A new science brief, written by scientists from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and partner organizations details the use of naturally occurring diversity in maize to breed higher levels of Vitamin A into the crop.
Diets high in cereal crops are often lacking in vitamins and minerals, leading to malnutrition. However, maize, which is eaten widely in developing countries, and provides nearly one third of total calories to over 4.5 billion people globally, can be bred to naturally produce nutritionally adequate levels of VA.
Vitamin A (VA) deficiency is the leading cause of preventable childhood blindness and nearly one third of children under the age of five are at risk of developing VA deficiency. ProVA maize has been shown to be effective at increasing VA status in at-risk children, reducing the likelihood that they will suffer from complications such as blindness.
The science brief details the use of the naturally occurring genetic diversity, found in the nearly 30,000 maize cultivars held between the germplasm banks at CIMMYT and at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), to breed higher levels of VA into maize which is more suited for the tropical environments where VA deficiencies are more common.
This initiative to increase VA in maize is part of a larger CGIAR-wide initiative for biofortification with HarvestPlus and Crop Trust. This article is part of a series on biofortification by Crop Trust, find the rest of the series here.
Check out other recent publication by CIMMYT staff below:
Do mature innovation platforms make a difference in agricultural research for development? a meta-analysis of case studies. 2018. Schut, M., Cadilhon, J. J., Misiko, M., Dror, I. In: Experimental Agriculture v. 54, no. 1, p. 96-119.
Nematode management in rain-fed smallholder maize production systems under Conservation Agriculture in Zimbabwe. 2018. Madamombe, S.M., Nyagumbo, I., Mvumi, B.M., Nyamugafata, P., Wuta, M., Chinheya, C.C. In: Experimental Agriculture v. 54, no. 3, p. 452-466.
High-yielding winter synthetic hexaploid wheats resistant to multiple diseases and pests. 2018. Morgounov, A.I., Abugalieva, A.I., Akan, K., Akın, B., Baenziger, S., Bhatta, M.R., Dababat, A.A., Dutbayev, Y., Moustapha El Bouhssini, Erginbas-Orakci, G., Kishii, M., Keser, M., Koc, E., Kurespek, A., Mujeeb-Kazi, A., Yorgancılar, A., Ozdemir, F., Ozturk, I., Payne, T.S., Qadimaliyeva, G., Shamanin, V., Subasi, K., Suleymanova, G., Yakisir, E., Zelenskiy, Y., Demir, L. In: Plant Genetic Resources v. 16, no. 3, p. 273-278.
Measuring farm and market level economic impacts of improved maize production technologies in Ethiopia : evidence from Panel Data. 2018. Kassie, M., Marenya, P., Tessema, Y., Jaleta Debello Moti, Zeng, D., Erenstein, O., Dil Bahadur Rahut. In: Journal of Agricultural Economics v. 69, no. 1, p. 76â95.
Cereal cyst nematodes : importance, distribution, identification, quantification, and control. 2018. Toumi, F., Waeyenberge, L., Viaene, N., Dababat, A.A., Nicol, J.M., Moens, M., Ogbonnaya, F.C. In: European Journal of Plant Pathology v. 150, no. 1, p. 1-24.
Intrigued by the unique relationship our food crops have to their geographical environment, Lorena Gonzalez dedicated her passion for geomatic technology to collect site-specific farm data that is revolutionizing the way researchers and farmers tackle hunger.
Working with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) as a research assistant, Gonzalez is part of a seismic shift in agriculture, replacing time-consuming manual data collection with technology.
Instead of walking the fields taking measurements by hand, data is collected from a distance through remote sensing. Using cameras on board manned and unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as on ground sensors, Gonzalez gathers information such as plant height, canopy temperature and relative biomass, and evaluates plant health and soil spatial variability in minutes rather than weeks.
Collaborating with farmers and colleagues from maize and wheat breeding programs Gonzalez uses Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to organize and analyze data and patterns related to specific farm locations, making it easier to relate information to growersâ specific needs.
âIt is important to make sure that data is properly geo-referenced, this way we know exactly how each crop is impacted by the matrix of factors in its environment,â said Gonzalez. âCollecting crop management and field data such as fertilization rates, irrigations schemes or soil properties provides us with information to understand and improve plant growth.â
The tailored information is used to improve farmersâ decision-making, allowing for more precise agriculture to create sustainable farming systems that produce more food with fewer resources, she said.
Gonzalezâ love for all things data saw her delve into the world of geospatial science studying her bachelor in Geomatics Engineering in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosi. Her passion for helping farmers achieve food security led her to apply for a job at CIMMYT. Since working with the Sustainable Intensification Program she has developed skills to collect and visualize agricultural data in meaningful ways to inform different stakeholders.
âFarmers, researchers and politicians can make better decisions when we streamline field data using available technology. The path of data from field to farm decision-makers can be streamlined using the available technology creatively and collaboratively, if we dare to build the appropriate systems.â
A UAV is launched to collect data from a field in CIMMYTâs experiment station in Ciudad ObregĂłn, Mexico. Photo: CIMMYT/ Peter Lowe
With climate change already affecting crop production, GIS becomes an increasingly important tool farmers can use to adapt and maintain crop yields, Gonzalez said. According to PNAS, each degree Celsius increase in global mean temperature is estimated to reduce the average global yields of wheat and maize by up to seven percent. These crops are key to the survival of humanity, providing a major portion of our caloric intake.
Remote sensing and precision agriculture plays a fundamental role in the ongoing challenge to reduce and cope with the effects of climate change and maximize land efficiency. Using quality data presented in useful ways helps farmers improve decision making, she added.
Gonzalez believes providing open access to geospatial decision support tools will allow smallholder famers to gain the information needed to make site-specific decisions on the exact quantity, location and timely application of resources needed to optimize food production.
If the world is to eliminate world hunger and malnutrition by 2030 as set out in the UN Sustainable Development Goals, smallholder farmers â who produce 80 percent of the worldâs food â must benefit from access to remote sensing and precision agriculture, she said. Nine out of ten of the world’s 570 million farms are managed by families, making the family farm the predominant form of agriculture, and consequently a potentially crucial agent of change in achieving sustainable food security and in eradicating hunger in the future, according to UN reports.
Currently, Gonzalez is collecting data for an innovative private-public partnership, Mexico COMPASS, to help Mexican smallholder farmers increase wheat and sugar cane production by identifying factors that cause the yield gap between crop potential and actual performance.
