Vision & Mission

IWYP’s GOAL …

IWYP’s MISSION

To achieve this goal requires the IWYP Program to:

• Provide the scientific means that enable doubling of the current average rate of genetic yield gain
• Enable this impact by exploiting the best relevant science base worldwide
• Deliver by incorporating discoveries / traits and evaluating them in elite germplasm in relevant environments
• Exploit these discoveries and germplasm by transferring them to leading relevant breeding programs around the world, both public and private

Why now and why IWYP?

• Because this need is urgent and not enough progress is evident
• Demands on wheat are increasing rapidly and not enough progress is evident
• Gains in breeding programs have slowed to dangerous levels relative to future demand
• Because others are not focused on this specific aspect of yield gain
• There is new interest in wheat from private sector and governments
• Unprecedented progress in underpinning science
• New technologies and scientific discoveries offer new possibilities
• Discoveries-to-prebreeding-to-varieties and evaluation in many environments takes time

IWYP’s VISION 

IWYP encompasses an applied research Program that will deliver genuine outcomes in terms of novel traits and germplasm and thus new elite genotypes to wheat breeders. IWYP represents an integrated, multi-disciplinary, coordinated international research Program involving a combination of public and private funded research and in-kind support, and where possible aligned with other current relevant research programs and projects.

IWYP will address the challenge of increasing the genetic yield potential of wheat by a targeted approach which includes the identification and subsequent validation of sources of genes and / or combinations of genes that are likely to influence wheat yield. Studies will be conducted to understand the genetic and physiological basis of increasing yield potential through the development of new models, wheat ideotypes in relevant breeding germplasm and the associated genetic tools for breeding.

Many of the most powerful innovations for plant breeding have come from branches of science outside plant biology. Research outputs from other plant species may also provide valuable information for wheat improvement. IWYP will continually survey the outputs from other relevant research programs and from new research linkages when appropriate.

What is the overall strategy for success?

• Employ a new model for internationally coordinated research funding that enables scientific breakthroughs
• Combine the best ideas internationally
• Create significant added value
• Exploit an integrated research Program with a unique open-access structure, inspired and led by an independent management team, linked with the private sector and developed with state of the art technologies
• Employ project management practices so that individual research projects and the coordinated overall Program are metrically driven to enable planning, tracking and assessing progress based on timelines, milestones, and deliverables
• Coordinate discoveries and outputs, linking breakthroughs to validation and assessment, delivery to breeding programs, pushing deployment
• Maintain focus on delivery with a high degree of urgency