The Role of Germplasm Banks in Global Food Security
Dr. Denise E. Costich, Retired Senior Scientist and Head of the Maize Germplasm Bank at The International Center for Maize and Wheat Improvement (CIMMYT)
Profile article
Abstract
Crop germplasm banks the world over provide a formal security back up system for the plant genetic resources upon which our future food security relies. At the same time, smallholder, mostly indigenous, farmers, also conserve the seed of their crop plants. For the most part, these communities do not act as partners, even though they are collectively the guardians of the genetic diversity that all humans depend upon to survive. This seminar will focus on the case of maize, a critical component of the diets of millions of people globally. (cont.)
Related links
- Genetic diversity and selection signatures in maize landraces compared across 50 years of in situ and ex situ conservation
McLean-Rodríguez, F.D., Costich, D.E., Camacho-Villa, T.C. et al. Heredity 126, 913–928 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41437-021-00423-y. PDF
- Enhancing seed conservation in rural communities of Guatemala by implementing the dry chain concept
Guzzon, F., Bello, P., Bradford, K.J., Costich, D.E., et al. Biodivers Conserv 29, 3997–4017 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-020-02059-6. PDF
- The abandonment of maize landraces over the last 50 years in Morelos, Mexico: a tracing study using a multi-level perspective
McLean-Rodríguez, F.D., Camacho-Villa, T.C., Almekinders, C.J.M., Costich, D.E. et al. Agric Hum Values 36, 651–668 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-019-09932-3. PDF
- Seed longevity of maize conserved under germplasm bank conditions for up to 60 years
Guzzon, F., Gianella, M., Velazquez Juarez, J.A., Sanchez Cano, C., Costich, D.E. Annals of Botany, Volume 127, Issue 6, 7 May 2021, Pages 775–785, https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcab009. PDF
- Crop genetic erosion: understanding and responding to loss of crop diversity
Khoury, C.K., Brush, S., Costich, D.E., Curry, H.A., et al. (2021). New Phytol. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.17733. PDF
Speaker Bio
Dr. Denise E. Costich is a passionate defender of maize genetic resources, devoting the past two decades to research topics related to its taxonomy, evolution and conservation... In 2012, the opportunity to apply her diverse knowledge and skills in an international agricultural research-for-development setting presented itself, and she became the fourth Head of the Maize Collection of the Germplasm Bank at the International Center for Maize and Wheat Improvement (CIMMYT) near Mexico City. In October 2020, she retired from that position, and returned to Ithaca, where she continues to pursue her interests in seed conservation and maize wild relatives.
Full abstract and bio at https://research.ncsu.edu/ges/event/colloquium-2021-11-16/
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