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Author: Julian Bañuelos-Uribe

Sustaining Conservation Agriculture initiatives: lessons from Malawi

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in Blogs, Publications.

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has experienced the worst impacts of climate change on agriculture over the past decades and projections show such effects are going to intensify in the coming years. Diminished agricultural production has been the primary impact channel given the high reliance on rainfed agriculture in the region. Combined with a growing population, food security for millions of people is threatened.

Conservation Agriculture (CA) is a sustainable cropping system that can help reverse soil degradation, augment soil health, increase crop yields, and reduce labor requirements while helping smallholder farmers adapt to climate change. It is built on three core principles of minimum soil disturbance, crop residue retention, and crop diversification.

CA was introduced in southern Africa in the 1990s, but its adoption has been patchy and often associated with commercial farming. A group of researchers, led by Christian Thierfelder, principal cropping systems agronomist at CIMMYT, set out to understand the reasons why smallholder farmers adopt CA, or why they might not or indeed dis-adopt. Their results were published in Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems on March 12, 2024.

Conservation Agriculture plot. (Photo: CIMMYT)

“Conservation Agriculture can cushion farmers from the effects of climate change through its capacity to retain more soil water in response to high water infiltration and increased soil organic carbon. It is therefore a viable option to deal with increased heat and drought stress,” said Thierfelder. However, even with these benefits, adoption of CA has not been as widespread in countries like Malawi.

“There are regions within Malawi where CA has been promoted for a long time, also known as sentinel sites,” said Thierfelder. “In such places, adoption is rising, indicating that farmers are realizing the benefits of CA over time. Examining adoption dynamics in sentinel sites can provide valuable lessons on scaling CA and why some regions experience large rates of non- or dis-adoption.”

Thierfelder and his co-authors, Innocent Pangapanga-Phiri of the Center for Agricultural Research and Development (CARD) of the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), and Hambulo Ngoma, scientist and agricultural economist at CIMMYT, examined the Nkhotakota district in central Malawi, one of the most promising examples of widespread CA adoption.

Total LandCare (TLC), a regional NGO working in Malawi has been consistently promoting CA in tandem with CIMMYT in the Nkhotakota district since 2005.

Results from both individual farmer interviews and focused group discussions revealed that farmers that implement CA saw higher yields per hectare than those who practiced conventional tillage practices. In addition, farmers using CA indicated greater resilience in times of drought, improved soil fertility, and reduced pest infestation.

Why adopt CA?

The primary factors enhancing CA adoption in the Nkhotakota district were the availability of training, extension and advisory services, and demonstration plots by the host farmers. Host farmers are farmers that have been trained by a TLC extension officer and have their own plot of land to demonstrate CA methods. In addition, host farmers train other farmers and share knowledge and skills through farmer field days and other local agricultural exhibitions.

“Social networks among the farmers serve a vital role in CA adoption,” said Ngoma. “Seeing tangible success carries significant weight for non-adopter farmers or temporal dis-adopters which can persuade them to adopt.”

Maize demonstration plot. (Photo: CIMMYT)

During focus group discussions facilitated by the authors, farmers indicated that demonstration plots also removed fear for the unknown and debunked some myths regarding CA systems, for example, that practitioners show ‘laziness’ if they do not conventionally till their land.

“This suggests that CA uptake could be enhanced with increased, targeted, and long-term promotion efforts that include demonstration plots,” said Ngoma.

Similarly, the longer duration of CA exposure positively influenced farmers’ decisions to adopt CA methods as longer exposure might allow farmers to better understand the benefits of CA practices.

Why not adopt CA?

Farmers reported socioeconomic, financial, and technical constraints to adopt CA. An example is that farmers might not have the labor and time available for weed control, a necessary step in the first few years after the transition to CA.

“Weed control is an important challenge during the early years of CA adoption and can be seen as the ‘Achilles heel’ of CA adoption,” said Thierfelder. CIMMYT scientists therefore focused a lot of research in recent years to find alternative weed control strategies based on integrated weed management (IWM) using chemical, biological, and mechanical control options.

Examining the stover in a maize plot. (Photo: CIMMYT)

In most cases, the benefits of CA adoption are seen only after 2 to 5 years. Having such a long-term view is not always possible for smallholder farmers, who often must make decisions based on current conditions and have immediate family obligations to meet.

As a contrast to adopters of CA, non-adopters reported a lack of knowledge about CA as a whole and a lack of specific technical knowledge needed to transition from more traditional methods to CA.

This scarcity of technical support is often due to the lack of strong agriculture extension support systems. Since CA adoption can be complex, capacity building of both farmers and extension agents can therefore foster adoption and implementation of CA. This reinforces that farmer-to-farmer approaches through host farmers could complement other sources of extension to foster adoption.

Next steps

The authors identified three policy recommendations to accelerate CA adoption. First, there is a need to continue promoting CA using farmer-centric approaches more consistently, e.g., the host farmer approach. Using a farmer-centered approach facilitates experiential learning and can serve as a motivation for peer-to-peer exchange and learning and can reduce misinformation. The host farmer approach can be augmented by mega-demonstrations to showcase CA implementation at scale. In addition, rapid and mass extension delivery can be enhanced by using digital technologies.

Second, CA promotion should allow farmers the time to experiment with different CA options before adoption. What remains unclear at the policy level is the types of incentives and support that can be given to farmers to encourage experimentation without creating economic dependence. NGOs and extension workers could help farmers deal with the weed pressure soon after converting from full to minimum tillage by providing herbicides and training.

Third, there is a need to build and strengthen farmer groups to facilitate easier access to training, to serve as conduits for incentive schemes such as payments for environmental services, and conditional input subsidies for CA farmers. Such market-smart incentives are key to induce initial adoption in the short term and to facilitate sustained adoption.

Digging in the Dirt: Detailed soil maps guide decision-making, from the field to the policy room

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in Blogs.

When a non-farmer looks upon a field, they might just see it as an expanse of dirt and give no more thought to it. But to a farmer, that dirt is soil, the lifeblood of agriculture. Among other things, soil delivers necessary nutrients to crops, allowing them to grow and flourish.

About 95% of the food consumed around the world grows from soil, which is rapidly deteriorating because of unsustainable human activity. Around 33% of all soils around the world are degraded, meaning they can no longer sustain the same level of agricultural activity. This leads to lower crop yields, which potentially leads farmers to increase their use of fertilizer to overcome the damaged soil. But increased nitrogen fertilizer use has profound climate change effects, as poor fertilizer management, including overuse, can lead to nitrous oxide (a greenhouse gas) leaking into the air and nitrates into groundwater, rivers, and other water systems.

Sampling points in the state of Celaya, Guanajuato Mexico. (Photo: CIMMYT)

An important implement in the effort to preserve soil fertility is the practice of soil mapping, a process which produces detailed physical and chemical soil properties within a region. Things like the amount of nutrients, acidity, water conductivity, and bulk density, help guide decision making from individual farmers all the way to regional and national stakeholders.

The Sustainable Productivity Growth Coalition, a United Nations initiative which aims to accelerate the transition to more sustainable food systems through a holistic approach to productivity growth to optimize agricultural sustainability, featured soil mapping as an innovative, evidence-based approach for accelerating sustainable productivity growth in its 2023 report.

A global soil mapping initiative is underway led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Global Soil Partnership with important contributions from CIMMYT scientist working in Mexico.

“Soil mapping of an agricultural region for chemical and physical soil properties offers a range of benefits that can significantly improve agricultural practices, land management, and overall productivity,” said Ivan Ortiz Monasterio, CIMMYT principal scientist.

Map for Phosphorus Bray 1. (Photo: CIMMYT)

Soil maps = blueprints

Using up-to-date soil information at the national scale can help to plan agricultural and land planning interventions and policies, by excluding areas with higher carbon content or fertility from urbanization plans, or by planning the implementation of irrigation schemes with high-quality water in salt-affected areas.

