Standing Committee on Seed Technology

Speaker Profile, Bio & Abstract

Dr. Shigeru Tanabe

Manager, Quality Management, Sakata Seed Corporation 

Biography
Dr. S. Tanabe obtained PhD in 1995 from Okayama University by his research on the cell biology during sexual life-cycle of basidiomycetes and studied as post-doctoral fellow at the Research Center for Genetic Ecology, Tohoku University and National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (formerly National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences: NIAS). At Tohoku University, he studied the sexual cell morphogenesis of zygomycetes, and at NIAS, he studied the interaction between rice blast fungus and rice cells, especially using molecular biological techniques. In this study, he analyzed the function of proteins secreted by the blast fungus using genetically modified fungus and joined a project of large-scale expression analysis to create a database of gene expression in rice cells with blast infection using microarrays. In 2012, he joined Sakata Seed Corporation, where he performed biochemical testing as a leader of the Molecular Testing Team using various DNA markers. Currently, he is the manager of the Quality Control Section 1 in the Quality Control Department, he manages the Molecular Testing Team and the Seed Health Testing Team to improve the efficiency and the accuracy of their testing.

Abstract
Regarding the seed purity testing, we have two options: grow-out (GO) testing at fields and biochemical testing with molecular markers. While GO testing have the absolute advantage of being able to confirm a trait as a variety, there are several risks, such as the time it takes to obtain the test results, and weather conditions can make the test impossible or difficult to determine. Biochemical testing, especially DNA testing, have a great advantage in that they can provide results in a short period of time, and they are also easy to judge the results and can be performed for a variety of testing. However, it must be taken into account that DNA testing are based on single molecule and do not reflect whole trait, require information such as genomic information for the marker development, and require investment in specialized equipment.

As for the DNA markers to be used, it is necessary to choose from a wide variety of markers to suit the purpose. The final decision as to which method to use will depend on the balance between the profit and the testing costs. DNA technology is advancing and the accuracy and the efficiency of DNA testing is improving every day. Due to recent factors related to the seed business, such as increasing global weather variability, the demand for faster commodity supply and so on, DNA testing is likely to become increasingly important.

Mr. Kodi Ganesh Poorna Chandra Rao

APAC Seeds Quality Head, Syngenta 

Biography
Poorna obtained his Masters in Plant Breeding from Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University, Tirupati. He is currently APAC Seeds Quality Head in Syngenta and based out of Thailand. As a  seed professional, he has 25 years of multi-disciplinary experience in Seed Operations, Seed and Crop Protection Quality Management. His areas of expertise include end-to-end seed quality, trait stewardship, ISO, ISTA, BIO ETS quality management, Six Sigma, Lean, Operational Excellence and bringing in automation, digitalization and overall efficiency improvement in Seed quality operations.  During his career, he established seed labs, introduced company-specific corn and cotton vigor tests, introduced new IS tools and SAP system for laboratory management, and established genetic purity tests with SNP markers for field corn. He is a QMS lead auditor, OPEX practitioner and has good expertise in investigation and root cause analysis. He also innovated/contributed to the development of seed testing equipment such as seed divider, seedling planter, vigor test watering machine, seedling evaluation machine and physical purity analyzer. 

Abstract
The agricultural sector is extremely dependent on the provision and quality of seeds for a productive harvest. Seed business has grown steady in the last four decades and therefore the production supply cycle of quality seed has become the need of the hour and depends on reliable & repeatable test methodology and timely availability of quality test results that confirms the quality and standards of the seed being delivered to the growers.  There's a challenge of time for the incoming harvest and supply which within the seed industry is addressed in having a robust field quality assurance system that guarantee the genetic purity of the seed. There are number of methods employed across the crops to confirm the seed genetic purity like Gel electrophoresis (Isozyme test), Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) markers, Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP), Single nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) and also the traditional morphological comparison test called Grow-out test (GOT).  In general, within the major Field crops (Corn, Rice, Cotton, Sunflower) of the private seed industries the choice of an appropriate genetic purity test method in turn depends on the business requirements and majority of the players use the more cost-effective GOT that encompasses a disadvantage of time factor followed by Isoenzyme electrophoresis and SNP tests.  SNP tech is more sensitive as it detects variations on DNA sequence base level and faster than grow outs as SNP analysis is made directly with the DNA molecule obtained from individual seeds. Grow out determinations require that the material gets the reproductive stage to evaluate the hybrid phenotypic characters. This difference on time for getting the results between each methodologies makes that the production Usage decisions are taken with SNP results or a quicker test than the GOT. The price of test increase proportionally from GOT to SNP and so is the investment required to establish the DNA testing platforms.  A well calibrated SNP test for the available gene pool of a company supports in better inventory management and release of product to the market. Alternately, there are private genotyping labs willing to produce services of genetic purity testing which will be reached out with necessary confidentiality agreements.

