News – Page 165

“You go to the field.” U.S. Borlaug Fellows in Global Food Security

Written by on August 1, 2013. Posted in News.

When asked how you become a successful wheat breeder, Dr. Norman E. Borlaug replied, “Well, you go to the field. You go to the field again, and then you go to the field. When the wheat plants start to talk to you, you know you have made it.” The Nobel Peace Prize, the Congressional Gold Medal, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom were awarded to Dr. Borlaug for saving the lives of over one billion through his efforts. Borlaug’s legacy continues today through the U.S. Borlaug Fellows in Global Food Security Program at the Center for Global Food Security, Purdue University, providing graduate students the opportunity to “go to the field” and become successful scientists in their own right.

Funded by USAID, the Borlaug Fellowship provides graduate students the opportunity to collaborate with agricultural scientists in developing nations. The program fosters connections between scientists internationally, while furthering research and developing community around important agricultural themes, such as production, natural resource conservation, and development. With a focus on interdisciplinary and cross-cultural experiences, students benefit from the ability to practice their science on the ground in an international setting, preparing them to become important members of the global scientific community. Doctoral candidates Ariel N. Rivers of Pennsylvania State University and Sean M. Thompson of Texas A&M University were given the opportunity to “go to the field” during the 2013 field season in partnership with CIMMYT.

Of the dual-title program, Entomology and International Agriculture and Development at Pennsylvania State University, Rivers (pictured above) is mid-way through her six-month tenure at CIMMYT’s El Batán station. By studying the three practices of conservation agriculture —crop rotation, minimal soil disturbance, and retention of crop residues on the soil surface— Rivers hopes to better understand which of these practices augment beneficial insect communities and how. In high enough numbers, beneficial insects can contribute to pest control, nutrient cycling, and soil aeration, all of which are essential to agricultural production in low-input developing country agriculture.

Thompson (pictured right), of the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences at Texas A&M University, is working with Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to non-destructively assess wheat root biomass. This technology could allow for rapid, non-destructive assessment of populations and selection for traits undetectable by traditional methods. The primary objective of this research is to define the capability of GPR to phenotype below ground crop biomass, in the context of higher yield and quality stability in wheat during drought stress. GPR is one of the many field-based high-throughput phenotyping technologies being tested in CIMMYT’s Wheat Physiology program.

Both Rivers and Thompson plan to collaborate internationally after they complete their doctoral studies. “We have benefitted from the opportunity to practice that skill at CIMMYT,” they both agree. “Thanks to the example set by Borlaug, we are better prepared to take our science ‘to the field’.” Further information about the research or the U.S. Borlaug Fellowship in Global Food Security can be obtained by contacting the Purdue Center for Global Food Security.

CIMMYT-CCAFS modeling team discusses gender in Ethiopia

Written by on July 29, 2013. Posted in News.

Exploring the potential for integrating gender at a range of scales in the work of the CIMMYT-CCAFS modeling team, members of the team accompanied by colleagues from the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 4 July 2013 for a half-day explanatory CIMMYT-CCAFS Gender and Modeling Workshop. The workshop was organized by gender consultant Cathy Farnworth as part of a wider drive to bring gender into CIMMYT-CCAFS work.

The workshop began with a series of presentations, first of which was by IWMI hydrologist Tracy Baker. Baker focused on ‘Incorporating gender and other perceptions into physically based modeling environments,’ emphasizing that incorporating gender into modeling was part of a wider need to integrate the complexities of human nature into models. Gender incorporation can improve models because women and men use landscapes in different ways, Baker stressed, pointing out Participatory Geographic Information System (PGIS) modeling as one option that may offer insights into gendered uses of landscape. Baker demonstrated gendered uses and perceptions of landscape through a case study of her own work in Kenya, in which she showed that women and men use the same landscape in very different ways.

CIMMYT climate economist Songporne Tongruksawattana discussed ‘Gender issues in farm household modeling’ describing a typical household model and the challenges climate change poses for intra-household decision-making.

CIMMYT’s crop modeler and GIS specialist Kindie Tesfaye presented work on ‘Biophysical and economic modeling at scale,’ conducted by himself, Sika Gbegbelegbe, Uran Chung, and Kai Sonder, and focused on simulating climate change impacts and scenarios and the role of promising technologies at different spatial and temporal scales. He concluded his presentation by listing pertinent questions on the opportunities and challenges of incorporating gender into biophysical and economic modeling.

CIMMYT’s agricultural anthropologist Michael Misiko’s work was titled ‘Handling gender issues in agriculture: A tricky balance between biophysical and social facets’, and examined how mechanization in conjunction with the promotion of conservation agriculture (CA) exposes gender relations in farming systems and can lead to both opportunities and new inequalities between women and men. He pointed out that while machines and tools are not gendered and can be used equally by women and men, in practice women are frequently not able to take advantage of machinery. From a purely technical point of view CA should be ideal for women, since it should minimize drudgery, particularly weeding, but in reality women’s tasks are often hard to mechanize due to their intrinsic nature, women’s often small and scattered plots, and because women are not a target priority group for mechanization by extension agents.

The workshop continued with a group discussion led by Baker. Issues raised and discussed included: How to ask the right questions at the right scale? How can we combine PGIS derived maps created by women/men and different ethnic communities? Whose voices are prioritized? Who participates and why? Who decides who participates? Whose reality are you trying to capture?

