Dr. Tom Adams …

AgWired Precision, Audio, Bayer, Plant Breeding, Precision Agriculture

ASTA Responds to EU Ruling on Gene Editing

Cindy Zimmerman

The European Union Court of Justice ruled this week that gene edited crops should be treated the same genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The court ruled that “organisms obtained by mutagenesis are GMOs within the meaning of the GMO Directive,” however it does not apply to gene-editing techniques which “have conventionally been used and have a long safety record.” The American …

AgWired Precision, ASTA, International, Plant Breeding, Seed

ASTA Pleased With USDA Decision on Gene Edited Plants

Cindy Zimmerman

The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) is pleased with the clarification made by USDA last week regarding oversight of plants produced through innovative new breeding techniques, including gene editing. “The (USDA) announcement really clarifies the practice they’ve had had ongoing for the last couple of years in that products created through gene editing don’t need to go through pre-market, regulatory …

ASTA, Audio, Plant Breeding, Seed

USDA Has No Plans to Regulate Gene Edited Plants

Cindy Zimmerman

USDA has no plans to regulate “plants that could otherwise have been developed through traditional breeding techniques as long as they are not plant pests or developed using plant pests,” according to an announcement yesterday from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). This includes a set of new techniques that are increasingly being used by plant breeders to …

Agri-Pulse, ASTA, Audio, Plant Breeding, USDA

SMART Farmer Jerry Flint

Cindy Zimmerman

Jerry Flint may not technically be a farmer, but he did grow up on a farm in Ohio and his entire career has been focused on delivering new innovations to smart farmers. In addition to being vice president of regulatory affairs for Dow DuPont Agriculture Division, Flint is also first vice chair for the American Seed Trade Association, and his …

AgWired Precision, ASTA, Audio, Pioneer, Plant Breeding, Seed, USFRA

Plant Breeders Award Grad Scholarships

Jamie Johansen

The National Council of Commercial Plant Breeders (NCCPB) represents member companies in the business of plant improvement. So, a perfect place for them to award their Graduate Student Plant Breeding Award was the recent American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) CSS & Seed Expo in Chicago, IL. NCCPB offered three graduate student currently pursuing a PhD. in plant breeding awards of …

Ag Groups, AgWired Precision, ASTA, Audio, Crop Science, Plant Breeding