SEED PROGRAM AND INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT (5/21-22/79)

EVALUATION COVERS THE PERIOD 6/77-6/79 AND INCLUDED DISCUSSIONS WITH THE MSU PROJ STAFF & 30 GRADUATE STUDENTS (MOSTLY FROM LDC"S) IN THE SEED TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM. AUTHOR TERMS THE PROJECT AN OUTSTANDING SUCCESS, WITH REPORTS FROM THE MISSIONS AND REGIONAL BUREAUS UNIVERSALLY FAVORABLE. THE MSU PROJ STAFF HAS HAD YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN SEED TECHNOLOGY AND ANSWERED REQUESTS FROM MISSIONS PROMPTLY AND EFFICIENTLY. SUPPORT TO THE PROJ FROM BOTH MSU AND THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI WAS EXCEPTIONAL. MSU FACILITIES PROVIDED A FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR BOTH RESEARCH AND TRAINING. TWENTY-FOUR LDC STUDENTS ARE STUDYING SEED TECHNOLOGY AT MSU. ALSO, MSU IS TO BE COMPLIMENTED ON THE MATERIAL IT PROVIDED, IN THE COUNTRY LANGUAGE.TO LDC TRAINING PROBLEMS. MSU IS RECRUITING TWO NON-TENURED STAFF FOR THE SEED PROGRAM. (ONE IS TO BE FLUENT IN FRENCH AND ONE IN SPANISH.) CURRENTLY, INFORMATION FOR MS THESES ON SEED TECHNOLOGY IS BEING INCORPORATED INTO TRAINING MANUALS AND COURSE LECTURES. IN THE FUTURE, THIS MATERIAL WILL ALSO BE INCORPORATED INTO TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS, FOR WIDER DISSEMINATION AND USE. SINCE MSU HAS NO CONTROL OVER THE SELECTION OF TRAINEES, ALL COURSES MUST START AT A BEGINNING LEVEL. ADVANCED WORKSHOPS WOULD BE DESIRABLE AND MAY BE POSSIBLE UNDER A PROPOSED CIAT/LA TRAINING PROJECT.