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The National Council of Commercial Plant Breeders Awards Brilman and Khush

Dr. Leah Brilman Receives the Plant Breeding Award for Industry from the NCCPB

Alexandria, Va. (December 2007) -- The National Council of Commercial Plant Breeders (NCCPB) presented the Plant Breeding Award for Industry to Dr. Leah Brilman. Established in 1986 and administered through the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), the award is given to those who have made significant contributions to plant science through basic, applied or developmental research in genetics and plant breeding during their career in the private sector.

Dr. Brilman’s dedication to the turfgrass industry shows through her many accomplishments as a commercial turfgrass breeder. She currently serves as a courtesy faculty professor in the Crop and Soil Science department at Oregon State University.

Throughout her 22 years as a commercial plant breeder, she has developed or co-developed 54 turfgrass cultivars that have received Plant Variety Protection or are in the process of examination. Not only has she published 29 refereed publications, while primarily employed as a commercial breeder, she has also traveled nationally and internationally to give lectures on Improved Turfgrass Cultivars.

“She is one of the most productive and successful commercial turfgrass breeders in North America,” said Michael Casler, Research Geneticist with the USDA-ARS and Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “She is an outstanding commercial plant breeder who has risen to the absolute pinnacle of her profession in a relatively short time, demonstrating sustained productivity, a commitment to the turfgrass industry and the public good; and a collegiality that has earned her the respect and friendship of numerous colleagues around the world.”

Dr. Gurdev Singh Khush Receives the Public Plant Breeder Award from the CCPB

The National Council of Commercial Plant Breeders (NCCPB) presented the Public Plant Breeder Award to Dr. Gurdev Singh Khush. Established in 1963 and administered by the Council through its Awards Committee and Board of Directors, the award is given to those who have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of plant breeding and genetics in the public sector.

Dr. Khush's dedication to the rice industry is displayed by his many accomplishments through his leadership as a breeder and teacher for more than 45 years. He currently serves as an adjunct professor of Plant Sciences at the University of California-Davis. While serving as an adjunct professor, he mentors faculty and students, as well as continuing to travel and consult on the importance of advancements to the rice industry.

Prior to serving as an adjunct professor, he spent for more than 35 years at the International Rice Research Institute, beginning as a plant breeder and later advancing to Head of Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Biochemistry. He has received numerous awards for his work including the Borlaug Award in 1977; the Japan Prize in 1987; the World Food Prize in 1996; the Rank Prize in Nutrition in 1998; and the Wolf Prize in Agriculture in 2000.

He has also published three books, edited six books, reviewed 40 articles, and written 45 book chapters and 160 research papers in refereed journals.

“Dr. Khush is perhaps best known for his work at the International Rice Research Institute where he is considered to be the father of the Green Revolution in South Asia through the development of more than 300 rice varieties,” said Alan Bennett, Associate Vice Chancellor of Research at University of California, Davis. “Today, high yielding rice varieties with disease and insect resistance and excellent grain quality developed by Khush and his team at IRRI are grown over 50 percent of the world’s rice acreage, and the productivity increases attributed to these varieties are estimated to feed one billion additional rice consumers.”

Additionally, Dr. Khush and his team are credited with developing IR36, the world’s most widely planted food variety, and IR72, the world’s highest yielding rice variety.

The National Council of Commercial Plant Breeders (NCCPB) was founded in 1954 by representation of 13 commercial firms as a nonprofit organization to promote the achievement and interests of American plant breeders both in the United States and abroad. Fifty years later IP issues are still a major focus for the NCCPB, not only in the United States, but also worldwide. NCCPB is a well recognized voice in these matters on a global scale.