CGIAR has launched a pilot program in Zimbabwe’s Mbire and Murehwa districts to promote agroecological solutions, with CIMMYT as a key partner. The initiative aims to develop sustainable farming practices by addressing challenges like pest outbreaks, drought, and access to quality seeds. CIMMYT’s involvement includes introducing innovative technologies such as demonstration plots and seed fairs, designed to enhance agricultural resilience and sustainability in the region. This collaborative effort seeks to empower local farmers and create a more sustainable agricultural system in Zimbabwe.
Umm Zeina, a 40-year-old farmer living in El Nahal, in Sudan’s Gadarif State, was not happy with her yield, blaming the poor seeds and traditional techniques she was using. This was until she participated in the extensive seeds production training program organized by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).
“We learned a lot on how to produce seeds and how to control the parasite Striga mixed with crops. The training draws our attention to the fact that the availability of quality seed is the foundation for food production and productivity. As traditional farmers, we had very poor information about the availability, characteristics, and prices of seed of improved varieties,” Umm Zeina stressed.
ICRISAT’s extensive training attracted more than 350 (68 female) seed producer farmers from El Fashaga and El Nahal localities aimed at helping seed producers provide seeds of appropriate varieties for use by different categories of farmers. Farmers were also trained in better selection, treatment, and storage of seed from their own farms. The training also focused on the production of disease-free seeds to support agricultural productivity and success. The training helped to enhance farmers’ demand for improved seeds and eventually aimed to deliver improved seeds to more than 6000 farmers in El Fashaga, El Nahal and other neighboring localities.
This training was held as part of CIMMYT’s Sustainable Agrifood Systems Approach for Sudan (SASAS) program, which empowers farmers and herders to reduce the need for humanitarian assistance even in conflict-affected Sudan. In the context of the atrocious food crisis in Sudan, SASAS and partners work to ensure that farmers produce the quality seeds they need to enhance food production amid escalating conflict.
In El Fashaga and El Nahal localities, the seeds production training focused on sorghum, as this crop is widely adapted and drought tolerant as well as it is a staple crop to strengthen food security and contributes to agricultural diversity and economic growth in the regions where it is cultivated.
“During the training, we learnt a lot on how to choose the best seeds to produce improved seeds and how to choose the land, isolation area, and cleanliness to harvest. I was extremely interested to learn more about how to keep the seed to its purest form for replanting purposes and human or animal consumption,” said Tarig Hassan, a farmer living in El Nahal locality.
The seeds production training also aimed at maintaining seeds quality control through training and regulatory systems, and how to multiply and distribute seeds in a timely manner and at a price affordable for farmers. Farmers also learnt to use a revolving seed mechanism to make available seeds for many new seed producer farmers for the next season through farmer-to-farmer seeds distribution.
“The seed production training is not only on how to produce quality seeds and protect loss of seeds, but also about the use of diversified seeds of sorghum, millet and ground nut that serve for both food and nutrition security”, said Gizaw Desta, Senior Scientist in ICRISAT.
SASAS’s objective is to improve food security and access to income-generating opportunities through the adoption of sustainable agriculture practices and the promotion of agri-processing and post-harvest management. It focuses on supporting smallholder crop and livestock farmers to adapt their farming activities to climate change and abiotic pressures by diversifying their crops to further cushion themselves from climatic vagaries, reduce post-harvest loss, and improve market participation, and functionality. Women and youth are supported through training and agricultural and veterinary inputs to increase income generation activities and access to economic resources.
“At SASAS, we strive to train farmers in basic farm seed production. This helps preserve and expand the diversity of the seed on which our food systems in Sudan rely. Considering the dire food security situation in the country, we fully encourage farmers to be engaged in seeds production to provide different and improved seed varieties,” said Abdelrahman Kheir, SASAS Chief of Party in Sudan.
SASAS works with ICRISAT to uplift smallholder farmers and ensure food security in semi-arid tropics. SASAS partners are committed to elevating crop productivity, resilience, and sustainability vital to dryland communities’ prosperity. This steadfast commitment profoundly affects millions in the world’s most challenging agricultural regions.
Food security in the prevailing uncertain climatic and economic conditions can only be guaranteed by deliberate actions toward maximizing production, especially in stress-prone environments. The main priority of the CGIAR and NARS breeding programs is to enhance genetic gain in crops through the assessment of seed varieties with drought-resilient, nutritional, and yield traits. This is achieved by leveraging data-driven approaches and embracing contemporary tools and methodologies.
Innovative approaches such as molecular tools, doubled haploid technology, and refined breeding schemes have greatly contributed to the strides made in CIMMYT’s endeavor to elevate genetic gain within breeding pipelines. These advancements not only drive improved productivity but also promise cost-effective strategies for navigating the challenges posed by climate variability.
Molecular Tools
In maize breeding, traditionally, at each stage of the pipeline, entries are grown in multi-location trials. Phenotyping in multiple environments helps to select the best entries not only based on their genetic values but also on environmental factors and their interaction with diverse environments. However, this is also a labor-intensive and time-consuming step in the breeding pipeline. Molecular breeding offers a transformative solution by expanding breeding programs while minimizing phenotyping requirements. It is a well-known fact that trait phenotype results from both genetic and non-genetic factors, with genetic factors being contributed by the expression of genes at the DNA level.
Identifying genomic regions close to causative genes for traits of interest, such as high yield, disease resistance, or quality, can help to incorporate desirable genes/alleles into selected elite genotypes. DNA-based markers aid in efficiently tracking the inheritance of genetic traits, thereby facilitating the selection of desired traits in breeding programs. Marker-assisted forward breeding accelerates the selection of plants with desired traits by identifying the genetic markers associated with those traits. With such harnessed genotypic information, breeders can pre-select genetic material before embarking on the resource-intensive phenotyping stages. This strategic utilization of molecular markers, particularly in identifying susceptibility to key diseases like maize streak virus (MSV) and maize lethal necrosis (MLN), enables the judicious allocation of resources for phenotyping.
Figure 1. Summary of marker-assisted forward breeding across six breeding pipelines for MLN- and MSV-resistance haplotypes over the past six years.
