To respond to the need for more plant scientists trained in developing drought-tolerant cultivars, Colorado State University, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Oklahoma State University will offer a short course in Plant Breeding for Drought Tolerance from 14–25 June 2010. The course will be held at Colorado State University in Fort Collins and at experimental field sites in Eastern Colorado and Western Nebraska.

Target audience

Graduate students in the plant sciences, as well as professionals in the public and private sectors. The course will provide three transferable graduate-level credits.

Content

The course will consist of classroom lectures, hands-on lab exercises, and field research activities appropriate for a drought breeding and genetics programme. Course activities are designed around three modules:

• Whole Plant Physiology of Drought Stress
• Plant Breeding for Drought Stress Tolerance
• Genomic Approaches to Drought Stress Tolerance

Prerequisites

Participants should have a solid understanding of basic plant physiology and genetics. Prior to the short course, students will review online material on these topics to provide a common background in breeding and physiology concepts.

Symposium

The course will culminate in a two-day Plant Breeding for Drought Tolerance symposium, also open to the public, to be held at Colorado State University.

Deadline for application: 1st February 2010

For more details on course content, fees, funding opportunities and for information on how to apply for the programme, please consult the  Plant Breeding for Drought Tolerance Brochure.