By Florence Sipalla/CIMMYT

Members of the executive committee of CIMMYT’s Board of Trustees and Management Committee, along with the director of the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), met with Kenya’s Deputy President Honorable William Ruto at his office on 27 September in Nairobi.

Ruto was briefed on CIMMYT’s work in Kenya, which is geared toward enhancing food security and livelihoods, especially for smallholder farmers. Policy issues such as the importance of wheat as a strategic crop for Africa and transgenic research were also discussed during the meeting. Board Chair Andrew Barr was accompanied by Director General Thomas Lumpkin and board members Tom McKay, John Snape and Salvador Fernandez Riviera. Prasanna Boduppalli, the Nairobi-based director of the CIMMYT Global Maize Program Director; Hans-Joachim Braun, director of the Global Wheat Program; Ephraim Mukisira, director of KARI; and Wilfred Mwangi, regional liaison officer, also participated in the meeting.

In close collaboration with KARI, CIMMYT has worked in Kenya for almost 40 years, contributing to research on maize, wheat, conservation agriculture and socioeconomics in addition to building the capacity of local scientists in different fields. The role of the newly-inaugurated CIMMYT-KARI Maize Doubled Haploid Facility and the Maize Lethal Necrosis Screening Facility in responding to the challenges posed by the maize disease was also highlighted at the meeting. The Kenyan government was represented at the event by Sicily Kariuki, the principal secretary for the State Department of Agriculture in the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, and James Nyoro, senior advisor on food security to the Presidency.

Agriculture is the backbone of Kenya’s economy and the CIMMYT-KARI collaboration contributes significantly to more productive agriculture. The government has also demonstrated support for CIMMYT work by donating land for research activities and participating in CIMMYT events, such as this year’s Board of Trustees meeting in Nairobi, which was opened by Felix Koskei, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries. CIMMYT Director General Thomas Lumpkin displays an agreement between CIMMYT and the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) regarding office space at its headquarters in Nairobi. Lumpkin was accompanied by CIMMYT Regional Liaison Officer Wilfred Mwangi (left) and ICRAF Director of Finance and Operations Laksiri Abeysekera.

By Florence Sipalla/CIMMYT

CIMMYT bid farewell to Bekele Shiferaw, former director and principal scientist of the Socioeconomics Program, at a luncheon hosted in his honor in Nairobi on 1 October. Staff members paid tribute to Shiferaw’s work, highlighting the global growth and expansion of the program under his leadership from 2009 to 2013.

He also received a plaque from CIMMYT acknowledging his valuable role in the organization. Signed by Andrew Barr, chair of the Board of Trustees, and Director General Thomas Lumpkin, the plaque read in part: “For your enormous contribution to rebuilding the Socioeconomics Program, guiding and managing a phase of substantial and rapid growth, shaping the MAIZE and WHEAT CGIAR Research Programs (CRPs) … and studying and championing the potential of wheat in Africa and its formal recognition as a strategic crop for that region. These and your other contributions to CIMMYT’s mission will always be remembered.”

Shiferaw is a supervisor who “helps you know how far you can stretch,” said Joyce Kiplimo, an administrator who worked closely with him. Other attendees thanked him for his work with the program. “Bekele will be remembered for the quality staff in the program and for his effort to expand projects across regions,” said Wilfred Mwangi, the regional liaison officer. Olaf Erenstein, the new program director, acknowledged Shiferaw’s role in establishing a team with diversity in its disciplinary expertise. “Thank you for all your time and efforts in getting us where we are,” Erenstein said.

Shiferaw thanked CIMMYT staff members, especially those in the Socioeconomics Program, who worked with and supported him in developing strategies, attracting resources and recruiting staff to rebuild the program. He also thanked the program directors for their support, which enabled him to grow the program and strengthen ties invaluable for conducting multidisciplinary research in all regions. “We have strengthened ties with all the programs and launched large projects on Sustainable Intensification, Adoption Pathways, Postharvest Management, Climate Change and Food Security (CCAFS), Global Futures and Policy, Institutions and Markets (CRP2),” Shiferaw said. “We managed to raise the profile of wheat in Africa by engaging policy makers,” he added, referring to the Wheat in Africa conference that resulted in the inclusion of wheat as a major strategic crop for Africa.

