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MAIZE and WHEAT: Priming the engine of agriculture

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On 16 January 2012, 300 researchers, policy makers, industry specialists, and NGO representatives from 36 nations gathered in Mexico City to launch the MAIZE and WHEAT CGIAR Research Program (CRP) meetings. In opening the proceedings, Pedro Brajcich Gallegos, representing INIFAP and SAGARPA, on behalf of the Government of Mexico, highlighted the importance of these two CRPs in light of the increasing occurrences of extreme weather due to climate change. Mexico is among the affected countries and Brajcich Gallegos pledged the support of the Mexican Government in achieving the goals set out by these two initiatives.

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Led by CIMMYT and ICARDA, the WHEAT CRP is expected to deliver enough wheat for an additional 56 million consumers by 2020, and an additional 397 million by 2030. The MAIZE CRP, lead by CIMMYT and IITA, is focused on delivering enough maize to feed an additional 135 million consumers in 2020, and an additional 600 million by 2030. These goals are particularly pertinent given the recent predictions of a UN report, estimating a world population of 10 billion by 2080.

CIMMYT’s Director General, Thomas Lumpkin, delivered a joint presentation with Molly Jahn, Professor, Department of Agronomy and Genetics for the Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “This meeting is historic and significant,” declared Jahn, “These two CRPs are a significant development for agricultural research, and people all over the world are watching for the results,” she added.

Representing the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Director of Agricultural Development Programs David Bergvinson delivered a presentation focusing on the increasing need for holistic and systems-based approaches to addressing future food security demands. “Never have so many been so dependent on so few for food,” he said, and went on to stress the need for investment by governments and aid agencies: “We’re all here to lift smallholder farmers out of poverty, and agriculture is the engine with which to do that.”

Marianne BĂ€nziger, CIMMYT Deputy Director General for Research and Partnerships, urged researchers to focus on delivering results to the world’s poorest farmers: “Productivity is not just about yields, but what is actually happening in farmer’s fields,” she said. BĂ€nziger also warned that the food riots of 2008 and 2010 would be repeated, and that it is the responsibility of the international scientific community and policy makers to stem food price increases and improve livelihoods for agricultural producers.

Over the subsequent four days, participants attended presentations and formed discussions and focus groups to identify research priorities and coordinate future work among themselves and with farmers. As expressed by seed producer María E. Rivas-Dávila: “I feel I have a role in the CRPs, because they are thinking at all levels, from researchers to farmers, so I am in the middle.”

Coming from such a wide range of institutions, participants had many different experiences to share. “I intended to bring my experience, but also to gather information, because we have not reached the end of the road,” said Argentinean Agronomist-Producer, Roberto Peiretti. “There is always a lot of opportunity to learn more and more, and I knew that this meeting was going to have such a broad base of worldwide participation, so I was extremely glad to be invited,” he added.

The closing session on Friday 20 January was chaired by Salvador Fernández Rivera, coordinator for research, innovation and partnerships, and agricultural research of Mexico’s National Institute of Forestry, Agriculture, and Livestock Research (INIFAP). Representatives from geographically- and organizationally- diverse partner entities shared impressions and suggestions. Maize breeder James Gethi, of the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), said the type of planning that had been done was critical for better impact and for synergies: “We were all here to improve impact in the welfare of smallholder farmers. How can we achieve this with all the bright minds in the room?” He enjoined national organizations, international centers, seed companies, and other actors to share information and knowledge.

Marilia Nutti, biofortification coordinator in Brazil’s Agricultural Research Corporation, EMBRAPA, said teamwork is the only way. “We need to work with the private sector to speed progress…and with the international community, for sustainable technology.”

Kingstone Mashingaidze, maize scientist with South Africa’s Agricultural Research Council (ARC), warned that partners should not be left behind in the mastery and use of molecular tools. “I don’t think CIMMYT can afford to run alone with molecular breeding tools,” he said. “For national programs, the challenge is if you want to continue to be relevant, then you’d better change the way you do business.”