Participants then discussed ways forward and agreed to create a gender and modeling taskforce and a cross-CGIAR forum for discussion and engagement; they hope to follow up with another, larger-scale, workshop in 2014. Later, CIMMYT-CCAFS modeling team members discussed how to strengthen gender in their work plans.

Research battles wheat spot blotch disease

Written by on July 19, 2013. Posted in News.

wheat-spot-blotch-disease After screening some 500 wheat lines and varieties at 6 sites in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal, a group of scientists were able to identify 35 genotypes that resist spot blotch. This is the number-one disease of wheat in the Eastern Gangetic Plains, seriously damaging the crops of farmers—who are mostly smallholders—on some 9 million hectares.

The results were reported at a meeting of participants in two projects of WHEAT, the CGIAR Research Program on this crop, at Mohanpur Campus of IISER-Kolkata, India, on 24 June 2013. Funded through multi-year competitive grants from WHEAT, the two project are “Deciphering phytohormone signaling in modulation of resistance to spot blotch disease for identification of novel resistance components for wheat improvement,” led by Shree P. Pandey, IISER-Kolkata, and “Spot blotch of wheat: Delivering resistant wheat lines and diagnostic and molecular markers for resistance,” led by Ramesh Chand of Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. Among other things, participants discussed year-one outcomes and laid plans for the coming crop cycle.

Chand reported on the seedling stage resistance found in the wheat tested. In this type of resistance, the pathogen is present on wheat seedlings for up to 25 days without any infection, exhibiting responses such as lesion mimic and tissue necrosis, which appear to attenuate pathogen effects. The resistance gene Sr2 was also found in most of the resistant seed.

Exciting moments in the meeting were the discussions of biochemical and histo-pathological parameters and their possible integration in the resistance screening. Pandey and his team reported novel research to understand phytohormone signals that regulate wheat’s resistance against Bipolaris sorokiniana–the causal pathogen of spot blotch—and which are synthesized in response to the pathogen’s attack. The IISER group is assembling a dictionary of signaling genes that can serve as genomic tools for resistance breeding in wheat. “Expression of these DNA ‘words’ changes when plants are attacked by the spot blotch pathogen,” said Pandey. “Deciphering this word choice can elucidate the chain of command in plants in to the pathogen, helping breeders to design plants better-equipped with resistance genes.”

Finally, there was a report on the field performance of the 500 lines at two other locations, UBKV Coochbehar and RAU Pusa.

In addition to the scientists mentioned above, participants included WHEAT manager Victor Komerell; CIMMYT researcher Arun Joshi; Prof. V.K. Mishra, BHU, Varanasi; Prof. Apurba Chowdhury; Dr. P.M. Bhattacharya, UBKV; and Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Rajendra Agricultural University, Pusa, Bihar; as well as other wheat researchers from IISER-K.

“The partners here submitted separate proposals for the projects,” said Komerell. “This meeting furnishes an example of how WHEAT has encouraged them to collaborate.”

CIMMYT/CCAFS in India: Gender, action, research

Written by on July 19, 2013. Posted in News.

In June 2013, ML Jat (Global Conservation Agriculture Program) and research teams in Bihar and Haryana, India, welcomed CIMMYT gender specialist Tina Beuchelt and gender consultant Cathy Farnworth to discuss integration of gender perspectives into their daily research routine. The visit was triggered by the request from the CRP on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) to enhance women’s access to and use of agricultural and climate-related services and information (IDO5).

The visit began with discussions held with individual researchers on how to include a gender perspective in their work plans and field experiments, demonstration plots, out-scaling efforts, and surveys. The team visited farmers participating in CIMMYT/CCAFS projects in Bihar and Haryana, where lively small group discussions helped the visitors to gain a deeper understanding of the situation of women and men, their roles and responsibilities, and gender-related constraints existing in their small-scale farming systems. The team met with smallholder and better-off farmers, as well as landless workers and female-headed households to obtain a representative picture of those involved in agriculture in CIMMYT/CCAFS target areas. Men and women were interviewed separately, and CIMMYT staff helped to explain the production systems and the basket of climate-smart farming options currently available, and shared their thoughts on how to respond to specific gender challenges.

Given the varying agro-ecological environments and socioeconomic characteristics of farmers in each state, it was agreed that in order to address IDO5 successfully, new partners, new allies, and new ideas are needed. While the discussions proceeded well, one of the female participants made a timely and heart-felt warning: “You ask us to take risks, but where will you be if we fail?”

The trip culminated with a workshop on “Pathways of gender-equity led climate-smart farming: learning from stakeholders” organized jointly by the Directorate of Wheat Research (DWR), the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), and CIMMYT/CCAFS in Haryana on 7 June 2013. A wonderful mix of male and female farmers; farmer organizations; researchers from ICAR, Haryana Agricultural University, and CGIAR; extension and developmental organizations, including the State Department of Agriculture, NGOs; private sector organizations; and politicians – about 65 participants in total – joined the workshop and contributed with great enthusiasm to discussions on advantages and disadvantages of different climate-smart technologies for women, more effective types of institutional support required to support women etc. Participants then formed small groups to discuss concrete ideas for action to support women in agriculture, which was followed by presentations and discussions in a plenary session chaired by DRW director Indu Sharma.

