News about the Genomes To Fields (G2F) Phenotyping Initiative

July 18, 2018

About Genomes To Fields

A publicly initiated and led research initiative to catalyze and coordinate research linking genomics and predictive phenomics to achieve advances that generate societal and environmental benefits

New G2F Website

We've redesigned and added information to the G2F website. Check it out here: https://www.genomes2fields.org/

2018 G2F GxE Trial

The 2018 GxE Trail is currently underway with 21 institutions and being grown at 39 locations. At each locations, hundreds of diverse genotypes are being phenotyped for agronomic traits and environmental data are being collected. This is the fifth year of this trial.

2018 Academic/Federal Institutions Map

G2F Data Now Available

Data generated through the Genomes To Fields GxE Trial are now available to the public. One of the objectives of G2F is to make our data available for others use use and learn from. We now have genotype, weather and phenotype data available from the 2014, 2015 and 2016 field trials. Data may be accessed here: https://www.genomes2fields.org/resources/. 2017 data are currently available to the collaborators before it goes public.

New Publications

There are two new publications resulting from the G2F work.

Funding and Legislative Update

It's been a busy and productive year in terms of gaining political support for funding of phenomics research.

The FY2018 Federal Budget included $1.25 million for Genomes To Fields through the USDA-ARS budget. This is the second year these funds have been obtained and allows corn board funds to be used for new projects within G2F. This year, state corn boards and the National Corn Growers have pitched in $668,000 towards G2F.

Language was included in both the 2019 Federal House and Senate Ag Committee budgets for funding of phenomics.

Language was included in both the House and Senate versions of the 2018 Farm Bill, defining a Genomes To Phenomes Initiative and with an authorization of $30 million per year. These two versions will now have to go through conference to reconcile differences between the two versions. It's great news that our phenomics language is included in both versions. If the Farm Bill passes, then we will still need to lobby for funding as comes out of discretionary spending.

This is the result of a lot of hard work by government relations staff from Iowa State University, University of Wisconsin, Penn State University, University of Minnesota, Cornell University, National Corn Growers and Iowa Corn Growers.

North American Plant Phenotyping Network (NAPPN) officially launched

Elections were held for officer positions of the NAPPN earlier this year. Board members include:

Website: http://nappn.plant-phenotyping.org/

Phenome 2019 - Save the dates

The third annual Phenome meeting will be held February 6-10, 2019 in Tucson. If you are interested in plant phenomics you won't want to miss this.

Website: http://phenome2019.org/ (schedule coming soon)