IIn the period from 13 to 20 March 2011 a training course entitled "PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES AND THEIR USE IN BREEDING OF CEREALS" once again traditionally took place at the N.I. Vavilov Research Institute of Plant Industry.

    The lectures delivered by leading VIR specialists covered all major methodical and methodological aspects of work on plant genetic resources including modern concepts dealing with biological peculiarities, genetic biodiversity of cereals and their wild relatives; methods of development of initial breeding material as well as genepool evaluation for commercially valuable traits: biochemical, immunological, physiological. During the course there were delivered lectures addressing modern breeding methods of cereals including DNA markers.Participants got acquainted with methods of variety identification, major statistical analysis software, as well as techniques of mathematical data handling.

     Attendees visited N.I. Vavilov memorial study, VIR herbarium , genebank, both PGR and methodological departments of the Institute, where they were familiarized with the main areas of the Institute work: collection, preservation, study and use of plant genetic resources

     The training courses were attended by 15 people from 10 regions of the Russian Federation and namely: breeders of the Leningrad Agriculture Research Institute, North-Eastern Agricultural Research Institute, Falenskaya breeding station, Penza Agricultural Research Institute, Ulyanovsk Agricultural Research Institute, Voronezh Agricultural Research Institute, Institute of leguminous and small grain crops, Kabardino-Balkaria Agricultural Research Institute, lecturers of Kuban State Agrarian University, Buryatsky State Agricultural Academy and Kemerovo State University.