Food insecurity is a persistent problem in Sindh, a province in Pakistan slightly smaller than Tajikistan and home to 42.5 million residents. Almost three-quarters of the population are subject to regular food shortages due to the stagnation of staple food production and pressures caused by a doubling of the population since 1999.

In an effort to address the food security challenges in the area, CIMMYT held a one-day workshop as part of the Agricultural Innovation Program (AIP) for Pakistan on 26 August in collaboration with the Wheat Research Institute and the Sakrand, Sindh and Pakistan Agricultural Research Council. More than 40 representatives vital to the wheat-seed value chain – including researchers, extension representatives, seed companies and the seed regulatory body of Pakistan – gathered in Hyderabad to analyze ways to transform wheat seed systems in the province.

The workshop was instrumental in revealing major opportunities and limitations across the entire spectrum of wheat seed systems, from breeding and releasing wheat varieties along with popularization and demand creation, to generating profitable and sustainable seed businesses.

On-farm evaluation of newly released varieties, Benazir 2013 and NARC 2011, indicated yield potentials 15 to 20 percent higher than existing varieties. If such varieties are made available and accepted throughout the region, food security could improve considerably due the varieties’ higher yield potential and rust resistance capability – traits critical to sustaining wheat productivity gains in Sindh.

According to the Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department (FSC&RD), only 31 percent of wheat seeds in Sindh are supplied by the commercial sector – public and privately owned seed companies – while 69 percent come from farmer-saved seeds.

Certified wheat seeds used in Sindh that are transported from Punjab province are not officially recognized in Sindh. If the unofficial transactions facilitating the flow of wheat seeds from Punjab are considered, this may indicate that wheat-seed systems in Sindh are fully functional and healthy.

However, this new batch of wheat varieties is not currently in the commercial seed production chain, so the average age of wheat varieties in Sindh indicates an unhealthy seed system. This is also illustrated by the predominance of the 10-year- old wheat variety TD 1 (Figure 1), the fact that wheat cultivars in the seed supply are, on average, 18 years old, and that two out of five varieties are more than 25 years old (Figure 1; Tj-83 and Sarsabz-89).

The Major Gap

The workshop identified a lack of coordinated efforts among those involved in the wheat-seed value chain to popularize new varieties as a significant weakness in Sindh. Weak coordination and linkages among research, extension, seed companies, the seed regulatory body and farmers has resulted in a very slow popularization of new varieties.

Many wheat varieties released in recent years have yet to reach farmers. This may be in part because the Sindh government’s Department of Agricultural Extension does not appear to have specific activities devoted to the publicity of new seed varieties.

More than 90 percent of certified wheat seeds in Sindh are supplied by private seed companies, which tend to focus on selling a few common wheat varieties with the highest market demand.

Deployment of new varieties in seed systems is slow also due to limited land and financial resources of research organizations. The lack of a regulatory framework allowing private seed companies to produce pre-basic and basic seeds is also a factor limiting the supply of adequate seeds.

Private seed companies said they recognized there is a lack of varietal choice – including short-duration varieties – and expressed interest in being involved in wheat variety development. However, they said they are limited by a lack of technical capability, financial resources, land and capital to develop research and development capacity.

Workshop participants identified a number of actions to incorporate into the AIP work plan for the upcoming wheat season, which begins in October-November. These actions include:

• Participatory varietal selection involving small-, medium- and large-scale farmers.

• Participatory on-farm demonstrations of new varieties with involvement of all major actors of the wheat seed value chain.
• Initiation of pre-basic and basic seed production by private seed companies with support from research, extension and seed regulatory bodies.
• Provision of new seed wheat varieties to landless and smallholder farmers in Sindh.

In Asia, maize production is growing at a faster rate than any other cereal. The demand for maize has grown in response to changing consumer habits; with greater demand for meat in consumers’ diets, maize is in high demand as feed for the growing livestock sector. At the same time, there remains great opportunity to increase the area under maize production in the region, as well as tremendous opportunities for innovations in crop improvement, management and diversification.