Since 2018, CIMMYT has been implementing marker-assisted forward breeding for MSV and MLN. Since then, more than 100,000 pure breeding lines have been tested by examining their favorable haplotypes with a small set of 10 genetic markers and discarding the lines carrying unfavorable haplotypes for MSV and MLN resistance. In the last six years, nearly 30,000 lines have been rejected before undergoing field testing. In southern Africa, for instance, a rapid response to seed movement using molecular and serological techniques prevented the spread of MLN and facilitated the incorporation of resistance traits into new plant varieties.
Most hybrids in the final stages of breeding pipelines are passed through forward breeding. While Fall Armyworm, Gray Leaf Spot, common rust, and Turcicum Leaf Blight also cause substantial yield reductions in sub-Saharan Africa, research carried out under the AGG project indicates that the genetic makeup of these traits is oligogenic, governed by both moderate and small effect quantitative trait loci (QTLs), but lacking a single major-effect QTL and not amenable to forward breeding. This means that their resistance is influenced by complex multiple genetic factors, rather than being primarily controlled by a few major genetic regions. Alternatively, these biotic stress traits can be improved effectively through genomic selection.
Genomic selection is used to improve complex traits that are controlled by many small-effect QTLs. This approach does not require prior genetic information about the trait of interest and uses genome-wide marker information to estimate all marker effects and select individuals with high genomic-estimated breeding values (GEBVs). This means it uses data from various genetic markers to predict which individuals are likely to have desirable alleles for MSV and MLN. Genomic selection is being applied for grain yield under drought stress, and efforts are underway to extend its application to address more complex challenges related to plant diseases and pests. Foliar diseases are moderately complex traits.
Proof of concept on applying genomic selection for foliar diseases like gray leaf spot and northern corn leaf blight showed high prediction accuracies, supporting the implementation of genomic selection together with forward breeding for other traits at the early stage of the breeding pipeline. Implementing genomic selection for GY under optimum and drought management proved that maize breeders could obtain the same gain as with conventional breeding, where all entries are phenotyped in the field, but at approximately 35-40% less cost. Many candidate hybrids now entering the advanced stages of the breeding pipeline were developed using genomic selection. Several of our earlier studies (Beyene et al., 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021; Chaikam et al., 2019; Crossa et al., 2017; Prasanna et al., 2022; Vivek et al., 2017) showed that breeding pipelines achieved high genetic gain by adopting new molecular tools, thus confirming the benefit of adopting molecular breeding tools.
Currently, in CIMMYT’s eastern and southern breeding pipelines, all product profiles are using genomic selection at stage I, where the training population is evaluated in multiple locations with a sparse design, estimating the GEBVs for the unphenotyped lines, and using GEBVs and phenotypic BLUPs of test crosses in the selection for stage II. This process allows the handling of a large number of lines at stage I with a fixed budget without losing selection accuracy. Since 2017, we have used the “test half and predict half” strategy (Figure 2), where all the lines were genotyped with mid-density markers, and the selected ~50% of the total stage I lines were testcrossed and evaluated in multiple locations to be used as a training population to estimate the GEBVs for the other 50% of the unphenotyped lines for the traits of interest. High prediction correlations were observed in three selected product profiles for GY under optimum, managed drought, and low soil N conditions (Figure 3).
Genomic selection is also implemented to reduce the breeding cycle. However, our final products are three-way cross hybrids, where genomic selection is applied only to select the best line rather than selecting the best hybrid combinations. Historical data were used to test the possibility of reducing the breeding cycle. However, our results showed that the use of historical data to predict 100% of lines from the current year yielded low to moderate prediction correlations both under optimum and drought conditions for GY, anthesis date, and plant height (Figure 4). Incorporating 10 to 30% of the testing population into the training population leads to high prediction correlations. This concludes that by using historical data, the training population, which needs to be test-crossed and evaluated in multiple locations every year, can be reduced from 50% to 10-30%, which helps breeders allocate the saved resources to evaluate more lines without losing prediction accuracy.
Doubled Haploid Technology
Doubled haploid technology speeds up the creation of inbred lines by producing entirely uniform lines. Pedigree line development is a traditional method in plant breeding aimed at gradually improving and stabilizing the genetic makeup of the new variety over time. It involves multiple generations of controlled crosses between parent plants with known characteristics. Each subsequent generation is carefully selected based on specific traits of interest, such as yield, disease resistance, or quality. Pedigree line development is expensive, particularly when nurseries are in remote locations.
Unlike traditional methods where some genetic variation remains, doubled haploid lines are completely homogeneous. This means that there is increased heritability of desirable traits and improved accuracy of selection. Doubled haploid technology, which is more compatible with the use of molecular markers, simplifies breeding processes and shortens the time needed to develop inbred lines (Chaikam et al., 2019).
The first doubled haploid facility in Africa was established in 2013 and is extensively used by the CGIAR, NARES, and the private sector. Over the past five years, 1,349 populations have been induced and more than 223,144 doubled haploid lines delivered to breeding programs from CGIAR, NARES, and the private sector in sub-Saharan Africa. Shifting from traditional pedigree-based breeding to doubled haploid technology has shown a high impact on key breeding metrics (gain per cycle and gain per year) not only in CIMMYT but also in national partners’ breeding programs, thus increasing genetic gain within the available budget.
Figure 2. Number of lines evaluated with phenotypic selection (PS) and genomic selection (GS) at stage I in EAPP1 product profile from 2017 to 2023. (PS – phenotypic selection, GS – genomic selection)Figure 3. Prediction correlations for grain yield (GY) under optimum (OPT), drought (MDt) and low soil N (low N) management conditions in EAPP1, EAPP2 and SAPP1 at stage I in 2023
Figure 4. Prediction accuracies for grain yield (GY), anthesis date (AD) and plant height (PH) estimated from independent validation schemes using a training population (TRN) consisting of 2017- and 2018-years breeding data and 10%, 30%, 50%, 70% and 90% of 2019 data converted from the testing population (TST) to the training population under optimum and managed drought conditions
References
Beyene, Y., Gowda, M., Olsen, M., Robbins, K. R., Pérez-Rodríguez, P., Alvarado, G., Dreher, K., Gao, S. Y., Mugo, S., and Prasanna, B. M. (2019). Empirical comparison of tropical maize hybrids selected through genomic and phenotypic selections. Frontiers in plant science10, 1502.