Shiferaw said he looks forward to future collaboration in his new role as executive director of the Partnership for Economic Policy, an international organization that links a global network of institutions, researchers and experts to enhance capacity in economic and development policy analysis in developing countries.

By Cosmos Magorokosho/CIMMYT

CIMMYT recently conducted an intensive, three-week course in Kenya for 37 young maize breeders – including 10 women – to provide them the knowledge and skills to use modern breeding methods efficiently in their maize programs. The course included participants from national programs and seed companies in 14 African countries.

Dennis Kyetere, the executive director of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), who officially opened the course, said the smallholder agriculture sector in Africa loses billions of dollars worth of agriculture produce annually. Kyetere said maize breeders have a significant role in reducing these losses and increasing smallholder farmers’ productivity. Courses included refresher sessions on principles of applied maize breeding, statistical data analysis and the use of information technology tools in managing breeding, analyzing data and managing breeding information.

Emphasis was placed on breeding maize for abiotic stress tolerance. Presenters also focused on maize lethal necrosis disease (MLN), including background on the disease in Africa, efforts made to breed for MLN resistance in African germplasm and strategies to prevent the spread of the disease. During the course, a mini-workshop emphasized the application of technologies such as molecular markers, doubled haploids (DH) and transgenics. Course attendees toured the Kenya Agriculture Research Institution’s (KARI) Kiboko field station and Olerai farm.

In Kiboko, participants learned about the practical aspects of drought and low-nitrogen screening and toured the new CIMMYT-KARI DH facility. Participants were encouraged to send their elite breeding populations for DH production. “I have improved my general understanding of maize breeding theory and learned about breeding for drought tolerance,” Dunlop said. “This should speed up selections and make more efficient use of time.” GMP breeders Cosmos Magorokosho, Stephen Mugo and Dan Makumbi organized the course while Catherine Kalungu handled logistics. Participants were sponsored through various GMP projects, including Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA), Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA), Improved Maize for African Soils (IMAS), a USAID project, Harvest Plus and the private seed companies Pannar, MozSeed, Zamseed and Seedco.

By Wandera Ojanji

Officials from Malawi and Zambia learned about the benefits of effective grain storage for the livelihoods of smallholder farmers during a visit to Kenya from 7 to 12 October. Malawi and Zambia are target countries of CIMMYT’s Effective Grain Storage for Sustainable Livelihoods of African Farmers (EGSP) Phase II Project. EGSP-II (2012-2016) builds on the previous phase (2008-2011) to improve the food security and reduce the vulnerability of resource-poor farmers – particularly women – in eastern and southern Africa through the dissemination of effective grain storage technology. The project is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and will help smallholder farmers in Kenya, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe acquire more than 16,000 metal silos, which reduce grain losses from storage pests.

The visiting delegation included officials from ministries of agriculture, the Chitedze Research Station in Malawi, the Zambia Agricultural Research Institute and silo artisans from the two EGSP countries. They were accompanied by implementing counterparts in Kenya from the Catholic Dioceses of Embu and Nakuru and the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute.

The tour started in Embu County in eastern Kenya with a visit to the homestead of Gladys Nthiga, a farmer who recently acquired two metals silos with a capacity of 450 kg each. She had not used the silos before but was excited to find technology to protect her harvests from maize weevils and the larger grain borer. “Despite treating my grains with pesticides, I was still losing about nearly half a ton of maize every year,” said Nthiga, whose annual maize harvest averages 1.8 tons. “If what I have been told about the technology is true, then my problems with these pests are over.” Peter Njiiru, the principal of Kierie Secondary School in Embu County, said he purchased a metal silo in June for maize storage and planned to add three more.