After the exciting and hectic week of meetings, one shared sentiment was that MAIZE and WHEAT represent precisely that: a chance for everyone to leave behind business as usual and take bold and intelligent action to energize agriculture and meet the global challenges of food security.

A special recognition to Laura RuĂ­z and the logistics team for their long hours and sleepless nights to make the event the success it was.

The State of Mexico joins MasAgro

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On 12 January 2012, the State of Mexico signed an agreement to align its agricultural policies with MasAgro (Sustainable Modernization of Traditional Agriculture), an initiative fostered by the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fishing and Food (SAGARPA, by its Spanish acronym) and CIMMYT. MasAgro aims to sustainably increase the outputs of basic food grains, mainly maize and wheat, deal with climate change effects in rural areas and ensure food security in Mexico.

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The ceremony took place in the state capital, Toluca, and was chaired by Eruviel Ávila Villegas, Governor of the State of Mexico. Also in attendance was SAGARPA’s Francisco Mayorga Castañeda, Mariano Ruiz Funes, Undersecretary of Agriculture, Thomas Lumpkin, Director General of CIMMYT, Bram Govaerts, leader of MasAgro’s Take it to the Farmer component, and Heriberto Ortega RamĂ­rez, Secretary of Agriculture and Livestock Development in the State of Mexico.

Secretary Mayorga said that, one year after its launch, MasAgro’s extension covers an area of more than 20,000 hectares in 16 Mexican states, and that the State of Mexico has had a fundamental role in the process. So far, the State of Mexico already has five research platforms, 13 demonstration modules and an extension area of 113 hectares. He added that these results will be presented during the 2012 G-20 meetings in Mexico.

Bram Govaerts highlighted the fact that collaborative research and work by CIMMYT with farmers and scientists from the State of Mexico laid the foundation for MasAgro’s development. More than 40 years ago CIMMYT established its headquarters in Texcoco, and has also an experiment station in Toluca, both important localities of the State. Throughout these years, CIMMYT has multiplied its collaboration with important agricultural research and education centers in the highlands region.

Govaerts added that capacity building is an essential component of the strategy and there are seven agronomists from the State of Mexico taking MasAgro’s 2011-12 conservation agriculture certified technician course. Once graduated, these experts, along with technicians from other programs aligned with the strategy, will provide technical advice to farmers, to increase MasAgro’s extension area in the region.

For more information visit the MasAgro website.

A pillar retires: farewell for Suketoshi Taba

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tabaAt El BatĂĄn on 20 December 2011, CIMMYT staff, family, and friends joined specialists from Mexican universities and national research programs, Second Secretary Shin Taniguchi of the Japanese Embassy in Mexico, and farmers in a gala farewell luncheon for the retiring head of maize genetic resources, Suketoshi Taba, after an illustrious 36-year career at CIMMYT in the study, conservation, and use of maize diversity.

In the opening tribute to Taba, CIMMYT Director General Thomas Lumpkin credited his many years of participatory research with farmers to improve landraces for traits like yield and insect resistance, while preserving their grain quality for local food products. “This is work few breeders have done, and it’s greatly appreciated by CIMMYT,” said Lumpkin. Researchers Flavio Aragón, of Mexico’s National Institute of Forestry, Agriculture and Livestock Institute (INIFAP) and Humberto Castro of the Autonomous University of Chapingo—both of whom have worked shoulder to shoulder with Taba and farmers—recalled their long collaboration with the retiring scientist. Castro brought a commemorative plaque from the University and news of renewed funding for the project they had pursued.

A commemorative plaque from CIMMYT was also awarded by Lumpkin at the CIMMYT Christmas party on 16 December 2011. Lumpkin made reference to Taba’s successful coordination of work of national seed banks in 13 Latin American countries to rescue and regenerate more than 15,000 endangered seed collections of native maize races, as well as bringing to 27,000 the number of unique seed samples in CIMMYT’s maize germplasm bank. Staff from the Tlaltizapán research station came personally to present Taba with a plaque of appreciation from station personnel.

