b'BOLSTERING BREEDERS THROUGH TRAINING Valerio Hoyos-Villegas responds to our challenge and tells us what hed do for the plant breeding world if he had $10 million to make it a better place.Marc ZienkiewiczIN 2019,Germination put out the call to Canadian plant breed- there developed hybrids that used to require four tons of lime ers to answer a simple question: if you had $10 million, whatto grow in acid soils, to just 0.5 to one ton in over a few cycles would you do to help the world? of recurrent selections. I was hookedhooked on plant With the help of the Borlaug Training Foundation, we arebreeding, on data and on being in the field. I knew that being a taking this opportunity to highlight the first in what will be anprofessional plant breeder would give me the tools to improve ongoing series of profiles showcasing Canadian breeders andfarming. The history of influential plant breeders was also a big their big idea for what they would do if they had millions toinspiration. help make a better world through plant breeding.Valerio Hoyos-Villegas is currently an assistant professor inMZ: How did you end up at McGill?plant breeding and genetics in the Department of Plant ScienceVHV: Ive always been very interested in technology and I love at McGill University in Montreal, Que. He obtained his mastersthinking about ways of improving plant breeding methods in crop, insect and microbial sciences from the University ofwith the use of the vast array of technology that we have Missouri in 2011 and his PhD in plant breeding, genetics andnow. McGill was recently awarded a Canadian Foundation for biotechnology from Michigan State University in 2015. BetweenInnovation grant to develop capacity in field phenomics and 2015 and 2019, he held an appointment as scientist in foragethat was a big part of the reason for the department hiring a breeding and genetics in Christchurch, New Zealand. In 2019,plant breeder. I knew that Montreal was developing a strong he joined the Department of Plant Science at McGill University,reputation in the artificial intelligence sector, which I see a where he holds a research and teaching appointment. strong role for in plant breeding. It was a no-brainer.His idea? To use $10 million to create an endowment for research and training for ag scientists in the developing world. MZ: That must have been a big change for you, moving your whole life to Montreal to follow your dreams.Marc Zienkiewicz: Tell us about yourself and how/why youVHV: Ive always been very adventurous. When I finished my got into plant breeding. PhD I got the job in New Zealand and I worked for a Crown Valerio Hoyos-Villegas: I grew up farming. I also worked at theResearch Institute there for four years in forage breeding. We International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and under- were very productive there, but I realized that I could not took maize breeding in Colombia with the International Maizeignore my dream of running a public sector plant breeding and and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) program. I wasresearch program as well as teach plant breeding and genetics. I impressed by the impact this program had as well as the otherwanted to be at an institution that was highly recognized world-programs that CIAT housedbeans, rice, cassava and tropicalwide and saw the position through the National Association of forages. The first time I listened to a plant breeder explain theirPlant Breeders (NAPB) website and it got me thinking. work during maize pollinations, I knew I wanted to become one. MZ: What was it about McGill that was so attractive?MZ: Why? What was that experience like? VHV: I realized that the proximity of McGills Faculty of VHV: I looked at the data over time and saw how the programAgricultural and Environmental Sciences (FAES) to Montreal gave 2GERMINATION.CAINTERNATIONAL EDITION 2020'