As hotter temperatures and drought become the norm in places used to growing wheat, yields will be reduced, climate change will have some effect on most of the worldâs wheat. CIMMYT is working to strengthen seed systems as demand for staple crops like wheat is only expected to increase as the climate crisis makes the worldâs food system more vulnerable.
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CIMMYT scientists, researchers and subject experts participated in the Zimbabwe Agricultural Show (ZAS) from August 28âSeptember 2 in Harare, Zimbabwe. The 113th edition ran under the theme âSustained Growth. Adaptation. Productivity. Linkages.â
âCIMMYT has a long history of working with local partners in Zimbabwe. Together with these partners, we work to improve the livelihoods and resilience of smallholder farmers, through innovations we develop like stress resilient maize or wheat varieties, together with conservation agriculture technologies,â said Mainassara Zaman-Allah, CIMMYT Zimbabwe country representative.
With an average of 200 visitors per day at CIMMYTâs stand, stemming from small-scale farmers, government representatives, seed companies, university personnel, NGOs and media among others, this platform continues to pave the way for synergies, learning and networking. Beyond raising awareness on the progressive work being done, CIMMYT used this opportunity to interact with local seed companies (SEEDCo, Agriseeds, K2, among others) and get valuable feedback from farmers, including those involved in the maize regional on-farm variety evaluation.
The place to be for agricultural development in Zimbabwe
The Zimbabwe Agricultural Show, organized by the Zimbabwe Agricultural Society, is a dynamic event that serves as the premier platform for the facilitation and promotion of agricultural development in Zimbabwe. With over 550 commercial exhibitors, 700 farmers, 200 micro enterprises, the show presents a unique business opportunity for national and regional organizations.
The event provides a platform to showcase brands, market services, and engage in various business discussions targeting important sectors. The show is capped by the Annual National Agribusiness Conference.
Advancing innovation in Zimbabwe
The Zimbabwe Agricultural Show served as an ideal platform for CIMMYT to share its research findings, exchange knowledge and foster collaborations with farmers, policymakers and other stakeholders in the agriculture sector.
CIMMYT staff provided information regarding its ongoing initiatives and the transformative potential of innovations. We encouraged participants, partners and value chain players to visit the CIMMYT booth to engage with researchers, explore our latest research and discuss innovative agricultural practices.
“Our work in Zimbabwe, like promoting the increased adoption of climate-resilient innovations in mixed crop-livestock production systems and strengthening local food systems through agroecological advances, would not be possible without the strong collaborations with local partners,â said Isaiah Nyagumbo, regional cropping systems agronomist. âAnd the Zimbabwe Agricultural Show is the best place to continue those partnerships and start new linkages.â
ZAS and CIMMYT
Established in 1895 and operating from The Business Hub (Formerly Exhibition Park), the ZAS is the epicenter for the promotion and facilitation of national agricultural development. It is the oldest convenor and host of agricultural, commercial, and industrial shows in Zimbabwe.
CIMMYT is a core CGIAR Research Center dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and preserving natural resources in the Global South.
Thomas A. Lumpkin, talks to China Today about his views on global coordination and cooperation, and reiterates his belief that China and the U.S. should play a leading role by working together. Lumpkin also discusses his interest in Chinaâs traditional farming techniques and calls for stronger bilateral cooperation to address common global challenges.
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Seed the World Group hosted a webinar to find a common ground between public and private breeding programs in North America and some possible paths forward. Fernando Gonzalez, a retired plant breeder from CIMMYT mentioned a noticeable uptick in the involvement of the private sector in breeding programs in Mexico.
Learn more about the primary goals underlying public and private breeding efforts.
