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Around El Batán: scientists visit for climate change training

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By Brenna Goth/CIMMYT

Indian researchers A.G. Sreenivas and U.K. Shanwad hope their first visit to Mexico will yield the tools they need to address cropping systems and climate change in their home country.

Sreenivas, an associate professor of entomology at the University of Agricultural Sciences Raichur, and Shanwad, an agronomist at the university’s Main Agricultural Research Station, are visiting CIMMYT as trainees. Their university is already collaborating with CIMMYT’s M.L. Jat to spread drill sown rice in India. Coverage reached more than 60,000 acres in the Upper Krishna command area in its first year of introduction.

A.G. Sreenivas (right) and U.K. Shanwad are visiting CIMMYT sites in Mexico for training. Photo: Xochiquezatl Fonseca/CIMMYT
A.G. Sreenivas (right) and U.K. Shanwad are visiting CIMMYT sites in Mexico for training. Photo: Xochiquezatl Fonseca/CIMMYT

The two will spend three months between CIMMYT research stations at El Batán and Ciudad Obregón. The training will first focus on the integrated assessment of cropping systems to determine productivity, resource efficiency and vulnerability and adaptability to climate change. Under Santiago López-Ridaura, the trainees will learn about the trade-offs between performance indicators and constraints to adapting a climatesmart cropping system. Next, in Ciudad Obregón, Sreenivas and Shanwad will learn the methodologies involved in collecting, processing and analyzing greenhouse gases and soil samples under the supervision of Iván Ortiz-Monasterio. “It’s a very rich experience for us,” Shanwad said.

Agricultural production in India faces several challenges, the trainees said. Labor requirements, monsoon gambling, market fluctuations, improved hybrids and pest resistance are some of the themes the two address in their research. New crop insect pests and diseases are consistently emerging while climate change also poses global challenges. The trainings will focus on the analysis of their own cropping systems. The two brought longterm weather data to compare with insect pests, crop production and weather data of the region. “Productivity has to be increased,” Sreenivas said.

Sreenivas and Shanwad said they are enjoying the climate at El Batán as well as the chance to connect with colleagues from India. They are also looking forward to attending The Borlaug Summit on Wheat for Food Security in March and said the opportunity is “like heaven.” CIMMYT packs an enormous amount of research into its headquarters, Sreenivas said. “We are expecting more collaborative research,” he said.

Monsanto recognized for CIMMYT collaboration

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By Brenna Goth/CIMMYT

Stephen Mugo, CIMMYT; Jesús Madrazo, Monsanto; and John McMurdy, USAID, members of the WEMA Partnership at the ND-GAIN Award program. Photo: Courtesy of Monsanto
Stephen Mugo, CIMMYT; Jesús Madrazo, Monsanto; and John McMurdy, USAID, members of the WEMA Partnership at the ND-GAIN Award program. Photo: Courtesy of Monsanto

Monsanto received an award in December recognizing its impact in Africa through the Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) project. The Notre Dame Global Adaptation Index (ND-GAIN) Corporate Adaption Award is given annually by the University of Notre Dame for contributions to awareness, science or action in creating resilience to climate change. In 2013, Monsanto and PepsiCo were recognized for their impacts on climate change and vulnerability. The awards were announced in Washington, D.C.

WEMA, which is providing improved maize varieties to farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa, is a public-private partnership that includes participation by CIMMYT, the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) and the national agricultural research systems of Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. Monsanto joins CIMMYT and national agricultural research systems in providing maize germplasm and technical expertise for the project. WEMA is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and USAID. WEMA is in its second phase. Its first conventional maize hybrid, branded under DroughtTEGO, is being sold for planting to smallholder farmers in Kenya. The first harvest is expected early this year.

Jesús Madrazo, vice president of corporate engagement for Monsanto, received the award on behalf of the WEMA project. He was accompanied by John McMurdy, international research and biotechnology adviser for the USAID Bureau for Food Security and Rose Barbuto, senior consultant for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. CIMMYT’s Stephen Mugo, principal scientist and maize breeder for the Global Maize Program based in Kenya, represented CIMMYT, AATF and national agricultural research systems partners at the event. “The ceremony was an excellent platform for the work being done by ND-GAIN to raise awareness about the need for national efforts towards adaptation to climate change,” Mugo said. “The fact that Monsanto and the WEMA project were recognized for contributing to Kenya’s rise on the ND-GAIN index ladder was very welcome.” Read more about the award on Monsanto’s blog.