Beyene, Y., Gowda, M., Pérez-Rodríguez, P., Olsen, M., Robbins, K. R., Burgueño, J., Prasanna, B. M., and Crossa, J. (2021). Application of genomic selection at the early stage of breeding pipeline in tropical maize. Frontiers in Plant Science12, 685488.
Beyene, Y., Gowda, M., Suresh, L. M., Mugo, S., Olsen, M., Oikeh, S. O., Juma, C., Tarekegne, A., and Prasanna, B. M. (2017). Genetic analysis of tropical maize inbred lines for resistance to maize lethal necrosis disease. Euphytica213.
Beyene, Y., Semagn, K., Crossa, J., Mugo, S., Atlin, G. N., Tarekegne, A., et al. (2016). Improving maize grain yield under drought stress and non-stress environments in sub-saharan africa using marker-assisted recurrent selection. Crop Science 56, 344–353. doi: 10.2135/cropsci2015.02.0135
Beyene, Y., Semagn, K., Mugo, S., Tarekegne, A., Babu, R., Meisel, B., Sehabiague, P., Makumbi, D., Magorokosho, C., and Oikeh, S. (2015). Genetic gains in grain yield through genomic selection in eight bi‐parental maize populations under drought stress. Crop Science55, 154-163.
Chaikam, V., Molenaar, W., Melchinger, A. E., and Prasanna, B. M. (2019). Doubled haploid technology for line development in maize: technical advances and prospects. Theor. Appl. Genet. 132, 3227–3243. doi: 10.1007/s00122-019-03433-x
Crossa, J., Pérez-Rodríguez, P., Cuevas, J., Montesinos-López, O., Jarquín, D., de los Campos, G., et al. (2017). Genomic selection in plant breeding: Methods, models, and perspectives. Trend Plant Sci. 22, 961–975. doi: 10.1016/j.tplants.2017.08.011
Prasanna BM, Burgueño J, Beyene Y, Makumbi D, Asea G, Woyengo V, Tarekegne A, Magorokosho C, Wegary D, Ndhlela T, Zaman-Allah M, Matova PM, Mwansa K, Mashingaidze K, Fato P, Teklewold A, Vivek BS, Zaidi PH, Vinayan MT, Patne N, Rakshit S, Kumar R, Jat SL, Singh SB, Kuchanur PH, Lohithaswa HC, Singh NK, Koirala KB, Ahmed S, San Vicente F, Dhliwayo T, Cairns JE. 2022. Genetic trends in CIMMYT’s tropical maize breeding pipelines. Scientific Reports 12, 20110. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-24536-4
Vivek, B. S., Krishna, G. K., Vengadessan, V., Babu, R., Zaidi, P. H., Kha, L. Q., et al. (2017). Use of genomic estimated breeding values results in rapid genetic gains for drought tolerance in maize. Plant Genome 10, 1–8. doi: 10.3835/plantgenome2016.07.0070
Science without policy is just academia; policy without science is just guesswork. Through a blend of robust field research and policy advocacy, CIMMYT aims to bridge the gap between policy and practice in promoting sustainable agricultural practices through crop diversification in South Asia.
Taking Bangladesh as an example, CIMMYT’s work in the country highlights the critical need to link research with policy to achieve sustainable agricultural practices, enhance food security, and improve farmer livelihoods.
The power of research-informed policy
Bangladesh’s agriculture is highly rice-centric; although rational, this is risky and arguably unsustainable. This means there needs to be a focus on crop diversification, which is one of the approaches toward sustainable agriculture that can address socioeconomic and environmental challenges.
Recognizing these challenges, CIMMYT has been at the forefront of developing solutions by conducting extensive multi-location on-site and on-farm trials that consider the socioeconomic and pedoclimatic dimensions of farm households.
Additionally, CIMMYT analyzes historical policies and initiatives that have been implemented by the Bangladeshi government and international partners to promote crop diversification. Several opportunities for improvement were identified in past policies and project implementation; addressing these challenges requires bridging the gap between policies and research to scale up crop diversification efforts.
Through the RUPANTAR and CGIAR Transforming Agrifood Systems in South Asia (TAFSSA) projects, CIMMYT-Bangladesh has developed an analytical tool to understand the political economy of crop diversification policies and practices. When applied to agriculture policy research, this tool can be tailored to any country and policy context in South Asia.
For example, while the government recognizes crop diversification in its agriculture policies starting with the Fifth Five-Year Plan, substantial funding for crop diversification efforts was only recently allocated. Integration of crop diversification into the government’s annual funding systems is essential to mainstream crop diversification in agriculture.
Many crop diversification policies and projects primarily focus on production, neglecting market systems development for new crops. Similarly, research suggests insufficient attention is paid to cold storage and other infrastructure needed to support diversification.
Most initiatives appear to have been project-driven, resulting in short-lived action without long-lasting impact. Insufficient coordination and support from government agencies appears to have affected projects led by both governments and development partners.
Stakeholder engagement spreads awareness
Without translating research into policy, we leave innovation on the shelf. CIMMYT-Bangladesh disseminates research findings to policymakers through the country Priority Investment Plan for the crop sector at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC), and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member countries through regional consultation workshops on accelerating the transformation process for sustainable and nutrition-sensitive food systems.
Looking ahead, CIMMYT’s efforts in South Asia remain dedicated to bridging the gap between research and policy. Ongoing projects aim to generate robust evidence, advocate for informed policy decisions, and foster partnerships across sectors. By continuing to lead in this space, CIMMYT strives to contribute to a more resilient agrifood system for South Asia.
Wheat breeding strategies for increased climate resilience
With the challenges of climate change already affecting plant breeding, especially warmer days and warmer nights, the time to future proof the world’s food supply is now. In order to make the best-informed changes, scientists at CIMMYT ran simulations mimicking five scenarios that might play out over the next 70+ years.
The researchers used 3,652 breeding line records from six global nurseries administered by the International Wheat Improvement Network, which is coordinated by CIMMYT, and involves hundreds of partners and testing sites worldwide. Researchers ran the data through five different climate change scenarios, ranging from stable to severe.
Along with colleagues from Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China, ICARDA, and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, CIMMYT scientists published their research in Nature Climate Change.
The results showed that less than one-third of wheat varieties adapted well to the warming the planet has already seen in the last 10 years. As temperatures increased in the simulation, researchers found a clear connection between rising temperatures and lower stability for a variety. As the global wheat-growing area becomes warmer and experiences more frequent heatwaves, breeding programs have to look beyond just yield optimization.