It is in this context that the 12th Asian Maize Conference and Expert Consultation on “Maize for Food, Feed, Nutrition and Environmental Security” will be convened in Bangkok, Thailand, from 30 October to 1 November.

Organized by the Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI), CIMMYT, the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, the Thai Department of Agriculture and the CGIAR Research Program on MAIZE (MAIZE CRP), the event will bring together around 250 researchers, policy-makers, service providers, innovative farmers and representatives of various organizations from across the public and private sectors.

The objective of the conference is to assess specific priorities to enhance maize production and productivity in the region, share the latest knowledge on cutting-edge maize technologies and generate awareness among institutions and stakeholders toward the better use of maize as a food, feed and an industrial crop in Asia.

These discussions will lead to an innovative and impact-oriented regional strategy for accelerated adoption of resilient technologies, market opportunities, networks, investment priorities and policy guidelines.

The Third Circular is available on the MAIZE CRP website. Registration forms, also available with the Third Circular, are accepted until 1 October.

During the training courses for MasAgro Network seed producers given in 2014, surveys were conducted to determine their training needs in 2015. CIMMYT seed systems experts who visited seed production facilities and fields also identified gaps in the capacities of small, medium and large seed producers in Mexico.

They found that the genetic and physical quality of the seed produced by the different seed companies varies, even among seed of the same hybrid. Some companies do not conduct quality analyses before marketing the seed, while others have quality laboratories but lack adequately trained staff.

To help bridge this gap among seed companies and standardize the methods used for analyzing maize seed quality, a Maize Seed Quality Analysis Workshop based on the protocols of the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) was held at CIMMYT Headquarters from 22-24 July. Organized by CIMMYT in collaboration with Mexico’s Seed Inspection and Certification Service (SNICS), the workshop was led by staff from the Central Reference Laboratory, which is certified by ISTA.

During the workshop, 48 Mexican seed company representatives and CIMMYT technicians updated their knowledge of the methods used for sampling maize seed plots, analyzing physical purity, and conducting germination and biochemical (tetrazolium) viability tests. The acquired hands-on experience will allow seed companies that conduct seed analyses to refine their methods, and those that don’t, to incorporate them into the production process.

A field day was held on 4 September at CIMMYT’s Toluca experiment station to give CIMMYT scientists the opportunity to explain their program objectives and research activities to colleagues who may not have been familiar with their work. Dr. Sanjaya Rajaram, 2014 World Food Prize recipient, and several retired CIMMYT employees who had worked with him also attended. Over 100 current and former staff members attended, with one group receiving presentations in English and the other in Spanish.

The day began with a welcome from Hans Braun, director of the Global Wheat Program (GWP), after which the visitors headed out to the fields where GWP’s David Bonnet and Masahiro Kishi presented the work they are doing with hybrids and wide crosses. The term “wide cross” refers to the practice of crossing modern plant varieties with wild plant relatives, in order to create new varieties with desired characteristics.

A presentation on durum and triticale was given by Karim Ammar, GWP wheat breeder, who explained the importance of the Toluca experiment station, where the last visual check of plants occurs before going to field trial. Carlos Guzman, a post-doctoral fellow at CIMMYT in GWP’s Wheat Quality Laboratory, presented on the different varieties of wheat, their properties and the resulting products. At the end of the presentation, samples of bread and cookies created using CIMMYT wheat were given to participants.

The activities of the Seeds of Discovery (SeeD) project were presented by Sukhwinder Singh, wheat lead for SeeD, and Carolina Saint Pierre, genetic resources (wheat) phenotyping coordinator for SeeD. They explained their work on phenotyping, which involves screening seeds for different accessions, diseases and properties. Pavan Singh, wheat rust pathologist and molecular breeder in the GWP and head of pathology, discussed the various diseases that challenge wheat production today and their locations.

Ravi Singh, wheat breeder in GWP’s Bread Wheat Improvement and Rust, led the presentation on bread wheat, highlighting the fact that 95 percent of wheat farmers grow bread wheat on over 220 million hectares of the world’s farmland. Afterwards, Maria Tattaris, post-doctoral researcher, Mariano Cossani and Gemma Molero, associate scientists, presented on the Wheat Physiology Program and distributed the program’s most recent publications to the visitors.

