“If you have a disease, a pest or adverse climatic conditions, we can look for features that serve to combat that disease or that climatic situation, and then create new varieties that can cope with this challenge,” explains Mauro Carneiro, Head of Biotechnology/Embrapa.
One precaution that has already paid off: in 1994, the Kraho indians were able to recover with the help of Embrapa a kind of corn which for three decades had not been grown in the villages in the North and Northeast regions.
That’s the Google Translate version of part of an article on Embrapa’s new genebank in Brasilia, which includes a video. Attentive readers will remember we blogged about that Kraho story some years back. A second example of restoration of genetic resources from a genebank trumpeted on the internet — and TV in this case! — within a few days. One more and we have a trend.
Always like reading about Embrapa’s work! They have a great impact in Brazilian research. If you ever need another news about PGR translated, I would be glad to help. I’m a post-grad student in John Innes Centre and speak (Brazilian) Portuguese fluently.
Thanks! Have you seen this?
Sorry the delay, of course I forgot that not being signed in would mean I wouldn’t get a notification by email (so silly). I just saw you posted the news about the CIP samples and Embrapa, so I guess I’m too late to help! I was very please to see this news. Brazil has a long way to go regarding biodiversity conservation (so much political burocracy and conflict of interests..), but maybe a closer relationship with international efforts like the ones from CIP and other CGIAR centres will help.