 Australia
January 16, 2006
Seed
collection missions are getting dangerous.
At
CLIMA's recent 2005
review, Deputy Director Professor Clive Francis presented an
award to the organisation's most fearless seed collector.
Dr Ken
Street (photo) of the
International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas received
the award for his GRDC-supported
missions to Central Asian countries such as Turkmenistan, where
he negotiated minefields behind the old iron curtain to collect
new pasture germplasm.
In past tours,
corrupt officials seeking bribes have held up Dr Street and he
has been stranded on mountainsides when rudimentary Soviet
vehicles broke down hundreds of kilometres from help.
Related story:
Scouting for crop
ancestors in volatile outposts
Photo credit:
Grains Research & Development
Croporation |
