Other News & Events

From 2-7 October 2012 legume researchers will join forces at the VI^th International Congress on Legume Genetics and Genomics (ICLGG) in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. A special feature of the ICLGG is its mission to bring together people working on fundamental aspects of legume biology in model species, using genetic and genomic tools, with those working on applied aspects and breeding of crop and pasture species.

Session topics include genomics; next-geneariton genomics, nutrition, development, evolution and diversity, symbiosis, abiotic stress, pathogenesis and disease resistance, translational genomics, genomics-assisted breeding and harnessing germplasm resources. In addition, workshops on topical subjects are also being organised on 2^nd October, 2012.

Key deadlines:

• May 31 - Early-bird registration closes
• July 31 - Abstracts due. Submission information on the congress website
• July 31 - Accommodation bookings close

Interested participants are invited to download the ICLGG flyer and brochure for an overview of the event, or to visit the congress website for full details.

An announcement from Bioversity International: 

"In response to increasing demand for capacity building on pre-breeding, the Global Partnership Initiative on Plant Breeding Capacity Building (GIPB) has just launched an e-learning course on Pre-breeding for effective use of plant genetic resources for plant breeders and germplasm curators and others engaged in germplasm management and/or crop improvement. It can also be used for teaching and learning about pre-breeding both in formal education and on-the-job training.

We believe that this practical, self-paced instructional tool would be of interest to your web site users, partners and collaborators. For more information about the course, click here for the brochure. You can access the e-course or request a copy of the course on CD from the GIPB web site here."

• Date and venue: 23 May–24 June, 2011, CIMMYT HQ, Texcoco, Mexico
• Language: English
• Eligibility: minimum MSc, with experience of working in the public, private or non-governmental sectors, and with active relevant research involvement.
• Cost: USD 6,000, which covers training materials and selected publications, accommodation, meals, field trips, internet access, major medical insurance and airport transfers to and from Mexico City airport
• Application deadline: 31 March, 2011
• Maximum number of participants: 10

Participants are responsible for making their own international travel arrangements and incidental insurance coverage.

For further information and an application form, contact Petr Kosina

Scientists from the University of York, UK, have organised a series of talks and a discussion meeting on advances in DNA sequencing and computing, and how new technologies are being deployed in this field. This event will take place on Saturday, 19^th February, 2011, as part of the Annual Meeting for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Washington DC, USA.

For further details, see the event flyer here, or access the University of York's website.

The Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security Challenge Programme (CCAFS-CP) is a network of the world’s leading researchers in agricultural and Earth system sciences. This challenge programme works to overcome the threats posed to food security by climate change,  to enhance livelihoods and to improve environmental management.

The objective of the programme’s research theme Adaptation pathways under progressive climate change is to achieve farming systems adapted to changing climatic conditions through the development of improved crops, livestock, farmed fish, and natural resources management. This will require the development of new technologies and testing of the same across a range of pilot sites, as well as modelling activities to out-scale the potential of individual adaptation options across a wide-range of geographies.

Towards this end, CCAFS is requesting the submission of project proposals for the development of an initial analogue methodology and proof of concept for identifying and mapping spatial and temporal analogue sites across the globe based on multiple climate projections.

Applicant consultants/research teams should have a strong modeling and computational background, and proven track record in development of similar tools/methodologies. Those with already advanced analogue methods will be given preference.

Deadline for submission of applications: 10th August 2010

For more information, download the full details of the call here.

The National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR)-Bioversity International Centre of Excellence is to hold its Fifth International Training Course, entitled “In Vitro and Cryopreservation for Conservation of Plant Genetic Resources: Current Methods and Techniques”, from 15th to 27th November 2010 at NBPGR, Pusa Campus, New Delhi, India. This will be a practical, hands-on course, designed for those currently involved in the development and use of in vitro and/or cryopreservation techniques for the medium to long-term conservation of vegetatively propagated and non-orthodox seed species.