The workshop was concluded with dinner wherein Suresh Gahalawat, Deputy Director for Agriculture in Karnal at the Government of Haryana, who had showed great enthusiasm regarding the topic during the workshop, announced that: “Gender will become part of the agricultural policies of Haryana”. “To start with, we will include the gender component in all schemes operated in the district,” he added, confirming the importance and success of the workshop.

The Indian research team is strongly committed to integrating gender into their research activities

Course on remote sensing using an unmanned aerial vehicle in Peru

Written by on July 19, 2013. Posted in News.

Course-on-remote-sensing-using-an-unmanned-aerial-vehicle Training on the use of remote sensing from an unmanned aerial vehicle was given at INIAP-Peru’s Vista Florida experiment station on 1-5 June 2013. The course was organized by INIAP, the University of Barcelona, Spain, and CIMMYT’s regional office in Colombia. Remote sensing is used in precision agriculture and for phenotyping crops that are important for the region, such as maize, rice, and sugar cane.

Course participants included 44 representatives from the International Potato Center (CIP), the University of Talca (Chile), INIA-Peru, and Peru’s Ministry of Agriculture, among other institutions. The course is one of several activities sponsored by the “Affordable field-based HTPPs” project led by José Luis Araus of the Department of Plant Biology of the University of Barcelona and funded by CRP MAIZE. During the event, a phenotyping platform developed within the framework of the project was presented to INIA.

The director of the Vista Florida station, Miguel Monsalve Aita, opened the course, which was given by distinguished academics and scientists such as José Luis Araus; Pablo Zarco and Alberto Hornero from the Sustainable Agriculture Institute, Córdoba, Spain; Antón Hernández, president of AirElectronics, Madrid, Spain; Carlos Poblete, Claudio Balbotín, and Gustavo Lobos from the University of Talca, Chile; Hildo MacLean and Susan Palacios from CIP, and Luis Narro from CIMMYT’s Global Maize Program.

The lectures focused on topics such as applying remote sensing in phenotyping; spectral and thermal remote sensing of stress from unmanned aircraft; image and data processing; use of software to process the gathered information; and thermal image analysis for diagnosing drought stress and controlling irrigation. In addition, Hildo MacLean showed how the Oktokopter–XL works. Luis Narro demostrated how to use the new version of the GreenSeeker for making recommendations on N application in maize and, Antón Hernández showed how the unmanned aircraft Sky Walker, which comes equipped with a flight programmer, an infrared camera, and a multispectral camera for collecting data, works. The aircraft used in the demonstration was donated to the Vista Florida station as part of the project’s contributions.

Another essential part of the course was the intensive training on subjects such as platform management, flight programming, and downloading and processing information that was provided to a group of technicians from INIA and private seed companies. Also, Given that INIA technicians who are in charge of the platform need to become thoroughly familiar with it, three technicians from Vista Florida will go to Spain in September to take a course on processing and interpreting images.

The course organizers wish to express their appreciation to the Vista Florida Maize Program.

Course-on-remote-sensing-using-an-unmanned-aerial-vehicle3

MasAgro presents high quality, high yielding maize hybrids to seed producers

Written by on July 19, 2013. Posted in News.

Investigation plot of hybrid seed production technology in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico.

Mexican seed producers and researchers who participate in the Sustainable Modernization of Traditional Agriculture (MasAgro) initiative met recently at El Cantón, a location close to Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico, where experimental plots aimed at producing high quality and higher yielding hybrid maize seed are planted.

“The purpose of these experimental plots is to adapt the best production technologies to three mega-environments (highland valleys, tropics, and subtropics), observe the performance of seed targeted for agricultural areas where MasAgro operates, and identify new locations where hybrid maize seed with high physical and genetic quality can be produced,” explained Félix San Vicente, leader of the maize component of MasAgro.

This strategy aims to coordinate the development and multiplication of hybrid maize seed adapted to rainfed areas that are a priority for MasAgro, as well as to promote its adoption among medium- and small-scale maize farmers.

People attending the field day received information on the yield of maize hybrids developed by participants in MasAgro’s Network of Seed Sector Members and Cooperators, which includes 35 Mexican seed companies and agricultural research institutes. Both white and yellow hybrids were presented––seven for highland valleys, five for the tropics, and four for the subtropics. The seeds were derived from simple and triple crosses that have higher adaptation and yield capacity. The materials presented are at the pre-commercial stage, but most are already available to seed companies that belong to the network.

Félix San Vicente, Leader of the maize component of MasAgro.

CIMMYT researchers explained that the objective is to endow seed currently being improved using conventional breeding methods with key agronomic traits such as adaptation capacity, high yield, days to flowering, and staggered sowing in order to better synchronize flowering.

Members of the MasAgro network hope to increase the hybrid

maize seed production area in the 2013 fall-winter cycle, thanks to the high adaptation capacity and good performance shown by materials developed for tropical, subtropical, and highland valley production areas targeted by MasAgro.

Also attending the event were representatives of 23 Mexican seed companies, as well as researchers from Mexico’s National Forestry, Agricultural, and Livestock Research Institute (INIFAP) and academics from the Southern Regional University Center of Chapingo Autonomous University (UACh).

