With funding from MAIZE and WHEAT CRPs, the Global Conservation Agriculture Program acquired a new remote sensing system consisting of a multispectral and a thermal camera, software, and methods allowing for semi-automated image processing. The two cameras were delivered in February by Pablo J. Zarco- Tejada, director of QuantaLab remote sensing laboratory, Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible (IAS), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Córdoba, Spain. Zarco-Tejada along with three technicians spent several days at CIMMYT-Obregón to train a pilot and CIMMYT staff on the equipment use.

The thermal camera helps to measure a water stress indicator: plant canopy temperature. Plants under water stress close their stomata to reduce transpiration, which increases crop canopy temperature as a result of reduction in evaporative cooling. Consequently, temperature differences between well-watered and water-stressed plants can be used to detect water stress accurately and at early stages. This will be used by MasAgro to measure the impact of tillage on crop water use efficiency, but it will also enable CIMMYT to develop a diagnostic tool based on the Crop Water Stress Index to help farmers determine the right time to irrigate wheat in the Yaqui Valley, Mexico. Once validated, the Crop Water Stress Index may also serve to identify the best time to irrigate plots at the research station.

The multispectral camera measures the light reflected in green, red, and near-infrared ranges. While a dense plant canopy can absorb more than 95% of the light in the visible range (violet to red), it reflects most of the light in the near-infrared range. Information on the light reflectance in the visible and near-infrared ranges helps to estimate ground cover and leaf area index, parameters usually correlated with biomass and yield. With two spectral channels in the red-edge region (in between the red and near-infrared ranges), the camera also allows to estimate the canopy chlorophyll content or greenness. Chlorophyll content is closely related to the nitrogen status of the crop, but it can be used to detect other nutrient deficiencies as well. Furthermore, the potential of using the multispectral camera in an airplane as a ‘flying GreenSeeker’ could enable researchers to diagnose nitrogen needs to optimize yield for around 1,000 hectares in about 1 hour, at a resolution of about 4 meters.

Within a few weeks, a hyperspectral camera will be added to the system. This camera with a spectral range between 400-1,000 nanometers is capable of acquiring 320 spectral bands and can be used to obtain images at a resolution as fine as 0.20 meters. It will be used to study the potential of the multispectral and hyperspectral sensors mounted on an airplane to diagnose nitrogen status and derive nitrogen recommendations to improve wheat quality (high protein content, low percentage of yellow berry, etc.). The hyperspectral imager also enables stress detection using other narrow-band vegetation indices related to the light-use efficiency, such as photochemical indicators, and quantification of chlorophyll fluorescence related to the canopy photosynthesis. Since all sensors can be mounted on the airplane simultaneously, it may be possible to diagnose irrigation and nitrogen fertilization needs during one flight. Thus researchers can develop diagnostic tools and recommendations for in-season nitrogen and water management to achieve higher nitrogen and water use efficiency.

The multispectral and thermal cameras are fully operational and will cover the research station in Obregón on a weekly basis until the end of April, with the resolution ranging between 0.20 and 0.40 meters, depending on the flight altitude and the type of camera. This is detailed enough to identify individual plots.

The collaboration between CIMMYT and QuantaLab-IAS-CSIC will continue through the setup of the new hyperspectral camera, further research conducted on crop stress indicators, and the identification of successful remote sensing indices. Canopy temperature, normalized difference vegetation index, and other vegetative indices will be made available at minor cost to all interested scientists. These measurements could be used for phenotyping, physiological, and agronomic research.

During 4-8 February 2013, stakeholders of the Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) project gathered in Nairobi, Kenya, for the Fifth Review and Planning Meeting to discuss achievements and challenges of the recently concluded WEMA Phase I (2008-2013) and to plan for the second phase of the project (2013-2017) which begins in March this year. In the past four years, WEMA has made several key achievements, including the successful application and approval of permits to conduct confined field trials for transgenic varieties in Kenya, Uganda, and South Africa. Kenya and Uganda are now in their third year of trials, South Africa in its fourth. The project has also managed to submit conventional drought tolerant maize hybrids into the national performance trials in Kenya. “It is expected that farmers will have these WEMA conventional maize seeds by 2014,” says Denis Kyetere, African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) executive director. CKH110078, one of the hybrids developed from the Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA) materials, is in its final stage of approval in Kenya.

