... your place for oat information.

The next "Speaking of Oats..." webinar will be on October 21st at 11:00 am EDT. Axel Diederichsen (Plant Gene Resources of Canada, AAFC) will be speaking to us about "The impact of global changes on oat conservation and exchange at Plant Gene Resources of Canada". This presentation will include information about legal requirements set out in what is commonly known as the Plant Treaty (ITPGRFA, the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture).

The USDA-ARS is seeking to fill three scientist positions, all of which are permanent, and one of which is a Research Leader position (US citizenship is required for all three):

1) Supervisory Research Plant Pathologist/Research Geneticist, Aberdeen, ID

https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/614665000

Open & closing dates - 09/20/2021 to 10/19/2021

Everyone could use a good mentor, and an effort is now underway to provide support to young plant breeders everywhere. Linc Thomas, who works with the Borlaug Training Foundation, is writing a book tentatively called “Letters to a Young Plant Breeder” and is seeking help from those of you who are well-established in your plant breeding careers. More details about this project are in the "Community News" section.

The “Speaking of Oats…” (SOO) webinar series returns this month. Join us on Thursday, September 16th, at 11:00 am Eastern time (EDT - Canada/USA) to hear from Shahryar Kianian and Oluseyi Fajolu (both USDA-ARS), and Eric Nazareno (University of Minnesota). They will talk to us about “Oat Crown Rust: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly”.

The newest member of the oat community joined us on Tuesday, August 10, 2021. Congratulations to Georgie Troup on the safe arrival of her son, Samuel Edward Somers!

This brief update brings opportunities for young researchers in the form of three job opportunities:

Field days are a big part of oat research, even if some of them have to be held virtually these days. Looking forward to the OAT2022 (11th IOC) meeting next year in Australia, there will be a field day, but please note that no additional seed can be sent for inclusion in the trials. This is because of Australia’s strict quarantine regulations.

Life is motion, and we always hope for better things to come. It is with sadness, however, that I tell you of the passing of Herb Ohm. Herb was a plant breeder and geneticist at Purdue University in Indiana, USA, for 41 years! More information concerning his life and work can be found in his obituary in the "Hall of Fame" section.

Three other articles have also been added to the "Hall of Fame". These announce the retirements of Christian Azar, George Fedak, and Pamela Zwer. Åsmund Bjørnstad and Trond Buraas have also retired recently.

There are three time-sensitive items for you today:

When it rains, it pours and there is a lot of information in this update!

Wet conditions, of course, help spread disease, so let’s begin with a reminder that Oluseyi Fajolu at the Cereal Disease lab in St. Paul, MN, is eagerly awaiting this season’s rust samples!

Oluseyi’s request is posted in the "Community News" section, as is the first of the following announcements regarding new positions: