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Growing the gains and pruning the pains in producing Africa’s food

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Because GYGA is a crucial pointer to where the greatest gains in food production can be made, and the pains to sidestep, all in a bid to close the yawning gap on hunger by going beyond gigabytes of data to concrete actionAfrica’s food production is not limited by lack of potential. Rather, it’s a question of priorities and targeting

 

For this reason, let us turn to the Atlas of African agriculture research and development, which will be a crucial roadmap in navigating the Global Yield Gap Atlas (GYGA) Project’s work in Africa over the past four years (May 2012 to March 2015). Published by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the Atlas of African agriculture research and development jumps straight to the point in the foreword: “Africa is a paradox. This vast continent is home to almost half of the world’s uncultivated land fit for growing food crops – an estimated 202 million hectares but much of it is off-limits to farmers because it is difficult to farm or is used for other purposes.”

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Life on the edge: farming fragile and frugal marginal lands along steep slopes in north Ethiopia. (Photo: K. Tesfaye, July 2015).

The heat is on, so are ways to beat the heat: Go, GYGA, Go!
“The pressure on land is enormous, resulting in agriculture creeping up steep hillsides where it does not belong, with the soil washing away,” observed Kenneth G. Cassman, GYGA Project Leader, from the University of Nebraska, USA. GYGA aims to provide information from farm level to the landscape, watershed, continent and the globe, to assure informed decisions on optimizing food production. GYGA operates on the principle that ensuring food security while protecting carbon-rich and biodiverse rainforests, wetlands, and grasslands depends on achieving the highest possible yields from existing farmland.

“Our aspiration is to have complete global coverage of all global farmland, “added Cassman. But GYGA’s quest is not just about gigabytes of data: “To feed billions in the future, we need to have not only the knowledge, but also the know-how.”

According to Samuel Adjei-Nsiah of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and GYGA country agronomist for Ghana, there are two options to increase food production: (1) expanding arable land; or, (2) closing the yield gap in existing farmland by expanding irrigation, intensifying cropping systems and adopting improved crop management technologies “But option one may result in significant losses of important ecosystem services such as biodiversity, while option two depends on the socioeconomic conditions of farmers, and local food preferences, cultural traditions, and markets.”

Focus on Africa
In Africa, GYGA has convened thrice before in Kenya, Benin and Ethiopia in 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively. This year, the meeting returned to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in what will be the close of the four-year project. “For this closing meeting, the goals are taking agronomic practices to scale, substantive collaborations in the face of climate change, and helping to prioritize research,” said Cassman.

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Visit to Ambo Research Center on 22nd September by participants of the 2015 GYGA meeting in Ethiopia, 22nd to 24th September 2015. (Photo provided by K. Tesfaye, CIMMYT)

Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Water for Food Institute, GYGA covers 23 countries, of which 10 are in Africa – Burkina Faso, Mali, Ghana, Niger, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia. All of GYGA’s rich information and data are fully in the public domain. “GYGA has built a great and informative website in a very short space of time. This is remarkable,” said Christian Witt, Senior Program Officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

What next? Sealing the gap by going from gigabytes of data to informed action
While information is very important, it is but a stepping stone in the quest to close the yawning gap on hunger .“If we stop at identifying gaps, this alone will not help us solve the problems,” observed Kindie Tesfaye, Crop and Geospatial Modeler at CIMMYT. “We need to act on this information where the opportunities for growth are. Therefore, the next step is mapping what is hampering production. For example, is it the price of seed, inputs, markets, or other factors?”

For this reason, the conclusion of GYGA’s work after four productive years also marks new beginnings for a continuation, albeit on a smaller scale in the foreseeable future. “Parts of the work will continue in Ethiopia and Ghana, focusing on maize,” said Martin Ittersum from Wageningen University and Research Centre. “This work will be funded by the UK’s Department for International Development, and begins in 2015.”

Why zero in on maize for this further work? Because in Ethiopia, GYGA cereal studies show that maize leads and teff trails in productivity (i.e., yield per unit area, see graph below), even if in area coverage and popularity it is the reverse, with teff as Ethiopia’s most popular cereal.

“In Ghana, rainfed maize has the highest yield potential at 9.5 tonnes per hectare, compared to 7.5 for sorghum, 6.6 for rice and 4.6 for sorghum,” said l Adjei-Nsiah. “With irrigation, maize still leads at 14.9 tonnes compared to rice at 8.3 tonnes.”

Elsewhere, it is a largely similar sweet story for maize. In Uganda, more than 90 percent of the maize is grown by smallholders, underscoring the significant socioeconomic impact of the benefits of research to improve maize productivity. Moving from east to west, in Mali, maize ranks fourth in productivity, after millet, sorghum and rice, in that order, while southwards in Zambia, more than 65 percent of the nation’s cropland is devoted to maize, making it the principal crop in a country where 85 percent of the population depend on agriculture. “On average, maize yields about 1.5 tonnes per hectare, compared to 0.55 for sorghum and 0.65 for millet,” said Regis Chikowo, GYGA’s country agronomist for Zambia, who however added that maize yields have been stagnant for the last two decades. Therefore, much remains to be done for this leading crop to realize its full potential in Ghana, and thereby seal the yield gap.