CIMMYT’s work highly appreciated in Ethiopia

Written by on July 19, 2013. Posted in News.

Bekeles-Ethiopia The third Dialogue on Ethiopian Agricultural Development: Agricultural Research for National Development in the Face of Climate Change and Food Security was held during 4-5 July 2013 at the Haramaya University of Agriculture, Haramaya Harar. The Dialogue aimed to provide a platform for discussion on agricultural research for development and transformation of the sector for food security in Ethiopia.

The Dialogue was attended by World Food Prize Laureate and distinguished professor Gebissa Ejeta; two members of the agricultural standing committee of the Ethiopian parliament; alumni of the Haramaya University working at various national, regional, and international top-level positions, such as Berhane Gebrekidan, Sime Debela, Zemedu Worku, Ephirem Mamo, and Solomon Bekure; senior staff of Haramaya, Jimma, Hawassa, Dire Dawa, and Mekele universities; members of USAID’s Capacity to Improve Agriculture and Food Security (CIAFS); representatives of the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR); the Ethiopian Seed Enterprise; CIMMYT; and ILRI.

Panel discussions covered 60 years of agricultural research in Ethiopia; agricultural research at regional institutes and Ethiopian universities; perspectives of users of technologies generated by the national agricultural research system (NARS); linking research at international levels with NARS for greater impact; the Ethiopian experience; presentations on contributions of agricultural research in Ethiopia in terms of food security, foreign earnings, and climate change adaptation; reflections on dialogues and issues deserving special attention; and recommendations for enhancing efficiency and productivity of NARS.

Three CIMMYT scientists –Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa project leader Tsedeke Abate, Bekele Shiferaw from the Socioeconomics Program, and Bekele Abeyo from the Global Wheat Program– presented during the panel discussions. The presentations were followed by a Q&A session, during which CIMMYT was named as top-rated CG center in Ethiopia due to its contributions, along with other institutions and centers, to national agricultural education, research for development, and extension with outputs and impacts. CIMMYT was commended by the current and former EIAR directors general and deputy director general, as well as Haramaya University senior alumni and political representatives, for its long-standing relations and close collaborative work with the NARS in generating technologies, strengthening national capacities, and reaching farmers.

As the meeting assessed the gaps and constraints of agriculture for development, ways forward, and future continuity of the dialogue, Abeyo assured the participants that “CIMMYT is committed to continue and maintain its high-quality contributions to Ethiopia.”

Tracking the adoption patterns in maize and legume farming system in Ethiopia

Written by on July 19, 2013. Posted in News.

DSC_5826_Group-photo-900x4001 Myths and cultural practices can block farmers’ acceptance of a new technology, particularly the principles of reduced tillage, residue retention, and cropping rotations that underlie conservation agriculture. This was one observation in a recent visit to farmers in four districts in Ethiopia by Australian International Food Security Centre (AIFSC) director, Mellissa Wood, and AIFSC Biosecurity and Food Safety Manager, Dennis Bittisnich.

Farmers in one village who continued intensive tilling instead of conservation agriculture said that tillage helps control crop diseases. Many Ethiopian farmers also keep livestock, so crop residues have higher value as fodder for cows than as cover for soils. “Maize stover is also used as fuel for cooking fires,” said CIMMYT socioeconomist Menale Kassie, who is also regional leader for the project Adoption Pathways to Sustainable Intensification in Eastern and Southern Africa. “Understanding the constraints and incentives affecting adoption is crucial, if innovations are to be relevant for farmers.”

The four-year adoption pathways project is funded by AIFSC, managed by the Australian

Fatuma Hirpo on her conservation agriculture demonstration plot where she has intercropped drought tolerant maize variety Melkassa II with beans.

Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), and led by CIMMYT, in collaboration with national universities and research institutes in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania; the University of Queensland, Australia; the Norwegian University of Life Sciences; and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

According to Menale, the project is closely linked to the Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Legume Systems for Food Security in East and Southern Africa (SIMLESA) program; working where SIMLESA has been promoting and testing conservation agriculture using demonstrations on farms and on national agriculture research stations.

Farmers learn from their peers, particularly early adopters and those who lend their farms to showcase the practices. Fatuma, a widowed mother of 10 and an early adopter who farms with help from her children, says reducing tillage has cut her work load. She is a role model to other farmers—a rare feat for a woman, according to village sources—and neighbors have decided to try conservation agriculture after seeing Fatuma’s crops flourish.

“The project will evaluate the data and use the rich survey information to advise on potential policy and technical interventions,” said Yirga, researcher with the Ethiopian Institute of Agriculture Research (EIAR) and country coordinator for the project. Innovative livestock management and community engagement can help, according to Chilot Yirga, as can providing alternative cattle feeds such as intercropped legume fodders, which also enrich soils by fixing nitrogen. “The way to show this is through on-farm demonstrations,” said Wood, lauding the researchers for the on-station trials and on-farm engagement. “In Australia, conservation agriculture is very important as we have a lot of drought and changing rainfall patterns; CA makes us more productive.”

SIMLESA scientists receive agronomy training in South Africa

Written by on July 19, 2013. Posted in News.

