International Centre for Plant Breeding Education and Research (ICPBER)

Professional plant breeders for tomorrow

The Need

ICPBER addresses an emerging national and international need for training in genetics, biotechnology and plant breeding. The urgency is increased by the current ‘Food Crisis’ that focuses world attention on the deteriorating supply-demand balance for major staple food crops. The loss of training capacity for plant breeding, in tandem with an increasing demand for plant breeders, is seen as a threat to world food security – at a time when expertise in plant breeding is needed to combat climate change.

ICPBER has joined with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with many organizations, including national and international programmes, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations, to assess national plant breeding and biotechnology capacity worldwide. Capacity in plant breeding is recognized as either insufficient or inadequately integrated to fully capture the benefits of modern biotechnology and conserved plant genetic resources. Over the next few years the numbers of plant breeders will be depleted with retirement.
ICPBER is a member of the Global Partnership Initiative for Plant Breeding Capacity Building (GIPB) (http://km.fao.org/gipb) to address these issues.

ICPBER will contribute to both national and international efforts to enhance world food security by providing undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and in-service training of future plant breeders to combat this global crisis.

Our Objectives

• To educate tomorrow’s plant breeders for Australia, the Asia-Pacific region, and Indian Ocean Rim countries based on the core principles of genetics and supporting disciplines for plant breeding.
• To provide opportunities for in-service training for those in the plant breeding profession.
• To promote international and national collaboration in plant breeding through the exchange of students and researchers.

These needs are also recognised by reknowned plant breeder Norman E. Borlaug, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 1970 (http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1970/borlaug-bio.html)

who says, 

"The best and brightest minds are needed to ensure food security for a growing population in the face of increased variability in climate and water scarcity. The new plant breeding center at UWA will  equip tomorrow’s plant breeders with  broad-based knowledge and needed skills. It’s a important and timely initiative.  I wish it success in this critical mission ".

 Norman E. Borlaug

   Norman E Borlaug, visiting ICARDA, Syria in 2005, seen here with Professor William Erskine, Director ICPBER

What training in Plant Breeding do we offer?

Undergraduate training

Post-graduate training

ICPBER offers Master Classes for practising plant breeders or the seeds industry personnel (graduates and non-graduates) interested in developing special skills and expertise in a technical aspect of plant breeding. The Master Classes are typically 1-4 days long.

Research on Plant Breeding at ICPBER

Research themes at ICPBER are diverse, ranging from applied field-based cultivar development and plant genetic resource conservation and use, to the development/use of state-of-the-art molecular tools for crop improvement. Research grants in plant breeding at UWA totalled over A$5 million in 2008, with grants from the Australian Research Council (ARC), Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and the Council of Grain Grower Organizations Ltd (COGGO) among others. GRDC financially supports educational and research outcomes at ICPBER.

Research Co-operators with ICPBER include:

Public institutions in Western Australia:

Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia, Cooperative Research Centre Future Farm Industries and Murdoch University.

Private institutions in Western Australia:

CBH Group Ltd, Council of Grain Grower Organisations Ltd (COGGO), Canola Breeders Western Australia Pty Ltd and Intergrain Pty Ltd (wheat breeders).

National co-operators:

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Division of Plant Industries, Pulse Breeding Australia, the Universities of Adelaide, Sydney and Queensland, GRDC, ACIAR and many others.

International co-operators:

The FAO-sponsored Global Partnership Initiative for Plant Breeding Capacity Building (GIPB); International Centres such as AVRDC, CIMMYT, ICARDA, ICRISAT and IRRI; The Plant Breeding Consultative Committee (PBCC) established in the USA; The University of California (Davis) Plant Breeding Academy and The University of Guelph. Countries involved include Canada, USA, East Timor, Germany, India, Iraq, Japan, Syria and many others.

Next steps: Scholarships and costs - Contact us:

International Centre for Plant Breeding Education and Research,
School of Plant Biology (M084),
The University of Western Australia,
35 Stirling Highway,
Crawley WA 6009
Australia

CRICOS Provider Code 00126G
Email: icpber@cyllene.uwa.edu.au
Phone +61 8 6488 1428
Fax +61 8 6488 1140
Website: www.icpber.plants.uwa.edu.au