On-the-ground realities: global scope, but down-to-earth
GYGA is led by the University of Nebraska, Lincoln (USA) and Wageningen University and Research Centre (The Netherlands), with collaborators from the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, the Africa Rice Center, CIMMYT, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (Australia), and agronomists in the GYGA Project countries. All these partners participated in the GYGA closing meeting.

Also present were the Africa Soil Information Service, the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security, Harvest Choice, IFPRI, the International Rice Research Institute, and the International Soil Reference Information Centre. A fitting representation of – and emphasis on – soil, given it is the root of life, and 2015 the International Year of Soils designated by the United Nations.

 

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Going further down the path to bolster Africa’s maize sector

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 The long-running Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA) Project started in 2007 and ends this month. What next after this long-distance runner, and, more importantly, what will happen to DTMA products?

Enter DTMASS, which stands for Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa Seed Scaling. It’s to be a seamless transition to the next stage on the research-to-development continuum, albeit with a switch in terms of who takes the lead and is firmly in the front seat, and who plays a facilitating role and now settles in the back seat.

DTMASS stands on the shoulders of DTMA ‒ and other projects ‒ the fundamental difference being that now seed companies will be the main drivers of the project. In essence, this is in fact the rationale for DTMASS. Also, to avoid duplication, the geographical areas DTMASS shall concentrate on are different from DTMA sites.

FIGURES: The DTMA scorecard in 2014

  • 13: the number of countries covered in Africa
  • 72: the percentage these 13 countries which jointly account for, as a proportion of all maize grown in sub-Saharan Africa
  • 205: the cumulative number of maize varieties released (mostly hybrids)
  • 184: the distinct varieties represented by the 205 varieties above

FACTS

  1. 49%: the additional yield from hybrids, on average, compared to open pollinated varieties
  2. Going up: popularity of hybrids in Africa

“We’ve noted the good products that come from DTMA, and we are keen to forge partnerships to take these products further down the research-to-development path and make a difference,” said Dr. John McMurdy, International Research Advisor at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which is funding DTMASS.

DTMASS was launched at continental level late last year in November 2014 (see page 1 here), followed by focused country-level launches in each of the participating countries. Implementation began in March 2015.

Continuing conundrum on women and men: let’s talk business Studies show that gender gaps continue to persist, from seed access to seed production. Therefore, a gender-responsive approach is core to DTMASS’ work, recognizing that gender-responsiveness is not a single silver bullet. Rather, it is an accumulation of small efforts done at each of the five steps of seed access and production which will lead to gender-equitable outcomes. The facilitative five steps are (1) seed production (2) processing and branding (3) promotion, (4) distribution and network, and (5) monitoring and evaluation).

“These gender-equitable outcomes are not a work of charity,” stressed Vongai Kandiwa, CIMMYT’s Gender Specialist. “It makes business sense. Seed companies are losing business opportunities by failing to target a large sector of the market – women.”

And while men not only own most of the land but are also twice as likely to walk into an agrodealer shop (observation research in Eastern Kenya), anecdotal evidence as well as sample – but representative – research has shown that men generally consult their wives first before purchasing. Their wives will not help them make informed decisions if they themselves are not aware of the options available.

The curious puzzle of Kenya’s paradox, and some shocks for locals During the launch of DTMASS in Kenya on 2nd February 2015, it was revealed that maize productivity in Kenya has been on a debilitating downward spiral. Yet Kenya has bona fide and well-established seed companies with significant knowledge and experience. While productivity in the 1980s was well over two tonnes per hectare, it has since dipped to 1.6 tonnes, even as Kenya’s potential production stands at an impressive and life-changing 10 tonnes.

“Good partnerships would turn around that situation, and there’s every reason why Kenya should do better,” observed Dr. Tsedeke Abate, DTMASS Project Leader, who also leads DTMA.

The DTMASS goal for Kenya is 1,600 tonnes of certified seed by 2019. CIMMYT will work in partnership with the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) and local seed companies, whose representatives attended the meeting. Some of the seed-company representatives said they were shocked by Kenya’s dismal performance on production: they said they knew it was low, but had not known it was that low.

Dr. Joyce Malinga, Acting Director of KALRO’s Food Crops Research Institute, observed that seed has the greatest potential to increase on-farm production and enhance productivity. She said KALRO is keen on commercialization of released drought-tolerant varieties, as a means to ensure that these varieties reach farmers.

The Kenya launch in Nairobi was preceded by country launches in Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia. DTMASS encourages cross-country learning, and the experience from the Kenya launch would be taken to Uganda the following week, in the same manner Kenya had benefitted from lessons for the three preceding country launches.

Uganda: countering counterfeits, the heat is on, and onwards and upwards! “This project is at the right place at the right time,” said Dr Imelda Kashaija, Deputy Director, National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), Uganda, on 4th February 2015. She was speaking at the launch of the DTMASS Project in Kampala.

