Paul Sun, Dairyland Seed breeder, was awarded the NAAIC Honorary Membership Award during the 2010 meeting of the North American Alfalfa Improvement Conference in Boise, ID, this week.
At right in photo, Dan Undersander, chairman of the NAAIC nominating committee, presents the award recognizing Sun's outstanding contributions to alfalfa improvement and utilization.
Sun has led a team of plant breeders in alfalfa, corn, and soybeans for nearly 30 years at Dairyland Seed, headquartered in West Bend, WI. His inspiration and vision led the alfalfa team to develop and release hybrid alfalfa technology in 2001. He also contributed toward the release of patented sequential maturity alfalfa technology and played a key role in developing perhaps the world’s largest alfalfa testing network. Sun has authored numerous patents on hybrid alfalfa seed production and forage production.
The breeder recently developed corn inbreds and, earlier in his career, developed soybeans as well. As a result, Dairyland’s plant breeding accomplishments in all three crops have become recognized throughout the industry, according to the company.