NUtech Ventures Prem S. Paul Innovator of the Year

NUtech Ventures Author

10/29/2020 Added

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The Prem S. Paul Innovator of the Year award went to George Graef, professor of agronomy and horticulture. The award recognizes an individual who exemplifies innovation and entrepreneurship by advancing novel research into significant commercial use. Graef is a world-class soybean breeder who has developed conventional varieties, glyphosate-tolerant varieties, LL55-tolerant varieties and food grade varieties, used to make tofu. He works closely with academic and industry collaborators.

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[00:00:00.048](gentle music)
[00:00:03.140]George Graef,
[00:00:04.630]I'm a Professor in Plant Breeding and Genetics
[00:00:07.920]at the University of Nebraska,
[00:00:09.220]the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
[00:00:11.260]and I work with soybean breeding.
[00:00:13.430]Our main objectives then are to serve the needs
[00:00:16.440]of the soybean producers in Nebraska.
[00:00:18.260]So our main focus is yield and productivity,
[00:00:21.630]and then we need to protect that yield.
[00:00:23.720]So we look at important disease and insect resistance,
[00:00:27.200]and then any specific issues
[00:00:30.470]that Nebraska producers would have like water use.
[00:00:33.950]We have about 50% irrigated production and 50% rain fed,
[00:00:38.880]so in either system,
[00:00:40.830]the soybeans that they grow need
[00:00:42.200]to respond well to the added water.
[00:00:44.800]And then finally, we have a lot of work
[00:00:48.210]with them compositional quality,
[00:00:49.540]we have some of the highest protein in soybeans
[00:00:52.610]that's known in the world.
[00:00:54.560]So that's of interest because of interest
[00:00:58.490]in vegetable protein sources,
[00:01:02.140]protein has always been kind of limiting
[00:01:04.460]in the world in general.
[00:01:06.300]And now you hear a lot more about companies
[00:01:11.290]using vegetable protein sources.
[00:01:13.380]The variety development timeline is about six years,
[00:01:17.710]so from the time we initiate a cross,
[00:01:20.900]I usually in our winter nursery in Puerto Rico to the time
[00:01:25.240]it reaches the increase of foundation seed
[00:01:28.480]is about six years,
[00:01:30.640]and then it's commercialized.
[00:01:32.440]So some of the impacts of the research include,
[00:01:36.910]not only the direct production of the varieties
[00:01:40.220]on the acres that they directly impact,
[00:01:42.770]but also they're used as parents in breeding programs
[00:01:46.730]and other university, USDA programs, other public programs,
[00:01:49.890]and also other private programs,
[00:01:51.330]so they really impact, several million acres.
[00:01:56.540]So NUtech, a good partner,
[00:01:59.410]because we can work at different stages of the program.
[00:02:03.530]A lot of what we do here is, is pretty straight forward,
[00:02:08.140]and so it's at the end of the development
[00:02:11.600]that we recognize something new and valuable
[00:02:14.370]and then they can help commercialize it.
[00:02:16.160]But there's also situations
[00:02:17.360]where they facilitated the partnerships
[00:02:20.410]that have for example,
[00:02:21.380]with some industry partners
[00:02:23.850]or help us develop collaboration agreements
[00:02:27.820]that are really the beginning of a relationship.
[00:02:31.320]And then there, the results
[00:02:33.640]from those things are more long-term.
[00:02:35.860]What's exciting is one of the areas
[00:02:39.360]where a lot of the germplasm,
[00:02:41.470]we see a lot of interest,
[00:02:43.060]is newer companies and more recent startup companies
[00:02:46.580]that are applying molecular genetic tools
[00:02:49.140]and more analytical tools to facilitate breeding
[00:02:53.700]and have specific targets and goals
[00:02:57.140]for the varieties and their markets.
[00:02:59.970]But to see those companies use the material
[00:03:02.820]and to see those applications come out, the other side
[00:03:06.839]and be successfully commercialized is really rewarding.

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NUtech Ventures Prem S. Paul Innovator of the Year

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