In his speech, Taba thanked all present and made special mention of his mentors, his team, and co-workers. “I could not have achieved anything without the hard work and support of colleagues,” he said. “I sincerely hope that CIMMYT will continue to focus on farmers in its work.”

Born on Okinawa just following World War II, Taba grew up on a farm there at a time when, in his words, “
there were no supermarkets, and we ate only what we could grow.” A particularly momentous year in his life was 1975, when he obtained a PhD in plant breeding at Kansas State University, got married, and arrived at CIMMYT as a post-doctoral fellow. After serving during 1977-86 as the center’s maize breeder for the Andean Region, Taba took up an appointment as head of maize genetic resources in 1987.

With wonderful dishes from CIMMYT’s food services unit and a background of spirited music from a local mariachi band, guests saw Taba receive a unique gift from the global maize program: an original watercolor painting by local artist and former CIMMYT staff member Linda Ainsworth. Withal, the fond wishes of those at the event, which went on into the evening with celebration and shared recollections, constitute a souvenir that Taba will take with him wherever he goes.

A frequent visitor to CIMMYT, retired University of Massachusetts at Boston Professor Garrison Wilkes, could not be present at the luncheon but sent Taba a letter which closed with the words: “Never have so many people who plant and consume maize, now and in the future, owed so much to a single person
We value what you have accomplished and future generations of humans will be more food secure because of your service.”

Norman Borlaug, the Green Revolution, and innovation in Agriculture: Bill Gates’ annual letter

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The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is one of CIMMYT’s biggest supporters. Here we repost their blog about Bill’s annual letter, which highlights the issue of food security, and how we need innovation and investment in agriculture if we are to address these problems

My job is to learn about global health and development—and to travel to poor countries to meet farmers who can’t grow enough food, mothers who can’t keep children healthy, and heroes in the field who are doing something about those emergencies. Very few people can devote the time to really understand these complex problems. Even fewer can actually meet the people who are struggling to overcome them. That is why I write an annual letter every year.

I want people to know about the amazing progress we’ve made. I also want them to see how much more progress it will take before we live in a truly equitable world.

In this year’s letter, I focus on food and agriculture (though I also provide updates about all the global health and U.S. education work we do). When I was in high school, a popular book called The Population Bomb painted a nightmarish vision of mass starvation on a planet that has outgrown its carrying capacity. That prediction was wrong, in large part because researchers developed much more productive seeds and other tools that helped poor farmers in many parts of the world multiply their yields. As a result, the percentage of people in extreme poverty has been cut in half in my lifetime. That’s the amazing progress part of the story, and not enough people know it.

But there’s the progress-yet-to-come part, and people need to know that, too. There are still more than 1 billion people who live in extreme poverty. They are located primarily in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, and they live on the edge of starvation. There is an irony in this, because most of them are farmers. We can help these 1 billion achieve self-sufficiency, just like we helped billions before them, but we stopped trying. At a certain point, the sense of crisis around food dissipated, and the proportion of foreign aid dedicated to agriculture dropped from one-fifth to less than one-twentieth.

My hope for my annual letter is that it helps people connect to the choice we all have to make. Relatively small investments changed the future for hundreds of millions of small farm families. The choice now is this: Do we continue those investments so that the 1 billion people who remain poor benefit? Or do we tolerate a world in which one in seven people is undernourished, stunted, and in danger of starving to death?

In times of tight budgets, we have to pick our priorities. It’s clear that in this particular time, we’re in danger of deciding that aid to the poorest is not one of them. I am confident, however, that if people understand what their aid has already accomplished—and its potential to accomplish so much more—they’ll insist on doing more, not less. That is why I wrote my letter. I hope you’ll take the time to read it and share it with your friends and family.

I’ve invited students from around the world to write their own annual letters too. You can send your letter, or any questions you have for me, to annualletter@gatesfoundation.org. I’ll be answering and talking about the ideas in your letters in a live webcast on February 2 on my Facebook page.

Originally published on Impatient Optimists, blog of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

What next for agriculture after Durban?