The project aims to improve crop productivity and smallholder farmer incomes while facilitating rural community economic development. The data collected by Gonzalez in Mexicoâs Yaqui Valley and in the state of Tabasco contributes to a system that combines earth observation satellite data with captured farm data to create a site-specific decision support tool for farmers. The project will help farmers to make better use of natural resources while monitoring crop health.
Improving smallholder farmer capacity and ability to make informed farming decisions is key to ending hunger and improving livelihoods, said Gonzalez.
Gonzalezâs work with CIMMYTâs Sustainable Intensification Program on the Mexico COMPASS project is funded by the UK Space Agency and has as partners: Rezatec, The University of Nottingham, Booker Tate and Colegio de Postgraduados (COLPOS).
CIMMYT’s Board of Trustees members met with stakeholders on a recent visit to Mexico. Photo: CIMMYT archives
The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT)’s Board of Trustees visits the Centerâs headquarters in El BatĂĄn, Mexico once a year for its Spring meeting, to discuss progress, challenges and future directions.
On their last visit to Mexico, during the week of April 21-28, the Board had the opportunity to meet with a number of CIMMYT stakeholders to gain insight and feedback on the Centerâs progress.
Women at a maize mill in Ethiopia. (Photo: P. Lowe/CIMMYT)
It’s been four years since African leaders met in Equatorial Guinea to commit themselves to boosting agricultural growth across the continent. This is an important way to create real change in Africa. During the gathering, all the African Unionâs heads of state signed the Malabo Declaration. It offered a blueprint for Africaâs agricultural sectors, to be achieved by 2025.
For example, the declaration called for at least 10% of any nationâs public expenditure to be allocated to agriculture and rural development. It also set out plans for increasing countriesâ food security by intensifying agriculture in a way that didnât destroy the environment.
There has been some progress in attaining these goals, as a recent status report conducted by the African Union Commission shows. But thereâs still a great deal of work to be done.
The report shows that in 2015 and 2016 only ten of the 47 signatory states reached or exceeded the target of 10 percent investment in public expenditure in agriculture and rural development. These are Malawi, Ethiopia, Angola, Egypt, Sudan, Mauritania, Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso and Equatorial Guinea. Some other countries had invested as little as 0.6 percent of public expenditure in these crucial sectors. Only 20 of the 47 signatories are on track to meet the declarationâs goals by 2025.
Thereâs no doubt that investment in agriculture can empower economic transformation in the region. But money alone canât solve Africaâs agricultural problems. International collaboration is key. And it can yield real results, as a project weâre involved in has proved.
The project has relied on multidisciplinary teams of both local and international researchers from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre, The University of Queensland and the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in East and Central Africa. Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzaniaâs departments of agriculture are also involved.
The collaborative effort has meant that itâs been possible to address multiple constraints. These include low crop productivity, poor market access, environmental degradation, and social inequalities. The project had a strong value chain focus. This involves linking â among others â farmers, agribusinesses, traders and policy makers. The result has been improved productivity. Weâve also seen reduced climate risks and improved soil fertility and soil conservation among highly vulnerable smallholder farmers in five East and Southern African countries.
Initiatives like these can help translate the Malabo Declaration from mere document to reality.
Great gains
The Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Legume Cropping Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa Programme is led by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre. It is funded by the Australian government. Researchers from Australia and the participating African countries have worked together with researchers from the centre.
The project was set up in 2010 in response to major concerns about food security across the eastern and southern Africa regions. So far, 258,393 smallholder farmers in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania have benefited from our activities. We expect this number to increase to 600,000 by 2020.
To date, up to 91 percent of the targeted farmers have adopted at least one of sustainable intensification practices the project promotes. These practices include using drought tolerant maize non-GMO varieties; the rotation of maize and legumes; and intercrops, where a legume is sown into a standing maize crop.
Yields have increased between 30 and 60 percent across the five countries because these practices and associated technologies were adopted.
We donât only work directly with farmers. Itâs important to develop skills and capacity in crop and soil management, market development, resource conservation, gender issues and project management and evaluation.
One key resource here has been the Australia Awards Scholarships. These give people from developing countries the chance to undertake undergraduate or postgraduate studies at Australian institutions. So far this award has supported 65 masterâs and doctoral candidates.
Once they return to their countries, these graduates can contribute to solving the complex problems of achieving food security and eliminating poverty. They apply modern research tools, inform policy, train others and even provide leadership in their original institutions.
Harnessing potential
The Malabo Declaration is a useful document against which to measure progress. It offers countries clear targets. It sets metrics against which they can monitor their success. This will help countries to achieve many of the UNâs Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 â including those related to agriculture and food security.
The work of the Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Legume Cropping Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa Programme offers an insight into how these goals can be met.
Countries must develop a better understanding of constraints and opportunities so they can massively scale out more productive, efficient and sustainable farm practices. They also need to develop markets, value chains and supporting policies and institutions. And crucially, continued collaborations will be necessary to increase the continentâs capacity in science, extension, policy, institutions, governance and leadership.
These must be priorities to harness Africaâs agricultural potential and spur economic growth.
This article orinally appeared on The Conversation. For the full article, click here.Â
Researchers take part in Wheat Blast screening and surveillance course in Bangladesh. (Photo: CIMMYT/Tim Krupnik)
Fourteen young wheat researchers from South Asia recently attended a screening and surveillance course to address wheat blast, the mysterious and deadly disease whose surprise 2016 outbreak in southwestern Bangladesh devastated that regionâs wheat crop, diminished farmersâ food security and livelihoods, and augured blastâs inexorable spread in South Asia.
Held from 24 February to 4 March 2018 at the Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS), Jessore, as part of that facilityâs precision phenotyping platform to develop resistant wheat varieties, the course emphasized hands-on practice for crucial and challenging aspects of disease control and resistance breeding, including scoring infections on plants and achieving optimal development of the disease on experimental wheat plots.
Cutting-edge approaches tested for the first time in South Asia included use of smartphone-attachable field microscopes together with artificial intelligence processing of images, allowing researchers identify blast lesions not visible to the naked eye.
Workshop participants learned how to use the latest in technology to identify and keep track of the deadly Wheat Blast disease. Photo: CIMMYT archives.
âA disease like wheat blast, which respects no borders, can only be addressed through international collaboration and strengthening South Asiaâs human and institutional capacities,â said Hans-Joachim Braun, director of the global wheat program of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), addressing participants and guests at the course opening ceremony. âStable funding from CGIAR enabled CIMMYT and partners to react quickly to the 2016 outbreak, screening breeding lines in Bolivia and working with USDA-ARS, Fort Detrick, USA to identify resistance sources, resulting in the rapid release in 2017 of BARI Gom 33, Bangladeshâs first-ever blast resistant and zinc enriched wheat variety.â
Cooler and dryer weather during the 2017-18 wheat season has limited the incidence and severity of blast on Bangladeshâs latest wheat crop, but the disease remains a major threat for the country and its neighbors, according to P.K. Malaker, Chief Scientific Officer, Wheat Research Centre (WRC) of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI).
