Vietnamese scientists receive awards from FAO and IAEA
Hanoi, Viet Nam. Ensuring food security amid the impacts of climate change is among the biggest challenges facing the global community. Experts in many countries are looking to nuclear techniques to introduce genetic diversity to develop new and improved crop varieties for cultivation - in order to improve crop adaptation to a changing climate.
On the occasion of the 65th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), FAO and IAEA recognized the contributions to plant mutation breeding from 28 researchers and research teams of institutions from across 20 countries - honouring them with awards for outstanding achievements. This recognition includes 11 Outstanding Achievement Awards, 10 Women in Plant Mutation Breeding Awards, and 7 Young Scientist Awards for significant efforts in the last decade in the development of new mutant varieties using irradiation. Two outstanding scientists from Viet Nam, Vo Thi Minh Tuyen (Women in Plant Mutation Breeding Award) and Nguyen Van Manh (Young Scientist Award) have been awarded with this honour. Both of the awardees are working at the Agricultural Genetics Institute.
Through cooperation between IAEA and FAO, assistance is provided to experts worldwide in using nuclear techniques in agriculture, including support with irradiating seeds or other plant material in order to develop plant varieties with characteristics such as drought tolerance or increased yields. Moreover, experts in the Asia and the Pacific region can now share best practices via the Plant Mutation Breeding Network for Asia and the Pacific, recently set up by the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre, which offers technical support based on each country's needs.
At the conference, FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu noted that “with the technical support provided by the Joint Centre, plant breeders in many countries have achieved substantial improvement through mutation breeding in a wide range of crops.” He also stressed, “Together we can transform to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind”, which is also the theme of this year World Food Day.