Training Plant Breeding Graduate Students at the Tecoman Winter Nursery

Students from Texas A&M University and Texas Tech University studying cotton plant breeding went to the USDA/INIFAP cotton winter nursery in Tecoman, Mexico, in March 2009. At this nursery, students helped to characterize a portion of the germplasm collection maintained by the National Plant Germplasm System. They were shown many exotic Gossypium spp. lines that are difficult to see in the United States. In addition, students also saw research projects involving tropical crops such as citrus, coconuts, and bananas. This experience provided students with an international research perspective and allowed them to become more familiar with cotton germplasm resources.