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The 20 January 2012 issue of Science features an article by leading international agricultural experts, including Molly Jahn, who delivered a keynote speech with CIMMYT’s Director General Thomas Lumpkin at the opening of the MAIZE and WHEAT meetings in Mexico City last week. Despite the progress made at December’s climate change negotiations in Durban, the authors urge scientists to lay the groundwork for more decisive action on global food security in 2012.

You can find more information on the CCAFS news site, or read the full Science article here.

Making use of Open Access

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Open access (OA) publishing (providing access to full text free of charge) was recently presented in one of the kiosks during Science Week. The topic raised a number of questions and discussions mainly related to the availability of OA journals and the institutional support required. However publishing Open Access articles is not limited to scientific journals and is utilized by a number of CIMMYT colleagues. The library has just received an example of a book published in OA. Jiankang Wang from the CIMMYT Beijing office contributed a chapter on ‘Modelling and Simulation of Plant Breeding Strategies’ to the book PLANT BREEDING edited by Ibrokhim Y. Abdurakhmonov. The entire book can be downloaded from INTECH. Thank you Jiankang for championing Open Access. We strongly encourage more colleagues to use the same approach!

CIMMYT strengthens links with China

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On 11 January 2011, CIMMYT welcomed a delegation of representatives from the Chinese embassy to Mexico. The Ambassador’s wife, Linge Liu, was accompanied by Wenling Ding, First Secretary of Education, and Yue Lan, Third Secretary of Science and Technology.

The delegation toured CIMMYT’s facilities including the Wheat Quality Laboratory, Applied Biotechnology Center, and the Wellhausen- Anderson Plant Genetic Resources Center. They met with Director General Thomas Lumpkin, who stressed CIMMYT’s vision and objective to develop stronger relations and promote South- South cooperation between India, China, and Mexico. “China and CIMMYT have a long history of bilateral relations. Today, China is becoming the strongest country in the world. China and CIMMYT must work very closely together as the future develops,” stated Lumpkin.

CIMMYT currently has five senior scientists based in China: Zhonghu He, Jiankang Wang, and Yunbi Xu are posted at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) in Beijing, Daniel Jeffers is based at the Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Science, and Garry Rosewarne at the Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Science.

For the first time this year, China became a net importer of maize, and it recently overtook rice as the country’s primary crop. Maize is currently produced on 30.2 million hectares in China compared to 29.5 for rice and 23.9 for wheat, and Lumpkin expressed concern over the current maize market and importexport trends. By 2015, China is expected to import 15 million metric tons of maize from the US alone. Both Mexico and China are current importers of maize, and may compete for maize in the future.

Zhonghu He, Country Liaison officer for China, also joined the meetings and highlighted CIMMYT’s strong training component to develop the next generation of Chinese agricultural science researchers. CIMMYT currently has a total of 16 Chinese Postdoc students pursuing specialized research in maize and wheat genetics, diseases, and breeding, and in addition to recruiting these specialized scientists, over half of China’s maize seed bank genetic resources are sourced from CIMMYT.

Biosafety, regulations, and policy issues for biotechnology in Kazakhstan

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1Seminar-Biosafety-CIMMYT-Kazakhstan-Dec-20111Since 2010, CIMMYT has been orchestrating the project “Strengthening the Plant Biotechnology Capacity for Sustainable Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture in Kazakhstan”, in conjunction with the National Center for Biotechnology of the Republic of Kazakhstan, JSC “KazAgroInnovation” of the Ministry of Agriculture, and FAO. This initiative aims to improve breeding methods for the most important crops through the application of biotechnology and effective use of plant genetic resources, as well as identifying priorities and measures to develop these areas within Kazakhstani research institutions.

