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Democratizing crop improvement

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Maize breeders in the Mexican highlands are increasingly looking to farmers for input on how to improve crops, after decades of having little impact in these areas. It is estimated that only 7-15% of maize seed planted in the highlands of Mexico State is of improved varieties. “Considering that the Mexican highlands represent 10% of the 6.3 million hectares of highland maize grown globally, this constitutes a glaring discrepancy between those who have benefited from maize breeding programs and those who have not,” says Brian Love, a consultant working with CIMMYT’s global maize program.

Now CIMMYT’s highland maize breeding program is turning to farmers in the state of Mexico for their input. As part of a joint project involving CIMMYT and the US and Mexican Departments of Agriculture, farmers are being asked to give their opinion about improved varieties currently available. Farmers from La Purificación and Tepetlaoxtoc, two villages near CIMMYT’s El Batán research station in Mexico, came to the station and voted on improved maize varieties provided by CIMMYT and other maize breeding programs in the region, including the Mexican national agricultural research program (INIFAP) and the Colegio de Postgraduados. A CIMMYT yellow maize under development and H-40 of INIFAP were clear winners. Farmers explained their desire for materials that perform well under rainfed conditions, resist ear rots, escape frosts, and have small cobs.

“One of the easiest ways for everyone to have their say is to put it to a vote,” says Love. “Democracy is allowed to rule and a CIMMYT staff member facilitates a discussion aimed at learning why selected varieties were preferred. The process allows farmers to experience new maize varieties and researchers to better understand farmers’ circumstances and preferences, both of which should help promote the adoption of improved materials.”

CIMMYT entomology lab technician, Carlos Muñoz, was instrumental in organizing the event, and INIFAP plant breeders Gustavo Valázquez and José Luis Arellano participated. Velázquez, who conducts nearly all of his trials with farmers, felt the voting technique (originally developed by researchers at IRRI  in the Philippines for use with upland rice growers in Laos) was effective in highland maize trials, and that INIFAP could apply it.

Borlaug scholarship for children of national staff

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The Borlaug Scholarship Committee is pleased to announce it is now accepting scholarship applications for the second semester student scholarship for 2007. Children of national staff in Mexico are eligible to apply if they are in high school and if their parents make monthly salaries of $6,000 pesos or less, (or $7,000 pesos or less for single parents). Children of staff at El Batán, Toluca, Agua Fría, Tlaltizapán and Obregón for are also eligible. The scholarship will consist of a fixed amount per semester that will help students cover the cost of transportation, books, school fees, supplies, etc. The scholarship may last for more than one year, depending on the student’s grade level when awarded the scholarship.

To qualify, students must have grades of 80 and above (on a scale of 0 to 100) and should send official transcripts from this semester or the previous one to Human Resources, who will be working with CIMMYT’s selection committee to administer the scholarship. As in the past, the Committee is asking for help from station superintendents to identify national staff with children who are eligible to apply. The deadline for the scholarship application is 9 November, when all original documents should be submitted to Human Resources.  Best of luck to all applicants!

First FLDP in Spanish

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Thirteen national staff from CIMMYT and the Cali Colombia-based International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) took the First Leadership Development Program (FLDP) last week at El Batán. CIMMYT organized the course. This is the first time it has been given completely in Spanish. Facilitator Petr Kosina said mounting the course in Spanish was a great challenge and he was happy with the outcome. “I was very impressed with the high standards of the students. It was a very good group.” A follow-up session has been scheduled for January.

 

Special mention for CIMMYT wheat poster

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A poster on a CIMMYT-led project to establish a system for assessing wheat grain quality in the main wheat-producing areas of Mexico received special mention at the 1st Latin American International Conference on Cereals and Cereal Products Quality and Safety in Rosario, Argentina, 23 September 2007. CIMMYT is partnering with several federal and Mexican state-level organizations (INIFAP, SIAP, SAGARPA and CONASIST-CONATRIGO) and the private sector (GRANOTEC) to determine the varieties cultivated and the quality of wheat grain lots from commercial fields in the North West and the Central Highlands of Mexico.

The two-year project, funded by COFUPROSAGARPA- CONACYT, aims to assess which varieties are being cultivated and what new and improved wheat varieties should be planted to better suit local markets. The poster describes how CIMMYT and partners conducted the analysis of grain from commercial fields in the country’s major wheat lands, to provide potential users with a clear idea of its quality. “The use of old varieties and inappropriate crop management are the main factors influencing crop quality variability,” says Javier Peña, who is head of CIMMYT’s cereal quality laboratory and leader in the project. “With a crop quality assessment system, we will know which varieties to improve for manufacturers of wheat-based products.”

