TOWARDS THE PRODUCTION OF IMPROVED SEEDS OF EXPORTABLE VEGETABLES OF PERU THROUGH NEXT-GENERATION DNA SEQUENCING

The Peruvian agricultural sector represents around 30% of the workforce and 6.5% of the national GDP. For this reason, it is fundamental to support the Peruvian agriculture by making use of its wealth in agricultural diversity through the genetic study of crops, and then to develop cultivars that help us deal with problems in agriculture to maintain a robust sector in the space and time. In the last 12 years the revolution for the study of DNA, mainly conducted by scientists from developed countries, has tremendously arisen, fundamentally based on the sequencing of nuclear, mitochondrial and plastid genomes of various living organisms. Currently, Peruvian investigators are not exploiting all tools obtained via DNA sequencing to develop modern breeding programs for exportable vegetables of Perú. Therefore, we here propose to develop a workshop that demonstrates the huge benefits of DNA sequencing for developing new cultivars that will help the Peruvian agricultural sector. This workshop will facilitate the adoption of DNA sequencing technique and tools by the Peruvian community interested in plant breeding, leading to obtaining better cultivars. In addition, it will promote scientific collaboration and creativity, bringing benefit to the agricultural sector. Dr. Blas Sevillano (Professor at UNALM) is an expert on crop breeding and genetic diversity. On the other hand, Dr. Allender (Assistant Professor at U. of Warwick) is an expert on genetic diversity and germplasm management. In fact, she is the manager of the Warwick Genetic Resources Unit. They both have publications on peer-reviewed journals, and they both work at well-respected research institutions in areas of crop sciences. The combination of their experience and dedication of the study of crop sciences of both research institutions guarantee a high-quality workshop.