This course aims to:
• Improve skills of participants in using tissue culture techniques for conservation and management of PGR
• Equip participants with essential knowledge necessary for developing and using cryopreservation techniques
• Enhance the use of in vitro conservation and cryopreservation protocols for germplasm of crops relevant in their countries
• Acquaint the participants with molecular techniques for PGR management
• Understand the underlying principles of stress tolerance during processing for conservation

The Centre of Excellence aims to provide training opportunities to enhance the capacity of national programmes for using in vitro and cryogenic techniques for conservation of plant genetic resources. This Centre is equipped with advanced facilities for in vitro conservation, particularly cryopreservation, and staffed with knowledgeable and experienced resource persons for imparting theoretical knowledge as well as hands-on training.

Eligibility
Applicants must have prior experience in and/or be actively working on in vitro conservation and cryopreservation of PGR, stress responses in vitro and ex vitro and using molecular marker techniques in their own work.

Expenses
This is a fee-based course and participants are encouraged to seek assistance from their own organizations or other funding agencies. However, both Bioversity International and NBPGR will make efforts to identify sources of funding for a few full or partial scholarships. The course fees are US$1,700 for non-Indian participants and Rs 25,000 for Indian participants and include the following:
• Lecture and course materials
• Local transportation
• All meals / Tea / Coffee
• Accommodation
• Administration charges

Deadline for submissions: 30 September 2010
Maximum number of participants: 15

For further information contact:

Dr. D. C. Bhandari, Director, National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources
Email: director@nbpgr.ernet.in
www.nbpgr.ernet.in

or

Dr. P.N. Mathur, South Asia Coordinator, Bioversity International, Sub-regional Office for South Asia
Email: p.mathur@cgiar.org
www.bioversityinternational.org

The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) is seeking an innovative, results-oriented agricultural scientist with excellent skills in experimental design and statistics to support its cutting-edge maize improvement programs in Africa.  CIMMYT’s high-impact maize breeding effort in eastern and southern Africa, strongly supported by leading development donors, serves smallholder farmers in some of the world’s most difficult and stress-prone environments. By joining our international team of plant breeders, geneticists, agronomists, and social scientists, you will have the opportunity to work on problems as diverse as estimating the performance of new varieties and management systems in farmers’ fields, controlling for soil variability in low-fertility fields to improve breeding precision, and understanding the fertilizer use and variety adoption patterns of smallholders in maize-legume farming system.  A key task will be to use cutting-edge experimental design and statistical methods to increase the rate of genetic gain in African maize breeding. As an Africa-based member of the CIMMYT Crop Research Informatics Laboratory (CRIL), you will work closely with CIMMYT’s elite research teams, as well as with partners in advanced laboratories, seed companies, and national research programs world-wide, to improve the lives of African farmers and consumers who depend on maize for livelihoods and food security
We are seeking candidates with the following qualifications:

Interested applicants must possess:

• A PhD in statistics, biometrics, or plant breeding
• Demonstrated understanding of agricultural research
• Excellent statistical computing skills, including proficiency in R, SAS, and GENSTAT
• The ability to work effectively in multi-disciplinary and multicultural teams
• Strong organizational skills and leadership skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

Deadline for applications: 31st August 2010 

For more details on the position and on how to apply, please see the Vacancy Announcement.

Scientists have bred an improved variety of wheat that has proven to be 25% more productive in saline soils than its normal counterpart.

To produce the improved durum wheat, which is set to be made freely available to the developing world, the research team isolated two salt tolerance genes from an old species of wheat (Triticum monococcum),  and then introduced them into commercially important lines of Australian durum wheat (Triticum durum) using non-genetically modified methods. The genes limit the passage of sodium from the roots to leaves, where it can be toxic to the plant.

In an interview with electronic news network SciDev, GCP and ICARDA scientist Francis Obgbonnaya explains: “Unlike bread wheat, durum is generally intolerant to salinity so the first salt-tolerant durum line is a great achievement”.

For more information, please visit the SciDev website