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
We have important and exciting news to share regarding progress towards phenomics funding! For the past several years, the G2F Executive Committee, working with government relations staff from several universities, along with National Corn Growers and Iowa Corn Growers staff, have made a significant step forward by getting a $40 million annual authorization into the 2018 Farm Bill, which was recently signed.
Section 7208 of the Farm Bill, previously known as the "Agricultural Genome Initiative", has been amended to become the "Agricultural Genome To Phenome Initiative" and now emphasizes the importance of phenomics research to leverage the vast quantities of genomic information that now exists. Section 7208 was never authorized in past farm bills.
The full text of the Farm Bill can be found here (search for 7208).
However, our work is not done. Authorization simply establishes this program within the Farm Bill with a non-binding funding recommendation. We still need to obtain appropriations from Congress to provide actual funding in each year's federal budget, something we've already started working on.
G2F recently completed harvest of its 5th year of the GxE Field Trial. In 2018, a total of 1,153 unique hybrids were grown in a total of 27,298 yield plots at 40 unique locations by 28 cooperators across the country. Here is a map showing our cooperators from the past five years.
Specific details of this trial may be found here.
We are on schedule for releasing data generated in the G2F GxE trial. As of 2018, we have publicly released data from 2014, 2015, and 2016, while 2017 data is on schedule to be released in March of 2019. Public datasets include all the phenotype data collected in the GxE trials, plus weather and environmental data, and genotypic data. Here are links to these datasets:
More information about and access these datasets are available on the G2F website.
As of 2018, there are two publications relating to data generated from the G2F project.
2019 represents the 3rd annual conference focused specifically on the field of plant phenomics and will be held from February 6-9 in Tucson Arizona. The program is available on their website.
Genomes to Fields will be hosting a one day program on February 6th reviewing learnings obtained to date from the G2F GxE Trial and to provide an opportunity to engage with individuals involved in related aspects of phenomics.
Registration information for Phenome 2019 is available online.
The North American Plant Phenotyping Network (NAPPN) is an association of scientists and researchers in the rapidly evolving area of plant phenomics, formed as a regional partner of the International Plant Phenotyping Network (IPPN).
The NAPPN will be holding its general assembly meeting at 4:00 PM on February 6 at the Phenome 2019 Conference.
Please refer to the website to learn more about NAPPN and to join this newtowrk of scientists.