âWe need to raise awareness of the danger and the need for effective management, through training courses, workshops, and mass media campaigns,â said Malaker, speaking during the course.
The course was organized by CIMMYT, a Mexico-based organization that has collaborated with Bangladeshi research organizations for decades, with support from the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), CGIAR Research Program on Wheat (WHEAT), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Bangladesh Wheat and Maize Research Institute (BWMRI).
Speaking at the closing ceremony, N.C.D. Barma, WRC Director, thanked the participants and the management team and distributed certificates. âThe training was very effective. BMWRI and CIMMYT have to work together to mitigate the threat of wheat blast in Bangladesh.â
The main attractions were maize and wheat varieties introduced by CIMMYT through its programs across Pakistan (Zincol, Pakistan, Borlaug, Pirsabak and QPM â 200/300 & white), the Zero-Tillage Happy Seeder, the maize push row planter, hermetic bags for storage of wheat and the multi-crop direct-seeding of rice planter. The AIP also exhibited its two competitive grant academic partners from livestock and vegetable components which include value addition of camel milk (dries and fresh cheese) and seasonal vegetable kitchen gardening (chilies, okra, squash, bell pepper) focusing food security and nutrition significance.1
The expo was inaugurated by Governor of Punjab province, Rafique Rajwana accompanied by Mission Director of USAID Pakistan Mr. Jerry Bisson, and diplomates from different countries. AIP stall located at U.S. Government pavilion represented by USAID & USDA, also spellbound many visitors including farmers, policymakers, media, agriculture experts and scientists from both public- and private-sector organizations and students, opening new possibilities for AIP and CIMMYT to connect with target groups and explore agricultural prospects in Pakistan.
See all the photos from the event on Flickr, here.
âMy career in agriculture goes back 32 years, and I myself am a farmer,â Hinojosa said in his opening address. âWith this great opportunity to visit CIMMYT also comes a great commitment to its workâI am here to work by your side, to learn, and to help make sure the projects you are working on become reality and continue the legacy of work you have upheld over many years.â
CIMMYT Director General Martin Kropff discussed CIMMYTâs longstanding partnership with Mexico and SAGARPA, and the Centerâs work to help farmers in Mexico and around the world improve their productivity and sustainability. âMexico is our home, our ally, and the cradle of the green revolution. The technologies and seeds that we develop here in Mexico are used in Africa, Asia, Latin Americaâpractically all over the world,â he said.
Bram Govaerts, the Latin America regional representative at CIMMYT, presented in detail the positive impact that the seeds, technologies and sustainable intensification practices of the MasAgro project, a partnership between CIMMYT and SAGARPA, has had in Mexico.
Tour of CIMMYT campus. Photo:Â C.Beaver/CIMMYT.
He cited a study by Mexicoâs University of Chapingo that found that extension agents trained in the MasAgro method were 10 times more effective at (reaching) farmers.
Another study found that farmers who implemented MasAgroâs innovative sustainable intensification techniques were able to increase their maize yields under raid-fed agriculture by nearly a ton per hectare in several Mexican states.
The secretary of agriculture expressed particular interest in sustainable intensification practices that prevent soil erosion and promote efficient water use, citing the prime importance of conserving these resources that are crucial to protecting agriculture and food security.
âYou have a clear vision of what needs to be done, and we are committed to that vision with you,â Hinojosa said. âWe must begin to work today on issues such as water use and soil erosion rather than wait until our resources are already degraded.â
The secretary was then given a tour of CIMMYTâs seed bank, home to the largest collection of maize and wheat genetic diversity in the world, followed by presentations from CIMMYT researchers on their work with maize, wheat and sustainable intensification. Other visitors included Jorge Luis Zertuche, subsecretary of agriculture; Eduardo Mansilla, delegate of SAGARPA in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas; Sergio MartĂnez, advisor to the secretary of agriculture; as well as members of the CIMMYT management committee and researchers from the MasAgro project.
Farmers confront a daunting range of options for potentially achieving high crop yields in Indiaâs western Indo-Gangetic Plains, where rice and wheat crops are planted in rotation to meet high demand for dietary food staples.
Since 1965, rotational crop planting has been deployed in the area to intensify production in a limited growing area, initially yielding positive food security results. Over time, agricultural practices have led to troubling consequences for the landscape, leading to unreliable or lower yields for farmers.
Now, new scientific research into âlayeringâ climate smart agriculture techniques shows promise, demonstrating the potential for crop adaptability to climate change. Experiments reveal the possibilities for high productivity, benefits for water and energy supplies resulting in a smaller environmental footprint.
Throughout Southeast Asia, but particularly in the Indo-Gangetic Plains area, natural resources are three to five times more stressed due to agricultural intensification, urbanization, population growth, increasing climate change risks, and land degradation difficulties.
âLand is degraded in the region because over the past 50 years crop production increased quickly leading to inefficient use and mismanagement of resources,â said M.L. Jat, a Principal Scientist with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), who works with a team of scientists on sustainable intensification and climate smart agriculture.
The scientists conducted a study to determine the most effective methods to grow rice and wheat in constrained conditions where horizontal expansion of crop growing areas is no longer a viable option for increasing yields.
Before embarking on their research, scientists were already aware that due to overpopulation, to meet rising food demand in the Indo-Gangetic Plains area, the only option for farmers is to increase yields on land already under agricultural production. Land shortages are exacerbated by reduced availability of water and energy.
By 2050, variability in growing conditions due to climate change is projected to lower crop yields by 10 to 40 percent and total crop failure will become more common.
Additionally, over the same time period, more than half the current wheat growing area in the Indo-Gangetic Plains will likely become unsuitable for production due to heat stress. Over pumping of ground water for rice production is simultaneously depleting the water table.
âAdaptation to climate change is no longer an option, but essential for minimizing crop losses that will occur as a result of the adverse impact of climate change,â Jat said, adding that the key to future food security is to use agricultural technologies that promote sustainable intensification and adapt to emerging climatic variability.
âFarmers face an enormous challenge â to be successful they must now rely on sustainable intensification management practices and adapt to emerging climate variability while playing a role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and sequestering carbon to keep global warming in check,â he said.
