CIHEAM Zaragoza, together with the projects BARISTA, PRIMA (GENDIBAR), and ICARDA organized the advanced online course “Predictive Breeding Tools for Intensive and Sustainable Production under Climate Change Scenarios” from 17 to 26 January 2022.
The subject matter of the course raised considerable interest, reflected in the number of applications (138) received from 33 countries in Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia. Finally, 38 professionals were selected from 12 countries: Algeria, Egypt, France, Germany Lebanon, Morocco, Portugal, Senegal, Slovenia, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey, all working at universities, research centres and private firms.
During 8 sessions transmitted live via Zoom, 17 experts from universities and research centres in Australia (2), Denmark (1), Finland (1), France (1), Germany (3), Italy (6), Morocco (1) Spain (1), and the United Kingdom (1) delivered lectures on topics related to genomics, modelling and integration of predictive selection in simulation models. One of the most novel topics addressed was prediction in plant breeding in different climate change contexts.
The programme was divided into three blocks. The first block addressed prediction and genomic selection, the second dealt with basic concepts of crop growth modelling in different scenarios of climate change and the third block focused on the integration of genomic prediction in crop simulation models. The participants became acquainted with the WOFOST and ARMOSA models and used them to conduct simulation exercises. There was also a demonstration of the APSIM model.
The course began with an introduction from CIHEAM Zaragoza and the BARISTA project. Then Reimund Rötter, professor from the University of Göttingen (Germany) and scientific coordinator of the course, presented the programme and lecturers. On the first day participants saw topics of different climate change scenarios; plant physiology, phenotyping for adaptation to high temperatures (Gustavo Slafer, ICREA, UdL-Agrotecnió, Spain); phenotyping for drought resistance (Alan Schulman, University of Helsinki, Finland) and nitrogen use efficiency (Soren Rasmussen, University of Copenhagen, Denmark).
The first block addressed introductory topics such as the general concepts of genomics (Agostino Fricano, CREA, Italy), genomic selection and its practical application (Filippo Bassi, ICARDA, Morocco). The second block focused on modelling and provided an explanation of basic concepts of crop growth simulation (Reimund Rötter) as well as demonstrations of some simulation models such as WOFOST, APSIM and ARMOSA (Gennady Bracho Mújica, University of Göttingen; and Marco Acutis and Alessia Perego, University of Milan).
The third block dealt with flowering time (Livia Paleari and Roberto Confalonieri, University of Milan, Italy) and wheat ideotype design for adaptation to different climate scenarios (Mikhail Semenov, Rothamsted Research Centre, United Kingdom, and Matthieu Bogard, ARVALIS, France). Lectures concentrated on the development of phenotyping methods for different abiotic stresses such as high temperatures and drought. Erik van Oosterom of Queensland University (Australia) presented the case of high temperatures in sorghum and Graeme Hammer, also from Queensland University (Australia), addressed in silico crop design. Livia Paleari and Roberto Confalonieri completed the third block with a case study on wheat lodging.
The course concluded with some practical exercises with the WOFOST programme and a final discussion with the lecturers attending the session to clarify participants’ doubts in all the topics addressed in the course.