News – Page 207

GMP director visits Zimbabwe

Written by on September 1, 2010. Posted in News.

During the week of 15 August 2010, Boddupalli Prasanna, director of the Global Maize Program, visited CIMMYT-Zimbabwe to participate in the first day of the “Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA) Maize Breeding Course.” The course runs from 15-31 August and is designed for early-career maize breeders who are interested in maize improvement for stress environments. During the trip, Prasanna also reviewed maize activities in Zimbabwe; conversed with CIMMYT-Harare staff; met with representatives of seed companies to discuses CIMMYT’s support activities for the private sector; and spoke with government officials. Additionally, Prasanna visited the CIMMYT research station at the University of Zimbabwe Farm (12.5 km north of Harare) and the Chiredzi and Chisumbunje research stations (500 km south of Harare) to review the drought testing sites, and the Muzarabani Estate (200 km north of Harare) to observe the winter nurseries.

Testimonies from past CIMMYT wheat courses participants

Written by on August 31, 2010. Posted in News.

Follow our new series of videos interviewing past CIMMYT trainees. Each video highlights CIMMYT’s training impact by documenting individual accounts of how the training experience influenced scientists from across the world.

CIMMYT’s commitment to Malawi’s agricultural development recognized

Written by on August 31, 2010. Posted in News.

On 02 August 2010, Malawi’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security held a meeting in Lilongwe, Malawi, for all donor-funded agriculture projects coordinated by international centers operating in the country. This meeting was organized by the Agriculture Sector Wide Approach Program (ASWAP) in order to review how contributions from these projects complement national agricultural initiatives, and to inform the donor community of how their support is making an impact.

CIMMYT, one of eight CGIAR centers working in Malawi, received special recognition from Dr. Andrew Daudi, Malawi’s Principal Secretary for Agriculture, and from Dr. Jeff Luhanga, Controller of Technical and Extension Services. Both acknowledged CIMMYT as a key collaborative partner for maize production technologies, which have helped improve Malawi’s maize-based food security. Specific CIMMYT achievements in Malawi include the development, release, and dissemination of improved maize varieties; the promotion of metal silo technology; training of national scientists; and the adoption of conservation agriculture practices for smallholder farmers.

At the meeting, Mulugetta Mekuria, CIMMYT regional liaison officer and SIMLESA project leader, presented on CIMMYT’s works, focusing on the center’s strong science, partnerships, and capacity building. He also distributed related project briefs from the center. These documents impressed Daudi, who requested that all centers develop similar informational and communicative materials. Meeting attendees all agreed to follow one shared format for these materials to be used in future publications.

Specific CIMMYT initiatives operating in Malawi include: the New Seed Initiative for Maize in Southern Africa (NSIMA); Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA); the Effective Grain Storage Project; Sustainable Intensification of Maize Legume Cropping Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa (SIMLESA); the Soil Fertility Consortium for Southern Africa (SOFECSA); and work on conservation agriculture in maize-based farming systems.

For more information on CIMMYT’s work in Malawi, see CIMMYT’s June 2010 e-news Maize farmers and seed businesses changing with the times in Malawi.

Scientists gather for spring wheat improvement meeting

Written by on August 30, 2010. Posted in News.

Nearly 40 Russian and Kazakhstan scientists from 19 different institutions gathered at Chelyabinsk Scientific Research Institute of Agriculture, located in the Kazakhstan-bordering Russian region of Chelyabinsk, from 03-06 August 2010 for a meeting of the Kazakhstan- Siberia Network on Spring Wheat Improvement (KASIB), which is held once every two years. The main focus of the meeting was to improve wheat resistance to rust disease through effective collaboration.

