News – Page 31

Public-private collaboration to improve fertilizer supply

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on December 7, 2022. Posted in News.

Basanta Shrestha, Vice-Chair of FAN, shares the objectives of the public-private dialogue with Govinda Prasad Sharma, Secretary of MoALD (seated left) ,Mrigendra Kumar Singh Yadav, Honorable Minister of MoALD (seated center), Chandrakanta Dallakoti, Chairperson of FAN (seated right), and other participants. (Photo: Aayush Niroula/CIMMYT)

Fertilizer supply shortages are a chronic problem in Nepal, where thousands of farmers are often unable to access the required quantities on time. This is particularly common during the cultivation of rice — the major staple food crop for the country.

Some of the critical challenges to meeting fertilizer demand include limitations to import mechanisms and budget allocation for fertilizer subsidies by the Government of Nepal. Additionally, the successive COVID-19-induced lockdowns and Russia-Ukraine war have further deepened the crisis in the past two years by significantly delaying imports and increasing fertilizer prices. This continuous gap in supply has compelled farmers to buy fertilizers from the country’s unofficial or “gray” markets.

To address these shortcomings, researchers on the Nepal Seed and Fertilizer (NSAF) project, implemented by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), have been supporting the Fertilizer Association of Nepal (FAN) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MOALD) to resolve policy issues that will enhance fertilizer distribution efficiency.

Fertilizer sector stakeholders participate in a panel discussion at the public-private dialogue. (Photo: Aayush Niroula/CIMMYT)

On 23 September 2022, the NSAF project team joined representatives from the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) and FAN to organize a policy dialogue around improving the country’s fertilizer supply system. Held in Kathmandu, the event brought together concerned public and private sector stakeholders to discuss existing challenges and propose different policy alternatives that ensure the timely availability of fertilizers in the required quantities.

Representatives from FAN presented the key issues and challenges in the sector while NSAF project coordinator Dyutiman Choudhary presented the findings of different fertilizer policy studies conducted jointly with local partners. The results showed that involving the private sector in distribution improved farmers’ access to fertilizers compared to distribution carried out solely by cooperatives. The study also indicated a potential to reduce fertilizer subsidies and increase import volume to help meet demand.

Lynn Schneider, Deputy Director of USAID Economic Growth Office shares her remarks at the policy dialogue. (Photo: Dyutiman Choudhary/CIMMYT)

Improving national supply systems

The event featured a panel discussion, where participants shared their experiences and outlined the issues faced by private sector importers, logistic service providers and retailers, and policymakers from federal and provincial governments while engaging in their respective functions. The panel members also suggested a number of different ways to improve national fertilizer supply systems, such as:

Restructuring fertilizer subsidy programs, i.e. reducing the current subsidy by 20-30% (a recommendation from the NSAF assessment) and using budget savings to increase imports and allocate subsidies based on fertilizer demand.
Making a procurement process timeline to ensure timely fertilizer supply for three major crops — rice, wheat, and maize — and importing about 30% of the total fertilizer through Government-to-Government (G2G) agreement.
Implementing a crisis management strategy by maintaining buffer stocks (20% of the demand).
Ensuring a level playing field for the private sector in the import and distribution of the fertilizers.

The dialogue concluded with mutual agreement by stakeholders from the public and private sectors to improve local fertilizer distribution through private sector engagement. They agreed to revise some clauses specified in the Nepal Fertilizer Distribution Directive 2020 related to profit margins, volumes, classification of fertilizer distributors and selling fertilizers. Govinda Prasad Sharma, secretary of MOALD, informed attendees that the ministry has already started planning fertilizer procurement based on actual demand and gave assurances about G2G agreements with neighboring countries such as India to bring in fertilizers for distribution during times of peak demand. Sharma also agreed to continue supporting the private sector in capacity building to import fertilizers and to revise subsidies to make more fertilizers available.

“It is our great pleasure to see all fertilizer-related stakeholders in a common platform, which is critical to bring out key issues and cooperation between the public and private sector,” said Lynn Schneider, deputy director of the Economic Growth Office at USAID Nepal. Schneider also emphasized the importance of generating efficiency in estimating fertilizer demand and supply and fertilizer types by using Nepal’s digital soil map, working in close coordination with provincial and local governments, and increasing the role of the private sector to ensure fertilizer supply to meet crop requirements in the peak season.

Attendees at the Public Private Dialogue on Improving Fertilizer Supply System in Nepal (Photo: Aayush Niroula/CIMMYT)

The Nepal Seed and Fertilizer project is supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and is a flagship project in Nepal. It aims to build competitive and synergistic seed and fertilizer systems for inclusive and sustainable growth in agricultural productivity, business development and income generation in Nepal.

CIMMYT crop scientist shares strategies for decolonization

Written by Alex Smith on December 7, 2022. Posted in Features.