Michael Mulvaney of the Global Conservation Agriculture (CA) Program (GCAP) presented on the three main principles of CA – minimal tillage, keeping soil covered with organic matter and rotation. He also discussed the economic and ecological benefits farmers can gain from adopting these practices. Lastly, staff members of the Maize Genetic Resources Center spoke on their activities and gave a manual pollination demonstration.

After the presentations, the visiting staff members returned to the Toluca station for a delicious lunch of carne asada and esquites provided by Toluca superintendent Fernando Delgado and his staff. Dr. Rajaram gave a speech during the luncheon, and invited the retired CIMMYT employees in attendance to stand with him as he spoke on CIMMYT’s past and his hopes for its future. “CIMMYT’s greatest strength is its human resources,” he said, and thanked them for their contributions to the Center.

MAIZE CRP has announced its third call for proposals as part of the Competitive Grants Initiative (CGI). The call is directed at researchers from outside CGIAR, allowing a greater variety of research partners worldwide to apply for funds to support research and capacity-building activities that will make a significant contribution to the MAIZE vision of success.

The full call for proposals is available on www.MAIZE.org and the deadline for applications is 17 October. Please share this news with your networks!

Last year, 17 institutions were offered grants, which can range between US$20,000-300,000; The total number of grants awarded to date is 37. For 2014, 11 specific research gaps have been identified within the MAIZE strategy of five Flagship Projects: sustainable intensification of farming systems; new tools and traits for breeding; stress-resilient and nutritious maize; stronger maize seed systems; and more inclusive and profitable maize futures.

Along with the Competitive Partner Grants initiative of the WHEAT CRP, these are the only model of such collaboration among the CRPs. By building a greater variety of partnerships, MAIZE hopes to capture a wider range of innovative ideas and skills, more capable to identify and respond to emerging challenges and maximize the potential for research to improve food systems and the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.

Future updates and news of the Competitive Grants Initiative will be shared in the MAIZE newsletter. For any further questions, please contact MAIZE Program Administrator Claudia Velasco (c.velasco@cgiar.org).

M.L. Jat, senior cropping system agronomist in the Global Conservation Agriculture Program at CIMMYT, in collaboration with Hirak Banerjee, Rupak Goswami, Somsubhra Chakraborty, Sudarshan Duttac, Kaushik Majumdar , T. Satyanarayana and Shamie Zingore, recently published a study examining the socio-economic determinants of yield gap in maize. The study, “Understanding biophysical and socio-economic determinants of maize (Zea mays L.) yield variability in eastern India” was published in the NJAS – Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences and was made possible by a grant from the Maize CRP. The term “yield gap” refers to “the difference between actual yields and potential yield,” potential yield being “the maximum yield that can be achieved in a given agro-ecological zone.” The purpose of the study was to investigate the key factors limiting maize productivity in two districts in each of the Indian states of West Bengal, Malda and Bankura, in order to develop effective crop and nutrient management strategies to reduce yield gap in the region.

The study compared the maize yield and socio-economic situation of farmers in the region and found that factors such as the caste or ethnic origin of farmers, availability of family labor, land ownership, use of legumes in cropping sequence, irrigation constraints, type of seed used, optimal plant population, labor and capital investment and use of organic manure had strong correlations to the maize yields farmers were able to achieve. The authors of the study hope that this information can facilitate the development and introduction of appropriate typology-specific crop management practices, in accordance with the needs of farmers and the socio-economic factors affecting their productivity, which could help to increase maize yields and reduce the yield gap for the region’s farmers.

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Overview of CGIAR Development Dialogues

The inaugural CGIAR Development Dialogues will focus attention on the vital role of agriculture, forestry, fisheries, landscapes and food systems in achieving sustainable development. The one-day event will be held at the Faculty House of Columbia University in New York City on 25 September. A by-invitation-only audience of some 300 will attend. Thousands more will be included online through live webcasting and social media channels.