“Stability is key for breeding programs and farmers,” said co-lead author Matthew Reynolds, CIMMYT distinguished scientist and head of wheat physiology. “Knowing that a specific variety works well in a specific environment and produces an expected amount of yield allows farmers better plan their crop futures.”
“We performed the analysis from different perspectives, so that climate effects and appropriate adjustment suggestions for current breeding models can be considered from climate change, gene selection and/or gene–environment interaction perspectives,” said co-lead author Wei Xiong, CIMMYT Senior Scientist and Agricultural System Modeler.
The paradox of breeding elite lines
Local and regional breeding programs, as well as targeted breeding by CIMMYT, contribute to gene pools that overlap for many key agronomic traits, which limit genetic diversity.
“It is an unintended consequence,” said Reynolds. “As conventional breeding focuses on crossing the best and elite material, such focus can actually reduce genetic diversity.”
This ‘paradox’ shows the need to increase genetic variability and environmental diversification in breeding programs that are developing higher-yielding climate-resilient cultivars. Breeding programs also need to target traits associated with improved adaptation to increased temperatures and tolerance to heatwaves, which requires multidisciplinary integration.
Looking to the past for answers
Over the past 10,000 years, the climate has been unusually stable, meaning modern, domesticated bread wheat has not been exposed to wide swings in temperature that are forecast for the next 100 years. Wild wheat relatives, like Triticeae, have had millions of years of experience in weathering changing climates.
CIMMYT has a pre-breeding program that examines wild wheat races and more exotic sources for climate resilience traits. When such traits are identified genetically, new breeding techniques such as gene editing can be employed and breeding models refined.
To activate these new techniques, several barriers need to be overcome, including more sharing of germplasm between countries and breeding teams, the use of faster breeding cycles where appropriate and improved understanding of genes that improve heat tolerance without a yield penalty.
With reduced climate resilience and slow cultivar development, the need to increase genetic variability for climate adaptation is urgent, particularly in developing countries, where warming rate is unprecedented, and breeding cycles tend to be longer than in developed countries.
“Faced with more climate variability, breeders need to revisit their breeding strategies to integrate genetic diversity that confers climate resilience without penalties to productivity,” said Reynolds.
The Africa-China-CIMMYT Science Forum in Nairobi gathered experts from China and Africa to explore strategies for transforming agrifood systems through innovation and cooperation. Organized by CAAS and CIMMYT, the forum emphasized the importance of collaboration in addressing food security, rural poverty, and climate resilience in Africa. Key discussions focused on the benefits of technology transfer and research partnerships to support smallholder farmers and advance agricultural modernization across the continent.
Maize production in Kenya is a critical component of the country’s agriculture and food security. However, climate change poses a serious threat to its production. Changes in temperature and precipitation patterns can affect maize growth, reduce yields, and increase the incidence of pests and diseases.
Prolonged droughts and unpredictable rainfall can lead to crop failures, while extreme weather events can damage crops and infrastructure. As the climate continues to change, it is essential for Kenyan farmers to adopt resilient agricultural practices and more adapted seed products to safeguard maize production and ensure food security for the population.
For decades, seed companies as well as governments and donors have invested in maize hybrid breeding. Dozens of new hybrids have been made available to seed companies throughout East Africa for multiplication and distribution. These hybrids are designed and tested to outperform older hybrids in terms of yield under rainfed conditions, to include tolerance to drought and pests.
However, the potential impact of these investments has been hampered by the slow turnover of hybrids among farmers. Research has shown that, despite the availability of newer, higher-performing varieties, farmers tend to purchase older, less productive hybrids. The ‘turnover problem’ in Kenya has been described by CIMMYT researchers in a recent publication.[1]
One of the constraints responsible for the low turnover of varieties is a lack of information among farmers on the performance of the newer products. Despite advancements in the development of new seeds and the retail infrastructure to reach farmers, neither the public nor the private sector is generating and disseminating information on the performance of different maize seed products across various agroecologies. Farmers therefore have choice overload but lack objective information on relative seed performance required to make informed seed choices across seasons and growing conditions.
CIMMYT conducted a field experiment to shed light on the potential influence of seed-product performance information on farmers’ seed choices. The study involved aggregating and packaging farmer reported yield data for some seed products and presenting this to randomly selected farmers at the point of sale to assess whether the new information would influence their choice of products. The study was conducted in Kirinyaga and Embu counties where, like many parts of Kenya, farmers have access to a diverse range of maize seed products from seed companies which promise benefits like higher yields and improved resilience but lack objective information on their performance which could support their choices, including when to switch and to what.
The study was conducted in March 2024, at the onset of the long rain season. The research team collaborated with 36 local agro-dealers in five towns and surveyed over one thousand farmers. Farmers were intercepted as they approached the agro-dealer outlets and briefed about the study. Upon consent, they were informed on the benefits of trying something new (experimenting with varieties) and were offered a voucher for one free bag of maize seed to encourage them to try a seed product new to them. They then were randomly assigned to two experimental groups: treatment and comparison. Participants in the treatment group were shown a chart containing product-specific yield data on maize hybrids grown in their counties (see the chart below). The chart contained farmer-reported yields from the previous year’s long rain season aggregated at two levels: county average yield and the average yield of the top 25% of farmers who realized the highest yields. The latter demonstrated the actual potential of a seed product. They were asked that, if they wished, they could choose the voucher product for experimentation from the list but they were not required to. Participants in the comparison group were offered placebo information that would not affect their seed choice: they were given some fun facts about Kenya and agriculture in Kenya. We assess the effect of the information on the choice of the bag of seed they were buying with the voucher to experiment with.
Table 1: Product-specific performance information on maize seed products in Kirinyaga March-August 2023 *actual product names have been removed for this blog*
Before they made any purchases, the customers were asked about which maize seed they intended to buy. After purchase, they were interviewed again to find out which maize seeds they bought and how they had used the voucher.
What we found
Majority of the treatment farmers had a very positive evaluation of the information they received, indicating that they found it relevant and useful when making seed choice. Specifically, over 90% of them said that the information was trustworthy and easy to understand while about 80% said that the information was easy to recall. Over 80% of them disagreed that the list of varieties was too long to comprehend, the information on varieties was similar and hard to differentiate and that it was hard for them to choose a variety from the list.
