News Releases

May 7, 2008
Manhattan, KS

Wheat Alliance to Explain New License Agreement

Beginning in the fall of 2008, anyone producing the wheat varieties Jagger, Overley, Fuller, RonL, and Danby for sale as seed will need to complete a license agreement with the Kansas Wheat Alliance (KWA).  This change in the variety marketing system will also include a royalty on each sale, beginning in 2009. Kansas State University Research and Extension has signed a material transfer agreement with Kansas State University Research Foundation for these varieties, and an agreement was subsequently signed with KWA to develop a marketing plan for them. 

Three opportunities are available for wheat farmers and seed producers to learn about KWA’s marketing plan for the five K-State wheat varieties affected by this agreement. 

The first opportunity to learn about this new system is May 20 at the South Central Kansas Experiment Field near Hutchinson.  The Spring Field Day begins at 8 a.m. with a Wheat Variety and Disease Update from KSU wheat breeder Allan Fritz and plant pathologist Erick DeWolf.    Several crop management presentations will follow.  At approximately 10 a.m. there will be a presentation about the Kansas Wheat Alliance and explanation of the variety license agreement. 

On May 21, Wheat Day will be held at the KSU Hays Research Center.  A presentation will be made at 1 p.m., followed by the variety plot tour with wheat breeder Joe Martin at 3:30.  Following the plot tour will be a presentation about the Kansas Wheat Alliance and the license agreement. 

The third presentation is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on May 22 at the KSU Agronomy Farm, Ashland Research Unit, south of Manhattan.  Allan Fritz will give a tour of the wheat nursery and discuss the focus of his breeding program, followed by a presentation about KWA and the license agreement.  

Daryl Strouts, executive director, will be making the presentations for KWA and explaining the license agreement.  For additional information, contact the KWA office at 785-477-3400 or e-mail kwa@kansas.net. 

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For more information about this news release, please contact 

Alana McGough
   Kansas Wheat Alliance
   apkcia@kansas.net 
   785-532-6118

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May 1, 2008
Manhattan, KS

Kansas Wheat Alliance Signs Agreement with KCIA

 The Kansas Wheat Alliance (KWA), the newly formed organization for delivery of K-State wheat varieties, has announced that it will contract with the Kansas Crop Improvement Association (KCIA) for temporary management of its administrative functions.

 KCIA is a non-profit membership organization that includes wheat farmers, certified seed producers, wheat researchers and others with a stake in the wheat industry.  KWA Chairman Forrest Chumley said the temporary management agreement will be an efficient start-up measure for the organization. 

 “This agreement helps us achieve our mission in an economical way,” Chumley said. “The people in KCIA who are involved have tremendous relevant expertise in the wheat industry, and knowledge of our customer base.”

 KCIA will handle KWA’s administrative, bookkeeping, and promotional activities until the new organization is equipped to hire an executive of its own. KCIA personnel involved in certification activities will be excluded from KWA business in order to avoid conflicts of interest.

 KCIA President Tim Oborny, Bison, Kan., sees the temporary agreement as illustrative of the effort that seed producers are willing to put forth for the success of a wheat variety release mechanism in Kansas.

 “KCIA recognizes the Kansas Wheat Alliance as an important priority for its members,” Oborny said. “I think our agreement with KWA shows how dedicated we are to the success of this venture.” 

The Kansas Wheat Alliance was formed in June 2007 by six organizations in the wheat and seed industries, in partnership with Kansas State University, in order to promote stewardship of traits and varieties and ensure the delivery of improved wheat varieties for farmers and consumers. KWA will have the first option to commercialize all future K-State-developed wheat varieties. The existing varieties Jagger, Overley, Danby, RonL, and Fuller have been licensed by KWA. Through the Kansas Wheat Research and Education Fund, royalties on sales of these varieties will be invested into wheat education and research, leading to the development of new, improved varieties.

 “This organization will allow us to make farmer-preferred traits available through new wheat varieties, but it will also benefit the end user with higher quality wheat,” Chumley said. “KWA is an important thing for everybody who cares about wheat in Kansas.”

 For information on KWA membership options, contact Executive Director Daryl Strouts at 785-477-3400 or kwa@kansas.net.

