Event Date
David Mackill was Director for Genetics and Breeding, Cocoa R&D, Mars Wrigley until his retirement in 2022. He is currently an Adjunct Professor in the Plant Sciences Department at the University of California, Davis. He was Principal Scientist, Rainfed Lowlands Program leader and Head of the Plant Breeding Genetics and Biotechnology Division at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) during 2001 to 2011. He has developed over 20 rice varieties and published research on the genetics of resistance to rice blast disease and submergence and drought tolerance. He is recipient of the Innovation Prize for Agricultural Technology of the American Society of Plant Biologists, and the Award of Distinction from the UC Davis College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences; and is a Tech Award Laureate for International Development. During the talk, Dr. Mackill will provide the introduction and background on setting up the Mars Wrigley Cacao Sciences group in Davis and on campus.
Ashley DuVal is the manager of the UCD-Mars cacao germplasm greenhouse. She will be providing more specific information about the current cacao group on campus. Ashley will also be addressing current issues in cacao that the group is focused on.