Great Falls, Mont. – The Montana Department of Agriculture (MDA), Montana Wheat and Barley Committee (MWBC), and Montana State University (MSU) have partnered to fund a Crop Variety Promotions and Education Specialist position located on the Bozeman campus of MSU.
“The MSU Plant Breeding program has a long history of developing varieties that allow Montana growers to earn premiums for their crops and we look forward to finding the right candidate to join their team to help share the story of how breeding programs add value,” said Cassidy Marn, Executive Vice President of the Montana Wheat and Barley Committee.
MSU’s breeding program develops world-class, extensively reviewed, publicly released varieties designed with the satisfaction of both the grower and end user in mind. Additionally, the program partners with other universities and private industry to share genetics, test efficacy of new products in various Montana climates, and develop best practices for growers across the state.
The MWBC recognizes that varietal selections and agronomic practices can significantly impact end-use qualities and has made significant investments to understand and promote best practices for plant pathology, entomology, soil science, and crop rotational studies. This first of its kind position will educate Montana producers on which variety will work best for their operation by taking into account the unique climate, pest and soil challenges, as well as the diverse growing conditions across the state.
“We see potential for increased communication on MSU plant science research to Montana growers,” said Marn. “The Montana Wheat and Barely Committee started on this project three years ago and determined a focused position housed in MSU’s Foundation Seed Program is a great way to promote to growers the work being done at our land grant university. The Committee staff and board are ecstatic to see these dreams implemented.”
Duties of the Communications Professional will include:
- Educating producers and the public of MSU plant genetics and variety releases.
- Developing MSU’s participation in the pulse industry statewide.
- Working with Montana seed growers, out of state seed growers and MSU’s Technology Transfer Office to expand markets for our plant genetics portfolio.
- Actively communicating with all those involved with MSU’s breeding programs, foundation seed production, communications specialists, and with the MT Wheat & Barley Committee.
- Disseminating information specifically outlining agronomic best practices to producers regarding variety selection and management.
- Managing research fee collection, record keeping and customer communications.
- Developing and managing media releases highlighting variety data and program information.
The full job description and recruitment posting are available here: https://jobs.montana.edu/postings/27460.
###
MT Wheat and Barley Committee/MT Dept. of Ag