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 For more information about this press release, please contact

 Alana McGough
    KCIA Membership Services Specialist
    apkcia@kansas.net
    (785) 532-6118

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Feb 29, 2008
Bismark, ND

North Dakota Producers Should Buy 
Wheat Seed Stocks Now for Spring Planting

In January, the North Dakota State Seed Department initiated a survey of North Dakota seed growers to identify how much certified seed potentially had been sold on the 
commodity markets. 

"At the root of the question were high commodity prices, particularly for durum and spring wheat, which created attractive alternatives for seed growers to market their seed production," says Steve Sebesta, North Dakota State Seed Department deputy seed 
commissioner.   Read on>>

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Feb 29, 2008
Champaign, IL

ICIA Authorizes Oat Re-Certification

Illinois Crop Improvement Association, Inc. will invoke provisions under the US Federal Seed Act (201.70(a)) to allow for one-year re-certification of Certified class of oats of the four University of Illinois varieties: Buckskin, Rodeo, Spurs and Tack.  

The reason this action has been approved is based upon the developer’s request and acknowledgement that the institution failed to maintain adequate supplies of foundation seed stocks. The University of Illinois is engaged in discussions at the present time which they believe will lead to 2008 production of Foundation class adequate to meet 2009 planting demand.  

For the 2008 production year only, Certified class (blue tag) will be accepted by ICIA as an appropriate source of seed to produce Certified class seed of Buckskin, Rodeo, Spurs and Tack oats. All other standard certification requirements related to 2008 production of Certified class oats must be achieved. The alternate source of seed is the only change. Questions may be directed to Hannah Hudson, ICIA Operations Manager at 217.359.4053 or hhudson@ilcrop.com.

 ICIA encourages other official seed certifying agencies within the AOSCA system to allow re-certification in like manner. 

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Feb 13, 2008
Manhattan, KS

KCIA Elects New Executive Officers

The Kansas Crop Improvement Association (KCIA) board of directors’ selection of executive officers demonstrates that family tradition is alive and well in the seed business. Remarkably, all three board members who were chosen to serve on the executive team are third-generation certified seed producers—providing young leadership that is rooted in decades of experience. 

The three new officers were elected by the board of directors during the seed organization’s annual meeting at the Clarion Hotel in Manhattan, January 28-29. Tim Oborny of Ed Junior Farms, Bison, was chosen to serve as the new KCIA president. Roger May of May Family Farms, Oberlin, was selected as Vice-President of Standards. Darrin DeLange of DeLange Seed House, Girard, is the new Vice-President of Research. The newly elected officers have all served on the KCIA board as district representatives for several years. Prior to his presidential position, Oborny also held the position of Vice-President of 
Standards for three years.

The KCIA Board of Directors for 2008 includes Mike Baxa, Polansky Seed, 
Belleville, Central Member-At-Large; Calvin Bohnert, Bohnert Farm, Jewell, North Central District; Bob Bunck, Bunck Seed Farms, Everest, Northeast District; Maurice Miller, Sharp Bros. Seed Co., Healy, Southwest District; Tim Oborny, Ed Junior Farms, Bison, Central District; Tom Pauly, Tom Pauly Farm, Conway Springs, South Central District; Darwin Ediger, Ediger Farms, Meade, West Member-At-Large and KSIA Representative; Dean Fouts, Johnson Seed Company, Mound Valley, Southeast District; Roger May, May Family Farms, Oberlin, Northwest District; Darrin DeLange, DeLange Seed House, Girard, East Member-at-Large; Gary Pierzynski, Manhattan, KSU Agronomy Department; and J. Pat Murphy, Manhattan, KSU Research and Extension. 

The board of directors represents over 300 KCIA members who produce, condition, and market Kansas Certified Seed for farmers throughout the state. KCIA is a not-for-profit, membership-based organization designated as the official seed and plant part certification agency for the State of Kansas. In addition to seed certification services, KCIA offers networking and educational opportunities, consulting, auditing, farm/field inspection, and laboratory testing services for the seed industry and other crop production related businesses. For further information, call Kansas Crop Improvement Association at 785-532-6118, visit www.kscrop.org,   or e-mail kscrop@kansas.net.  

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