Breeding for stress tolerance (cold, drought and heat); maize for food (sweetcorn, maize for bread, popcorn…), focusing on quality; and management phytogenetic resources. I have also carried out research in breeding for adaptation and agronomic value and tolerance to pests and diseases. In recent decades, I have focused mainly in my research line of maize breeding for drought tolerance; we have identified sources of drought tolerance and response mechanisms in maize, and we are studying genetic regulation and physiological processes involved in the tolerance of maize to heat and drought.