Emily Twinamasiko, Uganda’s National Agricultural Research Organization director general and WEMA Executive Advisory Board chair, was pleased with the achievements made in 2012 and commended all teams and the operations committee for their great efforts. Natalie DiNicola, Monsanto vice president for Africa and Europe, commented on the indicators of success: “The project will never be successful until the farmer has a product to plant and options to choose from.” Getting the seed to the farmers was stressed also by Ephraim Mukisira, Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) director, who called for speedy deployment of the varieties: “KARI wants to see the product with the farmer. The scientists must work hard so that impact can be seen and be seen today.”

B.M. Prasanna, Global Maize Program director, thanked Monsanto for donating the drought tolerant and Bt genes. “This is a tremendous opportunity to address some of the biggest challenges to African smallholder farmers [drought and stem borer infestation]. MON810 presents yet another great opportunity for WEMA to tap into the products from the Insect Resistant Maize for Africa project to develop a product that addresses many of the insect related constraints.” He added that new but exciting challenges were posed by maize lethal necrosis, particularly because it has allowed the WEMA team to assure partners that the materials being produced are resistant to the disease. During a visit to trials at KARI-Kiboko, stakeholders observed WEMA varieties, many of which have outperformed some of the best local hybrid checks on the market. They also visited the confined field trials for Bt MON810 and drought tolerant MON87460 that are in their first and fourth seasons of trials, respectively.

Shifting attention from successes to challenges, Stephen Mugo, CIMMYT principal scientist and co-chair of the WEMA Product Development team, spoke of the major lessons learnt by the team in Phase I that are crucial for the success of the second phase: continuous training in trials modernization and modern breeding techniques is necessary, as is a good quality assurance program for the exchange of germplasm between the private and public sectors to minimize the risk of inappropriate germplasm exchange. The stage is now set for Phase II after the meeting streamlined WEMA II milestones and developed the WEMA II 2013 work plans.

Lawrence Kent from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation noted that “with great privilege comes lots of responsibilities. We therefore expect great success from WEMA.” This sentiment was shared by other stakeholders, who were impressed by the achievements of Phase I and thus have high expectations for Phase II. “WEMA continues to be a success because of the combined and dedicated efforts within the partnership: the national agricultural research systems, CIMMYT, Monsanto, and AATF. All these partners have continued to work together, celebrating project gains and resolving any challenges together for the good of the larger goal and promise to smallholder farmers, a promise of food security and better livelihoods,” stated Kyetere. “A food secure continent is among the greatest inheritance and legacy we can leave the generations that are coming after us, our children and to our children’s children.”

The Dowswell family would like to announce that they have finalized a scholarship with Winrock International in memory of Chris Dowswell, our former colleague and a dear friend to many. The Dowswell Scholarship Fund will provide need-based educational scholarships through the Safe University system with emphasis on agriculture education and training for women, areas that Chris was passionate about.

The Dowswell family has provided the initial funding of $50,000 dollars for the scholarship hoping that this can and will make a difference for select individuals in the targeted areas. If you are in a position to contribute to this fund, the Dowswell family would be very appreciative of your help to honor Chris and his life’s work.

For further information about the “Dowswell Scholarship Fund,” contact Judy Vance: jvance [at] winrock [dot] org.

On 6 February 2013, the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) in Ladowal, Punjab, India, received a delegation consisting of eight members of the German Parliament —Harald Ebner, Alexander Süßmair, Max Lehmer, Heinz Paula, Alois Gerig, Eric Schweickert, Mechthild Heil, and Gabriele Groneberg— and Sabine Raddatz (counselor for Food, Agriculture, and Consumer Affairs, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, India). The first ever high-level foreign delegation was welcomed by the CIMMYT-BISA team including Raj Gupta, ML Jat, HS Sidhu, Christian Böber, Tek Sapkota, and other BISA staff.

The purpose of the visit was to discuss food security issues in the context of resource degradation and climate change, and BISA’s role in assisting South Asian national agriculture research systems in addressing these challenges. In the beginning, Raj Gupta provided background information on the vision, mission, and partnerships of CIMMYT/BISA with national agriculture research systems. ML Jat then summarized the themes currently covered by BISA activities: (1) research infrastructure and farm development; (2) research on new maize and wheat germplasm, precision conservation agriculture, climate resilient production systems, and farm typology smart mechanization; (3) capacity enhancement through advanced courses, programs for visiting scientists, students, and interns, and exposure visits; and (4) partnerships and networking.

