Need training on breeding tools and services? Start here.

As global food-security challenges intensify, the urgency to strengthen capacity in breeding programs has never been greater. CGIAR Breeding Resources (BR), an area of work (AoW) of CGIAR Breeding for Tomorrow Science Program, is rising to the challenge, not only by delivering world-class breeding tools and services globally, but also by ensuring the people who use them are equipped with the skills to do so effectively. 

Through a combination of hybrid training methods, strategic partnerships, and easy-to-use technology, Breeding Resources offers seamless capacity development for CGIAR and National Agricultural Research and Extension System (NARES) partners. No complicated onboarding, no special equipment. Just practical, high-quality training, ready when users are. To understand BR’s capacity-development strategy, we spoke with Stefan Einarson, BR Capacity Development Lead.  

Why embed a capacity-development unit within CGIAR shared services for breeders?

SE: We created the BR Capacity Development unit to set a gold standard for training on breeding tools and services across CGIAR Centers and partner institutions. Our mission is to provide seamless access to high-quality learning programs, foster a culture of continuous learning, and ensure that breeders and researchers have the skills and knowledge to accelerate agricultural progress. 

A cornerstone of this effort is our Breeding Resources Learning Management System (BR LMS). Because it’s cloud-based and single-sign-on, any member of the CGIAR-NARES network can register in minutes, then dive straight into interactive content, self-paced modules, and live sessions – all while tracking real-time progress metrics. 

Quick start: Visit Breeding Resources Service Request Portal → select “Sign Up” → register with your organizational email. 

What can breeders find in BR Learning management System?

SE: Everything is organized around four pillars, each with modular courses that can be taken à la carte or as full learning paths: 

1. Breeding analytics: data science applications, statistical modeling, and digital tools that sharpen decision-making. 

1. Trial & Nursery management: standardized modules that promote best practices across research stations and crops. 

1. Lab services: molecular and genomic techniques that strengthen research pipelines. 

1. Quality management: frameworks that boost the reliability and reproducibility of breeding outcomes. 

Because the platform is intuitive, learners spend less time figuring out navigation and more time mastering content.

How do you ensure the modules stay relevant and impactful?

SE: The process begins through our interactions with users of the Breeding and Research (BR) Services, as well as through ENABLE, a cross-cutting area of work within CGIAR’s Breeding for Tomorrow Science Group that coordinates system-wide capacity development. BR’s capacity development focuses on strengthening areas that support breeding, such as data management, trialing, and laboratory services, while ENABLE leads capacity development efforts directly within breeding programs and with breeding partners.  

ENABLE and the BR CapDev team collaborate closely, often working with the same partners and clients across CGIAR Centers and national programs. ENABLE works through regional crop breeding networks, which include CGIAR Centers and external partners, to identify and assess capacity development needs across the system. These identified needs are then shared with us in BR CapDev. Based on these insights, we prioritize and develop targeted learning solutions aligned with our technical focus areas. 

We don’t work in isolation. Every course is co-developed with experts from CGIAR Centers, universities, and the private sector. This collaborative approach helps ensure both scientific rigor and practical relevance. 

Our Learning Management System (LMS) also provides real-time feedback and usage data, allowing us to rapidly iterate and update content based on learner experiences.  

What sets BRS capacity development apart?

1. Ease of use for CGIAR & NARES staff: single-sign-on access, mobile-friendly lessons, and minimal bandwidth requirements mean anyone in the network can participate. 

1. Flexible learning models: semi-synchronous blends of video, discussion boards, and live mentorship keep engagement high without forcing learners into rigid schedules. 

1. Technology in context: courses emphasize key tools breeders and researchers are working with like Enterprise Breeding System (EBS) and Bioflow. 

1. Field-based phenotyping training: hands-on sessions with tablets, sensors, and imaging tools translate classroom concepts into actionable field skills. 

1. The Knowledge Exchange Program (KEP): our signature differentiator (see below). 

What is the Knowledge Exchange Program (KEP)?

SE: KEP delivers targeted, high-impact mentorship through concise, on-site collaborations. This approach is truly transformative, as it has trained the right people to become agents of breeding modernization within CGIAR Centers and partner institutes. BR’s added value lies in overseeing the entire program, ensuring its intellectual rigor and maximum impact for both mentees and mentors. How does this work in practice? 

• Short, immersive placements (1–2 weeks): Visiting researchers embed with host teams on real projects, gaining hands-on experience without lengthy absences from their own programs. 

• All-inclusive support: BR covers the travel, accommodation, and on-the-ground logistics, so both hosts and visitors can focus entirely on learning and problem-solving. 

• Cohort & community in progress: Each exchange adds new alumni to an emerging peer network that meets online to share quick wins, troubleshoot challenges, and co-develop protocols. While the community of practice is still taking shape, early interactions are already surfacing best practices and sparking cross-Center collaboration.

Learn more about the Knowledge Exchange Program (KEP) and get involved. 

What’s next?

SE: We see AI and machine learning as powerful ways to enhance the learning process, and we are exploring multiple avenues to incorporate and integrate these tools into our education and training offerings. Over time, they will also become stand-alone topics for new classes that BR will introduce.  

In short, BR provides training support in breeding tools and services – defined by ease of access, technology in context, and the transformative effect of the Knowledge Exchange Program. By continuously evolving our methods and deepening collaboration, we’re positioning CGIAR breeding tools and services capacity development to meet the food security challenges of tomorrow. 

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Main picture: Group pictures of the first cohort of mentees of Breeding Resources Knowledge Exchange Program (KEP). Credit: Revathi Ponnuswamy, ICAR. Written by Julie Puech, Breeding for Tomorrow. This work contributes to CGIAR Breeding for Tomorrow (B4T) Science Program through its Breeding Resources area of work.