An Integrated Breeding Platform for Crop Improvement in the Developing Countries.

The Integrated Breeding Platform (IBP) of the CGIAR Generation Challenge Programme (GCP) is envisioned as a sustainable web-based, user-friendly, one-stop shop for crop information, analytical tools and related services to design and conduct molecular breeding programs. It is intended to boost crop productivity for smallholders in drought-prone environments by exploiting the economies of scale afforded by collective access to cutting-edge breeding technologies and informatics hitherto unavailable to developing country breeders. IBP provides valuable crop breeding information including databases, trait dictionaries and SNP information developed by partners and collaborators in the GCP network. It enables convenient and cost-effective access to breeding services, including useful genetic resources, and quality high-throughput genotyping facilities. The Platform provides purpose-built informatics tools to support breeding logistics, data management, data analysis and decision modelling, as well as open-access third party tools. A multi-year comprehensive training programme supported by the platform is designed to help overcome technical and human resource limitations in integrated breeding in developing countries. The training programme covers the use of markers and molecular breeding techniques and data management & analysis, amongst other areas. The Platform’s user-friendly portal also provides tools and online space for the development of crop-based communities of practice that promote application of molecular breeding techniques, enhance data and germplasm sharing, and generally advance modern breeding capacity by linking centres of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), other advanced research institutes and developing-country programmes. GCP is building the IBP in collaboration with 14 initial ‘user cases’ – breeding projects for eight crops in 32 developing countries. This ensures IBP development is driven by breeder needs.