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CIMMYT scientist wins award from Crop Science Society of America

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MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (26 October 2012) — CIMMYT (The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center) announced today that the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA) has given CIMMYT’s Dr. Ravi P. Singh its 2012 Crop Science Research Award.The award was presented at the CSSA annual meeting in Cincinnati, OH and recognizes Dr. Singh’s work fighting wheat diseases. The award is given to one person annually. Dr. Singh is the first CIMMYT scientist to receive the honor.

Dr. Singh is recognized as one of the foremost authority on rust diseases of wheat. He has identified 20 genes for different traits in wheat and molecular markers for several major and minor rust resistance genes. Singh’s contributions to wheat genetics, pathology and breeding have resulted in the release of over 200 wheat cultivars, including 20 that are resistant to Ug99 stem rust, in numerous developing countries. His methodology for developing high yielding cultivars with durable rust resistance and the breeding lines derived from this work have changed not only wheat breeding at CIMMYT but also in numerous breeding programs both in developing and developed countries. His competence and the respect of fellow scientists are widely recognized, and Singh has helped train over 500 developing country scientists and served as advisor for 18 MS and PhD students.

Dr. Singh is a Distinguished Scientist and the Head of Bread Wheat Improvement at CIMMYT. He received B.S. and M.S. degrees from Banaras Hindu University, India, and a Ph.D. degree from the University of Sydney. Singh has authored or co-authored 150 refereed journal articles, 24 book and book chapters and reviews, 77 symposia proceedings, and 182 abstracts. He is a fellow of numerous scientific organizations, including ASA, CSSA, APS and National Academy of Agricultural Science of India, and has received awards such as International Service in Crop Science Award from CSSA, Outstanding CGIAR Scientist, E.C. Stakman Award from the the University of Minnesota, and Jinding and Caiyun Medals from the Sichuan and Yunnan Province Governments of China.

The Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), founded in 1955, is an international scientific society comprised of 6,000+ members with its headquarters in Madison, WI. Members advance the discipline of crop science by acquiring and disseminating information about crop breeding and genetics; crop physiology; crop ecology, management, and quality; seed physiology, production, and technology; turfgrass science; forage and grazinglands; genomics, molecular genetics, and biotechnology; and biomedical and enhanced plants.

About CIMMYT
Headquartered in Mexico, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (known by its Spanish acronym, CIMMYT) is a not-for-profit agriculture research and training organization. The center works to reduce poverty and hunger by sustainably increasing the productivity of maize and wheat in the developing world. CIMMYT maintains the world’s largest maize and wheat seed bank and is best known for initiating the Green Revolution, which saved millions of lives across Asia and for which CIMMYT’s Dr. Norman Borlaug was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. CIMMYT is a member of the CGIAR Consortium and receives support from national governments, foundations, development banks, and other public and private agencies.

For more information, please contact:
Chris Cutter, CIMMYT, c.cutter@cgiar.org, +52 (1) 595 104 9846

New Global Wheat Rust Monitoring web site launched

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survey-mapper-i-rusttrackerRustTracker.org provides up to date information on the status of wheat rust diseases worldwide. The dynamic, content rich site provides a single source of information for all global wheat rust monitoring activities. The data content and tools of RustTracker.org are unique, nowhere else can such rich content about the actual status of major crop pathogens be found.

RustTracker.org is directly linked to a state of the art data management system – the Wheat Rust Toolbox, developed by collaborators at Aarhus University – this drives a range of interactive visualization tools. Users can pull up dynamic survey maps or graph race frequency changes over time at the click of a button. Data from 37 countries is currently included in the system, but expansion is likely. For each country, up to date rust information and tools are available. Wheat rusts are global travellers, not respecting any political boundaries, so effective control often depends on advanced knowledge of important changes in distant regions. Wheat scientists, particularly in developing countries, now have instant access to the status of rusts not only in their own country, but in neighbouring countries and across continents. Sharing knowledge in this way should improve preparedness and control of new virulent rust races.

Initial development of RustTracker.org has focused on stem rust and the “Ug99” race group in particular. Current content reflects these efforts, but in the near future expanded content forboth stripe and leaf rust will be included.