For farmers, there are many benefits, including the creation of nutrient management plans, which are perhaps the most important. These plans guide decisions about application rates and timing of inputs like fertilizers, help avoid over-application, and reduce the risk of runoff and pollution. This supports sustainable agriculture while reducing costs and minimizing nutrient pollution.

Map for zinc. (Photo: CIMMYT)

“There are many other benefits,” said Ortiz Monasterio. “From improved irrigation management, to informed crop decisions, to things like climate resilience because more fertile soils are better able to cope with the challenges of climate variation.”

Collaboration across the seed system value chain

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in Blogs.

Collaboration among diverse seed value chain actors is essential to improving seed systems for dryland crops in Kenya and contributing to food security in an era marked by climate change. This holistic approach is essential at a time when sustainable agricultural practices are increasingly becoming pertinent in semi-arid and high-potential areas, as emphasized by participants attending a multi-stakeholder seed systems meeting in Nairobi.

The Kenya Drylands Crop Seed Systems Workshop in February 2024 brought together various stakeholders from the agricultural sector, including farmers, policymakers, researchers, and the private sector. The main aim of this meeting was to identify practical ways to address critical challenges in the seed system for key dryland crops—pigeon pea, chickpea, groundnut, millets, and sorghum—essential to the livelihoods of millions in Kenya. Organized by CIMMYT and the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), this collaborative effort aimed to gather insights and jointly develop a seed systems strategy to strengthen a seed supply system that matches grain demand for these essential grains.

A group photo of the participants in the Kenya Drylands Crop Seed Systems Workshop. (Photo: Maria Monayo/CIMMYT)

While moderating the discussion, Patrick Ketiem, director of agricultural mechanization research at KALRO, highlighted the importance of the situation. “The demand for drought-tolerant dryland crops and varieties is a clarion call for breeders to innovate further,” he explained. This reflects a broader trend across the country, where even high-potential areas are shifting to dryland crops in response to unpredictable weather patterns.

Addressing farmer needs

The workshop allowed participants to delve into the intricacies of seed systems, from varietal preferences to market readiness, highlighting the importance of collaboration among breeders, distributors, and farmers. Moses Siambi, CIMMYT’s regional director for Africa, emphasized the importance of integrating passion with science to make a tangible difference in the lives of farmers. “Our work is not just about developing varieties,” Siambi remarked. “It’s about improving livelihoods and ensuring that the benefits of our research reach the smallholder farmer,” he explained, emphasizing the broader impact of CIMMYT’s efforts to boost agricultural productivity, food security, and livelihoods in the face of climate change.

Moses Siambi, CIMMYT’s regional director for Africa, engages in a conversation with a participant. (Photo: Maria Monayo/CIMMYT)

Chris Ojiewo, partnerships and seed systems lead at CIMMYT, explained the vision for the Dryland Crops program, referencing the journey of the Accelerated Varietal Improvement and Seed Delivery of Legumes and Cereals in Africa (AVISA) project, which was a culmination of a decade of research aimed at introducing new, diverse, and farmer-preferred crop varieties to farming communities through a variety of seed delivery models.

“The essence of our endeavor is to ensure that the genetic gains from our breeding efforts result in real benefits for the farmers,” he said. “Developing seed varieties with the end-user in mind is crucial to ensure that crops not only reach the farmers but also meet their specific needs effectively.”

Chris Ojiewo, partnerships and seed systems lead at CIMMYT, provides insights on the future of the Dryland Crops program, leveraging ten years of research from AVISA. (Photo: Maria Monayo/CIMMYT)

Improving seed systems

The workshop discussions also highlighted the importance of innovation in seed delivery models and the need for increased investment in the dryland crops sector as essential strategies for addressing current challenges and capitalizing on new opportunities. Investment decisions will be guided by granular data on local grain demand, enhancing seed production planning. Additionally, insights from institutions such as the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) and the State Department of Agriculture, consolidating per capita consumption data, will aid in determining the requisite seed supply per capita. Moreover, there is need for a mechanism for facilitating knowledge through consolidating data from existing projects that tackle comparable challenges related to food security and seed accessibility.

Lusike Wasilwa, crops systems director at KALRO, who represented the organization’s director general at the event, stressed the importance of seeds in agriculture. “From genes to gains, our focus is on developing climate-smart, nutritious crops that not only enhance soil health but also ensure food security in Kenya,” Wasilwa said. She further highlighted the importance of soil health and market development in achieving sustainable food production in arid and semi-arid lands, promoting biodiversity, and sustainable land management practices.

Lusike Wasilwa, the crops systems director at KALRO, who represents the organization’s director general at the event, emphasizes the importance of seeds in agriculture. (Photo: Maria Monayo/CIMMYT)

Cross-cutting issues

The workshop also addressed regulatory and control measures in seed production with Stellamaris Mulika, principal seed inspector from the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), highlighting the importance of stringent quality control measures to ensure the dissemination of quality seed of superior crop varieties.

The importance of gender inclusivity and youth engagement in agriculture was also acknowledged, reflecting women and youth’s critical role in legume and cereal variety selection, diversifying seed sources, and meaningfully contributing to the seed value chain. Veneza Kendi, a student at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), proposed several interventions to increase investment capacity for farmers and aggregators, mainly from the assurance of high yields from certified seeds to farmers, serving as a motivation.

Gloria Mutheu, a seed merchant at Dryland Seed Company, highlighted the need for government support in investing in the grain sector, citing the school feeding program as an initiative to pull seed demand. Mutheu urged the government to expand the crop types in legumes and cereals, such as chickpeas, included in these school feeding programs to increase demand. This, she argued, would gradually establish an inclusive seed system for increasing uptake of these underutilized but opportunity nutrient-dense crops.

Gloria Mutheu, a seed merchant at Dryland Seed Company, and Veneza Kendi, a student at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), discuss the vital role of youth in the seed systems value chain. (Photo: Maria Monayo/CIMMYT)

The consensus was clear: to enhance the seed systems for dryland crops, there must be collaboration across the entire value chain—from breeders to farmers, from policymakers to the private sector. This integrated approach is critical for Kenya’s climate change adaptation, food security, and promotion of sustainable agricultural practices.

Spearheaded by CIMMYT with financial support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the AVISA project seeks to improve breeding and seed systems of dryland crops, as well as the livelihoods of small-scale producers and consumers in sub-Saharan Africa. CIMMYT is leveraging this opportunity to advance research and expand its influence through its 2030 strategy that shapes the future of agriculture as a driver of food and nutrition security, and climate resilient, sustainable, and inclusive agricultural development.

Sow, grow, and thrive: a pathway to improve cassava farming in Zambia

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in Blogs.

For decades, women farmers like Maureen Bwalya from the Musa camp in Kasama district of northern Zambia, have upheld the tradition of cultivating cassava on ridges. These small piles of soil created by hand hoes, 30-50 cm tall and 50 cm wide are intended to reduce water logging and facilitate cassava growth. But forming row after row takes a significant amount of physical labor. Establishing ridges follows a traditional practice known as chitemene, a Bemba word which means “place where branches have been cut for a garden.”

Chitemene, a slash and burn technique once common in Zambia, involves cutting down standing trees in the Miombo woodlands, stacking the logs, and then burning them to create a thick layer of ash believed to enhance soil fertility. The ashen fields are initially cultivated with pearl millet and followed by crops like cassava. As years progressed, this method has been associated with adverse environmental impacts disrupting the ecosystem balance due to increasingly shortened fallow and recovery periods. However, with the ever-changing climate, Bwalya and other farmers recognize the need for sustainable practices that require less labor.

Alternatives to the traditional methods

Since childhood, Maureen Bwalya, a mother of seven from Musa Camp in the Kasama District of northern Zambia, has dedicated her life to cassava farming. Thriving under very low fertility and acidic soils, cassava has offered a lifeline amid the challenges of rural agriculture. When the Sustainable Intensification of Smallholder Farming Systems in Zambia (SIFAZ) project was introduced in the northern province, where cassava is a strategic crop, Bwalya saw a valuable opportunity for change to cultivate better practices that not only improve cassava yields but also replenish soil fertility in her fields.