CIMMYT strengthens ties with Mexico’s Science Council

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Research center directors from throughout Mexico met to identify possible collaborations on 25 November at CIMMYT-El Batán. Visitors, all from National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT) centers, included Lorenzo Felipe Sanchez Teyer, director general of the Yucatán Scientific Research Center A.C. (CICY); Pablo Wong-González, director general of the Center for Food Research and Development A.C. (CIAD); Mayra de la Torre, who is in charge of strategic programs for CIAD; and Martín Aluja Schuneman Hofer, director general of the Ecology Institute A.C. (INECOL).

Aluja received the 2013 National Award for Science and Arts in the technology, innovation and design category. This important award recognizes his invaluable contribution to promoting agriculture and strengthening the marketing of Mexican avocados, among other work to improve science and technology in Mexico. Congratulations Dr. Aluja! During the visit and meetings with CIMMYT researchers, attendees identified potential areas of collaboration with each CONACYT research center. They agreed on possible areas of focus, including impact modeling on long-term agricultural practices, social inclusion research, technological innovation, value chain and market research, nutritional quality and climate change.

Other CONACYT research centers participated in the first analysis and planning meeting for a national postgraduate program in plant genetic resources, held at CIMMYT on 13-14 November. The initiative is led by MasAgro- Biodiversity. Participation at the workshop included 21 national universities and research centers as well as the Northwest Center for Biological Research (CIBNOR), El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR) and INECOL.

Left to right: Carlos Moisés Hernández, Denise Costich, Lorenzo Felipe Sanchez Teyer, Kevin Pixley, Mayra de la Torre, Martín Aluja Schuneman Hofer, Pablo Wong-González, Natalia Palacios, Sara Hearne, Isabel Peña, Carolina Saint-Pierre, Francelino Rodrigues, Carlos Guzmán and Gilberto Salinas. Photo: Xochiquezatl Fonseca/CIMMYT
Left to right: Carlos Moisés Hernández, Denise Costich, Lorenzo Felipe Sanchez Teyer, Kevin Pixley, Mayra de la Torre, Martín Aluja Schuneman Hofer, Pablo Wong-González, Natalia Palacios, Sara Hearne, Isabel Peña, Carolina Saint-Pierre,
Francelino Rodrigues, Carlos Guzmán and Gilberto Salinas. Photo: Xochiquezatl Fonseca/CIMMYT

The CONACYT system includes 27 research institutes that focus on science and technology. Research areas and objectives include natural sciences, social sciences and the humanities, technological development and innovation and financial support for postgraduate studies. Inocencio Higuera, deputy director general of CONACYT’s public centers who visited CIMMYT in August 2013, said CONACYT is extremely important to Mexico. CIMMYT has signed academic and scientific collaboration agreements with CONACYT centers including ECOSUR, CIAD, INECOL, CICY and the Social Anthropology Research and Study Center (CIESAS). These five-year agreements establish collaboration and cooperation terms and conditions for the development and implementation of specific research projects as well as academic exchange and training.

CIMMYT recognizes the importance of exchanging scientific knowledge and strengthening research with institutes that have solid infrastructure and expertise in anthropology and social impact, biotechnology, ecological management, nanotechnology, nutrition and high-quality human resources development.

Australian delegation praises CIMMYT’s global achievements

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By Miriam Shindler/CIMMYT

The Australian delegation stand with CIMMYT representatives in front of the Gene Bank. Front row left to right: Ambassador Tim George, Ms. Robyn McClelland, Sergeant-at-Arms, Dr. Thomas Lumpkin, Hon. Bronwyn Bishop, Mr. Stephen Jones MP, Hon. Philip Ruddock MP and his wife Back row left to right: Ashleigh McArthur, Australian Embassy in Mexico; Senator Deborah O’Neill; Mr. Mark Coulton MP; William Blomfield, Australian Embassy in Mexico; Dr.Marianne Bänziger , CIMMYT Deputy Director General; Mr. Damien Jones, Special Adviser to the Speaker; Dr. Kevin Pixley, Director Genetic Resources Program Director; Dr. Hans Braun, Director Global Wheat Program Director; Ricardo Curiel, MasAgro Communications Specialist. (Photo: Xochiquezatl Fonseca/CIMMYT)
The Australian delegation stand with CIMMYT representatives in front of the Gene Bank.
Front row left to right: Ambassador Tim George, Ms. Robyn McClelland, Sergeant-at-Arms, Dr. Thomas Lumpkin, Hon. Bronwyn Bishop, Mr. Stephen Jones MP, Hon. Philip Ruddock MP and his wife Back row left to right: Ashleigh McArthur, Australian Embassy in Mexico; Senator Deborah O’Neill; Mr. Mark Coulton MP; William Blomfield, Australian Embassy in Mexico; Dr.Marianne Bänziger , CIMMYT Deputy Director General; Mr. Damien Jones, Special Adviser to the Speaker; Dr. Kevin Pixley, Director Genetic Resources Program Director; Dr. Hans Braun, Director Global Wheat Program Director; Ricardo Curiel, MasAgro Communications Specialist. (Photo: Xochiquezatl Fonseca/CIMMYT)