Erratic climate patterns, global and regional conflicts, biodiversity degradation, and insufficient funding for agricultural research pose a serious risk to meeting global food production goals by mid-century, according to Cary Fowler, the U.S. special envoy for food security.âŻÂ
The world must produce 50-60% more food by 2050 to nourish a growing population. Yet global crop yields are projected to drop between 3-12% over the same period. Wheat yields in Africa and South Asia, two regions with the fastest growing and youngest populations, are expected to decline by 15% due to global warming. Food systems have also been disrupted by the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic, raising food and fertilizer prices, and exacerbating regional instability. âŻÂ
Fowler cites inadequate government funding for plant breeding programs as a contributor to an ineffective response to introducing improved climate-adaptable staple crops. âWith the state of current affairs, we are on our way to failing to feed the world by centuryâs end,â said Fowler.âŻÂ
Science and Innovation for a Food and Nutrition Secure World: CIMMYTâs 2030 StrategyÂ
Global peace and development efforts will demand a cross-sector and coordinated response. Through its 2030 Strategy, CIMMYT has laid out a robust series of investments in crop systems innovation, partnership, and sustainable development, to advance more resilient food systems. The 2030 Strategy consolidates CIMMYTâs target areas through three pillars: Discovery, SystemDev, and Inc. These pillars focus on research and innovation, systems approach, and strong partnerships and advocacy efforts with the private and government sectors to address an emerging food crisis.Â
âOur 2030 Strategy places research, innovation and partnership at the center of facing the challenges of the 21st century to solve tomorrowâs problems todayâfor greater food security and the prosperity of smallholder farmers. As we implement work plans, CIMMYT is proud of the achievements it has seen through projects in sub-Saharan Africa, our contribution to influential policy reports, and continued praise for our agri-development initiatives in Latin America. All these feats will help us deliver on and expand our efforts to reach our 2030 vision,â said Bram Govaerts, CIMMYT director general. Â
CIMMYT remains prominent in developing sustainable solutions for farmers and policy actors Â
CIMMYT has achieved important progress in Eastern and Southern Africa. Projects such as the Southern Africa Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AID-I) Rapid Delivery Hub have brought together regional seed partners, government agencies, and CGIAR Research Centers, to reduce fertilizer prices, boost resilience to drought and pests, and facilitate market access for smallholders. Â
In the recent SPG Coalition report, CIMMYT featured prominently as a leading organization in climate-smart agriculture, nutrient-use efficiency, and pest and fertilizer management. This report informs researchers, non-governmental organizations and private sector partners in agrifood and climate policy development. Â
MasAgro, a research-for-development initiative, has received praise by international organizations and governments as an exemplary program for sustainable development in Latin America. Over 500,000 farmers in Mexico have adopted hardy maize or wheat varieties and resource-conserving agricultural practices. To maximize on the experience of MasAgro, CIMMYT has partnered with a CGIAR initiative: AgriLAC Resiliente. This initiative aims to bolster the competitiveness and sustainability of agrifood systems to respond to forced migrations in Central and South America which are worsened by regional food insecurity and conflict. Â
Science and innovation powered by partnership can deliver a food secure world Â
Climate change undoubtedly threatens global peace and agrifood systems. With over 130 countries depending on food imports, todayâs hyper-connected world demands collaborative partnership across all sectors to build up shockproof food systems. Through a grassroots approach to research and innovation, the CIMMYT 2030 Strategy is built upon decades of applied science which has impacted communities around the world, to continue influencing policy, pioneering innovations, and advocating for the development of a food secure future. Â
Women play a critical role in the future of food security. Female farmers face a significant disadvantage before they ever plow a field or sow a seed. Farming is a challenging profession, and it is even more challenging for women when they perform these functions whilst facing numerous constraints.
Nur-A-Mahajabin Khan, communications officer, showcases how fodder chopper technology is improving the lives of women farmers in rural Bangladesh.
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Millions of rural Indians, mostly farmers, are at the mercy of changing weather and climate change. Rising temperature and heat stress, unpredictable rainfall patterns, increasing drought-like situations, soil erosion and depleting water tables are leading to poorer yields and reduced income for farmers. While the agricultural sector and farmers are most affected by the adverse impacts of climate change, it is also one of the sectors significantly responsible for greenhouse gas emissions, contributing about 14% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the country.
Good agronomy and soil management through conservation agriculture practices such as no-till farming, crop rotation, and in-situ crop harvest residue management are resource efficient and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly. The intensification of these conservation agriculture practices by the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA)âa regional project led by CIMMYT to sustainably enhance cereal crop productivity and improve smallholder farmersâ livelihoods in Bangladesh, India, and Nepalâand partners is helping smallholder farmers to improve their yield and income with less input costs.
