University of California organizes seed production course

This 3 day course is designed to enhance participants’ knowledge of the underlying biology of seed production and the key roles of bees and other insect pollinators, how to manage seed crops from agronomic, quality control, and genetic integrity standpoints, and how to meet new challenges through seed production research. The course is being offered again after a successful initial offering in February 2016.

Targeted participants include seed production professionals and others who would benefit by knowing more about how to grow, manage and process crops for seed and to attain and enhance seed quality. Participant interactions are fostered and reinforced by break-out group discussions addressing the key topics presented.

A team of instructors, including Mike Pereira from the seed industry, Kent Bradford and Rale Gjuric from the UC Davis Seed Biotechnology Center, and Greg Welbaum from Virginia Tech University, will be back to teach this course. In addition, a number of seed production professionals from both UC Davis and the industry will participate as guest presenters to add their insights on specific topics.

The course includes wet-seeded vegetable crops (cucurbits, tomatoes and peppers), dry-seeded vegetable crops (brassicas, carrots, onions, spinach and lettuce), and agronomic crops (sunflower, alfalfa and forages, canola, cereals and corn). Attention is also given to organic seed production.

The course format includes both plenary sessions and separate concurrent vegetable and agronomic crop sessions in order to focus more closely on topics that are specific to these crop groups.

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