CIMMYT helped establish KASIB 10 years ago. Today, it unites 15 breeding and research programs from Kazakhstan and Siberia (Russia) with the goal of improving regional spring wheat breeding through the exchange of varieties and breeding materials, complemented by information sharing, workshops, and meetings. About 500 varieties and advanced lines of bread and durum wheat, including varieties already sown on roughly 20 million hectares, have been studied at KASIB nurseries.

e-Informa1716 The meeting consisted of lectures on challenges and achievements in wheat breeding, including improvement of rust resistance. Alex Morgounov, of CIMMYT-Turkey and head of the International Wheat Improvement Program, gave an overview of the 8th International Wheat Conference, which was held in St. Petersburg during 01-04 June 2010, and reflected on the current status and latest achievements in wheat breeding. In general, the attending scientists noted that the Kazakhstan-Siberia Network is developing dynamically and that participating institutions are providing varieties for testing that display a higher performance of desirable agronomic traits in comparison with previous years, including resistance to rust (like Ug99). Additionally, breeders are working in harmony to: develop research methodologies; evaluate wheat rust diseases on an international scale; develop criteria to share credit for joint creation of varieties; and increase study on leaf rust, stem rust, and septoria leaf blotch. This shows that there has been an improvement in variety selection and that breeders take KASIB collaboration seriously. Impressed, a number of agencies not currently participating in KASIB expressed their desire to join the network.

Another important aspect of KASIB is shuttle breeding between Kazakhstan and Mexico. This is done in conjunction with CIMMYT’s rainfed breeding program, led by Yann Manes, CIMMYT wheat breeder. The resulting new breeding material is not only resistant to leaf and stem rust, but also shows high yield, drought resistance, good end-used grain quality, and the ability to adapt to local conditions. These lines have reached advanced variety yield trials at Fiton Research and Production Company, the Karabalyk Agricultural Experiment Station, and the Chelyabinsk Scientific Research Institute of Agriculture. Two of these lines were incorporated in KASIB’s nursery in 2009- 10 and showed good results in broad environmental testing.

Despite these successes, participants did discuss new ways to further improve the KASIB network for both performance and shuttle breeding. Morgounov and Yuriy Zelenskiy, of CIMMYT- Kazakhstan, visited several breeding programs to see how shuttle materials were fairing at various stages of the breeding process and in different ecological zones. Scientists from the KASIB network expressed their gratitude and appreciation to CIMMYT for organizing and funding this meeting.

Researchers predict new varieties of drought-tolerant maize could generate up to US$1.5 billion for African farmers, consumers

Written by on August 26, 2010. Posted in News.

The race is on to replace existing varieties amid concerns that climate change is likely to intensify droughts and significantly depress maize harvests in sub-Saharan Africa.

As climate change intensifies drought conditions in Africa and sparks fears of a new cycle of crippling food shortages, a study released today finds widespread adoption of recently developed drought-tolerant varieties of maize could boost harvests in 13 African countries by 10 to 34 percent and generate up to US$1.5 billion in benefits for producers and consumers.

“We need to move deliberately, but with urgency, to get these new varieties from the breeders to the farmers, because their potential to avert crises is considerable,” said Roberto La Rovere, a socio-economist at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (known by its Spanish acronym CIMMYT) and lead author of the study, which was produced in partnership with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).

“Our analysis shows that with high rates of adoption, more than four million producers and consumers would see their poverty level drop significantly by 2016,” he added.

The study was conducted as part of the Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa Initiative (DTMA) implemented by CIMMYT and IITA with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Howard G. Buffett Foundation. CIMMYT and IITA have worked with national agriculture research centers in Africa to develop over 50 new maize varieties that in drought conditions can produce yields that are 20 to 50 percent higher than existing varieties.

The CIMMYT-IITA analysis of the benefits of conventional drought-tolerant maize for Africa, or DTMA, examined the potential impact in Angola, Benin, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The researchers found that under “conservative yield” improvements, the new varieties would provide farmers and consumers with food and income worth US$537 million, while under more “optimistic yield improvements,” their value would increase to US$876 million.

Moreover, the researchers estimate that if drought-tolerant maize completely replaced existing varieties in the countries studied, the benefits could reach US$1.5 billion.

Farmers and consumers in Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe would see the greatest benefits, the authors note, because maize dominates local diets and livelihoods, and farmers in these countries have a history of rapidly adopting improved maize varieties.

“The goal now is to make drought-tolerant maize easily available to millions of smallholder growers in countries where droughts, which always lurk as a perennial threat to food production, are expected to become more common and more severe,” said Hartmann, director general of IITA. “Maize is life for 300 million in Africa, and as climatic conditions deteriorate, it is up to researchers in cooperation with governments, seed companies and farmers to ensure that maize production does not collapse.”