The delegation then visited Nakuru County. Grace Githui, the county liaison officer, noted that Nakuru is a primary maize-producing area and experiences high post-harvest losses due to smallholder farmers’ ineffective storage options. “We are very grateful to CIMMYT for introducing the metal silo technology in this area,” Githui said. “The silos’ effectiveness has been demonstrated against weevils and the larger grain borer, the two pests that are responsible for much of the county’s post-harvest losses. The silos provide enormous benefits to the farmers who have adopted them. We are urging widespread adoption and investing heavily to create awareness among farmers.” Maize is a major component of the diet in Kenyan schools.

Jane Obwocha, the deputy principal of Uhuru High School in Nakuru, noted the school avoids purchasing maize in bulk due to heavy losses during storage, a factor she attributed to poor storage facilities. “The metal silo is indeed a timely and critical intervention in maize storage as most schools, just like ours, lack effective storage facilities,” Obwocha said. The delegation also met with members of BOLESA, a group for women living with HIV/AIDS and former commercial sex workers under rehabilitation. The members, drawn from Boror, Lelechwet and Salgaa villages in Nakuru, are using a 900 kg-capacity metal silo acquired last year to store their maize. At Baraka Agricultural College, the delegation saw a new metal silo prototype that facilitates removing the grain stored.

The college has also started creating awareness about the technology and promotes it to farmers from Kenya and other parts of eastern Africa. The visiting delegates were impressed by the adoption of metal silos by farmers, grain dealers, vulnerable people, schools and colleges to protect their grain and avoid purchasing expensive storage chemicals. The visit also helped the delegates identify issues to address for successful project implementation.

By Sika Gbegbelegbe, Kindie Tesfaye and Uran Chung/CIMMYT

A workshop on modeling promising maize and wheat technologies brought together modelers, breeders, physiologists and socio-economists in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 27 to 30 August. The workshop was organized by the CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions and Markets (PIM). Workshop attendees reviewed progress made on modeling maize and wheat technologies; reached agreement on the conceptual framework developed for modeling benchmark, promising and ‘ideal’ technologies; identified and prioritized traits and crop management practices for foresight analysis of maize and wheat systems; identified plausible adoption pathways relative to estimating the benefits of investments in promising and “ideal” technologies; and facilitated interaction and data exchange among scientists working in different fields.

Bekele Shiferaw presented on workshop objectives, the importance of foresight analysis – or studies on the future of agriculture – in identifying priorities, threats to food security and the role modeling plays in foresight. Progress on modeling maize and wheat technologies was presented by Sika Gbegbelegbe, Kindie Tesfaye and Uran Chung from CIMMYT. Senthold Asseng, a crop modeler from the University of Florida, shared insights on the methodological concepts used in crop modeling. CIMMYT’s Kai Sonder presented progress on improving maize and wheat mega-environments – or specially classified maize and wheat growing regions – and domains that are important for geospatial crop modeling. Breeders and physiologists shared their insights on relevant traits and performance characteristics of improved germplasm. P.H. Zaidi and Biswanath Das presented on maize while Bekele Abeyo and Marta Lopes presented on wheat. Participants also discussed the bioeconomic impact of climate change, including the impact of weather extremes on food security in the developing world.

Participants visited ongoing wheat and maize research activities at the Kulumsa and Melkassa Agricultural Research Centers. CIMMYT collaborates with both research centers, which are part of the Ethiopian Agricultural Research Institute (EIAR). Attendees talked about the role of modeling in foresight, breeding and physiology, trait identification for modeling, model data requirements, data availability and data gaps during working sessions. The maize working group agreed on minimum datasets that need to be collected in field trials for modeling and progress on breeding improved germplasm with tolerance to drought, heat and other stresses. It also agreed on the need to revise the current maize mega-environments.

The wheat working group focused its discussion on tolerance to drought and heat stresses and key traits that influence yield potential. The wheat breeders and physiologists shared their knowledge on key traits and reached an agreement with the crop modelers on how such traits should be translated in crop models.