For more information. Please contact: Dave Hodson. CIMMYT-Ethiopia. Email: d.hodson@cgiar.org

USAID supports CIMMYT-led partnership for heat resilient maize in South Asia

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PHOTO-NEPALThe U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will support a partnership to develop heat resilient maize for South Asia, as part of the US government’s Feed the Future initiative. The partnership is led by CIMMYT and involves Purdue University, Pioneer Hi-Bred, and several private and national research partners in South Asia. The aim is to develop and deploy heat stress tolerant, high-yielding maize hybrids for vulnerable, maize-dependent areas of South Asia.

“Out of a total of approximately six million hectares of hybrid maize grown in South Asia, nearly a million hectares are highly vulnerable to high temperature stress,” said BM Prasanna, director of CIMMYT’s global maize program. “Nearly 80 percent of the maize in this region is rainfed and highly vulnerable to extreme weather events, including drought and high temperatures. At the same time, spring maize has become an important option for intensifying and diversifying cropping systems in South Asia, especially in the upper and middle Indo-Gangetic plains, but the crop is prone to severe heat stress as well.”

The project will be funded for five years (2012-17) and USAID contributions will be matched with in-kind support from the public-private alliance. Work will build on the elite, abiotic stress tolerant maize germplasm from CIMMYT; the technical expertise of key resource partners (CIMMYT, Purdue University, and Pioneer Hi-Bred); the maize breeding and phenotyping locations and strengths of the national research programs of Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan; and the seed production capacity, farmer linkages, and market reach of private partners (Pioneer Hi-Bred, Vibha AgriTech, Ajeet Seeds, and Kaveri Seeds).

Training to build maize breeding capacity in Africa

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CursoAfrica2Thirty-six senior maize breeders from fifteen African countries participated in a course in Nairobi, Kenya, from 1 to 4 October 2012. The course attracted participants from national agricultural research systems, private seed companies, and universities collaborating within the Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA) Initiative, Improved Maize for African Soils (IMAS) Project, Sustainable Intensification of Maize- Legume Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa (SIMLESA) initiative, Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Legume Systems for the Eastern Province of Zambia (SIMLEZA), Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA), and a USAID-funded project on heat stress in maize.

Throughout the course, breeders were introduced to new germplasm, recent advances in maize breeding for biotic and abiotic stresses, breeding informatics tools (e.g. IMIS-Fieldbook and IB-Fieldbook developed by the Generation Challenge Program), approaches to improving quality of phenotyping, molecular breeding tools, and the use of doubled haploid technologies in maize breeding. They also visited fields in Kiboko to assess breeding nurseries and yield trials and to interact with CIMMYT breeders.

The course participants had the opportunity to attend presentations by a private-sector representative. Walter Trevisan from WEMA/ Monsanto covered the origin of maize and importance of the heterotic pools in maize breeding around the world. “We learn from the partnership that we can work as a team and, most of the time, reach goals ahead of time,” said Trevisan, stating that he is looking forward to the future projects such as WEMA II. “We really enjoy working with CIMMYT and the national agricultural research systems,” he added.

According to Ntji Coulibaly from Mali, training for breeders helps to build capacity within African countries. “Mali has only five seed companies serving the country, thus it is imperative to build the skill base in breeding,” he explained. Coulibaly then praised CIMMYT for its leadership role in breeding in Africa: “It has raised the bar for private institutions to improve and develop better products in the region.” Bhola Verma from ZAMSEED, a private seed company operating in Zambia, also appreciated the training initiative. “We need to train more people,” he said, reiterating the importance of training the next generation of breeders to ensure the continent does not lag behind. Zubeda Mduruma, Tanzanian maize breeder from Aminata Quality Seed, was excited about -her newly gained knowledge on doubled haploid breeding technology. “It is very handy and will shorten our time for breeding,” said Mduruma. Doubled haploid technology enables breeders to save time and labor costs associated with conventional breeding, while allowing them to get varieties benefiting farmers within a shorter period of time.

Simon Gichuki, Kenya Agriculture Research Institute (KARI) Biotechnology Program coordinator, urged participants to explore and use the technological tools, and to train breeders working with them. Gichuki said that the key challenges facing African agriculture include diseases, pests, and climate change. “We feel that we can contribute to mitigating these [challenges] by engaging in science,” said Gichuki, adding that this could be achieved by ensuring that breeders regularly update their knowledge. “In crop science things move very fast,” he explained. Sylvester Oikeh, WEMA project manager at the African Agricultural Technology Foundation, urged participants to embrace mentorship and share their knowledge and skills with young breeders. Oikeh also appreciated the opportunity to see what DTMA is doing in relation to WEMA’s breeding work.

