As the National Association of Plant Breeders (NAPB) prepares to hold its 2024 General Meeting July 21-25 in St. Louis, Missouri, this year’s concept is key as NAPB’s next president continues to build on the organization’s success and set a direction for the future.
The conference is hosted by Bayer and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
“The gathering is focused on three key themes: rethinking, reinventing and revolutionizing the field of plant breeding. We have built on the traditions of previous gatherings with these concepts at their core,” said incoming NAPB president JD Rossouw, head of vegetable research and development at Bayer Crop Science.
“We focused on engaging with graduate students and trying to make sure they have the opportunity to engage with both the private and public sectors and with potential future employers.”
The conference also has a strong scientific component, including a site visit to the University of Urbana-Champaign near St. Louis.
The organizers have invited startups from the region to interact with the participants. This will provide a platform for the startups to showcase their invention and commercialization journeys and provide valuable insights about their experiences, Rossouw added. They will make their presentations on July 25 at 10:30 a.m.
The speakers and their respective startups are:
- Kathryn Grant, AbacusBio: Breeding new varieties with sustainability in mind.
- Kevin Cook, CoverCress. A decade-long journey from weed to crop.
- Tim Ulmasov, cQuesta. It harnesses the power of root genetics to capture carbon from the atmosphere and store it in the soil.
- Paul Scroch, Edison Agro. Computational breeding for special traits: Sunflower rubber.
Early registration is open until July 1. Register at napb2024.com .