For example, a peer-reviewed study published last year by Stanford University and the Global Crop Diversity Trust warned that by 2050, growing conditions in most African countries will be hotter than any year on record and that many varieties of maize now under cultivation will no longer be viable. Another study from the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) warned that a failure to transition to drought-tolerant maize could diminish yields across the region by up to one ton per hectare.

Some of the new drought-tolerant maize seed is already reaching farmers’ fields. This year alone, four new varieties developed by breeders with IITA and the Government of Ghana that are both drought-tolerant and resistant to the parasitic weed Striga were officially released.

The CIMMYT-IITA study examined past trends in adoption of improved maize varieties and cautioned that there could be wide variations in the rate at which farmers’ transition to drought-tolerant maize. For example, adoption rates are projected to be as high as 85 percent in Kenya and Zambia, but only 20 percent in Benin, 30 percent in Mali, and 27 percent in Mozambique.

“It is very important for everyone at all points in the value chain to coordinate their efforts so that we address the challenges that in the past have made it very difficult for many African farmers to obtain seed of improved crop varieties,” said Wilfred Mwangi, associate director of CIMMYT’s global maize program and leader of the DTMA project.

According to Mwangi, farmers will adopt a new crop variety if it offers distinct advantages. But they still face barriers to obtaining improved seeds.

“Over the years, many farmers in sub-Saharan Africa have continued to grow old, low-yielding, and unsuitable maize varieties, despite the availability of newer and better-performing ones,” said Mwangi. “This is partly because they don’t know about the new varieties or can’t get credit to buy seed. Many farmers are discouraged from buying seed because they can’t sell their surplus grain at attractive prices; others live beyond the reach of commercial seed companies.”

Feeding farm families in dry areas of Malawi

In Malawi, the impact of the DTMA project is already becoming evident in farmers’ fields and finances. For example, Bamusi Stambuli estimated he will save US$330 over 12 months by growing a drought-tolerant maize variety developed by CIMMYT and breeders from Malawi’s Chitedze Research Station. This year, Stambuli’s maize yields of this variety were nearly twice those of other popular local varieties. “I will now be able to feed my family for 12 months,” said Stambuli, who has seven children and five grandchildren.

“The climate is changing, rainfall is decreasing, and the weather is now dictating which varieties farmers grow and in turn what varieties seed companies produce,” said Dellings Phiri, Managing Director of Seed Co. Malawi, a leading seed company in the southern African region.

Two varieties released in Malawi in 2009—ZM 309 and ZM 523—are suited specifically for drought-prone areas where soils are infertile. Introduced by local extension agents to farmers in the Balaka area, the new varieties have produced good yields in demonstration plots. Farmers are saying that ZM 309 and ZM 523 yield more corn, mature earlier, and are better for pounding into flour than other popular commercial varieties.

Locally, ZM 523 is known as “Mwayi”—the Chichewa term for “fortunate.” ZM 309 is called “Msunga banja,” or “that which takes care of or feeds the family.” In September 2009, the Malawi government decided to include ZM 309 in a government initiative that offers farmers discounts on purchases of improved maize seeds.

Communicating conservation agriculture

Written by on August 24, 2010. Posted in News.

On 08 August 2010, a group of representatives from Mexico’s public and private agricultural sectors interested in conservation agriculture (CA) gathered for a workshop, given by Petr Kosina, CIMMYT knowledge, information and training manager, on efficient outreach communication. Throughout the day, participants learned about different learning styles and presentation methods, and how they can be used to communicate to farmers CA techniques and benefits. CA is an exciting tool with the potential to enhance not only crop yields, but also the quality of agricultural soils. However, like any other tool, the benefits of CA will only be attained if it is correctly adapted and utilized by farmers and technicians, and clear communication—both of proper application and of the potential benefits—is crucial.