As part of the project, CIMMYT organized a training workshop on biosafety, regulations, biotechnology policy issues, plant genetic resources, and breeding, during 05-09 December 2011, in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The event was attended by scientists and experts from breeding organizations affiliated with JSC “KazAgroInnovation” and academic institutions of the Ministry of Education and Science of Kazakhstan. Welcoming the participants, Muratbek Karabayev, CIMMYT-Kazakhstan, spoke of Kazakhstan’s potential to become a world-leading exporter of high-quality grain and crops, given its huge land resources, well-developed agricultural infrastructure, and scientific capacity. Izbassar Rahimbayev, Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology and Guy Riba, National Institute for Agricultural Research, France, then both highlighted the importance of biosafety and bioethics in the experiments and applications of genetic engineering. Riba informed participants about the large contribution of biotechnology to food security, and emphasized the role of well-established international collaborations in the development of agriculture. The legal aspects of labeling genetically modified products were elaborated on by Evgeniy Klimov, President of the Kazakhstan Foundation for Integration of Ecological Culture.

Edgar Klose, Maerkish Institute for Promotion of Technology and Innovation, Germany, lectured on the concept of sustainable development, with particular reference to reasonable economies, the environment, and social justice. He also briefed participants on the latest devices and technologies being used in Europe for plant breeding, crop production, and ecology. Representing the Quarantine Nursery of Cereal Crops, Kazakhstan Ministry of Agriculture, Amangeldy Sarbaev, reported on issues related to testing imported seed material, as well as the ongoing collaborations between CIMMYT and the Kazakh Research Institute of Farming and Crop Production. Shymbolat Rsaliev, Institute for Biological Safety Problems, Kazakhstan, also spoke of the necessary international approach, especially when considering plant pathogens such as the potential threat of the stem rust Ug99.

Nazira Bishimbaeva, Institute of Plant Biology and Technology, Kazakhstan, spoke of the possibilities of expanding the genetic basis of selection through biotechnological techniques, particularly stem cell engineering and somaclonal variation. She described the genotype-independent plant regeneration technology for wheat lines with valuable traits, which was developed at the Institute. Biotechnology methods are already being used at the International Potato Center (IPC), and were explained at the workshop by Carlos Carli, IPC Central Asian Liaison Officer. The participants were unanimous in concluding that the national agricultural and biological research systems in Kazakhstan should utilize plant genetic resources for the benefit of food production, as well as ensuring that research and commercial production integrates advanced approaches and technologies. This will increase the efficiency of the agricultural sector in maintaining improved national food security and agricultural export capacities.

Nigerian government pledges support for CIMMYT’s DTMA project

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In December 2011, Nigerian’s Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Bukar Tijani, pledged the support of the federal government for CIMMYT and the Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in producing and distributing drought resistance maize seeds in West African countries. The pledge was made at a workshop organized by the Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA) project. Read the full story here.

FIELDROID from CIMMYT & GCP

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Fieldroid is an application for collecting data on a Android device. Examples related to CIMMYT are: A field trial with plots, an experiment in a laboratory, or bags of seeds. You can either work with an ordered list such as the sequence of plots in the field or use barcodes to identify the item to be scored, the latter is e.g. relevant for bags of seed.

Regional dialogue for conservation agriculture in South Asia

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During 01-02 November 2011, agricultural science, extension, and development leaders, key researchers of South Asian national agricultural research and extension systems, and representatives from regional CGIAR centers, FAO, USAID, NGOs, and farmer associations, met in New Delhi, India, for a dialogue on conservation agriculture (CA) in South Asia. The meeting focused on conservation agricultural research for development (CAR4D) and greater impacts on small-holder farmers, and was organized jointly by the Asia Pacific Association of Agricultural research Institutions (APAARI), CIMMYT, and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

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Raj Paroda, Executive Secretary, APAARI, emphasized the dual challenges currently facing food security in South Asia, namely resource fatigue and decelerating productivity growth. These factors are being further exacerbated by rises in the costs of food and energy, depleting water resources, vulnerability of soil to degradation, and climate change. Producers’ profits are decreasing, making farming unattractive and unsustainable in the region. CA is seen as a key driver in the Millennium Development Goals to improve efficiency and sustainability through systembased management, optimization of crop yields, economic benefits, and environmental impacts. Whilst the pace of adoption of CA in the region has slowed in the past few years, it is hoped that meetings such as this can provide a common regional platform for stakeholders to share information and define priorities for the deployment of CA, develop common strategies for local problem resolution, facilitate the exchange of knowledge, products, and experiences, and map the future of CA in South Asia.