This positive evaluation of the information is also reflected in their seed choices. Pre-purchases (before they entered the agrodealer store), farmers who were exposed to the performance information showed increased certainty in their choices and a higher inclination towards products listed in the product performance data, particularly the top-performing varieties. While 5% of the comparison farmers indicated that they did not know what to buy with their vouchers, only 2% of the treatment farmers suffered the same uncertainty. Such farmers relied mostly on agro-dealers to recommend a product they could experiment with.
As shown by the bar chat below, only 7% of comparison group farmers desired to use their vouchers on (or had an effective demand for) products which were the top two in the product performance lists. This increased to 27% among the information group farmers, representing an increase of 286% in the demand of top performing products.
However, although our intervention relaxed an essential constraint (product performance information) and increased the demand for some seed products, the actual purchases were subject to other constraints, stock-outs key among them. As a result, both groups showed shifts from initially desired products in their actual purchases. Even so, the treatment group maintained a stronger alignment with the listed products, exhibiting a higher likelihood of purchasing top-performing products. Only 5% of farmers in comparison group used their vouchers to purchase products which were top two in the product performance lists. This increased to 13% among farmers in the treatment group, representing a 160% increase in the likelihood of purchasing the best performing products in the lists.
Reflections
Slow varietal turnover among maize farmers in E. Africa is a pervasive problem and there is no one solution to it. This research shows that information on product performance can be an effective approach in bringing to the attention of farmers newer, more adapted and better yielding seed products. Dissemination of such information can be incorporated in extension programs, shared at the point of sale, shared through SMSs and WhatsApp messages, displayed in posters fixed in public places, etc.
The findings offer clear recommendations for future investments in seed systems development. These include the implementation of new product testing regimes to ensure quality and objectivity of performance data, testing what other information would be useful to farmers – beyond yield data, exploring new marketing options to reach farmers more effectively, and considering additional approaches to empower farmers with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions thus leading to improved agricultural productivity, resilience, and livelihoods.
In conflict-ridden Sudan, Gadarif State in Eastern Sudan is the most important region for sorghum production, with about 5-6 million feddan (5.18-6.22 acres) cultivated on an annual basis on large scale farms equipped with agricultural machinery. However, like the country, the state is covered with vertisols, clay-rich soils that shrink and swell with changes in moisture content, that become waterlogged and cannot be properly cultivated during rainy season.
To address the issue, technical experts from the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) are mapping areas affected by waterlogging in two localities, namely El Fashaga and El Nahal, to identify the most suitable lands to establish large drainage implementing sites integrated with improved crop varieties of sorghum. This work is part of CIMMYT’s Sustainable Agrifood Systems Approach for Sudan (SASAS) program, which works with farmers and herders to reduce their need for humanitarian assistance in conflict-affected Sudan.
“To address the issue of vertisols affected by water logging in Al Gadarif, the prominent agricultural region in Sudan, we used the map developed by ICRISAT in 2023 and consulted with local farmers to identify 100 hectares El Fashaga and El Nahal localities to improve drainage and avoid waterlogging,” said Gizaw Desta, senior scientist at ICRISAT.
Waterlogging is common on poorly drained soil or when heavy soil is compacted, preventing water from being drained away. This leaves no air spaces in the saturated soil, and plant roots literally drown. Waterlogging can be a major constraint to plant growth and production and, under certain conditions, will cause plant death. In Gadarif state, 2.3 million hectares and 1.8 million hectares of vertisols are under high and moderate waterlogging conditions that impair crop production during the rainy season, leading to food insecurity if not reversed with appropriate agricultural practices.
Experts evaluate the compacted soil. (Photo: CIMMYT)
“For years, my farm has been flooded by water during the rainy season, and I cannot cultivate sorghum as plants die of water suffocation”, said Ali Ahmed, a farmer from Al-Saeeda area of Al-Nahal locality who is affected by waterlogging. “Alternatively, we as farmers affected by waterlogging were forced to cultivate watermelon instead of our main staple food sorghum. This shift in the crops we cultivate is hardly affecting our income. I am glad that ICRISAT is working to establish drainage systems and address waterlogging within our lands.”
“At SASAS, we strive to ensure that farmers have access to fertile lands and other agricultural inputs. We work with our partners to address all problems facing farmers including waterlogging to help farmers continue producing their staple food and cash crops,” said Abdelrahman Kheir, SASAS chief of party in Sudan.
In Colombia, maize is the most important cereal, integral to culture, tradition, and diet. In 2019, Colombia consumed 7.2 million tons of maize, a quarter of which was white-grain maize used for human food (the remainder was yellow-grain maize for animal feed, with a small portion for industrial uses). National production is concentrated in the departments of Meta, Tolima, Córdoba, Huila, and Valle del Cauca. Native and creole maize varieties—the latter comprising farmer varieties of mixed native and other ancestries—are grown for use in traditional dishes or for sale at local markets.
Due to climate change, socioeconomic pressures, and the out-migration of smallholder farmers seeking better livelihoods, native maize varieties and the unique genetic qualities those varieties embody are endangered. We aim to design strategies that benefit smallholders who wish to continue in agriculture and perhaps continue growing native varieties valued in their communities, fostering the conservation and production of native maize. CIMMYT in Mexico has already facilitated commercial linkages between chefs in Mexico City and tourist areas (for example, in the states of Oaxaca, Yucatán, and the State of Mexico), sourcing blue maize landrace grain from farmers in mutually beneficial arrangements.
CIMMYT and local partners have launched an ambitious initiative to map and strengthen the value chain of native maize in the departments of Nariño, Cundinamarca, Boyacá, Valle del Cauca, and Putumayo to promote beneficial farmer-market linkages and better understand Colombia’s maize value chain. Carried out under the Nature Positive Initiative of OneCGIAR, the project is documenting maize conservation, marketing, and consumption to design a critical path that strengthens the value chain of Colombian native maize and benefits agriculture and the economy of rural Colombian communities.
Most native maize varieties in Colombia are grown on small plots for home consumption, exchange, and the sale of surplus grain. “The production is planned so that the percentage of sales is lower than consumption,” explains a farmer from Nariño. “Maize grain is sold in traditional markets, typically on Saturdays or Sundays, most often as fresh white and yellow corn.”
