| Abstract |
Collaboration between CIMMYT and Turkey started in the mid- 1960s, when the impact of 22,000 t of Mexican wheat cultivars initiated Turkey's Green Revolution. CIMMYT scientists have been based in Turkey since 1971. During the last 25 years, nearly 70 wheat researchers were trained in Mexico. Since 1975, Turkey has released 33 wheat varieties derived directly or indirectly from CIMMYT germplasm; at present CIMMYT-related varieties cover around 75% of the country's spring wheat area. In 1986, Turkey and CIMMYT initiated the International Winter Wheat Program, which merged in 1990 with ICARDIA's highland wheat program to form the joint Turkey/CIMMYT/ICARDIA International Winter Wheat Improvement Program (IWWIP). The program's objective is to develop winter and facultative wheat cultivars for countries in West Asia and North Africa. A new target area for IWWIP is the Newly Independent States of the former Soviet Union, in particular the Central Asian Republics. Today, IWWIP distributes wheat germplasm to nearly 170 cooperators in more than 50 countries. The first varieties developed through this joint program have been released in several countries of West Asia. |
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