Transcript Stakeholder input from 2007 listening session: “More

Stakeholder input from 2007
listening session:
“More opportunities for classical plant
breeding”
Addressed by NIFA NPL
Ann Marie Thro
Summary of input from 2007
About half of stakeholder groups expressed
need for plant breeding
Long list of needs for plant breeding to improve:
o Quality , esp. for bioenergy and human nutritional
value
o Production traits.
Resource needs for plant breeding:
Graduate education in classical plant breeding
o Education for K-12 and undergraduate
o Infrastructure
o Global partnerships
Competitive funding opportunities
for plant breeding: “Before”
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)
Grants awarded by regional SARE centers
Broad program; Includes a few awards to plant breeding
in some years, and not in others.
Example: Open-pollinated corn breeding program at
Cornell University
Competitive funding opportunities
for plant breeding: “Before”
Organic Research and Extension Initiative (OREI)
Legislated goals:
Goal 1: “Facilitating development of organic agriculture
production, breeding and processing methods”
Goal 8: “Developing new and improved seed varieties
particularly suited for organic agriculture”
OREI is a broad program, so plant breeding awards vary by year:
2008: no awards included plant breeding
2009: eight awards included plant breeding
Competitive opportunities
for plant breeding resources: Before
Graduate education:
National Needs Fellowships (NNF):
Historically genomics-focused
Became increasingly aware of needs for plant breeding
One award, in 2008; a few awards earlier
Stretched thin: NNF must address many national needs for
agriculture
Competitive funding opportunities
for plant breeding: Since 2007
Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI)
Legislated Goal # 1 (of 5):
“… plant breeding, genetics, & genomics to improve crop characteristics”
• Quality, nutritional value, stress tolerance, and disease
resistance
SCRI has made a significant number of awards to projects that include
plant breeding, both with and without molecular tools.
Competitive funding opportunities
for plant breeding: Since 2007
AFRI (Agriculture & Food Research Initiative), 2009:
Plant Genomics, Genetics, and Breeding Program
Opportunity for plant breeding, with or without molecular tools
NIFA competitive funding opportunities
for plant breeding: 2010
In 2010, AFRI opportunities for plant breeding are “threaded” through
several issue areas, especially:
•AFRI RFA for Climate Change:
•Regional approaches to climate change (CAP)
•National cereal germplasm phenotyping (CAP)
•Climate change & adaptation in agric. (Standard R, Ed or Ex)
•AFRI RFA for Sustainable Bioenergy :
•Regional approaches to sustainable bioenergy (CAP)
NIFA competitive opportunities
for plant breeding resources:
Graduate education: Agency initiatives in response:
NRI
2008: Plant Breeding & Education Program:
4 funded
AFRI 2009: Plant Breeding & Education Program: 12 funded
AFRI 2010: Climate Change, Cereal Phenotyping Program area:
 includes a plant breeding education component
NIFA competitive opportunities
for plant breeding resources
Undergraduate education:
SPECA: Secondary Education Challenge Grants
Undergraduate, community college, and K-12
Plant breeding could be the focus, or a component
NIFA competitive opportunities
for plant breeding resources
Global partnerships
• AFRI 2010, especially:
Climate Change (Cereal Phenotyping)
• NNF
International Research Travel Allowances (IRTAs)
Infrastructure:
• Few or no competitive funding opportunities
In summary,
NIFA competitive programs include a range of opportunities for
plant breeding as a component of projects that address broad
societal issues.
A few programs existed pre-2007 that could make occasional awards to
projects that included plant breeding :

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education

Organic Research and Extension Initiative

Secondary Education Challenge Grants)
New since 2007, these programs include plant breeding
consistently:
 Specialty Crops Research Initiative
 Agriculture & Food Research Initiative
Summary
The agency has taken special initiative in response to input
regarding graduate education for plant breeding:
 National Needs Fellowships
(now includes eligibility)
 Plant Breeding & Education, NRI/AFRI
2008 and 2009
 Climate Change/plant breeding education, AFRI
2010
Summary:
What about infrastructure? How has NIFA listened?
Here is one strategy:
A hoped-for outcome of NIFA programs is:
To win clear and wide recognition for agricultural REE as
central for solving broad societal issues.
That achievement can help re-kindle national awareness of
the importance of infrastructure ...
for public sector agricultural research, extension, and
education, in plant breeding and other disciplines.
End of section on response to
stakeholder input from 2007 listening session:
“More opportunities for classical plant breeding”