Additional 2022 Highlights

Retreats resume

Our covid-imposed isolation came to an end with the resumption of our retreats, with IPBGG members from the Tifton campus hosting the group on Jekyll Island.  The 2-night retreat included a workshop hosted by Bayer for graduate students and postdocs, as well as invited speakers and our traditional poster session/competition. See the list of winners and of invited speakers.

For 2023, the Griffin IPBGG members will be hosting our retreat on the Riverwalk, in Columbus, GA.  Any alumni who will be in the area are invited to join us!

Peach breeding program receives an upgrade

Fortunately, the tornado missed the nearby greenhouses going up to support the peach breeding program. Dr. Dario Chávez: “Breeding of peaches can be hindered by weather conditions affecting bloom and fruit set. The use of protected structures will allow us to use low chill and high chill germplasm in crosses without the worry of losing the crop due to freezes. The last three years, our breeding program has been affected by freezes and our crosses out in the field have been mostly lost. The use of the greenhouses will allow us to secure breeding populations year after year.”

New! The annual Boerma Lecture

Besides its regular seminar series, the IPBGG is pleased to announce the inauguration of the annual Boerma Lecture.  This event is made possible by an endowment on behalf of Roger and Cindy Boerma, and is entirely student-planned and executed.

The speaker for the inaugural lecture was Dr. Brian Diers, Charles Adlai Chair of Soybean Genetics & Breeding at the University of Illinois.

As a reminder, all IPBGG seminars are broadcast live via Zoom. If you want to be on the mailing list, please let Deborah Franco know.

The 2023 Boerma Lecture will be Oct 27, and will feature Dr. Alison Bently, Director, Global Wheat Program, CIMMYT.  All are invited!

Tornado strikes the Griffin campus

On January 12, 2023, an EF-3 tornado caused serious damage on the Griffin Campus.  Hardest hit were the greenhouses used by the wheat breeding program, which were a total loss.

Dr. Mohamed Mergoum: “The tornado caused complete loss of our greenhouses where we have our crossing bloc, the new crosses made in Fall-Winter 2022, the F1 generation made last Spring 2022, and screening nurseries for diseases including rusts. This will have an immediate impact on our program by having a limited number of crosses and F2 population next year (2023-2024) and other generations as we move the 2022 crosses and F1 for further generations and yield testing. However, the major challenge for our program is to find alternatives and new greenhouse space to conduct our research activities. In this regard, I have to thank our colleagues and the leadership here at the UGA Griffin campus who were very helpful and very supportive. They started sharing with us some spaces to continue the vital research activities while waiting for long term solution.  This shows the spirit of solidarity that bound us here at Griffin campus!”