Everyone could use a good mentor, and an effort is now underway to provide support to young plant breeders everywhere. Linc Thomas, who works with the Borlaug Training Foundation, is writing a book tentatively called “Letters to a Young Plant Breeder” and is seeking help from those of you who are well-established in your plant breeding careers. More details about this project are in the "Community News" section.
The “Speaking of Oats…” (SOO) webinar series returns this month. Join us on Thursday, September 16th, at 11:00 am Eastern time (EDT - Canada/USA) to hear from Shahryar Kianian and Oluseyi Fajolu (both USDA-ARS), and Eric Nazareno (University of Minnesota). They will talk to us about “Oat Crown Rust: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly”.
The newest member of the oat community joined us on Tuesday, August 10, 2021. Congratulations to Georgie Troup on the safe arrival of her son, Samuel Edward Somers!
This brief update brings opportunities for young researchers in the form of three job opportunities:
Field days are a big part of oat research, even if some of them have to be held virtually these days. Looking forward to the OAT2022 (11th IOC) meeting next year in Australia, there will be a field day, but please note that no additional seed can be sent for inclusion in the trials. This is because of Australia’s strict quarantine regulations.
Life is motion, and we always hope for better things to come. It is with sadness, however, that I tell you of the passing of Herb Ohm. Herb was a plant breeder and geneticist at Purdue University in Indiana, USA, for 41 years! More information concerning his life and work can be found in his obituary in the "Hall of Fame" section.
Three other articles have also been added to the "Hall of Fame". These announce the retirements of Christian Azar, George Fedak, and Pamela Zwer. Åsmund Bjørnstad and Trond Buraas have also retired recently.
There are three time-sensitive items for you today:
When it rains, it pours and there is a lot of information in this update!
Wet conditions, of course, help spread disease, so let’s begin with a reminder that Oluseyi Fajolu at the Cereal Disease lab in St. Paul, MN, is eagerly awaiting this season’s rust samples!
Oluseyi’s request is posted in the "Community News" section, as is the first of the following announcements regarding new positions:
This is a reminder that the next “Speaking of Oats…” (SOO) webinar will be held this Thursday, April 15th, at 2:00 pm Eastern time (EDT - Canada/USA). Please note that this is three hours later than our usual time.
The following message is from Catherine Howarth and Nick Tinker:
"Dear International Oat Community,
As co-chairs of the International Oat Conference (IOC) Committee, we (Catherine Howarth and Nick Tinker) are reaching out to you to update you and request your input. This will be a long but important message, so we ask you to read it carefully.