For the fifth consecutive year, scientists from around the world met at the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) facility in Njoro for training on “Standardization of Stem Rust Note-taking and Evaluation of Germplasm.” The course, conducted 22 September to 2 October, attracted 30 scientists from 15 countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sudan, Uganda, United States, Yemen and Zambia). The course created increased awareness about the threat of rusts (especially Ug99) on wheat production. The wheat research scientists were trained on new approaches in fighting the rust diseases (including genetics, pathology, breeding and molecular genetics) and taught common approaches in identifying, scoring and evaluating rust diseases both in the field and in experimental plots.

Practical demonstrations focused on rust methodologies and handson experience in recording disease scales both in the greenhouse and field, according to Sridhar Bhavani, CIMMYT wheat pathologist/ breeder and course coordinator. Participants had the opportunity to work with the East African component of the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative (BGRI) and Durable Rust Resistance in Wheat (DRRW) projects in Kenya. These are designed to monitor further migration of Ug99 and its variants; facilitate field screening of international germplasm; identify new sources of resistance; understand the genetic basis of resistance; develop durable, targeted breeding programs; and enhance the capacity of national programs. Participants had the opportunity to interact with international scientists, and trainers learned of emerging problems from the participants.

Attendees also visited the KARI breeding program and farmers’ fields to inspect the new varieties. Members of CIMMYT’s Board of Trustees and Management Committee as well as KARI dignitaries also visited the screening site at KARI Njoro on 26 September and interacted with Oliver Nightingale from Menangai Farms, a progressive farmer who demonstrated one of the new varieties (“Kenya Robin”) which was planted on 1,000 acres of his farm near Njoro. “Wheat farmers in Kenya have benefited greatly with the new varieties developed by CIMMYT and released by KARI. These varieties are not only resistant to rust but generate yields 10 to 15 percent higher than the local varieties and are resistant to stem rust,” Nightingale told the group. Two varieties – “Kenya Robin” and “Kenya Eagle” – are CIMMYT introductions which have become very popular with farmers and currently occupy 25 to 30 percent of the wheat area in Kenya. “Kenya Robin has bold grains, good straw strength, still stands after three hail storms and yields between 6.8-7 tons per acre, whereas the older variety ‘Kwale’ lodged flat in farmers’ fields in similar conditions,” added Nightingale.

He thanked CIMMYT and KARI for introducing high-yielding varieties in Kenya. The 2013 main season screening nursery has more than 25,000 wheat accessions from 15 countries and research institutions to be evaluated for resistance to Ug99 and close to 50,000 accessions are tested every year. According to Bhavani, more than 300,000 lines have been tested at KARI-Njoro since 2006 and eight varieties have been released since 2008 in Kenya and more than 40 Ug99-resistant varieties/advanced lines have been released globally. “Every year as a part of CIMMYT-Kenya shuttle breeding nearly 1,000 F3 and F4 populations are selected under high disease pressure for two generations at KARI-Njoro and several high-yielding lines with good levels of Ug99 resistance have been identified,” added Ravi Singh, CIMMYT distinguished scientist.

The KARI-CIMMYT screening nursery has produced global benefits that go beyond Kenya’s borders – with spillover effects reaching neighboring countries including Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. “Commitment to the cause through global partnership, free exchange of germplasm, scientific expertise and donor funding have been the key features leading to the success of this project,” said Hans Braun, director of CIMMYT’s Global Wheat Program. He continued, stating, “CIMMYT Board members were impressed with the progress in the fight against Ug99, the logistics that go into operating this global rust screening platform in Njoro and the impact that has been achieved through release and adoption by farmers of rust-resistant varieties around the globe.” The annual course is part of the wider BGRI/DRRW project in Kenya, an initiative of Cornell University that is being implemented by CIMMYT and KARI in collaboration with 16 other research institutions worldwide. The project is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the UK Department for International Development. To date, more than 100 pathologists, breeders and geneticists have been trained at KARI-Njoro. Scientists from Australia, Kenya, the United States and CIMMYT lectured on several aspects of wheat rust research. As Zambian participant Lutangu Makweti said: “It time for us to utilize the knowledge gained in the training course and implement better surveys and breeding activities in our countries.” Participants thanked CIMMYT and KARI for the opportunity to learn about rusts, the practical, handson training and the opportunity to interact with the global rust community. The long-term partnership between CIMMYT and KARI is achieving numerous milestones in the fight against the Ug99 race group and producing outcomes that benefit the entire global wheat community. For more information contact Dr. Sridhar Bhavani, wheat breeder/ coordinator DRRW-screening for stem rust in East Africa, CIMMYT-Kenya at S.Bhavani@cgiar.org.