The importance of CIMMYT’s maize in Mexico

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On September 9, and October 4 and 12, the highland maize program participated in field days in Chapingo, Puebla and Hidalgo. The events illustrated the continuing importance of CIMMYT germplasm in Mexico. For example, in Puebla, with the collaboration of Casiano Tut, from INIFAP, the release of the new hybrid H-3 is in process.

At the Autonomous University of Chapingo, Dr. José de Jesús Reynoso has identified several promising white, yellow, and blue hybrids (known as Toritos). In Hidalgo, at the Polytechnic University, Francisco I. Madero, spoke about work with CIMMYT, and with the collaboration of diverse interdisciplinary groups (state and municipal government, university authorities, producers from near locations, and students of the University). Each group summarized their activities to make known the use of improved maize varieties. On behalf of CIMMYT, José Luis Torres, Senior Researcher, Maize for the Highlands, spoke briefly about CIMMYT’s work worldwide, focusing mainly on Mexico’s highland valleys, and encourage the attending groups to continue to publicize the use of improved maize being developed by CIMMYT.

Many farmers were interested in establishing demonstration plots with CIMMYT materials. In this regard, the Chancelor of the Polythecnic University of Hidalgo, Herminio Baltasar Cisneros, emphasized the commitment of that institution to identify the best maize varieties, and produce low-cost seed for farmers. There was also an exhibition of the different uses of maize, such as maize handcrafts. Among the microbusinesses participating was Semillas Azteca, whose manager, Pedro Cruz, says they are working to release a yellow hybrid for highlands developed at CIMMYT.

Mexican farmers waking up to new beds

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As part of a Fundación Sonora project and nationwide efforts to test and promote resourceconserving practices, during 10-12 October Fernando Delgado, Rodrigo Rascón, Iván Ortíz-Monasterio, and Bram Govaerts and his agronomy team held a three-day, hands-on training course for farmers and technicians, particularly on sowing on permanent raised beds, in the Yaqui Valley of Sonora State, northern Mexico.

Attended by 25 farmers and technicians, the course focused on the operation of a multi-use, multi-crop prototype machine to fertilize, reshape permanent beds, and sow winter maize into different types of straw from various preceding crops. Training was based on the results of long-term experiments on conservation agriculture that CIMMYT is conducting in Mexico, including one at El Batán begun in 1991. The group plans to establish six on-farm research and training modules at key farming system sites across the country.

“The results of summer sorghum already sown in two modules had great impact,” says Govaerts. “An economic analysis with farmers showed per-hectare profits on permanent beds of more than twice those of the conventional system. The owners of the land are ready to go for the next zero-tillage crop.”

Meanwhile, the next training course, scheduled for November, will involve farmers sowing wheat on permanent beds in different types of straw with the same planter.

Award from AgroBIO-México to Silverio García

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In a gala ceremony on 18 October at the National Anthropology and History Museum of Mexico, AgroBio-México recognized Silverio García’s PhD thesis as one of the best in the country. AgroBio-México is a non-profit association that brings together various organizations interested in agricultural biotechnology education, promotion, research, production and commercialization in Mexico.

García, a postdoctoral associate, is presently employed at a state-level plant biotechnology research centre (CIATEJ-CONACYT), and worked for approximately nine years at CIMMYT as an entomologist and plant breeder, focusing specifically on the application of molecular markers.

García’s thesis deals with the biochemical, biophysical and genetic bases of insect resistance in maize, and focuses on developing varieties that are resistant to storage pests, particularly maize weevil. His results are already being used to develop and distribute improved varieties. With this new maize, producers could reduce losses in storage by as much at 30 percent.

García’s research is built upon work by David Bergvinson, former CIMMYT entomologist, and was made possible through scientific collaboration with CIMMYT, the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, and the University of Ottawa in Canada, along with funding from CIDA, and support from CONACYT in Mexico.

“In light of the serious threats to natural resources and food security, agricultural biotechnology is emerging as a new tool that will help fight the problems of food production,” says García.

CIMMYT’s presence was highly visible at the presentation ceremony, as Natalia Palacios, maize nutrition and quality specialist, received an honorable mention for her efforts to disseminate science to the general public and to children in particular.