Climate smart agriculture
Over 70% of Bihar’s population is engaged in agriculture production, with wheat and rice as the two major crops grown in the state. Bordering Uttar Pradesh, Buxar, is one of the many rural districts in Bihar, with over 108,000 hectares of land used for agriculture. The area is plain, fertile and has good irrigation facilities. The rice-wheat cropping system forms the dominant practice here, and pulses and other non-cereal crops are grown additionally during winters.
CSISA began promoting zero tillage in wheat cultivation in the area in 2010. Along with Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), and local agriculture departments, awareness and frontline demonstrations on different best management practices were conducted to inform farmers of alternative approaches to cultivating wheat and rice sustainably. Farmers were used to conventional farming methods, with more input costs and labor-intensive practices. In addition, as farmers were growing long-duration rice varieties, they typically sowed wheat in late November to early December, which meant harvesting in late April/May. Harvesting wheat this late caused yield losses due to terminal heat stress at the grain filling stage. With increasingly hot temperatures in recent years due to climate change, yield loss in wheat is imminent.
To help curb these yield losses, researchers and officials began promoting early sowing of wheat through a technology called zero tillage in the region, with sowing recommended before mid-November. As expected, this helped farmers to escape high temperature stress at the time of the dough stage, thus, saving grain shrinkage and yield loss at harvest. Zero tillage technology is a tested method with the potential to increase crop productivity through better time management and reduced input cost.
Deepak Kumar Singh, scientist at CSISA who has been supporting agri-extension efforts in the region for nearly a decade recalled how CSISA and partners were able to get more farmers on board with zero tillage and early wheat sowing:
“The best practices of zero till technology and early wheat sowing were encouraged widely through exposure visits, demonstration trials on progressive farmers’ fields, and providing support from local KVKs for machines and quality seeds, including the promotion of private service providers,” he said.
As more farmers were reached through field events, with visible on-field results during public harvest activities held at demonstration fields by CSISA and KVKs, the region gradually adopted early wheat sowing, zero tillage and direct seeded rice technologies. Currently, in the district, it is estimated that over 40% of wheat cultivation under the rice-wheat system is through zero till, helping farmers obtain better yield and profits.
Rice-wheat cropping systems, resilient and sustainable in increasingly changing climate
Rajapur, a small village in Buxar district, boasts 100% adoption of zero tillage in wheat cropping. We met farmer Rahul Rai whose family has been involved in farming for generations. The family owns over thirty acres of land with agriculture as the primary source of income. His father and his siblings were used to conventional farming methods. The produce from their farm was sufficient for household consumption and with the little extra left, they sold and made some income. On the significance of agriculture and farming for his family, Rahul Rai says, “this farmland has been feeding and supporting 17 members in our joint household.”
When young Rahul Rai got down to work in the family fields in the early 2000s, he was keen to explore possibilities to improve the income generated from the farm. Initially, like many others, he was engaged in intensive farming. According to Rai, “with the input costs rising daily, including scarce labor and soil health deterioration, bringing in some extra income seemed unsustainable”.
He first met researchers from the CSISA project and local KVK scientists in early 2011 in the neighboring village. The team was there to inform farmers about conservation agriculture practices and how to better manage yield and maintain soil health. Rai soon became more curious about the benefits of adopting these new methods over conventional practices. He started with a few acres with zero tillage and began sowing wheat by early November, as recommended by the scientists. In Rabi 2022-23, his wheat fields were sown by November 11, compared to the early years when the sowing date was around December.
With more participation and engagement with CSISA, in 2017, he joined other farmers from the region on an exposure visit to Patna organized by the CSISA-KVK network. In Patna, at the Indian Council of Agri Research – Research Complex for Eastern Region (ICAR-RCER), Rai and the visiting farmers were introduced to conservation agri-technologies for rice-wheat and other cropping systems. During the visit, they were informed about crop rotation and diversification, new seed varieties that are resilient and adaptable to changing climates, efficient use of plant protection chemicals and fertilizer and various subsidies from the center/state government to farmers. He later accompanied other progressive farmers on a CSISA-led travel seminar to Gorakhpur in 2017, where he observed acres and acres of wheat fields cultivated through zero tillage and early sowing that had yielded 6-7 tons per hectare (t/ha) on average.