By Kindie Tesfaye

Climate change research in Ethiopia must be nationally relevant for research outputs to be used broadly – from farms to influencing policy – a CIMMYT researcher said at the country’s National Climate Change Adaptation Workshop last month. The Biometrics, GIS and Agrometeorology Directorate (BGAD) of the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) organized the event with CIMMYT, the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) and the Rockefeller Foundation. More than 50 participants from CGIAR centers, the community, federal and regional research institutions, NGOs, the media and universities attended the workshop in Addis Ababa on 19 September. The purpose of the workshop was to receive feedback from stakeholders on the climate change research EIAR is conducting with its partners.

Major issues presented, discussed and displayed at the workshop included: decadal and seasonal climate forecast information provided to farmers; the mainstreaming of climate change; the trends and implications of extreme climatic events; downscaling future climate data for local climate change analysis; drought frequencies and trends; climate change vulnerability mapping; and climate database building. Fantahun Mengistu, Director General of EIAR, said climate change is already affecting Ethiopian agriculture in the form of frequent droughts and floods, which affect the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers. He added that the Ethiopian government is aware of the challenges posed by climate change and has policies, strategies and programs in place to increase the resilience of the agriculture sector and the economy, such as the national Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) strategy.

CIMMYT’s Kindie Tesfaye said the major reason CIMMYT-CCAFS works with EIAR and other stakeholders in Ethiopia is to make its climate change research applicable on a national level. The climate research outputs generated by BGAD and partners were used as inputs during the development of Ethiopia’s CRGE strategy and in advising the firm developing the national climate change adaptation strategy. BGAD Director Andualem Shimelis highlighted the importance of agriculture in Ethiopia’s economy and its vulnerability to the threat of climate change. He said Ethiopia needs to adapt agriculture to the threat of climate change because agriculture is crucial in achieving food security and advancing rural development. Promoting integrated agricultural technologies and knowledge of climate science in Ethiopia’s development arena is not a choice, but a matter of survival, Mengistu said. All those involved in climate change research and development should work together in order to contribute to a climate-adapted agricultural sector and a climate-resilient economy in the country.

By Florence Sipalla/CIMMYT

Partners from 13 countries working with the Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA) project said they benefitted from its help during the 2012-13 crop season. DTMA trained maize breeders and technicians, rehabilitated seed storage facilities, supported research institutes and seed companies to release varieties and produce breeder seed and began hybrid seed production in places where seed companies did not exist. Project partners from eastern, southern and West Africa met in Nairobi, Kenya, from 23 to 27 September for DTMA’s annual meeting. They discussed progress made in developing and deploying drought-tolerant maize varieties to benefit smallholder farmers in Africa. Maize varieties that respond to climate change challenges – such as drought and infrequent or unevenly distributed rainfall – are key in helping those who depend primarily on rain-fed agriculture. The DTMA project is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Officials who opened the meeting included Thomas Lumpkin, director general of CIMMYT; Ylva Hillbur, deputy director general of the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA); Ephraim Mukisira, director of the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI); and Joseph De Vries, director of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) Program for Africa’s Seed Systems (PASS). DTMA has released 140 drought-tolerant maize varieties since 2007, including 81 hybrids and 59 open-pollinated maize varieties. These varieties perform well under drought stress as well as adequate rainfall. “Over the last seven years, DTMA has made significant progress in developing and delivering improved technologies,” Lumpkin said. “Farmers have also benefited from [drought-tolerant] varieties that possess other desirable traits such as resistance to major diseases such as maize streak virus and gray leaf spot,” he added. Mukisira highlighted the partnership between CIMMYT and KARI. KARI centers in Embu, Kakamega and Kiboko, Kenya are part of the drought screening network and the organization’s socioeconomics team is working with DTMA on household surveys across the country. Mukisira said the collaboration produces evidence-based research findings that help inform and engage policy makers. CIMMYT and Kari recently opened two major maize research facilities in Kenya.