The key will be to boost the use climate smart agriculture techniques, which have the potential to address these challenges, maintain environmental equilibrium and produce high crop yields simultaneously.
The strategy opens the door to sustainably increase agricultural productivity and farmer income, adapt to and develop the capacity to resist climate change, and reduce or eliminate greenhouse gas emissions.
After experimental fieldwork, the scientists learned that strategically combining climate smart agricultural technologies already used selectively as a result of years of CIMMYT-designed trials in the region are most likely to lead to high crop yields and food security.
Participatory experimental field in Beernarayana climate-smart village. (Photo: CIMMYT)
Currently, farmers are using such climate smart water and energy saving techniques as direct seeded rice, zero tillage, laser land leveling, alternate wetting and drying, weather forecast based irrigation, precision nutrient management. Other climate smart techniques include retention of crop residues on the fields to store carbon and prevent emissions and unhealthy smog levels that result from residue burning.
âClimate smart agriculture practices in isolation may not fulfill their full potential in adapting to climate risks and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions in rice-wheat production systems,â Jat said.
âHowever, layering of these practices and services in optimal combinations may help to adapt and build resilience under diverse production systems and ecologies to ensure future food security.â
The scientists studied six scenarios in three different climate smart villages in Indiaâs sub-tropical state of Haryana in the Indo-Gangetic Plains.
The first scenario was based solely on observing the normal practices of a farmer, the second and third scenarios were layered with different technologies used for tillage, crop establishment, residue and nutrient management, and designated as âimproved farmersâ practices.â
The other three scenarios were based on climate smart agriculture practices combined with the available range of technologies deployed to enhance tillage, crop establishment, laser land leveling; residue, water and nutrient management; improved crop varieties, information and communication technology and crop insurance.
Scientists set out to determine the best combination of practices and found that layering of climate smart agriculture practices improved rice-wheat system productivity from 6 to 19 percent depending on techniques used.
Layering also led to savings of more than 20 percent irrigation water. Global warming potential was reduced by 40 percent.
âThe research leaves us feeling optimistic that the work weâve been conducting throughout South Asia is leading to strong results,â Jat said. âOur aim now is to continue to work through various real life scenarios to see how far we can go in sustainably intensifying the entire region so that food supply can keep apace with population growth under emerging climate change challenges.â
IvĂĄn OrtĂz-Monasterio, expert on sustainable intensification and wheat crop management at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), recently took part in a study detailing the detriments of excess fertilizeruse and the benefits of more precise dosages.
In the following interview, he discusses the overuse of nitrogen fertilizer and related consequences, his experience with farmers, and his outlook for the future. According to OrtĂz-Monasterio and study co-authors, research on wheat in the Yaqui Valley, state of Sonora, northwestern Mexico, and home to CIMMYTâs Norman E. Borlaug Experiment Station (CENEB), has direct implications for wheat crop management worldwide.
âThe Yaqui Valley is agro-climatically representative of areas where 40 percent of the worldâs wheat is grown, including places like the Indo-Gangetic Plains of India and Pakistan, the Nile Delta in Egypt, and the wheat lands of China,â said OrtĂz-Monasterio.
Q: A key finding of the new publication was that, after a certain point, applying more nitrogen fertilizer does not increase yields, making excessive applications essentially a drain on farmersâ resources. Why then do farmers continue to apply more fertilizer than the crop needs?
A: Well there is a risk, if you under-apply N fertilizer, your yield goes down. Farmers are afraid that the yield will be lower and that their profit will be lower. The cost of under-applying for them is greater than the cost of over-applying, because theyâre not paying all the costs of over applying. Those costs include the environmental impacts associated with greenhouse gas emissions, at a regional scale in the case of the Yaqui Valley because of nitrification of the Sea of Cortez, and at a local level due to contamination of the water table. All these costs are passed on to society. If we passed them on to farmers, then they would be more concerned about over-applying nitrogen fertilizers.
Q: Do you think farmers becoming more concerned is something that could happen?
A: Well there are starting to be more regulations in Europe. In the UK, farmers cannot apply any nitrogen before or at sowing; they can apply fertilizer only once the plant is about 15 centimeters tall. In other parts of Europe, like Germany, farmers cannot apply more than 150 kilograms of nitrogen on wheat, so itâs happening in other parts of the world. The government of Mexico and others are making commitments to reduce nitrous oxide emissions by 20 percent by 2030 and, in the case of agriculture, the main source of nitrous oxide is nitrogen fertilizer. To meet such commitments, governments will have to take policy action so, yes; I think thereâs a good chance something will happen.
Q: There are technologies that can help farmers know precisely when to apply fertilizer and how much, for optimal crop yield and nitrogen use. Do many farmers use them? Why or why not?
A: Something interesting to me is whatâs happening right now. For the last 10 years, weâve been working with Yaqui Valley farmers to test and promote hand-held sensors and hiring farm advisors paid with government money who provide this service free to farmers, and adoption was high. Then the government removed the subsidy, expecting farmers to begin covering the cost, but
farmers didnât want to pay for it.
Then a company that uses drones approached me and other researchers in the region and requested our help to convert wheat crop sensor data obtained using airborne drones to recommended fertilizer dosages. We agreed and, in their first year of operation, farmers growing wheat on 1,000 hectares paid for this service. I donât know what it is—maybe seeing a colorful map is more sexy—but farmers seem to be willing to pay if you fly a drone to collect the data instead of having a farm advisor walk over the field. But itâs great! In the past we relied on the government to transfer the technology and now we have this great example of a private-public partnership, where a company is helping to transfer the technology and making a profit, so that will make it sustainable. Iâm very excited about that!
Q:Â Does CIMMYT have a plan to increase adoption of these technologies?
A CIMMYT technician uses a hand-held sensor to measure NDVI (normalized difference vegetative index) in a wheat field at the center’s CENEB experiment station near Ciudad ObregĂłn, Sonora, northern Mexico. Photo: CIMMYT archives
A: Weâre not married to one technology, but need to work with all of them. You know we started with Greekseeker, which is a ground-based sensor, and now weâre also working with drones, with manned airplanes mounted with cameras, and even satellite images. So, there are four different ways to collect the data, and weâve seen that the Greenseeker results correlate well with all of them, so the technology we developed originally for Greenseeker can be used with all the other platforms.
Q: Are you optimistic that farmers can shift their perceptions in this area and significantly reduce their nitrogen use?
