Genetics and Germplasm Working Group (GG)

GG is part of the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS)

Minutes (2003 meeting)

  • Genetics and Germplasm Working Group Business Meeting
  • American Society for Horticultural Science 2003 Annual Conference
  • Providence Convention Center
  • Providence, RI
  • October 3, 2003

Attendees: Becky Grube, Chad Finn, Dick Robinson, Ed Ryder, Fred Bliss, Gayle Volk, Janice Strachan, Jim McCreight, Jim Myers, Jim Nienhuis, John Stommel, Kathy Reitsma, Kim Hummer, Kim Lewers, Larry Robertson, Linda Wessel-Beaver, Malli Aradhya, Maria Jenderek, Mark Farnham, Mark Widrlechner, Nahla Bassil, Peter Cousins, Phil Forsline, Phil Simon, Richard Bell, Richard Fery, Russell Nagata, Todd Wehner.

Officers: Peter Cousins (chair), Janice Strachan (chair-elect), Becky Grube (secretary). The meeting was called to order by Peter Cousins. The minutes of the 2002 business meeting were accepted.

GGWG-supported activities at the current meeting: thanks to Mark Widrlechner for organizing the workshop “Germplasm Acquisition from Conception to Products”. The group was reminded to attend the GGWG-sponsored colloquium “Genetics, Genomics and Human Nutrition”.

GGWG-supported events at future meetings: The deadline for submission of colloquia proposals for 2004 was Sept 1, 2003. The GGWG did not submit a proposal. The deadline for submission of workshop proposals for 2004 is Jan. 1, 2004, and the deadline for submission of colloquia proposals for 2005 is presumed to be mid-summer, 2004.

The group brainstormed about a workshop for the 2004 meeting, tentatively entitled “Effective use of markers”. Malli Aradhya agreed to serve as moderator and to develop the proposal for this workshop. Possible talks and speakers included:

  • A practitioners’ point of view on utility and use (Jim Kelly, Phil Miklas)
  • Marker data analysis and interpretation – data manipulation and software
  • New marker types
  • Overuse of molecular markers in plant breeding (Rex Bernardo)
  • Methods of measuring genetic distance
  • Association genetics approaches in horticultural crops (Chris Owens)

GGWG web page: The web page is now maintained by Todd Wehner and can be found at http://cuke.hort.ncsu.edu/cucurbit/gg/ggmain.html. The page currently contains minutes from previous meetings, the list of officers, current and previous projects sponsored by the GGWG. Todd stated that additional items of use to the group could be added if there was interest. The links to this site through the ASHS website are no longer functional, but a motion was put forth and approved to reestablish this connection.

New Officers: Maria Jenderek (USDA/ARS, Fresno, CA) was nominated and elected as secretary. Janice Strachan and Rebecca Grube became chair and chair-elect, respectively.

Other: Several members expressed concern about the ASHS meeting schedule; specifically that several sessions relating to breeding and germplasm were scheduled concurrently (Todd Wehner voiced this concern in the general ASHS business meeting on 10/5/03).

The meeting was adjourned.