International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) crop scientist Sieglinde Snapp is working to break down decolonization and promote inclusivity.

Decolonization is a long standing issue in science and has led to work from marginalized people being erased.

This problem has largely affected scientists in the Global South, who can, as a result, develop a lack of trust in the science community and feel unwelcome in academia.

A 2021 study highlights the scale of the issue of decolonization, with only 16 percent of articles in high-profile development journals being authored by researchers exclusively based in the global south.

In an article which contributes to a series on decolonizing the biosciences, Snapp explained not only the importance of crediting scientists for their work, but also providing those from the Global South with platforms to share and discuss ideas.

“Working for an international research organization that studies global food production, I think we, as an organization, need to change the reward structure,” Snapp wrote. “The current one tends to reward pure science first, then applied research and outreach — and it tends to exclude the global south because much of work there is more locally contextualized and applied. Decolonization should go beyond simply citing colleagues from developing countries to including them in conferences and as co-authors, especially if we are creating knowledge together.”

Participatory research is key to Snapp’s approach of championing diversity. This strategy links indigenous scholars to conventional science through engagement, such as speaking at conferences.

“I’ve studied rain-fed cropping systems alongside colleagues in sub-Saharan Africa, notably Malawi, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, throughout my career,” she added.

“Those colleagues are not invited by their white, Western collaborators to speak at big conferences or to co-author high-profile papers in agriculture. My colleagues at CIMMYT and I hope to reverse this trend by advocating for decolonization through authorship. As a start, my team of researchers will include a paragraph about what each author did, and how the team paid attention to gender and Global South inclusivity in publications.”

Snapp is also encouraged by the development of new technology and programs, which challenge traditional methods of sharing findings. Crucially, these advances mean that research is available much quicker and distributed more equitably than before.

“I’m making the case at CIMMYT that performance evaluations reward sharing data sets and information with and between communities quicker,” Snapp explained. “This is part of decolonization in my view. Rather than, say, top-down fertilizer recommendations from experts, this offers a way to connect people so they can share information more directly in a local context.”

Cover photo: Sieg Snapp, Director of the Sustainable Agrifood Systems (SAS) program, outside CIMMYT headquarters. (Photo: Francisco Alarcón/CIMMYT)

CIMMYT hosts third workshop of the Community of Practice for Latin America and the Caribbean

Written by Leslie Domínguez on December 6, 2022. Posted in News.

Attendees of the third workshop of the Community of Practice for Latin America and the Caribbean outside CIMMYT headquarters, Mexico. (Photo: CIMMYT)

From November 14 to 18, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT hosted the third workshop of the Community of Practice for Latin America and the Caribbean on the use of genomic and digital tools for the conservation and use of Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (GRAA).

The workshop, attended by 33 participants from 14 countries, was held at CIMMYT headquarters and highlighted topics such as the analysis of genotypic data derived from the DArTseq platform and the analysis of gaps in germplasm collections.

“It was very gratifying to be able to form this Latin American network of germplasm banks together with our colleagues from the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT,”said Carolina Sansaloni, Wheat Germplasm Bank Curator & Genotyping Specialist. “Training and knowledge exchange among germplasm banks is essential for better conservation, exploration and utilization of genetic resources in each country.”

Some of the participants shared the following comments and feedback:

“Excellent initiative, it is a fundamental support for the strengthening of plant genetic resources conservation systems and the creation of international collaborative networks. Thanks to CIMMYT and the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT for the invitation.” Mexico’s National Institute for Forestry, Agriculture and Livestock Research (INIFAP)
“Excellent workshop, a very important space for the exchange of knowledge and experiences, it also allows the formation of collaborative work networks between institutions and professionals from different countries with related research.” Escuela de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional Costa Rica
“This workshop has allowed me to get in contact with colleagues from Latin America and to open the possibility of working together to advance in the characterization and contribute to the conservation of the collections we manage.” Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Argentina
“This has been a very profitable week for me as curator of the germplasm bank in Brazil. I learnt new concepts and tools that will generate advances in my work.” Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA)

This workshop would not have been possible without the support of the CGIAR’s Genebank Initiative, DivSeek International and Analitek-Illumina.

Participatory action research identifies solutions for improved seed storage in Bangladesh

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on December 6, 2022. Posted in Publications.

Traditional and alternative seed storage methods have been compared in a participatory household trial co-designed by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and smallholder farmers in Bangladesh, demonstrating how farmers can be involved in agricultural research.

In the summer monsoon season preceding planting in the winter, farmers typically use low-density polyethylene (LDPE) bags contained within woven polypropylene bags to store their wheat seed. Seed quality typically deteriorates over the monsoon as a result of increased seed moisture and pests that are associated with high humidity and temperature.

