Generation Challenge Programme

People, news and networks are the focus of today's issue. Who's joining us and who's leaving? Who are the newsmakers who've been talking to us lately? We are also recruiting, seeking a new member to join our team. Also in this issue, we bring you news on a new network and video series...

1. Vacancy – IBP Communications Officer
We are recruiting for a Communications Officer for our Integrated Breeding Platform. More

2. Changes in staff and Product Delivery Coordinators
First, news from the future: Xavier Delannay and Rajeev Varshney will be leaving GCP next month (August 2013). Coming back to the present, please join us in welcoming two new Product Delivery Coordinators (PDCs) who are already on board. Ousmane Boukar (pictured) is our PDC for cowpeas, while Patrick Okori is the groundnuts PDC. More

3. Going nuts about groundnuts and genomics
Still on legumes, this month, we've been promoting our groundnut work in social media through a series of videos. In case you missed the action, which has a healthy dash of genomics, you can catch it all here.

4. Agricultural Genomics Network (AGN)
Keeping it genomics, way back in April, we announced this network which is part and parcel of our community-building efforts. Just in case you missed it, here it is again.

2. Wheat examined: Crucial questions, with answers from Richard Trethowan on video
All you’ve ever wanted to know about wheat and more, as recounted by Richard Trethowan in a brand-new six-part Q&A video series centred on GCP’s wheat research, while also touching on our Integrated Breeding Platform (IBP). More

3. Learning and growing with GCP: Self-paced plant breeding course
This comprehensive tutorial entitled ‘Plant Breeding Concepts and Methods’ was designed by Theresa Fulton (Cornell University, USA) and Robert Koebner. Access this tutorial, and others, through our Integrated Breeding Platform.

4. Both broad and narrow: Scoping sorghum genetic studies
A CIRAD-led GCP-funded study on sorghum has been billed one of the broadest on genetic diversity for a cultivated crop. The study covered more than 3,000 sorghum ‘candidates’, then narrowed to a 'reference set'. Sorghum is the world’s fifth most important cereal, whose centre of diversity is nestled in northeastern Africa, with very intriguing variations across the African continent. More

5. Maize sweet and sour: A tolerant takeaway message
Just in case you missed it earlier, a team led by Leon Kochian of Cornell University, USA, (who is also our genomics Product Delivery Coordinator) discovered a sweet recipe for dealing with a sour customer – how to make maize more tolerant to aluminium-toxic soils. GCP funded this research. Among the threats to food security in the tropics, aluminium toxicity is nearly as grave a concern as is drought. More

6. To ‘b’ or not to ‘b’…?
…We have the answer so, unlike the hapless Hamlet, you need not ponder this thespian question! Beans and bean research were recently showcased in a ‘beanbag’ bonanza. In case you missed it earlier, here it is again!

Events
7. What of the note of G? GRM 2013...
It seemed the GCP General Research Meeting (GRM) this year was 'G-laden', and more…it was fruitful, offering fertile ground for ideas and fun, and overflowing with the GCP spirit! GRM gathered together 135 participants from 35 countries who shared ideas, thoughts, concerns, much more than a few laughs and a beverage or two over the four days of the meeting, which ran from 27–30 September, in Lisbon, Portugal. Just what do we mean by the GRM being 'G-laden'? More

 

GCP people
9. A treatise on the nature of change
All things must flow in this world, and GCP is no exception to this law!

• We begin with new additions to our IBP ‘stream’: Shawn Yarnes is our new Genotyping Support Service (GSS) Scientist,
  while Valérie Boire joins us as IBP Communications Officer. More
• And, for those who may have missed it, here are some previous 'Grandmaster moves on The Great GCP Chessboard!' More

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This newsletter is published under a Creative Commons licence  

Today’s issue focuses on two momentous events: the Integrated Breeding Platform, which held its annual meeting recently, and the orderly closure of GCP next year.

The future

The last day of the IBP annual meeting included a stakeholder discussion on IBP’s possible future beyond Phase I of the project that is going to end by mid-2014. These discussions are still in the early stages, and a follow-up discussion will take place just after the GCP General Research Meeting in September this year.

2. GCP's Sunset
GCP was founded as a time-bound programme, and as projected after 10 years of successful research and network building, we are going to close shop. Our last year of operation will be in 2014, and we are keen to ensure an orderly closure and transition as described in our sunset Position Statement. For more, see our Sunset section.

In this section, you will find 11 Position Papers, which provide both a high-level overview as well as a drill-down to specific components of our research, services, capacity building and communication and knowledge sharing. These papers take stock of achievements and lessons learnt, and also outline what will happen post-2014. Although quite advanced, these Position Papers are going to evolve until our sunset to incorporate stakeholder feedback. Thus, they may be adjusted based on the evolution of our stakeholder environment, within and outside CGIAR. In the meantime, you can access the latest drafts of the Position Papers.

In this Sunset section, you can also meet the members of the Transition Taskforce, who helped with the overall thinking on the transition process and in particular with the development of the Positions Papers.