SIMLESA-ARC-trainees Fifteen young scientists from SIMLESA partner and spillover countries were recently trained by the Agricultural Research Council of South Africa (ARC-SA) on various aspects of agronomy and innovation learning platforms (ILePs), including conservation agriculture principles, nitrogen fixation, experimental design and field layout, agro-climatology principles, and data collection and analysis.

The training took place during 06-17 May 2013 at three ARC institutes: Institute for Soil, Climate and Water (ARC-ISCW), Plant Protection Research Institute (ARC-PPRI), and Grain Crops Institute (ARC-GCI), and aimed to expose the scientists to grain production information and to enable assimilation of terms, theories, and principles through practice. The training was based on experiential learning principles and employed a variety of interactive learning methods, scientific presentations, discussions, multiple practical sessions in the laboratory, and field demonstrations.

During field visits, such as the one to SOYGRO, a company manufacturing rhizobium inoculant and related products, trainees got to experience how the grain industry functions in South Africa from manufacturing and packing to the distribution processes.

Trainees also visited the NAMPO Harvest Day in Bothaville, Free State, taking place during the NAMPO Agricultural Trade Show, one of the largest privately organized and owned exhibitions in the world and the largest agricultural machinery and livestock show in the Southern Hemisphere. The show draws more than 650 exhibitors each year from all over the world, including Australia, Sweden, the USA, Italy, Brazil, and Germany. Another visit on the program was to the Unit of Environmental Sciences and Management at the North-West University, where Professor Driekie Fourie introduced the trainees to the University research programs and related study fields. Before the trip, Professor Johnny van den Berg from the University had given an introductory talk on integrated pest management.

The program was coordinated by CIMMYT agronomist Fred Kanampiu, Yolisa Pakela-Jezile from ARC-CO, and Annelie de Beer from ARC-GCI. Participants are expected to use their newly acquired knowledge and skills to train their colleagues.

Under the Memorandum of Understanding between ARC and CIMMYT under SIMLESA, ARC is responsible for organizing capacity building of scientists and extension officers in the five target countries (Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania) and the seven spillover countries (Uganda, Botswana, Rwanda, and South Sudan). SIMLESA is funded by the Australian government through ACIAR.

Tackling toxins with aflasafe™

Written by on July 18, 2013. Posted in Features.

Introducing-aflasafe-to-farmers-300dpi-1 “All the maize for my home consumption comes from my aflasafe™-treated field,” says farmer Alhaji Al-Hassan from Nigeria’s Kaduna State. “When I take my maize to the market, buyers rush for it because the quality looks better. The grains look clean.”

First developed by the USDA and adapted for use in Nigeria by the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), aflasafe™ is fast gaining ground across Africa as a non-toxic and affordable solution to one of the continent’s most serious food safety issues.

Aflatoxins are invisible, tasteless poisons produced by Aspergillus flavus, a mould commonly found infecting crops such as maize and groundnut, both in the field and in storage. While acute exposure to aflatoxins can kill, prolonged exposure leads to impeded growth, liver disease, immune suppression and cancer with women, children and the poor and most vulnerable. Aflatoxins also impact international trade, with African economies losing US$450 million every year from barred exports.

Competitive exclusion

Aflasafe™ works by ‘pushing out’ harmful, toxin-producing strains of A. flavus from the field through the deliberate introduction of indigenous but non-toxic, harmless strains – a process known as ‘competitive exclusion’. Heat-killed sorghum grains are coated with the non-toxic fungal strains and scattered by hand in the field prior to crop flowering. Field tests in Nigeria between 2009 and 2012 showed that use of aflasafe™ consistently reduced aflatoxin contamination in maize and groundnut crops by 80-90%.

In 2012, these findings led to the adoption of the biocontrol product by several extension agencies in Nigeria. IITA is currently constructing a low-cost manufacturing facility at its Ibadan campus in order to optimize the production process for aflasafe™ so that it can be taken up by other developing countries. The facility, which will be able to produce up to five tons of aflasafe™ per hour will also test commercialization models. Market linkages between aflasafe™ users and quality conscious food processors are also being developed, in collaboration with the private sector. With aflatoxin-contaminated maize in poultry feed being a major risk to animal health, links are also being developed with poultry producers.

Spreading the science

The success of aflasafe™ has led to an expansion in biocontrol research in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Senegal, Tanzania, and Zambia. In Kenya, IITA has identified four non-toxic strains of A. flavus in locally grown maize, which are now being used to make a Kenya-specific product called aflasafe™-KE01. Researchers from the Institute are currently gathering efficacy data to determine where the product will be deployed. “We are happy with the innovative scientific solution which has done well in Nigeria,” says Wilson Songa, Kenya’s agriculture secretary. “The ball is now in our court, and we shall move fast… We needed the technology yesterday!”

Senegal is also developing its own version – aflasafe™-SE01, and IITA is optimistic that both Kenya and Senegal will have their own fully registered versions of aflasafe™ in two years, with Burkina Faso reaching the same point in three years and Zambia in four. Meanwhile, at the 2012 G20 meeting in Mexico, G20 leaders announced that aflasafe™ will be one of three initial pilot projects to be supported under the ‘AgResults’ initiative which aims to incentivize the adoption of agricultural technologies by the poor.