Background

2014 marks an historic opportunity to communicate the importance of research on sustainable agriculture to stakeholders involved in the climate change and development policy processes. In Paris in December 2015, the 21^st Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP 21) will seek to agree on a successor to the Kyoto Protocol. In September of the same year, the UN hopes to forge a consensus and agreement on the creation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and accompanying targets, in what UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has termed the post-2015 development framework and agenda. These two processes will help define the global development path of donors, civil society and policymakers in coming decades. Shaping, delivering and monitoring the targets set by these agreements will require not only new funding commitments but also the latest knowledge and innovations from the global research and academic community, in partnership with governments, civil society and the private sector.

Why CGIAR Development Dialogues?

The Dialogues present an opportunity to shape research and development for tomorrow’s food systems, landscapes and rural economy. The Dialogues are designed to influence policy and leverage the attention of world leaders, scientists, donors, media, civil society, the private sector, community groups and SDG negotiators on the vital role that agriculture, forestry, fisheries, landscapes and food systems play in sustainable development. The event offers an opportunity to forge a link between the experience of CGIAR, the Centers and CRPs and the implementation and achievement of the emerging SDGs. The event will take place in conjunction with the most important conversations on global development in recent years and will leverage the presence of key players at concurrent events.

Dialogue objectives:

• Demonstrate the fundamental role of agriculture, forestry, fisheries, landscapes and food systems for achieving each of the emerging SDGs.
• Highlight key areas of opportunities, including: improving livelihood opportunities for poor rural people; reducing risks in long-term food supply; improving nutrition; enhancing efficiency in food systems and renewable products’ value chains; investing in sustainable landscapes; conserving and wisely using biodiversity; and meeting the challenges of climate change.
• Point to important gaps in knowledge and the need for public and private investments in research, outreach and capacity development.

Intended outcomes

• Improved clarity for key decision makers on the importance of agriculture, forestry and fisheries landscapes and food systems in achieving the SDGs and climate agenda.
• Raised profile for food systems and landscapes as cross-cutting issues.
• Identification of research gaps to achieve the SDGs and targets under the climate agreement.
• Commitments to investments in research and capacity development.
• Strengthened partnerships with CGIAR.
• Identification of key recommendations for further discussion and debate, to be delivered to the UNGA. 

Panel

CIMMYT and the WHEAT and MAIZE CRPs were asked to develop one of the eight panels that will take place at the Development Dialogues. Other Centers and CRPs (IRRI, ILRI, ICRISAT, the Roots, Tubers and Bananas CRP) were also invited to help develop the panel. The topic that we are developing for the event is “Global food security for 9.6 billion people in 2050: What does agricultural research (including breeding for major crops) have to do with it?”

Panel summary

After identifying key by-2050 food security and rural development challenges related to major crop farming systems, the panelists will discuss how crop production and agricultural productivity can address those challenges and translate them into agricultural research priorities. Panelists will outline the role of publicly funded international agricultural research and that of the private sector research and development in addressing those priorities. Finally, the panelists will discuss where the funding should, or could come from.

Among the key points that will be made during the panel discussion:

• Crop productivity increases (breeding and agronomy) currently do not keep pace with demand. This will lead to further food price increases.
• Food price increases will delay efforts to reduce poverty, perpetuate malnutrition and be an incentive for further deforestation.
• Demand for food will increase fastest in low- and middle-income countries.
• Most production increases will need to come from the developing world where climate change impacts will also be the greatest.
• Today’s investment in international agricultural research will determine technologies and know-how available to farmers in coming decades.

Panelists/Key Areas of Discussion

Raj Kumar, the president and editor-in-chief of Devex, will serve as the panel’s moderator. Dave Watson, manager of the MAIZE CRP, will lead the panel. Other panelists include: Timothy D. Searchinger, research scholar at the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University and senior fellow at the World Resources Institute; Rhoda Peace Tumusiime, African Union commissioner of Agriculture & Rural Development; and Natalie Rosenbloom, vice president of Sustainability & Signature Partnerships at Monsanto Corporation. Ashok Gulati, chair/professor of agriculture at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations was also scheduled to be a panelist, but was just asked to serve on an Indian national commission that will be meeting at the same time. A substitute panelist may be added in the near-term.