Other speakers at the event included AK Singh, Deputy Director General (Natural Resource Management), ICAR, Peter Kenmore, IPM Expert, FAO, Thomas Lumpkin, Director General, CIMMYT, and S. Ayyappan, Director General, ICAR. Ayyappan spoke of the successes achieved by the Rice-Wheat Consortium for the Indo-Gangetic Plains (RWC), including increasing the use of CA technologies in the region. He also highlighted the current importance being given to CA, through the National Initiative on Conservation Agriculture that will be launched by the Indian Government as part of its 12th five-year plan for special programs. Lumpkin reiterated these points, mentioning that CA will play an important role in most of the CRP’s (the CGIAR mega-programs for rice, maize, wheat, climate change, etc.).

CIMMYT’s Senior Cropping Systems Agronomist, ML Jat, presented the global overview of CA with several key recommendations, including the need to establish long-term basic and strategic research in different production systems, define appropriate CA technologies for different systems with improved access for farmers, and develop communication tools to better enable sharing of knowledge, experiences, and farmer innovations between all stakeholders.

Training seminar to promote the effective use of plant genetic resources in Kazakhstan

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Launched in 2010 by the National Center for Biotechnology of the Republic of Kazakhstan, JSC “KazAgroInnovation”, FAO, and CIMMYT, the “Strengthening the Plant Biotechnology Capacity for Sustainable Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture in Kazakhstan” initiative gained further momentum when CIMMYT organized a training seminar on “Modern Plant Genetic Resources: Conservation, Characterization, and Use Methods” during 24-28 October 2011 in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

In his welcome address, Muratbek Karabayev (CIMMYT-Kazakhstan) focused on the mobilization of genetic plant resources, and the role of biotechnology and breeding in the preservation and management of genetic resources, agriculture, and food production. Karabayev stressed that success can only be achieved through mutually beneficial cooperation between plant breeders and biotechnologists, and that partnerships should have a common purpose and trust between collaborators, with proper funding to assist research at the highest international standards.

Olga Mitrofanova, Head of the Wheat Genetic Resources Department, N.I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry (VIR), presented on the role of plant genetic resources in crop breeding, and the contribution of VIR to this science, such as the agroecological classification of cereals by sub- regions according to climatic conditions and varieties. This is particularly important in countries as large as Kazakhstan as regional factors need to be considered when drafting and implementing development strategies for biotechnology, plant genetic resources, and breeding.
Other speakers included Sergej Martynov, Key Researcher, VIR, and Elena Salina, Cytology and Genetics Institute, who delivered lectures on the genetic diversity and evolution of domestic and wild wheat species, and the various approaches of analyzing plant genetic resources.

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Seminar participants agreed that the use of biotechnology in crop production should be assessed based on the breeding efficiency of new varieties. At the national level, activities should involve a wide range of stakeholders to efficiently preserve and use plant genetic resources in the long-term. The key priorities are that disease-free seeds should be preserved in-situ and ex-situ, with duplication in other seed banks, as well as appropriate regeneration and replenishment of collections. The contents of collections should be properly characterized and documented by well-qualified staff. Communication with other collections is also vital for identifying and obtaining new seed sources, and for subsequent distribution and utilization of germplasm.

As mentioned in the Informa issue 1767, many Kazakhstani scientists also feel it is necessary to establish a National Bank of Genetics Resources in Kazakhstan, and to develop a National Strategy on the conservation of plant genetic resources and their use in food and agriculture.

Training, a golden rule at CIMMYT-Colombia

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Training is a key CIMMYT activity, and in the CIMMYT-Colombia office it has been essential for all staff. During 08-11 November 2011, CIMMYT colleagues and partners took part in a course on analysis and interpretation of experiments, and genetic designs applied to breeding.