A: I think weâre moving in that direction, but slowly. We need policy help from the government. Officials need to give some type of incentive to farmers to use the technology, because when farmers do something different they see it as a risk. To compensate for that risk, give them a carrot, rather than a stick, and I think that will help us move the technology faster.
Larry Cooley and his wife, Marina Fanning visiting the CIMMYT germplasm bank. Photo: CIMMYT.
In the arena of international development, impact is the name of the game. Researchers, practitioners and funders initiate projects with the intention of benefitting poor and vulnerable people around the world. Despite these good intentions, very few manage to achieve large-scale impact. Larry Cooley, president emeritus and senior advisor at Management Systems International (MSI), is trying to change that.
Cooley is considered one of the top three scaling experts in the world. He recently presented at a workshop on scaling at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centerâs (CIMMYT) headquarters in El BatĂĄn, Mexico.
âYou just have to look around you to know that things change, but most changes are the effect of something else,â he said. âIâm interested in how you can make things better on purpose.â
There are many formal definitions of scaling, but Cooley described it as the attempt to overcome a gap between the need for something and the extent to which that need is being met.
âThatâs great if you’re helping 10,000 people,â he said, âbut if itâs 10,000 out of a billion, that’s not nearly as impressive.â
Thatâs not to say the intervention is invalid, but Cooley emphasized that if large-scale impact is the goal, interveners need to find a way to align the magnitude of the response with the magnitude of the problem. Doing this successfully requires a different way of thinking.
In recent decades, the international development community has fixated on technological innovations and short-term pilot projects. Many project leaders and donors assume a good product, idea or behavior will scale on its own, but Cooley says scaling has more to do with the underlying political, cultural or other systems than the actual innovation.
During the workshop, Cooley presented the Non-pneumatic Anti-shock Garment (NASG) as an example. NASG is a first-aid device that can save a womanâs life when hemorrhaging from childbirth. Cooley saw this device in action several years ago in Africa.
âThe lady looked dead. They put this garment on her, and a few minutes later, she was drinking from a cup,â said Cooley. âIt was the closest Iâve come to a miracle in my life.â
When Cooley was presented with the challenge of scaling-up NASG in Nigeria, he thought it would be relatively easy. NASG is inexpensive and easy to use; the project had a willing donor and no competitors. But Cooley said he and his team quickly ran into complications.
Even though NASG can prevent hemorrhaging women from bleeding to death, they still need emergency medical treatment within 48 to 72 hours. Figuring out how to transport women to emergency care facilities, deciding who pays for the service, and creating a distribution network for the garments are just some of the logistical hurdles that have nothing to do with the actual innovation and everything to do with the system. Cooley says this is where governments and markets play a vital role.
Farmer Jhalak Bhandari uses a mini tiller to puddle his field for transplanting rice in Thulochaur, Sindhupalchok. Photo: CIMMYT/P. Lowe.
âThe trick is to find a leverage point where the incentives will continue to push people to do the right thing,â said Cooley. âIâm not trying to malign peopleâs motives on this, but change is hard.â
Cooley said often the biggest obstacle to scaling is not opposition. It is the status quo and doubt.
âItâs much easier to keep doing what youâre doing until somebody creates a really compelling set of incentives to move,â he said. âIf thereâs a little uncertainty, they wonât move and inertia will win.â
A non-governmental organization or project leader does not have to do this alone. Often a third party with connections to the government or markets may need to intervene. Cooley said this backstory is rarely reported in the media or in the development sector. From smartphones to the Green Revolution, the story of innovation with large-scale impact tends to follow this narrative: we started small, we developed it and now itâs making an impact.
âWhat usually gets lost are the political and organizational details,â said Cooley. âHow did you buy off the opposition? Who were the principal spokespeople and how did you get them to be spokespeople?â
The international development sector is beginning to recognize that a scaling perspective is needed to achieve large-scale impact. According to Cooley, interveners need to design for scale at the beginning of a project; they need to establish the pre-conditions for scale, and manage the scaling-up process. Not every project leader needs to be an expert in scaling, but working with people who are experts can significantly boost a projectâs potential impact.
As part of a German Development Cooperation effort to aid the scaling up of agricultural innovations, Lennart Woltering joined CIMMYTâs sustainable intensification program last year. Woltering helps link CIMMYTâs research to specific development needs, increasing its relevance and impact.
âThere is great momentum at CIMMYT to give more consistency to the term scaling,â said Woltering.
Woltering organized the workshop on scaling and invited Cooley to present at CIMMYT headquarters.
âI am a big fan of Larry Cooley,â said Woltering. âHe approaches scaling from a management perspective â how to get things done.â
Twenty-five participants from 11 research centers across 13 Indian states and Nepal attended the workshop. Workshop objectives included mainstreaming science-based approaches to farming systems analysis and research for development programs in South Asia, as well as overview and training courses on farming systems and technologies, especially focusing on FarmDESIGN, modelling software developed by WUR. A number of talks around FarmDESIGN were given, including hands-on workshops by scientists from CIMMYT and WUR.
Group photo of participants at the fourth international workshop on farming system design in south Asia. Photo: CIMMYT.
South Asian farming systems are characterized by a large diversity of smallholder systems with diversified faming system households. Accordingly, the farming systems research has been central to the south Asian national agriculture research systems. ICAR-IIFSR has developed specific integrated farming systems (IFS) prototypes for different agro-ecological zones of India and implemented them in research stations and rural communities.
The growing complexity of climate, markets and income uncertainties, as well as large age divides within farming households limits the large-scale adoption these prototype farming systems weigh output performance on the one hand and tradeoffs such as income resilience, environmental footprints and markets on the flip-side. Therefore, designing farm systems with effective targeting of climate resilience, profitability and sustainability, requires suitable technologies, practices to understand and capture the diversity of farming systems, their main components, characteristics, interrelationships and flows.
Previous CIMMYT-ICAR-WUR collaborations have explored the use of farm level modeling tools to assess, with multiple criteria, the sustainability of such IFS, identify main trade-offs and synergies and provide guidelines for their improvement. Capacity development of farming system network researchers on the use and application of the FarmDESIGN model has been one important activity in such collaboration. For scaling the outputs of such exercise, the farming systems have to be evaluated in terms of relevant indicators for different farm household types and communities, allowing them to identify main potential leverages and obstacles for adoption of different intervention. In this regard, this workshop is being organized involving key stakeholders.