Affordable technology

IITA’s experience in Nigeria suggests that the cost of aflasafe™ – at US$1.5 per kg, with a recommended usage of 10 kg per hectare – is affordable for most farmers in the country. The Institute calculates that adoption of biocontrol with other management practices will reduce aflatoxin contamination by more than 70% in maize and groundnut and increase crop value by at least 25%, as well as improving the health of women and children.

With mass production and commercialization of the technology now imminent in Nigeria, the country’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Hon. Akinwumi Adesina, has been enthusiastic in his support. “For too many years we have neglected to regulate aflatoxin in the production of food,” Adesina says. “IITA has worked tirelessly to control aflatoxin and educate farmers on the harmful effects of this toxin. When we consider the potential benefits of aflasafe™, it is ultimately smallholders who stand to gain the most,” he concludes.

The CRP MAIZE will be discussing the role of maize in Africa at the Africa Agriculture Science Week (15-20 July) on 16 July in Accra, Ghana. Join us if you can and follow the AASW Blog and #AASW6 on Twitter.

Curbing maize postharvest losses key to attaining food security in Kenya

Written by on July 15, 2013. Posted in News.

Kenya1-900x674 Kenya has experienced tremendous improvements in maize productivity, rising from 1,530,000 metric tons in 2002 to 3,420,000 in 2011. However, postharvest losses of up to 40% of the harvested grain pose great challenges to attaining food security, as about 80% of Kenyans live in rural areas and derive their livelihoods mostly from agricultural activities. With maize being the main staple crop and agriculture the cornerstone of Kenya’s economy accounting for 27% of GDP and producing over 75% of industrial raw materials, postharvest losses also pose a challenge to the economic development of the country. To address these issues, CIMMYT and the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) organized the Improved Postharvest Management Training Course for Extension & Media Personnel in Nakuru, Kenya, during 26-27 June 2013.

“It is pointless to heavily invest in good agricultural practices, attain high yields, and lose 40% of it. Feeding the nation does not only require increased production but also a safeguard of all that is produced,” stated Leonard Ochieng’, Nakuru County director of agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, presiding over the official opening of the course. The training aimed to build technical capacity in hermetic grain storage technologies, such as metal silos and hermetic bags, among Kenyan extension and media staff.

According to Tadele Tefera, CIMMYT entomologist and coordinator of the Effective Grain Storage for Sustainable Livelihoods of African Farmers Project, the course also intended to create awareness on the importance of grain postharvest management, help extension and media staff gain insights into different factors affecting postharvest management, and explain traditional and improved postharvest technologies and their use in grain loss reduction. According to Nakuru County Crops Protection Officer Hannah Oduor, there is always a surplus of maize in Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, and Nakuru (the Rift Valley counties referred to as the granaries of Kenya), but the country is forced to import more nonetheless. “We cannot afford to continue importing maize, for this is a very expensive and unsustainable affair. Money for development is used to import food that we could have easily safeguarded with appropriate technologies like metal silos,” stated Ochieng’. The problem lies in high incidence of maize weevils and the larger grain borer combined with lack of effective storage technologies. “We need technologies like the metal silos for effective storage of this surplus to cater for periods of scarcity and for redistribution to other parts of the country where production is below consumption,” said Oduor.
Grace Kirui, the Nakuru deputy county director of agriculture in charge of extension and training, lauded CIMMYT and KARI for organizing the course. “It was in line with the Ministry of Agriculture’s renewed efforts in intensifying training and dissemination of appropriate pre- and post- harvest technologies to reduce both quantitative and qualitative losses,” she noted and then called on the trainees to use their newly-acquired knowledge to educate and create awareness among the wider public. “The technologies that reduce postharvest losses, to which you have been exposed during the training, will go a long way in improving food security, creating employment, increasing farm incomes, saving on foreign exchange, and alleviating poverty,” said Kirui. “I call upon you, agricultural extension officers, to work hand in hand with artisans to promote the technology during your normal extension activities, field days, exhibitions, and shows.”

Inspired by women communal farmers

Written by on July 13, 2013. Posted in News.

BenhildaMasuka-02 — Benhilda Masuka is a maize physiologist who joined CIMMYT Zimbabwe in 2009.

How would you describe your experience of becoming a female researcher in a traditionally male-dominated field?

Masuka: During the school year I lived with my father in a small farming town called Rusape, Zimbabwe. In December and January, I spent the holiday planting and weeding with my mom and my siblings in our village. I also helped harvesting the crops in April and May. Next to our village was a successful commercial farming community (the Mazoe district). The agriculture I observed around the two farming towns inspired me. At the same time, I hoped that by pursuing a career in agriculture I could help the communal farming communities (like where my mother farmed) which were dominated by women of all ages. Most of the men migrated (and still migrate) to urban areas for employment opportunities.

In 1996, I made up my mind to join the male-dominated field of agriculture research. It was a bold decision only because I was discouraged by the general opinion of the community that thought agricultural research was only suitable for men. As soon as I completed training in 1999, I taught agriculture in high school. It was only after some parents saw the practical application of what their children were learning in their own gardens and fields that they appreciated what the ‘lady agriculture teacher’ was capable of. When I joined a local agriculture college in 2003, the perception was different. They appreciated the presence of a woman in the team as a way of encouraging female students, to show them they could also make it in agriculture research and production. By then, the government had begun promoting women empowerment, too, and this made my experience easier.