After initially being consulted by survey and detailed focus group interactions on the design of the trial, 80 wheat farming households participated in a 30-week action research process by conducting trials to compare seed storage methods. This included comparing hermetic SuperGrainbags® (Premium RZ) against LDPE bags, both with and without the addition of dried neem tree leaves (Azadirachta indica), the latter representing a common method used by farmers in Bangladesh to improved stored seed.

Results of the trials demonstrated that seed germination and seedling coleoptile length were greater, and that seed moisture was maintained at levels close to before storage in SuperGrainbags® compared to LDPE bags. The use of neem however had no effect on these factors.

Furthermore, hermetic bags were more effective in lessening seed damage caused during the storage process, but neem slightly reduced damage rates for seeds stored using traditional methods compared to SuperGrainbags®.

In relation to diseases and pests, SuperGrainbags® suppressed Coleopteran pests and blackspot, while storing neem alongside the seeds in LDPE bags had a slight additional pest suppressive effect.

Scoring by both men and women farmers revealed their preference for SuperGrainbags® hermetic storage. The study recommends actions for value chain development to increase farmers’ access to improved hermetic storage options at low cost.

Read the study: Performance of a hermetic device and neem (Azadirachta indica) in storing wheat seed: Evidence from participatory household trials in central Bangladesh

Cover photo: A female farmer in a field of wheat in Bangladesh, where participatory research is helping farmers adapt to better ways of storing seeds. (Photo: Ranak Martin/CIMMYT)

CIMMYT leads innovation sprint to deliver results to farmers rapidly

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on December 5, 2022. Posted in Features.

Smallholder farmers, the backbone of food systems around the world, are already facing negative impacts because of climate change. Time to adapt climate mitigation strategies is not a luxury they have. With that in mind, the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM4C) facilitates innovation sprints designed to leverage existing development activities to create a series of innovations in an expedited timeframe.

At the UN COP27 in Egypt, AIM4C announced its newest round of innovation sprints, including one led by the International Center for Maize and Wheat Improvement (CIMMYT) to enable smallholder farmers to achieve efficient and effective nitrogen fertilizer management. From 2022 to 2025, this sprint will steer US $90 million towards empowering small-scale producers in Africa (Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe), Asia (China, India, Laos and Pakistan), and Latin America (Guatemala and Mexico).

“When we talk to farmers, they tell us they want validated farming practices tailored to their specific conditions to achieve greater productivity and increase their climate resilience,” said Sieg Snapp, CIMMYT Sustainable Agrifood Systems (SAS) program director who is coordinating the sprint. “This sprint will help deliver those things rapidly by focusing on bolstering organic carbon in soil and lowering nitrous oxide emissions.”

Nitrogen in China

Working with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), the sprint will facilitate the development of improved versions of green manure crops, which are grown specifically for building and maintaining soil fertility and structures which are incorporated back into the soil, either directly, or after removal and composting. Green manure can significantly reduce the use of nitrogen-based fertilizers, which prime climate culprits.

“There are already green manure systems in place in China,” said Weidong Cao from CAAS, “but our efforts will integrate all the work being done to establish a framework for developing new green manure crops aid in their deployment across China.”

Triple wins in Kenya

The Kenya Climate Smart Climate Project, active since 2017, is increasing agricultural productivity and building resilience to climate change risks in the targeted smallholder farming and pastoral communities. The innovation sprint will help rapidly achieve three wins in technology development and dissemination, cutting-edge innovations, and developing sets of management practices all designed to increase productive, adaption of climate smart tech and methods, and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Agricultural innovations in Pakistan

The Agricultural Innovation Program (AIP), a multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral project funded by USAID, led by CIMMYT, and active in Pakistan since 2015, fosters the emergence of a dynamic, responsive, and competitive system of science and innovation that is ‘owned’ by Pakistan and catalyzes equitable growth in agricultural production, productivity, and value.

“From its beginning, AIP has been dedicated to building partnerships with local organizations and, smallholder farmers throughout Pakistan, which is very much in line with the objectives and goal as envisioned by Pakistan Vision 2025 and the Vision for Agriculture 2030, as Pakistan is a priority country for CIMMYT. However, a concerted effort is required from various players representing public and private sectors,” said Thakur Prasad Tiwari, senior scientist at CIMMYT. “Using that existing framework to deliver rapid climate smart innovations, the innovation sprint is well-situated to react to the needs of Pakistani farmers. “

Policies and partnerships for innovations in soil fertility management in Nepal

The Nepal Seed and Fertilizer (NSAF) project, funded by USAID and implemented by CIMMYT, facilitates sustainable increases in Nepal’s national crop productivity, farmer income, and household-level food and nutrition security. NSAF promotes the use of improved seeds and integrated soil fertility management technologies along with effective extension, including the use of digital and information and communications technologies. The project facilitated the National Soil Science Research Centre (NSSRC) to develop new domain specific fertilizer recommendations for rice, maize, and wheat to replace the 40 years old blanket recommendations.