The workshop objectives were to mainstream science based approaches for farming systems analysis in research for development programs in South Asia; to share results of integrated assessments of farming systemsâ performance in a range of agro-ecologies across South Asia and discuss main implications for the re-design of IFS; to select methods for improved prototyping and model-based analysis using on-station data for developing an out-scaling process that is tested in multiple environments for large scale application; to share and solve main technical barriers implementation; to share and discuss other modeling techniques and their potential complementarity; to provide an overview of the application âFarmDESIGN,â which was created by WUR, discuss main issues for further development to cover the needs of South Asian farming systems and further steps for larger implementation; discuss future research activities and collaborations.
Santiago Lopez Rodaura, senior farming systems specialist, CIMMYT and Jeroen Groot, farming systems expert from WUR gave a hands-on session on debugging, analysis visualization and analyzing prototype implementations in FarmDESIGN. AK Prusty, scientist, ICAR-IIFSR and collaborators from WUR, elaborated on-farm diagnosis and analysis in FarmDESIGN. AS Panwar, director, ICAR-IIFSR, led a session with presentations of case studies from peer review articles in diverse ecologies to demonstrate improved efficiency, income and reducing footprints through optimizing resource allocation with science-based approach using FarmDESIGN and other modeling programs using at least 10 prototype farming systems cases.
The workshop concluding with a planning session facilitated by CIMMYT principal scientist ML Jat. Recommendations were made by all the participants and emphasized studies on ongoing interventions looking at 10-15 year scenarios in cropping systems. Participants suggested studying climate prediction data and crop simulations with alternate wet-dry techniques to consider variability in the water table, among a number of other follow-up suggestions.
A âVirtual Task Forceâ was assigned to organize follow-ups on progress made based on meeting suggestions across locations and present a document to the Prime Minister of Indiaâs office with suggestions for the Government of Indiaâs initiative âDoubling farmer Income by 2022.â
Participants suggested creating a users guide for FarmDESIGN to be circulated to encourage wide-scale adoption, along with a manual for targeting typology interventions.
Panwar said, âseeing the progress across sites, I am convinced with the impact FarmDESIGN model has brought and will continue to with support from CIMMYT and WUR for changing face of cropping systems researchâ.
The program was able to achieve its target for improved understanding and capacity of key researchers on designing and implementing science based farming systems for improved efficiency and enhanced adoption in smallholder systems of South Asia.
Seminal study on nitrous oxide emissions from fertilizer in semi-arid, irrigated agriculture shows that reducing nitrogen fertilizer rates significantly cuts nitrous oxide emissions without reducing grain yield or quality.
Results are applicable to large-scale irrigated wheat cropping systems in China, India, Mexico, and Pakistan.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
EL BATAN, MEXICO â Farmers of irrigated wheat can increase profits and radically reduce greenhouse gas emissions by applying fertilizer in more precise dosages, according to a new study.
Published today in the journal Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, the study shows that farmers in the Yaqui Valley, a major breadbasket region in northwestern Mexico that covers over 1.5 times the area of the Mexico City, are applying significantly more nitrogen fertilizer than they need to maximize wheat yields.
Lower application of nitrogen fertilizer would cut the regionâs yearly emissions of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas, by the equivalent of as much as 130,000 tons of carbon dioxide, equal to the emissions of 14 million gallons of gasoline, according to Neville Millar, a senior researcher at Michigan State University (MSU) and first author of the published paper.
âOur study is the first to isolate the effect of multiple nitrogen fertilizer rates on nitrous oxide emissions in wheat in the tropics or sub-tropics,â Millar said. âIt shows that applying fertilizer to wheat at higher than optimal economic rates results in an exponential increase in nitrous oxide emissions.â
Yaqui Valley wheat farming conditions and practices are similar to those of huge wheat cropping expanses in China, India, and Pakistan, which together account for roughly half of worldwide nitrogen fertilizer use for wheat, according to study co-author IvĂĄn OrtĂz-Monasterio, a wheat agronomist at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), whose Yaqui Valley experiment station was the site of the reported research.
âThe recommendations are thus globally relevant and represent a potential triple win, in the form of reduced greenhouse gas emissions, higher income for farmers and continued high productivity for wheat cropping,â OrtĂz-Monasterio said.
Measuring nitrous oxide after nitrogen fertilizer applications in spring durum wheat crops during two growing seasons, Millar and an international team of scientists found an exponential increase in emissions from plots fertilized at greater than economically-optimal rates—that is, when the extra nitrogen applied no longer boosts grain yield.
They also found that grain quality at the economically optimal N rates was not impacted and exceeded that required by local farmer associations for sale to the market. They examined five different nitrogen fertilizer dosages ranging from 0 to 280 kilograms per hectare.
âIn our study, the highest dosage to get optimum wheat yields was 145 kilograms of nitrogen fertilizer per hectare in the 2014 crop,â said Millar. âYaqui Valley farmers typically apply around 300 kilograms. The wheat crop takes up and uses only about a third of that nitrogen; the remainder may be lost to the atmosphere as gases, including nitrous oxide, and to groundwater as nitrate.â
Promoting profitable, climate-friendly fertilizer use
Farmersâ excessive use of fertilizer is driven largely by risk aversion and economic concerns, according to OrtĂz-Monasterio. âBecause crops in high-yielding years will require more nitrogen than in low-yielding years, farmers tend to be optimistic and fertilize for high-yielding years,â said OrtĂz-Monasterio. âAt the same time, since farmers donât have data about available nitrogen in their fields, they tend to over-apply fertilizer because this is less costly than growing a crop that lacks the nitrogen to develop and yield near to full potential.â
OrtĂz-Monasterio and his partners have been studying and promoting management practices to help farmers use fertilizer more efficiently and include available soil nitrogen and weather in their calculations. This technology, including Greenseeker, a handheld device that assesses plant nitrogen needs, was tested in a separate study for its ability to advise farmers on optimal rates of fertilizer use.
âSensing devices similar to Greenseeker but mounted on drones are providing recommendations to Yaqui Valley farmers for wheat crops grown on more than 1,000 acres in 2017 and 2018,â Ortiz-Monasterio noted.
A result of the research partnership between CIMMYT and MSUâs W.K. Kellogg Biological Station (KBS) Long-Term Ecological Research program to reduce greenhouse gas impacts of intensive farming, the present study also aimed to generate new emission factors for Mexican grain crops that accurately reflect nitrous oxide emissions and emission reductions and can be used in global carbon markets, according to Millar.
âThe emission calculations from our work can be incorporated by carbon market organizations into carbon market protocols, to help compensate farmers for reducing their fertilizer use,â he said.