Shehu Ado from the Institute for Agricultural Research, Samaru, Nigeria, said the training would benefit his students. “I will encourage my students to apply it in their own work,” said Ado about Fieldbook, “my students are going to gain a lot as analysis will be simplified.” Thokozile Ndlela, Zimbabwean Ministry of Agriculture, expressed her excitement about the developments made in Fieldbook, as well as the new advancements in maize breeding.

The course facilitators were drawn from CIMMYT, Generation Challenge Program, and Monsanto. The course was coordinated by Cosmos Magorokosho and Stephen Mugo, CIMMYT maize breeders from Zimbabwe and Kenya, respectively.

CursoAfrica3

DTMA III holds annual meeting

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The Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA) Initiative held its first annual meeting of phase 3 during 24- 28 September 2012 at the Nairobi Safari Club Hotel in Kenya. The meeting was attended by 83 participants representing national programs, training institutions from DTMA partner countries (Angola, Benin, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe), project’s advisory board members, and seed companies. The participants reviewed and discussed the progress made during the first year of the project, and visited the Western Seed company production fields in Rongai, Nakuru County.

DTMA has produced 105 maize varieties, 48 hybrids, and 57 open-pollinated varieties between 2007 and 2012. In addition, the project has trained technicians, breeders, and seed companies in seed business management in Eastern, Western, and Southern Africa. The meeting highlighted the varieties developed by DTMA for drought-prone areas, whose performance also matches or exceeds that of commercial varieties under optimum conditions. In Southern Africa, on-farm trials of drought-tolerant (DT) hybrids produced 20-30 % more yield than the common check variety. In Western Africa, DT open-pollinated varieties produced up to 40 % more yield than farmer varieties during on-farm trials.

There is a surge in new DT varieties, particularly hybrids, being registered and coming into production in all DTMA countries. In addition, uptake of DT lines by companies holding important market shares (e.g. Seed Co and Kenya Seed Company) is increasing. The total production of DT varieties in the 13 DTMA countries reached more than 25,000 MT in 2012, with the largest amount being produced in Kenya, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi. Seed policy workshops have created conditions for national governments to address maize seed sector development.

drying-maize-seed-in-the-sun

Wheat is not a rich man’s crop

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When food prices rise, people go hungry. Hunger leads to anger, social unrest, and protests such as those seen in 2008 and 2011 in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the Caribbean.

map-wheat-africa-locations
Locations of food riots 2008-2011.

The poor are most vulnerable to these price rises, as they spend a greater proportion of their earnings on food. However, contrary to popular belief, many of these people do not depend on maize, rice, or cassava – they grow and eat wheat.

map-wheat-africa_2
Countries where more than 35% of peoples’ protein requirements come from wheat.

In the developing world, wheat is the second most important food crop after rice. It is food for 2.5 billion people, and for more than 1 billion people living on less than $2 per day. In Egypt, for example, where more than 1 in 5 people live in poverty, wheat provides 35% of their daily calories, and almost 40% of their protein requirements.

Wheat also provides income for farmers in more than 80 developing countries, and CIMMYT believes that there is great potential for more countries to grow more, disease resistant and high yielding, wheat – without increasing the total land area under cultivation. CIMMYT strives to help developing countries to increase their wheat production at a rate that allows land to be freed for other crops. Through increased adoption of improved wheat varieties, better agronomic practices, and effective post-harvest storage, farmers and consumers in developing countries could develop sustainable food systems, become less dependent on imports, and more resilient against food price rises.

wheat-africa-photo2 wheat-africa-3

Ravi Singh receives 2012 China Tianshan Award from Xinjiang Province of China

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Ravi-Singh1Ravi Singh, distinguished scientist and head of Bread Wheat Improvement and Rust Research, Global Wheat Program, received the 2012 China Tianshan Award for his contributions to the economic and social progress of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China. The highest award given to foreign experts by the Government of Xinjiang Province was presented by Huang Wei, Executive Vice- Governor of the Province, on 27 September 2012 during a ceremony at Urumqi attended by over 150 officials and guests.