Under NSAFs leadership, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MOALD) launched Asia’s first digital soil map and has coordinated governmental efforts to collect and analyze soil data to update the soil map and provide soil health cards to Nepal’s farmers. The project provides training to over 2000 farmers per year to apply ISFM principles and provides evidence to the MOALD to initiate a balanced soil fertility management program in Nepal and to revise the national fertilizer subsidy policy to promote balanced fertilizers. The project will also build efficient soil fertility management systems that significantly increase crop productivity and the marketing and distribution of climate smart and alternative fertilizer products and application methods.

Public-private partnerships accelerate access to innovations in South Asia

The Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA), established in 2009, has reached more than 8 million farmers by conducting applied research and bridging public and private sector divides in the context of rural ‘innovation hubs’ in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. CSISA’s work has enabled farmers to adopt resource-conserving and climate-resilient technologies and improve their access to market information and enterprise development.

“Farmers in South Asia have become familiar with the value addition that participating in applied research can bring to innovations in their production systems,” said Timothy Krupnik, CIMMYT systems agronomist and senior scientist. “Moreover, CSISA’s work to address gaps between national and extension policies and practices as they pertain to integrated soil fertility management in the context of intensive cropping systems in South Asia has helped to accelerate farmers’ access to productivity-enhancing innovations.”

CSISA also emphasizes support for women farmers by improving their access and exposure to improved technological innovations, knowledge, and entrepreneurial skills.

Sustainable agriculture in Zambia

The Sustainable Intensification of Smallholder Farming systems in Zambia (SIFAZ) is a research project jointly implemented by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Zambia’s Ministry of Agriculture and CIMMYT designed to facilitate scaling-up of sustainable and climate smart crop production and land management practices within the three agro-ecological zones of Zambia. “The Innovation Sprint can take advantage of existing SIFAZ partnerships, especially with Zambia’s Ministry of Agriculture,” said Christian Thierfelder, CIMMYT scientist. “Already having governmental buy-in will enable quick development and dissemination of new sustainable intensification practices to increase productivity and profitability, enhance human and social benefits while reducing negative impacts on the environment.”

Cover photo: Paul Musembi Katiku, a field worker based in Kiboko, Kenya, weighs maize cobs harvested from a low nitrogen trial. (Florence Sipalla/CIMMYT)

Food systems that work for people and the environment

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on December 2, 2022. Posted in News.

Alice Ruhweza, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) Board Member and Africa Regional Director for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), presented on Nature Positive Food Systems for People and Planet on November 22.

Ruhweza has extensive experience working at the intersection of conservation and development in Africa and globally, fostering successful partnerships with a wide range of international institutions. She sits on the Board of The Global Ever-Greening Alliance and on the steering committee of the Future Earth Water-Food-Energy Nexus working group.

Agriculture has a growing environmental footprint, explained Ruhweza, and food emissions are expected to double by 2050. Exponential action is needed to find ways for food systems to co-exist successfully alongside biodiversity, while providing and maintaining healthy diets for humanity.

Ruhweza suggested three solutions for re-thinking the relationship between agriculture and nature: protecting the remaining natural habits from conversion to agriculture; managing agricultural landscapes in a way that support agriculture to enhance the richness and abundance of biodiversity and ecosystem functions, reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and enhances resilience to climate change; and restoring degraded agricultural lands and soils to healthy natural habitats or to support sustainable food production.

Organizations like CIMMYT have an opportunity to close the triple gap: producing enough healthy good for a growing population on the same extent of cropland available today, while reducing farm level emissions.

Plant breeding must adapt to climate change, finds study

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on December 1, 2022. Posted in Publications.

Breeding is a vital part of the global agrifood system, enabling scientists to adapt crops to developing environmental factors, support improved crop management, and inform policy interventions on global food production. The challenge to crop breeding increases every year, as farmers experience more of the effects of climate change, while the population and food demand continue to rise.

Research by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) has determined that climate change is affecting the objectives, efficiency, and genetic gains of current plant breeding, causing limitations to the breeding approach of the next generation.

The study found that climate change necessitates a faster breeding cycle and must drive changes in breeding objectives by putting climate resilience as the top priority.

“The risk of multiple crop failure due to climate change is very real. Breeding must become more deterministic in terms of adaption if we are to avert food price-hikes, hunger, and social unrest,” said Matthew Reynolds, Distinguished Scientist and Head of Wheat Physiology at CIMMYT.

Challenges in developing climate-ready crops originate from the paradox between urgent breeding requirements prompted by climate change and the limited understanding of how different genotypes interact with the climates. Integrating multiple disciplines and technologies including genotyping, phenotyping, and envirotyping can contribute to the development and delivery of climate-adapted crops in a shorter timeframe.

Read the study: Climate change challenges plant breeding

Cover photo: Wheat growing at the Xuchang Henan experimental station, China. (Photo: Zhiqiang He/CIMMYT)

CIMMYT scientists rank in top 1% of highly cited papers

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on November 30, 2022. Posted in News.

