Congratulations to two CIMMYT scientists who received fellowships this month. Wheat physiologist Matthew Reynolds (pictured left) became a fellow of the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA) while wheat breeder Zhonghu He (pictured right) received a fellowship from the American Society of Agronomy (ASA). Both awards were presented earlier this month in Florida. They are based on professional achievements and are only awarded to the top 0.3 percent of each society. He, based in China, was promoted to CIMMYT distinguished scientist last year and received the CSSA fellowship in 2009. Reynolds is based in Mexico and received the ASA fellowship in 2011. âIâm honored to be given this award,â Reynolds said. âItâs nice to be recognized.â
CIMMYTâs wheat physiology unit has grown from a small team led by one scientist in Mexico to a group that now includes specialists in crop modeling, crop physiology, molecular genetics and remote sensing. Matthew Reynolds, who leads the team, has seen a significant increase in the application of plant physiology since coming to CIMMYT nearly 25 years ago. âWhen I first started,â he said, âwe worked to convince skeptical plant breeders that physiology could be useful to them.â Today, the team is widely recognized for its contributions and has produced germplasm that is being used by national agricultural research systems.
Last month, Reynolds became a 2013 fellow for the Crop Science Society of America, which is the highest recognition given by the organization. He was also invited to speak at a Bayerâs 150th anniversary science symposium, which featured a wide range of disciplines from medicine to crop research.
A United Kingdom native, Reynolds comes from a botany and crop physiology background. He first came to CIMMYT after earning a Ph.D. at Cornell University in New York. Though he had more experience working with potatoes than wheat, Reynolds said he was enticed by the opportunity that CIMMYT provided to work on âthe real and tangible problem of food security.â He sees wheat as an exciting crop to work on not only for its importance worldwide as a food source, but also because it is so widely adapted. âIt is the best suited of any major staple food crop to drier conditions,â Reynolds said. âThat makes it an important pillar for food security as we face the uncertainties of climate change.â
Reynolds splits his time between CIMMYTâs headquarters in El BatĂĄn, Mexico, in the Central Mexican Highlands, and Ciudad ObregĂłn, Sonora state. In Ciudad ObregĂłn, an irrigated desert research station in northern Mexico, Reynolds and his team conduct most of their research and advise visiting scientists and Ph.D. students. He also travels frequently to interact with partners worldwide. Collaboration and sharing knowledge are crucial to his work. Field guides and manuals on physiological breeding edited by Reynolds and colleagues have been translated into Chinese, Russian and Spanish. Reynolds also compiled and edited the book Climate Change and Crop Production.
Another recent endeavor has been to establish the Wheat Yield Network, which unites institutions worldwide working on raising the yield potential of wheat. The work is demanding and the problems arenât getting any less, Reynolds said. But he sees the job as not only intellectually stimulating but a privilege.
âItâs extremely satisfying,â he said, âto help solve real-life problems for people who really need it, through a combination of science, training, and global collaboration.â
Researchers with CIMMYTâs Global Conservation Agriculture Program (GCAP) in Ethiopia have found that use of agroforestry systems involving an indigenous tree could mitigate climate change effects in Ethiopian smallholder wheat systems. Specifically, their study showed that maximum temperatures under the canopy of Faidherbia albida, a nitrogen-fixing, acacia-like species found throughout African savannas, were constantly 4 to 5°C lower than temperatures outside the canopy.
Wheat grows under the canopy of F. albida around mid-October in Mojo area, Ethiopia.
By 2050, the maximum daily temperature in wheat-growing areas of Ethiopia is predicted to rise by 2 to 3°C. This could significantly reduce yields of wheat, a crop that accounts for 18 percent of Ethiopiaâs cereal area and nearly a fifth of its cereal production. The crop is key to the food security and incomes of smallholder farmers who grow it. CIMMYT researchers are studying the effect of scattered trees that are currently common in farmersâ field.
Under the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)-led project Trees4Food, funded by the Australian International Food Security Centre (AIFSC) and managed by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), GCAP-Ethiopia studies interactions between food crops and various indigenous trees in wheat- and maize-based systems. In the case of F. albida, there are no tradeoffs between the provision of tree products and the crop yield underneath. Research aims to come up with management practices â such as proper fertilization rates, genotypes of crops, pruning management and tillage practices â that maximize the existing synergy.
