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Challenges of Global Vegetable Seed Production and Delivery
This talk will provide some background on the global vegetable seed industry including touching on topics of trade, quality seed health and phytosanitary testing, and highlight the challenges of global trade against a new disease threat on tomatoes, Tomato Brown Fruit Rugose Virus (ToBRFV). ToBRFV emerged in 2014 in the Middle East and since then has spread throughout the globe into all high-value tomato production markets. The disease results in deformed discolored fruits that are unmarketable and may lead to plant collapse. In the past two years, there have been numerous regulations imposed that have made it difficult to ensure seed delivery to customers, including seed that is used for the US food supply.
Links & Resources
ASTA factsheet on ToBRRV: https://www.betterseed.org/wp-content/uploads/ToBRFV-QA.pdf
ISF Pest List: https://www.worldseed.org/our-work/phytosanitary-matters/pest-lists/
Guest Speaker
Dr. Samantha Thomas (Sam) has earned a MS and Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from Ohio State University. She has been with legacy companies now compromising Bayer Crop Science for 14 years. Currently she holds the position of External Engagement Strategy Lead. Sam works across seed industry and regulatory partners to develop and use quality tools to address the phytosanitary risks of seed movement. Her areas of expertise include seed pathology and seed health testing, seed movement, best management practices for vegetable seed production to which this expertise was recognized by her acceptance into the Bayer Fellow program in 2017.
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