MINUTES OF THE NATIONAL WHEAT IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE (NWIC) MEETING

3 February, 1999.
Nashville, TN, USA.


Attendance.

Committee Members: R.G. Sears, Chairman; Steven Leath, Secretary; F. Kolb, S. Harrison, S. Haley, Y. Jin, R. Busch, D. Clark, J. Peterson, J. Rudd, R. Graybosch, S. Baenziger, H. Bockelman, J. Moffat. Absent: A. McKendry, E. Elias, J. Martin, B. Carver, D. Worrall, R. Karow, R. Line, and E. Souza.

Non-Committee Members: S. Haley, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins; B. Skovmand, CIMMYT, Mexico; J. Peterson, USDA-ARS, Corvallis, OR; T. Murray; A. Blechl; S. Altenbach; and John Moffatt, Agripro Seeds, Inc., Berthoud, CO.


Preliminaries.

Chairman Sears called the meeting to order and introduced members and guests. He then proposed a change in the meeting schedule to allow members to attend the NAWG Research Committee meeting and this was approved. Reports to NAWG are to be on Genomics, (Anderson), USDA, (Leath), CROPS, (Baenziger), and the Scab Initiative, (Busch). A call for additional agenda items did not produce any response. Sears asked to waive the reading of the minutes and adopt them as published in Volume 44 of the Annual Wheat Newsletter. This was approved after a motion by Baenziger.


Annual Wheat Newsletter.

J. Raupp was not present but submitted a report. The Newsletter is currently being published on CD-ROM and 80 were distributed this year. Hard copies are still being sent to overseas subscribers, and a total of 125 was printed. The committee was very pleased with the current status of the Newsletter and specifically commented on its format, cost, and the use of CD-ROMs. The 80 CD-ROMs cost $1.80 each compared to $20.79 for each hard copy printed.


Crop Germplasm Committee Report.

Leath reported on the meeting of the Wheat Crop Germplasm Committee held on 12 February, 1999. Many members of the NWIC attended the meeting and the minutes are published in this volume, so few details are included here. The NWIC did continue a discussion on the Vavilov collection and how the NWIC may help to preserve it. Many breeders offered to help with growouts, but the point was made that Vavilov personnel never supported this in the past. Skovmand noted that the Vavilov administration requested help at this time. Busch commented that the land races in the collection were probably not duplicated anywhere else in the world. Baenziger suggested that the NWIC support this cause as did the Wheat CGC and moved that the NWIC communicate the critical value of the collection to key people. The motion was seconded by Murray and passed. Blechl pointed out that we should contact potato researchers and other relevant commodity support in helping save the collection.


Reports.

Legislative: NAWG is interested in hiring a director of wheat research that could coordinate research and legislative issues including lobbying on wheat. The person would likely be based in the central USA. There was an extensive discussion of the barberry issue and how to interact with APHIS on this issue. Sears has plans to present information on the barberry situation to the North Central Plant Board and point out that the eradication programended about 15 years too early and barberry is making a comeback. Horticultural breeders are complaining to regulatory agencies about the requirement that they include resistance to rust in new varieties they develop. These individuals want to know our interest in the barberry quarantine act and on interstate commerce of these bushes. APHIS has had little response to its question on concern over barberry issues. Sears felt that we needed to send letters to APHIS to air our concerns in this area. It was further discussed that a manual should be drafted to aid breeders in identifying these plant species and rusts associated with them. A final point was made that many states are lax in enforcing the regulations on barberry quarantines.

Mapping and ITMI: Olin Anderson reported that map frameworks are good and available. No additional funding is available for general maps, therefore, the focus is on small scale mapping and some in exotics.

ITMI has wondered about its future at the Wheat Genetics Symposium; ITMI has served its purpose, but now needs to evolve into a genomics approach - such as EST's, micro arrays and physical mapping of the wheat genome. An international mapping initiative for EST's is being proposed with single reads of cDNA clones giving 300-500 base pair tags. The International EST Cooperative wants 300-500,000 EST's for wheat and barley. They want 40,000 public sector EST's by July, 1999 and scientists need to put in 1,000 EST's to get first access to EST database. It is very good news that a number of labs have found that genes are clustered and are in islands so that wheat genes are likely in a soghum (3x rice) size section overall.

Financially, genomics is a big funding area now. NSF has $40 million/year for plant genomics. Over a multiyear period approximately $90 million were committed to genomics and crop commitments were: $33 million - arabidopsis; $38 million - corn; $20 million - other crops; $0 - wheat/barley. There is a prejudice against wheat and poor lobbying for wheat. Unfortunately, some felt that the proposals on wheat were not as well prepared as those on other crops. NSF has increased funds on its proposed budget.

ARS is going heavily into genomics and has bought eight new sequencers and established a new bioinformatics center. There was a $3 million increase in plant genomics, but all has been mandated for soybean and corn. Monsanto, Zeneca, and Dupont have signed major linkages with public institutions, mostly in Europe since the United States institutions are not fully organized.

At NAWG a discussion was planned for better understanding wheat public/private linkages and how does NWIC want to be linked to this effort. NAWG was enthusiastic in supporting wheat research. Sears wants a specific plan for NAWG; this is to help in their lobbying efforts. Baenzinger felt NWIC needs to get NAWG to be a watchdog for wheat and give them specific issues to support. Also, Rita Caldwell commented that sequencing crop pathogens genomes is the next big issue. There may be a need to get NAWG to state the need for a "serious" wheat genomics effort.