Singh is the second CIMMYT scientist to have received the award. Sanjaya Rajaram, former CIMMYT wheat director, received the Tianshan Award in 2005. This is a reflection of the significant contributions to wheat production in the province achieved through the use of CIMMYT germplasm. More than 20 CIMMYT-derived spring wheat varieties have been released in the province directly after introduction or by being used as parents since the 1970s. The main breeding priorities for the new varieties are increased yield potential with early maturity, short stature, rust resistance, and good end-use quality. The wheat production area covers about one million hectares in the province, 40 % of which is used for spring wheat. Spring wheat is sown in March, which enables drip irrigation systems to be used widely to mitigate the negative effects of limited water resources, as water becomes available from the melting snow in the mountains. The most recent CIMMYT-derived variety is Kambara, known as “Xinchun 23” in China (released in northwestern Mexico as “Tacupeto F2001”). High yielding, early-maturing wheat lines developed in recent years in Mexico and shared with two academies in the province offer further possibilities of increasing yield as they fit into the crop rotation.

CIMMYT strengthens links with seed companies in Uganda and Kenya

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John-SalimStrengthening and enhancing seed systems is critical to ensure that released varieties reach the ultimate beneficiary — the farmer, and that farmers, especially smallholders, are able to access improved maize seed varieties from seed companies who are often key players in the maize value chain. This is why scientists working on seed systems at CIMMYT met with seed companies at the Uganda Seed Trade Association (USTA) meeting during 19-20 September 2012 in Kampala, Uganda. CIMMYT was represented by seed system specialists John MacRobert and Mosisa Worku, whose objective was to create awareness on new drought tolerant (DT) maize varieties and roadmaps for their seed production. The meeting was attended by 12 participants representing 9 seed companies, along with representatives from USTA.

MacRobert highlighted the importance of working with seed companies and USTA in delivering improved maize seed varieties to farmers, and explained the support CIMMYT provides to seed companies. Worku introduced the new CIMMYT DT maize varieties, while Godfrey Asea, maize research coordinator from the National Agricultural Research Organisation-Uganda, presented 11 recently released maize varieties originating from CIMMYT and/or a combination of CIMMYT materials and the national maize research materials. The seed companies were taught how to identify new DT maize varieties, how to request new varieties and their parental lines, and how to prepare seed road maps.

Following the meeting, the team visited Kenya Seed Company and Western Seed Company, in Kitale, Kenya, from 21-22 September. They traveled to Kenya Seed Company’s demonstration plots and discussed releasing DT varieties in mid-altitude areas in East Africa, as the company operates in other East African countries as well. At Western Seed Company, the team visited a nursery, trial sites, and demonstration plots. They also had the opportunity to observe the company’s DT maize varieties seed production activities and in exchange provided technical advice to the company.

FONTAGRO project holds workshop in Colombia

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FontagroThe FONTAGRO project “Development of Maize Lines Combining Drought Tolerance and Ear Rot Resistance as a Way to Mitigate the Effects of Climate Change and Minimize Mycotoxin Contamination” held a workshop during 11-14 September 2012 in Monteria, Colombia. The workshop was jointly organized by CIMMYT and Sergio Mejía of CORPOICA and gathered participants and collaborators from Peru, Panama, Honduras, and Colombia. The participants were trained in concepts of seed production and explored ways to link with seed companies so that quality seed products can reach farmers. They were also trained in harvesting techniques and collecting agronomic data of the validation trials.

The FONTAGRO project has led to the release of two varieties combining drought tolerance and resistance to ear rots and mycotoxins which have already been registered and released in Honduras. Two additional varieties are currently in the process of being validated for release in Colombia and Nicaragua. Mycotoxins result from fungal infection of maize kernels and have detrimental health effects when contaminated grain is consumed by humans and livestock. They have the potential to cause acute and chronic health problems through direct consumption, consumption through animal products, skin contact, and inhalation. Pre- and post-harvest technologies have been an effective method of reducing mycotoxins in maize.

“Through the generous support of the Director of Corpoica Turipana, the course went on very well,” stated George Mahuku, FONTAGRO project leader. During his opening remarks, Mahuku highlighted the successes of the project in validation and distribution of maize varieties and hybrids. “The project has also made progress in creating awareness of the health hazards from mycotoxin contamination,” stated Mahuku.

