Contact: Rob Berard
Tel. 785-320-4300
Cell Phone 785-410-5800
Email: rberard@heartlandinnovations.com
August 11, 2014
HEARTLAND PLANT INNOVATIONS HIRES NEW CHIEF SCIENTIST
MANHATTAN, Kan. - Heartland Plant Innovations (HPI) is happy to announce the hiring of Dr.
Muhammad Asif as its new Chief Scientist. Asif will be charged with leading HPI’s scientific efforts
including novel trait development as well as the Advanced Plant Breeding Services. HPI offers wheat
doubled haploids, wide hybridization/trait introgression, and genotyping as services to customers worldwide. All services are provided without claim to intellectual property which makes HPI attractive to
wheat breeders working on advanced germplasm.
Asif comes to HPI with over 10 years of experience in wheat improvement including doubled haploids –
both maize and microspore method - marker assisted breeding, and variety development. Asif most
recently has served as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Agriculture, Food Nutritional Science,
University of Alberta, Canada focusing on the development of genetic resistance from pyramiding rust
(leaf, stem and stripe) resistance genes. Asif’s graduate education was received at the University of
Alberta, Edmonton, Canada where he co-developed a hard red spring wheat germplasm line (PT771)
which exhibits Fusarium Head Blight resistance. Asif has written extensively, including two books
recently published by Springer, USA. The books are titled “Progress and Opportunities of Doubled
Haploid Production”, and “Managing and Breeding Wheat for Organic Systems: Enhancing
Competitiveness Ability against Weeds.”
HPI’s Interim President and Chief Financial Officer, Rob Berard, speaking in regard to Asif’s hiring said
“I am very excited to have Asif join HPI. It was obvious based on his experience in wheat improvement
that his research focus aligned with HPI’s mission, however in getting to know him during the interview
process it became clear that this his personality was also a fit. It became a simple decision to hire Asif. I
can’t wait to get him thinking about the work of HPI on a full time basis. Our customers will benefit
greatly, I am confident.”
HPI provides customers with advanced plant breeding services and high-value genetic traits. HPI’s
breeding services include wheat doubled haploids, wide hybridization, and genotyping. HPI has
produced and sold over 40,000 doubled haploids to 21 Universities, 5 USDA labs, and 8 private
companies in 5 countries. In late 2013, HPI relocated into the state-of-the-art Kansas Wheat Innovation
Center which provides HPI with the capacity to produce up to 50,000 doubled haploid lines per year as
well as development of wheat traits. As a research partner HPI is sponsoring multiple research
programs at Kansas State University focused on wheat and sorghum. These projects are seeking to
increase the yields and end use performance of wheat, based on input from our industry partners.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
If you would like more information about HPI, please call Rob Berard at 785-320-4300 or send email to
rberard@heartlandinnovations.com. HPI is online at www.heartlandinnovations.com.