In such markets, farmers may also sell their grain to intermediaries, but only in the markets of Nariño is the sale of creole and native maize varieties acknowledged. Varieties include yellow Capia, white Capia, yellow Morocho, and Granizo, with Chulpe being less common. The grain purchased is used to prepare a variety of traditional dishes and beverages.
The most commonly grown varieties are intended for the market and probably the regional and urban cultural groups that consume them, such as in Guaitarilla, Nariño, where large crops of white maize are marketed through intermediaries and traders to satisfy demand.
“A variety that is not widely grown may become more prominent due to market changes—such as the rise of niche markets,” the research team notes. Good examples are the departments of Pasto, Nariño, and Cundinamarca, where maize is increasingly grown to meet demand from buyers of purple or colored maize.
We have already identified several possible niche markets for smallholder maize varieties:
Fair trade enterprises. They promote the commercialization of national products at fair prices for farmers, offering maize in various forms from regions such as Boyacá and Cundinamarca.
Restaurants. They use maize in traditional dishes, reinterpretations of Colombian cuisine, and culinary experiments.
Small-scale local intermediaries. Without a fixed physical space, they distribute products to end users and other businesses.
Callanas and ricota, Pasto, Nariño. (Foto: Andrea Gómez)
Significant challenges may hamper these and other possible market opportunities in the maize value chain. Farmers, for example, face high production costs, climate change losses, competition from neighboring countries, dependence on intermediaries for sales, and a lack of land. For their part, buyers struggle with obtaining consistent production volumes from farmers, lack storage infrastructure, and face postharvest pest and disease management challenges.
While they are compelled by the need to feed their families and, if possible, grow enough grain to sell for a profit, smallholder maize farmers have also expressed interest in preserving maize diversity and their cultural practices.
“We are not interested in growing monocultures for marketing; we grow maize out of love to continue preserving it,” comments a farmer from Nariño. Another farmer adds: “I would grow or sell more if the production were aimed at protecting agrobiodiversity, food security, sovereignty, and preserving cultural practices.”
Focus group with farmers in Córdoba, Nariño on the importance of maize landrace conservation (Picture Janeth Bolaños)
To understand how niche markets could influence the conservation and rescue of native and creole maize in Colombia and, at the same time, design a critical path that strengthens the value chain and promotes fair and efficient niche markets, CIMMYT and its partners are conducting focus group interviews and buyer-meets-seller events. The aim is to mitigate challenges highlighted by the actors and create beneficial conditions for farmers and consumers, promoting a better future for Colombian smallholder farmers.
We deeply thank CIMMYT partners in Colombia for their contributions to this work: Andrea Gomez, Andrea Pinzón, and Jeisson Rodríguez.
While agricultural food systems feed the world, they also account for nearly a third of the world’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Reducing the negative environmental footprint of agrifood systems while at the same time maintaining or increasing yields is one of the most important endeavors in the world’s efforts to combat climate change.
One promising mechanism is carbon credits, a set of sustainable agricultural practices designed to enhance the soil’s ability to capture carbon and decrease the amount of GHG’s released into the atmosphere.
Farmers generate these carbon credits based on their reduction of carbon released and then sell these credits in the voluntary carbon market, addressing the critical concern of sustainably transforming agricultural systems without harming farmers’ livelihoods.
Two is better than one
Conservation Agriculture (CA) is a system that involves minimum soil disturbance, crop residue retention, and crop diversification, among other agricultural practices. Its potential to mitigate threats from climate change while increasing yields has made it increasingly popular.
Using remote sensing data and surveys with farmers in the Indian states of Bihar and Punjab, four CIMMYT researchers quantified the effect on farmer’s incomes by combining CA methods with carbon credits. Their findings were published in the April 22, 2024, issue of Scientific Reports.
Previous CIMMYT research has shown that implementing three CA practices: efficient fertilizer use, zero-tillage, and improved rice-water management could achieve more than 50% of India’s potential GHG reductions, amounting to 85.5 million tons of CO2.
“Successfully implemented carbon credit projects could reward farmers when they adopt and continue CA practices,” said Adeeth Cariappa, lead author and environmental and resource economist at CIMMYT. “This creates a win–win scenario for all stakeholders, including farmers, carbon credit businesses, corporate customers, the government, and the entire economy.”
Farmers would enjoy an additional income source, private sectors would engage in employment-generating activities, the government would realize cost savings, and economic growth would be stimulated through the demand generated by these activities.
Less carbon and more income
The researchers found by adopting CA practices in wheat production season, farmers can reduce GHG emissions by 1.23 and 1.97 tons of CO2 per hectare of land in Bihar and Punjab States, respectively.
The researchers determined that CA practices, when combined with carbon credits, could boost farmer income by US $18 per hectare in Bihar and US $30 per hectare in Punjab. In Punjab, however, there is a ban on burning agricultural residue, which reduces potential earnings from carbon markets to US $16 per hectare.
“More farmers engaging CA methods is an overall positive for the environment,” said Cariappa. “But convincing individual farmers can be a struggle. By showing them that carbon credits are another potential source of income, along with increased yields, the case for CA is that much stronger.”
While the potential benefits are significant, there are challenges to linking CA and carbon credits.
“To achieve these potential benefits, carbon credit prices must rise, and projects must be carefully planned, designed, monitored, and implemented,” said Cariappa. “This includes selecting the right interventions and project areas, engaging with farmers effectively, and ensuring robust monitoring and implementation mechanisms.”
In a discussion on the future of crop breeding at the Cereals seminar, experienced wheat breeder Bill Angus highlighted CIMMYT as a leading example of effective global crop breeding, particularly for regions with limited agricultural inputs. He emphasized that while the UK has a competitive wheat breeding environment, it could learn from CIMMYT’s approach, which successfully develops wheat varieties suited for the developing world, where farmers often lack the luxury of chemical inputs. Angus advocated for the UK to adopt a more impactful and globally engaged breeding strategy, drawing inspiration from CIMMYT’s successes.
Local farmers have conversations with the CGIAR Initiative on Agroecology partners in Zimbabwe during the co-designing process. (Photo: CIMMYT)
In the rural districts of Mbire and Murehwa in Zimbabwe, the CGIAR Agroecology Initiative (AE-I) has embarked on a comprehensive strategy that places farmers’ opinions at the heart of interventions to tackle the multifaceted challenges of agroecosystems. Recognizing challenges such as pest and disease outbreaks, periodic drought, inadequate grazing lands, and limited access to quality seeds and livestock breeds, the AE-I team has initiated a collaborative process involving various stakeholders to develop tailored agroecological solutions.