Jill Cairns in front of CIMMYT headquarters. (Photo: Sam Storr/CIMMYT)

Three scientists from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) are included in Clarivate’s 2022 Analysis of the most highly cited academic papers.

Maize Physiologist Jill Cairns, Distinguished Scientist and Head of Wheat Physiology Matthew Reynolds, and Biometrician José Crossa, all from CIMMYT, were recognized in the 2022 analysis.

Jose Crossa chairing a session on adding value to phenotypic data. (Photo: Alfonso Cortés/CIMMYT)

This year, 7,255 Highly Cited Researcher (HCR) designations were issued to 6,938 individuals globally. The award is given to scientists with papers that rank in the top 1% by citations. Matthew was awarded for his contribution to scientific literature in plant and animal sciences, while José and Jill were awarded for their contributions to scientific literature across several fields of research (cross fields).

Of the world’s population of scientists and social scientists, Highly Cited Researchers are 1 in 1,000.

The analysis highlights disparities in the locations of top cited scientists. For example, 82.9% of recipients are from just ten countries and regions, out of a possible 70, and 71.4% are from the United States of America, China, the United Kingdom, Germany, or Australia. While the recognition is only given to individual scientists, Matthew, José, and Jill’s success is related to strong scientific collaborations worldwide.

Matthew Reynolds at IWC9 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo: Julie Mollins)

Groundnut ESA crop improvement network sets regional and country level priorities

Written by Susan Otieno on November 30, 2022. Posted in News.

Members of Umoja, Tuaminiane, Upendo and Ukombozi groundnut farming groups in Naliendele, Tanzania showing their groundnut harvests in May 2022. (Photo: Susan Otieno/CIMMYT)

The Accelerated Varietal Improvement and Seed Delivery of Legumes and Cereals in Africa (AVISA) project has developed draft national groundnut target product profiles in Malawi, Mozambique, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

Groundnut is grown in eastern and southern Africa, where it remains an important food and oil crop from small holder farmers.

The new findings from the project are a result of work from groundnut crop breeding and improvement teams from the National Agricultural Research and Extension Systems (NARES) representatives from the six largest groundnut producing countries in the eastern and southern Africa region.

Their important research was carried out with the support of representatives from the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA) and CGIAR.

Developing target product profiles for groundnut

For the first time, through the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT)-led AVISA program, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, groundnut breeding teams discussed and documented country level priorities at a meeting in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Their findings were developed using a standard target product profile template recently developed by CGIAR Excellence in Breeding (EiB) in conjunction with CGIAR’s Market Intelligence Initiative. The template serves as a tool to capture market segments and develop targeted product profiles.

The groundnut breeding teams also shared information on current groundnut production metrics and trends in the six national programs. This also helped to establish a common understanding of countries’ level research priorities.

Futhi Magagula from CCARDESA and Elailani Abdalla, Mohamed Ahmed and Abdelrazeg Badadi from ARC-Sudan deliberate on groundnut market segments for Sudan. (Photo: Biswanath Das/CIMMYT)

Agnes Gitonga, market strategist at CGIAR Genetic Innovations Action Area, who led the team in understanding and applying the template, explained that the quality of a target product profile (TPP) is dependent on how well market segments are defined. “To ensure target product profiles are an accurate reflection of customer needs, who include farmers, consumers, and processors,” she said.

“National groundnut teams nominated Country Product Design Teams that will meet nationally before the end of 2022 to review and update country TPPs. These multi-stakeholder teams will ensure that the needs of diverse groups are captured and that breeding efforts are accurately focused.”.

Harish Gandhi, Breeding Lead, Dryland Legumes and Cereals (DLC) at CIMMYT, further explained that a bottom-up approach for defining country and regional priorities was used, where each country defined market segments and target product profile based on the use of the produce and growing conditions of farmers. This strategy involved each country defining its market segments and TPP, which was based on the use of the produce and growing conditions of farmers.

Building on the draft national target product profiles that were defined at the meeting, participants went on to prioritize traits such as diseases, nutrition and stress tolerance. These factors can be critical at regional level and important in identifying potential locations for conducting phenotyping. The phenotyping locations are distributed based on capacity of stations in different countries to screen for traits, such as late leaf spot disease screening in Msekera in Zambia, which is a known hotspot for the disease.

“We had a good opportunity to consider grower needs as well as consumer needs in each country for purposes of defining the relevant groundnuts market segments. I believe this will have a positive impact on future work in groundnuts in the East and Southern Africa region,” reflected Gitonga.

The collaboration of the teams involved was a key factor for the project’s success so far and will be crucial in working towards its goals in the future.