“When I started these trials, it was a tough transition,” said Bwalya, reflecting on her journey. “Shifting from ridge planting to flat land cultivation posed its challenges as this practice was new to me. But with time, I have learned the advantages of intercropping: increased yields, less labor, and enhanced productivity, all of which enrich my farming practices.”

Maureen Bwalya gazes through her plot. (Photo: CIMMYT)

Implemented over the last five years by CIMMYT, in collaboration with FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture, SIFAZ aims to advance the intensification of farming practices and catalyze widespread adoption among farmers in Zambia. In the Musa camp, key partners took on the challenge of advancing better farming techniques with cassava. Their collective objective was clear: to identify methods that minimized labor intensity while maximizing yields. Through rigorous trials, including comparing flat land planting against traditional ridge systems and experimenting with intercropping cassava with common beans and groundnuts, promising results have been seen.

The outcomes yielded thus far have been nothing short of inspiring across farmers. It has become clear to farmers and researchers that cassava planted on flat land, particularly within a Conservation Agriculture (CA) framework, was not only feasible in high rainfall areas but also yielded significantly higher returns. Despite observing fewer root structures, the roots themselves proved to be robust and weighty, ultimately translating to increased productivity for smallholder farmers. Furthermore, farmers have confirmed that cassava from the CA plots tastes better than the one from the ridged portions.

“As a cassava trial implementer,” Bwalya said, “I undertook various trials exploring intercropping cassava with beans and groundnuts, across both flat and ridge systems.”

Thriving and innovating

Her six-hectare plot has become a hub of experimentation, with 0.3 hectares dedicated to the ongoing trials. Encouraged by the successes and promising yields witnessed on flat land, Maureen extended these sustainable practices to the remaining expanse, intercropping maize with cassava. Her results have been noticed, drawing the interest of over fifty neighboring farmers, inspired by her flourishing plot.

As the harvesting season approaches, Bwalya faces no shortage of opportunities to market her produce. From cassava cuttings to nutrient-rich leaves and tubers, she never runs short of eager buyers in local markets, ensuring a steady income for her family.

Navigating through the different trials across the Kasama district, pockets of adoption in some farmers’ fields are noticeable. Through collaborative partnerships and community engagement, SIFAZ strives to empower farmers with the knowledge and tools stemming from the trials to become more food secure in the face of evolving climatic challenges.

Successful surveillance results in early first detection of Ug99 in South Asia

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in News.

Successful global wheat disease surveillance and monitoring has resulted in early detection of wheat stem rust Ug99 in Nepal. A combination of vigilant field surveys and sampling by Nepal’s National Plant Pathology Research Centre (NPPRC) and National Wheat Research Program (NWRP), supported by rigorous and accurate disease diagnostics at the Global Rust Reference Center (GRRC), Denmark, resulted in confirmed detection of the Ug99 strain named TTKTT. The long running and sustained surveillance efforts undertaken by NPPRC and NWRP, including off-season surveys, proved vital in the detection of Ug99 in Nepal. Confirmed results were obtained from two field samples collected in early November 2023 from off-season summer wheat crops in Dolakha district, Nepal. Repeated experiments and high quality pathotyping and genotyping at GRRC confirmed the results.

“The combination of molecular genotyping of incoming samples, without prior recovery in our laboratory and independent diagnostic assays of recovered stem rust isolates, confirmed the presence of Ug99 and a highly virulent race variant termed TTKTT,” says professor Mogens Hovmøller, leader of the GRRC at Aarhus University in Denmark.

Suraj Baidya (NPPRC) and Roshan Basnet (National Wheat Research Program) undertake field surveys at Dandunghe, Dolakha, Nepal. (Photo: CIMMYT)

Ug99 was first detected in East Africa in 1998/99, and its unique virulence sparked fears that a large proportion of wheat cultivars globally would be at risk from this potentially devastating disease. The international wheat community came together through the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative (BGRI) to address the threats posed by Ug99. The BGRI partners have successfully monitored the evolution and spread of Ug99 and bred hundreds of resistant wheat varieties that are now being grown at scale in priority wheat growing regions. Migration of Ug99 from Africa to other regions, including South Asia, was always seen as likely due to the transboundary nature of the disease and long-distance dispersal of rust spores by wind.

Detection of a Ug99 race in Nepal is not therefore a surprise, but it highlights the effectiveness of the wheat rust surveillance and monitoring systems that have been developed. The disease was present at extremely low levels in the fields in Nepal, and early detection is one of the main factors in preventing disease spread. Other factors also contribute to reduced risk. The wheat on which the Ug99 race TTKTT was detected were fodder crops and cut soon after the surveys were completed, which prevented further buildup of disease. In addition, no wheat is grown in the main season in these areas, with farmers shifting to cultivation of potato (a non-host crop for stem rust).

According to Suraj Baidya, senior scientist and chief of NPPRC, “Extensive follow up surveys in the Dolakha detection area by NPPRC in the 2023/24 main season resulted in no wheat being observed and no detection of stem rust.” Similarly, extensive surveys by NPPRC throughout other wheat growing areas of Nepal in the 2023/24 main season have resulted in no reports of stem rust in the country. To date, extensive surveys in other countries in South Asia (Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan) have not detected stem rust in 2023/24.

Although the current risk of stem rust outbreaks is considered to be low, detection of the Ug99 race TTKTT in Nepal is a clear reminder of the threat posed to wheat production in South Asia by the incursion of virulent stem rust races or other plant diseases of concern. “The spread and risk from transboundary diseases like stem rust is increasing,” says Dave Hodson, leader of the Wheat Disease Early Warning Advisory Systems (DEWAS) project at CIMMYT. “Sustained and increased surveillance efforts are needed across the region and expanded to include other important emerging diseases.” Successful deployment of Ug99 resistant cultivars through the BGRI partners, including CIMMYT, ICARDA and NARS, has decreased vulnerability, but it is important to note that the race TTKTT is a recently evolved variant of Ug99 with additional virulence compared to the original strains. As a result, not all cultivars in South Asia may have effective resistance today. Screening of germplasm and major cultivars from South Asia against TTKTT at the Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO)/CIMMYT international stem rust screening nursery in Kenya is extremely important to get an accurate picture of current vulnerability.

The details of the diagnostic confirmation of Ug99 in Nepal are available at the GRRC website (see GRRC lab report)

Work on wheat disease surveillance and monitoring, plus breeding of resistant varieties is being supported by the DEWAS and AGG projects funded by BMGF and FCDO, UK.

Key partners –

National Plant Pathology Research Centre (NPPRC), Nepal. Contact: Suraj Baidya (suraj_baidya222@yahoo.co.in)

National Wheat Research Program (NWRP), Nepal. Contact: Roshan Basnet

Global Rust Reference Center (GRRC), Aarhus University, Denmark. Contact: Mogens Hovmøller (mogens.hovmoller@agro.au.dk)

Cornell University. Contact: Maricelis Acevedo (ma934@cornell.edu)

CIMMYT. Contact: David Hodson (d.hodson@cgiar.org)

Revolutionizing food security: Africa’s millet renaissance

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in News.

In a landmark initiative to bolster sustainable agriculture and food security, the consultative workshop ‘Bottlenecks to Expansion of Pearl and Finger Millets in Africa’ marked a pivotal step towards revitalizing millet cultivation across the continent. Spearheaded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in collaboration with CIMMYT and the Senegalese Institute of Agricultural Research (ISRA), a meeting held in Senegal united global experts to unlock the untapped potential of millets as a cornerstone of sustainable agriculture and food security in Africa.

The discussions included identifying the symptoms of the problem, underlying issues causing these symptoms, and the interventions needed to be implemented to address these issues. This collaborative efforts among national and international organizations including government bodies, research institutes, and NGOs, demonstrated the goal of revitalizing millet cultivation through partnerships.