The Honorary Bronwyn Bishop, speaker of the Australian House of Representatives, commended CIMMYT’s impressive achievements during a visit to the El Batán campus on 16 January. Bishop was accompanied by Tim George, the Australian ambassador to Mexico, as well as three other members of the House of Representatives and a member of the Senate.

In an engaging presentation, CIMMYT Director General Thomas Lumpkin captivated the delegation by showcasing CIMMYT’s history and extensive agricultural research for development activities. The delegation was also impressed by CIMMYT’s contribution to the Australian agriculture sector; 98 percent of Australian wheat is derived from CIMMYT parental lines. A 4.6 percent yield increase due to CIMMYT germplasm translates into additional annual income of up to AUD$ 250 million (US$ 219.8 million) for Australian wheat farmers.

The fruitful visit was an opportunity to strengthen the partnership between CIMMYT and Australia and to form future collaborative projects that will help both farmers in the developing world and in Australia. Australia is one of CIMMYT’s strongest partners and collaborators. Institutions such as the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) are working with CIMMYT to improve maize and wheat varieties for farmers in Australia and the developing world.

361 years of wheat work

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By Mike Listman/CIMMYT

From left to right: José Juan Ramírez (1974-2014); Hans Braun; John Snape; Roberto Javier Peña (1971-2013); Guillermo Ortiz-Ferrara (1971-2010); Sanjaya Rajaram; Alfredo Valencia (1975-2013); María Dolores Mir (1971-2013); María Luisa Gómez (1974-2013); José Daniel De Teodoro (1969- 2013); Vicente Morales(1969-2013) and Ramón Gil Montoya (1969-2011). Photo: Mike Listman
From left to right: José Juan Ramírez (1974-2014); Hans Braun; John Snape; Roberto Javier Peña (1971-2013); Guillermo Ortiz-Ferrara (1971-2010); Sanjaya Rajaram; Alfredo Valencia (1975-2013); María Dolores Mir (1971-2013); María Luisa Gómez (1974-2013); José Daniel De Teodoro (1969- 2013); Vicente Morales(1969-2013) and Ramón Gil Montoya (1969-2011). Photo: Mike Listman

About 100 CIMMYT staff, family and Science Week visitors gathered at CIMMYT headquarters on 6 December 2013 to honor and bid farewell to nine retiring or recently retired members of the Global Wheat Program (GWP). “These people together have more than 360 years of work at CIMMYT,” said Hans Braun, GWP director, speaking at a dinner to honor the retirees, who included scientists, field technicians, secretaries and an office assistant. “Several started here as early as 1969. For some, this means having helped grow 80 cycles of wheat — not many outside of CIMMYT could say that. On behalf of CIMMYT and the wheat farmers of the world, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your many contributions.”

The retirees had their contributions recognized through the bestowal of the GWP’s Yaqui Indian Award “that will identify you forever as a pillar of the wheat community,” Braun said. Wheat quality researcher Peña Bautista, who played a crucial role in strengthening CIMMYT’s relationship with Mexico, said he thought of the GWP as his family. “I love this work and if I were born again I would do the same thing with the same passion,” he said.

Ortíz-Ferrara, who worked for 35 years in wheat research before changing crops three years ago to lead CIMMYT’s Hill Maize Research Project in Nepal, recounted working under six CIMMYT directors general and five wheat directors, but said he especially recognized the behind-the- scenes contributions of support staff. “It’s beautiful to see how we have worked together and have been recognized with many awards from national programs,” he said.

Sanjaya Rajaram and Ramón Gil Montoya attend the event. Photo: Mike Listman
Sanjaya Rajaram and Ramón Gil Montoya attend the event. Photo: Mike Listman

Special guest Sanjaya Rajaram, former GWP director and CIMMYT distinguished scientist, congratulated the group and emphasized the importance of continuity in GWP work. “Just remember that your efforts have in one way or another translated into removing misery in many parts of the world,” he said.