She observed that in Uganda, formal players offering certified seed currently account for a mere 35 percent of the market, leaving 65 percent to informal players. This is an untenable situation, inherent with many problems with the spread of disease as the biggest risk (see maize lethal necrosis, for example). It is estimated that nearly half (40 percent) of the hybrid seed sold in Uganda is fake. “We all know that if we don’t improve the formal seed system, we continue to encourage the bad habit of counterfeit seed that is rampant in Uganda. One way to reduce counterfeit is to strengthen the formal system so farmers get good-quality seed,” Dr. Kashaija added.

Maize affected by drought A WangalachiWPoor pickings that will lead to a paltry harvest: a maize cob from a crop hard-hit by drought.
Photo: A. Wangalachi CIMMYT

She said the project will bring in drought-tolerant maize varieties that will help Uganda fight climate change. In the 19th century, Uganda was dubbed ‘the pearl of Africa’ by Victorian-era traveler and journalist, Henry Morton Stanley, for good reason. The country sits astride the broad shores of the world’s second-largest freshwater lake (Victoria) which drains into the mighty River Nile, evoking images of glistening green lush landscapes, water in plenty and banana fronds waving in the tropical breeze. But this postcard-perfect picture is beginning to shatter. “We’re getting more dry than wet days,” revealed Dr. Kashaija. “Distribution of rain has changed, even if not the amount. Not only are there now fewer days of rain, the rains are also now unpredictable. So, crops that take longer in the field have poor harvests.” It is also important to remember eastern Uganda falls firmly in the drylands.

Describing seed companies as “our other arm when reaching communities,” Dr. Kashaija observed that seed companies take the seed NARO produces and use it for business. But they focus on more than money by delivering quality seed, thereby helping the government in its objective to improve formal systems. “Through this project, more farmers are going to be able to access improved drought-tolerant seed,” Dr. Kashaija concluded.

Dr. McMurdy described DTMASS as “a strategic project for USAID. DTMASS is part of a suite of new investments, and part of the Feed the Future initiative. This meeting is an opportunity to discuss constraints, and also to foster partnerships and more cooperation. We are looking for synergies with other stakeholders and efforts, including the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa.”

“We have the knowledge and technology, and what remains is translating knowledge to action,” added Dr. Abate. He said that Uganda has made significant progress in terms of maize productivity, as indicated by the latest FAO statistics.

The acreage devoted to maize has also doubled over the past several years. Through DTMASS, by 2019, Uganda is expected to produce 1,800 tonnes of improved maize. “I have no doubt Uganda can exceed this projection, given the good team, good partnership and experienced players,” Dr. Abate predicted.

A helping hand Capacity-building to help meet project goals is an integral part of DTMASS, starting with ‘servicing the engine’ – the seed companies that will drive DTMASS.

To this end, in-country seed business management and production courses were held for participating companies. First up was Malawi in June 2015, with Uganda, Tanzania and Mozambique in July, Kenya in August, and concluding with Ethiopia in September.

Links:

Uganda launch cropWParticipants at the DTMASS project launch in Uganda, 4th February 2015. Photo: CIMMYT

Mexico meeting outlines scientific roadmap for increasing wheat yields

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International scientists attending a meeting in Ciudad Obregon, Mexico, plotted out how current and potential research projects around the world could boost wheat yields to meet population and climate pressures. CIMMYT/Julie Mollins
International scientists attending a meeting in Ciudad Obregon, Mexico, plotted out how current and potential research projects around the world could boost wheat yields to meet population and climate pressures. CIMMYT/Julie Mollins

CIUDAD OBREGON, Mexico (CIMMYT) — Mexico aims to boost domestic wheat production 9 percent to 3.6 million metric tons by 2018, said a government official speaking on Tuesday at a conference in the town of Ciudad Obregon in the northern Mexican state of Sonora.

Productivity will increase as a result of growing investment in infrastructure, machinery, equipment and technological innovations, said Sergio Ibarra, Sonora delegate of the country’s Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA).

“The strategic vision of the Mexican government is to promote an agricultural landscape that supports a productive, competitive, profitable, sustainable and fair agri-food sector to ensure food security,” Ibarra said, addressing 75 international scientists and wheat breeders attending the International Wheat Yield Potential Workshop hosted by CIMMYT.

The Mexican government has a long and storied tradition of working alongside CIMMYT, which developed improved varieties of wheat under the leadership of the late Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Norman Borlaug, helping the country become self-sufficient in grain production in the 1960s. Currently, demand for wheat in Mexico outstrips the domestic supply produced.

One collaborative project, the Sustainable Modernization of Traditional Agriculture, led by SAGARPA and known locally as MasAgro, helps farmers understand how minimal soil disturbance, permanent soil cover and crop rotation can simultaneously boost yields and sustainably increase profits.

ENVIRONMENTAL PRESSURES

Delegates at the Wheat Yield Potential Workshop, held from 24 to 26 March, plotted out how current and potential global research projects could dovetail under the International Wheat Yield Partnership (IWYP), a public-private partnership focused on developing new high-yielding varieties of wheat.

Findings in a report released last year by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) state it is very likely that heat waves will occur more often and last longer throughout the 21st century and rainfall will be more unpredictable. Mean surface temperatures could rise by between 2 to 5 degrees Celsius or more, the report said. Current crop models show scenarios of the impact of rising temperatures on wheat varieties, which provide 20 percent of calories and protein consumed worldwide.

