International team unravels the chickpea genome
Scientists have successfully completed the draft genome sequence of chickpeas (Cicer arietinum), reported in an article published today in Nature Biotechnology. The study also describes the genome sequence of 90 cultivated and wild chickpea genotypes from ten countries. This is a veritable treasure trove of genomic resources, and...
January 28, 2013 6:57pm Read more... |
Rooting and shooting for rice: getting to the root of the matter to increase production
An article published in Nature today highlights a scientific breakthrough – the isolation of a gene that enhances root growth thereby enabling rice to take up significantly more phosphorus, a critical nutrient for plant growth. That way, plants can obtain a large portion of their phosphorus requirement directly...
August 23, 2012 1:05pm Read more... |
New genomic resources for maize breeding
Texcoco, Mexico – The CGIAR Generation Challenge Programme (GCP) announced today that it has received a major donation of maize genetic resources comprised of a portion of the Maize Allelic Diversity platform developed by Syngenta. This will now be available to researchers worldwide through the International Maize and...
February 29, 2012 12:00am Read more... |
A boon to bean breeding in the tropics
Scaling to thousands: A first ever for beans, BeanCAP’s landmark donation will greatly accelerate the quest for better beans BELTSVILLE (MD), USA – The Bean Coordinated Agricultural Project (BeanCAP) is pleased to announce the release – into the public domain – of the first instalment of resources...
October 13, 2011 11:00pm Read more... |
A powerful new partnership in plant science
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, USA – The Generation Challenge Programme (GCP) of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and the iPlant Collaborative signed a joint Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 17 January 2011, in San Diego, California, USA. Under the terms of this MoU, iPlant will collaborate with...
January 21, 2011 12:00am Read more... |
DNA LandMarks and the Generation Challenge Programme collaborate to advance molecular breeding in developing countries
DNA LandMarks announced today that it has signed an agreement to collaborate with the Generation Challenge Programme (GCP) of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). GCP strives to provide farmers in the developing world access to the same advances in molecular biology available in industrialized...
April 2, 2010 12:00am Read more... |
Providing breeding solutions for the developing world
HYDERABAD, INDIA – The Molecular Breeding Platform (MBP), a public initiative conceived by the Generation Challenge Programme (GCP) of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) was officially launched in Hyderabad, India, 17–20 February 2010. The MBP is an online one-stop shop providing solutions and innovations in plant...
February 23, 2010 6:00pm Read more... |
Researchers complete draft genome sequence for cassava
A $1.3 Million grant from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will fund the next phase of research that is critical to global food security. TUCSON, Ariz., Nov. 9, 2009 – A team of academic, government and industry researchers has completed a first draft of the cassava (Manihot esculenta)...
November 9, 2009 12:00pm Read more... |
UC Riverside researchers develop genetic map for cowpea, accelerating development of new varieties
University of California–Riverside (2009). UC Riverside researchers develop genetic map for cowpea, accelerating development of new varieties. Press release, 13 October 2009, University of California–Riverside, USA. Press release ...
October 12, 2009 11:00pm Read more... |
Generation Challenge Programme launches a public platform for plant molecular breeding in the developing world
TEXCOCO, MEXICO – The Generation Challenge Programme (GCP) of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) is pleased to announce the launch of a new, five-year, multi-partner project to deploy a Molecular Breeding Platform (MBP). The MBP aims to pull together existing, disparate molecular breeding efforts and...
September 1, 2009 2:33pm Read more... |
Global team develops tools to unravel diversity of rice (IRRI)
IRRI (2009). Global team develops tools to unravel diversity of rice (IRRI). 24 July 2009. View press release. ...
July 23, 2009 11:00pm Read more... |
Getting to the bottom of rice
The Max Planck Society (2009). Getting to the bottom of rice. 23 July 2009 View press releaseRelated GCP project for the two press releases above is Commissioned project G4005.35 ‘Sequencing multiple and diverse rice varieties: connecting whole-genome variation with phenotype’ (PI: Ken McNally of IRRI) ...
July 22, 2009 11:00pm Read more... |
Filipino farmers welcome new rice varieties
IRRI (2009). Filipino farmers welcome new rice varieties. 4 June 2009. View press release. ...
June 3, 2009 11:00pm Read more... |
Hunt for “Climate‐Ready” crops accelerates as organizations search seed collections worldwide
Amid predictions that climate change will create hostile growing conditions, partners look to crop collections for future varieties ROME, ITALY (22 May 2009)—The Global Crop Diversity Trust announced today numerous new grant awards to support scientists to explore the millions of seed samples maintained in 1,500 crop genebanks...
May 22, 2009 10:34pm Read more... |
DuPont hosts meeting of leading plant scientists to improve world agricultural productivity
Background to the projectThe SP1 project 2005-07: Whole plant modeling of drought response in cereals was largely methodological and exploratory, and aimed at applying and improving the role of plant/crop modelling to assist plant breeding and genetic/genomic research in the area of drought tolerance of cereals. DuPont hosts meeting of...
February 4, 2008 12:00am Read more... |
Syngenta corn genetic stocks donation will accelerate research from genome map to advanced corn seed
Syngenta (2008). Syngenta corn genetic stocks donation will accelerate research from genome map to advanced corn seed. View press release ...
February 4, 2008 12:00am Read more... |
UC–R Researchers awarded nearly $1.7 million to develop improved cowpea varieties
University of California–Riverside (2007). UC–R Researchers Awarded Nearly $1.7 Million to Develop Improved Cowpea Varieties. Relates to GCP's Tropical Legumes project. 6 November 2007. View press release. ...
November 6, 2007 12:00am Read more... |
Legumes step into the limelight in the tropics
Laden with nutrients and with a high commercial potential, legumes hold great promise for fighting hunger, increasing income and improving soil fertility. However, legumes thus far have not received the scientific or funding attention needed to increase smallholder farmers’ yields in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, enhance their...
October 14, 2007 11:00pm Read more... |
Food for thought as legumes step into the limelight in the tropics
Legumes are nutrient-rich and commercially attractive. For the promise they hold for food security and incomes, legumes deserve greater attention from the research and development community: plenty of food for thought there too. The need for more attention is obvious—in the words of Mr Denis Mwashita, a small-scale...
October 14, 2007 11:00pm Read more... |
GCP Selects Philippe Monneveux as new SP3 leader/product manager
The Generation Challenge Program is pleased to announce the appointment of Philippe Monneveux to the position of Subprogram 3 Leader/Product Manager. Selected from a pool of 45 highly qualified candidates, Dr. Monneveux’s research experience, leadership skills, and commitment to the GCP’s mission uniquely prepare him for this...
May 28, 2006 11:00pm Read more... |