“Involving different stakeholders in designing target product profile was an effective way of enabling transformation of individual preferences (area of interest) to collective preferences (targeted product) with consumer needs and markets in mind,” said Happy Daudi, Groundnut Breeding lead at the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI).

Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) Naliendele Station Groundnut Research Team ((L-R) Bakari Kidunda, Gerald Lukurugu, Anthony Bujiku and Dr. Happy Daudi) deliberate on national groundnut breeding priorities. (Photo: Biswanath Das/CIMMYT)

Strengthening groundnut breeding programs in east and southern Africa

The project’s first meeting will provide an important foundation for future research, which will use the new findings as a blueprint.

Biswanath Das, Plant Breeder, Groundnut for East and Southern Africa region and NARES Coordinator and Programming lead for EiB said, “Defining national TPPs, identifying regionally important traits and mapping a testing network are fundamental building blocks of a modern breeding program.”

At the meeting, a schedule was laid out for peer-to-peer assessments of breeding programs within the regional network to take stock of current efforts and gaps. This step helps to develop customized capacity development plans for each network partner.

“Through targeted and demand led capacity development, the East and Southern Africa groundnut crop improvement network aspires to strengthen the role of each network member in collaborative, regional breeding efforts,” Das said.

The meeting laid the ground for coordinated regional groundnut breeding and took steps towards formalizing a regional NARES-CGIAR-SME groundnut crop improvement network. By building on excellent connections that already exist among national groundnut breeding teams. Das underscored that the move will strengthen alignment of NARES, CGIAR and regional research efforts around a common vision of success.

In addition, David Okello who leads groundnut research at National Agriculture Research Organization (NARO) Uganda, noted that the meeting provided a good opportunity for consolidating the existing network. He also looked forward to welcoming more groundnut improvement programs in the region on board.

CIMMYT and Join Hope sign partnership agreement

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on November 29, 2022. Posted in News.

CIMMYT and Join Hope sign a partnership agreement on November 14. (Photo: CIMMYT)

The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and Join Hope have cemented their partnership at a research cooperation agreement signing ceremony on November 14.

Join Hope produce seed products including maize, wheat, cotton, and soybean, as well as fertilizers, agricultural films and other products. The company will be providing some funding for five years and will receive access to CIMMYT’s international wheat nurseries and some maize inbred lines, in addition to training and other services. The funding will strengthen CIMMYT’s research efforts in China and create opportunities for training in Pakistan.

“CIMMYT and China have developed a win-win partnership that was established back in 1974,” said CIMMYT Director General Bram Govaerts. “Over 48 years, we have collaborated and advanced research for agricultural development in the areas of breeding, genomic research, and sustainable farming systems.”

Through this partnership, as much as 10.7 million tons of grain has been added to China’s wheat output. More than 26,000 CIMMYT wheat accessions were introduced and stored in China, and more than 300 wheat cultivars derived from CIMMYT germplasm have been released in China and are currently grown on nearly 10 percent of the Chinese wheat production area.

“The cooperation agreement that we sign today is another step in the right direction,” continued Govaerts. “It will bring us closer to the Chinese farmer and grain consumers who we all aim to serve.”

CIMMYT at COP27

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on November 28, 2022. Posted in Features.

COP27, the UN Climate Change Conference for 2022, took place this year in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, between November 6-18. Scientists and researchers from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) represented the organization at a wide range of events, covering gender, genebanks, soil health, and digital innovations.

Gender and food security

In an ICC panel discussion on Addressing Food Security through a Gender-Sensitive Lens on November 7, Director General Bram Govaerts presented on CIMMYT’s systems approach to address gender gaps in agriculture. This event formed part of the ICC Make Climate Action Everyone’s Business Forum, which aimed to bring together experts to determine solutions to the planet’s biggest environmental challenges.

Govaerts highlighted the importance of extension and training services targeting female farmers, particularly those delivered by women communicators. This can be achieved through training female leaders in communities, which encourages other women to adopt agricultural innovations. He also emphasized the obstacles to global food security caused by conflict, climate change, COVID-19, and the cost-of-living crisis, which will in turn create more challenges for women in agriculture.

The role of CGIAR genebanks in a climate crisis

Govaerts and Sarah Hearne, principal scientist, introduced the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM4C) innovation sprint on Fast Tracking Climate Solution from Genebank Collections, at a virtual side event organized by the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR).

Hearne explained that the development of current and future varieties is dependent upon breeders sourcing and repackaging native genetic variation in high value combinations. The CGIAR network of germplasm banks holds vast collections of crops that are important for global food and feed supplies. Among the diversity in these collections is currently unexplored and unused native variation for climate adaptation.

Through strong partnerships, multi-disciplinary activities, and the harnessing of diverse skillsets in different areas of applied research and development work, the sprint will help to identify genetic variations of potential value for climate change adaptation and move that variation into products that breeders globally can adopt in their variety development work. Through these efforts, the sprint improves access to specific genetic variation currently sat in the vaults of germplasm banks and facilitates crop improvement programs to develop the varieties that farmers demand.