At present, Rai’s family cultivates only zero till wheat in their fields and direct seeded rice on a few acres where irrigation facilities are well established. Rai asserts that until 2014, the wheat yield was about 10-15 quintals per acre (3.5-4 t/ha), rising to around 20-25 quintals per acre on average (5.5 t/ha in 2023) in recent years, thanks to conservation agriculture practices.
Today, the CSISA team has system optimization and demonstration trials on fields owned by Rai’s family where they conduct trials to demonstrate the importance and feasibility of different agri-practices and compare yields at harvest. Rai, a champion farmer who has been involved with CSISA for nearly a decade, said, “I am a collaborator with CSISA now. The data gathered from my fields on the compounding benefits of conservation agriculture technologies is used to promote the best practices and technology adoption across our district and state.”
One village at a time
Presently, Rajapur village has 100% zero tillage adoption. Despite most farmers being smallholders, this level of zero tillage adoption in wheat is impressive. Zero-till-based crop establishment, with appropriate diversification in crops grown, is economically beneficial and improves soil health. All these practices and technologies ensure lower greenhouse emissions and support climate change mitigation efforts. Above all, smallholder farmers are food secure and contributing in their small way to national and global food security.
To scale the adoption of conservation agriculture practices, CSISA and partners are collaborating with farmers in the district/state â many of whom are already 50-80% in zero tillage adoption. The team on the ground are conducting system optimization trials on farmers’ fields to generate data and evidence to support and strengthen policies and assist in integrating market intelligence to support access and availability of technology to all smallholders. Every year steadily, through a smallholder farmer, a village, a district, the effort is to slowly expand the area under conservation agriculture across the state and region and ensure increased system productivity and sustainability of agriculture.
On August 29, CIMMYT held the latest installment of its seminar series on womenâs leadershipâCatalysts of Change: Women Leaders in Science. The online event featured a presentation from Lindiwe Majele Sibanda, an animal scientist by training, who has previously worked as policy advisor for numerous African governments and global institutions and currently serves as chair of the CGIAR System Board.
In her opening talk, Sibanda outlined the many and varied roles she has held throughout her career, including professor, farmer, and business owner. Discussing her early education in a segregated colonial Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia), her time as an undergraduate student in Egypt, or the challenge of starting a family alongside developing her career, Sibanda was keen to highlight the lessons learned at each stage of life and emphasized the importance of creating cross-cultural friendships, nurturing professional networks, establishing priorities, and promoting continuous learning.
A learning spirit
Sibanda has over 15 years of experience working as a governor at national, regional, and international levels, but it took some time to initially build her confidence in the role. She recalled feeling daunted during her very first meetings because she had not been trained, but her learning spirit helped carry her through. âI always looked around the room and chose my mentorsâbased on something I liked about their valuesâsomething I liked about the way they asked questions, or something I liked about their demeanor and how they engaged with othersâand I started learning.”
This approach has garnered her a large circle of mentorsâand friendsâand having served on more than 12 different boards she now feels this is a space that she enjoys, particularly as there are still opportunities for learning. âI think itâs the spirit of continuous thirst for knowledge, for new information, that has kept me going.”
âAnd itâs all about integrity,â she added. âWhat people see in me is what they get. Iâve never had to be fake. What I know, I make sure I know very well. What I donât know, Iâm not shy to say I donât know.â
Convince each other that it can be done
Having unpacked her life as a scholar, mother, working professional, and governor, Sibanda explained that her current focus is on giving back. For her, supporting the next generation of women in the workplace is a key part of leadership. She cited Graça Machel and Mama Mary Robinson as inspirations, both for their work ethic and their ability to connect with people at different levels. âBut most importantly, they give it to other women,â she said. âThey love mentoring girls and other women.â
In her own experience, some of the major obstacles she faces as a woman, a farmer, and an African are the specific biases associated with each of those three things. âWomen need to be helped, they are disadvantaged; farmers are poor, especially if they come from Africa; and mothers need to spend more time at home and not be globetrotting to meetings.â To counter these biases, she explained, it is important to show that you can thrive and excel in all environments. âItâs not about either or, itâs about showing we can do it, regardless of the circumstances.â
âWomen are natural agents of change, and all they need is a conducive environment. As women, we should be spending more time with other women, making sure we share our stories, our successes, and our struggles. The whole idea is to convince each other that it can be done.â
Sibandaâs presentation was followed by a Q&A session led by Ana Luisa Garcia Rivera, senior regional genotyping coordinator at CIMMYT. Watch the recorded session below.