With other tree species commonly found in Ethiopian fields (such as Acacia tortilis, Cordia africana, or Croton macrostachyus), these tradeoffs are often substantial. In that case, research aims to come up with management practices that minimize competition. The project is being implemented in Ethiopia as well as Rwanda.
CIMMYT is taking the next step in bringing Afghanistan a much-needed intervention to improve wheat research and production, an official for the country said at a meeting last month. With support from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), CIMMYT-Afghanistan held the âConservation Agriculture: Concept and Applicationâ training event in Kabul from 28 to 29 October.
Photo: Rajiv Sharma/CIMMYT
Thirty-five participants from the Afghanistan Agricultural Extension Project (AAEP), the Agricultural Research Institute of Afghanistan (ARIA), CIMMYT, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Kabul University and other stakeholder organizations attended the program. Wheat accounts for 60 percent of an average Afghanâs caloric intake, but domestic wheat production falls short of the countryâs needs. This happens in part because more than half of Afghanistanâs wheat is rainfed, but rainfall is often scarce and irregular in those areas. Moreover, wheat is often the sole crop for those farmers, making them food-insecure and economically vulnerable.
âConservation agriculture is a set of practices that includes reducing or eliminating traditional tillage, keeping crop residues on the soil and using intercropping or crop rotations,â said Rajiv Sharma, senior scientist and country liaison officer for CIMMYT-Afghanistan. âIts benefits include saving resources like time, labor and fuel, as well as reducing farmersâ risk, promoting diversified cropping and more effectively capturing and retaining rainfall in the soil.â
In his inaugural speech, Mir Aminullah Haidari, deputy minister for technical affairs for Afghanistanâs Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL), congratulated CIMMYT for its work in support of the countryâs wheat research and production. Mohammad Qasem Obaidi, director of ARIA, welcomed the participants and thanked CIMMYT for organizing the training. Sharma said he hoped ARIACIMMYT would use the 2013-14 season to experiment with conservation agriculture interventions throughout Afghanistan.
Harminder Singh Sidhu, senior research engineer for CIMMYT, introduced the participants to different types of conservation machines available and used globally, which were imported by CIMMYT for the event. Attendees watched field demonstrations of two- and four-wheel zero tillage seed drills, raised bed planters and two-wheel tractors. H.S. Jat, CIMMYT agronomist, introduced conservation agriculture concepts, principles and procedures. He later helped wheat agronomists from six ARIA stations plan conservation agriculture experiments relevant to their local conditions. Participants expressed satisfaction and were excited to try new machines and new ways of conserving resources at their experiment stations and in farmersâ fields.
By Patrick Wall/CIMMYT
Those who worked with Dr. Norman Borlaug are proud to show their photos with him. In Punjab, India, farmer Charanjit Singh Gill shows a photo of his father with Borlaug during a visit in the 1960s.
See the photo blog or check out the Flickr album. Submit your own photos by emailing them to Ariel Saffer (a.saffer@cgiar.org) with the subject line âPhotos of Dr. Borlaug.â
To bolster maize exports to the European Union (EU), Peru is taking measures to ensure its grain is free from mycotoxins, according to CIMMYT maize pathologist Henry Ngugi. âThey wanted to establish a testing mechanism because they are trading maize, for which they have to meet strict European Union (EU) standards. They have a project with CIMMYT, which brings them to meâ explained Ngugi, who at the request of SENASA, the Peruvian National Agrarian Health Service, led a training course on the subject in Mexico from 21 October to 1 November.
Toxic compounds released by fungal infections in common food grains, mycotoxins spoil 25 percent of global food production, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Beyond the economic losses they cause, mycotoxins are associated with cancer, stunted growth, birth defects and, on occasion, with mass casualties. Course participants were trained to set up an affordable laboratory with all necessary safety features, and on rapid and affordable methods of analysis for aflatoxins and fumonisins in food commodities. Aflatoxin B1 is the most potent carcinogen known in nature, and fumonisins have been linked to the neural tube defect in embryo formation.