âThis study shows that low emissions nitrogen management is possible in tropical cereal crop systems and provides important guidance on the optimal levels for large cropping areas of the world,â said Lini Wollenberg, an expert in low-emissions agriculture for the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), which helped fund the research. âWith these improved emission factors, countries will be able to better plan and implement their commitments to reducing emissions.
To view the article
Millar, N., A. Urrea, K. Kahmark, I. Shcherbak, G. P. Robertson, and I. Ortiz-Monasterio. 2018. Nitrous oxide (N2O) flux responds exponentially to nitrogen fertilizer in irrigated wheat in the Yaqui Valley, Mexico. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2018.04.003.
KBS LTER
Michigan State Universityâs Kellogg Biological Station Long-term Ecological Research (KBS LTER) Program studies the ecology of intensive field crop ecosystems as part of a national network of LTER sites established by the National Science Foundation. More information at http://lter.kbs.msu.edu
MSU AgBioResearch
MSU AgBioResearch engages in innovative, leading-edge research that combines scientific expertise with practical experience to help advance FOOD, ENERGY and the ENVIRONMENT. It encompasses the work of more than 300 scientists in seven MSU colleges â Agriculture and Natural Resources, Arts and Letters, Communication Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Natural Science, Social Science and Veterinary Medicine â and includes a network of 13 outlying research centers across Michigan.
CIMMYT
The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) is the global leader in publicly-funded maize and wheat research and related farming systems. Headquartered near Mexico City, CIMMYT works with hundreds of partners throughout the developing world to sustainably increase the productivity of maize and wheat cropping systems, thus improving global food security and reducing poverty. CIMMYT is a member of the CGIAR System and leads the CGIAR Research Programs on Maize and Wheat and the Excellence in Breeding Platform. The Center receives support from national governments, foundations, development banks and other public and private agencies. For more information, visit staging.cimmyt.org.
CCAFS
The CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), led by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), brings together some of the worldâs best researchers in agricultural science, development research, climate science and earth system science to identify and address the most important interactions, synergies and tradeoffs between climate change, agriculture and food security. CCAFS is carried out with support from CGIAR Fund Donors and through bilateral funding agreements. www.ccafs.cgiar.org
For more information or for interviews:
Holly Whetstone
Associate Director, ANR Communications & Marketing
Michigan State University
Tel: 517.884.3864
Email: whetst@msu.edu
Mike Listman Communications officer, CGIAR Research Program on Wheat
International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT)
Tel (office): +52 (55) 5804 7537
cel: +52 (1595) 114 9743
Email: m.listman@cgiar.org
skype: mikeltexcoco
Photo available for use with proper accreditation:Â Â
Farmers family in Obregon, Mexico. Photo: CIMMYT/ Peter Lowe
This March, the Borlaug Institute of South Asia (BISA) held an international workshop on enhancing Nitrogen use efficiency in wheat using the combined approach of breeding and precision agronomy in Ladhowal, Punjab. The objective of this workshop was to train young scientists and students on new opportunities for improving Nitrogen use efficiency in wheat. This initiative is a part of the project supported by the Rothamsted Research, U.K. known as the Indo-U.K. Centre. Eighteen young scientists and post-graduate students from organizations across India and the U.K. attended the event.
The workshop was kicked off by N.S. Bains, director of research, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), who emphasized the need to increase Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in wheat through breeding and agronomic adjustments. The workshop combined lectures and hands-on activities during field visits. In the lectures, participants received a global overview of fertilizer use and strategies for improving NUE in cereals with special reference to wheat. Lecturers used examples from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) germplasm bank to highlight the variability of genetic NUE in wheat, explored modeling approaches for improving NUE and soil-based approaches.
BISA organized field visits to provide a real-life learning platform for participants to see the precision nutrient management techniques used in the research trials. Coordinators provided hands-on training about in field root measurements and other physiological and agronomic traits. Coordinators defined NUE, discussed calculations and explained how root traits can affect Nitrogen use efficiency – extensive root systems allow plants to use Nitrogen more effectively. The group participated in using a handheld GreenSeeker Nitrogen sensor with the help of algorithms to find critical values nitrogen and fertilizer doses.
Feedback from participants shows an increased understanding of processes and procedures for improved NUE in wheat, genotype by environment interactions and recent advances in precision nutrient management. The site-specific knowledge and hands-on training supported better understanding on rate and timing effects of Nitrogen in conventionally and fertigation applied fertilizer. The knowledge exchange of experts from multi-disciplinary fields enhanced the understanding of principles of precision nutrient management and provided guidance for organizing the precision nutrition platform.
The Borlaug Institute for South Asia is a non-profit international research institute dedicated to food, nutrition and livelihood security as well as environmental rehabilitation in South Asia, which is home to more than 300 million undernourished people. BISA is a collaborative effort involving the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center and the Indian Council for Agricultural Research. The objective of BISA is to harness the latest technology in agriculture to improve farm productivity and sustainably meet the demands of the future.
Farmers in a climate-smart village in Bihar use the leaf colour chart to judge the nitrogen content required for crops. Photo: V.Reddy, ViDocs, CCAFS.
Since the 1960s and the Green Revolution in India, agricultural production has been steadily increasing. Much of this increase is due to widespread adoption of high-yielding varieties, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation and mechanization. However, recently sustaining yield gains has become increasingly difficult as India faces a number of climate-related problems, which put pressure on sustaining the existing production system.
Many scientists have proposed that the best way to counter this stagnation in yield gains is through promotion and adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices. However, uptake of these practices in India is very low despite national and international promotion efforts.
A new study examines the factors behind the likelihood of adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices in the eastern Indian province of Bihar.
The authors found a number of confounding factors that limit adoption of new agricultural practices, such as perceived climate or market risk and limited access to extension services and training. They suggest that policy changes to strengthen extension services and market access would likely boost farmers willingness and ability to adopt these practices.
1. Molecular introgression of leaf rust resistance gene Lr34 validates enhanced effect on resistance to spot blotch in spring wheat. 2017. Vasistha, N.K., Balasubramaniam, A., Vinod Kumar Mishra., Srinivasa, J., Chand, R., Joshi, A.K. In: Euphytica no. 213, 262.
2. Biology of B. sorokiniana (syn. Cochliobolus sativus) in genomics era. 2018. Pushpendra Kumar Gupta, Vasistha, N.K., Aggarwal, R., Joshi, A.K. In: Journal of Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology v.27, no. 2, p. 123â138.
3. Enhancing genetic gain in the era of molecular breeding. 2017. Yunbi Xu, Ping Li, Cheng Zou, Yanli Lu, Chuanxiao Xie, Zhang, X., Prasanna, B.M., Olsen, M. In: Journal of Experimental Botany v. 68, no. 11, p. 2641-2666.