Many farmers are sceptical about non-traditional farming practices, so in addition to analyzing cultural differences in learning styles, the workshop taught participants how to overcome scepticism by using various presentation methods that both relay information about CA technologies while also gaining the trust of farmers. Methods discussed included: demonstrations, visits (farm walks), facilitated discussions, presentations, and the use of informative media such as posters, flyers, and manuals. At the end of the seminar, participants worked in pairs to prepare and give a two-minute presentation in front of the entire group.

In the afternoon, the participants were divided into groups and rotated through four stations, each designed for experimentation with a different communication technology, and led by a CIMMYT expert in the respective area: video, audio, posters, and pamphlets. CIMMYT consultant Mary Attaway (pictured left in yellow) gave instruction about the basic use of inexpensive handheld video cameras and their potential role in spreading CA through various channels such as YouTube. Under the watchful eye of CIMMYT audiovisual expert Ricardo de la Rosa (pictured left at computer), the participants conducted mock interviews with one another to practice using an audio recorder. They then edited their recordings using a software program that is available online, free-of-charge. Antonio Luna Ávila and Marcelo Ortiz Sánchez, both CIMMYT graphic designers, led brief informative courses on how to create efficient, engaging posters and pamphlets. At the end of the day, the whole group discussed which outcomes resulted in good communicative materials and how others could be improved.

This workshop was part of CIMMYT’s second year-long CA technician certification course. The first course finished in early August 2010 and graduated its first round of CA certified technicians. Because of the overwhelming response to the course, a second wave of 34 new participants has just begun. Bram Govaerts, head of the conservation agriculture team in Mexico, is leading this course with the help of many CIMMYT staff. “I’d like to give a special thanks to the whole Mexico CA team and also to Petr Kosina who presented this crucial material in such an engaging and participatory manner,” said Govaerts.

CIMMYT at forum for revamping agriculture in Africa

Written by on August 23, 2010. Posted in News.

The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) held its 5thAfrican Agriculture Science Week from 19-23 July 2010 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, a country in northwest Africa. More than 700 African farmers, ministers, scientists, policymakers, and public and private sector representatives utilized this opportunity to review the progress of agriculture research and development in Africa over the last three years, under the general theme of “African Agriculture in a Changing Global Environment.” The participants, including three CIMMYT representatives, also established a regional research agenda for the next three years.

FARA is an umbrella organization for major agricultural stakeholders in Africa; it advocates and coordinates roles for agricultural research for development among national and international agricultural research centers and advanced research institutions. Despite hardships, like climate change and the global financial crisis, many influential African policymakers pledged to help increase investments in African agriculture. Several Ministers of African nations declared their commitment to the African Union’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP). CAADP is an united approach to increase agricultural productivity in Africa through improvements in land and water management, market access, food supply, and agricultural research. Some of the program’s goals include increasing agricultural productivity 6% each year, and allocating 10% of annual government budgets to the farming sector.

At FARA’s Science Week, booth and poster display areas provided presenters with opportunities to interact and showcase their work. CIMMYT’s booth provided information about various center initiatives, including those involving maize (with a focus on drought tolerant maize), conservation agriculture, Ug99, post-harvest losses, the African seed sector, and the project Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Legume Cropping Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa (SIMLESA). The display included posters, publications, and a photo slideshow. Publications in French were especially popular, as it is the main language in Burkina Faso. CIMMYT also submitted a video on metal silo technology to the Inaugural African Film Festival, which was introduced as part of African Agriculture Science Week.

“The CIMMYT film on the metal silo did a great job in showcasing innovation and the benefits not only for farmers, but also for the associated small-scale metal fabrication industry,” said Jacqueline Nnam, FARA knowledge sharing officer. You can watch parts of the video online: part 1 and part 2.

Representing CIMMYT at the event was Wilfred Mwangi, associate director of the Global Maize Program; Mulugetta Mekuria, project leader of SIMLESA; and Anne Wangalachi (pictured above right), science writer based at CIMMYTKenya, who reported that the CIMMYT booth attracted many visitors, including the Rwanda Minister of Agriculture, Agnes Kalibata, who was interested in drought tolerant maize and metal silo technology, and how these could be introduced and used in her country.

For more information about the event, visit http://faraweek2010.blogspot.com/.

Return to wheat: second part of wheat management course concludes

Written by on August 17, 2010. Posted in News.