The training emphasized the use of laboratory sessions to prepare trainees to perform the analyses themselves upon returning to their home countries. Although testing for mycotoxins is an established practice in the developed world, a lack of expertise can hinder the participation of other countries in trade. The World Bank believes that EU restrictions on mycotoxins cost Africa US $670 million in lost exports each year. The potential benefits to Peruvian maize farmers and exporters are clear, but Ngugi, an expert with more than 10 years of experience in Toxic compounds released by fungal infections in common food grains, mycotoxins spoil 25 percent of global food production, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Beyond the economic losses they cause, mycotoxins are associated with cancer, stunted growth, birth defects and, on occasion, with mass casualties. Course participants were trained to set up an affordable laboratory with all necessary safety features, and on rapid and affordable methods of analysis for aflatoxins and fumonisins in food commodities. Aflatoxin B1 is the most potent carcinogen known in nature, and fumonisins have been linked to the neural tube defect in embryo formation. The training emphasized the use of laboratory sessions to prepare trainees to perform the analyses themselves upon returning to their home countries.
Photo: Thomas Lumpkin/CIMMYT
Although testing for mycotoxins is an established practice in the developed world, a lack of expertise can hinder the participation of other countries in trade. The World Bank believes that EU restrictions on mycotoxins cost Africa US $670 million in lost exports each year. The potential benefits to Peruvian maize farmers and exporters are clear, but Ngugi, an expert with more than 10 years of experience in consuming contaminated grains in the last few years,â Ngugi said. âBecause of that, this issue does not draw as much attention, but in the long run it could have a lot of consequences.â
Many Latin American staples â such as maize, nuts, chili peppers and beans â are vulnerable to mycotoxin contamination. A 2004 study conducted by the United States Department of Health (USDA) in Guatemala found that half of maize samples collected from local markets would exceed World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for fumonisin consumption if eaten regularly. âWe know the problem exists,â Ngugi said. âBut we cannot attract donor funding because if you ask people, they donât have data.â
Soilâs role in the ecosystem is the basis of food security and sustainable farming, scientists learned at a conference in China last month. More than 40 researchers from the Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences Research Institutes of Desertification Control, Agricultural Resources and Environment and Crop Research were trained on mechanization and soil health in northwest China.
The two-day course was developed and presented by Jack McHugh, cropping system agronomist for CIMMYTâs Global Conservation Agriculture Program based in China. The training provided participants with the theory behind conservation agriculture, controlled traffic farming and soil as a forgotten provider of ecosystem services. McHugh â with language support from research scientists Ma Fan and Wie Jinyin â spoke about fostering healthy soils in modern mechanized farming systems. The course was aimed to facilitate and develop a culture of conservation agriculture at the academy and raise awareness about the importance of soil for food security.
The presentations on salinity and sodicity raised the most interest among researchers because the issues are widespread in the desert farming conditions in Ningxia. The training highlighted salinity and sodicity management approaches that could be used in conjunction with current solutions common in the region. â
Thank you for giving us a wonderful training class on soil health science,â said course participant Zhao Ying, soil research scientist for the Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment. âItâs very useful for improving my theoretical knowledge of soil science, and I look forward to soil improvement methods next time.â
Next time you are on the International Livestock Research Instituteâs Addis Ababa campus, which hosts CIMMYT-Ethiopia, you can see the demonstration plot set up by the local Global Conservation Agriculture Program (GCAP) team.
The plot has four treatments for wheat and maize: conventional tillage and flat planting, conventional tillage and bed planting, conservation agriculture and flat planting and conservation agriculture and bed planting. A two-wheel tractor was used for tillage, bed shaping and planting. The plot will serve as a demonstration and training site for CIMMYT partners and visitors. The plot is the first demonstration site at the office since it was opened in 1987.
Visitors interested in seeing CIMMYT-promoted conservation agriculture technology in Ethiopia previously had to drive from Addis Ababa to the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) research stations at Ambo(120 km), Melkassa (106 km) or Debre Zeit (48 km).
The wide adoption of metal silos for grain storage by smallholder farmers in eastern and southern Africa requires the identification of policy gaps, incentives and disincentives and institutional partnerships, according to CIMMYT policy economist Jones Govereh.
