题目：From Genetic Innovation to Field Impact: Climate-Ready Maize for Latin America
主讲：Dhliwayo Thanda，CIMMYT, Mexico
时间：8月12日 08:30-09:10
地点：登高楼一楼学术报告厅
主讲人简介：
Dhliwayo Thanda：Maize Breeder, CIMMYT, Mexico
Dr. Thanda Dhliwayo is a Principal Scientist, Maize Breeder, and the Maize Breeding Lead for Latin America at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), based in Mexico. He holds a Ph.D. in Plant Breeding from Iowa State University (2008) and an M.Phil. in Agriculture from the University of Zimbabwe (2004). Prior to joining CIMMYT in 2011, he worked as a Maize Line Development Breeder at Monsanto in the USA and held research positions at CIMMYT Zimbabwe and ICRISAT. His career bridges public-sector breeding for smallholder farmers with private-sector hybrid development expertise.
At CIMMYT, Dr. Dhliwayo leads tropical maize breeding programs across Latin America, focusing on high-yielding, stress-tolerant, and nutritionally enriched varieties. He served as Global Maize Breeding Lead for HarvestPlus (2014–2020), directing major biofortification initiatives worth over US$7 million to develop provitamin A and high-zinc maize. He has authored or co-authored over 40 peer-reviewed publications, co-developed the “Eval_LxT” software, and holds a U.S. patent for a corn variety. A sought-after speaker and advisor to AGRA and Iowa State University, Dr. Dhliwayo is committed to applying genomic selection and modern breeding tools to accelerate genetic gain and improve food security and nutrition in tropical farming systems.
题目：Maize for a warming world: from genetic improvement to seed delivery
主讲：PH Zaidi，CIMMYT, India
时间：8月12日 09: 10-09：50
地点：登高楼一楼学术报告厅
主讲人简介：
PH Zaidi：Maize Physiologist and Breeder, CIMMYT, India
Dr. Pervez H. Zaidi is a Principal Scientist and Regional Coordinator for the CIMMYT-Asia Maize Program, based at the ICRISAT campus in Hyderabad, India. Since joining CIMMYT in 2007, he has been instrumental in strengthening the abiotic stress-tolerant germplasm base for the Asian tropics, significantly enhancing the program's visibility and impact across the region. He holds a Ph.D. in Crop Physiology with a specialization in stress physiology, and his research focuses on developing maize germplasm resilient to drought, waterlogging, heat stress, and combined abiotic stresses.
Dr. Zaidi has made substantial contributions to maize improvement in South Asia. He has developed and standardized precision phenotyping protocols and selection criteria for various stresses, supporting NARS partners in their breeding efforts. In collaboration with public and private-sector partners, he has released 22 high-yielding, stress-resilient maize hybrids, which have been scaled up to over 180,000 hectares in stress-vulnerable ecologies by 2025. He has also released 16 elite trait-donor CIMMYT maize lines (CMLs) as international public goods, widely used in breeding programs worldwide. A prolific scientist, Dr. Zaidi has published 132 peer-reviewed articles, 7 books, 23 book chapters, and numerous review articles, cementing his reputation as a leading figure in tropical maize stress physiology and breeding.
题目：Conservation and Use of the CIMMYT Maize Collection
主讲：Alberto Chassaigne，CIMMYT, Mexico
时间：8月12日 09: 50-10：30
地点：登高楼一楼学术报告厅
主讲人简介：
Alberto Chassaigne：Maize Germplasm Curator, CIMMYT Gene Bank, Mexico
Dr. Alberto Antonio Chassaigne Ricciulli is a distinguished Senior Scientist at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), where he serves as the Curator of the Maize Germplasm Bank and Seed Systems Specialist for Latin America. With over three decades of experience in agricultural research, plant breeding, and seed systems development, Dr. Chassaigne has established himself as a leading figure in tropical maize improvement and germplasm conservation across the Americas.
Dr. Chassaigne's professional career spans three major phases. From 1995 to 2013, he worked as a researcher at Fundación Danac, part of the Empresas Polar group in Venezuela, where he progressed from Investigator to Investigator B and ultimately to Research Analyst III. During this period, he coordinated numerous impactful projects, including the development and promotion of maize hybrids, population improvement for varietal development, yield gap analysis using Geographic Information Systems, and joint ventures with Monsanto and the Independent Agricultural Producers Association. He also served as Principal Member of Venezuela's National Biosafety Commission, representing the large-scale agricultural sector.
In 2013, Dr. Chassaigne joined CIMMYT, first as a Maize Seed Systems Specialist for Latin America, and since February 2022, as Senior Scientist and Curator of the Maize Germplasm Bank. In this capacity, he is responsible for the conservation, characterization, and sustainable utilization of maize genetic resources, while strengthening seed delivery systems for smallholder farmers across the region. His work is instrumental in bridging genetic diversity conservation with practical breeding applications. Dr. Chassaigne remains dedicated to advancing agricultural science, fostering regional collaboration, and ensuring that high-quality seed reaches the farmers who need it most.
主办单位：人才办、国交处、农学院、CIMMYT-中国山东