15-(1) Twenty-three farmers who attended a wheat course on soil management and preparation back in March 2010 returned to CIMMYT-Mexico to complete their training last week. “Integrated Management of Wheat in Mexico: Part Two” ran from 02-06 August 2010 and was a collaborative effort of CIMMYT and the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries, and Food (SAGARPA). It focused on pest and disease control, existing genotypes in the Mexican market, seed health, end-use quality, and use of geographic information systems (GIS) for extension agents.

The participants spent the first two days in Toluca where Fernando Delgado, Toluca’s station superintendent, led the activities in the field. From Wednesday through Friday, the group stayed at El Batán, where they had a varied schedule that included presentations on wheat variety profiles; visits to demonstration plots, the germplasm bank, and seed health laboratories; and sessions on GIS, conservation agriculture (CA), grain industrial quality, and the registration process of new varieties in Mexico.

Petr Kosina, knowledge, information, and training manager, and Roberto Javier Peña, wheat quality expert and laboratory head, coordinated the SAGARPA-funded course, which received technical support from the Mexican National Institute of Forestry, Agriculture, and Livestock (INIFAP). This course will be given again in 2011 and 2012. Big thanks to everyone who helped make this training a success, including Julio Huerta and Bibiana Espinosa of the germplasm bank; Noemí Valencia and Gabriela Juárez of the seed health lab; Andrea Chocobar and Ricardo Romero of the CA team; INIFAP’s Eduardo Villaseñor; Fernando Delgado; and the GIS office team.

Technology training for managing maize information

Written by on August 16, 2010. Posted in News.

A training workshop on the integrated International Maize Information System (IMIS)-Fieldbook platform was held for scientists, technicians, and research assistants in Nairobi, Kenya, on 05-06 August 2010. Similar training was held in Zimbabwe on 02-04 August, and will soon be given in Ethiopia. Héctor Sánchez, crop information specialist based at CIMMYT-Mexico, conducted the course, which was attended by participants from CIMMYT and two invited representatives from the Western Seed Company, a Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA) Project partner.

The training included presentations on the basic use of IMIS and IMISFieldbook. The latter has all the utilities of Fieldbook software, as well as additional functions for management of genealogy, inventory, and data. Hands-on training sessions covered topics such as installing the software, generating inventories and analyses, seed preparation for trials and nurseries, adding information to the IMIS database, and managing pedigrees using Fieldbook.

“We can now code our germplasm numerically, and upload it into a local database, which can then be exported to MaizeFinder,” said Silvano Assanga, one of the participants. MaizeFinder is a program, accessible on the internet, where information on the germplasm available at CIMMYT and performance data can be obtained. “With this software, it will now be easy to trace the parentage of a pedigree by generating a genealogy tree to see how the material was developed,” Assanga said.

The software is available at http://dtma.cimmyt.org/index.php/software.

CIMMYT experts lead data training course in Peru

Written by on August 11, 2010. Posted in News.

Two CIMMYT-Mexico department heads, along with Mateo Vargas from Mexico’s Chapingo Autonomous University, traveled to Peru this July to lead a five-day training course on field data analysis, with an emphasis on maize. The course, coordinated by Luis Narro of CIMMYT-Colombia, ran from 19-23 July 2010 at the campus of Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina (UNALM), in Lima, Peru.

Twenty-three fellow scientists and researchers (six were women) attended the course, which received Peruvian government funding specifically earmarked for CGIAR initiatives. Other sponsors included the university; the National Institute of Agricultural Innovation (INIA, part of the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture); CIMMYT; and the institutions of attendees (six Peruvian universities, one Colombian university, and the International Potato Center, CIP).

CIMMYT’s José Crossa (head of Biometrics & Statistics), along with Vargas, filled two of the days with information on theory, analysis, and interpretation of experiment data (including full blocks at random and incomplete blocks); and stability analysis (regression models, AMMI, SREG, PLS, hereditability, and genetic correlations). Statistical analysis software (SAS) was used to analyze all the information.