Meeting participants participated in the openings, which were inaugurated by Felix Koskei, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and Sicily Kariuki, principal secretary for the Kenyan Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Ministry. Lumpkin thanked DTMA donors, especially the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, for supporting DTMA as well as the new maize doubled haploid and maize lethal necrosis screening facilities, the latter of which is co-funded by the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture. The national agricultural research system and small- to medium-sized seed companies working with CIMMYT maize projects such as DTMA will be key beneficiaries of these facilities.

Mukisira recognized the role seed companies play in deploying drought-tolerant seed for market and making it accessible to smallholder farmers. “We encourage you to continue investing in the marketing and promotion of improved droughttolerant maize varieties,” he said. Hillbur said the strong partnerships DTMA has built with the national agricultural research system and seed companies as well as the “top quality science approach involving the breeders, economists, social scientists and seed systems specialists” are two of the project’s distinguishing factors. DTMA Project Leader Tsedeke Abate said the project is moving toward its goal of reaching more than 30 million farmers with drought-tolerant maize varieties by the end of 2016. The national agricultural research systems will be key players in breeding and disseminating improved varieties, he said. Moving forward, the project will continue to help mainstream drought-tolerant varieties, enhance seed systems partnerships with AGRA-PASS, build the capacity of the national agricultural research system to produce breeder seed, mainstream gender and build on socioeconomic research to provide evidence for policy advocacy.

By Wandera Ojanji /CIMMYT

The farming community around the Kiboko Crops Research Station in Makueni County, Kenya, has agreed to stop growing maize for two months to help curb the spread of maize lethal necrosis (MLN) disease. The decision impacts farmers who depend on maize as a staple crop and cash crop and is also a sacrifice for scientists from CIMMYT and the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI).

Stakeholders made the decision on 1 October during a meeting at the station to help determine how to manage the disease in the area. The maize-free window will take place in March and April 2014 and is critical in interrupting the disease cycle, thus reducing the population of vectors. Stakeholders agreed to plant maize by 15 October and harvest it by 29 February. Attendees received information about the disease and its identification and planned for its management in the area. The meeting was organized by Stephen Mugo, principal scientist for the CIMMYT Global Maize Program. Mugo, a maize breeder, is also the coordinator of the Insect Resistant Maize for Africa (IRMA) and Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) projects in partnership with KARI and the Ministry of Agriculture.

More than 100 people attended, including the county administration, local community leaders, Makueni County agricultural staff, Kiboko farmers and CIMMYT and KARI scientists. George Mahuku, CIMMYT maize pathologist, explained to participants the combination of factors that are necessary for MLN disease development: the presence of viruses that cause the disease such as maize chlorotic mottle virus and several cereal viruses which individually or in combination infect the maize; the presence of aphids, thrips or other insects that transmit the viruses; the use of maize varieties that are susceptible; and a conducive environment for vectors and disease.

Mahuku also explained the tell-tale signs of MLN disease, which include chlorosis, or the mottling of the leaves; premature drying of cobs; stunting and/or cobs with uneven spots; tip dieback resulting in no pollen production; and a poor seed set and shriveled ears. Some farmers in the area mentioned having plants with similar symptoms on their farms.

Responding to inquiries about the origin of the disease, KARI pathologist Anne Wangai said the disease was first reported in Bomet County, Kenya, where farmers have since named it Koroito, or “the plague.” It rapidly spread to neighboring counties. “In all these areas, it was a sudden phenomenon that could not be explained, whose cause was unknown, but one that was having a devastating effect on maize productivity with losses ranging from 30 to 100 percent under severe infestation,” Wangai said. To prevent the plague from hitting Kiboko, Wangai told participants to follow advice from the Ministry of Agriculture, CIMMYT and KARI. Prevention techniques include using crop rotation to break the disease cycle, not planting new maize crop near an infected field and maintaining fields clean of weeds, particularly grasses, to eliminate alternate hosts of potential vectors. Mugo said using chemicals for prevention is too expensive for small-scale farmers.