“Models indicate that a 2 degree increase in temperature would lead to a 20 percent reduction in wheat yield; a 6 degree increase would lead to a 60 percent reduction,” said Hans Braun, head of CIMMYT’s Global Wheat Program and the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research Research Program on Wheat. “The consequences would be dramatic if we had a 40 percent yield reduction because we already know wheat production has to increase by 60 percent to keep up with population projections,” Braun said. “If we add modeled climate risks, the challenge is compounded, and we’ll need to double the yield capacity of our current varieties.”

“CIMMYT has demonstrated that the rate of improvement in yield gain has slowed to the point that, if it carries on the present rate, we’ll have a large gap between the amount of available wheat and what we need to feed the population,” said Steve Visscher, international deputy chief executive at Britain’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). The Council is the largest financial contributor to IWYP, which has so far secured 50 percent of the $100 million in funding it seeks to develop higher yielding wheat varieties.

“The sooner we act, the greater the chances are that we can close the gap between forecast demand and the availability of wheat,” Visscher said. “The scale of that challenge means that we need an international community effort, and the work on wheat yield that CIMMYT has initiated has now been taken forward through IWYP. I pay tribute to the role of SAGARPA and the Mexican government for backing CIMMYT and providing funding in recent years.”

Rothamsted Research in the UK is trying to meet the wheat food security challenge through a program to increase the yield of wheat to 20 metric tons per hectare within the next 20 years.

“Given that the UK record yield is currently 14.3 tons, that’s a big, big target,” said associate director Martin Parry, whose work aims to boost wheat photosynthesis, leading to increased yields.

“There are big risks both in terms of food security and political stability– it’s critical that the world’s population has enough food to eat– we need to work in a collegial, collaborative way, and IWYP offers an ideal opportunity to do that,” Parry said.

KALRO and CIMMYT: cementing a longstanding relationship

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All this week, CIMMYT headquarters in Texcoco, Mexico, has the honor of hosting Dr. Eliud Kireger, the Acting Director General of the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO). Today, we sit with him for a candid conversation on crop research in Africa.

According to Dr. Kireger, one of the burning issues in agriculture today in Eastern and Southern Africa is “low productivity per unit area. The increase we’ve seen in yields across different countries is largely due to expansion in land area.” He attributes this low productivity per unit area to lack of technologies and knowledge that can boost productivity. This dearth translates itself in many ways such as not using fertilizers, improved seed or mechanization.

Another key factor hampering production is climate change, which in Eastern and Southern Africa manifests itself mainly through drought, floods, frost and hail. “There is also an increase in new pests and diseases, as well as postharvest losses, low value addition and lack of regulated markets which erodes the incentive to work hard and produce more. All these are the issues we need to address in our research and development agenda,” Dr Kireger says.

Finance and romance
The crunch in all this is low funding for the agricultural sector. African heads of state committed to devoting a minimum of 10 percent of their national budgets to agriculture in the 2003 Maputo Declaration. Not only have few nations honored this commitment, it is also a disadvantageous relationship, as Dr Kireger reveals. “For example, in Kenya, agriculture accounts for 30 percent of the GDP but the exchequer allocates less than two percent to agriculture, and even less to research. We therefore rely on our partners and collaborators in funding most of our research and development work, and that is where partners like CIMMYT come in to help us bridge the gap by accessing funding we would not otherwise have got, by training our scientists, and by helping us obtain high-quality germplasm.”

Dr. Eliud Kireger (left), KALRO Director General, in deep discussions with CIMMYT scientists during his visit to CIMMYT headquarters. He was accompanied by Stephen Mugo (right), CIMMYT’S Regional Representative for Africa and also country representative for Kenya. Dr. Kireger also met with CIMMYT's senior leadership.
Dr. Eliud Kireger (left), KALRO Director General, in deep discussions with CIMMYT scientists during his visit to CIMMYT headquarters. He was accompanied by Stephen Mugo (right), CIMMYT’S Regional Representative for Africa and also country representative for Kenya. Dr. Kireger also met with CIMMYT’s senior leadership.

But it is a reciprocal relationship between CIMMYT and KALRO, with CIMMYT too enjoying KALRO’s generosity through a rich potpourri of priceless resources – land for field and laboratory work; a robust nationwide network covering all corners of Kenya; immense social capital accumulated through time by a known, tested and trusted name; community mobilization; and local liaison with policy- and decision-makers on sensitive matters such as germplasm exchange and other weighty issues. “In Kenya CIMMYT does not have land, but since we work together, KALRO allows us to use their land for our work,” notes Stephen Mugo, CIMMYT–Africa Regional Representative and also Kenya Country Representative, who has accompanied Dr Kireger to CIMMYT Headquarters. “These are the benefits of synergy: ‘What you do not have, and I have, we share’. There is no single institution — working alone — that can be able to address all the challenges facing agriculture. From very early on, CIMMYT decided that the only way was to team up with national institutions and work together, so that CIMMYT-developed germplasm , know-how and technologies reach intended beneficiaries countrywide for the benefit of maize and wheat farmers. CIMMYT and KALRO jointly design common projects on clear and specific areas to improve maize and wheat, then seek funding for these projects to address drought tolerance, crop pests and emerging diseases.”

