Capacity Development for Wheat Improvement at CIMMYT

2012 Borlaug Global Rust Initiative Technical Workshop
Session 2: Achieving Resistance to Rusts

Capacity development for wheat improvement
at CIMMYT

Amor Yahyaoui, Laura Ruiz and Petr Kosina

Seeding innovation ... Nourishing hope

Capacity development for wheat improvement
at CIMMYT
授人以鱼不如授人以渔
Si siembra un buena semilla,
tendrá una mejor cosecha

‫زرعوا فأکلنا و نزرعوا فىأکلون‬
..
“A good teacher is like a candle –
it consumes itself to light the way for others



Training at other international centers


Capacity development for wheat improvement at CIMMYT

CIMMYT’s Global Wheat Program has a
long and distinguished history of training
plant breeders and continues to reinforce
training at different levels to address the
needs of the world wheat community



What makes CIMMYT Capacity building & knowledge sharing different?

 In contrast to formal academic training, CIMMYT training
activities are highly specialized and ‘hands-on’,

 Training program combines practical experience in the everyday
processes of wheat research and the theoretical knowledge to
support their actions,

 Course participants develop and sharpen researcher skills in
conducting efficient research that responds to the challenging
circumstances of developing countries.



What makes CIMMYT Capacity building & knowledge sharing different?

 CIMMYT offers a global perspective.
 Researchers who attend CIMMYT courses benefit from the mass of
information and data assembled and handled in a global research
program.

CIMMYT has been providing human capacity building with success
for the last 30 years.

 More than 10,000 researchers from around the world are alumni of
CIMMYT’s various human resource development efforts,



Recommendation # 7
Because knowledge, skills and hands-on
experience on various aspects of stem
rust research and management are
required by all personnel, including
technical support staff,

the Panel recommends that a training
program, including advanced degree
training for those associated with the
project, in-country practical courses and
specialized in-service courses outside the
country to strengthen the capacity of
national partners, be implemented to
augment the current human resource
base


Wheat Improvement Training at CIMMYT
Number of participants & Countries

50 No. countries
45 No. participants
40
Educational level PhD
35
Educational level MSc
30
25 Educational level BSc

20
15
10
5
0
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Year
Period Countries Total PhD MSc. BSc.
8 years 4-19/Yr 168 54 79 35

General objectives

Throughout its history since 1966, CIMMYT has sought to
enhance the human resources available for agricultural research
related to its own objectives
.


General objectives
 To impart research skills and knowledge
needed to design and run sustainable
modern wheat improvement program with
specific objective;


General objectives

 To familiarize with new improved wheat
germplasm, CIMMYT’s current research
and breeding thrusts and provide
opportunity to select wheat materials that
will be sent to participants;


General objectives

 To encourage and develop participants’
ability to synthesize and use information
and knowledge about new technologies
related to wheat improvement;


General objectives
 Improve participants’ awareness of the
roles and importance of support
disciplines such as pathology, wheat
chemistry/quality, statistics, physiology,
biotechnology, GIS, social sciences,
and agronomy;


General objectives
 To foster positive attitudinal changes
among participants such as improved
confidence, increased motivation, and
heightened appreciation of the benefits
of team work, and interdisciplinary
research, and international cooperation


Wheat Improvement Course

The fast development of information technologies and their
availability worldwide offers many new tools for knowledge

To address the needs of national research programs
CIMMYT’s Global Wheat Program has established two annual
training courses:

 Basic wheat improvement course - Junior scientists
 Advanced wheat improvement course- Mid-career scientists


Basic Wheat Improvement Course

Basic wheat improvement course
30 (2005-2012)
Number participants & Countries

Countries
25
Total
20
Male
15 Female
10

5

0
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Year

Countries Total Male Female
4-17 115 98 17
Degree PhD MSc. BSc.
27 59 29

Profile of the trainees
 Junior scientists (<40yrs old) associated with national research programs;
and graduate students (ex. WIT, Beachell-Borlaug Fellows, other fellowships)
 Candidates should be MSc degree holders or BSc and Diploma holders with
more than 5 years’ experience



Course specific objectives
The course planned for 70% field research & 30% lectures & visits
 Major focus of the course is on breeding methodologies
 General reviews on plant breeding, pathology, physiology, wheat
quality, and biotechnology.
 Introduction to the agronomy program: conservation agriculture
project activities, irrigation systems, fertilizer management, and seed
production.
 Visits to research laboratories: wheat quality research, pathology,
seed health, genetic resources, and biometrics
 Visit to national program (INIFAP), famers’ field, State Irrigation
district, and seed production farms

Advanced Wheat Improvement Course
Profile of the trainees
 Candidates should be mid-career scientists (<50yrs old) to include
new PhD recruits among national programs

Course specific objectives
This course (AWIPC) aims at addressing collaborating scientists needs to:
(1) discuss / practice latest innovation in wheat improvement and,
(2) strengthen links with national program and collaborating institution
on basic and applied research on various wheat improvement aspects



Advanced wheat improvement course
2010-2012
Numbers of countries, participants

25
2010

20 2011
2012
15

10

5

0

4-17 45 36 9
Degree PhD MSc. BSc.
21 18 6




Advanced wheat improvement course offers various modules
(Updated regularly and as needed) and include
 Module 1: General training
 Module 2: Wheat pathology
 Module 3: Wheat breeding
 Module 4: Molecular breeding
 Module 5: Wheat physiology
 Module 6: Wheat quality…



Resource trainers/Contributors

CIMMYT’s scientists from headquarters and regional
programs
Visiting scientists and professors


Graduate training
Degree students (MSc. & PhD)
40
Number: countries & students

35 Country
Total
30
Male
25
Female
20
15
10
5
0
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Year
Total (2005-2012! ): 139 (61% Male, 39% Female


Acknowledgment

The funding support provided by various donors/programs:
 USDA, FAO, CIMMYT Projects (IWWIP, CSISA, Iran, Afghanistan),
Cornell DRRW project, national programs of the countries of Egypt,
Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina, Italy, and China,

 Universities sponsoring graduate students mainly the Beachell-Borlaug
scholar program,

Support that allowed training of 168 junior and mid-career scientists
from 34 countries

In-Country/Regional Courses
 Special training courses are also offered by CIMMYT’s regional staff


CIMMYT believes trained young
scientists are the key to the future
of national research programs.

CIMMYT provides two important
products:
 improved genetic materials and
 trained people


谢谢
Thank You

THANK YOU

Seeding innovation...Nourishing hope

Capacity Development for Wheat Improvement at CIMMYT

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