While the presence of a female researcher is appreciated, there is still a tendency to look down upon women, assuming that certain types of work could only be done by men. Sometimes, the men I work with resist a woman’s leadership but I don’t let this discourage me. On the contrary, it gives me motivation to prove that female researchers are equally capable. I also try to maintain high personal standards in my work in order to encourage female researchers and colleagues at all levels. I owe a debt of gratitude to senior scientists who supported me – and who still support me — and who appreciate the participation of female scientists.

With the Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA) and Improved Maize for African Soils (IMAS) projects, I have been involved in improved variety development, testing and screening, and the dissemination of low nitrogen and drought tolerant varieties. I think the field is becoming more accepting of women scientists but in some parts of the world, there is still resistance.

In many parts of Africa/the world, women farmers are key actors in agricultural production and food security. How can your work empower them?

Masuka: It’s true in most parts of Africa women stay in the villages doing most of the farming while the men seek employment in the cities. Trends are changing, but the communal farming community is still dominated by women farmers. These women do not have sufficient capital to invest in improved seed, inorganic fertilizers, and irrigation facilities. They are farming in marginal areas with pulverized soils, sandy soils, and low rainfall.

The varieties developed by CIMMYT are reaching women farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Hopefully, with better yields, they can not only feed their families year-round but also sell their surplus crops to afford family health care and education.

What advice would you give to young girls wanting to study science?

Masuka: Science can be academically challenging but that applies to both men and women. It can be frustrating as a woman because, despite having gone through the same rigorous training, some people will think science is only for men. Men and women have the same capabilities when it comes to research. My advice for the young women who wish to become future researchers is to be passionate, determined, committed, and focused and you will make it.

The CRP MAIZE will be hosting a side event on the role of maize in Africa at the Africa Agriculture Science Week (15-20 July) on 16 July in Accra, Ghana. Join us if you can and follow the AASW Blog and #AASW6 on Twitter.

Dealing with a deadly maize disease in eastern Africa: an update

Written by on July 12, 2013. Posted in News.

“Maize is Africa’s most important cereal crop, with more than 300 million of Africa’s most vulnerable people depending on it for their food security and livelihoods,” says B.M. Prasanna, director of CIMMYT’s Global Maize Program. “The emergence of maize lethal necrosis in eastern Africa has dealt a big blow to farming communities and maize-based seed companies.” Maize lethal necrosis (MLN) infection rates and damage can be very high, seriously affecting yields and sometimes causing a complete loss of the crop. Infected plants are frequently barren; ears may be small or deformed and set little or no seed. “There is no maize farmer in the whole of Nyakinywa area in Kaplamai division [Kenya] who has been spared by the disease, which is a danger to food security,” said area chief Francis Morogo in April 2013 in an interview with the Daily Nation newspaper.

Control of MLN is complicated by the fact that it is caused by a combination of two viruses that are difficult to differentiate individually based on visual symptoms. In the past two years, studies undertaken jointly by CIMMYT and KARI have confirmed the vulnerability of most pre-commercial and commercial maize germplasm to MLN under natural disease pressure as well as under artificial inoculation. However, promising CIMMYT inbred lines and pre-commercial hybrids with resistance or moderate resistance to MLN have been identified, which offers considerable hope to combating the disease through breeding efforts.

Together, CIMMYT and KARI are now planning to establish a centralized MLN screening facility for eastern Africa at the KARI Livestock Research Farm in Naivasha to facilitate reliable screening of maize germplasm and deliver MLN-resistant varieties to replace existing susceptible cultivars as quickly as possible. “Besides accelerated development and delivery of elite MLN-resistant products to farmers, our aim is also to build the capacity of regional institutions for developing robust breeding pipelines to incorporate MLN-resistant germplasm, and ensure that farmers have access to such products at the earliest opportunity,” Prasanna adds.

Two new maize hybrids released in Bolivia

Written by on July 9, 2013. Posted in News.

maize-hybrids1 Bolivia’s National Institute for Agricultural, Livestock and Forestry Innovation (INIAF), in collaboration with CIMMYT, released two new maize hybrids, INIAF H1 and INIAF HQ2, targeting drought-prone areas with high production potential. The release was announced at an event held on 13-14 June 2013 in Villa Montes and Yacuiba.

The new releases are single-cross hybrids derived from CIMMYT lines. INIAF H1 is a yellow flint hybrid with good lodging resistance and excellent husk cover; INIAF HQ2 is a yellow semi-dent hybrid with high protein content (quality protein maize, QPM) and moderate drought tolerance. Both were tested at Villa Montes, where they competed favorably with two widely sown commercial checks, yielding 7 t/ha despite the low (352 mm) rainfall during the growing season.

While Bolivia is self-sufficient in maize production with about 300,000 ha sown to maize and an average yield of 3.3 t/ha, climate change is starting to impact the agricultural sector just like in other Latin American countries. Weather conditions during the current crop season have been unfavorable for production due to persistent drought, and last week the government declared the region of Chaco, where 80% of the country’s maize is produced, a natural disaster area.

Félix San Vicente receiving an award from the Minister of Energy.