Luis Narro from CIMMYT-Colombia discussed current developments in maize breeding and the genesis of hybrid maize production. FĂ©lix San Vicente, leader of International Maize Yield Consortium (IMIC)-Latin America, discussed the IMIC concept and CRPs MAIZE and WHEAT, as well as ways to channel products from this project into the CRP/IMIC concept to increase diffusion and distribution. Cesar Ruiz from Semivalle, a private seed company based in Colombia, provided insights into the seed industry and the interactions between public institutions and private seed companies, a crucial component of the project enabling improved varieties to reach farmers. Alba Arcos, a CIMMYT-Colombia PhD student, presented on doubled haploid technology and how this can be harnessed to accelerate inbred line development combining different favorable traits.

“The meeting was a success and the project has generated many products in three years, including information on the incidence and prevalence of aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination of maize. We hope that we can leverage more funding to ensure that these products are widely tested throughout Latin America,” stated Mahuku. Overall, the FONTAGRO project and its network of collaborators have generated more than 6,000 doubled haploid lines combining drought tolerance and ear rot resistance.

During the workshop, collaborators discussed next steps for the project. A possible link to leverage funding from IMIC and CRP MAIZE to continue the network of breeders, researchers, and seed companies were discussed as follow-up items. A Spanish language course on doubled haploid technology will take place at the end of November at CIMMYT headquarters in El BatĂĄn, Mexico. The workshop will draw upon the results of the Monteria workshop and promote linkages throughout the region of Latin America.

Conservation agriculture for smallholder maize farmers in Jharkhand, India

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Farming in Jharkhand in eastern India is typically characterized by land degradation, moisture stress, low cropping intensity, poor biomass production, and low farm income. To address these issues faced largely by smallholder farmers, a conservation agriculture (CA) project was initiated in 2011 by CIMMYT in collaboration with Birsa Agricultural University (BAU) and Ranchi and Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), with support from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). A stakeholder consultation/field day was organized on 8 October 2012 jointly by CIMMYT and BAU at Ranchi, Jharkhand, to demonstrate the benefits of CA in sustainable intensification. The event was attended by over 150 participants, including the vice chancellor and other key officers of BAU, CIMMYT scientists, and farmers from three districts of Jharkhand. In addition, representatives from three private companies attended the field day to showcase their latest products and to discuss their support for scalingup seed production of existing commercial and advanced hybrids.

SP Poonia, CIMMYT scientist based at Ranchi, provided an overview of activities and progress of the IFAD “Sustainable Intensification of Smallholder Maize-Livestock Farming Systems in Hill Areas of South Asia” project. Poonia shared salient achievements on sustainable intensification of maize systems using CA-based crop management technologies, and on quality protein maize performance. Raj Gupta from CIMMYT-India stressed that farmers can produce more yield under CA with less supplemental irrigation. He further emphasized that farmers need to consider mechanised farming to ensure timely planting and to realize the full potential of available resources on a sustainable basis.

Ken Sayre from CIMMYT-Mexico appreciated the farmers for efficient adoption of CA within one year since the launch of the project. He then focused on relations between farmers and researchers to enhance knowledge sharing and appreciated the cooperation and vast presence of BAU officials, private sector representatives, and farmers, demonstrating a strong partnership aiming to help the farmers. Sayre also shared his experience with CA-based crop management technologies from Mexico and elsewhere. R.P. Singh Ratan, BAU Extension Director, added that seed companies form a vital link in delivering improved maize varieties to farmers. They are also crucial in training local mechanics and making need-based corrections to CA machineries. He further added that CA techniques are indispensable for conserving natural resources. MP Pandey, Vice Chancellor of BAU and chief guest of the event, appreciated farmers’ feedback on CA-based technologies. He then applauded the CIMMYT and BAU teams for their work both on station and on farmers’ fields in remote areas. He assured his full support for further scaling out of CA-based technologies in the state to achieve more efficient management of natural resources. The event was followed by a field visit and in-field interactions. Officials present at the event included DK Singh ‘Dron’ (ADR, BAU), R Thakur (Chairman of Agronomy), ZA Haider (Chairman of PBG), and other eminent scientists from BAU.