In his closing remarks, Michael Kitenje, agriculture and livestock extension officer for the Makueni District, called for unity and willingness from the farmers and other stakeholders to adhere to the window. “If we have the will, we will conquer the disease. Without the will, we are doomed,” Kitenje said, urging attendees to spread the message to those who did not attend. “In case you meet resistance, use your persuasive skills to convince those that might not easily comprehend the problem and make them understand the need for a community approach to controlling MLN in Kiboko.”

Mexico is pleased with the role of CIMMYT in national agricultural development and with the synergies that have arisen through the initiative MasAgro – the Sustainable Modernization of Traditional Agriculture, said Belisario Domínguez Méndez, Director General for Productivity and Technological Development of Mexico’s Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA). “The government feels very proud that MasAgro is not only part of Mexico but is now sharing results with other countries,” said Domínguez, opening the 2013 Ambassadors Day event in El Batán, Mexico, on 10 October, on behalf of Mexican Secretary of Agriculture Enrique Martínez y Martínez. “The partnership with CIMMYT is a fundamental strategy for our country.”

Launched in 2010 and coordinated by SAGARPA and CIMMYT, MasAgro is helping strengthen national food security through research, capacity building and the transfer of technology for rural areas. Partners develop and promote the adoption of cuttingedge knowledge and practices among small- and intermediate-scale farmers of maize, wheat and small grains, to improve their incomes and mitigate the effects of climate change in Mexico. Ambassadors Day participants included members of the diplomatic corps in Mexico of 20 nations – including countries where CIMMYT works – as well as representatives of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA), SAGARPA, the Technical and Scientific Cooperation Division of Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Secretariat (Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores, or SRE) and CIMMYT staff.

The day’s program featured discussions, lab and field tours and expert briefings on CIMMYT activities and outputs, such as maize and wheat genetic resources, wheat disease resistance breeding and bread wheat quality and maize breeding and biofortification. CIMMYT staff from the home countries of the visiting dignitaries were on hand to answer questions and offer hospitality. At a gala luncheon, the debut presentation of a new general video on CIMMYT aired to many favorable comments. In his address to the visitors, CIMMYT Director General Thomas A. Lumpkin emphasized that an expanding population, changing diets, limited natural resources, demand for bio-fuels and increasingly variable climates are all putting extraordinary pressure on the global food system. “In summary, we will have huge demand for food crops coupled with worsening conditions for crop production,” Lumpkin said. “This highlights the need for improved technology.” The Ambassador of Palestine, Munjed M.S. Saleh, was impressed by CIMMYT´s presentation and said his country is already giving several countries technical support to improve water-use efficiency. He indicated that he is arranging a visit for his Minister to Mexico, and, if confirmed, will include a visit to CIMMYT.

The representative of the Embassy of Venezuela, Alba Mendez, expressed interest in working with the country’s ambassador to propose collaborating with CIMMYT to strengthen agricultural research in Venezuela. She also said she is interested in a training program for farmers. Other ambassadors and representatives wrote to Isabel Peña, Head of Latin America Institutional Relations and event organizer, to say they were impressed by the professionalism and organization of the event and learned about CIMMYT’s impact worldwide. Peña thanks all support staff, scientists and directors who presented to or interacted with the visitors. She said collaboration with other countries and institutions are strengthened by events like this one.

By Mike Listman/CIMMYT

Future food and nutrition security is threatened by climate change, overexploitation of natural resources, and pervasive social inequalities. Promising solutions are often technology-focused and not necessarily developed considering gender and social disparities. A new paper by CIMMYT’s Tina Beuchelt and Lone Badstue (Open access in Food Security, DOI 10.1007/s12571- 013-0290-8) examines and addresses these issues for conservation agriculture as part of a cropping system with nutrition- and climate-smart potential, based on leading literature and field experience in Zambia and Mexico.

