b'MZ: Tell us about the work coming out of your program and some recent accomplishments.VHV: We are just getting started. My pro-gram is aimed at developing pulse crop varieties. At the moment we are focus-ing on building our dry bean germplasm and collaborating in a variety of market classes. We are focusing on yield, butWe have an excellent educational system also quality and white mold physiologicalhere, but it is important that we make itThe 411 on Valerio tolerance in the long term. But we wouldaccessible in a way that it enables trainingHoyos-Villegaslike to expand to other pulses in time. As Ito be translational to solve local problems.Age: 36said, we are in the process of constructingWhen people are empowered with the a field phenomics platform that is designedtools, they can have a great impact. PlantBirthplace: Manizales, with plant breeding applications in mind.breeders, for example, have very measur- Caldas, ColombiaCurrent environmental changes are havingable impacti.e. as cultivars released orCurrent City: Montreal, Que.a big impact on agriculture and we wanthectares planted, or seed sold. As trace- Relationship Status: Singlethese conditions to determine what weability increases around the world, plantFavourite movie: John phenotype for using our platform. Thebreeders will be able to measure impact toGrishams The Rainmakerfuture of the eastern provinces requiresthe effect of an individual variety and theFavourite food:that we address traits like leaf ultrastruc- number of consumers it reached, and thisBeans (what else?)tural traits for cold hardiness early in theis a tremendous avenue that new scientistsMotto: Great things never season; water use efficiency/thermal imag- in developing countries can use to identifycome from comfort zones.ing for midseason drought; oxidative stressbreeding targets, drive food security and response or canopy architecture strengthmitigate malnutrition. Education in places under flooding tolerance late in the grow- where technological capacity (like McGill ing season. University) exists and can be taught is criti-cal to creating developmental leaps in their MZ: Wow, thats a lot to bite off own communities in a context very likely all at once! only they understand. People need the VHV: I am aware that as a scientist I needtraining to be able to see the big picture.to strike a balance between practical plant breeding and interesting, game-changingMZ: What experience have you had science. So, beyond my plant breedingworking in developing countries? Can program, my long-term interest is to useyou tell us a short story about one of my skills in quantitative and popula- these experiences and why it has stuck tion genetics to address the longstandingwith you?question: What is the role of evolution- VHV: I grew up in the central Andean state ary deleterious mutations in the geneticof Caldas in Colombia, which is known architecture of complex traits of self-pol- as the coffee region. Among other areas, linated species? And does purging themCIAT and CIMMYT have focused on the increase fitness in breeding populations?improvement of the agricultural systems in Gaining an understanding of this compo- the eastern plains of Colombia. The east- Hoyos-Villegas doing what he nent of self-pollinated populations andern plains (or llanos) are oxisol soil typelovesworking in the field.genomes will open a new avenue for howsavannas high in exchangeable Al. It is a we manage breeding programs in self- rugged place where only native species pollinated species and enable us to unlockare able to growthey suffer from long another piece in order to maximize thedroughts half of the year and flooding theWANT TO WORK components of the genetic gain equation. other half. I decided to visit the hometownWITH VALERIO ON A of one of the technicians from CIMMYT,PROJECT? MZ: If you had $10 million, your idea is toa place that is inaccessible for half of the create an endowment for research andyear because the roads are flooded. AndIf youre interested in training for ag scientists in developingthe rest of the year, it takes 16 hours toworking on pulse breeding, countries. Why would you do this? Whattravel only 350 km because there are noquantitative and population benefits do you see coming out of this? roads due to the flooding, and it requiresgenetics/genomics and high-VHV: I think education is the main way thatspecial vehicles to traverse the environ- throughput phenomics, look Canada can contribute to the sustainablement and not everyone is willing to gohim up at pulsebreeding.caeconomic growth of developing countries.there. JANUARY 2020 GERMINATION.CA 43'