Interactive photos give an addictive view of maize and wheat

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If you work at or with CIMMYT, you’ve probably seen a lot of photos of crops in fields
 but we’re betting you’ve never seen photos like these. Shared with us by CIMMYT wheat geneticist Marc Ellis, they were taken using a “Lytro” light field camera. Instead of capturing a single plane of light like a normal camera, this captures all the light traveling in every direction in every point in space within a scene. This is where it gets too technical for us, but what it means is that you can decide where to focus after you take your picture, creating an interactive image that’s incredibly fun to play with. Try clicking on the photos below in different places to change the focus, and we guarantee you’ll find it hard to stop!

Fostering global food security for wheat: No country is an island

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Monday, 14 May 2012. Posted in Features

CIMMYT E-News, vol 5 no. 10, October 2008

A team in Mauritius working on the wheat-growing project As the price of wheat goes up, countries such as the Republic of Mauritius are feeling the pinch. A former British colony off the coast of Madagascar, it imports most of its wheat from France and Australia. But with help from CIMMYT, the island has started trials to grow its own wheat—and results to date look promising.

The CIMMYT germplasm bank freely distributes maize and wheat seed to hundreds of partners worldwide each year. In January 2008, Tom Payne, Head of CIMMYT’s wheat germplasm bank (seed bank), received a request for wheat seed from Mala Gungadurdoss, Head of the Mauritanian Agronomy Department at the Ministry of Agro-industry. “The rising price of imported wheat coupled with a scarcity on the international market (made us) revisit our food and agricultural policy,” explains Gungadurdoss, who is also Principle Research Scientist of the Agricultural Research and Extension Unit. “Our food security is at stake, since Mauritius imports most of its staples.”

Payne sent a “yield trial” of 49 elite spring wheat lines that he thought might flourish in the climactic conditions and disease spectrum of the island. “In a way, it’s kind of an exploratory experiment,” he says. “I don’t really know their environment and they don’t really know wheat, so I sent them something to see if it fit their conditions.”

Payne’s selection was apparently successful. “I am really satisfied with the yields of above 5 tons per hectare for 13 of the lines,” says Gungadurdoss. “I consider these yields to be very good when I compare them to yields of 1.5-3 tons per hectare obtained in the trials of 1985-1993,” referring to the last period during which the country grew wheat trials. Gungadurdoss admits that recent conditions were conducive to achieving good yields; but the highest yields for this year’s trial ranging from 5.8 to 6.4 tons per hectare are not only vastly superior to the results of previous trials; they are more than twice wheat’s global average of 2.5 tons per hectare.

Wheat’s roots in Mauritius
The Dutch introduced wheat to Mauritius in 1598 and it was grown on a commercial scale in the 1820s. But only about 1,700 hectares were under cultivation by the end of the 1930s, when the island began focusing on growing the more profitable sugarcane and importing wheat, which was far less expensive to buy, according to Gungadurdoss. “Up until three years ago, wheat was very cheap,” says Payne. “It was overproduced in Europe, North America, and Australia. This is one of the reasons the price of wheat and other grains stayed low for long time.”

Most people who live on Mauritius are of Indian origin and eat food staples such as chappatis, pharatas, puris, and bread made from wheat and wheat flour, says Gungadurdoss. In 2007 the island imported around 140,000 tons of unmilled wheat and 9,000 tons of flour. Over the last 5 years the country imported an average of 137,000 tons of unmilled wheat and 9,500 tons of wheat flour costing USD 28 million. The per capita consumption of wheat flour averaged 74 kilograms per year, and this is expected to increase in the future, according to Gungadurdoss.

Some of the early yields have been over 5 tons per hectare, which is more than twice wheat’s global average of 2.5 tons per hectare.Thanks to the wheat breeding lines sent by CIMMYT, agronomists on Mauritius can screen promising wheat lines for high grain yield, early maturity, resistance to major pests and diseases, and good baking characteristics; assess wheat’s economic feasibility under local conditions; identify the main constraints to production and devise corrective measures; and conserve their own elite germplasm (seeds and genetic material).

“Based on whatever results the agronomists from Mauritius send us, we can send them more lines from CIMMYT’s wheat germplasm bank and international nurseries,” says Payne. “These lines will have much broader genetic variation and will be even better suited for the island.”

Homegrown wheat could be within reach
For now, growing wheat in Mauritius is still in the early stages; sowing, weeding, harvesting, threshing and winnowing were done manually at RĂ©duit Crop Research Station. One of the next steps will be to research the economic viability of growing and processing wheat using mechanization which will be tested on a much larger scale, possibly with interested farmers in 2009, according to Gungadurdoss.