Many of the retirees have memories of CIMMYT’s early days. Field technician Gil Montoya was with Dr. Norman E. Borlaug at CIMMYT’s Toluca research station when Borlaug received the news of his 1970 Nobel Prize. “His reaction surprised many of us —he took it calmly and said it might not even be true,” Montoya said. “When the media began to arrive a little later, Borlaug complained that they were distracting him from his work.”

Mir Rodríguez, who worked as a GWP secretary, was grateful for her professional development over 42 years at CIMMYT. “Thanks for what you’ve taught me,” she said, “and I carry you all in my heart.”

Agronomists learn precision-conservation agriculture

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By M.L. Jat and Tripti Agarwal /CIMMYT

Wheat agronomists in India learned about precision-conservation agriculture and received the tools to continue their education at a workshop in November.

Nearly 40 participants attended “Precision-Conservation Agriculture for Improving Wheat Productivity in South Asia,” which was organized by CIMMYT, the Directorate of Wheat Research (DWR) and the International Plant Nutrition Institute – South Asia Program (IPNI), with support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The workshop was held 26 to 27 November at the DWR in Karnal, India.

Agronomists receive GreenSeeker training at a DWR field. Photo: RK Sharma, DWR
Agronomists receive GreenSeeker training at a DWR field. Photo: RK Sharma, DWR

Attendees represented nine of the All India Coordinated Research Centres on Wheat and Barley Improvement (AICRCW&BI) located in different state agricultural universities as well as CIMMYT, IPNI, three Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) institutes, the State Department of Agriculture in Karnal and the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK). The goal of the workshop was to train scientists in blending precision and conservation agriculture, an important strategic initiative of the CGIAR Research Program on Wheat (WHEAT), said M.L. Jat, senior cropping systems agronomist for CIMMYT.

The event aimed to raise awareness about Nutrient Expert, a software tool that helps determine fertilizer requirements, and GreenSeeker, an optical sensor that measures Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), an indicator of crop development and health. In 2009, IPNI and CIMMYT started working with the Nutrient Expert Decision support tool in close collaboration with national agricultural research and extension systems. The tool gained wide acceptance after private organization and corporations began providing it to farmers.

Targeting widespread adoption of both technologies, each coordinated research center received a GreenSeeker tool and Nutrient Expert software. Participants were engaged and motivated to learn about and implement the tools in farmers’ fields. Kaushik Majumdar, director of IPNI in South Asia, applauded the workshop collaboration and continuous efforts on implementing site-specific nutrient management. Etienne Duveiller, director of research for CIMMYT-South Asia, urged a multidisciplinary approach to address yield potential in germplasm and agronomy.

CA-lern-pres2

Partners should expand their innovation and training efforts and construct an action plan to reach farmers, said DWR Project Director Indu Sharma. She also proposed discussion of technology adoption and said training scientists is one way to move forward on agricultural issues. She cited a report on farmers who said they obtained 7 to 9 ton per hectare grain yield with higher nutrient applications.

In addition, she mentioned the need to bridge the production gaps of 15 to 20 percent in high productive zones and up to 35 percent in low productive zones through best-bet agronomic management practices. Regarding training, she emphasized the dissemination of knowledge. “Learning from the best farmers who are harvesting with higher productivity is required to ensure sustainable development,” she said. Participants said they appreciated the knowledge they gained during the workshop. CIMMYT, DWR and IPNI extended their support to participating institutes for future precision conservation agriculture endeavors.

Genome-assisted project develops climate-resilient wheat

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By Ravi Valluru, Arun Joshi and Ravi P. Singh/CIMMYT

Innovative approaches to plant genotyping are helping CIMMYT researchers and partners to develop high-yielding, climate-resilient wheat in South Asia.

Researchers sow wheat trials. Photo: Arun Joshi
Researchers sow wheat trials. Photo: Arun Joshi

The genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) approach offers significant benefits over traditional plant breeding. Conventional breeding relies on scoring phenotypes, which is often laborious and inexact, to determine the estimated breeding value (EBV). This approach delays the verification of breeding results. Plant selection through genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (GS), however, is a variant of marker-assisted selection (MAS) that enables crop breeders to rank best parents accurately and cost-effectively.

