Integrated breeding platform (IBP) holds promise for RTB communities

Graham Thiele, Director of the CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers and Bananas (RTB), relates his experience of GCP's General Research Meeting that took place in Rayong, Thailand from 7-10 October 2014, in this issue of the RTB newsletter:

Graham Thiele and CIP's Reinhard Simon participated in the Generation Challenge Program (GCP) General Research Meeting in Rayong, Thailand from 7-10 October. One important lesson he took from GCP is the attention paid to product definition and delivery, something he hopes to see applied in RTB. “The integrated breeding platform (IBP) as a cross-crop and center platform with many NARS users is a real asset for CGIAR”, he commented. “I hope we can fully embrace it across our breeding work with different crops in RTB, although more testing is still needed. It should be possible to link the IBP with Cassavabase which is another platform RTB supports for genomic selection”, he added. For GCP Director Jean-Marcel Ribaut, “it was enlightening to hear Graham’s impressions and thoughts as an outside observer, especially the feedback he gave on the GCP’s impact on community building with a focus on delivering products, and how that might also be applicable to RTB. This event was a great opportunity to consolidate solid foundations for the integrated breeding platform (IBP) to serve the RTB communities. Now that the IBP is entering its second phase, I trust that we will be able to build on our respective partner bases to strengthen our reach and influence for change, towards better crop data management and access to modern breeding technologies.”

See also:

IBP's Cassava Community of Practice

Cassava Crop information & Genomics

Cassava Mosaic Disease Resistance

IBP release version 3.0 of the Breeding Management System (BMS)