Findings point to situations where the promotion of conservation agriculture for smallholders may have undesired effects relating to drudgery, nutrition and food security, residue use, assets, mechanization, and extension. The paper closes with a discussion of opportunities and pathways to mitigate these trade-offs, including gender transformative approaches, engagement with alternative or nontraditional partners with different but complementary perspectives and strengths, “smart” combinations of technologies and approaches, and policies for inclusive development.

By Yahya Rauf/CIMMYT

A meeting last month highlighted the efforts of the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) and CIMMYT to improve wheat in the country. PARC and CIMMYT-Pakistan organized the annual wheat planning and Wheat Productivity Enhancement Program (W-PEP) meeting from 17 to 18 September at the National Agriculture Research Centre (NARC) in Islamabad.

The meeting reviewed progress and achievements during the last three years under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) funded W-PEP program and refined work plans for 2013-14. The program is aimed primarily at developing wheat varieties that resist Ug99 stem rust as well as fostering seed multiplication and distribution, improved agronomic practices and human resource development in the agriculture sector to ensure food security. During the inaugural session, USDA Agriculture Counselor Clay Hamilton said the USA and Pakistan have a long history of agricultural collaboration. The U.S. will continue to provide support for wheat productivity in Pakistan, he said.

Shahid Masood, PARC scientist from the Plant Sciences Division, highlighted PARC’s role in strengthening the national and provincial agricultural research system in coordination with national and international collaborators and research partners. Imtiaz Muhammad, CIMMYT country liaison officer for Pakistan, briefed the participants about W-PEP’s achievements during last three years and the impact of this program on the national wheat research system in rust surveillance, breeding, pre-breeding and capacity building, which led to the release of Ug-99 resistant wheat varieties like NARC-2011. National partners from all provinces, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan, presented their achievements and work plans for 2013-14. They acknowledged the role of USDA, CIMMYT and PARC in supporting wheat productivity enhancement in Pakistan.

By S.P. Poonia/CIMMYT

A CIMMYT project working in the rural districts of Jharkhand, India, is encouraging farmers to grow maize and use conservation agriculture practices to adapt to decreased rainfall and a changing climate. CIMMYT’s Sustainable Intensification of Smallholder Maize-Livestock Farming Systems in Hill Areas of South Asia project is funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development.

The project is working with scientists from Krishi Vigyan Kendras research and extension centers (KVKs), Birsa Agricultural University, the state agricultural department and farmers to promote maize as a viable alternative to rice in stress-prone and rain-dependent districts of Jharkhand. The rural farming population is vulnerable to rainfall fluctuations and drought is recurrent in Jharkhand. Almost 90 percent of the cultivated area is monocropped (mostly with rice), and only 9 percent of the cropped area is irrigated.

The local non-governmental organization Vikash Bharti Farm Science Centre and CIMMYT organized Maize Day on 29 August in Gumla district. The event brought together 400 farmers, state agricultural department scientists, district officials and extension agents to highlight the benefits of cultivating maize, using conservation agriculture to enhance productivity. They also discussed the need for better policies. “Quality protein maize (QPM) is nutritionally superior to normal maize and provides additional dietary benefits to the tribal farmers who consume maize. It’s also a nutritious feed for poultry,” said A.K. Singh, KVKs zonal director for the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.

In Basuwa village in Gumla district, farmers cultivated more than 80 hectares of the QPM hybrid HQPM 1 for the first time this year and have committed to increase maize cultivation to 323 hectares next year. “Earlier, farmers in my village were interested in growing only rain-fed rice because it’s their staple food,” said Joni Uraon, head of the Basuwa village council. “But now they are very happy with maize because it is giving them higher profits.” Farmers also asked for stronger market linkages to ensure competitive prices for their produce. Panai Uraon, the Gumla district government collector, welcomed the efforts of scientists and farmers to promote maize cultivation and announced additional funds will be allocated to the Basuwa village council for agricultural development activities and to supplement local irrigation systems. Ken Sayre, who has extensive knowledge of Turkey and the region, conducted the course. He also travelled to three key research institutes in Ankara, Eskisehir and Konya prior to the workshop to see the experimental fields and discuss how to reduce variability in the fields and enhance the precision of experiments.