Researchers Jesse Poland, a geneticist with Kansas State University, and Ravi P. Singh, head of CIMMYT’s bread wheat improvement program, are developing GBS-assisted wheat with support from Cornell University. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is funding the $5 million, five-year project under the Feed the Future initiative. “This genotyping project signifies a new era of big science for international wheat development,” Poland said.

The project builds on the established heat tolerance and yield potential framework established by CIMMYT scientists. About 1,000 advanced wheat lines developed in Mexico by CIMMYT were planted at Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) locations as well as in Faisalabad, Pakistan, and six environments in Ciudad Obregón, Mexico, to characterize them for heat tolerance.

Researchers acquire “greenness” data using a hand-held NDVI sensor. Photo: Ravi Valluru
Researchers acquire “greenness” data using a hand-held NDVI sensor. Photo: Ravi Valluru

Through rigorous testing of wheat lines for various traits – including yield – the GS project will promote the best varietal options for testing and release by national programs and the private sector in South Asia. “Incorporating genomic selection criteria into CIMMYT’s bread wheat breeding pipeline will significantly expedite wheat genetic gains,” Singh said. Wheat varieties developed by the GS project will have enhanced climate resilience. Their heat tolerance and maximized yield potential could reduce heat-induced yield losses by 20 to 30 percent. “Efforts will be initiated to incorporate the genomic selection strategy into conventional breeding programs in South Asia,” said CIMMYT wheat breeder Arun Joshi, adding that genomic information, genomic models and optimized strategies generated through the GS project will benefit cultivar selection worldwide.

Though MAS improves breeding decisions, GS has several additional benefits. “Being a hypothesis-independent approach, the beauty of GS is that it tracks genetic variance for a trait in a population and reduces the breeding cycle significantly,” Singh said. Additionally, the genomic data collected will be useful to manage the genetic diversity and the retention of favorable alleles in the population, safeguarding prospects for long-term genetic gains.

Crucial to implementing the approach are adequate and affordable genotyping platforms, simplified breeding schemes to capture additive genetic effects, models for estimating long-term marker effects and a close collaboration between science and industry.

“If GS-assisted crop breeding, by encompassing other possible biological – for example metabolic – markers, lives up to its promise, it will certainly change the face of crop breeding, productivity and food security,” said CIMMYT wheat physiologist Ravi Valluru, interim coordinator of the GS project at BISA.

Programming language helps crop data analysis

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By Luis Narro/CIMMYT

The computer programming language “R” can help crop researchers with data analysis and interpretation, students learned during a course on the tool this month. Held at the National University of Cajamarca in Peru from 11 to 15 November, the course promoted the use of “R” in crop improvement. 

Data analysis is crucial for comparing the performance of maize hybrids and evaluating experiments. Free of charge and useful for analyzing diverse types of data, the “R” program has been around for about a decade but is relatively new and unknown in South America. It was developed by two statisticians in New Zealand. CIMMYT and the university’s College of Engineers organized the event, which drew some 70 participants from experiment stations from Peru’s National Institute for Technological Innovation (INIA), universities and governmental organizations with research programs. Teachers included Ramón Giraldo Henao from the National University of Colombia, Felipe de Mendiburu from the La Molina National Agrarian University in Lima, Carlos Urrea Florez from Nebraska State University and Luis Narro León from CIMMYT.

R-Peru2-DNA

Mendiburu, who developed the application Agricolae for R, taught the participants how to use the program. The application is specifically designed for the planning and analysis of agricultural and plant breeding experiments. Giraldo presented on the various uses of “R,” including its applications in statistics, types of variables and measurement scales, measures of location and shape variability, probability, sampling distributions, hypothesis testing, regression, analysis of variance and contingency tables. Urrea described bean breeding with emphasis on the use of molecular markers to improve disease tolerance. Participants then used salt, detergent and alcohol to extract DNA from strawberries.

Luis Narro León explained maize breeding programs using conventional and unconventional methods. “The strategy of maize breeding program should be aimed at the production of hybrids as the ultimate goal,” Narro said. Carlos Tirado Soto from the National University of Cajamarca opened and closed the course, thanking CIMMYT and its collaborators offering the continued financial and logistical support of the university for similar events in the future. CIMMYT thanks Luis Alcantara, Héctor Cabrera, Alicia Medina, Miguel Angel Pots, Jorge Piedra and Víctor Sánche, from the College of Engineers, for their logistical support. Representing course participants, Vladimir Jara thanked the organizers for the opportunity and said he hoped that training would continue for researchers and teachers in Peru.