ML Jat, Tripti Agarwal, Surabhi Mittal

The CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) management team lead by Bruce Campbell, Director, CCAFS, visited CIMMYT-CCAFS action sites in India during 23-28 August. The primary objectives of this visit were to see the conceptual framework of Climate Smart Villages (CSVs) in action, the innovative partnerships and policy-level influence for developing and scaling-up climate-smart agriculture in India to replicate the CSVs in other regions of the world. During the visit, an interface was organized for the current and future collaborative work in India between the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and CCAFS. Informed about CCAFS’ progress, the team headed for CSVs managed by CIMMYT in Karnal, Haryana on 25-26 August.

There are 27 CSVs; to initiate knowledge sharing, the team traveled to Anjanthali, Beernarayana and Taraori as well as other research sites. The team was welcomed with garlands to honor their work facilitating farmers’ actions to address climate change and enhance productivity. Interactive discussions with the team, scientists, farmers and partners occurred throughout the trip. A brief was presented on CSVs in Haryana and the climate-smart agricultural practices (CSAPs) being undertaken, both technological and mechanical. Farmers illustrated the laser levelers, turbo seeders and precision nutrient management. Moreover, they emphasized the importance of information and communications technologies (ICTs), which enable them to receive advance rainfall predictions.

In a stakeholder consultation involving CSV committee members, farmer cooperatives, national system partners and others, farmers described their experiences and benefits gained by adopting climate-smart technologies and practices. They also emphasized how farmer-to-farmer networking is helping in scaling-out this information. In a message from the State Department of Agriculture, Dr. Suresh Gehlawat, additional director, Haryana, validated the statement made by farmers based on his constant interaction with farmers and scientists to up-scale the activities and strengthen linkages. Dr. DK Sharma, director of the Central Soil Salinity Research Institute (CCSRI) at Karnal, explained CCSRI’s work in collaboration with the National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture in India (NICRA) and CCFAS. CSSRI is developing salinity-tolerant varieties of basmati that can adapt to water reclamation. He also praised the CSV concept, and proposed that the techniques used by CSSRI can be linked with CSVs for better results.

Dr. Ishwar Singh, of CCS Haryana Agricultural University, applauded CIMMYT’s efforts to establish a capacity development platform for Ph.D. research students, who are conducting their research and also gaining practical knowledge and exposure. Campbell addressed the gathering, stating that the farming community plays a significant role in adapting to climate change and creating overall impact. He stated that–next to farmers–the most important part of the network is partnership with policymakers, and only then is the role of scientists accomplished.

John Recha, of the International Livestock Research Institute in Africa, was impressed with the efforts made by CSVs, and stated his intention to take information about the CSV model to his country; he hoped that farmers there can also reap the benefits of technological adoption and working in a collaborative model. Exchanging comments on climate change adaptation and its benefits, stakeholders expressed mutual satisfaction regarding commitments made for a sustainable future.

Work done on greenhouse gas (GHG) emission measurements under ICAR-CCAFS collaboration was explained by Dr. PC Sharma, Dr. HS Jat and Dr. Tek Sapkota, who described the CSSRI-CSISA platform. Dr. RC Upadhyay and Dr. AK Srivastava, director, National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Karnal discussed studies carried out on livestock, such as methane measurement, adaptation screening and other climate change facilities under the NICRA project, as a further scope of expansion under CCAFS. Next, a tree planting activity was conducted, symbolizing a greener future.

In a session organized by NDRI, Campbell made a presentation on challenges and opportunities in climate change, agriculture and food security. Adding to this, Dr. Philip Thornton, flagship 4 leader, CCAFS-ILRI, presented “Is the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report telling us anything new about livestock, climate change and food security?” In the open discussion, participants congratulated the team and asked about future action plans. Later, NDRI and the team formed a common platform to work in collaboration on a larger scale to address common issues.

