Graduate Student Poster Awarded First Place by Nepalese Agricultural Professionals

North Dakota State University graduate student Bipin Neupane was awarded first place in the student poster competition at the 3rd Biennial Association of Nepalese Agricultural Professionals of Americas (NAPA) International Scientific Conference. Neupane is a Master’s student in the Department of Plant Sciences and is advised by Francois Marais, professor and hard winter wheat breeding project leader.

Neupane, who is from Kathmandu, Nepal, presented “Characterization of d-tritipyrum lines and derivatives to identify their J^d chromosomes''. His research objective is to derive common wheat substitution lines with individual D-genome chromosomes replaced by homoeologous chromosomes from Thinopyrum distichum (Thunb.) Á. Löve (sea wheat), which imparts salt tolerance in the species. Sea wheat is native to the southern and south western coastal shores of South Africa, where it inhabits harsh, dry saline coastal dunes. 

In addition, Neupane was named the Outstanding Volunteer for his work with the conference media and communication committee and took first place in the long drive contest of the NAPA Golf Tournament.

NAPA is a professional organization dedicated to educational, scientific, and developmental initiatives that enhance livelihood, food security, and sustainable development through the improvement of resiliency of agricultural and natural resource management systems.

Author: Kamie Beeson
Editor: Karen Hertsgaard