Later in the week, Kai Sonder (head of the Geographic Information Systems Unit, GIS, part of the Socioeconomics Program) switched gears slightly and focused the following three days on GIS issues. He used local examples and data to show how to apply GIS to agricultural research, how to generate geo-referenced data with GPS in the field, and how to create maps and spatial data using the freeware applications DivaGIS and Geoda. All the participants received a DVD with spatial data and materials and programs used in the workshop. Complementing the workshop, Crossa also presented a conference on how to use phenotypic and genotypic data from multi-location trials to increase the genetic gain of selections. Held in UNALM’s auditorium for their postgraduate program, 50 people attended, including workshop participants, UNALM professors, and researchers from INIA and CIP.

The attendees thanked CIMMYT for organizing the event and others of its caliber, and highlighted the excellent quality of the course and the expertise of the workshop leaders. CIMMYT-Colombia thanks its CIMMYT-Mexico colleagues for their collaboration.

Training in Toluca (and El Batán)

Written by on August 10, 2010. Posted in News.

With much appreciated assistance from public and private sector maize extension specialists and innovative farmers, the first part of a two-part CIMMYT-hosted training course titled “Integrated management of maize-based cropping systems” was successfully completed last week in Mexico. Thirty-two participants attended the course, which ran from 26-30 July 2010 and focused on agronomy and pest management.

The participants spent four days at the Toluca experimental station, where their learning began with an analysis of different types of soil management and technologies for both irrigated and rainfed areas. From Tuesday to Thursday they focused on farm equipment and machinery (tractors, and fertilizing and sowing implements).

“I have worked with maize for two and a half years, and want to learn more about this crop so I can assist the farmers I work with,” said Antonia Viloria, an agronomist from Oaxaca who works with the Management Office for the Innovation of the Maize Chain (AGI), an agency closely related to SAGARPA. “I’ve attend various other maize workshops, but this was the first one that let us practice; here I was able to use and calibrate equipment, test the equipment in the field, and measure field distances.”

Other training activities included how to apply the proper amount of herbicides, insecticides, and fertilizers, and how to make standard and wide beds. On the last day, everyone traveled to El Batán where they learned about the Geographic Information Systems Unit (GIS), visited the germplasm bank, and saw maize material sown on CIMMYT’s demonstration plots.

“This course is vital because we already know that it is not possible to look at variables individually, like costs, climate change, or agronomy—everything is connected and we have to take into account that things are changing,” said Jaime Covarrubias, from Salamanca, Guanajuato. “On previous occasions I have worked with Fernando Delgado (Toluca’s station superintendent), yet I keep returning because there is always something new to learn, and I take this knowledge back and share it with farmers in my state.”

The participants will return in early October 2010 to complete the second part of the course, which will focus on existing maize varieties and post harvest technologies.

The organizers thank Fernando Delgado for his dedication during the workshop, and for being an example to many Mexican farmers and extension agents. Also, thanks go to Kai Sonder and his GIS team, Víctor Chávez and the germplasm bank staff, and José Luis Torres and his maize group.

CIMMYT graduates its first ever CA-certified technicians

Written by on August 9, 2010. Posted in News.

History was in the making at El Batán last Friday, 30 July 2010. After months of training, studying, and practical application, four ASGROW technicians successfully completed a written and applied test on conservation agriculture (CA), achieving the first-ever CIMMYT-approved CA certifications. This was part of a CIMMYT-led initiative to disseminate CA in central Mexico. For three years CIMMYT has been partnering with SAGARPA-Fondo Borlaug, Fundación Produce Estado de México, and Monsanto to establish sustainable agriculture in the Mexico’s central highlands.

“I never thought I would make it this far,” said Fermín Hernández Méndez, a technical consultant for ASGROW in Hidalgo, Mexico. “Reaching this point has not been easy, so now I am very proud of all the hard work it took to get here.”

Méndez was one of 10 ASGROW technicians who participated in the 2009-10 CIMMYT course “Technical Certification in Conservation Agriculture,” which focused on CA for highland maize in central Mexico (specifically the states of Mexico, Hidalgo, and Tlaxcala), and covered CA techniques for all farming stages. These technicians also supervise CA modules as part of a partnership between CIMMYT and seed company ASGROW, a Monsanto subsidiary.