CIMMYT–KALRO MLN screening facility at KALRO's premises in Naivasha, Kenya.
CIMMYT–KALRO MLN screening facility at KALRO’s premises in Naivasha, Kenya.

One such emerging disease is maize lethal necrosis (MLN), which CIMMYT and KALRO are jointly tackling through ultra-modern shared facilities for MLN screeing and for doubled haploid (DH) technology that both stand on KALRO land. “With these facilities, we are able to screen a large volume of germplasm from both the public and private sectors. DH technology allows breeders to very rapidly— especially for cross-pollinated crops like maize — develop parental lines in about 18 months than can then be used to develop hybrids,” says Mugo. “With conventional methods, the same process could take anywhere between six and eight years. Once we identify maize types that are disease-resistant, drought-tolerant or good for low-nitrogen soils, we can fast-track them for rapid hybrid development. KALRO also facilitates exchange of germplasm — particularly important now in the face of MLN — by liaising with other government agents such as the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service. This helps not only Kenya but also other countries, including both the public and private sector. By working together, institutions are able to solve problems that at first glance seem insurmountable,” Mugo observes.

KALRO and CIMMYT started working on climate-smart crops long before the term was coined. The goal was ‘insurance’ to increase production during drought. CIMMYT embarked on research from the late 1980s to increase production even when drought strikes. Collaboration with KALRO in this work started in the early 1990s, and did not stop there. “We now have a large network of research sites in Eastern and Southern Africa,” says Mugo.

The next frontier, and the future we need not fear if we prepare
Touching on genetically modified crops, Dr. Kireger laments “the negative publicity and misinformation on transgenics. To counter this, one of the first courses of action we are taking is making information available to the general public. Transgenic materials have the potential to resolve some of the problems that we have in Eastern and Southern Africa. We are working together with CIMMYT to provide information to the public because the largest fault-line is lack of information, which opens the door for misinterpretation. This hampers and dents the good work that is being done.”

Mugo concurs: “The only way to address this is for research institutions like KALRO and CIMMYT to provide the correct information, based on authoritative and impartial research findings, for informed public debate on benefits and risks, and how to mitigate risks. For example, research has shown the economic and environmental benefits of transgenic insect-resistant maize which eliminates pesticide use. This shows that transgenics can be deployed to solve problems that conventional means are at present unable to solve. One of these is the need to produce more food for an ever-increasing global population. To achieve this goal, we need to deploy all the technologies at our disposal, including transgenics.”

And switching emphasis from maize and headquarters to wheat and the field, Dr Kireger’s next stop in Mexico this week is Obregon, to get first-hand experience on CIMMYT’s work on this other crop that both institutes work on – not very common in Africa, as most of CIMMYT’s partnerships there focus exclusively on maize. Watch this space for more updates including videos!

And may this fruitful and mutually beneficial collaboration endorsed at the highest levels continue to grow from strength to strength!

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SIMLESA’s seamlessly integrated solution to a perennial problem, but…

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A maize–legume rotation exploratory trial in Tete Province, Mozambique.
A maize–legume rotation exploratory trial in Tete Province, Mozambique.

And what solution is this? That Southern Africa smallholder farmers can attain food security and more income through sustainable intensification of maize-based farming systems. This was revealed during recent field learning tours in Malawi and Mozambique.

The annual field tours, which ran from February 9–19, 2015, were organized by CIMMYT’s Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Legume Cropping Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa (SIMLESA) project. A total of 224 people (147 men and 77 women) visited 11 sites. The objectives of the field tours were twofold: to examine how the new experiments under SIMLESA Phase II were progressing, and to gather farmers’ feedback on some of the sustainable intensification research interventions.

SIMLESA’s farmer-tested improved maize–legume technologies were showcased during the learning tours. Smallholder farmers interacted with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and private-sector partners who have shown a great interest in the SIMLESA outscaling approach using lead farmers and learning sites. Some of the sites promote smallholder agriculture development by linking farmers with buyers and agrodealers, and by providing access to credit and technical training.

SIMLESA tours key pointsIn Malawi, the field visits began at Kasungu District, with 16 farmers and technical staff from Mozambique who were on an exchange visit also participating. The group visited outscaling initiatives by the National Association of Smallholder Farmers of Malawi (NASFAM), in which maize–groundnut rotations and maize–pigeonpea systems are being implemented through lead farmers. More than 120 households per field learning site are participating in the demonstrations on each of the five NASFAM sites visited.

In the mid-altitude agro-ecological region of Malawi, new maize varieties have been introduced under SIMLESA Phase II as well as new groundnut and cowpea varieties, in addition to the previously tested soybean varieties in the core on-farm exploratory trials.

