Colorado State University Plant Breeding for Drought Tolerance Symposium

The purpose of the Plant Breeding for Drought Tolerance Symposium is to provide a forum for exchange between plant physiologists, breeders, agronomists and geneticists in order to continue the positive trend towards crop improvement through plant breeding and genetics.

The meeting will consist of presentations by invited speakers and will feature keynote speaker Dr John Passioura. Dr Passioura currently holds an emeritus appointment at CSIRO Plant Industry in Canberra, and was formerly Chief Research Scientist and Leader of the Crop Adaptation Program there. His research in plant physiology and soil science, particularly in use of water in plants and the interactions between roots and soil, has contributed to drought adaptation in plant breeding.

Other confirmed speakers at the Plant Breeding for Drought Tolerance Symposium include Professor John S. Boyer, E.I. DuPont Professor Emeritus from the University of Delaware. Boyer studies how water availability affects cell enlargement, photosynthesis, and reproduction in plants with emphasis on dry land agriculture.  Using the methods of physiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology, he and his co-workers reversed drought-induced losses in grain numbers in maize, and identified genes controlling the losses.

For more information, visit the Symposium web page. For queries, contact Annie Heiliger.