The introduction of mechanisation in agricultural practices has ensured the promotion of technology and conservation of agriculture to stimulate smallholder production and the preservation of climate-proofing farming practices in Zimbabwe.
CIMMYT hosted a meeting, to discuss how the HAFIZ project has set the foundation for harnessing farm mechanization in Zimbabwe, shaping the future of mechanisation policies and interventions in Zimbabwe. As well as future initiatives to improve technology to sustain growth and master the impact of climate change.
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How many times have we seen innovative ideas launched into the marketplace, seeming to offer answers to key problems, only to see them fail to make the impact that we expected? In the modern world, having a great idea is not enough to ensure market success. Even when new products, processes or technologies have been carefully and successfully tested in trials and studies, the process of scaling and launching them often leads to disappointing results.
History of the Scaling Scan
“The Scaling Scan is a necessary breakthrough for those connected with meaningful impact. The Scaling Scan is accessible, practical, grounded in the reality, and most importantly, a watershed rethinking the ‘bigger is better’ logic of scaling.”
Rob McLean, CIMMYT scaling coordinator senior program specialist in Policy and Evaluation at IDRC and author of “Scaling Impact”
The Scaling Scan was developed to improve this process and ensure that new innovations have the best chance of success. Traditionally, scaling an innovation has often resulted in âlinearâ thinking, where the project team focuses on the advantages of their new product and relies on these for launch. The Scaling Scan encourages teams to broaden their thinking into areas within the overall private and public sector environments where they may have less experience, but which can greatly help or hinder the success of new ideas. It looks at 10 âingredientsâ to consider, discuss, and develop strategies to address â ranging from end-user financing and business cases to national strategies and regulations.
The first version of the Scaling Scan was launched in 2017 following cooperation between scaling expert Lennart Woltering at CIMMYT and the Public Private Partnership Lab (PPPLab), a research consortium based in the Netherlands. A second, updated version was released the following year. The tool has been implemented through workshops held around the world, with trained moderators to encourage discussion, share ideas and develop expertise. These discussions resulted in five action steps:
More than 1,200 participants attended the workshops that were held in English, Spanish and French. Half of the workshops were held in Africa, with the rest divided between Asia and North and South America, including 11 in Mexico. In 2022, an online version was made available through the launch of a new website, https://scalingscan.org/ with support from the Deutsche Gesellschaft fĂŒr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the One CGIAR Mitigate initiative. This has further increased the availability of and access to scaling information.
“The Scaling Scan pushes users to go beyond a narrow focus on scaling an innovation. It is a great tool that enables practical thinking about the multiple pathways to impact at scale and the range of stakeholders that need to be considered in scaling process.”
Kelly Hayley Price, DRC senior evaluation officer
3rd edition Scaling Scan Launch                   Â
On September 14, 2023, the 3rd edition of the Scaling Scan will be launched. With the support of GIZ, FAO, Alliance, and SNV, the tool has been enhanced to include some changes inspired by discussions at the workshops. There is increased consideration of gender roles and how these might affect, or be affected by, a scaling program. Likewise, the impact of climate change is also included. In terms of usability, the Scaling Scan has been adapted to make it more accessible to use without a moderator, meaning that users will be able to benefit even if they have difficulty getting to a workshop. It has also been designed to make it easier to customize the Scaling Scan to fit oneâs own needs, rather than requiring the standard version used in workshops.
To find out more about the Scaling Scan, please visit https://scalingscan.org/, or email e.valencia@cgiar.org for more information.
The widespread availability of chemical nitrogen fertilizers is a prime driver of the vast improvement of crop yields over the past 50 years. However, their use has come with a price, as nitrogen escaping into surrounding soil and air has negative impacts on the environment and human health, including water pollution, depletion of soil-fertility, and greenhouse gas emissions.
Researchers from CIMMYT and JIRCAS (Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Science) examined ways to curtail the leakage of nitrogen into ecosystems, through a process called biological nitrification inhibition (BNI) in the paper âGenetic variation among elite inbred lines suggests potential to breed for BNI-capacity in maize,â published in the journal Scientific Reports on August 17, 2023.