Metal silos are effective long-term storage facilities, protecting grain from pests such as grain borers and maize weevils. While lauding the decision of some governments to reduce the corporate tax on farming from 30 percent to 25 percent in 2010, Govereh called on them to include galvanized metal sheets imported solely for grain storage silos under the tax exemptions in place for other agricultural imports. âFarmers are not going to realize the benefits of storage investments without proper policies in place,â Govereh said. âGovernments in the region need marketing and storage policies that support a liberalized marketing environment and avoid a maize marketing monopoly, which distorts investments in storage technologies. We also need policies that facilitate better coordination of public-private operations to avoid overlaps and conflicts.â
Govereh spoke during the regional annual review and planning meeting of the Effective Grain Storage for Sustainable Livelihoods of African Farmers (EGSP) Phase-II Project held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 20-21 August. Building on the successes of the previous phase (2008-2011), EGSP-II (2012-2016) is improving food security and reducing the vulnerability of resourcepoor farmers â particularly women farmers â in eastern and southern Africa through the dissemination of metal silos. The project is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The annual review had three main objectives: to evaluate progress, achievements and challenges; to exchange ideas, information and research outputs among CIMMYT, SDC and other key partners; and to plan for the future.
The meeting was attended by implementing partners in Kenya, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, CIMMYT project staff and SDC representatives. The meeting allowed participants to share ideas and information on implementation, raise awareness on promotion and dissemination of effective grain storage technologies and consult stakeholders on effective post-harvest technologies, policy environment and market issues. The project also held exchange visits to Kenya and Malawi for key partners. Participants shared experiences on project implementation, learned about the projectâs impact on smallholder farmersâ livelihoods and discussed challenges. Tadele Tefera, CIMMYT entomologist and project coordinator, praised national teams and partners for achieving research and dissemination targets for the year.
Jones Govereh speaks during a meeting.
Hugo De Groote, CIMMYT economist, said metal silos have a major impact on farmersâ livelihoods. Those who have not adopted the technology sell most of their maize at harvest (when prices are at their lowest because the supply is at its peak) while adopters sell much of their grain in the fifth month at higher prices, he said. Adopters stored their maize for two months longer than non-adopters and were food secure for one month longer. Vongai Kandiwa, CIMMYT gender and development specialist, noted the importance of mainstreaming gender in the project to minimize the risk of creating, maintaining or exacerbating gender gaps.
Stakeholders also reported several challenges, including an inadequate number of skilled and competent artisans with entrepreneurship skills; lack of fabrication materials; expensive materials; low awareness and knowledge of the technology; and inadequate extension services.To overcome these challenges, stakeholders agreed to boost awareness through promotional events, engage in capacity building of collaborators and strengthen the artisan network. Olaf Erenstein, director of CIMMYTâs Socioeconomics Program, thanked the implementing partners and other stakeholders for their dedication and commitment and SDC for its continued support.
DTMA project leader Tsedeke Abate takes notes as AGRA-PASS director Joseph DeVriesâ makes his presentation. Photo: Florence Sipalla/CIMMYT
The Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA) project and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) Program for Africaâs Seed Systems (PASS) formed a working group this week to address challenges in commercializing improved seed to benefit smallholder farmers. The two initiatives â funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation â will combine efforts to ensure farmers have access to improved maize seed. PASS works with seed companies while DTMA partners with research institutes and seed companies to develop and deploy drought-tolerant maize seed. âWe want to create synergies by combining efforts to reach more farmers,â said Tsedeke Abate, DTMA project leader.
Donors and research institutions invest in breeding improved seed to benefit farmers, which requires efforts by different members of the seed value chain. Research institutions, seed companies and other partners are needed to bridge the gap between researchers and farmers. This entails working with seed companies and agro-dealers to ensure they stock enough seed and have good distribution networks to reach farmers across the continent. The working group was formed during a meeting held at AGRAâs Nairobi offices on 28 October; scientists from the Tropical Legumes II project, led by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid-Tropics (ICRISAT), also attended. The organizations have similarities regarding their work, programs and funding. âWe want to learn more about this area and see how we can work together,â said Joseph DeVries, PASS director. âWe have new varieties in our seed banks; we have to get them to farmers,â he added, explaining farmers will benefit from higher-yielding, insectand drought-resistant varieties.
Commercialization challenges discussed included production of breeder and foundation seed, seed quality, unsold seed stocks, effective branding and packaging of seed and inadequate promotion of new varieties by seed companies through demonstrations. âBreeding a great variety is no guarantee of farmer adoption,â said Regina Richardson, a PASS associate program officer in charge of commercialization. Participants said demonstrations effectively raise farmersâ awareness of new varieties but are expensive to host. âIâm proud to say that we have touched the lives of researchers and farmers,â Abate said. âWe have released over 140 maize varieties that have a yield advantage of 20 to 30 percent over the farmersâ traditional varieties. Many of the products coming out of the DTMA breeding pipeline have been commercialized by our partners; mainly seed companies and community-based seed producers,â he added.
