Agricultural scientists, plant breeders, seed industry leaders and graduate researchers from across the Southeast will gather April 20-21 for the combined Eastern Wheat Workers and Southern Small Grain Workers Conference and the annual Clemson University Small Grains Field Day.
Both events will be held at the Clemson University Pee Dee Research and Education Center (REC), 2200 Pocket Road, Florence, South Carolina 29506.
More than 15 speakers will present research on wheat and other small grains, covering agronomy, genetics, plant pathology, phenomics and emerging market opportunities. The conference will conclude with a field tour of Clemson’s regional nurseries.
Registration is required for the full conference. Tuesday’s events, including the field tour, are free for farmers and other stakeholders. Registration is available online at Clemson University Marketplace. Lodging is available at the Hyatt Place Downtown Florence.
“This conference is one of the most important annual gatherings for our region’s small grains community,” said Richard “Rick” Boyles, a Clemson associate professor of plant breeding and genetics who will also lead the closing business meeting and field tour. “It brings together university scientists, federal researchers and industry partners to share data, compare challenges and improve the varieties available to farmers.”
Research, breeding efficiency and new technologies
The conference opens April 20 with remarks from Jane Dever, director of the Pee Dee REC, followed by a keynote on the legacy of Coker Pedigreed Seed presented by Clemson’s Stephen Kresovich, a national leader in plant genetics.
General sessions
Three general sessions, held in the John B. Pitner Center auditorium, will structure the day.
Breeding efficiency in small grains
Topics include the KWS Cereals wheat breeding program, integrating gene-by-environment interaction into wheat genomic selection, affordable tools and software for collecting field data and how randomization across breeding cohorts improves selection accuracy.
Advances in host plant resistance
USDA-ARS researchers will provide updates on emerging diseases in southern soft red winter wheat, Hessian fly screening and stem rust trends.
Value-added small grains opportunities
Presentations include cereal rye for distilling, small grains for wildlife, cover crop breeding and intercropping with cold-season legumes, as well as developing wheat with reduced immunogenicity.
Breakout updates and planning sessions for regional nurseries will follow, along with a graduate student competition and career-service recognitions.
Graduate students working on small grains research are encouraged to submit a poster title and abstract to compete for monetary awards. Poster submissions are due by March 20.
Agronomic productivity and regional testing
The final general session will be held on Tuesday morning and will focus on farmer productivity and regional variety-testing programs.
Participants will learn about yield reductions and economic losses in wheat. A discussion on NC State University’s small grains agronomic research and NCSU wheat performance trials in the state’s Official Variety Testing (OVT) Program will also be held.
Field tour of the Clemson Pee Dee REC small grains nurseries
A highlight of the conference will be a field tour of Clemson’s uniform and advanced small grains trials, including wheat, oats, barley and commercial demonstration plots with industry partners.
Participants will walk through yield trials and oat and barley nurseries, and tour additional research fields by vehicle.
“Our collaborative yield and screening nurseries are the backbone of regional small grains improvement,” Boyles said. “By testing experimental varieties across multiple states, we can identify which lines have the best combination of yield potential, quality and disease resistance that farmers need to produce high-performing wheat, oats and barley across the Eastern United States.”
Attendees may continue self-guided field visits after the catered lunch.
Supporting southeastern agriculture
This annual gathering supports the region’s wheat and small grains industries at a time when growers face various productivity challenges and shifting market demands.
“Each presentation, field plot and conversation at this conference helps strengthen our collective efforts and shape future small grains improvement efforts,” Boyles said. “This is an exciting opportunity for Clemson University to host such an important event and we hope those interested in the conference will join us in Florence.”
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