Conservation agriculture (CA) exhibited mixed fortunes and presented more opportunities for learning and information sharing. Due to the excessive rains experienced in January, maize on the conventional ridge and furrow farming systems was generally greener and taller than on the CA plots, although the positive rotation effects in CA were clearly evident from the healthy maize crop following soybeans. Also, some maize varieties under CA were more susceptible to diseases such as leaf rust and suffered more from pests such as white grubs which attacked maize roots.

The next stop in Malawi was Mitundu, Lilongwe District, with new crop establishment trials. Here, various new hand-planting tools were being tested, such as jab planters, the Li seeder or planting hoe and the Oklahoma State University (USA) green seeder – all in comparison to the conventional dibble stick and traditional hoe.

The use of a Li seeder has a lot of advantages, including enabling farmers to work faster and therefore saving time, and it does not strain the back,” said Mr James Segula, a smallholder farmer. The Li seeder simultaneously opens a hole in the ground, drops seed and fertilizer, and covers the hole.

Key lessons for the Mozambique and Malawi groups were timely weeding, right maize–legume crop varieties, correct use of fertilizers, residue application and appropriate and safe use of agrochemicals.

Transforming agriculture through technology: Mrs Grace Chitanje,one of the farmers in Mitundu District, Malawi, demonstrates how to use the Li seeder.
Transforming agriculture through technology: Mrs Grace Chitanje,one of the farmers in Mitundu District, Malawi, demonstrates how to use the Li seeder.

Crossing borders to Mozambique’s Angonia District, the group visited exploratory trials which included farmer-preferred maize varieties and the new maize–soybean intercrop system being tested for the first time. In SIMLESA Phase 1, common beans intercrop failed, hence the switch to soybeans. In the central region, members of the national innovation platform which brings on board NGOs such as Total Land Care, Manica Small-Scale Farmers and the Agência de Desenvolvimento Económico de Manica (ADEM) showcased the importance of partnerships. Innovation platforms are fora for information and knowledge sharing on agricultural development. Interesting differences in the tested maize hybrid and open pollinated varieties (OPV) included better leaf diseases tolerance from the hybrid Pristine, in contrast to early maturity characteristics from the OPV.

SIMLESA’s innovation platform is working with partners such as ADEM to facilitate farmers’ access to inputs, link them to financial institutions to access credit and connect them to markets for their produce. Mr Domingos Dias, SIMLESA–Mozambique National Coordinator, said: “We commend this approach of linking farmers to input suppliers and credit providers. Lessons learned, and experience gained over the years, indicate that training alone without market links is not profitable.”

Links: More on SIMLESA – in slides | project website

Happy Seeder, happy farmers: tillage in a single pass

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Gulshad Nabi (Chand) is a progressive farmer from Chak Dahir, Tehsil Muridke in the Sheikhupura District of Punjab Province, Pakistan. He cultivates wheat and basmati rice, which constitute his family’s only source of livelihood. Heavy tillage and burning of rice residues are the common practices for growing wheat in the region, resulting in the loss of soil nutrients, air pollution and poor food security and livelihoods for farmers like Gulshad.

Farmer Chand sharing his experience with Sikandar Hayat Bosan (left), Pakistan’s Federal Minister of Food Security & Research.Photo: Amina Nasim Khan
Farmer Chand sharing his experience with Sikandar Hayat Bosan (left), Pakistan’s Federal Minister of Food Security & Research.
Photo: Amina Nasim Khan

The Agricultural Innovation Program (AIP), led by CIMMYT and funded by USAID, has begun testing with Punjab farmers the Zero-Tillage Happy Seeder, which sows wheat seed with fertilizer directly into the residues of the preceding rice crop in one pass and without tillage. “This practice offers a more sustainable and productive way to manage rice residues and raise wheat yields,” said Imtiaz Hussain, CIMMYT cropping systems agronomist. “It allows earlier sowing of wheat, which increases yields, and dramatically cuts the time, labor and fuel needed to plant wheat, which normally requires as many as seven tractor passes. Because the rice residues decompose on the soil rather than being burned, there is less pollution.”

In Sheikhupura District and in partnership with Engro EXIMP AgriProducts Private Limited, CIMMYT has promoted the seeder with 13 progressive farmers, including Nabi, who also received technical training in its use and in conservation agriculture practices and benefits.

After the training, Nabi used the seeder to sow wheat on just over three hectares without burning rice residues and saving more than 260 liters of diesel. At the Pakistan Agriculture Conference and Expo in Islamabad, Nabi described his experience to Mr. Sikandar Hayat Bosan, Federal Minister of Food Security & Research. “CIMMYT helped me improve my farming practices. The crop growth is great. Planting wheat with the Zero Tillage Happy Seeder is a new experience – a very modern practice that saves my time and resources,” said Nabi.

CIMMYT showcases advances in agricultural technology and development in Pakistan

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Mr. Sikandar Hayat Bosan (left), Federal Minister of Food Security & Research, and Mr. Gregory Gottlieb (red tie), Director for USAID Pakistan, visited the stand and talked to Imtiaz Muhammad (far right), CIMMYT Country Representative in Pakistan, and AIP component leads about their programs.Photos: Amina Nasim Khan
Mr. Sikandar Hayat Bosan (left), Federal Minister of Food Security & Research, and Mr. Gregory Gottlieb (red tie), Director for USAID Pakistan, visited the stand and talked to Imtiaz Muhammad (far right), CIMMYT Country Representative in Pakistan, and AIP component leads about their programs.
Photos: Amina Nasim Khan

The Agricultural Innovation Program (AIP), led by CIMMYT and funded by USAID, presented the latest advances in agricultural technology and provided a platform for local industry to explore innovative technologies, products and services at the Pakistan Agriculture Conference and Expo 2015 in Islamabad.