“Once the economic feasibility is determined, we can decide on our future move: maybe large-scale production in line with cross border initiatives with Madagascar or Mozambique to substitute part of our imports can be considered.”

“I think Mauritius gets enough rainfall for wheat, and it’s on roughly the same latitude as countries or regions that get good yields, such as Uruguay, Zimbabwe, and northern Mexico, so high wheat yields should definitely be possible,” says Hans-Joachim Braun, Director of CIMMYT’s Global Wheat Program.

For more information: Tom Payne, Head, Wheat Germplasm Bank (t.payne@cgiar.org)

More stories on agriculture in Mauritius (both in French)

Mala Gungadurdoss (Areu) : «Du riz et du blĂ© Made in Mauritius, c’est possible»

Le blé made in Mauritius bientÎt à portée de bouche

Project aiming to reduce post-harvest losses launched in Malawi

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“Storage technologies provided by the Effective Grain Storage for Sustainable Livelihoods of African Farmers Project offer effective grain protection against pest and moisture,” said Honorable Jermoth Ulemu Chilapondwa, the Deputy Minister for Agriculture and Food Security, Malawi, during the launch of the project on 26 September 2012 in Lilongwe, Malawi. “It will go a long way in complimenting the government’s efforts in fighting post-harvest grain losses,” he added.

As a major crop in Malawi, maize provides food and income to over 300 million resource-poor smallholder farmers in Eastern and Southern Africa. However, safe grain storage has presented a big challenge to the farmers. High post-harvest losses (up to 30 %) have made food security difficult to achieve at the household level despite increased production following government initiatives such as the Farm Input Subsidy Program. Jones Govereh, CIMMYT policy economist, noted that the traditional granaries have failed to protect farmers’ maize harvests against the two most destructive post-harvest insect pests in the region, maize weevils and larger grain borers. The Effective Grain Storage for Sustainable Livelihoods of African Farmers Project (EGSP-II), building on the successes of the previous phase (2008-2012), aims to change the situation. The objective of EGSP-II (2012-2016) is to improve food security and reduce vulnerability through the fabrication, dissemination, and distribution of 4,000 metal silos and 24,000 super grain bags among smallholder farmers in Malawi.

The project is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and has three components: research, promotion, and policy advocacy for metal silos and super grain bag technologies. They are geared towards successful development of a well-functioning and sustainable input chain to provide small-scale maize producers with effective storage technologies in areas affected by high post-harvest losses. The project is fully supported by the government of Malawi. According to Honorable Chilapondwa, “The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security will endeavor to continuously assess the metal silos through the Department of Agricultural Research Services which has been tasked to do the research component, while the Department of Crop Development will be disseminating and promoting the technologies. I realize that policy consideration is key in successful implementation of the project. Bunda College has been mandated to address the issues and therefore take a leading role.”

The meeting allowed CIMMYT scientists, partners, and collaborators in Malawi to exchange ideas, information, and research outputs; raise awareness on promotion and dissemination of effective grain storage technologies; and consult stakeholders on policy environment and market issues for effective implementation of EGSP-II.

Malawi

Phenotyping, plant breeding and precision agriculture in Peru

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The National Agricultural Innovation Institute, through the Vista Florida Experiment Station in Chiclayo, Peru, in collaboration with CIMMYT, organized the workshop “Phenotyping in plant breeding and precision agriculture” during 27-29 August 2012. The objective was to demonstrate and discuss innovative agricultural technologies and platforms that can contribute to making agriculture more modern and profitable.

Attending the workshop were 76 representatives from national institutions such as INIA, Peru’s agrarian universities, seed companies and agribusinesses, regional organizations, the International Potato Center (CIP) and FAO. The workshop consisted of lectures and field practices on the use of tools such as GPS, SPAD, and GreenSeeker. One of its strengths was the high level of interaction between instructors and participants, and the feedback given by farmers and seed company staff.

Course instructors were JosĂ© Luis Araus of the Plant Biology Department of the University of Barcelona, Spain; Llorenc Cabrera-Bosquet of the Plant Ecophysiology Laboratory for Environmental Stress, Montpellier, France; Argemiro Moreno Berrocal of the Plant Breeding Department, National Coffee Research Center, Colombia, and Luis Narro from CIMMYT’s regional office in Colombia.