The sprint is a clear example of the shift in paradigms we are looking for, so that people in the year 2100 know we took the right decisions in 2022 for them to live in a better world, said Govaerts. He continued by emphasizing the need for the initiative to be integrated within the systems it aims to transform, and the importance of accelerating farmers’ access to seeds.

The initiative is only possible because of the existence of the genebank collections that have been conserved for humanity, and due to cross-collaboration across disciplines and sharing of data and resources.

Addressing soil fertility management

Tek Sapkota, senior scientist, presented at Taking Agricultural Innovation to the Next Level to Tackle the Climate Crisis, the AIM4C partner reception on November 11, which gathered critical actors committed to making agriculture one of the most impactful climate solutions. Hosted on the one-year anniversary of the AIM4C launch at COP26 and on the eve of the COP27 day on adaptation and agriculture, the event was a celebration of progress made to date to address the climate crisis by 2025.

Along with 20 partners, CIMMYT submitted an AIM4C innovation sprint on climate-resilient soil fertility management by smallholders in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, which was announced at COP27 alongside other sprints.

Sapkota, who leads a project that is part of CIMMYT’s AIM4C innovation sprint submission, presented alongside the Minister of Climate Change and Environment from the United Arab Emirates, the Secretary of Agriculture for the United States, and the Regional Director for Central Asia, West Asia and North Africa at CGIAR.

Digital solutions for sustainable systems

Tharayil Shereef Amjath Babu, agricultural economist in modeling and targeting, hosted an event on Accelerating Digital Climate Services for resilient food systems in the Global South, exploring the work of two CGIAR Initiatives: Securing the Food Systems of Asian Mega-Deltas (AMD) for Climate and Livelihood Resilience and Transforming Agrifood Systems in South Asia (TAFSSA) on November 17.

In the Global South, farmers are being affected by unreliable weather patterns caused by climate change, which means they can no longer rely on their traditional knowledge. However, demand climate services can fill this vacuum, enabling meteorological agencies to produce accurate climate information, co-create digital climate services for agricultural systems, and support sustainable and inclusive business models.

Cover photo: A CIMMYT staff member at work in the maize active collection in the Wellhausen-Anderson Plant Genetic Resources Center, as featured in a session on Fast Tracking Climate Solution from Genebank Collections at COP27. (Photo: Xochiquetzal Fonseca/CIMMYT)

Partnership approach to maize development praised in new study

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on November 28, 2022. Posted in Publications.

Using data from 1995-2015, an empirical study from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), led by Vijesh Krishna, CIMMYT Lead Adoption – Impact Economist, has estimated the economic benefits of new varieties in 18 major maize-producing countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Kevin Pixley, Deputy Director General for Research (Breeding and Genetics), a.i., and Director of the Genetic Resources Program, said, “This was not easy due to the challenges of gathering and analyzing complex data, but it’s a very important milestone for CIMMYT. Peer review in a highly respected journal is a gold standard that gives external critique and endorsement to the impact assessment methods used and estimates reported for CIMMYT and IITA’s work with partners in Africa.”

Around 60 percent of the 1,345 maize varieties released in this twenty-year period had a known CGIAR parentage.

Approximately 34 percent of the total maize area in 2015 was cultivated with CGIAR-related maize varieties from 1995 onwards, equivalent to 9.5 million hectares (ha); 13 percent of the maize area was under CGIAR-related varieties released before 1995.

The new maize varieties hold an economic benefit for the region, with an estimated value of US $1.1-1.6 billion in 2015 equally attributed to CGIAR, public-sector national research and extension programs, and private sector partners. With maximum annual investment in CGIAR maize breeding sitting at US $30 million, the estimated benefit-cost ratio for investment was between 12:1-17:1, depending on the underlying assumptions.

“This paper is a valuable contribution to literature on impact assessment, highlighting the real challenges and approaches to quantify impact of work that is a collaboration among many,” continued Pixley. “Both the methodologies and impact estimates will be valuable to researchers and funders of plant breeding programs.”

Read the study: Impact of CGIAR maize germplasm in Sub-Saharan Africa

Cover photo: Farmer Chana Filimoni harvesting maize in his field in Chakwawa village, Salima District, Malawi. (Photo: Peter Lowe/CIMMYT)

Study explores how to reduce GHG emissions while supporting food security through nitrogen management

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on November 25, 2022. Posted in Publications.

Use of fertilizer nitrogen (N) in farming is essential for food production but also contributes to climate crisis through GHG emissions. Synthetic nitrogen fertilizer accounts for 2.4 percent of global emissions, while its supply chain accounts for 21.5% of the annual direct emissions from agriculture.

