Capacity Building à la Carte Programme - 2008 winners
1. Project Title: Enhancing MAS Capacity for Salt-stress Rice Breeding in Bangladesh
Lead Institution: Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI)-Bangladesh
Team Leader: MA Salam, Director Research, BRRI, Bangladesh
Team Members: M Alamgir Hossain, Plant Breeding Division, BRRI, Bangladesh
M Rafiqul Islam, Plant Breeding Division, BRRI, Bangladesh
M Sazzadur Rahman, Plant Physiology Division, BRRI, Bangladesh
Zeba I Seraj, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
Abdelbagi Ismail, Senior Plant Physiologist, IRRI, The Philippines
Michael Thomson, Post-doctoral fellow, IRRI, The Philippines
Project executive summary
The application of molecular markers to increase the efficiency of breeding for varietal improvement targeted to problem soils is of vital importance for Bangladesh. Gradually increasing salinity levels in the south of Bangladesh is a major concern, particularly because it affects resource poor farmers living in those areas. About one million hectares of land is affected by different levels of salinity in the coastal areas of Bangladesh. BR11 and BRRI dhan28 are two popular varieties cultivated in Bangladesh for rainfed lowland and irrigated ecosystems, respectively, but those are sensitive to salinity. FL378 is an RIL having the Saltol QTL for salinity tolerance but is not well adapted to Bangladesh conditions. To introgress Saltol from FL378 into BR11 and BRRI dhan28, we made backcrosses using BR11 and BRRI dhan28 with FL378. Marker-assisted backcrossing activities are being pursued through a competitive (Project 2) project which is now coming to an end, and a commissioned GCP project just started with collaboration of IRRI and Dhaka University: population development and salinity screening are done at BRRI and molecular selection is being performed at Dhaka University. BRRI has good facilities for population development and phenotyping for salinity tolerance but only partial facilities for molecular analysis and application of MAS. At the same time, BRRI has experienced scientists trained in molecular marker techniques at IRRI, but due to the lack of adequate facilities they cannot contribute their expertise in the current GCP activities. Strengthening BRRI molecular research facilities through acquiring the additional equipments that are currently missing (PCR machine, electrophoresis unit with power pack, centrifuge and electronic pipette) will help equip the laboratory of BRRI to undertake an effective MAB system and deliver the outputs of the ongoing GCP projects more efficiently and, in the long run it will contribute substantially to enhance the capacity of BRRI to incorporate marker assisted breeding in our current breeding programs using QTLs of agronomic importance. This current capacity building support grant therefore aims to equip the BRRI laboratory for DNA marker technology and to support scientific exchanges between BRRI, DU and IRRI for further training and technical backstopping to support and complement the ongoing GCP funded projects.
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2. Project Title: Improving capacity for phenotyping for abiotic and biotic stress in Burkina Faso
Lead Institution: Instiut National de l’Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles (INERA), Burkina-Faso
Team Leader: Issa Drabo, Instiut National de l’Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles (INERA), Burkina-Faso)
Team Members: Jeffrey Ehlers, University of California-Riverside (UCR)
Timothy Close, University of California-Riverside (UC-R)
Philip Roberts, University of California-Riverside (UC-R)
Din-Jong Kim, IITA-Kenya
Satoru Muranaka, IITA-Nigeria
Ousmane Boukar, IITA-Nigeria
Project executive summary
Cowpea is a major grain and fodder crop in Burkina Faso and one of the few crops adapted to the poor soils, low rainfall and high temperatures found in most of the country. Despite its rusticity, productivity is decreasing due to drought spells and the pressure from pests. With the recent funding of a large GCP project targeting development of improved genomic resources in tropical legumes including cowpea with emphasis on drought tolerance, it is important that capacity exists to properly phenotype germplasm and genetic populations for drought tolerance. Therefore to meet the goals of the TL1 project and better characterise the 500 genotypes for their responses to abiotic stresses (drought and heat) and biotic ones (thrips, nematodes, Fusarium wilt, and bacterial blight), facilities for phenotyping need to be improved. The background of drought research in Burkina Faso is based on multi-location trials and breeding for agronomical traits. Therefore capabilities need to be strengthened. Precise and accurate phenotyping will be needed to take advantage of molecular markers being identified under the TL-1 project. Equipment to precisely link the plants physiological and agronomical responses to water available in the soil is needed.
Objectives:
1. Strengthen capacity for drought phenotyping
2. Strengthen capacity for pest control
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3. Project Title: Improving capacity for phenotyping for abiotic and biotic stress in Senegal
Lead Institution: Institut Sénégalais de Recherches Agricoles (ISRA), Senegal
Team Leader: Ndiaga Cisse, Institut Sénégalais de Recherches Agricoles (ISRA), Senegal
Team Members: Jeffrey Ehlers, University of California-Riverside (UCR)
Timothy Close, University of California-Riverside (UC-R)
Philip Roberts, University of California-Riverside (UC-R)
Din-Jong Kim, IITA-Kenya
Satoru Muranaka, IITA-Nigeria
Ousmane Boukar, IITA-Nigeria
Project executive summary
Cowpea is a major grain and fodder crop in Senegal and one of the few crops adapted to the poor soils, low rainfall and high temperatures found in most of the country. Despite its rusticity, productivity is decreasing due to drought spells and the pressure from pests. With the recent funding of a large GCP project targeting development of improved genomic resources in tropical legumes including cowpea with emphasis on drought tolerance, it is important that capacity exists to properly phenotype germplasm and genetic populations for drought tolerance. Therefore to meet the goals of the TL1 project and better characterise the 500 genotypes for their responses to abiotic stresses (drought and heat) and biotic ones (thrips, nematodes, Fusarium wilt, and bacterial blight), facilities for phenotyping need to be improved. The background of drought research in Senegal is based on multi-location trials and breeding for agronomical traits. Therefore capabilities need to be strengthened. Precise and accurate phenotyping will be needed to take advantage of molecular markers being identified under the TL-1 project. Equipment to precisely link the plants physiological and agronomical responses to water available in the soil is needed.
Objectives:
1. Strengthen capacity for drought phenotyping
2. Strengthen capacity for pest control
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«Call for proposals--December 2007» *Please note this is for information only since the 2007 call is closed.