Computomics: Discussions On Innovations To Drive Advanced Agriculture Solutions Computomics

In this episode with Kai Voss-Fels we dive into the complex world of grapevine breeding. Discover the unique challenges of breeding grafted crops. Enhancing genetic gain becomes multifaceted due to the fact that grapevines consist of two genetically distinct parts, the scion (upper) and rootstock (lower). Our discussion centers on addressing challenges such as water limitation, and drought stress for the lower section, while simultaneously focusing on improving sustainability by introgression of resistances in the uppper part. Moreover, we explore the ACGG (Accelerating Crop Genetic Gain) program, an international research initiative funded by the DFG in Germany, aimed at training PhD students and postdocs to tackle different questions with relevance to speeding up the varietal development process.

Kai Voss-Fels is Professor of Grapevine Breeding at Geisenheim University where he leads a team of researchers, students and technical staff working on genetics, genomics and breeding of grapevine. After completing his PhD in plant breeding and quantitative genetics at Justus Liebig University Giessen in 2016, he was a senior research fellow and group leader at the University of Queensland, Australia from 2017-2021. In 2021, he moved to Geisenheim University to develop a new research program focussed on genomics-assisted rootstock improvement and clonal selection in grapevine.



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Department of Plant Breeding, HS Geisenheim
ACGG (Accelerating Crop Genetic Gain

In this episode Jörg Hagmann, Product Manager Pantograph, explores the concept of pangenomes, a collection of individual whole genome sequences. Discover the reasons why pangenomes and their associated research field is experiencing growth and increasing significance. Jörg discusses the vision behind the development of the interactive browser Pantograph and illustrates practical applications in pre-breeding and the identification of gene editing targets. Join us as we delve into the landscape of DNA exploration and the promising future of genomic navigation with Pantograph.

 

Dr. Jörg Hagmann, Product Manager Pantograph, joined Computomics 8 years ago. He studied Bioinformatics at University of Tübingen and McGill, Montréal, and graduated with researching the evolution of epigenetic marks in plants at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen. Besides his broad
experience in multiple omics data analysis, Jörg is now working on propelling the representation, use, and visualization of pangenomes forward. He develops a
novel interactive pangenome browser called Pantograph.

Contact Jörg for more information: joerg.hagmann@computomics.com

Pantograph

In this episode Helen Brabham, Team Lead at 2Blades, provides a glimpse into the diverse projects of 2Blades. As a nonprofit organization 2Blades is bridging academia and industry, focusing on advancing scientific technologies for disease-resistant crops. Explore how they translate research into practical solutions for smallholder farmers, such as their Africa Soybean Program combating soybean rust. Delve into the NLRseek initiative, aimed at identifying crucial resistance genes to bolster crop resilience against threats like stem rust. Discover their utilization of gene sequences, harnessing machine learning and protein modeling to enhance predictions.

Helen is a Team Leader at 2Blades, a non-profit organisation dedicated to delivering sustainable and environmentally-friendly genetic solutions to protect crops from plant pests and disease. Helen is based with the 2Blades research team embedded at The Sainsbury Laboratory in Norwich, UK and develops a platform for rapidly identifying resistance genes from plants. Helen completed her PhD at The Sainsbury Laboratory part of the University of East Anglia in 2020, and her BSc in Biology from the University of Bristol. Helen’s research focuses on understanding plant-microbe interactions to build disease resistant crops.

Links:https://2blades.org/https://computomics.com/news-reader/2blades-computomics.html

In this episode Addie Thompson, Assistant Professor in the Plant, Soil & Microbial Sciences Department at Michigan State University, discusses her research on disease resistance to tar spot, a fungal pathogen affecting maize. Learn about different modeling prediction techniques and data collection approaches, ranging from manual measurements to high-throughput lidar data obtained via drones. Emphasizing an interdisciplinary approach,
Thompson underscores the pivotal role of collaboration in staying at the forefront of research. Additionally, Addie touches on her educational approach in science, teaching her students on how to think about science, how to ask the right questions, and then how to work together in a collaborative group and how to communicate.


Addie Thompson is an Assistant Professor in the Plant, Soil & Microbial Sciences Department at the Michigan State University, and affiliated with the Plant Resilience Institute and NRT-IMPACTS. She earned a BS in Genetics from Iowa State University in 2008 and a PhD in Plant Breeding and Molecular Genetics from the University of Minnesota in 2014. Prof. Thompson’s research focuses on using quantitative genetics, high-throughput phenotyping, and statistical and physical models to predict how varieties will grow in diverse and challenging environments, and to discover genes contributing to these differences.


Link:
https://www.thompsonmaizelab.org/

Our guest in this episode is Randall (Randy) Barker – Co-Founder and CEO at INTENT and Strategic Advisory Board Chairperson at Computomics. He discusses the challenges of adapting
innovative agriculture products to the diverse practices and environments of different farmers and how technology helps farmers adopt products more effectively. Get insights
into the global adoption of AgTech, highlighting the varying technological landscapes in different regions. And finally receive tips for startups in the ag tech space. Barker shares his views on the complexities and opportunities in the intersection of agriculture, technology, and innovation.

 

Randy is the co-founder and CEO of INTENT, an agricultural company focused on the use of technology to accelerate customer adoption of emerging ag products and solutions. Randall has more than 25 years of experience in agribusiness and has worked in over 30 countries, helping launch a number of ag
technologies on a global scale. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Seed Technology from Olds College, a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and Economics from the University of Lethbridge, and an MBA from the University of Guelph.










Our guest in this
episode is Randall (Randy) Barker – Co-Founder and CEO at INTENT and Strategic Advisory
Board Chairperson at Computomics. He
discusses the challenges of adapting
innovative agriculture products
to the diverse practices and environments of different farmers and how technology helps farmers
adopt products more effectively. Get insights
into the
global adoption of ag tech, highlighting the varying technological landscapes
in different regions. And finally receive tips for startups in the ag tech space. Barker shares his views on the complexities and opportunities
in the intersection of agriculture, technology, and innovation.

 

Randy is the co-founder and CEO of INTENT, an agricultural company
focused on the use of technology to accelerate customer adoption of emerging ag
products and solutions. Randall has more than 25 years of experience in
agribusiness and has worked in over 30 countries, helping launch a number of ag
technologies on a global scale. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Seed Technology
from Olds College, a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and Economics from the
University of Lethbridge, and an MBA from the University of Guelph.

In this episode, we talk to Jim Schwartz, Director of Research, Agronomy and PFR and Jason Gahimer, PFR Manager, both working for Beck’s Hybrids about the Practical Farm Research (PFR) program. Learn what the PFR program is, why it is important, and how farmers can get involved. Dive into the origins of the Practical Farm Research (PFR) program, tracing its roots back to 1964 when Sonny Beck started this unbiased research program to help farmers succeed by providing them with reliable information on agronomic practices, equipment, and other inputs.

Jason Gahimer, PFR Manager at Beck’s Hybrids grew up on a small family farm in Milroy, IN. He attended Ball State University and graduated with a degree in Computer Technology. Jason has been with Beck‘s for over 12 years and served in many different roles within the Practical Farm Research department.Jim Schwartz, Director of Research, Agronomy, and PFR at Beck’s grew up in Southern Indiana and went to Purdue University. His career in the seed business for 38 years has included a 17 year stent with Monsanto. Jim‘s last role there was as the U.S. agronomy lead for the regional brands. He was also a partner and co-owner in a seed company called Icorn that he eventually sold to Monsanto. Jim has been at Beck's for 6 1/2 years.

Links:https://www.beckshybrids.com/research/practical-farm-research