Abate called for an interdisciplinary and inter-institutional approach to policy. DeVries added that âin addition to seedâ fertilizer and crop management play important roles in ensuring farmers benefit from improved seed. DTMA maize breeder Dan Makumbi highlighted the challenges seed companies face in seed production, such as inadequate irrigation facilities and lack of personnel to maintain the lines. Emmanuel Monyo, ICRISATâs Tropical Legumes project leader, said ICRISAT benefitted from the existence of about 500 small seed companies during the deployment of improved seed to farmers in India. âPartnerships that have targets and interest changed the adoption of basic seed,â Monyo said. He also highlighted the role of âwomenâs groups that had been empowered to produce and market legume seed,â as a strategy that contributed to the successful deployment of seed. Partners agreed to continue sharing information by participating in each otherâs meetings, sharing success stories and continuing to provide technical backstopping for seed companies and national programs.
Scientists need to capture and refine farmersâ conservation agriculture innovations. This recommendation came from the National Travelling Seminar on Conservation Agriculture held at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) from 16 to 25 September. The event was jointly organized by the Natural Resource Management division of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), CIMMYT and the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA).
The seminar evaluated existing conservation agriculture research in India to link different institutions, identify research gaps and decide on future priorities of conservation agriculture research for development. âSince the conservation agriculture principles are sitespecific, this travelling seminar gave the opportunity to various scientists from multiple disciplines and institutes to come together to discuss them onsite and harmonize the results,â said M.L. Jat, CIMMYT senior cropping systems agronomist and coordinator of the seminar. An ICAR grant for conservation agriculture research supported the event.
M. Dadlani, joint director of research for IARI, talked about the crucial role IARI âIndiaâs premier agricultural research instituteâ played in starting conservation agriculture practices. They began experimenting with conservation agriculture in 2005, and, in 2010, âconservation agriculture trials were started at its research farms under a challenge program involving many multidisciplinary scientists,â Dadlani said. H.S. Gupta, director of IARI, highlighted the need for a common, neutral platform for policy makers, researchers, private sector representatives, non-governmental organizations, CGIAR institutions and farmers to assess local and regional needs, exchange information, and define priorities for the implementation of conservation agriculture, especially for resource-poor smallholder farmers. âMining nutrients from the soil is a major concern,â he said. âAt Pusa, there has been an increase in system productivity and the length of the cropping season due to conservation agriculture adoption. These factors prompt the idea of making conservation agriculture a flagship program at IARI.â
More than 25 senior researchers from 11 ICAR institutions, state agricultural universities and CIMMYT visited conservation agriculture research platforms in different cropping systems and ecologies (irrigated, mixed and rain-fed systems) at New Delhi, Karnal, Ludhiana, Jabalpur and Patna. The scientists and farmers participated in interactive discussions. Farmers should receive a clear message from all institutions, participants said, and therefore need the convergence of investments and research. Farm innovations also need to be aligned with the latest scientific developments. âThe breeders have to come out with new materials for a specific challenge,â said Alok K. Sikka, ICAR deputy director general. âConservation agriculture goes far beyond zero-tilling and resource conservation technologies. Conservation agriculture is a package that has to be followed in a systems approach.â
Areas identified for in-depth strategic research include the study of water-nutrient and crop-livestock interactions under conservation agriculture, design and development of conservation agriculture machinery suited to different farming systems and a better understanding of weed, disease and pests in conservation agriculture conditions to hasten the development of integrated pest management strategies.
CIMMYT Faisalabad Office (left-right): Dr, Imtiaz Muhammed, Country Liaison Officer, CIMMYT Pakistan; Dr. Etienne Duveiller, South Asia Regional Director, CIMMYT; Dr. Thomas Lumpkin, Director General, CIMMYT; Dr. Javed Ahmad, Wheat Botanist, Wheat Research Institute WRI Faisalabad; Dr. Makhdoom Hussain, Director, Wheat Research Institute WRI Faisalabad; Mr. Abdul Hamid, CIMMYT Faisalabad; Mr. Muhammad Noor, CIMMYT Faisalabad. Photo by Miriam Shindler.