Pocket sensors for precision agriculture to reach Ethiopian farmers

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By Hae Koo Kim/CIMMYT

A new pocket-sized sensor could bring precision agriculture within reach of smallholder farmers in Ethiopia. Precision agriculture uses data from high-tech observations to assess and address crop variability and help farmers to employ their resources more effectively.

Haekoo-Kim

Crop performance readings from satellite or sensor-based technologies are used to “do the right thing, at the right place, at the right time.” Marketed by Trimble since August 2012, the GreenSeeker handheld crop sensor reads near-infrared and red light reflected from plants to measure photosynthesis rates and crop vigor. When used with the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), the readings can help farmers decide exactly how much nitrogen fertilizer to apply to get the best yields.

This is especially important in Ethiopia whose soils – like those in many parts of Africa – typically lack nitrogen, a highly mobile element whose availability is affected by rainfall and soil characteristics. At a cost of about US $500, the sensor could make precision agriculture affordable for farmers in Ethiopia. It does not have the accuracy of bigger sensors, but is less expensive and better adapted to smallholder circumstances.

Because most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa import fertilizer, this input is relatively expensive. On average, farmers in the region apply only 9 kg/ha of nitrogen fertilizer, compared to an average 100 kg/ha in South Asia or more than 70 kg/ha in Latin America. This greatly limits their crop yields. When farmers do apply fertilizer, most follow broadly-targeted application rates recommended by extension agents, rather than site- or season-specific rates that would make the best use of this costly input to raise crop yields. CIMMYT agronomists with the Nutritious Maize for Africa (NuME) project, funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD, formerly CIDA) of Canada, have introduced handheld sensors in Ethiopia and are testing them with agronomists Tesfa Bogale and Feyera Merga, from the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), and Ph.D. student Tolera Abera.

Australian ambassador visits program in Ethiopia

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By Dagne Wegary/CIMMYT

The Australian Ambassador to Ethiopia paid her first visit to a CIMMYT program this month and commended efforts to improve livelihoods in resource-poor rural households.

On her 7 November visit, Ambassador Lisa Filipetto learned about activities under the Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Legume Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa (SIMLESA) program, which have been implemented in different parts of Ethiopia since 2010. She visited SIMLESA sites in northwest Ethiopia, where work is conducted by the Amhara Regional Agricultural Research Institute (ARARI). Maize-based farming in the region is characterized by unsustainable production systems, including monocropping, repeated tillage and residue removal. SIMLESA promotes new crop varieties and production practices such as intercropping, maize-legume rotations, reduced tillage and year-round residue coverage. Farmers who have traditionally monocropped maize appreciate the new practices, which help them increase harvests while replenishing soil fertility.

Australian-Ambassador-to-Ethiopia-briefed-on-the-peformances-of-SIMLESA-activties

Filipetto was accompanied by scientists from CIMMYT-Ethiopia and the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), SIMLESA partners. Dr. Biru Yitaferu, director general of ARARI, and Likawent Yeheyis, director of livestock research for ARARI, welcomed the visiting team. Yitaferu highlighted ARARI’s managerial structure, mandates, missions and resource capacities while Yiheyis presented an overview of SIMLESA work in the region.

Presentations showcased the program’s extensive research and development activities including conservation agriculture-based exploratory trials; farmer participatory variety selection (PVS) for maize, grain legumes and forage and fodder varieties; and technology implementation in South Achefer and Jabitenan districts, which is aided by ARARI researchers and district agricultural offices.
Ambassador-Lisa-Filipetto-and-SIMLESA

Filipetto visited a SIMLESA site hub in South Achefer and saw activities of the Abchikli Farmers’ Training Center on conservation agriculture-based intercropping, as well as PVS trials with hybrid and open-pollinated maize and varieties of sweet lupine – a multi-purpose legume crop traditional in Ethiopia. Four of the sweet lupine varieties in the trials are under the final stage of evaluation for future commercial release. Yeheyis said Amhara’s agriculture bureau will include conservation agriculture, maize-legume intercropping and maize-fodder/forage relay cropping in its regular extension program. This will contribute significantly to adoption of the technologies by a wider range of farming communities in the region, according to Yeheyis.

At the end of her visit, Filipetto expressed great interest in partnering with CIMMYT to improve livelihoods in the region. SIMLESA in Ethiopia is funded by Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).