The course was attended by 75 plant breeders, biometricians, and molecular biologists, from a range of institutions such as Colombian and Ecuadorian research centers (CENICAÑA, CENIPALMA, CENICAFE, INIAP), guilds and private seed companies (FENALCE, FEDEARROZ, FEDEPALMA, Dow Agrosciences, Monsanto, Semillas Valle), Colombian universities, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), and CIMMYT. From the CIMMYT biometrics and statistics unit, consultant and University of Chapingo professor Mateo Vargas and researcher Gregorio Alvarado taught how to develop theoretical concepts of experimental designs and demonstrated the use of SAS, Genstat, ASREML, and R to analyze experiments.

Participants praised the course and requested similar courses and training events in the future. The course was organized by CIMMYT maize breeder Luis Narro and CIAT biometrician Myriam Cristina Duque, with funding from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Colombia, as part of a collaborative project with the Colombian Corporation of Agriculture and Livestock Research (CORPOICA) and the Colombian National Federation of Cereals and Legume Growers (FENALCE).

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CIMMYT-Colombia also fosters the professional development of support staff, through CIAT’s employees program. The CIAT fund for human resource development covers as much as half of employees’ training expenses, and they can pursue studies as long as they are able to keep up with their work. Thesis students also have time for research.

CIMMYT-Colombia wishes to recognize the efforts of Joel Bolaños, field worker, who has finished his elementary and secondary studies, and will soon start high school education. Néstor Romero, systems engineer, and Claudio Romero, business administrator, have graduated and will now study agronomy. Alba Lucía Arcos, research assistant, received an MSc in plant genetic breeding, and is now working on a PhD. Luz Karime Gómez, former administrative assistant, received an MSc and has since gone to study for a PhD in international relations in Spain.

Visitors discuss hybrid wheat in China

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On 23 November 2011 CIMMYT-El BatĂĄn welcomed six hybrid wheat researchers from China. Changping Zhao, Yiqiang Ge, Mingshan You, Mujun Yang, Shengrong Li, and Shengquan Zhang came to discuss the advances of wheat photoperiod and thermo-sensitive male sterility (PTMS) systems in China. In the last 20 years, approximately 5000 different PTMS lines have been bred, with BS and C49S now being successfully used in hybrid wheat breeding. Seven PTMS hybrid wheat cultivars have been approved by national or provincial governments, with 500 tons of seed now being produced on 700 ha. Progress is also being made on hybrid seed production, and it is now possible to obtain 3.75 tons/ha. The discussion was hosted by Hans Braun, Director, Global Wheat Program, and attended by CIMMYT scientists and eight Chinese visiting scientists.

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Success for CIMMYT students in India

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MT-Vinayan_awardM.T. Vinayan has been working with P.H. Zaidi at CIMMYT-Asia, Hyderabad, and was recently awarded the 2011 gold medal for the ‘Best PhD student in Plant Breeding and Genetics’ from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), India. During the ceremony on 23 November 2011, Vinayan was also presented with the ‘Dr. R. Appadurai, Dr. R Rathinasamy, and Dr. S. Kannaiyan Award’ by the Governor of Tamil Nadu, K. Rosaiah. Vinayan conducted his thesis on “Genetic architecture of spotted stem borer resistance in sorghum as inferred from QTL mapping and synteny with the maize genome” under the guidance of C.T. Hash (Principal Scientist, ICRISAT) and K. Mohanasundaram (TNAU).

JJ-NOORAt the 11th Asian Maize Conference, Jewel Jameeta Noor, a CSISA PhD student, won a ‘Best Paper’ award for her submission on “Morpho-physiological traits associated with heat stress tolerance in tropical maize (Zea mays L.), co-authored by P.H. Zaidi, Shahid Umar, M.T. Vinayan, and Pooja Devi. Noor is currently studying at Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, under P.H. Zaidi, Senior Maize Physiologist, Global Maize Program, CIMMYT.

Congratulations to everyone involved for all their efforts!