4. Impact of improved maize adoption on household food security of maize producing smallholder farmers in Ethiopia. 2018. Jaleta Debello Moti, Kassie, M., Marenya, P., Yirga, C., Erenstein, O. In: Food security v. 10, no. 1, p. 81â93.
5. Land ownership and technology adoption revisited : improved maize varieties in Ethiopia. 2018. Zeng, D., Alwang, J.R., Norton, G.W., Jaleta Debello Moti, Shiferaw, B., Yirga, C. In: Land Use Policy v. 72, p. 270-279.
6. Integrating quantified risk in efficiency analysis : evidence from rice production in East and Southern Africa. 2017. Mujawamariya, G., Medagbe, F. M. K., Karimov, A. In: Agrekon v. 56, no. 4, p. 383-401.
7. Adoption and farm-level impact of conservation agriculture in Central Ethiopia. 2017. Tsegaye, W., LaRovere, R., Mwabu, G., Kassie, G.T. In: Environment, Development and Sustainability v. 19, no. 6, p. 2517â2533.
8. Yield effects of rust-resistant wheat varieties in Ethiopia. 2017. Abro, Z. A., Jaleta Debello Moti, Qaim, M. In: Food security v. 9, no. 6, p. 1343â1357.
10. Genome-wide association analyses identify QTL hotspots for yield and component traits in durum wheat grown under yield potential, drought, and heat stress environments. 2018. Sukumaran, S., Reynolds, M.P., Sansaloni, C.P. In: Frontiers in Plant Science no. 9 : 81.
Increasingly erratic weather, poor soil health, and resource shortages brought on by climate change are challenging the ability of farmers in developing countries to harvest a surplus to sell or even to grow enough to feed their households. A healthy crop can mean the difference between poverty and prosperity, between hunger and food security.
Terry Molnar, a scientist at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), is helping farmers face these challenges by using the natural diversity of plants to unlock desirable genetic traits inside food crops.
Working at CIMMYT as a Maize Phenotyping and Breeding Specialist, Molnar studies the traits found in different maize varieties found in the CIMMYT seed collections that can be used to strengthen crops and produce healthy food and better livelihoods.
Growing up in New Mexico, in the United States of America, he had a unique opportunity to work with a conservation group preserving seed from Native American and Hispanic communities of northern New Mexico and southern Colorado.
âSeeing all the diversity there was in the maize, beans, chilies really inspired me to go into genetics and breeding as a career,â Molnar said. Following that inspiration, he earned his bachelor degree at Colorado State University and continued his Masters and doctoral studies at North Carolina State University with a focus on plant breeding.
At CIMMYT, he studies native maize varieties called landraces to identify useful traits such as resistance to heat and drought, which can be used to breed new varieties that help farmers produce more food despite mounting challenges.
The high level of native maize diversity is due to its varied geography and culture in Latin America where it originated. As farmers selected the best maize for their specific environments and uses, it diverged into distinct races. At present, there are over 300 recorded unique races of maize in Latin America alone.
Molnar evaluates the landraces varieties in the field for a large set of characteristics, called the phenotype. Additionally, the landraces have been characterized genetically, called the genotype. Using the phenotype and genotype, Molnar can start to unravel the complexity of important traits such as drought and identify sources of resistance.
âOur projects are trait-targeted, so the first step is to make educated guesses as to which of the landraces might be good for that trait. There are over 25,000 maize landraces varieties in the CIMMYT Maize Germplasm Bank and we donât have the infrastructure or money to test them all.â
âWe try to cast a wide net and evaluate as many landraces as we are able in the field under the conditions of interest. After this initial evaluation, I keep the best ones and start the breeding process,â Molnar said.
This involves crossing the landrace to elite maize lines that already have desirable traits like high yield, to develop new lines. The final step is to create hybrids from these new lines and evaluate them in yield trials. After several years of testing, anything that is better than the original lines for the trait of interest will be released to breeders and research scientists.
Climate change predictions suggest that in the coming decades, heat and drought will greatly increase in many important maize growing areas of the world. Molnar works to find tolerance traits for drought and heat within landrace maize plants. As well as becoming a growing problem in the future, drought and heat already affect farmers in any given year, he said.
As part of this work, Molnar also looks for landrace varieties with natural resistance to two prevalent maize diseases, tar spot complex (TSC) and maize lethal necrosis (MLN). TSC is an important disease in the southern half of Mexico, Central America and northern South America, and can decrease yields by 50 percent when it gets into fields early in a growing cycle. Most of the farmers in the affected areas are too poor to afford fungicides, so resistance built into varieties is very important. MLN is a large problem in eastern Africa.
âLike TSC, when MLN gets into fields early in the cycle the results can be devastating, with up to 100 percent potential yield loss,â said Molnar. âMLN is spread by insect vectors, and similar to the situation in Latin America, many farmers in east Africa are too poor or donât have access to insecticides.â
The last trait Molnar looks for is pigmentation, specifically blue and red kernel color. This is part of an effort to develop new end-use markets in Mexico. Pigments in maize are due to increased concentrations of anthocyanin, an antioxidant, which has been connected to decreased cancer risk. Blue and red maize can be used for specialty food products or for industrial use such as the extraction of natural colors for use in other food products. In both cases, the pigmented maize commands a higher price for the farmer and gives them access to new markets.
Molnar finds great satisfaction in his work, both from the difference he makes in farmersâ lives, and from the process of finding the traits in the first place.
âI enjoy being out in the field, looking at maize, meeting and talking to farmers and working with my collaborators,â Molnar said. âIâm fascinated by the incredible variety that exists in maize and its ability to grow almost everywhere under most environmental conditions. Before the Europeans came, maize was already growing from Canada to Chile and from sea level to over 3000 meters in altitude and from the humid tropics to bone-dry desert. Itâs an incredibly adaptable species.â
He is motivated by the passion to promote the rich variety of traits found in native maize varieties.
âIâm driven by the doubt of others. A lot of maize breeders working at the private seed companies donât believe it is possible to derive anything commercially useful out of a landrace since modern hybrid maize has been bred for so long and is now so elite. I would like to prove them wrong,â he said.
Increasingly erratic weather, poor soil health, and resource shortages brought on by climate change are challenging the ability of farmers in developing countries to harvest a surplus to sell or even to grow enough to feed their households. A healthy crop can mean the difference between poverty and prosperity, between hunger and food security.