The delegation visited BISA farm and facilities to observe and better understand activities focusing on water table depletion, labor scarcity, residue burning, soil health deterioration, and climate change. The BISA team demonstrated no-till wheat with seven-ton surface residue of Sasbenia planted with front mounted knife roller (developed by BISA) and rear mounted turbo Happy Seeder in a single pass, and explained the advantages of this eco-friendly technology (including time, energy, and cost savings; reduction of environmental pollution; and climate adaptation). The long-term effects of residues on the likelihood of fungal disease manifestation were of particular interest to the German delegation. “There has been no evidence so far showing that keeping residuals might lead to a higher likelihood of diseases in the future,” Gupta addressed the concerns. “However, it will be monitored under the long-term conservation agriculture trials.”

When the delegation noticed a completely damaged winter maize crop on the other side of the fence of the BISA field, they were curious about what happened. “This is a result of severe frost injury, which shows the importance of developing cold tolerant maize germplasm,” explained ML Jat. Abiotic stress tolerant germplasm development is one of the issues on BISA’s agenda.

The visitors also observed BISA efforts on sustainable intensification of the cotton-wheat system, the second most important wheat based system in South Asia. They then discussed the application of pesticides and herbicides, assessment of different irrigation technologies, and crop management systems. Before leaving the BISA site, the delegation visited the new generation precision conservation agriculture machinery developed, adapted, and currently fin-etuned at BISA-Ludhiana. “BISA can play a critical role in smart farm mechanization in South Asia and other parts of the world by creating connections between stakeholders,” commented Er Baldev Singh, president of Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Association of India.

The members of parliament appreciated HS Sidhu and his team for their work on smart mechanization innovation for smallholder farmers.

In Timor-Leste, maize is the main staple crop grown by 88% of farming households. However, availability of quality seed of improved maize varieties is a major bottleneck for enhancing crop production and productivity. Experiences gained through the Seeds of Life program within the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) indicated that there was a significant yield advantage of MAF-released maize varieties over the local varieties under farmer management practices. The MAF recommended an improved open-pollinated maize variety Sele, originally LYDMR (Late, Yellow, Downy Mildew Resistant) introduced by the CIMMYT Asian Regional Maize Program, whose yield is 47% higher than that of traditional maize varieties (average result from 1,091 on-farm demonstrations trials during 2006-10).

Annually, Timor-Leste pays at least US$ 1.5 million to service its national maize seed requirements, a large expense for such a small nation. Despite intensive efforts, the supply of MAF-released Sele seed was only 32 tons in 2011 and 89 tons in 2012, which is far below the nation’s total maize seed requirements. To address the maize seed insecurity, the MAF, with support from the Australian Government through the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), included community-based seed production (CBSP) in the third phase of the Seeds of Life (SoL3) program. The Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture (CLIMA) within the University of Western Australia (UWA) is commissioned to coordinate the Australian-funded activities.

CBSP is a decentralized system of production, storage, and marketing of seeds by organized groups of farmers operating close to their homes as community groups or farmers associations. At the initial stage, the groups or associations received training on seed production, storage, and marketing from extension staff of MAF or NGOs. After gaining experience, these groups continue seed production activities on their own with little or no extension support. The CBSP groups follow basic seed production procedures, produce quality seed for use by group members, and sell or barter any surplus to others in the local community. The SoL3 program currently operates in 11 of the 13 districts of Timor-Leste (45 sub-districts and 135 sucos) through 680 CBSP groups with support from the MAFSoL extension program. Four hundred more CBSP groups are facilitated through collaboration with international NGOs, such as CARE, World Vision, Mercy Corps, Hivos, Catholic Relief Services, and USC Canada. The program not only supports maize seed production by community groups, but also seed production of other major food grains, such as rice and peanuts, as well as plots of improved varieties of cassava and sweet potato.

During the initial year of SoL3, nearly 726 CBSP groups were facilitated by MAF and NGOs. Of these, 320 (99 groups by MAF-SoL and 221 groups by NGOs) were growing Sele maize variety. Each participating group was composed of an average of 15 members, and each group was provided with 5 kg of certified Sele seed, sufficient to plant a 2,000 m2 seed plot. In the initial year of implementation, 289 CBSP groups produced an average of 159 kg of quality Sele seed (totaling 46 tons), while 31 groups suffered total crop failure due to grazing animals. This locally produced seed, stored in airtight 200-liter steel drums, was sufficient to meet the seed requirements of all group members and still leave extra seed for local barter or sale.