One potential solution for developing appropriate N management strategies is yield-scaled nitrous oxide (N₂O) emission (YSNE), which has been recognized for its potential to balance food security and mitigate emissions. Improving understanding and use of YSNE under various field conditions is an essential part of widespread adoption of this approach.

Scientist working in the Sustainable Agrifood Systems (SAS) program at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) together with Hawassa University, Ethiopia and Landcare Research, New Zealand assessed the relationship between N inputs and YSNE with published results and identified response patterns of YSNE to N inputs based on 1,800 observations from maize, rice and wheat crops at global scale.

Type 1 measures: increasing yields without changing N₂O emissions. Type 2 measures: reducing N₂O emissions without changing yields. Type 3 measures: both increasing yields and reducing N₂O emissions. (Photo: CIMMYT)

A positive relationship between N inputs and YSNE was evidenced in more than 60% of the dataset across all three crops, while a small proportion had an optimum N rate that minimized YSNE. Type of crop, annual mean temperature and soil N content affected the background yield-scale N₂O emission with higher soil temperature and N content leading to higher BYSNE. The analyses suggest that YSNE can be reduced by increasing yields, by reducing N₂O emissions and both by increasing yields and reducing N₂O emissions. The results of this study suggest appropriate N management strategies, yields, and N₂O emissions.

Read the full article: Understanding response of yield-scaled N₂O emissions to nitrogen input: Data synthesis and introducing new concepts of background yield-scaled N₂O emissions and N₂O emission-yield curve

Cover photo: Woman using spreader for fertilizer application in India. (Photo: Wasim Iftikar/CSISA)

Young CIMMYT scientist receives 2022 Japan Award for global research to combat wheat aphids

Written by Mike Listman on November 24, 2022. Posted in News.

“To meet expected wheat demand for 2050, production will need to double, which means increasing harvests nearly 70 kilograms per hectare each year,” said Leonardo Crespo-Herrera, CIMMYT wheat scientist and 2022 Japan Award recipient. “Breeding will be a major contributor, but better agronomic practices and policies will also be critical.” (Photo: CIMMYT)

International science to save wheat — a crucial food grain for 2.5 billion of the world’s poor — from a rising tide of insect pests known as aphids was lauded on November 22 with the 2022 Japan International Award for Young Agricultural Researchers (the Japan Award).

The 2022 Japan Award recognized novel breeding approaches to identify and select for genetic resistance in wheat to two species of aphids that cause wheat grain losses reaching 20% and whose rapid spread is propelled by rising temperatures.

Aphid resistant wheat can contribute to more sustainable food production, protecting farmers’ harvests and profits, while reducing the need to use costly and harmful insecticides, said Leonardo Crespo-Herrera, bread wheat improvement specialist for the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and one of the three 2022 Japan Award recipients.

“In addition to genetic yield potential, CIMMYT wheat breeding focuses on yield stability, disease resistance, and nutritional and end-use quality,” Crespo-Herrera explained. “Adding another target trait — aphid resistance — makes wheat breeding much more challenging.”

Efficient and effective field testing to confirm the genetics

Crespo-Herrera and his CIMMYT colleagues managed to identify and characterize genome segments responsible for aphid resistance in wheat and its near relatives, as well as running innovative field tests for a set of elite wheat breeding lines that were predicted to carry that resistance.

“With the aphid species called the greenbug, its feeding causes yellowing and necrotic spots on wheat, so we could actually measure and score wheat plants in plots that we deliberately infested with the aphids, keeping the resistant lines and throwing out the susceptible ones,” said Crespo-Herrera.

For the other species, the bird cherry-oat aphid, the only visible feeding damage is when the plants become stunted and die, so Crespo-Herrera and colleagues instead measured biomass loss and reduced growth in 1,000 artificially infested wheat lines, identifying a number of lines that had low scores for those measurements. Given that the lines tested came from a set that had already shown resistance to the greenbug, some of the successful lines feature resistance to both aphid species.

For the bird cherry-oat aphid, in two years of additional field tests, Crespo-Herrera and his team found that aphid populations were lower in plots sown with resistant wheat lines. “The experiments included remote sensing measurements that identified certain spectral signatures correlated with aphid populations; this may help us to assess resistance in future field trials.”

The researchers also found that a cutting-edge approach known as “genomic prediction” provided good estimations regarding promising, aphid-resistant wheat breeding lines.

Motivating young researchers in research and development

Established in 2007, the Japan Award is an annual prize organized by the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Research Council (AFFRC) of Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and supported by the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS). Awardees receive a $5,000 cash prize.

In an excerpt of an official note regarding Crespo-Herrera’s research, those agencies said “…This study has been highly evaluated for developing (wheat) lines that have been distributed worldwide for use in wheat breeding, and the methods of this study have been applied to develop varieties with resistance mechanisms against various kinds of insects, not only aphids.”

Crespo-Herrera thanked JIRCAS and MAFF for the award. “I feel honored to have been selected.”