This integrated approach emphasizes active participation and cooperation among agricultural extension services, including the Department of Agricultural Technical and Extension Services of Zimbabwe (AGRITEX), food system actors (FSAs), and technology providers. These organizations have collaborated to form Agroecology Living Landscapes (ALLs) to identify, test, and iterate relevant innovations.
“This collaborative innovation and ongoing co-designing cycle empower local communities and fosters agricultural sustainability, positioning Zimbabwe as a model for agroecology transition,” said Vimbayi Chimonyo, CIMMYT scientist and crop modeler. “With these efforts, the AE-I is improving current agricultural practices but also building a foundation for future resilience in Zimbabwe’s rural districts.”
A representation diagram of the co-designing cycle.
To ensure a well-informed process, the AE-I research team began its efforts by identifying dominant value chains in the two districts. In Murehwa, these included horticulture, maize, groundnuts, and poultry; while in Mbire, sorghum, cotton, and livestock. Challenges noted included production constraints (availability of improved seed and labor), biophysical constraints (water availability, increased incidents of fall armyworm), economic (market access) and social (agency).
Next, the AE-I research team, and the ALLs conducted a series of surveys, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews to understand existing opportunities that might address the challenges and aid in strengthening the value chains. The AE-I team discovered opportunities related to addressing labor shortages and improving access to improved technologies.
As a result, the research team introduced appropriate scale machinery, suggested seed and livestock fairs to increase access to agroecological inputs, established a series of demonstration plots to showcase technologies that improve water use, and increased mitigation efforts for fall armyworm. After introducing machinery, seed and livestock fairs, and testing the technologies during the 2022/23 season, AE-I returned to ALL members to discuss the impact the activities had on their production systems and determine if any modifications were necessary.
Participants suggested increased visibility of the new technologies and methods, so the AE-I team enhanced demonstration plots and added 100 baby plots during the 2023-24 farming season.
Integrating adaptive testing and feedback yielded valuable information from farmers, providing a strong base for further adaptations in the 2023-24 farming season. This continuous engagement promoted adaptive and context-specific solutions within the AE-I, ensuring that interventions aligned with evolving community needs.
Technologies being tested
To achieve the visions of each ALL, context-specific technologies are being tested to ensure synergy across the identified value chains and collaboration among different food system actors.
Technology/Innovation
Description
Demo plots
2022-23: Twenty mother plots were established to compare the performance of cereal planted in, push-pull, and conventional practices on productivity, rainwater use efficiency, and pest biocontrol.
2023-24: Additional treatments, including biochar, live mulch, and traditional treatments, were introduced. One hundred eleven baby plots were established where farmers adapted mother protocols to suit their contexts.
Farmer Field Days
Conducted for the established demonstration plots in Mbire and Murehwa, these field days showcased the technologies to a broader audience and acted as an agent of evaluation and feedback for the AE-I team.
Mechanization
A service provider model was adopted to introduce appropriate scale machinery, addressing the drudgery associated with farming operations. Equipment provided included threshers, basin diggers, two-wheel tractors, rippers, mowers, chopper grinders, and balers. Training on operation, repair, and maintenance was also provided.
Capacity building
Yearly work plans, co-designed by ALLs, identification of training needs, gaps, and priorities. Facilitated by AGRITEX, these trainings equip farmers with knowledge essential to facilitate agroecology transition and fulfil ALL visions.
Monitoring and evaluation is a valuable component in the co-designing process where the AE-I establishes a feedback loop, engaging farmers and government stakeholders in participatory monitoring and evaluation. This ongoing exercise analyzes various indicators across different experimental treatments, providing valuable insights into the effectiveness and suitability of these approaches within the agricultural context. This continuous analysis leads to further co-designing of tailored solutions for facilitating the agroecology transition.
Farmers and stakeholders from AGRITEX welcomed and appreciated the co-designing process, as they felt empowered by the entire process. They expressed how it gives them ownership of the technologies being implemented through the AE-I project.
The success of the AE-I in the Mbire and Murehwa districts hinges on active participation and collaboration among FSAs. By continuously evaluating and integrating feedback on innovations and addressing challenges through context-specific interventions, the initiative is paving the way for adopting agroecological practices in farming, enhancing the resilience of local food systems.
This original piece was written by Craig E. Murazhi, Telma Sibanda, Dorcas Matangi, and Vimbayi G. P. Chimonyo.
CIMMYT proudly announces that Distinguished Scientist and Head of Wheat Physiology, Matthew Reynolds, has been honored with the prestigious 2024 International Crop Science Award by the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA). Reynolds has advanced CIMMYT’s mission by promoting global partnerships that strengthen plant science, expand the center’s international reach, and provide young scientists with opportunities to engage in agricultural research.
Revolutionizing wheat breeding for climate resilience
Reynolds develops wheat breeding technologies aimed at improving climate resilience and the productivity of wheat cropping systems. His research has unveiled the physiological bases of yield potential and abiotic stress resistance in wheat. Reynolds’s efforts reveal the genetic underpinnings of complex traits, facilitating the development of hardier wheat varieties from diverse gene pools.
Global collaboration and impact
Reynolds promotes international collaboration among wheat scientists. He leads key initiatives such as the International Wheat Yield Partnership (IWYP) and the Heat and Drought Wheat Improvement Consortium (HEDWIC). These collaborations leverage collective expertise and have resulted in significant outputs, including high-yield lines tested at approximately 200 sites globally, which confirm innovative routes to enhanced yields and climate resilience.
Mentorship and educational contributions
Reynolds’s laboratory at CIMMYT is a hub for mentoring young scientists. He has provided open-access manuals on phenotyping, translated into four languages, to support global research efforts. His extensive publication record covers crop physiology, genomics, and pre-breeding. Since 2018, Reynolds has consistently ranked in the top 1% of researchers in his field by Web of Science. In 2024, Matthew Reynolds also received the Research.com Plant Science and Agronomy in Mexico Leader Award for placing 53rd in the world and 1st in Mexico.