To review the work on ICTs, the team visited Anjanthali to interact with women who are connected to M(obile)solution-CCAFS. Dr. Surabhi Mittal, a CIMMYT agricultural economist, Mr. Kamaljeet and Kisan Sanchar explained how messages are being delivered and how their efficient usage is ensured through proper monitoring software. Over 50 women participants presented their views in an interactive session, where they emphasized how access to information about climate-smart agriculture, weather information and conservation agriculture has enhanced their participation in household decision-making. Deissy Martínez Baron of the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) interacted with women farmers and expressed the support the management team has for efforts made by farmers. Dr. M.L. Jat, CIMMYT-CCAFS South Asia coordinator, along with his colleagues and team, walked through the village of Taraori to witness the participatory strategic research on CSAPs and GHG measurements being taken. Dr. P.K. Aggarwal, regional program leader, South Asia International Water Management Institute (IWMI), monitored the visit and gave vital input.

After completing their visit, several members of the team sent complimentary emails. Campbell, in an email to the CCAFS contact point at CIMMYT, stated: “Just completed a great trip to India and some of the field sites. Especially had a great time with the CIMMYT team of ML, Surabhi, Tek and Jeetendra, amongst many others including the large numbers of students, partners and farmers. The work they are all doing is very impressive [in Karnal]. Very collaborative as well.” John Recha, participatory action research specialist, East Africa, said in an email, “I gained a lot of information from your team that I will implement in East Africa” and also noted that the communication materials will be used as resources, including the CSV profile, local language farm budget maintainence booklet and brochures developed by CIMMYT-IWMI. Leocadio Sebastian, regional program leader for CCAFS-Southeast Asia said in an email to Dr. P.K. Joshi, International Food Policy Research Institute, “I was also delighted to interact with you, Pramod and ML. I think we have lots to learn from your team in South Asia and I hope that bringing the Southeast Asia (SEA) team will help us jumpstart our work in SEA.  The challenge to learn fast is with us and the South Asia team has set a very good model.” Also Andrew Jarvis, theme leader flagship 1 of CCAFs, wrote in an email to Dr. Jat, “I was seriously impressed with what I saw, and must say that you are doing a real dynamo job with the climate smart villages. It only reinforced the importance of you leading our FP1 projects in South Asia.”

The well-organized and appropriately precise visit enabled the stakeholders to demonstrate their commitment and future goals toward climate smart agriculture. The cross-world exchange of experiences and mutual learning strengthened the building blocks for scaling-up and scaling-out a concept for a better and more sustainable future of agriculture.

It is estimated that nearly one in three people in the United States are living a “gluten-free” lifestyle (New Scientist, July 2014). This diet trend has been supported and encouraged by celebrities, athletes and influential people around the world. In the past five years there has been an epidemic of self-diagnosed gluten intolerance. Many are claiming gluten is a toxic addictive that causes bloating, various mental disorders, stomach pains, headaches and lethargy.

Gluten intolerance can be the result of a multitude of disorders, including coeliac disease. According to Coeliac.org , “Coeliac disease is caused by a reaction of the immune system to gluten – a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. When someone with coeliac disease eats gluten, their immune system reacts by damaging the lining of the small intestine.” Cutting out gluten means cutting out one of the primary food groups. Many gluten-free foods sold in stores are short on fiber and have higher sugar content, often making these products less healthy for non-gluten-intolerant consumers.
Only about one percent of the United States population suffers from coeliac disease, so why is one-third of the population going gluten-free and swearing off wheat even after the health risks? Non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) may be the cause. Many are claiming NCGS as a result of having no immune reaction to gluten but still experiencing bloating and stomach pain that went away after adopting a gluten-free diet.  Small studies have been conducted, and it appeared that NCGS is legitimate. Peter Gibson of the Alfred Hospital and Monash in Melbourne, Australia, was one of the first to study the effects of gluten with randomized tests. Even after his first test came back positive, showing that the participants who ate gluten were experiencing abdominal pains and lethargy, Gibson was not convinced (New Scientist, 2014.)

“The trouble is that wheat has more than just gluten in it,” said Gibson (New Scientist, 2014). What Gibson discovered was gluten in wheat was not causing the illnesses. Results pointed to the fermentable oligo-di-monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAPs) found in wheat, which are also present in many fruits, vegetables and dairy products (The Guardian, 2014).