“This certification for technicians in conservation agriculture is very important for CIMMYT,” said DG Tom Lumpkin. “It is through these technicians that we are able to promote CA dissemination and achieve advances in Mexican agriculture.”

Roughly a week prior, on 22 July 2010, the 10 technicians arrived at El Batán to take the certification test. Most were young, a visual reminder of how young or innovative farmers are usually quicker to adopt CA practices than their traditional elders. The test included an hour-long written exam followed by a two-hour practical exam, during which the technicians rotated between 12 stations where they had to demonstrate their CA knowledge in the field. Only four technicians successfully completed this rigorous examination (César Lorenzo García, Fermín Hernández Méndez, Jesús Cerecero Gutiérrez, and Valentín Reyes Castro), but all were invited to attend the certificate awarding ceremony, designed as an opportunity to praise everyone for their hard work. In addition to the nine attending technicians and their families, the Friday ceremony, which included dinner, was attended by Bekele Shiferaw, director of the Socioeconomics Program; Francisco Magallanes, El Batán superintendent; Carlos Buzio, marketing supervisor for ASGROW-Mexico; David López, highlands distribution channel representative for ASGROW-Mexico; Karen García, representing AGROBIO; and several members of the CA team.

“CIMMYT is an example of what can be achieved through applied science, with dedication, passion, and above all, with intelligence,” Shiferaw said in his speech during the ceremony, on behalf of Tom Lumpkin, who was unable to attend. “But I want to make clear that in order to reach the shared goal of sustainable agriculture, we must all work together: farmers, the private and public sector, and scientists.”

Technicians who did not achieve certification the first time around were still recognized for their efforts with a tool kit suitable for CA machinery work, and were reenrolled for the second certification course in 2010-11, which will be run in collaboration with SAGARPA and other partners.

“Conservation agriculture is becoming a big movement in Mexico, and we hope support for it will continue grow, as other partners like SAGARPA also increase their commitment,” said Bram Govaerts, head of the conservation agriculture team in Mexico and leader of the course, adding that he looks forward to further partnerships to positively impact Mexican agriculture.

USAID Famine Seed Project meeting held in Nepal

Written by on August 3, 2010. Posted in News.

On 30 June 2010, a USAID Famine Seed Project meeting was organized at CIMMYT’s South Asia Office in Kathmandu, Nepal. Seventeen participants, including those from the Nepal Agriculture Research Council (NARC), CIMMYT-Nepal, CIMMYT-Bangladesh, and Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) HUB partners in Nepal, attended the meeting. The objectives of the day were to: (1) review 2009-10 crop cycle work and progress, (2) to develop a work plan for the upcoming 2010-11 cycle and, (3) to strengthen collaboration with technology-delivering stakeholders.

Arun Joshi, CIMMYT wheat breeder, opened the event with an overview of the progress and on-going challenges facing the six countries involved in the USAID project (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, Pakistan, and Nepal). He identified the project’s major activities as: (1) identification of suitable Ug99 resistant varieties and their pre- and post-release seed production, and (2) delivery of seed to farmers and rapid dissemination. CIMMYT, ICARDA, the BGRI, and national wheat programs are jointly implementing these activities.

This year, 2010, marks 25 years of strong partnership between CIMMYT and NARC, a milestone highlighted by NARC Executive Director B. Mishra, who also pointed out that the Famine Fund meeting was the first major NARC-CIMMYT meeting this year. Mishra said that Nepal is doing its best to produce sufficient amounts of Ug99 resistant seed, with a goal of producing enough to replant at least 5% of Nepal’s wheat area within the next two to three years. He happily announced that the new Ug99 resistant variety BL 3063 (GS348/NL746//NL748) has been approved by NARC’s technical committee, and will soon be released for cultivation.

Next, NARC scientists J. Tripathi, S.R. Upadhyay, and N.R. Gautam presented the specifics of Nepal’s work and efforts from the 2009-10 crop cycle, and outlined a potential 2010-11 work plan. They said that the estimated seed production of resistant lines in 2010–11 will be sufficient to meet 7.3% of the effective seed market, and to cover 2.4% of the total wheat area in Nepal. M.R. Bhatta and Sarala Sharma highlighted the importance of farmer participatory research for successful dissemination of new resistant seed varieties in Nepal.

