New
traits through gene discovery
Genetic resources lie at the heart of
CIMMYT’s maize and wheat improvement programs.
The Center holds some 160,000 unique, catalogued samples
of wheat seed, and 26,500 of maize. They represent enormous
genetic diversity and provide a key source for breeders’
work to incorporate new genes for useful agronomic traits
into improved materials. CIMMYT scientists are developing
more effective ways to harness information about genes,
their interactions, and their responses to different
environments.
Wheat conservation network strengthens
global linkages.
In collaboration with the Global Crop Diversity Trust
and as part of a new, global strategy to better conserve
and use wheat genetic resources, early in 2006 CIMMYT
sent an indepth survey to 50 curators of wheat collections
of worldwide importance and nearly 60 wheat breeders.
In addition to providing information on the number and
types of collections and their accessibility, respondents
gave feedback on the usefulness of current collections
and gaps in the collections.
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