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ICARDA News International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas P.O. Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria Phone: (963-21) 2213433, 2213477, 2225112, 2225012 Fax: (963-21) 2213490, 2225105; E-mail: ICARDA@CGIAR.ORG Website: www.icarda.org
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Media contact: Surendra Varma (s.varma@CGIAR.ORG)
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CGIAR
Genomics Taskforce Facilitator Visits ICARDA
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Prof. Langridge, who was visiting ICARDA for the first time, was received by Dr Mahmoud Solh, Director General, and other senior management team members. Dr Solh briefed him on the mandate, mission, activities and achievements of the Center, and emphasized ICARDA’s interest in strengthening genomics research on its mandate crops to enhance the precision and efficiency of the Center’s crop improvement efforts, particularly for drought tolerance. Prof. Langridge then visited the barley, durum, spring bread wheat, and winter wheat programs, as well as the biotechnology program. He was impressed by the possibility of screening for drought tolerance at ICARDA’s low-rainfall sites in Breda. He proposed for ICARDA to collaborate with ACPFG in developing mapping populations for barley and in the application of markers for marker-assisted selection in barley and wheat. He presented an impressive seminar on “Marker-assisted Breeding in Wheat and Barley,” in which he gave an overview of the activities of the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics. Dr Solh and ICARDA senior management team members and a large number of scientists attended the seminar. Peter is a member of the editorial board of Theoretical and Applied Genetics, Plant Methods, and the Journal of Plant Genomics. He is also a member of many professional organizations. His visit to ICARDA was short but fruitful; it marked the beginning of collaborative work between ACPFG and ICARDA. The Center hopes to receive a number of protocols and genes from the ACPFG to enhance its biotechnology research. His visit to the Center was in response to an invitation by Dr S. Rajaram, Director of MegaProject 2 and from a number of ICARDA scientists visiting his institute in Australia. For more information contact: Dr Sanjay Rajaram |
About
ICARDA: Established in 1977, ICARDA (www.icarda.org)
serves the entire developing world for the improvement of barley, lentil,
and faba bean; and dry-area developing countries for the on-farm management
of water, improvement of nutrition and productivity of small ruminants
(sheep and goats), and rehabilitation and management of rangelands. In
the Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) region, ICARDA is responsible
for the improvement of durum and bread wheats, chickpea, pasture and forage
legumes and farming systems; and for the protection and enhancement of
the natural resource base of water, land, and biodiversity.
The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) (www.cgiar.org) is a strategic alliance of countries, international and regional organizations, and private foundations supporting15 international research centers that mobilizes cutting-edge science to promote sustainable development by reducing hunger and poverty, improving human nutrition and health, and protecting the environment.