The main attractions were the Zero-Tillage Happy Seeder, durum wheat, biofortified maize, goats bred through artificial insemination, alternate wetting and drying in rice, rice storage in hermetic bags and protected vegetable cultivation models. The AIP exhibit attracted many visitors including farmers, policymakers, agriculture experts and scientists from both public- and private-sector organizations, opening new avenues for AIP to connect with target groups and explore agricultural opportunities in Pakistan.

Imtiaz Muhammad, CIMMYT Country Representative, Pakistan, at the AIP-maize component display.
Imtiaz Muhammad, CIMMYT Country Representative, Pakistan, at the AIP-maize component display.

IICA-CIMMYT agreement to strengthen Latin American agriculture

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The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and CIMMYT laid the groundwork for strengthened, joint research-for-development in Latin America, signing a new Cooperation Framework Agreement at CIMMYT’s offices in El Batán on 17 March.

“This agreement allows both organizations to reach more people and carry out more effective projects,” said Marianne Bänziger, CIMMYT’s Deputy Director General for Research and Partnerships. “We’re all working to increase food security and profitability, while reducing migration and building capacity in farmers and extension workers.”

Bänziger extended special thanks to Dr. Victor M. Villalobos, Director General of IICA, who played a crucial role in the creation of the Sustainable Modernization of Traditional Agriculture (MasAgro) program in Mexico, with the help of the Mexican government.

Marianne Bänziger, CIMMYT’s Deputy Director General for Research and Partnership; Gloria Abraham Peralta, Mexico’s IICA Representative; and Bram Govaerts, leader of MasAgro, at the signing of the Cooperation Framework Agreement. Photo: Clyde Beaver III/CIMMYT
Marianne Bänziger, CIMMYT’s Deputy Director General for Research and Partnership; Gloria Abraham Peralta, Mexico’s IICA Representative; and Bram Govaerts, leader of MasAgro, at the signing of the Cooperation Framework Agreement.
Photo: Clyde Beaver III/CIMMYT

During the signing ceremony, Gloria Abraham Peralta, Mexico’s IICA Representative, said the agreement addresses the challenge of doubling food production in the next 30 years and mitigating climate change effects. “The implementation and appropriate use of agricultural technology must rely on an efficient transfer of knowledge to farmers,” said Abraham, who is from Costa Rica. “Taking such preventive measures will strengthen resilience should a serious new crop disease, such as wheat rust, arise again.”

A meeting to create a common work agenda followed the signing, with a focus on capacity building, strengthened extension networks, joint design of information technologies and expert exchange, among others areas of relevance.

The Cooperation Framework Agreement is seen as setting the stage for additional, wide-reaching CIMMYT-IICA initiatives in the future.

BISA and CIMMYT-India join in Agricultural Science Fair

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India staff members (L-R) Anuradha Dhar, Meenakshi Chandiramani, Anu Raswant and Kailash Kalvaniya at the exhibit stall in the Mela at IARI, Pusa Campus.Photo: BISA/CIMMYT
India staff members (L-R) Anuradha Dhar, Meenakshi Chandiramani, Anu Raswant and Kailash Kalvaniya at the exhibit stall in the Mela at IARI, Pusa Campus.
Photo: BISA/CIMMYT

 

The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) organized the Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela (Agriculture Science Fair) during 10-12 March. Initiated in 1972, the Mela is an important annual event for IARI to raise awareness about agricultural technological developments and for receiving feedback from farming communities. The Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) and CIMMYT India mounted an exhibit on their work and staff discussed farming practices and mechanization with several farmers and scientific community members, as well as handing out printed materials to visitors.

Climate-smart agriculture to combat global warming

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Agriculture has the potential to be “part of the solution to reduce the impact of climate change,” according to Dr. R.S. Paroda, Chairman of the Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences, who was one of nearly 100 participants at a launching and planning workshop for Flagship Projects on climate-smart agriculture of the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security (CCAFS). Held on 24-25 February in New Delhi, the event was jointly organized by CIMMYT and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), with participants from Bangladesh, India, Nepal and other partnering countries.

Dr. Ayyappan, Secy DARE & DG, ICAR, felicitating the launch. Photos: CIMMYT-India.
Dr. Ayyappan, Secy DARE & DG, ICAR, felicitating the launch. Photos: CIMMYT-India.

In the fight against climate change, agriculture is both a perpetrator and a victim. Modern agriculture, food production and distribution are major contributors of greenhouse gases, generating about one-quarter of global emissions. Climate-smart agriculture addresses the interlinked challenges of food security and climate change by sustainably increasing agricultural productivity, building resilience in food-production systems and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture.