BNI is a plant-based natural process that reduces nitrogen losses, which can reduce fertilizer demand while sustaining agricultural systems. The roots of plants that exhibit BNI activity release natural substances that inhibit the activity of nitrifying bacteria in soil, thus reducing the amount of nitrogen lost to the surrounding ecosystem. Many plant species have natural BNI activity in their roots.
Although synthetic chemical nitrification inhibitors are commercially available to reduce nitrogen losses, the high costs of this approach have limited its adoption. By contrast, breeding new varieties with increased natural BNI activity can offer a practical and economical approach to reduce nitrogen fertilizer need and waste.
âWe are in the discovery phase regarding BNI activity and its determining traits for maize. Such information is crucial to pave the way for breeding programs and genetic improvement efforts,â said Kevin Pixley, co-author of the paper and former director of CIMMYTâs Genetic Resources Program. âWe need to identify genetic markers for BNI compounds including âzeanoneâ, which will enable breeders to develop maize varieties that require and waste less nitrogen fertilizer, while achieving high yields.â
This research identified 18 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) that act as genetic âsignpostsâ for breeders to use to accelerate and increase the accuracy of breeding to increase BNI activity for maize. The researchers also identified six âcandidateâ or putative genes associated with BNI activity and related to nitrogen use efficiency, thereby enhancing the understanding of the genetics controlling BNI activity.
âOur identification of SNPs and genes that regulate how maize processes nitrogen begins to draw a road map to guide the development of molecular markers for use in breeding new maize varieties that meet farmer and consumer needs at a lower environmental cost,â said senior author Cesar Petroli. âBuilding on the results obtained and reported in our recent publication, we are developing maize (doubled haploid) populations to refine the genetic map for BNI activity in maizeâ.
This research was conducted with partners from JIRCAS and the Universidad de la RepĂșblica, Uruguay.
The Livestock Production Systems in Zimbabwe (LIPS-Zim) project implemented by CIMMYT and various research institutions in partnership with the government expects to increase incomes and ensure food security for more than 50,000 rural Zimbabweans.
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Latin America is a particularly rich source of neglected crops, which have been replaced by a small number of modern varieties that have come to dominate global commodity markets. However, CIMMYT has utilized various methodologies and developed new initiatives to highlight the value of neglected crops and create market opportunities for smallholders.
What are the crucial practices, to help enhance the contribution to local communities and the preservation of their cultural heritage?
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In plant breeding, efforts to increase the rate of genetic gains and enhance crop resilience to the effects of climate change are often limited by the inaccessibility and costs of phenotyping methods. The recent rapid development of sensors, image-processing technology and data analysis has provided new opportunities for multiple scales phenotyping methods and systems. Among these, satellite imagery may represent one of the best ways to remotely monitor trials and nurseries planted in multiple locations, while standardizing protocols and reducing costs.
This is because relevant data collected as part of crop phenotyping can be generated from satellite images. For instance, the sensors onboard the SkySat satellite constellation of Planet Labs have four spectral bandsâblue, green, red, and infraredâwhich can be used to calculate the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), which is a measure of vegetation and its greenness, and various canopy traits like ground cover, leaf area index and chlorosis. It can also be used to monitor plot establishment and phenological parameters.
The use of satellite-based phenotyping in breeding trials has typically been restricted by low resolution, high cost and long intervals between fly-overs. However, the advent of a new generation of high-resolution satellitesâsuch as the SkySat constellationânow offers multispectral images at a 0.5m resolution with close to daily acquisition attempts on any place on Earth. This could be a game changer in terms of the scale at which yield trials can be conducted, enabling more precise variety placement and thereby increasing genetic diversity across farmerâs fields and reducing the probability of disease epidemics. It could also revolutionize the capacity for research in realistic field conditions, since traits can be measured throughout the cycle in a highly standardized way, over multiple sites at low cost. For example, an image which covers 25 km2 can monitor an entire research station at a cost of about US$300.
To test the suitability of this technology, a team of researchers from CIMMYT set out to evaluate the reliability of SkySat NDVI estimates for maize and wheat breeding plots of different sizes and spacing, as well as testing its capacity for detecting seasonal changes and genotypic differences.