CIMMYT is running an online campaign to dispel myths about wheat, as well as raise awareness about the importance of wheat in the world. For more information visit the Wheat Matters website, and join in on the #WheatMatters conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Anu Dhar, Cynthia Mathys, Jennifer Johnson

Staff members of the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) are developing and implementing projects aimed at improving agricultural production and standards of living for farmers in South Asia, with excellent results. At their “Seed Summit for Enhancing the Seed Supply Chain in Eastern India” meeting in Patna, Bihar on 14-15 May they worked to design solutions to improve the delivery of high-yielding seed varieties in eastern India, a region that has traditionally suffered from lack of access to these varieties and low seed replacement rates. The meeting, which included over 60 seed experts from the government, research and private sectors, focused on topics such as better-targeted subsidies on seeds, improved storage infrastructure and stronger extension systems to increase accessibility and adoption of improved seed varieties.

The roundtable “Sustainable Intensification in South Asia’s Cereal Systems: Investment Strategies for Productivity Growth, Resource Conservation, and Climate Risk Management” was held on 19 May in New Delhi. It brought together 20 firms and entrepreneurs to build collaborative action plans and joint investment strategies under CSISA to identify new product tie-ins, joint ventures, technical collaborations and shared marketing channels in order to bring high-tech farming ideas to India’s risk-prone ecologies.

In India, CSISA seeks to increase crop yields through the provision of more accurate, location-specific fertilizer recommendations to maize and rice farmers with the “Crop Manager” decision-making tool. The web-based and mobile Android application uses information provided by farmers including field location, planting method, seed variety, typical yields and method of harvesting to create a personalized fertilizer application recommendation at critical crop growth stages to increase yield and profit.

CSISA-Nepal has initiated a series of participatory research trials in farmers’ fields, in order to promote maize triple cropping, the practice of planting maize during the spring period after winter crop harvesting, when fields would usually be fallow. The practice, while proven to be highly remunerative, is not widely popular. The trials seek to determine optimum management practices for maize in order to encourage triple cropping and to generate additional income for farmers.

Greater gender equality in agriculture is also an important goal of CSISA, supported through the creation of Kisan Sakhi, a support group to empower women farmers in Bihar, India by “disseminating new climate-resilient and sustainable farming technologies and practices that will reduce women’s drudgery and bridge the gender gap in agriculture.” A CSISA-Bangladesh project has already had a positive impact on the lives of rural women, providing new farming and pond management techniques that have helped them to greatly increase the productivity of their fish ponds and gain new respect within their families and communities.

CIMMYT, in collaboration with Wheat Research Institute Sindh (WRIS) and Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) supported by USAID, initiated pilot testing of a multi-crop bed planter for planting cotton and wheat in a cotton-wheat cropping system in Sakrand, Pakistan under the Agricultural Innovation Program (AIP) for Pakistan.

Dr. Imtiaz Hussain, cropping systems agronomist, explained how the multi-crop bed planter is used for planting various crops such as cotton, maize, pulses, rice and wheat on raised beds. This planter will help farmers cut farming operations and costs. It can be used to make beds, plant crop and apply fertilizer in one operation in a cotton-wheat cropping system.

A field day was organized by WRIS on 27 August for the stakeholders to observe bed planted cotton, a demonstration of a bed planting operation, and discuss its use and performance. Over 150 new and aspiring farmers, agriculture extension workers, agriculture researchers and representatives from private seed companies observed the planting of mung beans using the multi-crop bed planter in the field.

Badar ud Din Khokahar, agronomist at WRIS, spoke about his experience with this new technology, noting the bed planted cotton had better germination and plant population in comparison with conventionally ridge planted cotton. The ability to apply fertilizer close to plant resulted in better crop growth.

The field day was followed by a discussion forum, where the participants expressed their interest in this new and emerging technology. During this session, farmers showed appreciation for the introduction of a multi-crop bed planter and showed their interest in using the planter for wheat crop next season. In response, Dr. Kareem Laghari, director at WRIS, recognized the efforts and cooperation of CIMMYT in the introduction of new technologies, and ensured that this technology will be transferred to the farmers for wheat and cotton planting.