A group photo of the participants in the ‘Bottlenecks to Expansion of Pearl and Finger Millets in Africa’ workshop in Senegal. (Photo: Marion Aluoch/CIMMYT)

The United Nations General Assembly declared 2023 the International Year of Millets to raise awareness of and direct policy attention to millets’ nutritional and health benefits and their suitability for cultivation under adverse and changing climatic conditions.

Long overlooked but brimming with potential, millets offer a sustainable solution for both farmers and consumers in terms of profitability, adaptability, and sustainability in farming, as well as healthier dietary options for consumers.

Lessons learned from India

India, a key player in millet production, provided valuable insights into millet cultivation and consumption, providing a potential model for Africa to emulate in its millet-related strategies.

To understand the growth of millets in India, the Indian Ambassador to Senegal, Naba Kumar Pal, highlighted the strategies used by the Indian government to raise awareness about millets as a nutritious cereal that contributes to food security and provides a nutritious dietary option aimed at eliminating hunger and improving nutrition in his opening remarks.

“The first step the government did was to rebrand millets from ‘coarse grains’ to ‘nutri-cereals’, a move that has significantly increased domestic consumption and market interest of millets in India,” said the ambassador.

Indian Ambassador to Senegal, Naba Kumar Pal, highlights the Indian government’s efforts to promote millets as a nutritional powerhouse. (Photo: Marion Aluoch/CIMMYT)

In Africa, millets are under appreciated and not utilized as crops. They are often labeled as a ‘poor man’s crop,’ ‘neglected crop,’ or ‘orphan crop’.  The negative connotations have, among other areas, influenced consumers’ perceptions. By changing the vocabulary from demeaning to empowering, millets’ image can be transformed from an overlooked option to a crop of choice in Africa.

The workshop also delved into policy advocacy and commercialization efforts in India, and how these strategies could be replicated in African contexts. Tara Satyavati and Dayakar Rao, representing Indian institutions, shared insights on millet production, nutritional evaluation, and the development of value-added products. The importance of policy intervention, such as increasing the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for millets and including them in public meal programs in India, was discussed. These measures not only provided financial incentives to farmers but also increased accessibility and consumption among the general population.

The two asserted that “millets offer a sustainable solution for both farmers and consumers in terms of profitability, adaptability, and sustainability in farming, as well as healthier dietary options for consumers.”

Millets are adaptable to diverse climates, have low water requirements, and provide nutritional benefits. African countries, which face similar issues in terms of climate change and food security, can use millets as a crop to promote environmental sustainability and economic viability.

National and international collaborations

A panel discussion shed light on national and international initiatives that highlighted collaborative efforts in crop improvement and millet innovations. On the national level, Hamidou Diallo from the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Equipment, and Food Sovereignty of Senegal (MAERSA) outlined a multi-pronged approach for Senegal. These approaches included increasing millet production, providing high-quality seeds, equipping local producers with essential tools and equipment, providing fertilizers to farmers, and expanding the overall cultivated areas of millet. These efforts represent a focused approach to leveraging agricultural innovation in millets to improve livelihoods and income for small-scale farmers.

“Aligning with the needs of the local community ensures the initiatives are impactful and resonate with the agricultural landscape and community needs,” he emphasized.

Insights into the international initiatives included discussions on innovative initiatives in the Dryland Crop Program (DCP), presented by Dryland Crops Program Director and Wheat Program Director Kevin Pixley, included the establishment of the African Dryland Crops Improvement Network, gene editing, a legumes mining project and the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) project, that will include millets as a prioritized crop.

“We need to find innovative ways to reach more farmers with options to improve their livelihood and popularize millets across different market segments,” said Pixley.

From left to right: Damaris Odeny (ICRISAT India), Geoff Morris (Colorado State University), Douglas Gayeton (co-founder of The Lexicon), Hamidou Diallo (MAERSA, Senegal), Kevin Pixley (director of the Dryland Crops Program), and Makiko Taguchi (FAO), engage in a panel discussion on the importance of national and international initiatives in promoting crop improvement and millet innovations, highlighting the collaborative spirit driving agricultural progress.

Other topics covered included insights from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) innovation lab on sorghum and millets, emphasizing the importance of African-led projects and addressing the knowledge gap between African and U.S. researchers.

The pioneering role of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), particularly in agri-business incubation, was noted, along with the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Crop Improvement, managed by USAID and Cornell University efforts in fostering regional collaborations.

Makiko Taguchi of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) emphasized the importance of global engagement in promoting millets as a sustainable and nutritious food source for global food security and agricultural development and highlighted the various initiatives and projects born of the International Year of Millets. Douglas Gayeton, co-founder of The Lexicon emphasized the role of effective messaging in changing people’s perceptions of millets. He underscored the importance of shifting away from terms like ‘neglected’ and ‘orphaned’ crops to more positive empowering language that resonates with consumers and policy makers.

CIMMYT’s role in dryland crop innovation

Recognizing the ever-evolving needs of society at large, CIMMYT began an initiative to advance research and broaden its impact by implementing the Dryland Crops Program. This approach is based on CIMMYT’s 2030 strategy, which will shape agriculture’s future as a driver of climate resilience, sustainable, and inclusive agricultural development, and food and nutrition security, all while meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Africa 2063 by promoting food security, improving nutrition, and mitigating the effects of climate change.

The meeting underscored the immense potential of millets in Africa to contribute to a resilient and nutritious future, reinforcing the need for continued collaboration, innovation, and investment in this vital crop. With the right mix of policy support, technological innovation and market development, millets could be the key to Africa’s resilient and sustainable agricultural future. The workshop concluded with a call to action for stakeholders to collaborate and implement innovative practices to enhance the growth of the millet sector in Africa.

A tale of two worlds: contrasting realities in southern and northern Zambia during El Niño

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in Blogs.

From the densely lush landscape of Zambia’s northern province to the arid terrain of the south, a stark reality unfolds, intensified by El Niño. Zambia’s agriculture faces contrasting realities yet potential lies in adaptive strategies, a diversified crop basket, and collaborative initiatives which prioritize farmers. Despite persistent challenges with climate variability and uneven resource distribution, the country navigates unpredictable weather patterns, emphasizing the intricate interplay between environmental factors and adaptation strategies.

A healthy maize and groundnut stand in the northern Province (left) and a wilting maize crop in the southern Province (right). These photos were taken two days apart. (Photo: Blessing Mhlanga/CIMMYT)

Unpacking El Niño’s impact in Zambia

El Niño presents a common challenge to both southern and northern Zambia, albeit with varying degrees of intensity and duration. The 2022/2023 season had above normal rainfall amounts, with extreme weather events, from episodes of flash floods and flooding to prolonged dry spells, especially over areas in the south. In the 2023/2024 season, the southern region has already experienced irregular weather patterns, including prolonged droughts and extreme temperatures, leading to water scarcity, crop failures, and significant agricultural losses. Although the growing season is nearing its end, the region has only received less than one-third of the annual average rainfall (just about 250 mm). Dry spells of more than 30 days have been experienced and, in most cases, coincide with the critical growth stages of flowering and grain-filling. A glance at farmers’ fields paints a gloomy picture of the anticipated yield, but all hope is not lost.

In contrast, the northern province stands out receiving above-average rainfalls beyond 2,000 mm, providing a different set of challenges for crop production. In this region, incidences of waterlogging are prominent although the effects are not as detrimental as the drought in the southern province. In general, crops in the northern province promise a considerable harvest as compared to the ones in the southern province.

Maize stover and its competing use

The scarcity of resources in southern Zambia extends beyond water availability, with the competition for maize stover, a valuable byproduct used for animal feed which can also be retained on the soil surface for fertility improvement and soil moisture conservation. With limited access to alternative fodder sources, farmers face challenges in meeting the nutritional needs of their livestock while maintaining soil fertility and conserving moisture. The struggle to balance the competing demands for maize stover underscores the complex dynamics of resource management in the region. This is further worsened by the low maize stover yield expected due to the dry conditions.