The first place winner in this category (Rafael Guadarrama, of the highly regarded TV news organization, Canal 11), said his reports on CIMMYT research were a decisive factor that led to his win.

Lastly, Pedro Brajcich, Director General of INIFAP and CIMMYT Board member, was among the experts and VIPs invited to sit at the head table for the event.

CIMMYT meets farmers at the ICAMEX fair

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On October 4, Javier Peña, head of CIMMYT’s cereal quality laboratory, and Fernando Delgado, superintendent of the Toluca research station, talked to farmers in Jilotepec, near Toluca, at an agricultural fair hosted by ICAMEX, the agricultural research institute for the state of Mexico. “Farmers were very receptive to information on conservation agriculture and eager to learn about fertilizers and weed control to improve their crops,” says Peña. Many asked about buying seed and the characteristics of the improved wheat varieties of ICAMEX, such as yield, sowing time, and end-use quality.

Over 1,000 farmers and small business owners attended the annual fair, which showcased ICAMEX products and services, such as varieties of several crops, types of fertilizers and pesticides, and technical assistance for machinery. Pedro Mijares, the director general of ICAMEX, was also at the fair, as this year marks 20 years since the creation of the Institute. CIMMYT has provided improved, experimental wheat germplasm to ICAMEX for close to 15 years. “Accepting the invitation of ICAMEX to have a display at the fair enables us to show our commitment to local Mexican initiatives,” adds Peña. As part of a federal wheat partnership, CIMMYT is also working with INIFAP and the Colegio de Postgraduados to develop new and improved wheat varieties in Mexico. Delgado and Peña give special thanks to the CIMMYT design team for the eye-catching, informative posters they prepared.

Thomas Lumpkin of AVRDC new CIMMYT DG

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Lene Lange, Chairperson of the CIMMYT Board of Trustees, announced today that Thomas Lumpkin, currently DG of the Taiwan-based AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center, has accepted an appointment as Director General of CIMMYT starting 15 March 2008. She said Lumpkin sends his personal greetings to staff and will visit CIMMYT soon.

Agricultural research reduces poverty: Byerlee delivers second Havener Memorial Lecture

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Derek Byerlee, Director for the World Bank’s new World Development Report, told an attentive audience in the auditorium at El Batán on Tuesday, 9 October, that there were strong drivers for agricultural research for the poor in developing countries, but that changes in the balance of funding in CGIAR centers like CIMMYT, away from unrestricted toward more special project-oriented money, threatened essential long-term research to benefit the poor.

Byerlee was presenting the second annual Robert D Havener memorial lecture, one of a series sponsored by the research centers of the CGIAR in which Havener had played a major role. Byerlee focused his talk on what he called “Drivers of Demand for Agricultural Research and Development.” He pointed out that growth in the agriculture sector benefits the poorest at more than double the rate that growth in other non-agriculture sectors does and specifically pointed out progress in Ghana, China, and India as examples. He said that investment in agricultural research and development had an impact on reducing global poverty. He also warned that in the future the strong demands from the rapidly growing biofuel sector, climate change, and increasing land degradation and water scarcity were going to shape the agricultural research agenda.

Bob Havener, CIMMYT Director General from 1978- 1985, died in August, 2005. The lecture at CIMMYT was attended by his widow, Liz and his stepdaughter, Emily Sprague. The World Development Report will be released on Friday, 19 October. A video of the lecture will be sent to regional locations.

Havener Lecture: Byerlee to speak on development

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Derek Byerlee, Director for the World Bank’s World Development Report 2008, will present the second Robert D. Havener memorial lecture on Tuesday, 9 June, in the auditorium at El Batán at 3 pm.

Byerlee is well known to many CIMMYT staff from his days as Director of the Economics Program (1987-1994). His topic on Tuesday is “Drivers of demand for agricultural research and development: What does the future hold?” It will probably draw heavily on the information collected for the new World Development Report, which will be released on 19 October. The report is one of the most respected and widely quoted publications of the World Bank and, for the first time in its 25-year history, will focus on agricultural development.

Bob Havener, who died at age 75 in August 2005, was Director General of CIMMYT from 1978 to 1985. He had a distinguished career serving many CGIAR research centers. In his honor several centers, including CIMMYT, participate in an annual lecture series. The first lecture in the series was held last year at ICARDA.

