GROW Webinar: How Can Genebanks Double the Diversity Available for Plant Breeding?

!! Please note the changed date: due to unforeseeable circumstances the GROW webinar is postposed to 8 December !!

Presented by: Nigel Maxted, Professor of Plant Genetic Conservation, University of Birmingham

Nigel Maxted was born in Cornwall, UK and grew up in Kent. He studied biological sciences at Wolverhampton Polytechnic. His Master of Philosophy research assistantship at the University of Southampton focused on breeding the tropical legume wingbean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus) using crop wild relatives. In his doctorate, he researched the temperate legume vetch (Vicia spp.) taxonomy, conservation and data management. For several years he did consultancy plant collecting for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources. Since 1991, he has lectured at the University of Birmingham, where he ran the internationally renowned master's program in Conservation and Use of Plant Genetic Resources. Nigel published more than 350 peer-reviewed scientific papers, 220 edited book chapters and 25 books on plant genetic resources and led multiple research projects. Nigel regularly undertakes consultancy work for international agencies such as FAO, Global Environment Facility (GEF), the World Bank and European environmental agencies. He is currently the International Scientific Adviser for the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, Co-chair of the IUCN SSC Crop Wild Relative Specialist Group; Chair of ECPGR Crop Wild Relative Working Group and Chair of the Defra UK Plant Genetic Resources Group.

Register here

Genebank Resources on the Web (GROW) webinars are presented through a partnership between the Crop Trust and CGIAR Genebank Platform to provide thought-provoking discussions within the genebank community.

The webinar series explores topics ranging from emerging technologies, operational efficiency, collecting to seed longevity, policy, and use. GROW aims to tackle difficult questions and provoke discussion on important genebank- related details and themes.

Webinars are bi-monthly and pre-registration is required to attend.

Categories: Food Security, Sustainable Agriculture