Implementing fodder trials, which include cultivating fodder crops like mucuna and lablab, intercropped or rotated with maize, offers a lifeline to farmers. While maize crops may wilt under the stress of El Niño-induced droughts, leguminous crops such as mucuna, lablab, cowpea, and groundnuts exhibit resilience, thriving in adverse conditions and providing a crucial source of food, feed, soil cover, and income for farmers. The ability of legumes to withstand environmental stressors highlights the importance of crop diversification in building resilience to climate change and ensuring food security in vulnerable regions.

Conversely, in northern Zambia, the abundance of agricultural resources allows for a more sustainable utilization of maize stover. Farmers have greater access to fodder alternatives and can implement integrated farming practices to optimize the use of crop residues. This enables them to mitigate the adverse effects of soil degradation and enhance livestock productivity, contributing to the resilience of their agricultural systems.

Use of more climate-smart crops

Drought-tolerant cassava grown in the northern province. (Photo: CIMMYT)

In southern Zambia, maize stands as the main crop, often supplemented with the integration of some leguminous crops integrated to some extent, to diversify the agricultural landscape. However, the relentless and longevity grip of El Niño has taken a negative toll on maize production, despite efforts to cultivate drought-tolerant varieties. As the dry spell persists, maize plants at the critical tasseling and silking stage face an uphill battle, as the dry and hot air has adversely impacted pollen and silk development.

The dissimilarity with the northern province, where cassava thrives from abundant water, is striking. This resilient crop, known for its drought tolerance, presents a promising alternative for farmers in the southern province grappling with erratic rainfall patterns. As climate change continues to challenge traditional agricultural practices, exploring resilient crops like cassava may offer a lifeline for communities striving to adapt and thrive amidst adversity.

In response to these radically different realities, the Sustainable Intensification of Farming Systems (SIFAZ) project, a collaborative effort of CIMMYT with FAO, the Ministry of Agriculture in Zambia, and the CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa, also known as Ukama Ustawi, have jointly promoted sustainable intensification practices to enhance the resilience of smallholder farmers.

The SIFAZ project is designed around the idea that strip crops and intercrops can add nutritional and economic value to Conservation Agriculture (CA) systems for smallholder farmers in Zambia. While traditional yield metrics provide some insight across the several intercropping treatments being tested on-farm, the true benefits of these cropping systems extend beyond mere output. SIFAZ recognizes the diversification synergy, emphasizing that “two crops are better than one.”

However, the outcomes of the SIFAZ project and the CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa have varied over the years between the two regions, reflecting the discrepancy in their agricultural landscapes.

Notably, regional differences in the adoption and success of these cropping systems have become apparent. In the northern province, crop-centric approaches prevail, leading to a higher concentration of successful crop farmers. Meanwhile, in the southern province, mixed systems that incorporate mixed crop-livestock systems achieve desirable effects. These findings highlight the importance of tailoring agricultural interventions to suit the specific needs and conditions of diverse farming communities.

Navigating the complex challenges of climate change requires a multifaceted approach that acknowledges the unique realities of different regions. By embracing adaptive strategies, harnessing indigenous knowledge, and fostering collaborative partnerships, Zambia can forge a path towards a more resilient and sustainable agricultural future, where farmers thrive despite the uncertainties of a changing climate.

Bargaining for Better: How gender roles in household decision-making can impact crop disease resilience

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in Publications.

‘A better understanding of the links between gender roles in household decision-making and the adoption of technologies can enhance the uptake of innovations in smallholder farming systems,’ concludes a recently published paper by CIMMYT. The paper connects women’s bargaining power in households with the adoption of rust resistant wheat varieties, based on the work of Accelerating Genetic Gains in Maize and Wheat (AGG) in Ethiopia.

“While an emerging body of literature finds positive correlations between women’s influence in household decision-making and socioeconomic, health, and nutritional outcomes, few studies have analyzed the links between intra-household decision-making and the adoption of agricultural technologies,” said Michael Euler, agriculture research economist at CIMMYT.

A case study in Ethiopia

For this study, researchers used a dataset from Ethiopian wheat-producing households.

Ethiopia is the second-largest wheat producer in Africa, with an aggregate grain production of 5.5 million metric tons and 4-5 million farmers engaged in cultivation. The Ethiopian Highlands are a hot spot for wheat rust. With recurrent epidemics in the last decade, the emergence of new strains of wheat rust increased production risks. On the positive side, farmers seem to be responsive to the management of rust diseases. Rust-resistant bread wheat varieties, released since 2010, have been widely adopted by smallholder farmers across Ethiopia.

The CIMMYT study surveyed 1,088 wheat-producing households in Ethiopia to analyze the links between women’s role in household decision-making concerning crop production and the adoption and turnover rates of rust-resistant wheat varieties. Female and male members from the same households responded separately, which facilitated capturing individual perceptions and the intra-household dynamics in decision-making.

Farmer Shumuna Bedeso weeds her wheat field. (Photo: Peter Lowe/CIMMYT)

Intra-household decision-making arrangements and wheat varietal choice

Overall, the study reveals a positive association between women’s role in decision-making regarding the selection of wheat seed and the adoption of rust-resistant wheat varieties and wheat varietal turnover. Findings may be related to differences in risk aversion between women and men farmers. While women farmers may tend to advocate for the adoption of rust resistant varieties to avoid potential financial difficulties that arise from purchase of fungicide in the growing season, men farmers may be more inclined to adopt high yielding varieties and use fungicides to combat rust within the season.

Spouses may agree or have different opinions regarding their decision-making roles. Spousal agreement on the woman having a role in making crop variety decisions is associated with higher adoption rates compared to spousal agreement that the woman has no role. Joint decision-making with mutually uncontested spousal roles may yield better outcomes due to larger combined exposure to information, as well as spousal discussion and reflection on potential implications of the varietal choice decision.

Conclusion: It is about negotiation, contestation and consensus

Household decisions, including the decision to adopt agricultural technologies often result from negotiation, contestation, and consensus between wife and husband. This process is shaped by diverging interests, motivations and objectives, while its results are determined by different levels of individual bargaining power. “Our findings indicate that women’s ownership of agricultural land and household assets is strongly associated with their active role in household decisions on wheat varietal choice, and with spousal agreement,” said Moti Jaleta, senior agricultural economist at CIMMYT. The dynamics in intra-household decision-making are likely to influence households’ adoption of agricultural technologies.

Disregarding the dynamics in decision-making implies that households are unilateral decision-makers, a scenario which probably does not hold true considering the level of spousal disagreement regarding their roles and influence in choosing crop varieties. A deeper understanding of the connections between gender dynamics in household decision-making and adoption choices can enhance the efficiency of public extension systems, increase the adoption rates of modern innovations, improve agricultural productivity, and enhance livelihoods in smallholder agriculture.

Read the complete paper here.

New edition of Scaling Scan emphasizes on sustainable and equitable impact

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in News.

The third edition of Scaling Scan, a user-friendly tool that helps teams reimagine innovation scaling processes, was launched in February 2024.

Developed six years ago by CIMMYT and partners, the tool assesses the status of ten scaling ‘ingredients’ such as business models, finance, evidence, public sector governance, etc. that are considered critical to achieving a scaling ambition. The tool highlights what project teams need to pay attention to on the journey to reach scale. It emphasizes the need to think strategically about potential scaling bottlenecks right at the beginning of the project.

The new edition incorporates feedback across users from voluntary organizations, CGIAR, and private companies, and responds more effectively to climate change and gender inclusivity challenges.

Features of the new edition: inclusive, socially responsible, and accessible

The third edition was developed by subject matter experts from CIMMYT, SNV the Netherlands, the Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the Alliance of Bioversity International and Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT).

There is more focus on scaling innovation as a means to contribute to food systems transformation with an upgrade on systems check. Users can go through the x-curve to reflect on what dominant technology or practice can be scaled down to make space for CIMMYT’s ‘innovation of interest’.

