b'program had as well as the other programs that CIAT housedbeans, rice, cassava and tropical forages. The first time I listened to a plant breeder explain their work during maize pollinations, I knew I wanted to become one. MZ: Why? What was that experience like?VHV: I looked at the data over time and saw how the pro-gram there developed hybrids that used to require four tons of lime to grow in acid soils, to just 0.5 to one ton in over a few cycles of recurrent selections. I was hookedhooked on plant breeding, on data and on being in the field. I knew that being a professional plant breeder would give me the tools to improve farming. The history of influential plant breeders was also a big inspiration. MZ: How did you end up at McGill?VHV: Ive always been very interested in technology and I love thinking about ways of improving plant breeding methods with the use of the vast array of technology that we have now. McGill was recently awarded a Canadian Foundation for Innovation grant to develop capacity in field phenomics and that was a big part of the reason for the department hiring a plant breeder. I knew that Montreal was developing a strong reputation in the arti-ficial intelligence sector, which I see a strong role for in plant breeding. It was a no-brainer.MZ: That must have been a big change for you, moving your whole life to Montreal to follow your dreams.VHV: Ive always been very adventurous. When I finished my PhD I got the job in New Zealand and I worked for a Crown Research Institute there for four years in forage breeding. We were very productive there, but I realized that I could not ignore my dream of running a public sector plant breeding and research program as well as teach plant breeding and genetics. I wanted to be at an institution that was highly recognized worldwide and saw the position through the National Association of Plant Breeders (NAPB) website and it got me thinking. Valerio Hoyos-Villegas is a plant breeder at McGill University.MZ: What was it about McGill that was so attractive?VHV: I realized that the proximity of McGills Faculty of Pulses are an important staple food, not just increas-Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (FAES) to Montrealingly for Canadians but also for over a billion people, gave me an opportunity to bring a rural perspective andlargely in the developing world.educate urban-dwelling students and help reverse the We are facing a worldwide water crisis, and with societal pushback preventing technologies in plant breedingmore and more densely populated cities reaching Day and biotech from being deployed due to lack of scientificZero (like Mexico City or Cape Town) in the next few literacy. When I read up on the history of McGill and agri- decades, water will increase in value and by consequence cultural research here, I found out about how iconic thisso will food. Pulses are already highly water efficient and institution is to Montreal, to Quebec, to Canada and to theare one of the solutions to the problem, but Canada needs world, and that motivated me to become a part of it rightto be ready with technology to address that problem. here in the middle of French Canada. It also gave me an Canada has its own climate change issues, such as opportunity to pursue international agriculture, which is anincreased precipitation. In Quebec pulses are increasingly area I am quite passionate about. becoming more important for consumers and more grow-ers are getting into the business, so I realized I could use MZ: Why pulse breeding? my background in dry bean breeding as an opportunity VHV: I decided I wanted to focus on pulse breeding andto provide farmers with technology in these crops here in genetics because: Quebec so that the sector can grow. 42GERMINATION.CA JANUARY 2020'