By Imtiaz Muhammad/CIMMYT
CIMMYT has a long history with Pakistan. The majority of wheat grown in the country is a result of their collaboration. Dr. Norman Borlaugâs principles of free germplasm exchange still support Pakistanâs national program.Â
In 1961, Manzoor A. Bajwa, a young Pakistani wheat scientist, arrived in Mexico to receive training in improved wheat production. While working alongside Borlaug and his team in Ciudad ObregĂłn, Bajwa identified a medium-to-hard white grain line with a high-gluten content ideal for making good chapattis. The new variety also showed promising resistance to rust and powdery mildew. To mark this momentous collaboration, the line was named MexiPak âmeaning line selection in Mexico by a Pakistani researcher.
In Pakistan, the name MexiPak is synonymous with the successes of the Green Revolution. In a recent meeting between CIMMYT and Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan, the Minister for Food Security and Research, he recalled experiences in rural Punjab when he was 7 or 8 years old. One year, his father had record wheat harvests. The reason? âMexiPak,â he said. This is just one example of CIMMYT-Pakistani collaboration. The Pak-81 line, which has been released in more countries than any other wheat variety in history, was selected by a Pakistani breeder while training at CIMMYT.
Today, Pakistan faces daunting challenges due to climate change, changing diets, increasing population, groundwater depletion and growing food security concerns. The new Prime Minister and cabinet have indicated an increased interest in developing Pakistanâs agriculture sector and the countryâs agricultural research abilities. In a related development, the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, recently became the top-ranked university for agricultural sciences in South Asia (NTU Rankings, 2013). CIMMYT and the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) are reigniting agricultural research for development across Pakistan.
Wheat Productivity Enhancement Program (WPEP) Farm Machinery Shed at the Wheat Research Institute, Faisalabad. Photo by Miriam Shindler.
Since 2010, PARC and CIMMYT have worked closely to improve agronomic practices through projects such as the Wheat Productivity Enhancement Program (W-PEP) and the new Agricultural Innovation Program for Pakistan (AIP), a $30 million program funded by the United States Agency for International Development. The PARC complex in Islamabad houses CIMMYT offices where agronomists, breeders and socio-economic experts work to improve maize and wheat yields.
In a recent visit to Pakistan by CIMMYT Director General Thomas Lumpkin, PARC and the Pakistani government reaffirmed their commitment to establishing the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) in Pakistan. PARC donated land on its Islamabad campus to erect the BISA-CIMMYT headquarters in Pakistan, as well as land that will be converted into an experimental farm. The Pakistani government also asked BISA to build an experimental farm in every province. BISA will provide Pakistani researchers with the opportunity to collaborate with South Asian counterparts to increase wheat yields and develop more nutritious and heat-resistant maize. BISA is following in the steps of Borlaug in starting a second productive and sustainable Green Revolution.
Last week marked 29 years since Torres, principal researcher for the Global Maize Program, first came to CIMMYT as a 21-year-old agronomy engineer. Since then, he has helped transform maize breeding in Mexicoâs highland valleys, learned from a World Food Prize winner and earned a Ph.D. Heâs not here for the salary but the dynamic work environment and a desire to âimprove plants and improve people,â he said.
Torresâ interest in maize comes from its importance as a staple food for Mexicans, he said. He researched dwarf maize while studying agronomy at the Antonio Narro Agrarian Autonomous University and came to CIMMYT as a research assistant for the maize program under the late Hugo CĂłrdova. His passion for improving the crop comes from working in the field. Direct observation leads to solutions, Torres said. âYou will learn quickly,â he said, adding that he leads his team with this attitude.
Days spent in Mexicoâs highland valleys led Torres, who is originally from Coahuila, Mexico, to contribute to a maize âboomâ in the area, he said. The crop was rustic and unsightly when Torres first started, but his team, which included CĂłrdova, World Food Prize winner Surinder Vasal and Jim Lothrop, changed its architecture. The researchers implemented âfamily planning,â a process of eliminating maize offspring to reduce competition between plants. The changes made maize lower in stature, allowed it to mature earlier and enabled seeding two cycles per year. Since then, Torres has used a range of improvement techniques, from traditional approaches to molecular biology and doubled haploid technology.