The upgraded tool takes into consideration social responsibility, acknowledging intersectional trade-offs for the beneficiaries when they scale innovations. It helps reflect upon who will win or lose from the scaling of these innovations, and how the scaling ambition can also include capacity-building and equality.

The parameters of environmental responsibility, which previously focused on how to use resources, now also includes an analysis of potential trade-offs and risks of scaling innovations.

Researchers and program managers still use linear approaches to scaling which are not suitable for complex development problems such as hunger and poverty. The latest edition improves the equity of scaling. The new edition is also more accessible and user-friendly; the interface is upgraded and is available in English, Spanish, and French

The new version includes updated tools to help users further analyze and plan their scaling strategies by strengthening their lowest ingredient.

There is also a workbook and a digital tool that can be used for both online and on-site settings. Check out the material and a forum to exchange opinions and questions on the application of the tool on the Scaling Scan webpage.

What’s next?

Coming up is a paper to help users learn more about previous experiences of organizations, academics, and practitioners using the Scaling Scan by collating the learnings of the past six years. It includes the analysis of the tendencies of the Scaling Scan results that have been used in different countries around the world, which can be useful for future enabling conditions assessments of innovations.

There is also an online course coming up which will train and certify users as a Scaling Scan trainer. Try the Scaling Scan tool today!

Acknowledgements

  • Intellectual collaborators from FAO, GIZ, and The Alliance Bioversity International and CIAT for their support in developing the third edition of the Scaling Scan.
  • CGIAR Low-Emission Agriculture Initiative (Mitigate +) for helping develop the workbook.
  • AgriLAC Initiative for the publication of the six years of experience in Scaling Scan.
  • DX Digital Initiative for support in developing the Scaling Scan course.

Network develops optimized breeding pipelines for accelerated genetic gains in dryland crops

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in Blogs.

Participants from the breeding pipelines optimization meeting at the Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya. (Photo: CIMMYT)

Partners from the Africa Dryland Crop Improvement Network (ADCIN) from 16 institutes in Africa came together for a four-day workshop in Nairobi, Kenya, during 19-22 September 2023, to critically review and optimize breeding pipelines for newly formed breeding programs. The meeting provided an opportunity for multidisciplinary scientists to better understand each other’s significant roles and contributions in achieving optimized breeding pipelines.

Nine female and 28 male scientists working across 14 countries made up the group of experts at the workshop, which included crop breeders, quantitative geneticists, crop protection scientists, genomics experts, and data analysts. Together, they collaboratively developed, assessed, and refined the various stages and processes of breeding pipelines. Most participants were crop breeding leads from the national agricultural research and extension systems (NARES) and CGIAR Research Centers, as well as members of the Breeding Informatics Working Group A, the first of its kind as a strategic leadership group of crop breeding experts.

The workshop sponsored by CIMMYT focused on improving genetic gains across six crops: chickpea, pigeon pea, finger millet, pearl millet, groundnut, and sorghum. The workshop was organized by CIMMYT experts, Abhishek Rathore, breeding data and informatics expert, Keith Gardner, quantitative geneticist, and Roma Rani Das, biometrician, and quantitative geneticist experts from the CGIAR Accelerated Breeding Initiative, Dorcus Gemenet and Christian Werner.

Multidisciplinary expertise in action

Under the guidance of the Associate Program Director and the Breeding Lead for Dryland Crops, Harish Gandhi, participants engaged in an array of advanced genetic approaches, statistical techniques, and quantitative concepts presented by the participating experts from CIMMYT and CGIAR Accelerated Breeding.

Each breeding program schema was reviewed from detailed quantitative genetic aspects and agreed project criteria, including choosing parents, the optimum number of parents, crossing designs, the number of generations, methodologies, testing strategies, and analytical frameworks. The group deliberated on the breeding strategies tailored for respective market segments and target product profiles to further improvise and optimize breeding pipelines to enhance the programs’ efficiency.

Agreements were reached on the number of founder parents, the number of crosses and progenies in various generations, line development method, evaluation and testing strategy, time until parental selection (cycle time), marker assisted selection (MAS), genomic selection (GS) strategy, making routine use of molecular markers for QA/QC. The team also finalized the breeding strategies tailored for respective market segments and target product profiles to further improvise and optimize breeding pipelines aimed at higher genetic gains.

In coordination with crop breeders from CIMMYT, the NARES dryland crop breeding leads presented the current schematics of breeding pipelines for both line and hybrid breeding, highlighting the market segment, Target Product Profile (TPP) and Target Product Environment (TPE).

The breeding informatics team also showcased the upcoming Dryland Crops Trial Information System dashboard, a one stop shops to capture, host, and provide information on the trials organized by the network’s NARES breeders across Africa.

Collaboration for genetic gains

Crop breeding experts discuss strategies for breeding pipeline optimization. (Photo: CIMMYT)

The value of partnership working was frequently highlighted by the speakers. Michael Quinn, lead of the CGIAR Accelerated Breeding Initiative, gave an overview of the initiative’s objectives and high-level goals in 2023, emphasizing the need to foster dialogue and alignment across breeding teams. He also underlined the importance of such hand-in-hand meetings for fostering cross-regional and cross-institute learning.

“Plant breeding has always been at the center stage of crop improvement, but it has become more and more important lately, and there is a need to bring more collaborative efforts across disciplines to realize higher genetic gains in our breeding programs,” said Kevin Pixley, Dryland Crops program director and Wheat program director during his virtual presentation.

“Interaction with the breeding leads from CIMMYT and the NARES in East and Southern Africa (ESA) and West and Central Africa (WCA) and other experts helped in cross learning from the advanced breeding programs,” said Maryam Dawud, plant breeder at the Lake Chad Research Institute in Nigeria. Such workshops are needed for developing optimized breeding pipelines, and we will need more such in-person workshops on advanced data analysis.”

Next steps for dryland crops

During the workshop, network partners came up with an optimized breeding pipeline incorporating advanced quantitative genetic and statistical principles aligned with the latest scientific advancements and market demands. The group further developed a six-month actionable plan split by region to address common bottlenecks across the crops, such as capacity building in data analysis, modernizing digital infrastructure, training and enhancing human capacity in the use of equipment, and managing staff turnover.

All these deliberations provided the network partners with better insights and hands-on-experience to design their breeding pipeline, outlining specific steps, responsibilities, and timelines for implementing the identified optimizations. This preparatory work will ensure there is a targeted and coordinated effort toward pipeline enhancement and accelerated genetic gain for dryland crops in the region.

Happy Daudi, head, Groundnut Research Program at Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), who participated in the workshop, stated, “Bringing in multidisciplinary experts provided a great opportunity to integrate various concepts of population improvement, product development, and deploying advanced statistical approaches for optimizing our breeding pipeline for achieving higher genetic gains, and accelerated variety turn over.”

Thank you to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and CGIAR, for their generous funding which made this workshop possible.

No Stones, No Grit! A game-changing technology to process small grain introduced in Zimbabwe

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in Blogs.

Farmers thresh wheat at an irrigation scheme. (Photo: CIMMYT)

In Zimbabwe, the traditional, laborious, and time-consuming small grain processing may soon belong to the past, thanks to a game-changing technology: a multi-crop thresher. This scale-appropriate machine offers a smarter and less strenuous way to produce high-quality small-grain meals, including in drought-prone regions, without being contaminated with sand or stone particles.

“One of the main impediments to large-scale adoption of sorghum and millet in drought-prone areas is the laborious task of threshing. This has been solved by introducing multi-crop threshers, which form a central part in the business of mechanization service providers in rural Zimbabwe”, says Christian Thierfelder, principal scientist and project lead for the Mechanization and Extension Activity.

The introduction of the multi-crop thresher not only alleviates the physical strain of manual threshing but also enhances the overall quality of small-grain products. This innovation is a crucial step forward in promoting the production and consumption of small grains in Zimbabwe, contributing to food security and improved livelihoods for farmers.