CIMMYT Open Day

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Yesterday, CIMMYT El Batán opened its doors to 200 students from eight universities in Mexico. Students from as far away as 870 km arrived at approximately nine a.m., and were welcomed by Masa Iwanaga. It was the first university open house for El Batán, with the goal of raising student interest in agricultural research and consolidating many visits into one morning.

“Because we only have one cropping cycle, now is the best time for students to see the fields,” says Petr Kosina. He hopes the open house might encourage Mexican students to conduct research in collaboration with the Center. Students are welcome to use our library and web resources, he adds.

Students visited biotechnology laboratories, maize and wheat fields and the germplasm bank, where they huddled together for warmth. They learned about the Center’s history and the work of impacts targeting. Many of them took notes and pictures with their cell phones. Questions ranged from the issues facing potatoes, rice and beans to the pros and cons of genetically modified crops.

José Luis Torres, Senior Scientific, Maize for Highlands, at CIMMYT, spoke passionately about the role of CIMMYT in Africa, pointing out which maize in the field is vital for pregnant women there. Saúl García Vásquez, a student from Universidad Antonio Narro, said he could see the importance of such maize because nutrition is a huge problem. Lizbeth Guzmán, who studies nutrition, found the gene bank particularly interesting. Guzmán said she and her classmates had learned a lot in one morning.

International Symposium on the Green Revolution in Africa

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The African Network for Soil Biology and Fertility (AfNet) in collaboration with the Soil Fertility Consortium for Southern Africa (SOFECSA) held an International Symposium entitled “Innovations as Key to the Green Revolution in Africa: Exploring the Scientific Facts” in Arusha, Tanzania, under the auspices of the Tanzanian Ministry of Agriculture.

The symposium, held from 17 to 21 September, brought together scientists, agricultural extension staff, NGOs and policy makers from all over Africa to explore the scientific facts and share knowledge and experiences on the role of innovation in soil fertility replenishment as a key to a green revolution in Africa. More than 200 participants from the Soil fertility/agronomy fraternity attended. Financial support came from the Rockefeller Foundation, International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), and the International Foundation for Science.

In his opening address, Dr. Akin Adesina, Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) Vice President for Policy and Partnerships acknowledged CIMMYT’s contribution in developing some of the drivers of the African Green revolution–drought tolerant and imidazoline-resistant maize. Moreover CIMMYT’s role in establishing Soil Fert Net for Maize based farming systems and now in hosting SOFECSA was appreciated.

SOFECSA members, Paul Mapfumo, Mulugetta Mekuria, and Florence Mtambanengwe presented papers. SOFECSA country teams had three poster presentations and also served as symposium rapporteurs and chair persons for the different sessions. SOFECSA and AfNet serve as hubs for coordinating integrated soil fertility management and policy related research and development activities in Southern, East, West, and Central Africa.

Getting our message to journalists

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Maize breeder, Dan Makumbi and writer-editor, Anne Wangalachi of CIMMYT in Nairobi, attended a workshop organized by the Reuters Foundation and CGIAR Media Unit on “Reporting Climate Change in Africa” this past Thursday. Thirteen journalists working in both print and electronic media participated in the training workshop. They came from Kenya, Malawi, Ethiopia and Uganda. The purpose was to sensitize and educate them about current issues surrounding climate change and particularly its implications for livelihoods and food security in sub-Saharan Africa.

Dan Makumbi gave a well-received presentation on Drought Tolerant Maize (DTM) which drew a lot of interest, particularly with respect to potential yield improvement and fertilizer x DTM interactions. Also the issue of who had responsibility for creating awareness of new DTM varieties with farmers was raised. It was agreed that the journalists can greatly help with this. Many of the journalists are expected to write stories based on what they learned at the workshop.

New drought screening site takes shape

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A new drought screening site at the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) station in Kiboko, Kenya, is nearly ready for its first planting. Kiboko is located about 140 km south east of Nairobi on the main road to Mombassa and the Tsavo National Park. When completed the new 16-hectare field will be used to plant trials to select new drought-tolerant maize lines as part of the Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa initiative (DTMA). Site manager, Anthony Karuku, says he expects to have work at the site completed soon, with all the fencing, a perimeter road, and sprinkler irrigation in place and the site ready for planting by late November.

The first maize planting will be used to map soil fertility and look for problems of this or any other type. The new site significantly increases the amount of land available to the DTMA to screen for drought tolerance in maize.

Anthony Karuku with Stephen Mugo