CBSP in Timor-Leste has proved to be a cost-effective and sustainable method of achieving local seed security. With further planning and effective implementation, each village, sub-district, and district in Timor- Leste could potentially achieve local seed security, a necessary prerequisite for maize food security of Timor-Leste.

In rural areas surrounding Chipata in eastern Zambia, tobacco, cotton, and maize seem to dominate the agricultural landscape. If you look closer, you will also see smaller fields with groundnuts, cowpeas, soybeans, and sunflowers. But there is yet another dimension of diversity: the different growth stages and (inadequate) fertilization levels of the crops have resulted in a patchwork of yellow to deep green fields of many sizes and shapes, with various degrees of weed infestation. In this smallholder farming area with an average annual rainfall of more than 1,000 mm, it is neither easy to stay ahead of the weeds on all fields, nor to buy enough fertilizer for a healthy crop.

The SIMLEZA (Sustainable Intensification of Maize- Legume Systems Eastern Province of Zambia) project implemented by CIMMYT and partners seeks to address production and sustainability constraints through on-farm testing and demonstration of improved maize and legume varieties (soybeans and cowpeas) and agronomic practices that build on conservation agriculture (CA) principles. CA addresses the high labor demand of local agriculture. It can drastically reduce smallholder farmers’ workload at the beginning of the season, replacing hand-made ridge-and-furrows with direct seeding on the flat with a pointed stick (dibble-stick) and herbicide use for weed control. As a SIMLEZA demonstration farmer, who had been given the tool and herbicides for testing, exclaimed: “[up until now] I have been punishing myself!”

The second major issue – the need for higher fertilizer inputs – is more difficult to resolve. Zambia’s fertilizer subsidy program has increased fertilizer access for poor rural households, but the scheme provides only two bags at reduced prices and is thus insufficient to cover farmers’ total land area. SIMLEZA’s focus on improving intercropping and crop rotation with legumes seeks to decrease farmers’ reliance on cash-demanding fertilizers. Nitrogen fixed by legumes benefits the following year’s crop on that plot and reduces the need for expensive mineral fertilizers. But farmers will have to increase their land areas dedicated to legumes, if this is to really work at farm scale. The good news is that a short group discussion in the Khokwe community revealed farmers’ interest in doing just that.

When asked what the best crops for making money are, cotton and tobacco appeared to be the least popular. The simple explanation for the apparent contradiction between the large area dedicated to tobacco and farmers’ dislike of it was: “One cannot eat tobacco!” While legumes such as groundnuts, common beans, and soya topped the list of favorite cash crops, the volumes traded are small and do not reach the urban market of Chipata. In Chipata, farmers complain, buyers are few and prices low, despite the export demand for legumes. Thus, dedicating land to tobacco is the result of late payments to farmers and decreasing prices of legumes in the past years. Increasing smallholder farmers’ legume production and simultaneously linking them to more distant and profitable markets is one of the major challenges in the years to come.

In Malawi, a stone’s throw away, this shift towards increased legume production is already happening. The agricultural landscape has far less tobacco than before, as legumes such as soybeans and groundnuts are increasingly replacing it. Dwindling prices for tobacco and free provision of seeds by government have undoubtedly stimulated poor farmers’ uptake of these legumes and boosted volumes traded. Together with its partners, Total LandCare, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, and the Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI), SIMLEZA aims to contribute to a similar productivity-enhancing change in the agricultural landscape of Zambia.

To discuss possible expansion of MasAgro activities to include maize for use as forage and silage, the Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV) in collaboration with MasAgro organized the First National Workshop on Forage Maize during 22-23 January 2013 in Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico. The workshop was coordinated by Axel Tiessen, CINVESTAV, and attended by 134 participants from INIFAP, milk industry, public universities (University of Guadalajara, Colegio de Postgraduados, Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, and others), CIMMYT, seed industry, and CINVESTAV.

While MasAgro is currently focusing primarily on maize for grain, the program seeks to expand its activities to better reflect its holistic approach to maize and to support all its uses in Mexico, including forage. The workshop was organized to identify the needs of the milk industry regarding maize silage, as well as the needs of small-scale farmers who use maize for several different purposes. “One of the major traits the milk industry is looking for is dry matter and starch percentage. However, it is a little more complicated for small-scale farmers, as they use maize for various purposes: grain for tortillas or pozole, leaves for tamales, and stover for animal feed.