This innovation was introduced by the Feed the Future Mechanization and Extension Activity, implemented by CIMMYT and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to address the challenges of traditional small grain processing and offer new market opportunities to farmers.

Multi-crop thresher. (Photo: CIMMYT)

Small grain production and consumption has traditionally been a household favorite in Zimbabwe due to its rich nutritional content. However, the sand content and gritty texture, often associated with sorghum or millet meals, have led to a decline in consumers’ interest in it. The main culprit? The traditional method of manual threshing on the soil, a strenuous and time-consuming process that incorporates sand and gravel particles into the threshed grains (and then into flours), resulting in an unpleasant eating experience.

In Zimbabwe and across the region, small grain processing has been characterized by the arduous task of manual threshing using sticks. Women, often at the forefront of this task, repeatedly beat the heads of small grains on hard surfaces, such as granite or hard clay, to separate the grains. Despite efforts to minimize contamination by threshing them into sacks or on plastic sheets, the gritty taste persists. The subsequent winnowing, roasting, and milling do little to eliminate tiny soil and stone particles from the final product (flour) as physical separation is technically challenging.

The multi-crop thresher for smooth results

“Powered by an 8 HP diesel engine, the multi-crop thresher is a perfect machine to process sorghum, millets, maize (husked or un-husked), wheat, cowpea, sugar beans, and soybean,” says Abdul Matin, mechanization specialist and technical lead of the Mechanization and Extension Activity. “It is locally made in Zimbabwe and designed to promote mechanization as a business as it can easily be transported. It has high threshing efficiency, is fuel-efficient, easy to operate, and women friendly.”

The operator simply feeds the crop into the inlet hopper, and as it passes through the threshing drum, the machine efficiently separates the grain from the chaff, releasing clean grain through the outlet chute. “The thresher will help reduce decline of small grain production in the country and complement government efforts to expand its cultivation in Natural Regions IV and V in Zimbabwe,” Matin added. When operating the machine efficiently, one can thresh up to 0.5 tons per hour for small grains.

The multi-crop thresher, a vital component of climate-resilient agriculture

The multi-crop thresher is an efficient post-harvest machine that can process various grains. (Photo: CIMMYT)

CIMMYT organized awareness meetings, including the 2023 Seed and Mechanization Fairs, for farmers to witness the speed and quality performance of the multi-crop thresher. They could also assess the quality of pearl millet processed using the thresher and others threshing wheat in an irrigation scheme showcasing the efficiency of the process and improved grain quality.

“In our region, harvesting small grains was always laborious,” explains Paidamoyo Kaseke from Ward 4 in Chimanimani district, Manicaland province. “But thanks to the multi-crop thresher, it’s now much easier. It operates quickly and efficiently, delivering clean grains that we can promptly take to the mill. This technology has revolutionized our harvesting process, significantly reducing the time and effort required.”

“Not only do we promote new and effective technologies such as the multi-crop thresher in the project, but we also seek solutions for farmers without high incomes to be able to afford the thresher. That is why we are partnering with two Zimbabwean banks to make small-scale loans accessible to farmers at affordable rates and tenure times. This way, we can effectively scale the access to scale-appropriate mechanization solutions.” says Leon Jamann, chief of party for the Mechanization and Extension Activity.

As the 2023-2024 farming season has been dry with erratic rainfall, rainfed dependent farmers already face drought in large areas of Zimbabwe. However, the promotion of more climate-resilient small grains in 2023—declared by the United Nations the International Year of Millets—emphasizes their adaptability to climate change and their high nutritional value. The multi-crop thresher, a vital component of this initiative, ensures that farmers can efficiently process small grains despite the challenging climate conditions.

Seeds of change: one woman’s mission to transform her community

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in Features.

In the heart of Itumbula village in the Songwe district of Tanzania lives Venansia Swale, a farmer, mother, and community champion, who is turning the tide against food insecurity through the power of quality seeds. Swale has taken on the role of promoting improved seed in her community after experiencing firsthand the benefits of growing sorghum on her own farm with different seed.

“As a mother of five children, my biggest challenge is food shortage, and sorghum is our staple food,” said Swale. “Normally, I would harvest 450 kg from my three-acre farm, which isn’t enough for my family’s needs and leaves little surplus for selling. However, using quality seed this season, I harvested 990 kg. I’ve seen the benefits–not only can I feed my children for a year, but I can also earn income from the surplus.”

Swale positively impacts her village’s crop yields by championing delivery of quality seed. (Photo: CIMMYT)

Swale’s efforts began to extend beyond her own farm as she championed demand creation and consolidation in her village of Itumbula. She successfully created a demand of 574 kg, becoming her community’s sole distributor of quality sorghum seed. In the 2022-2023 season, she facilitated the supply of 134 kg of quality sorghum seed and 50 kg of quality maize seed.

So far, she has reached 300 farmers in partnership with CIMMYT and the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), sparking a transformative movement. One local farmer said, “As a community, we have come together to embrace quality seed, and Venansia has been at the forefront of this movement. Her dedication has significantly impacted food security.”

Despite being pregnant during the 2022 “Kizazi cha Mabadiliko” (the generation that will bring change) campaign, Swale remained unwavering in her determination and passion. She exemplifies the success of the Social and Behaviour Change interventions implemented by the Centre for Behaviour Change and Communication (CBCC).

The “Kizazi Cha Mabadiliko” campaign was developed and launched by CBCC in the Mbozi and Momba districts of Tanzania, aiming to increase awareness of the benefits of improved seeds. It was also designed to challenge negative perceptions and enhance motivation for participating in agricultural activities. The campaign underscores the importance of using improved seeds as a foundational element for a prosperous future in agriculture. The strategic design of the campaign ensures the efficient distribution of behavior change tools and materials, further demonstrating its impact through Swale’s inspiring example.

Sprouting new opportunities

Swale stands with some of her fellow choir members during the establishment of a demo plot at Itumbula. (Photo: CIMMYT)

Despite her impressive achievements, Swale remains forward-thinking. The village extension officer notes that while farmers have adopted improved seeds, poor farming practices persist, impacting yields. Inspired and invigorated, Swale plans to revolutionize her farming practices in the upcoming season, aiming for an even more significant impact.

Besides her role as a community champion, Swale is a member of the Sifa choir in her church. Leveraging her influence, she convinced nine fellow choir members to join the intervention, where they established and managed sorghum demonstration plots in their locality. The performance of quality seed inspired the choir to enlist as seed producers, and they secured two acres of land for seed production in the 2023- 2024 season.

Venansia’s vision goes beyond her own farm; she plans to produce seeds as part of the choir group and individually, allocating an acre for seed production and two acres for grain production. Hers is a story of personal triumph, showing the impact one person can have on an entire village, and a testament to the transformative power of community-led initiatives.

“The seeds we plant today will grow into a better tomorrow for all of us,” asserts Swale.

Accord of international center and Spanish cooperative seed supplier will bolster farmers’ access to climate-resilient wheat in the Mediterranean Basin

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in News.

Agrovegetal delegation stands with CIMMYT leaders and researchers. (Photo: CIMMYT)

A new agreement between a leading Spanish seed company, Agrovegetal, and the international research center CIMMYT will help safeguard the regional availability of high-yielding, climate-resilient varieties of wheat, the region’s vital food staple.

The agreement was signed on 21 February 2024 at the Mexico headquarters of CIMMYT, a non-profit organization whose breeding contributions are present in half the maize and wheat varieties sown in low- and middle-income countries.

It comes at a time when severe drought threatens wheat crops in Southern Europe and North African nations such as Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia and imports of wheat grain from traditional suppliers —Russia, the EU, Ukraine, and the US—are costly and constrained.

Since its formation in 1998 as a conglomerate of seed-producing cooperatives and a few industrial partners, Agrovegetal has been testing hundreds of CIMMYT breeding lines of bread and durum wheat (the latter used for pasta and couscous) and triticale (a wheat x rye hybrid) and returning high-quality data each year on the performance of this germplasm.