Dr. Wilco Ligterink

Team Leader Crop Innovation, Keygene

Biography
Wilco Ligterink studied Molecular sciences at the Wageningen Agricultural University where he did both his B.Sc. and M.Sc with topics ranging from the development of a transformation protocol of Archeabacteria to a study on the working of retinoic acid receptors in human cell lines. 

In 1995 he started his Ph.D. at the Vienna Biocenter in Austria where he worked on stress signal transduction in plants in the group of Heribert Hirt, mainly focusing on the molecular and biochemical characterization of mitogen activated kinases (MAPKs). In march 2000 he successfully defended his thesis with the title: “Stress-induced signal transduction mechanisms in plants”. In 1999 he moved back to Wageningen to work as a post-doctoral fellow on signal transduction in Phytophthora infestans at the Phytopathology department of Wageningen University.

From 2003 to 2018 he has been working at the Plant Physiology department of Wageningen University, where he has been working on a broad variety of topics in relation to seed biology and abiotic stress tolerance and teaching of several courses at B.Sc., M.Sc. and post-graduate level on plant physiology, seed biology, genetics/plant breeding and advanced molecular analysis. Since 2018 he is working for the agro-biotech company KeyGene where he is responsible for research and project management for field crops and ornamentals in the area of molecular genetics and plant physiology.

Abstract
Seed quality comprises key agronomic traits, such as dormancy, germination, seed and seedling vigour (stress tolerance), after-ripening, seed storability (ex-situ conservation), the ability to generate a usable plant and purity of seed batches. Improvement of seed quality is of continuing importance for plant breeders. Likewise, methods to test seed quality are of equal importance. On important aspect of seed quality testing is testing for genetic purity. In my presentation I will address important developments in image analysis and DNA analysis technology and discuss the (possible) use of these technologies in genetic purity testing. In respect to image analysis I will discuss different approaches to obtain images and subsequently on ways to analyze these including the use of machine learning algorithms. Additionally, several types of DNA analysis are or will become suitable for genetic purity testing. This is mainly by using specific markers or in the future possibly sequence based. In both cases it will be important to consider what to screen for and I will briefly touch upon ways to obtain markers for seed quality. Specific markers are in general used in PCR based approaches for SNP detection. Additionally, fast developments in next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies might make these the fundament for genetic purity tests in the future.

Dr. Chiara Delogu

ISTA Variety Committee, ISTA

Biography
From the beginning of her career she has been involved in the development of methodologies regarding variety characterization and the evaluation of the genetic purity and identity of seed lots. Her primary interest deals with biochemical and genetic profiling in the framework of new Variety Registration and Plant Breeders Right protection. Over the years, in addition to traditional techniques related to the description of biochemical profiles (seed storage proteins and isoenzymes) she has promoted the use of more innovative methodologies linked to the use of DNA based molecular markers (SSR, SNP). SSR protocols have been published in the official criteria for national varieties listing (soybean, rice). Since 2008 she is a member of the ISTA Varietal Committee, as a member of DNA Working Group and leader of the protein WG. In this framework she organized and participated in activities aimed to the validation of analytical protocols based on both biochemical and DNA based methods for their inclusion into the ISTA Rules.

Abstract
ISTA approach to variety testing: ISTA is the International Association for Seed Testing (including sampling), Seed Science and Technology. It is a science-based, governments-driven non-profit organization, legally independent from industry and third parties, under Swiss law. The mission of the association is to promote research in all areas of seed science and technology and to develop, adopt and publish standard procedures for sampling and testing seeds, and to promote their uniform adoption in seeds moving across international trade. Internationally recognized and validated methods are collected in the ISTA International Rules for Seed Testing which are constantly updated thanks to the activity of the technical committees. The Variety Committee is responsible for Chapter 8 of the ISTA Rules which deals with methods of variety verification. ISTA’s objective for variety verification is the determination of the extent to which a seed sample conforms to the species or cultivar for which it is claimed. The traits compared may be morphological, physiological, cytological, or chemical but the varietal identity of the sample under study is always verified by comparison with a reference sample of the variety. Variety Committee activities are mainly focused on the development of DNA based methods for variety testing. Methods for wheat and maize, based on SSR markers are included in the Rules, but additional species (pea, oat, and barley) and a new marker type (SNP) are now under study, as well as a specific approach for accredited laboratory evaluation by proficiency testing. A strategy of marker linked to specific trait is underway for determination of annual types in perennial ryegrass varieties. The trueness of seed lots to a variety is strictly related to the quality of the material and to its commercial value. Testing methods based on morphological traits and/or genetic profile are available. An overview of the two different approaches will be given in the presentation.