NEC29: Northeastern Corn Improvement Program
(Multistate Research Coordinating Committee and Information Exchange Group)
Status: Inactive/Terminating
NEC29: Northeastern Corn Improvement Program
Duration: 09/01/1998 to 09/30/2003
Administrative Advisor(s):
NIFA Reps:
Non-Technical Summary
Statement of Issues and Justification
The Northeastern Corn Improvement Conference (NECIC, formerly NEC-29) is one of three regional scientific groups focused on corn improvement, the others being the North Central Corn Breeding Research Committee (NCR-167) and the Southern Corn Improvement Conference (SRIEG-31). NECIC has met annually since 1945, with the sole exception of one year during World War II. Meeting participants include public sector corn researchers from State Agricultural Experiment Stations and federal research programs in the northeastern U.S. and eastern Canada and private sector scientists with an interest in corn improvement in these regions. Plant breeders and geneticists constitute the majority of the group, but it also includes agronomists, plant pathologists, seed scientists, and others with an interest in corn improvement. About 40-60 scientists attend each meeting. Active participation of the private sector is a unique aspect of NECIC. Public and private sector scientists have alternately served as chair of the organization ensuring that the program is relevant to both and serving to strengthen the ties between state and industry scientists. Private sector scientists from the group have strongly encouraged support of public sector corn improvement research at the state and federal levels through letters and lobbying efforts. Such support would be much less likely without the types of public-private sector connections facilitated by NECIC.
Annual NECIC meetings have provided a forum for sharing and discussing research results related to corn improvement and for consideration of policy issues affecting corn research in the northeastern U.S. and eastern Canada. Scientific papers presented by participants allow all to keep abreast of others research topics and results. State and industry reports provide information on emerging trends in corn production and the seed industry, and on corn improvement concerns in the region. Through this shared awareness and interest, collaborative research has been pursued when appropriate, as illustrated by the following examples:
- The emergence of gray leaf spot as a serious corn pathogen in the eastern U.S. and its northward migration prompted collaborative efforts among corn breeders at Cornell University, The Pennsylvania State University, University of Delaware, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University to screen germplasm for gray leaf spot resistance.
- Evaluation of corn germplasm for resistance to multiple diseases of importance in the northeast, being conducted by Agriculture Canadas corn breeder located in Ottawa, has included germplasm from Cornell Universitys breeding program.
- Graduate students have done portions of their research at other institutions (e.g., field evaluations, specialized laboratory research) and have had access to others genetic materials.
- Breeders in the group exchange germplasm and participate in joint testing efforts.
Objectives
Procedures and Activities
Expected Outcomes and Impacts
- The Northeastern Corn Improvement Conference is an organization that facilitates information sharing and research collaboration on the most important agricultural crop in the northeastern U.S. It provides an opportunity for maintaining close connections among both public and private sector researchers in the region, and for keeping abreast of national corn improvement research and developments through the Inter-regional Corn Improvement Conference (held every fourth year). As such, NECIC is a vital organization supporting regional research efforts that are key to northeastern U.S. agriculture.
Projected Participation
View Appendix E: ParticipationEducational Plan
A proceedings volume, distributed after each meeting, provides all participants with summaries of the papers and reports from the annual NECIC meetings. These volumes are an important source of information on the latest research findings of particular relevance to the northeastern U.S., often reported here before they appear in more formal publications.
Organization/Governance
The recommended Standard Governance for multistate research activities include the election of a Chair, a Chair-elect, and a Secretary. All officers are to be elected for at least two-year terms to provide continuity. Administrative guidance will be provided by an assigned Administrative Advisor and a CSREES Representative.
Literature Cited