The workshop began with a presentation of CCAFS Flagship Project Portfolios, followed by group discussions on associated farming practices, policy, frameworks and recommendations on partnering with governments and other organizations. Clare Stirling, Senior Scientist with the Global Conservation Agriculture Program at CIMMYT, cited the Center’s success in developing climate-smart villages in India and identified improved access to weather information, crop insurance and technology uptake by farmers as key focus areas.

Innovative business models and open innovation platforms for scaling project outputs across diverse agro-ecosystems were also defined. Md. Jalal Uddin of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute proposed integrating mitigation and adaption measures like the promotion of renewable energy, environment management systems, climate change trusts and resilience funds with CCAFS initiatives.

Key stakeholders for CCAFS flagship projects pose for a photo.
Key stakeholders for CCAFS flagship projects pose for a photo.

A final session on synergies and convergence opportunities covered topics such as contingency crop plans, weather-based index insurance and resilient technologies, all of which can be implemented in climate-smart villages. CIMMYT scientists P.H. Zaidi, Senior Maize Physiologist and Mahesh Gathala, Scientist and Cropping Systems Agronomist, outlined CIMMYT initiatives that support climate-smart agriculture, such as long-standing research on stress-resilient maize and sustainable cropping systems. Kaushik Majumdar, Director of the South Asia Program at the International Plant Nutrition Institute, and M.L. Jat, Senior Scientist with CIMMYT’s Global Conservation Agriculture Program, discussed initiatives to develop and disseminate climate-smart nutrient management tools and techniques for smallholder farming.

“The CCAFS workshop set the stage for all CGIAR institutions to collaborate and make climate-smart agriculture a reality,” said Jat.

World Water Day

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Celebrate World Water Day

Water plays a vital role in irrigation and food production, accounting for 70 percent of global freshwater withdrawals, according to U.N. Water. Additionally, statistics show that water consumption for agricultural use is projected to increase by about 20 percent by 2050.

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Global efforts to protectively boost sustainable water use are reflected in proposed global anti-poverty development goals due to replace the current U.N. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which expire at the end of 2015.
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The inclusion of water in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to “ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all” will mark a significant shift from the current development framework, which only included water as a subordinate target within the environment MDG 7.

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World Water Day, which falls on March 22, offers an opportunity to celebrate the role this indispensable resource plays in agricultural production, food security and distribution. At the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) we asked members of our online community to share pictures illustrating some of the ways they use water.

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Center pivot crop irrigation system conserves water

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Photo credit: CIMMYT/Alfonso Cortes
This picture by Alfonso Cortes shows a center pivot irrigation system in Ciudad Constitución, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Photo credit: CIMMYT/Alfonso Cortes

The Center Pivot System saves a significant amount of water while allowing the measured distribution of a precise amount to plants.

This maize crop has been cultivated using conservation agriculture techniques.

Through conservation agriculture, scientists aim to improve rural incomes and livelihoods through sustainable management of agro-ecosystem productivity and diversity, while minimizing unfavorable environmental impacts.

Conservation agriculture minimizes unfavorable environmental impacts

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Photo credit: CIMMYT/Alfonso Cortes
Photo credit: CIMMYT/Alfonso Cortes

Bram Govaerts, associate director of the Global Conservation Agriculture Program at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) demonstrates to collaborators how straw retains water by avoiding surface runoff at an experimental station.

Govaerts stands on the right, while a man to the left uses a stopwatch to observe how much time passes before the water begins to run.

The project is part of MasAgro, a program focused on the sustainable modernization of agriculture in Mexico. Through conservation agriculture, scientists aim to improve rural incomes and livelihoods through sustainable management of agro-ecosystem productivity and diversity, while minimizing unfavorable environmental impacts.

Farmer interventions in water distribution have profound impact

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Photo credit: CIMMYT/Alfonso Cortes
Children from Hidalgo, Mexico, help water run over the furrows of a field where conservation agriculture is practiced. Photo credit: CIMMYT/Alfonso Cortes

Through conservation agriculture, scientists aim to improve rural incomes and livelihoods through sustainable management of agro-ecosystem productivity and diversity, while minimizing unfavorable environmental impacts.

 

Water program targeting smallholders sustains food insecure households

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By CARE
By CARE

Water plays a major role in smallholder farmer crop production, and CARE International’s Graduation with Resilience to Achieve Sustainable Development (GRAD) program aims to sustain food security for food insecure households in rural Ethiopia.

In this picture from CARE taken by Josh Estey, shows Desta Seba, 28, and his wife Hana Eliyas, 25. They have four children. The family farms 1 hectare (2.5 acres) of land, cultivating bananas, chat, coffee, haricot bean, inset, maize and teff.

They have three goats, eight chickens and four cows. They only eat meat once a year. Before GRAD the family would eat two meals a day consisting of inset and maize. Through GRAD they have been able to save money for the first time in their lives and they can now buy such essential items for their family as salt, soap and baby food.

GRAD aims to graduate 50,000 thousand food insecure households from the Ethiopian government’s productive safety net in 16 targeted woredas (villages) and increase each household income by $365 dollars a year.

For more information, follow CARE on Twitter @CAREintuk