His team has released 32 CIMMYT maize lines. This year, 12 lines will be released, including blue maize lines for the first time. Blue maize contains antioxidants and could benefit poor farmers, Torres said. His team continues to develop hybrids that can easily be harvested by mechanical means and allow more plants to grow in the same area. Torres also focuses on the âimproving peopleâ aspect of his work philosophy. He leads a team of two engineers, five permanent employees and about 10 temporary workers.
Torres, who came to CIMMYT with an undergraduate degree and has since earned a Ph.D., wants to support others in furthering their education, he said. He also encourages young scientists to leave the computer and get out into the elements. Torres attributes his success to observation and experimentation â not âcyberbreeding,â he said. He also recognized the support of his team and the Global Maize Program. âItâs a lot of work,â Torres said of his job. âBut itâs a personal challenge.â
An international group of Ph.D. students was trained on farming systems and rural livelihoods during a course this month in Ethiopia. CIMMYT, Hawassa University and Wageningen University organized âFarming System and Rural Livelihoods: Adaptation and Vulnerabilityâ from 6-18 October.
Informative presentations, lively discussions and a research station field trip were highlights of a Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) course on maize seed production and management held last week in Nairobi.Â
Photo: Courtesy of AATF
The two-day course targeted seed companies that will commercialize drought-tolerant maize hybrids from the WEMA project. Seed company representatives were accompanied by the WEMA Product Deployment Team (DEPT) and members of WEMA partner countries (Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda). Representatives from CIMMYT, Monsanto, the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), the African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA) and a member of the National Agricultural Research Organisation Board of Trustees attended.
The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF)-led WEMA DEPT team and CIMMYT organized the course. During the plenary session, seed experts â including John MacRobert and Mosisa Regassa from CIMMYT and Jonga Munyaradzi from AATF â presented on hybrid seed production, distinguishing characteristics of inbred lines, certification standards and inspection procedures, quality assurance procedures and stewardship. William Munyao, an inspector at the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service, explained why standards and inspection are crucial to achieve credibility.
Paul Imo (left), a participant at the seed production and management course, compares notes on his phone with a colleague during a visit to the Kiboko research station. Photo: Michael Arunga/CIMMYT
Participants raised concerns about the slow implementation of maize seed regulatory standards by regional bodies such as the Economic Community of West Africa States, the East Africa Community and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa. Seed companies said they want to see these standards implemented as soon as possible because they will give farmers greater access to improved varieties. After the plenary session, CIMMYT hosted participants on a visit to the KARI-CIMMYT Kiboko Crops Research Station. Stephen Mugo, Yoseph Beyene and Kiru Pillay led the tour, during which participants had the opportunity to evaluate selected hybrids and lines from demonstration plots. More than 50 hybrids are being grown under managed drought stress and optimal conditions.
The hybrids are in their first or second year of national performance trials in Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. The participants also visited the recently-developed doubled haploid (DH) lines in a seed increase nursery. Sotero Bumagat, the CIMMYT DH manager, led participants on a tour of the newly-commissioned DH facility. James Karanja and Regina Tende presented insect-protected confined field trials. MacRobert, a CIMMYT expert in seed production and management, told participants to embrace realistic approaches when producing seed. He emphasized the importance of hiring skilled personnel who have a genuine interest in seed production. âEmphasis should not be entirely on academia,â MacRobert said. âWe should not insist on diploma, undergraduate, masterâs or even doctorate degrees as prerequisites for hiring a productive worker. A farm hand who does not have these qualifications but has excellent seed production experience may be an excellent employee.â
By Patrick Wall/CIMMYT
John Gibler, like Norman Borlaug, studied under E.C. Stakman at the University of Minnesota. When he graduated with his Ph.D. in 1951, he joined Borlaug in Mexico until 1955. He then became a Rockefeller consultant and headed cereal research in Colombia and Ecuador before returning to CIMMYT as Director of Agricultural Programs in 1969. John Pitner worked with the Office of Special Studies from 1947 to 1954. CIMMYT is collecting photos of Borlaug for 
To bolster maize exports to the European Union (EU), Peru is taking measures to ensure its grain is free from mycotoxins, according to CIMMYT maize pathologist Henry Ngugi. âThey wanted to establish a testing mechanism because they are trading maize, for which they have to meet strict European Union (EU) standards. They have a project with CIMMYT, which brings them to meâ explained Ngugi, who at the request of SENASA, the Peruvian National Agrarian Health Service, led a training course on the subject in Mexico from 21 October to 1 November.
