The Board of Trustees appointed Bram Govaerts, renowned for pioneering, implementing and inspiring transformational changes for farmers and consumers in meeting sustainable development challenges, as Director General of CIMMYT.
A paper titled “Fields on fire: Alternatives to crop residue burning in India” and published in the prestigious journal Science found that working with the Happy Seeder—a machine that cuts and lifts the paddy straw while simultaneously sowing the wheat crop and spreading the cut straw as mulch over fields—is not just the least polluting, but also the most scalable solution that can be adopted by farmers en masse.
An article in La Nación praises the work of a number of research institutions, including CIMMYT, for their use of science and technology to develop hybrid maize lines adapted to the needs of farmers, markets and consumers.
At the 8th World Congress on Conservation Agriculture (8WCCA), Martin Kropff, Director General of CIMMYT, argued that “agriculture cannot take a toll on the environment”, praising conservation agriculture for its contribution to building resilience to drought.
Genetic analyses show that a destructive wheat blast fungus that travelled from South America to South East Asia is now established in Zambia under rain-fed conditions, according to a new report from The Sainsbury Laboratory.
Read more: https://www.world-grain.com/articles/15034-report-links-wheat-blast-pandemic-on-three-continents
In a conversation with The Counter, CIMMYT senior scientist Dave Hodson discusses why conservation may be the key to our survival.
Read more: https://thecounter.org/biodiversity-conservation-future-pandemics-plants-humans-cimmyt/
Mexico’s Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER) and its counterpart in the United States reached an agreement to promote knowledge sharing and scientific collaboration on agriculture-related issues.
The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) has released a set of 12 new maize lines adapted to the tropical environments targeted by CIMMYT and partner institutions.
Read more: https://seedworld.com/cimmyt-releases-12-new-maize-lines/
This tribute to the life and work of Sanjaya Rajaram, one of Norman Borlaug’s most impactful collaborators, also flags CIMMYT’s contribution to improving livelihoods and fostering more productive sustainable maize and wheat farming in low- and middle-income countries.
An op-ed published in El Sol de México recognizes CIMMYT’s contribution to tackling food insecurity through improved nutrient-rich, high-yielding varieties and sustainable agronomic practices.
Read more: https://www.elsoldemexico.com.mx/analisis/cimmyt-alimentando-al-mundo-6672151.html
During the presentation of Mexico’s 2021 Agri-Food Expectations, Bram Govaerts, Director General of CIMMYT, flagged a number of initiatives aimed at supporting the country’s food self-sufficiency and safeguarding the cultural heritage of its agricultural sector.
Matthew Reynolds, Distinguished Scientist and Head of Wheat Physiology at CIMMYT, talked to The Guardian producer Patrick Greenfield about the process to create climate- and heat-resistant crops.
Scientists at CIMMYT expect to sharply ramp up new wheat varieties enriched with zinc that can boost the essential mineral for millions of poor people with deficient diets, the institute’s head told Reuters.
Through regenerative agriculture prices, Grupo Bimbo, a partner of CIMMYT, is revitalizing and ensuring the sustainability of Mexico’s agricultural sector.
Read more: https://www.forbes.com.mx/ad-agricultura-regenerativa-ruta-sustentable-grupo-bimbo/
Groundwater is essential for Indian agriculture and rural livelihoods, but groundwater levels are declining. Simply providing canal irrigation as a substitute irrigation source will likely not be enough to maintain current production levels.
Read more: https://www.rural21.com/english/news/detail/article/reduced-cropping-intensity-in-india.html