“The erratic rainfall, droughts, and crop disease patterns of Andalucía in southern Spain, where Agrovegetal tests the lines, are very much like those of North Africa, an important target region for CIMMYT genetics and agronomic solutions” said Bram Govaerts, director general of CIMMYT. “This new agreement, which guarantees the Agrovegetal-CIMMYT partnership through 2028, thus helps ensure CIMMYT’s capacity to offer outstanding, well adapted lines for the Mediterranean region, including North Africa’s national breeding programs, a great boon to farmers and consumers’ economies, food security, and nutrition.”

For its part, after several years of testing, Agrovegetal registers the most promising CIMMYT lines as improved varieties in Spain and markets their seed to members of its cooperatives.

“For us, the contributions of CIMMYT are invaluable,” said Ignacio Solis Martell, the company’s technical director. “Thanks to CIMMYT’s exceptional genetic material, Agrovegetal has become synonymous with resilience in Andalusia. Our varieties are renowned for their performance in the face of adversity, whether it be disease, drought, or other challenges.”

According to Govaerts, Agrovegetal offers an excellent model for burgeoning private seed enterprises in North Africa and elsewhere. “It shows how farmers, seed producers, and industry can join forces, skills, and resources to control seed, a critical factor in food production.”

Women farmers turn the tide on soybean production

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in Blogs.

Juliana Moises tends her soybean plot. (Photo: CIMMYT)

From the rich plateau landscapes of Angonia district in the Tete province of Mozambique emerges a tale of determination and hard work. Juliana Nicolau Moises, a mother of four, has been a devoted soybean farmer for more than a decade, tending to a crop whose pods carry the potential for value-added products, including milk and porridge for her children. But one wonders, what motivates smallholder farmers like Juliana to invest their efforts in soybean production.

“I have never looked back on producing soybeans,” reflects Moises. “This legume crop has allowed me to feed my family and meet my household needs, let alone the cash income from sales of the surplus crop. It has taken a lot of hard work and resilience to navigate through the complexities of soybean production.”

Entering her second season of implementing the Chinyanja Soy Use Case trials with CGIAR’s Initiative on Excellence in Agronomy, delivered in partnership with CIMMYT and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Moises eagerly anticipates a bumper harvest in the early planted fields. She has been avidly implementing trials on planting dates to establish the implications of early, mid, and late planting on soybean yield. Let alone the required attention to detail, she exudes a deep understanding of the significance of the trials by carrying out key agronomic practices to ensure a good harvest. This will not only nourish the health and wellbeing of her family but also symbolizes the fruits of her dedication.

Moises’s commitment extends beyond the trial she hosts as she implements her learning from the project to other fields, using innovative approaches like the double-row planting method. In soybean farming, this involves planting two rows of seeds on a wider ridge established on the traditional spacing that farmers use on maize. Traditionally, farmers in Angonia have been planting single rows of soybean on ridges spaced at 90 cm used for maize, thereby resulting in low soy plant populations and ultimately low yields. This different technique optimizes the plant population and land use efficiency, improving yields, and facilitating easier weeding.

Moises’s soybean plot in Angonia, Mozambique. (Photo: CIMMYT)

Despite the promise of enhanced production, challenges persist. Southern Africa continues to face a growing demand for soybeans, with annual productivity of 861,000 metric tons (mT) falling short of the 2-million-ton demand. In Mozambique, vibrant soybean farms blanket the landscape, yet smallholder farmers like Moises grapple with underdeveloped markets and climate-related adversities, such as droughts and floods currently worsened by the El Niño phenomenon.

“As a devoted soybean farmer, I have met my own fair share of challenges. One of our biggest challenges is the labor requirement across the production season,” shared Moises as she navigates through her fields. “We need machinery for planting, weeding, and harvesting in order to reduce the labor and drudgery associated with soybean production. In addition, markets remain a challenge.” Her unwavering commitment inspires neighboring farmers, creating a ripple effect of hope and determination in the community.

Sharing the same sentiments is Veronica Ernesto Gama, who teams up with her husband every year to tend to her soybean field. Having started in 2007, their yields have sustained the food basket of her family while meeting nutritional needs. “In the past, I used to just scatter around soybean seeds in one place, but after these trials, I have learned the significance of applying the agronomically recommended spacing and the need for quality improved seeds to ensure a bumper harvest,” said Gama.

The power of collaboration

Addressing these challenges head-on is CGIAR’s Excellence in Agronomy Chinyanja Triangle Soy Use Case, a collaborative effort aimed at strengthening the soybean industry primarily by empowering farmers with improved agronomic practices and decision support. Solidaridad, an international non-government organization (NGO) pursuing digital platforms for scaling agronomy, serves as the demand partner of the Excellence in Agronomy Chinyanja Triangle Soy Use Case, while CGIAR provides technical support. Solidaridad’s role is vital in catalyzing demand for the product or service in question. Research outputs drawn from the trials will be used to develop a mobile phone application on the Kvuno, a social enterprise borne out of Solidaridad. The platform will support farmers with onsite advisories on planting dates, site-specific fertilizer recommendations, variety selection, and crop configurations.

To date, the initiative has drawn the willingness of 70 farmers in the Angonia district of Tete province, who are implementing different suites of trials, including nutrient omission, planting date, plant configuration, and fertilizer usage. Excellence in Agronomy has come at an opportune time for smallholders’ journeys in soybean production, emphasizing the importance of optimized spacing and improved agronomic practices.

As the story unfolds in Mozambique, women like Moises and Gama are the unsung heroes driving soybean production. Their dedication, coupled with initiatives like Excellence in Agronomy, paint a picture of progress and potential. Their commitment inspires many surrounding farmers who draw inspiration on the trials in their fields. As the sun continues to rise over the dusty soils of Angonia, it showcases not just Moises’s fields, but the bright future of soybean production in the hands of resilient women farmers.

MARA-CIMMYT Joint Laboratory hosts CGIAR delegation

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in News.

CGIAR delegation arrives at the Joint Laboratory. (Photo: CIMMYT)

Several experts from across CGIAR, including Sonja Vermeulen, managing director of Genetic Innovation, Hugo Campos, CIP deputy director, Sarah Hearne, CIMMYT Genetic Resources program director a.i., and Charlotte Lusty, Genetic Innovation senior director gene banks, the Alliance Bioversity-CIAT, visited the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs MARA-CIMMYT Joint Laboratory on 25-26 January 2024.

The MARA-CIMMYT Joint Laboratory, hosted by Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), is a global leader in Chinese wheat quality and molecular development and application and plays a significant role in variety development, serving as an entry point for international collaboration.

The visit follows a China visit from CIMMYT’s Director General Bram Govaerts. “We remain committed to strengthening collaboration ties by continuing wheat and maize germplasm introduction, and climate change adaptation and carbon sequestration, two key issues we discussed, bearing in mind that our partnership with China is mutually beneficial and contributes to the world’s food security,” said Govaerts.

“The partnership between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and CIMMYT sets the standard for collaboration among CGIAR organizations and government ministries,” said Vermeulen. “And the timely and effective facilitation of the CAAS is a key part of this venture’s success.”

CGIAR delegation stands with Zhonghu He. (Photo: CIMMYT)

CIMMYT Distinguished Scientist and the Country Representative for China, Zhonghu He, presented the history and achievement of the China-CIMMYT partnership.

“CIMMYT maize varieties have been planted on more than 1 million hectares across China and three thousand new inbred lines were introduced to broaden the genetic base of Chinese maize germplasm,” said He. “The MARA-CIMMYT partnership has released thirteen commercial maize varieties in Nepal and elsewhere.”

The delegation received a first-hand look at noodle quality evaluation and gave high recommendation to the wheat variety Zhongmai 578, derived from CIMMYT germplasm with high-yield potential and excellent pan bread and noodle qualities. It is planted on half a million hectares across China, with a yield of six-thousand tons, leading to both improving farmer income and enhancing the competitiveness of the food industry in China.