GIPB announces the winners of two grants to study and analyze the state of knowledge on breeding for durable resistance to rusts threatening crop production in the developing world
25 June 2009

The Awardees
Mr Phinehas Tukamuhabwa and Mr Maphosa Mcebisi of Uganda will work jointly on the soybean rust review, and Mr Paul Brennan of Australia will develop the review for wheat.

Mr Tukamuhabwa  holds a PhD in Agriculture (Genetics and Plant Breeding) from Makerere University, where he has been a Lecturer since 2002. He is Leader of the Soybean Rust Project, in collaboration with the World Vegetable Research Center (AVRDC), and is also Team Leader for the Soybean Research and Development Project sponsored by IFAD. Through the latest release of his two rust-resistant soybean varieties, the soybean industry in Uganda, which had collapsed due to soybean rust, is steadily taking shape. He has supervised numerous post-graduate students, several of whom conducted their thesis studies on soybean rusts.

Mr Mcebisi is a native of Zimbabwe and is a PhD graduate student working under the supervision of Mr Tukamuhabwa, on the topic of Enhancing durable resistance to soybean rust disease.

Mr Paul Brennan of Australia will develop the review for wheat. He holds a PhD from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, and is currently a Consultant in Plant Breeding, Biotechnology, Plant Intellectual Property, Crop Production and Change Management in Agricultural Research and Development. Mr Brennan has been involved in a large number of recent consultancies relevant to his qualifications for this review. In addition he has extensive and successful research experience, especially as a wheat breeder with the Queensland Department of Primary Industries at the, then, Queensland Wheat Research Institute (QWRI) from 1967 to 1999. During that period he released 22 wheat varieties which, over an extended period, have occupied between 20 and 25% of Australian wheat plantings.

The Grants
The purpose of the grants is to bring together and present the state-of-the-art of knowledge on breeding for durable resistance to diseases of substantial risk to wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and soybean (Glycine max L.).  The call for proposals went out in early 2009 as a coordinated effort between GIPB and CIMMYT. Both of these organizations place high priority on genetic solutions to controlling the devastating effects of plant pathogens, effects that are projected to become more unpredictable and more severe as a consequence of global climate change. Special attention must be given to the fact that host resistance may be overcome more rapidly due to accelerated pathogen evolution, which can be expected under high CO2, enhanced radiation and other environmental challenges. These GIPB awards were developed to stimulate organization and analysis of expanded up-to-date information on the state of knowledge on breeding for durable resistance to diseases threatening crop production in the developing world. Alternatives like multilines will be considered.

Some of the elements to be considered in the studies are: 1. worldwide disease threats with high impact to food security (current and potential); 2. general approaches to breeding resistance to these diseases; 3. relevance of vertical resistance  approaches; 4. relevance of horizontal, durable resistance; and 5. the way forward.

GIPB partners extend their congratulations to Mr Tukamuhabwa, Mcebisi and Brennan, and look forward to two excellent contributions to our state of knowledge of disease resistance strategies in these vital crops.