| Greek symposia were a key Hellenic social institution.
They were a forum to debate, plot, boast, or simply
to party. They were frequently held to celebrate
the introduction of young men into aristocratic
society. In line with this tradition, the International
Plant Breeding Symposium (IPBS) intends to bring
together scientists from diverse horizons -- public
and private sector, developing and developed countries,
students and professors -- to share knowledge
and technology to advance science and understanding.
The symposium provides a forum to debate and define
breeding methodologies that could address the
challenges that agriculture is facing today.
The IPBS will be a global science forum on
current, field-based breeding topics that will
cover the major row crops and world regions
with a particular emphasis on cultivar development
methodologies. The symposium will deliver an
in-depth review of current and emerging plant
breeding methodologies. Symposium participants
will be invited to present their research and
the proceedings will be published by Crop Science.
The co-hosts of the symposium are committed
to the international nature of this forum. To
ensure the presence of scientists from developing
countries, travel grants will be awarded. The
attendance of participants from the north and
the south will provide networking opportunities
among world-class scientists and offer international
exposure for students and partners.
IPBS will honor Dr. Dudley — outstanding
plant breeder, teacher, scientist and friend
— with a special symposium dinner. Dr.
Dudley’s, career of 49 years spans three
diverse but economically important crop species:
maize, alfalfa, and sugar beet.
CIMMYT, Iowa State University, Monsanto and
Pioneer have committed themselves to organizing
this symposium based on the success of the Arnel
Hallauer International Symposium on Plant Breeding
that was held in Mexico City in 2003. The Hallauer
Symposium brought together participants from
50 countries. Its success can be best summarized
with the words of Dr. Donald Duvick, retired
Senior Vice President of Research at Pioneer:
"This was one of the most informative and
inspiring plant breeding conferences that I
have attended over the past 50 years. The breadth
and depth of presentations and especially the
international flavor clearly demonstrated the
opportunities, the utility, and especially the
power of good plant breeding worldwide."
The Symposium program and guest speakers will
be announced soon! Please keep checking the
website for updated information.
|