During the workshop, instructors stressed the importance of technologies and tools that support precision agriculture, such as remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS). They also emphasized land-based and hand-held sensors such as SPAD-502 and GreenSeekerTM, which, among other things, can be used to improve nitrogen use efficiency in maize.

Course instructors indicated the usefulness of GIS not only for storing, organizing, and analyzing spatial data, but also for relating and geo-referencing information from different sources in support of decision making. They also showed that GPS can be used to layout plots, determine distances, and estimate plot area.

Also highlighted was the need to develop new phenotyping methodologies to improve maize tolerance to drought and other biotic stresses. A topic of discussion was the use of stable oxygen and carbon isotopes to evaluate yield potential and drought tolerance. As for phenotyping under controlled conditions, phenotyping platforms were described, particularly the PhenoArch platform located at INRA, Montpellier, France.

INIA Agricultural Research Director Enrique La Hoz and Miguel Monsalve Aita, Director of the Vista Florida Experiment Station, indicated the importance of this type of event for updating both researchers and farmers on new tools that can help make agriculture more modern and profitable. Carlos Zañartu Otoya, President of the Lambayeque Seed Producers’ Association, mentioned the Association’s intention to promote the information provided during the event and offered to help organize future workshops.

Curso-Peru

Climate change and the challenges of increasing production in India

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Climate-change-IndiaWhile cereal production in India has increased significantly since the mid-1960s as a result of the Green Revolution, securing the gains achieved is becoming more difficult in the context of soaring food and fuel prices, volatile markets, depleting water resources, soil degradation, and the effects of global climate change. To discuss strategies for improving efficiency and resilience of farming systems as a way to ensure sustainable food security, over 400 participants gathered for an in-field stakeholder meeting on ‘Empowering Farmers for Climate Smart Agricultural Practices in Haryana’ in Taraori, Karnal, India, on 28 September 2012. The event was organized by the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), Haryana Farmers’ Commission (Government of Haryana), Haryana Department of Agriculture, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Directorate of Wheat Research (DWR), Central Soil Salinity Research Institute (CSSRI), CCS Haryana Agricultural University (HAU), CIMMYT, Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA), and Farmers Cooperative. Among the participants were Indian farmers, 50 officials from governmental and private sector organizations, and 25 scientists from national and international institutions. RS Paroda, Chairman of Haryana Farmers Commission, urged farmers to stay connected with scientists, extension agents, and government officials while modifying agricultural practices for adaptation and mitigation of climate change. He suggested that diversification from conventional rice-wheat rotation to new technologies, such as direct seeded rice, zero tillage, residue management, and raised bed planting, and alternative crops to rice is necessary for sustainable agriculture. By quoting Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, late Prime Minister of India, who said “In order to awaken the people, it is the women who have to be awakened. Once she is on move, the family moves, the village moves, and the nation moves,” he stressed the importance of empowering female farmers. Paroda further highlighted the importance of regional and global networks and partnerships for knowledge sharing and enhanced capacity development.

CIMMYT senior agronomist ML Jat emphasized the importance of the principles of conservation agriculture, as they could considerably contribute to arresting the natural resource degradation and to increased farm profitability. PK Aggarwal, CCAFS South Asia coordinator, discussed how current farming practices are partially responsible for climate change and what needs to be done. For example, conventional puddled rice cultivation utilizes standing water which is a major source of methane gas emissions. Therefore, new rice production technologies are necessary. Other participants, including Indu Sharma (Director, DWR Karnal), DK Sharma (Director, CSSRIKarnal ), BS Duggal (Additional Director Agriculture, Government of Haryana), and Sain Dass (President, Indian Maize Development Association) discussed the use of groundwater recharge, gypsum, salt tolerant varieties, the provision of subsidized and/ or free seeds by the Government of Haryana to promote diversification in intensive systems, introduction of maize to replace rice in certain areas, and conservation agriculture practices. Kaushik Majumdar (Director, International Plant Nutrition Institute – South Asia) also mentioned that Nutrient Expert, an excellent tool for site-specific nutrient management for crop yield optimizations and environmental footprint reduction, has been developed and validated in Haryana in collaboration with CIMMYT.