S&W appoints Mark Smith as Director of Breeding and Genetics

S&W Seed Company announced recently that alfalfa breeding veteran, Mark Smith, has been appointed as the Company's Director of Breeding and Genetics. Dr. Smith will have primary responsibility for the continued research and development of the Company's dormant germplasm pipeline recently acquired from DuPont Pioneer which includes more than 60 developmental varieties. Dr. Smith will also be working with S&W's integrated R&D group on crossover research, including both conventional non-GMO and GMO development.

Dr. Smith joins S&W Seed Company in connection with its recent acquisition following 28 years in the alfalfa seed industry with DuPont Pioneer where he managed its germplasm and varietal development alfalfa project. In 1987 he was hired as an alfalfa breeder by Pioneer Hi-Bred International developing numerous varieties for the Western U.S. for resistance to alfalfa stem nematode as well as non-dormant product development for the world.  He further went on to oversee and manage the research and development of alfalfa seed varieties across the entire U.S. He is the past president of the Western Alfalfa Improvement Conference and currently serves as Secretary of the North American Alfalfa Improvement Conference.  He has served on numerous committees for the alfalfa community including two rotations on the National Alfalfa Variety Review Board.

Dr. Smith received a B.S. degree in Crop Science from New Mexico State University, and a Masters of Science studying forage breeding. Mark obtained his Ph.D. in Genetics and Plant Breeding from Mississippi State University, minoring in experimental statistics while working in the forage breeding program.