Survey: Kolb passed out results of the NWIC research survey. Numerous positions will be vacant soon and numerous will likely be lost without efforts to restore them.

USDA Budget: A USDA-ARS budget has been proposed in the President's budget. ARS funds are proposed at $836.8 million for FY 2000 which is up from $785.5 million from FY 1999. There were increases in nine program areas proposed and they included increases of millions of dollars for Energing Disease (8.1), Ag Genome (2.7), Food Safety (11.7), Human Nutrition (20.2), Food Quality (3.1), Sustainable Ecosystems (8.1), Air Quality (2.0), Global Change (15.3), and Ag Information (2.0). However, new mandates were in excess of these increases and results in proposed small grain project terminations at Stuttgart, Aberdeen, St. Paul, Lincoln, Raleigh, Beamont, Manhattan, and Pullman.

Large funding initiatives in genomics and bioterrorism have been proposed. The scab initiative was funded at a partial level and full funding is anticipated. ARS has committed substantial funds to establish a bioinformatics center at Cornell and establishment is underway.

Regional reports: HRWW. Baenziger reported that Scott Haley of South Dakota has moved to Colorado and his position is to be refilled. John Fellers was hired by Kansas State University in wheat molecular genetics. Ed Smith retired from Oklahoma State University. Art Klatt, Oklahoma, is now working in wheat breeding. DaleClark reported that Kim Campbell has moved to the USDA club wheat position at WSU. On 18 February, 1999, there was a symposium that honored Warren Kronstad at OSU.

HRSW. Jackie Rudd reported that Corby Kistler is in Minnesota at the Cereal Disease Lab. Leonard Joppa retired and that position will probably be lost. Jim Anderson moved from ARS at Pullman to MN.

Bob Busch's position hopefully will be filled at his retirement. Gary Muelbauer was hired as a new genetist, and Bill Berenzonski is a new breeder at North Dakota State University.

SRWW. Steve Harrison reported that Jim Kolmer moved to Raleigh from Ag Canada to take the new rust position, Kim Campbell is leaving Ohio State for the ARS, and the Lousiana State University corn/wheat position is open. On 24 May, 1999, there will be a combined meeting of the Eastern and Southern Meeting. Hybri-Tech terminated the HRWW breeding program in Colorado and expects more changes to be made. They are exiting the HRWW business.


Miscellaneous reports.

CROPS (Coalition Research Plant Systems). Cotton, wheat, maize, soybeans, and other growers groups, and seven scientific societies are to develop a national agenda so they met in November, 1997. Three big foci were put forth and they are: genomics, profitability for farms, and natural resources. CROPS will propose a $720 US million initiative for agricultural funding. ASA and Cotton, Inc. will take the lead on this. There is a web site for CROPS, under the coördination of Joanne Smith, former Under Secretary for Agriculture.

Dwayne Grant, NAWG Research Representative, introduced his group and complimented Rollie's interaction with NAWG. Jim Miller resigned from NAWG, so the lobbying effort is unclear at this time. Jack Eversbacher is the new director of NAWG.

Joint NAWG Research and NWIC meeting. Wheat Industry Research Committee - Extension personnel for around country.

Color line. Peterson presented data on a color line study for hard white wheat classification. A report was submitted to the committee. There was some discussion on the merit of a color line and where it should be. Peterson moved that the NWIC endorse the hard white wheat color line as proposed by GIPSA/FGIS with the understanding that this color standard is not clearly related to quality and that future classifiers be more closely related to end use quality characteristics. The motion was seconded by Scott Haley and passed by a voice vote.

US Wheat Associates sponsored a group of western wheat workers to talk to customers in Japan, Korea, Phillipines, Malaysia, and Thailand. The group met primarily with millers. A report will follow but major points of concern were problems with cleanliness, low protein, genetically modified organisms for which Japan will require labeling, and kernel size consistency.

Don Kelso reported on the wheat quality lab in Manhattan. USDA has a new initiative to strengthen quality labs. A major funding request ( $3 million) for four labs for equipment, PI's, and research monies has been submitted. The authors should make it clear why money is really needed. No clear results or impacts are listed in proposal. There was much discussion on how the proposal could be strengthened.

Quarantine/bunt issues. Rollie Line reported that since 1997 APHIS has changed its attitudes about quarantine. The removal of the flag smut quarantine is being considered. Dwarf bunt risk assessment has been completed and Brazil has removed its quarantine. Although China still has one in place, pressure is on China to remove the quarantine so they can become member of World Trade Organization. However, Brazil has added three new quarantines Cephalosporium Stripe, Karnal bunt and Flag smut.

Scab. Bob Busch passed out approved budget for allocation of monies from the Scab Initiative. Fred Kolb reported that long-range planning and survey concerns should be sent to Anne McKendry.

Germ plasm issues. J. Peterson reported that ARS has long been a proponent of free exchange of germ plasm but has no "official" rules. Kolb reported that utility patents on varieties is a concern because this is already happening with soybeans. Variety testing and evaluation for descriptors is okay but all else is off limits.


Future meeting.

Discussion was held on the merits of meeting jointly with the Wheat Crop Germplasm Committee and NAWG. This was considered worthwhile and the group decided to continue this schedule.

The next meeting will be held on 9-12 February, 2000, in Las Vegas, NV at the Tropicana Hotel.

Motion to adjourn was passed. Meeting adjourned at 5:20 pm.

Respectfully submitted, Steven Leath, Secretary.