Following the recently announced sharpening of GCP’s research focus, resulting in the launch of seven trait–crop combination Challenge Initiatives (see Issue 35 of GCP News), GCP is pleased to announce the Product Delivery Coordinators (PDCs), who will lead the Challenge Initiatives (CIs):

Cereals

1. Nourollah Ahmadi, CIRAD (CI: Improving drought tolerance in rice for Africa)
2. Richard Trethowan, Plant Breeding Institute, University of Sydney, Australia (CI: Improving drought tolerance in wheat for Asia)
3. Oumar Niangado, Syngenta Foundation (CI: Improving drought tolerance in sorghum for Africa)
4. Leon Kochian, USDA–ARS, USA (CI: Comparative genomics to improve cereal yields in high-aluminium and low-phosphorous soils)

Legumes

5. Jeff Ehlers, University of California–Riverside, USA (CI: Improving drought tolerance in cowpeas for Africa)
6. Pooran Gaur, ICRISAT (CI: Improving drought tolerance in chickpeas for Africa and Asia)

Root and tubers

7. Emmanuel Okogbenin, National Root Crops Research Institute, Nigeria (CI: Improving cassava yield in Africa's drought-prone environments)

The main responsibility of the PDCs will be to manage and oversee the development and implementation of the CI delivery workplan, ensuring that impact indicators for each initiative will be reached by the end of GCP’s lifespan in 2013.

Please join us in welcoming the PDCs on board!