China: farmers benefit from knowledge transfer

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By Jack McHugh /CIMMYT

Jack McHugh, CIMMYT, and Yuan Hanmin, NAAFS, introduce participants to conservation agriculture in Litong district. The presentation was organized and supported by Bei Bing (in foreground) from the Agricultural Technology Promotions Centre in Wuzhong City.
Jack McHugh, CIMMYT, and Yuan Hanmin, NAAFS, introduce participants to conservation agriculture in Litong district. The presentation was organized and supported by Bei Bing (in foreground) from the Agricultural Technology Promotions Centre in Wuzhong City.

A conservation agriculture demonstration site and informal farmer field school opened recently in northern China, raising awareness about useful new technology among farmers and other stakeholders. Organizations in Wuzhong City, Ningxia, – including CIMMYT, the Ningxia Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Ningxia Bei Li Feng Zhongye Seed Company, the Wuzhong City and Litong District Agricultural Technology Promotion Centre, the Qingdao Peanut Machinery Manufacturing Company and the villagers of Litong District – are working together to build an innovation platform (IP). The IP will aim to transfer knowledge and technology to improve agronomic practices of the farmers in the district and beyond. “We hope to develop champion farmers who will share their knowledge with others and thus provide valuable feedback to the community of practice associated with the platform,” said Jack McHugh, a CIMMYT cropping systems agronomist based in China.

The 20-hectare conservation agriculture demonstration site and field school are particularly useful for female farmers in Litong District, where many men participate in long-term, off-farm work. The training gives women access to the knowledge, skills and capacity to operate farms more profitably while using less labor. “Our purpose is to introduce affordable technology that makes conservation agriculture possible,” McHugh said. “We have great expectations for its future development because we are developing a community of practice.”

A demonstration site during winter irrigation shows a conservation agriculture (CA) field (left) and conventionally (CK) planted field (right). The CA field was planted on 14 October while the CK field was planted at the end of September.
A demonstration site during winter irrigation shows a conservation agriculture (CA) field (left) and conventionally (CK) planted field (right). The CA field was planted on 14 October while the CK field was planted at the end of September.

This month, CIMMYT agronomists saw the benefits of the Chinese zero-tillage turbo seeder introduced by the Qingdao Peanut Machinery Manufacturing Company. The seeder allows seed to be sown and fertilizer applied directly into unplowed soil. The winter wheat crop was planted late with some concern, but the seeder “did a great job,” McHugh said. The 50-horsepower tractor seeder and 20-horsepower tractor mini-turbo seeder will be refined to enhance crop flexibility, field setup and ease of operation. At the informal field school held last month at the innovation platform demonstration site, McHugh and Professor Yuan Hanmin from the agricultural academy in Ningxia gave a presentation on the basics of conservation agriculture. Participants included 32 farmers – 40 percent female – who raised questions about fertilization with the turbo seeder and the impacts of residue on rice transplanting. “We were able to show – through Professors Yuan’s pictures of his work over the last decade in Ningxia – that these and other concerns held by the farmers are readily addressed,” McHugh said. “We emphasized that this presentation was a generic introduction to conservation agriculture and that the innovation platform would work closely with farmers to address specific issues they may have when introducing the technology into their farming operations.” The projects are receiving attention throughout the region. Recent events have been documented by the Wuzhong daily newspaper and with interviews by local television stations from Yinchuan and Wuzhong cities.

Turkey hosts global plant breeding congress

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By Alexey Morgounov/CIMMYT

TurkeyMore than 650 people from 75 countries attended the International Plant Breeding Congress in Antalya, Turkey, from 11 to 14 November. The congress was organized by the Turkish Union of Plant Breeders, with help from CIMMYT and officials of the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock of Turkey.

Simultaneous translation in English, Russian and Turkish helped expand speaker diversity. The congress included four main sections: cereals, field crops, horticultural crops and genetic resources. B.M. Prasanna, director of CIMMYT’s Global Maize Program, delivered a key-note speech entitled, “Meeting the challenges of global climate change and food security through innovative maize research.”
The International Winter Wheat Improvement Program, a collaboration between CIMMYT and the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), organized a half-day session highlighting its activities and presentations from its collaborators. Alexey Morgounov, winter wheat breeder for CIMMYT, presented on climate change in winter wheat breeding sites and co-authored four additional oral presentations. In the final plenary session, it was announced that the congress will be held once every two years in Turkey. Participants appreciated the quality and organization of the event.