Dr. Atta Somoro, director general Agriculture Research Sindh, acknowledged CIMMYT’s efforts in wheat research in the country and especially in the Sindh province. He recognized how CIMMYT’s work in the Green Revolution is highly valued. He also mentioned that the continuous inflow of germplasm and technologies from CIMMYT has helped to improve wheat productivity.

Dr. Shahid Masood, member of Plant Sciences within the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), recognized how the efforts of CIMMYT and the support of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) are very helpful in scaling up mechanized planting in this area, which will ultimately help to improve crop productivity, along with saving in water and improving fertilizer use efficiency.

Dr. Imtiaz Muhammad, country representative CIMMYT-Pakistan, informed the participants that AIP is focusing on improving the productivity of the wheat and maize through better germplasm, seed and better agronomy. The project focuses on increasing agricultural productivity and incomes in the agricultural sector across Pakistan, with more emphasis on smallholder farmers from provinces with less access to agricultural resources. This equipment will be tested and it will also be manufactured locally through this project, so that more and more farmers can benefit from these activities.

“If I have not touched ugali, I have not eaten,” said engineer Menjo Mosonik, the Bomet County official in charge of agriculture and infrastructure. The saying is from his community where ugali, a dish made from maize meal, is a staple food. This is true of many communities in Kenya, where maize is a staple food and a key ingredient in daily meals.

The maize lethal necrosis (MLN) disease, which can cause up to 100 percent yield loss on farmers’ fields, is threatening this source of food and livelihoods for many in the country. Because of this, 40 county officials, including County Executive Committee (CEC) officials who are responsible for agriculture in Kenya’s devolved government structure, visited the CIMMYT MLN Screening Facility in Naivasha, Kenya on 5 August.

The facility could hold the key to addressing this lethal disease, which was first recognized in 2011 and has affected maize cultivation in many counties. The facility is hosted by the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) center for livestock research, which is also the Regional Centre of Excellence for Dairy Research for East and Central Africa.

“We work in partnership,” said CIMMYT’s regional representative for Africa, Dr. Wilfred Mwangi, as he welcomed the CECs. “To show our commitment to overcoming MLN, CIMMYT brought our specialists from China and Mexico to help identify the disease when it was first observed in Kenya.”

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) organized the visit and is supporting training sessions on the disease in major maize growing areas. So far, they have trained 320 participants in eight counties. “We wanted policy-makers to appreciate work being done by national and international research organizations to address MLN,” said Dr. Wilson Ronno, head of crop production at FAO-Kenya. “We realized we need to inform policy-makers, as this is a very sensitive issue of food security,” said Ronno, adding, “we are putting up demonstration sites in Bomet to show farmers how to manage the disease through good agricultural practices.”

The county officials were given a guided tour of the facility by Dr. George Mahuku, CIMMYT pathologist. As he showed them around the facility, Mahuku explained the research being carried out by CIMMYT, in collaboration with KARI and partners from the public and private sectors, to screen germplasm and identify sources of resistance to MLN.

“We are screening germplasm from different places in the [East Africa] region,” said Mahuku, adding that germplasm from Mexico and the United States has also been screened at the facility. “Because this is a new disease, we are also developing protocols on how to handle the viruses and screen germplasm for resistance. These protocols will be shared with our partners through training so that we are all well-coordinated in addressing the problem,” he added.

“There is hope,” said Mahuku as he pointed at germplasm that is showing tolerance to the deadly disease. He explained that CIMMYT is going to screen the germplasm in multiple environments. “This is why we really value partnerships,” he added, emphasizing the important role partners play in the research process.

The role of extension workers in managing diseases such as MLN was discussed, as they are instrumental in disseminating information on how to manage the disease. “Management is very important and is going to play a key role in minimizing or averting the devastating effects of MLN,” said Mahuku.

“This was a learning experience. We will be able to tell farmers what we have seen,” said Purity Muritu, who is in charge of agriculture in Nakuru County. Muritu said she would also explain to farmers the importance of having a maize-free season to break the MLN cycle. The CECs suggested that county officials visit the MLN facility to be sensitized on MLN and how to manage it.