Pre-PhD in Exploring genetic resources in cool-season legumes for nutritional quality - Benguerir

Pre-PhD in Exploring genetic resources in cool-season legumes for nutritional quality and parasitic weeds resistance

About the UM6P

Mohammed VI Polytechnic University is an institution dedicated to research and innovation in Africa and aims to position itself among world-renowned universities in its fields.

The University is engaged in economic and human development and puts research and innovation at the forefront of African development. A mechanism that enables it to consolidate Morocco’s frontline position in these fields, in a unique partnership-based approach and boosting skills training relevant for the future of Africa.

Located in the municipality of Ben Guerir, in the very heart of the Green City, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University aspires to leave its mark nationally, continentally, and globally.

Adresse :

Lot 660, Hay Moulay Rachid, Ben Guerir 43150, Morocco

About African integrated Plant and Soil Research Group (AiPlaS)

The research will be carried within the AiPlaS research group. AiPlaS aims to conduct hypotheses-driven crop research to meet food and nutritional security in Africa with a focus on three main research topics 1) Resistance to abiotic stresses (drought, temperature, mineral nutrition,…), 2) High Nutritional value germplasm, and 3) Interaction of the aforementioned areas with soil and fertilizers use and agronomy. The AiPlaS research group aims at integrating these objectives in a wider soil and agronomic perspectives by encouraging multi-disciplinary research on the plant and soil continuum.

At UM6P, AiPlaS is building unique research infrastructures (field phenotyping state-of-the art facility and a nutritional quality laboratory). These infrastructures will be used in the frame of this PhD offer.

Project description

Global population will hit 9.6 billion people by 2050 (UN-WP-ESA/P/WP.227, 2013) and will face global challenges among which achieving and meeting the food security with an increasing demand for food is the most critical. In particular, the impact of climate change and associated biotic and abiotic stresses to which crop systems will be increasingly exposed pose serious implications for global food production. Food security, lowering the risk of climate change and meeting the increasing demand for energy will increasingly be critical challenges in the years to come. To meet these challenges, an urgent action needs to be taken in which the sustainability of production/consumption patterns should be a priority. In this context, legume crops could play an important roles: (i) at food-system level for human, as a source of plant proteins and with an increasingly importance in improving humans health, (ii) at production-system level, due to the capacity to fix atmospheric nitrogen making them potentially highly suitable for inclusion in low-input cropping systems, and due to their role in mitigating greenhouse gases emissions, and (iii) at cropping-system levels, as diversification crops in agroecosystems based on few major species, breaking the cycles of pests and diseases and contributing to balance the deficit in plant protein production in many areas of the world.  In this regard, the identification and development of potential resistance sources and climate resilient genotypes with high nutritional value could contribute to the enhancement of crop production and productivity.

Main objectives:

The purpose of this Ph.D. is to explore the genetic variability in some cool-season legume crops to identify potential sources for high nutritional quality (chickpea) and resistance to broomrape (lentil).

Scope and outline of thesis

1. Evaluation of the agronomic performances of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) germplasm collection and assessment and identification of potential high nutritional quality and biofortified genotypes under different environments.
2. Exploring the genetic variability of a large lentil germplasm collection for potential resistance sources to broomrape (Orobanche crenata Forsk.) and identification of involved resistance mechanisms

Funding information

This award includes funding for two full-time PhD project studentships one focusing more on the physiological and agronomic aspect and the other on the genetic aspect of the research questions. it carries a good salary, intended to cover both living costs and tuition fees.

Number

Two (02) Students

Eligibility

• An Engineer or master’s degree from an institution recognized by the UM6P in the following fields: Agronomy, plant physiology, plant nutrition and or plant breeding.
• Fulfil the English language requirement.
• Have experience in carrying out research and ability to learn.
• Provide a letter of motivation.

Applications and selection procedure

Applications are to be sent on the hiring platform no later than December 1st. Application folder must contain:

• Cover letter outlining research experience, achievements, research interests and how the candidate’s scientific profile relates to the required position;
• Curriculum vitae ;
• Names and contact information of two reference persons;