Seed technologists benefit from production training

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By Adefris Teklewold and Dagne Wegary

Developing Ethiopia’s seed sector can help bring quality protein maize (QPM) to people at risk of protein deficiencies, participants in a seed production training course learned last month. To enhance the skills of public and private seed company agronomists and seed quality inspectors, the Nutritious Maize for Ethiopia (NuME) project hosted a QPM seed production training course from 30 October to 1 November. With funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD) of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), NuME aims to bring QPM to farmers in the major maize-growing areas of Ethiopia. Seed sector capacity building is a key component of the project, along with advancing and sharing QPM technology.

Fikre Markos, plant health and regulatory director of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, said the seed system in Ethiopia remains underdeveloped. “The country’s seed companies are inefficient due to capacity limitations and can benefit from training for seed technologists,” he said. Nearly 40 participants – including five women – attended the training. Seed agronomists represented seven private seed companies, four public seed enterprises, and one farmer cooperative union, while seed quality inspectors were drawn from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, three regional bureaus of agriculture and three zonal seed quality laboratories. Four agricultural research institutes producing breeder, pre-basic and basic QPM seed varieties were also represented.

Jennifer Bloom, second secretary for food security and agricultural growth for DFATD, addresses the trainees.
Jennifer Bloom, second secretary for food security and agricultural growth for DFATD, addresses the trainees.

Jennifer Bloom, second secretary for food security and agricultural growth for DFATD, opened the workshop and commended CIMMYT for bringing relevant partners to help implement NuME.

NuME Project Leader Adefris Teklewold said the project is aligned with the government of Ethiopia’s growth and transformation plan and millennium development goals. The NuME project focuses on gender parity in achieving these goals. Women are targeted in the project’s education and communication efforts to identify ways they can benefit from QPM. “The project addresses the issues of food and nutritional security and also focuses on promoting and ensuring gender balance and opportunities for women,” Teklewold said. “Through disseminating QPM technology, the project aims to support stakeholders’ efforts to challenge intra-household power imbalances.”

Presentation topics included clarifying the difference between QPM and non-QPM germplasm; QPM variety development and promotion; identification and maintenance of true-to-type varieties and parental lines; effective planning of QPM seed production; field management of seed production; post-harvest handling and marketing and principles of seed quality control and inspection. QPM contains higher levels of essential amino acids than normal maize. The QPM trait is recessive, meaning seed production requires careful quality control so the trait is not lost.

The trainers–experts drawn from CIMMYT, the Agricultural Transformation Agency of Ethiopia, the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture, Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Sasakawa Global 2000 and Ethiopian seed Enterprise – brought a wealth of information and knowledge to improve the skills of seed technologist and quality inspectors.

Participants said the training would benefit their personal careers as well as help them meet NuME’s high-quality seed production objectives. The training not only enhanced their knowledge of QPM seed technology but gave them insight into its role in food and nutrition security, they said.

Markos presented certificates to the participants and closed the training by saying the private sector is crucial for varietal development, seed production and dissemination and asked participants to use the training to improve QPM seed production and quality control in Ethiopia.

Improved maize varieties demonstrated in Mexico

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By Guillermina Sosa Mendoza/CIMMYT

Members of the collaborative network to test and share CIMMYT experimental maize lines and varieties for Mexico’s highlands learned about the latest improved materials on 7 November in El Batán. The maize varieties and hybrids improved as part of the Sustainable Modernization of Traditional Agriculture (MasAgro) initiative are a key product. MasAgro aims to increase the productivity and sustainability of small- and mediumscale farm production in Mexico.

During a tour of field plots to view the plants and assess their performance, CIMMYT maize breeder José Luis Torres explained MasAgro’s maize improvement programs in Hidalgo, Mexico, Puebla and Tlaxcala states to researchers and seed producers, inviting them to score white and yellow maize varieties under low-nitrogen and conservation agriculture conditions. The group then compared their scores with actual data taken by Torres and his team.

Improved-maize-varieties-demonstrated-in-Mexico

Ubaldo Marcos, CIMMYT seed production specialist, shared the results from test plots using MasAgro materials. He explained the best sowing season for each of the hybrids, optimal sowing densities the background of the inbred line parents and the main qualities that affect seed production. Additionally, he explained which conditions give the best yield and highlighted spring and summer cycle production.

“Maize should not only be resistant to biotic and abiotic stresses but also feature the desired grain qualities for consumers and industry,” said Natalia Palacios, CIMMYT maize nutrition quality specialist, who attended the event. Alberto Chassaigne, CIMMYT maize seed systems specialist for Latin America, highlighted the importance of collaboration with the seed sector and affirmed MasAgro’s commitment to improving farm productivity in Mexico.