In the light of the challenges, Rubén Vaca, Sector Executive of Villa Montes, who led the event during the first day, congratulated INIAF on its achievements and noted their potential for increasing the profitability of maize production. Similar sentiment was expressed by Nemesia Achacollo, Minister of Land and Rural Development, and José Sosa, Minister of Energy and Hydrocarbons, who attended the event in Yacuiba on day two. Achacollo applauded the release of the hybrids and announced that “the Ministry is allotting 2 million US$ to INIAF to support their maize program.” As the Ministry of Energy and Hydrocarbons is also involved in agriculture, Sosa stated that the urea factory being built in Cochabamba will support the development of Chaco Tarijeño and the country as a whole. Marcial Rengifo, Sector Development Executive of Chaco Tarijeño in Yacuiba, then stressed the importance of the hybrids for Chaco farmers, and Jemy Gonzales, manager of the National Seed Company, committed to multiplying all the hybrids released by INIAF in the future to ensure that high quality seed is accessible to farmers in a timely fashion and at a reasonable price.

After Achacollo presented a hybrids release certificate to INIAF director general Gabriel René Hoyos Bonillas, the coordinator of INIAF’s Maize Program, Tito Claure, thanked everyone present and asked that INIAF’s collaboration with CIMMYT be maintained, adding that he “would join forces with all the national institutions involved in maize production.”

“We must promote QPM, which – due to its superior nutritional qualities – benefits both the people who consume it directly as well as pig farmers,” said Luis Narro, CIMMYT maize breeder and focal point for South America. Narro then encouraged INIAF to adopt doubled haploid technology to reduce the time required to develop new hybrids and indicated that the GreenSeeker handheld sensor could be used to optimize nitrogen fertilization in maize crops.

Luis Narro explains the advantages of hybrid INIAF H1.

“The CIMMYT-INIAF collaboration that led to the hybrids release is part of CIMMYT’s regional efforts conducted jointly with an improved germplasm evaluation network in the lowland tropics of Latin America,” said Félix San Vicente, CIMMYT maize breeder for Latin America. “We are ready to strengthen these links in the future in order to be able to handle the negative impacts of climate change on the Chaco region in Bolivia,” he added.

At the end of the event, Narro and San Vicente received awards from the Bolivian authorities in recognition of their inter-institutional collaboration and joint successes.

Nutrient Expert™ decision support tools for maize and wheat launched

Written by on July 8, 2013. Posted in News.

Nutrient-Expert™ The Nutrient Expert™ decision support tools for maize and wheat in India were officially launched for public use on 20 June 2013 at the National Agricultural Science Centre Complex in New Delhi during a meeting jointly organized by the International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI) and CIMMYT.

Beginning in 2009 under the umbrella of the Cereal System Initiative in South Asia (CSISA) and later CRPs MAIZE, WHEAT, and CCAFS, the tools were developed through a joint effort of IPNI, CIMMYT, and national agricultural research systems to help Indian farmers achieve higher yields and profits. These easy-to-use, interactive, computer-based tools capture spatial and temporal variability to provide precise nutrient recommendations to smallholder farmers in the wheat and maize systems of India.

The Nutrient Expert™ was developed in collaboration with target users and local stakeholders from public and private sectors through a series of dialogues and consultations, using site-specific nutrient management principles. As a result, the tools reflect resource constraints of smallholder farmers, lack of access to soil testing, and absence of tillage-specific nutrient management strategies in India. In a three-year validation process assessing their efficacy under contrasting management scenarios, conducted across a large number of locations in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), state agricultural universities, state agriculture departments, and fertilizer and seed industries, the tools have shown improved productivity, profitability, efficiency, and reduced environmental footprints over existing fertilizer management practices. According to Bruno Gerard, Global Conservation Agriculture Program director, “the excellent outputs of the IPNI-CIMMYT partnership will benefit not only South Asia but also other regions.” Adding to the positives of the tools, IPNI vice president Adrian M. Johnston praised their unique ability to link databases for output.

The tools were launched at the presence of CIMMYT director general Thomas Lumpkin, ICAR Crop Sciences deputy director general Swapan K. Datta, agricultural commissioner with the Government of India JS Sandhu, Adrian M. Johnston, Bruno Gerard, and ICAR assistant director general for Natural Resource Management B. Moham Kumar. As India faces many challenges to feed its growing population with changing food habits, Lumpkin emphasized the need for new tools: “We need to apply precision agriculture on each square meter; we need tools like the Nutrient Expert™ and remote-sensing technology to be able to do so.”

During panel discussions following the launch, participants stressed the importance of the tools and charted out the future course of action for their large-scale dissemination. “The challenges currently faced by South Asia should be used as an opportunity to create impact. Enabling farmers to apply fertilizer nutrients correctly and in a more precise way is one such opportunity,” said Datta. The Nutrient Expert™ tools will also help reduce the knowledge gap between extension workers and farmers, he added. Concerned about the degradation of natural resources, Kumar stressed that “excessive and imbalanced use of chemicals significantly contributes to nonpoint source pollution. A precise, site-specific nutrient management approach is a welcome solution to this problem.”

The concluding session, chaired by KD Kokate, ICAR deputy director general for extension, and co-chaired by CIMMYT’s Raj Gupta, provided necessary guidance for dissemination throughout the national system and other stakeholders.

The program was coordinated by IPNI-South Asia director Kaushik Majumdar and CIMMYT senior cropping systems agronomist ML Jat. Nutrient-Expert™3