Alexandria, Virginia
April 7, 2011

More than 35 seedsmen and U.S. Department of Agriculture program specialists met April 5 to discuss and better understand the agency’s land rehabilitation and reclamation efforts and guidelines at the ninth Annual Conservation Seed Workshop in Washington, D.C.

The workshop, sponsored by the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) and the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Plant Materials Program, brought together specialists from the Bureau of Land Management, NRCS, Fish & Wildlife Service, Agricultural Research Service, Farm Service Agency, Agricultural Marketing Service and the National Park Service.

“This helps us understand changes and potential changes to government programs impacting our business,” says Garth Kaste of the Minnesota based Kaste Seed, Inc. “The federal government is the largest purchaser of native seed and we need to stay informed about the genetic guidelines driving the use of native seeds.”

Each of these agencies or departments purchases seed for different initiatives or projects from the Open Pollinator project to the Longleaf Pine Habitat and from the Healthy Landscapes initiative to the Sage grass initiative. One of the challenges the seed industry faces in being able to provide seed for these projects is the guidelines and specifications vary from state to state for they types of seed they are permitted to purchase.

“These guidelines set by the agencies drive the kinds of seed we attempt to go out and produce,” Kaste explains.

One of the topics raising many questions is the word “local” and how it is defined for plant selection and multiplication at the federal, state and local levels.

“The assumption that ‘local is best’ is often considered sacrosanct,” says Tom Jones, a research geneticist in USDA’s Agricultural Research Service Forage & Range Research Lab, who presented at the conservation workshop.

Jones’ research contradicts this assumption and shows that local may not always be best.

In short, his research on ecosystems shows that local may not be best when strong environmental gradients are not present and novel ecosystems have replaced pristine ecosystems.

“This is ground-breaking research that Tom is talking about and it’s important to the seed industry,” Kaste says.

Thousands of acres in the United States are in need of land rehabilitation and reclamation. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, more than 300,000 acres in United States were restored in fiscal year 2010 alone. Rehabilitating lands to their native state requires a long term strategy and can take many, many years.

“This workshop provides us an opportunity to listen and learn about conservation issues, industry concerns and challenges affecting agriculture,” says Leslie Cahill, ASTA vice president of government affairs and staff liaison to Environmental and Conservation Seed Committee. “Opportunities like this are critical as policymakers and regulators consider and implement laws that affect the seed industry’s ability to compete and prosper. This two-way communication and collaboration benefits everyone involved.”
 

Website: http://www.amseed.org

Published: April 7, 2011