The 2018 National Association of Plant Breeders (NAPB) and Plant Breeding Coordinating Committee (PBCC) Annual Meeting was held from August 7-10, 2018 at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

Thanks to all the attendees for making NAPB 2018 in Guelph a great success! 

The National Association of Plant Breeders (NAPB) was begun as an initiative of the Plant Breeding Coordinating Committee (PBCC) which began in 2005. The PBCC (official committee SCC 080) is a forum for leadership, regarding issues, problems, and opportunities of long-term strategic importance to the contribution of plant breeding to national goals. The NAPB is the outreach group that represents plant breeders in federal, state, commercial and non-government organizations.

The NAPB’s Mission: The National Association of Plant Breeders strengthens plant breeding to promote food security, quality of life, and a sustainable future.

The NAPB’s Vision: The NAPB works to help create a future in which 1) Strong public and private sectors work independently and together to deliver varieties and improved germplasm to society, 2) The value and importance of plant breeding to food security, quality of life, and a sustainable future are known and appreciated by the public, and 3) Plant breeding is viewed as dynamic, problem solving, and creative. The NAPB intends to become a recognized and valued advocate for plant breeding research and education, helping to guide and implement a cohesive national plant breeding agenda.

2018 NAPB meeting highlights:

• Reception and banquet featuring local bands
• Pre-conference tour of the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre
• Field Tours at the Elora Research Station
• Poster sessions and 1-minute poster introductions
• Award talks and 2018 awards

Travel Award (Application form at the bottom of the page):

• NAPB Professional Development Workshop (Deadline May 25th): It is a workshop co-sponsored by Corteva Agriscience^TM Agriculture Division of DowDupont^TM and Monsanto and is only oepn to graduate students attending the NAPB Annual Meeting. Great chance for garduate student to better understand and develop their soft skills. 
• Diversity Enhancement Travel Award: USDA-NIFA grant to support participation of the NAPB meeting by US under-represented minority graduate and undergraduate students.
• Borlaug Scholars Prgram (Deadline changed to May 1st 2018): Support attendance of undergraduate and graduate students to the NAPB meeting to strengthen the plant breeding profession.

Thank you for joining us in Guelph for NAPB 2018!

Sincerely,