Both their initial findings, recently published in Frontiers in Plant Science, and more recently acquired data, show that the SkySat satellites can be used to monitor plots commonly used in wheat and maize nurseries. While wheat yield plots usually are 1.2m wide, maize plots tend to consist of at least two rows, resulting in a width of 1.5m. Plot length ranges from 2-4m. The authors also discuss on other factors to be considered when extracting and interpreting satellite data from yield trials, such as plot spacing.
Through the successful collection of six satellite images in Central Mexico during the rainy season and parallel monitoring of a maize trial in Zimbabwe, the researchers demonstrate the flexibility of this tool. Beyond the improvement of spatial resolution, the researchers suggest that the next challenge will be the development and fine-tuning of operational procedures that ensure high quality, standardized data, allowing them to harness the benefits of the modern breeding triangle, which calls for the integration of phenomics, enviromics and genomics, to accelerate breeding gains.
Read the full study: Satellite imagery for high-throughput phenotyping in breeding plots
This research was supported by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, the CGIAR Research Program on Maize, the CGIAR Research Program on Wheat, and the One CGIAR Initiatives on Digital Innovation, F2R-CWANA, and Accelerated Breeding.
The inaugural Rwanda National Seed Congress, which took place in Kigali on July 31 and August 1, 2023, marked a significant milestone for the country’s seed industry. Themed âPrivate Sector Strategic Roadmap for the Seed Industry 2030â, the event brought together key stakeholders from the government, public, and private sectors to address challenges and opportunities in the national seed value chain.
Discussions centered around pertinent issues concerning the seed sector in general, with a particular focus on the Rwandan National Seed Strategic Roadmap. This document, which was developed through consultations with various stakeholders, provides a comprehensive plan to steer the industry towards success and sustainable growth.
âEnhancing and managing the seed system is a complex endeavor that requires the collaboration of various stakeholders,â said Chris Ojiewo, CGIAR Seed Equal Initiative lead. âThis is where public-private partnerships come in as a valuable tool for nurturing the growth and expansion of the seed industry.â
During a presentation entitled Public-private Partnership: A Tool for Development and Strengthening of the Seed Sector, Ojiewo highlighted the growing importance of collaboration and partnerships in the current seed system. He emphasized that the processes and elements that shape the seed sector are complex and extensive, making it too much for any one organizationâwhether public or privateâto handle alone.
The way forward
During the congress, several key recommendations were proposed  to increase the potential of the seed industry. The government was encouraged to seek accreditation with major seed industry quality organizations, such as the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) certification schemes, while adopting International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) to establish an improved regulatory environment conducive to industry growth.
The empowerment of the National Seed Association of Rwanda (NSAR) as an advocate and facilitator for the seed industry was also highlighted as an essential measure. The government’s support in enabling the seed association to become increasingly self-regulatory is seen as crucial to the industry’s growth over the next seven years, with private seed industry players developing internal systems to ensure compliance with rules and regulations.
Another key recommendation for increasing sustainable improved seed use in Rwanda was the use of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), which will play a critical role in promoting the country as a seed production and trade investment destination.
Ojiewo emphasized the importance of such partnerships, noting that âPPPs have the potential to transform the seed industry by leveraging the strengths of different organizations.â He further highlighted that in addressing the challenges of global food security and sustainable development, the way forward becomes clear through collaboration, innovation, and a shared commitment to advancing agricultural progress through collaborative efforts.
The congress also focused on attracting affordable financing to scale up investments throughout the seed value chain. It was considered essential to involve industry financial players in the development of optimal financing structures to support the expansion of the industry.
As a result of the successful event, plans have already been made for the second National Seed Congress in 2024. Scheduled to take place in Kigali on July 29 and 30, 2024, the next event aims to build on the achievements of the first congress and further drive the growth of Rwanda’s seed industry.
CGIARâs Seed Equal Initiative helps farmers by providing them with better seeds that are nutritious, preferred in the market, and that can withstand climate change. These varieties have been carefully developed to exhibit significant genetic advancements, ultimately benefiting farmers. It also makes sure that women and other marginalized groups have fair access to these seeds.