October 2024
Argentine scientists at the 3rd International Wheat Congress in Perth
Sixteen Argentine scientists working in seven countries, several of them RAICES network members, took part in workshops, plenaries and panels at a congress that drew more than 800 specialists.
The 3rd International Wheat Congress was held in Perth in late September, bringing together more than 800 scientists from over 50 countries working on the sustainability and adaptation of the crop. Argentine involvement began on Saturday 21 September in the wheat expert groups, continued on Sunday with specialised workshops and culminated in plenary talks and panel discussions.
Sixteen Argentine scientists attended, working in the public, private or academic sectors in Argentina (2), Australia (4), Brazil (2), Chile (1), Spain (4), the United States (1) and Mexico (2), several of them members of the RAICES networks. Women stood out in plenary talks and as workshop leaders.
Workshops
In the Trait Mapping Workshop, Dr Mariano Cossani (South Australian Research and Development Institute, Adelaide) presented work on how breeding has changed wheat root systems and its impact on water and nitrogen use. Dr Carolina Saint-Pierre (CIMMYT, Mexico) led a workshop on using nitrogen fertilisers more efficiently worldwide to cut costs for growers and reduce environmental impact: shrinking agriculture's nitrogen footprint, she said, is not just a goal but a necessity for food and environmental security.
Drs Gustavo Slafer (University of Lleida, Spain), Daniel Calderini (Austral University, Valdivia, Chile) and Victor Sadras (South Australian Research and Development Institute, Adelaide) stood out in a workshop on key physiological traits for wheat breeding and management, which drew a great deal of attention. Between them they have published more than 500 scientific papers.
Plenaries and panels
In the plenary programme, Dr Jorge Dubcovsky (University of California, USA) presented advances on spike development and its effect on grain number. The same day, Dr Ivana Sabljic (GDM Seeds, Brazil) took part in the panel on wheat-breeding organisations. The next day, Dr Roxana Savin (University of Lleida) presented field trials across at least eight environments in which wheat was briefly exposed to high temperatures — simulating climate-change heatwaves — and the effect on yield. Dr Fernanda Dreccer (CSIRO) then presented a new CSIRO initiative to tackle the impact of cold and frost on wheat yield. To close the day, Dr Daniel Calderini joined the panel on wheat production, research and trade in the world's main producing regions.
Throughout the congress, participants also presented and discussed their work in poster sessions with researchers from around the world.