International Crop Science Award
The International Crop Science Award recognizes creativity and innovation in transforming crop science practices, products, and programs on an international level. The award acknowledges scientists who have achieved global impact through long-lasting knowledge generation that strengthens international crop science.
For more information on the 2024 awards, including award descriptions, please visit CSSA Awards or contact awards@sciencesocieties.org.
Twenty-twenty four is set to become one of the hottest years on record. Warmer temperatures are destabilizing ecosystems, threatening human life, and weakening our food systems. On Earth Overshoot Day, CIMMYT calls for increased attention to the interplay between environmental health and efficient, abundant food production through sustainable practices.
Food systems are one of the top contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, accounting for one-third of all human-caused GHG emissions. While contributing to climate change, food production is also sorely impacted by it, undermining agrarian livelihoods and the ability to feed an increasing global population. Extreme and unpredictable weather is causing economic hardship, food and nutrition insecurity, and use of environmentally harmful practices.
In the Western Indo-Gangetic Plains of India, rice and wheat are the dominant staple crops, grown yearly in rotations covering more than 13 million hectares. But conventional tillage-based methods have been unable to increase yields. Some of these traditional methods based on intensive tillage have harmed the soil, exhausted aquifers, and increased GHG emissions, without raising crop yields. CGIAR soil and climate scientists and agronomists have partnered to find solutions that help increase rice and wheat production, while minimizing harmful environmental effects.
One of the CA-based practice research fields at ICAR-CSSRI. (Photo: Nima Chodon/CIMMYT)
At CIMMYT, we interviewed a group of CGIAR scientists who recently published a long-term study on sustainable intensification in the Western Indo-Gangetic Plains. Their work, conducted at the Central Soil and Salinity Research Institute (ICAR-CSSRI) in Karnal, India, demonstrates how integrating Conservation Agriculture (CA)-based principles into cropping systems can support climate-resilient and sustainable food systems.
“Today, agriculture faces many challenges, such as increasing input costs to maintain yield in the face of climate change and ensuring the sustainability of agricultural land,” said Mahesh Gathala, senior scientist at CIMMYT.
He mentioned that the collaborative research spanned over eight years, covering various crops and cropping cycles, and studying seven scenarios representing different farming practices. One scenario was based on farmers’ existing practices, while the other six involved combining and integrating the agronomic management practices and crop diversification options based on CA principles. The team collected data on yield, profitability, soil health, global warming potential, and fertilizer use, to name critical factors.
Gathala highlighted, “The findings are consistent with our previous research conclusions, while reinforcing the significant compounding impact of Conservation Agriculture-based cropping practices in the region, in the long-run.”
According to M.L. Jat, a former CIMMYT scientist who is global director for ICRISAT’s Resilient Farm and Food Systems Program, the CA-based measures that emerged from this research are applicable in much of the Western Indo-Gangetic Plains and beyond.
“Most of our research trials over some 2-5 years have provided substantial evidence in favor of Conservation Agriculture-based cropping diversification and sustainable intensification,” Jat said. “However, this study is one of very few long-term, collaborative research trials that provide strong evidence for policy decisions on resilient, climate-smart cropping system optimization to boost yields and nutrition, while improving soil health and fighting climate change.”
Other lead authors of the publication, Timothy Krupnik, principal scientist at CIMMYT and CGIAR South Asia, and Tek Sapkota, the Climate Change Science lead at CIMMYT, provided further explanation of important lessons from this eight-year study.
Two CA-based practice research scenarios at ICAR-CSSRI. (Photo: Nima Chodon/CIMMYT)
How does CA contribute to the sustainable and conscious use of natural resources? In what ways could CA be framed to governments to develop policies that do a better job of feeding us nutritious food while contributing to climate change adaptation and mitigation?
Tek Sapkota: Conservation Agriculture promotes the production of nutritious, diversified crops, sustainable yield improvements, climate change adaptation, economic benefits, and environmental protection. Governments can support these initiatives through financial incentives, subsidies, investment in research and extension services, and the development of supporting infrastructure and market access. This support further enables farmers to implement and benefit from sustainable agricultural practices.
CIMMYT and CGIAR-led projects in South Asia, like CSISA/SRFSI/TAFFSA, have already recorded some wins for CA implementation. What are some immediate implications of this study on CIMMYT’s ability to deliver this knowledge to more smallholders in the region?
Timothy Krupnik: The ICAR-CIMMYT partnership establishes long-term experiments, or living labs, across diverse ecologies to build trust among smallholder farmers, extension workers, and stakeholders. These initiatives aim to demonstrate CA’s benefits, as part of sustainable intensification. The science-based evidence generated will be co-owned by partners, through their extension networks, and shared with farm communities to highlight CA’s advantages. Additionally, the study supports reducing carbon footprints, contributing to climate change mitigation and sustainable agricultural practices and potentially used by carbon market players to disseminate CA.
Apart from climate resilience, could you explain what are the economic benefits of diversification in the rice-wheat dominant systems?
Tek Sapkota: Diversifying away from rice-wheat cropping systems provides significant economic benefits beyond climate resilience. It enhances income stability, improves resource use efficiency, maintains soil health, reduces production costs (such as irrigation expenses and water usage), and opens up new market opportunities. Diversification contributes to the creation of more sustainable and profitable farming systems.
How can CGIAR and national agricultural research and extension systems promote more widespread adoption of these technologies by farmers in South Asia and beyond?
Tek Sapkota: By establishing a multi-stakeholder platform for learning, knowledge sharing, and developing adoption pathways, CGIAR Research Centers could work together with national partners to create programs that support capacity building and knowledge transfer. Another crucial step would be to collaboratively adapt and customize the technology to local production conditions ensuring smooth implementation at the grassroots level. Additionally, it is important to encourage innovations in policies, markets, institutions and financial mechanisms to facilitate scaling.
The SKUAST-K Maize Improvement Programme, in collaboration with CIMMYT, is making significant advancements in maize agriculture in Jammu and Kashmir. By developing resilient maize varieties and leveraging cutting-edge research, the programme addresses key challenges such as poor soil nutrition and erratic rainfall. This partnership has not only enhanced maize productivity and climate resilience but also secured substantial funding and facilitated the release of landmark varieties, ultimately contributing to a sustainable maize-based economy in the region.
Mentorship and educational contributions