The following presentation included explanations and deatils about the progress of the field demonstrations overseen by Nepal’s CSISA HUB. D.P Sherchan, CSISA HUB manager, and A.P. Regmi, agronomist, said that field demonstrations are important for the delivery of Ug99 resistant seed and seed resistant to other rusts, and that in large-scale trials, the yield of newly obtained resistant varieties (BL 3063 and Francolin) under zero tillage was significantly superior to the local checks.

Toward the end of the meeting, K.D. Joshi, South Asia regional coordinator for CAZS Natural Resources, part of Bangor University, UK, explained ways to enhance linkages with NGOs and newly emerging private sector companies to promote seed production and dissemination. T.P. Tiwari, CIMMYT-Bangladesh cropping system agronomist, summarized his experiences with particular agronomic interventions that could benefit field trials in Nepal.

The discussion outcomes led to the development of similar agronomic plans for Nepal and Bangladesh to harness the potential of Ug99 resistant lines. The meeting also provided a good update on progress in the USAID seed project, and provided ideas on how to strengthen ties between CSISA, NGOs, and the private sector, as well as providing suggestions on new agronomic innervations that could be integrated into trials in the upcoming crop cycle.

Give your heart to conservation agriculture

Written by on July 30, 2010. Posted in News.

This year, the Conservation Agriculture (CA) Program in Mexico, CIMMYT’s host country, is participating in the 2010 Mexico Initiative. “Iniciativa México” is a venue for individuals, institutions, and organizations currently working for positive social or ecological change in Mexico to share their result-driven projects and initiatives. This is part of a nation-wide government initiative to celebrate the Bicentennial—signifying 200 years of Mexican independence — and to support national pride and social responsibility.

CIMMYT’s participation in this project originated from the passion Mexican farmers feel for their work and their love of the land, as well as their concern for the environment. Several farmers who collaborate with CIMMYT, practice CA, and are involved in CIMMYT’s CA Mexican hub project asked to be part of the Mexico Initiative in order to share the socioeconomic and environmental benefits they have gained by embracing CA crop practices.

The Mexico Initiative is asking the general public to express their support for the projects they prefer. You do this by visiting the website (http://www.iniciativamexico.org/registro.php) and registering some basic information (name, birthday, email). Then, you are given five “hearts” to distribute among the projects you think have the most potential. To find CIMMYT’s CA project, enter the keywords “Nodos de Agricultura Conservación” (Conservation Agriculture Hubs) into the search feature on the left-hand side of the webpage. To donate one or all of your hearts, click the “Detalles” link, and you will then be taken to a page where you can donate your hearts, share the project, send a message, or comment on the project. Projects that receive the most votes will receive the most visibility on the website—so be sure to share this CA project via your own social media networks! Final winners will be announced on 22 August 2010 and will receive funding and training support.

Agua Fría holds dedication for Hugo Córdova

Written by on July 28, 2010. Posted in News.

On Thursday 14 July 2010, staff at the Mexican experimental station in Agua Fría held a ceremony to honor the late Hugo Córdova, one of CIMMYT’s distinguished scientists and a remarkable maize breeder, who died in late 2009. All station personnel joined with Córdova’s widow América, his daughter Lucy, and his grandchildren to plant an Araucaria evergreen tree and to place a plaque in his honor, enscribed with the text: “Maize breeder; distinguished scientist; colleague/ His germplams—a legacy to millions of farmers/ His mentorship—a legacy to many breeders.”

Several former colleagues shared memories and spoke in honor of Hugo, including Raymundo Lopez, Félix San Vicente, Manuel López, Mayolo Leyva, Jesus González, and Pedro López Conde. The musical group Khalpaka provided Andean music, and America Córdova thanked everyone for their kind words.

Following the dedication, everyone reloacted to the autotorium where Córdova’s family presented some highlights of Hugo’s career, including his work to improve maize and develope quality protein maize (QPM) varieties— which are now planted in many tropical and subtropical areas—and showed photos from his retirement party.

In late January 2010, El Batán held a similar ceremony. For more information about Córdova’s career visit here.

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