{"id":35406,"date":"2026-09-28T17:02:57","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T17:02:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iita.org\/?post_type=news-item&#038;p=35406"},"modified":"2026-09-28T17:02:59","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T17:02:59","slug":"unlocking-africas-crop-diversity-through-adaptive-breeding-insights-from-prof-carlos-iglesias","status":"publish","type":"news-item","link":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/news-item\/unlocking-africas-crop-diversity-through-adaptive-breeding-insights-from-prof-carlos-iglesias\/","title":{"rendered":"Unlocking Africa\u2019s crop diversity through adaptive breeding: Insights from Prof Carlos Iglesias"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"820\" height=\"411\" src=\"https:\/\/iita.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Unlocking-1.png\" alt=\"Professor Carlos Iglesias sharing insights from decades of research and his passion for exploring biodiversity and adaptive breeding in African crops.\" class=\"wp-image-35416\" srcset=\"https:\/\/iita.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Unlocking-1.png 820w, https:\/\/iita.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Unlocking-1-300x150.png 300w, https:\/\/iita.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Unlocking-1-768x385.png 768w, https:\/\/iita.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Unlocking-1-18x9.png 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Professor Carlos Iglesias sharing insights from decades of research and his passion for exploring biodiversity and adaptive breeding in African crops.<br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As part of the working visit of Dr Makram Geha, Director of the CGIAR Breeding for Tomorrow (B4T) Science Program, to IITA\u2013CGIAR, Professor Carlos Iglesias of North Carolina State University (NCSU) delivered an engaging seminar that took participants on a journey through decades of plant breeding, biodiversity research, and innovation in African crops.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hosted during his working visit to the Yam Breeding Unit, the seminar, titled <em>\u201cExploring biodiversity in African crops through adaptive selection,\u201d<\/em> highlighted the vast opportunities hidden within Africa\u2019s rich crop diversity and the role of adaptive breeding in unlocking them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From the outset, Prof Iglesias connected his scientific journey to his personal story. Growing up in a small agricultural town of just 300 people in southwest Uruguay, he developed an early appreciation for farming and food production. He recalled how his grandmother\u2019s fascination with gardening and her concern for people in Africa inspired a lifelong passion that eventually led him to work with African crops.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.iita.org\/unlocking-africas-crop-diversity-through-adaptive-breeding-insights-from-prof-carlos-iglesias\/\">Read more:<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As part of the working visit of Dr Makram Geha, Director of the CGIAR Breeding for Tomorrow (B4T) Science Program, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":35415,"template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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