El Mira Research Center Strengthens Academic Training in Plant Genetic Resources

Pasto, Nariño. April 30, 2026. AGROSAVIA’s El Mira Research Center welcomed 41 Agroforestry Engineering students from Universidad de Nariño (Tumaco campus) for a theoretical and practical training session focused on the importance of plant genetic resources and the conservation of agrobiodiversity.

This activity was carried out through an approach centered on the Promotion and Use of Plant Germplasm Banks (PGB), with the aim of further strengthening ties with academia and enabling future professionals to understand the strategic role of germplasm banks in plant breeding and agricultural development in the country.

The session, led by Germplasm Bank Research Assistant Juan David Quiñones, M.Sc. Researcher William Tolosa, and Ph.D. Researcher Félix Alberto Guzmán, was divided into two key components:

• Theoretical session: The Plant Germplasm Bank was presented as a foundation for genetic breeding, and the history and current status of economically important palm species were analyzed.
• Practical component: The students toured the Center’s experimental fields to carry out activities involving parent selection and pollination in Noli Palm, analysis of morphological descriptors in the peach palm collection, and plant breeding projections for coconut.

These actions represent a collaborative partnership with academia, in which Professor José Julián Pérez Muñoz from Universidad de Nariño highlighted the value of this articulation: “It is very rewarding to gain access to AGROSAVIA’s technological advances and research. These partnerships are essential because they allow students to experience real-world scenarios where plant breeding and conservation programs for economically important palm species are implemented.”

Through this initiative, AGROSAVIA reaffirms its commitment to knowledge transfer and the development of human talent, thereby consolidating research as a cornerstone of the region's rural sector.