The organisers report: “The goal of this four-year PhD Programme is to enhance human resource capacities in the use and management of genetic variation in agricultural and natural systems, to improve the sustainability of agricultural systems and the conservation of genetic resources for the well-being of present and future generations.”

Students can choose to focus on plant genetic resources or functional biodiversity in agroecosystems. Examples of research areas tackled by the PhD programme include the role of functional diversity, including interactions between pests, pathogens and weeds and domesticated, volunteer and wild plants, in agroecosystem health, and the application of agrobiodiversity solutions at genetic, species and habitat level to improve crop performance, crop protection, sustainable crop/agroforestry management and multifunctional land use.

For more details:

• Read more on the Sant’Anna website here