Cultural heritage and biological research – PhD-defence

Even Bratberg

The cereal species sorghum is not very known in Norway, but it is one of the most important cereal species in the tropical areas of the world. In Ethiopia, Sorghum is ranked as the third most important crop after Tef and Maize.

Firew Mekbib's PhD is important because it brings cultutal history into biological sciences, and that's especially convenient this year, as 2009 is the Photo: Even Bratberg

Here it has been an important part of the daily bread for millions of people for more than 500 years and thus become a part of the cultural heritage.

This characteristic interaction between crops and folklore is the subject of the PhD thesis of Firew Mekbib entitled: 'Genetic enhancement of Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) diversity through an integrated approach'. He will defend his thesis at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB) on March 24 2009.

Ethiopian culture and farming
In order to understand and meet the challenges in Ethiopian farming, it is important to have an integrated approach to problems, which means that in any breeding programs, one will have to regard the biological-cultural heritage as a part of the folklore and overall

Harvesting sorghum Photo: Trygve Berg

Updated: 10.06.09
Printerfriendly version

Del med en venn:

Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences

P.O.Box 5003
N-1432 Ås
Norway

Visiting address:
Reception in Soil Science Building:
Fougnerbakken 3
1430 Ås
Norway
Phone: (+47) 64 96 56 00
Fax: (+47) 64 96 56 01

Reception in Tower Building:
Phone: (+47) 64 96 56 02
Fax: (+47) 64 96 56 15

E-mail: ipm@umb.no

webmaster: Eija Bakken

Additional information

Firew Mekbib - PhD-grade

Title of the thesis:
Genetic enhancement of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) diversity through an integrated approach.

Prescribed subject of the trial lecture:
In situ conservation of crop genetic diversity of seed crops in agricultural production systems.

Supervisors:
Professor Åsmund Bjørnstad, IPM, UMB
Dr. Maigull Appelgren, IPM, UMB
Dr. Gry Synnevåg; Noragric, UMB,
Dr. Louise Sperling, CIAT, Italy,

Evaluation committee:
Dr. Devra I. Jarvis, Biovesity, Roma, Italy
Dr. Bjørn Ivar Honne, Stjørdal
Dr. Trygve Berg, Noragric/UMB

The doctoral thesis is available for public review at the UMB library, the Tower building.