Well-deserved recognition for a WorldVeg plant breeder who has devoted his career to developing climate resilient, pest- and disease-resistant tomato for farmers and consumers in Asia and Africa.

Congratulations to Dr. Peter Hanson, WorldVeg Global Plant Breeder and Lead Scientist, who received the Most Influential Plant Breeding Researcher (Public Sector) Recognition Award from The Asia Pacific Seed Association (APSA).

The announcement was made on 4 November 21021 by Mr. Wichai Laocharoenpornkul, President, The Asia and Pacific Seed Alliance, and Ms. Kanokwan Chodchoey, Ph.D. Executive Director, The Asia and Pacific Seed Alliance.

Throughout his 28-year career of public sector plant breeding research, Peter has emphasized the benefits improved vegetable varieties can bring to vegetable seed producers and their customers in Asia and Africa.

He joined WorldVeg (formerly the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center, AVRDC) in 1993 to develop tropically-adapted tomato inbred lines for use by seed companies and small-scale farmers in low- and middle-income countries in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa.

His breeding targets included heat tolerance, multiple disease resistance (begomoviruses, bacterial wilt, late blight), fruit quality, and nutrition. Peter and his team identified and introgressed alleles from wild tomato species, improving disease resistance, nutrition, and fruit quality traits (lycopene, beta-carotene, flavonoids) using marker-assisted selection, a method he pioneered in the WorldVeg tomato program.

Over the years, Peter and his team developed and distributed lines combining heat tolerance and multiple disease resistances, which were shared as global public goods with researchers in the public and private sectors. His efforts have led to the development of 253 improved tomato lines that have been used in more than 51 countries.

Jury members evaluated candidates’ research, publications, outreach work, creativity/innovation benefits for the public, knowledge sharing, and legacy. “It’s wonderful that Peter’s years of dedication and extensive contributions to developing the seed sector in the region are being recognized,” said Dr. Marco Wopereis, WorldVeg Director General.

Dr. Pepijn Schreinemachers from the World Vegetable Center, Mr. Praveen N Noojibail from I&B Seeds Pvt Ltd, and Dr. Simon Jan De Hoop from East West Seed Co., Ltd. nominated Peter for the award.

The award will be presented at the Asian Solanaceous Round Table 2022, 11-13 May 2022 in Bangalore, India.

We would like to use the opportunity to thank Peter Hanson, who has devoted his career to developing climate resilient, pest- and disease-resistant tomatoes for farmers and consumers in Asia and Africa. After more than 29 years working in Taiwan and Benin for WorldVeg, the best of the breeders, will go on a well-deserved retirement.