Therefore, breeding for small-scale farmers differs significantly from breeding for the milk industry,” Félix San Vicente, leader of International Maize Improvement Consortium (IMIC)-Latin America explains the complexity of maize breeding in Mexico.

During the meeting, experts and industry representatives discussed not only what has been done so far, but also what the necessary future steps are. The discussions are expected to result in further collaboration of MasAgro and other institutions, for which MasAgro is currently receiving project proposals.

While maize is an important cereal crop in Bangladesh – third only to rice and wheat in terms of cultivated area and second to rice in terms of production – it has not been widely used for human consumption. To discuss filling this gap, CIMMYT-Bangladesh and Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) organized an event on ‘Prospect and opportunity of promoting maize as human food in Bangladesh’ with Natalia Palacios, CIMMYT maize nutrition quality specialist, on 3 February 2013. The event was chaired by Rafiqul Islam Mondal, BARI director general, and facilitated by Mokhlesur Rahman, director of training and communication, and Bhagya Rani Banik, BARI leader of hybrid maize program. It was attended by almost 80 participants from Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC), BARI, Department of Agriculture and Extension, Bangladesh Rehabilitation Assistance Committee, NGOs working with maize, and CIMMYT.

Maize is an attractive crop for Bangladeshi farmers for several reasons, the demand from producers of poultry and fish feed who purchase approximately 90% of maize produced in the country in particular. Only the remaining portion is used for human consumption. Furthermore, maize has at least double the yield potential of rice and wheat and thus provides greater returns for lower production costs. Maize productivity in Bangladesh is the highest in South Asia (7 t/ha), 99% of the total maize growing area has favorable production environment. Annual demand for maize is slightly over two million tons with a total annual deficit of one million tons. However, the incidence of bird flu in 2008 drastically reduced the area under maize cultivation in 2009, as there was no significant demand for maize. This indicated that maize production in Bangladesh is highly dependent on the poultry industry; it also signifies that sustainable maize production in Bangladesh cannot be achieved without diversifying its uses, including promoting maize for human consumption, the topic of the event.

T.P. Tiwari, CIMMYT-Bangladesh cropping systems agronomist, focused on the necessary changes, including moving away from crops requiring a high amount of water, particularly during winter season, as depletion of water table has resulted in higher production costs, which makes such crops less profitable for farmers. Maize, on the other hand, requires less irrigation. It also has an enormous potential to expand as winter cereal with significantly lower production costs, which is why it is often considered the ‘future crop of Bangladesh.’ If promoted as human food, maize can be the best option for addressing food security. This is no news, as similar views were highlighted in a 2011 report ‘Agricultural Research Vision 2030 and beyond: Research Priorities in Bangladesh Agriculture.’ Tiwari then stressed the urgent need for proper orientation and mentoring regarding maize as human food. Palacios explained the prospects and opportunities to promote maize for human consumption and highlighted that Mexico alone produces around 600 maize food items, 300 of which are consumed regularly. She also emphasized quality protein and biofortified maize in regards to fighting the problem of malnutrition. In the end of her presentation, she thanked BARI and CIMMYT-Bangladesh for the opportunity to share her experiences and thoughts. Following Palacios, the event was concluded by Mondal’s closing remarks. He mentioned multiple potential uses of maize that could satisfy farmers’ needs, such as food, feed, firewood, or fodder. He further stressed the need for practical training on how to make maize food items at local level.

Zhonghu He, CIMMYT distinguished scientist and country liaison officer for China, received the China Agriculture Elite Award from the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) in December 2012. The award, presented to 10 Chinese agricultural scientists every 2 years, was created by the MOA in 2006 to recognize individual scientists for their outstanding contributions to the advancement of agricultural science and technology and to the development of agriculture and rural economy in China.

On 22 December 2012, two agricultural research organizations in Pakistan — National Agricultural Research Center, Islamabad, and Wheat Research Institute (WRI) Faisalabad, Punjab — received new Wintersteiger combine harvester and seeding machines from the Wheat Production Enhancement Program for Pakistan (WPEP) funded by USDA and implemented by CIMMYT in an effort to upgrade Pakistan’s wheat research infrastructure. Until now, the institutes were relying on old harvesting and planting machines which could no longer satisfy their research needs. Makhdoom Hussain, WRI Faisalabad director, expressed his gratitude regarding the purchase: “The replacement of old irreparable machines was much needed. It will build the Institute’s capacity to precisely design and conduct experiments.”