funder_partner: Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)

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SIMLESA: Celebrating two years of achievements, defining the future

Written by on April 24, 2012. Posted in News.

During 19-23 March 2012, over 200 researchers, policy makers, donors, seed specialists, and NGO representatives from Africa and Australia gathered in Arusha, Tanzania, for the second SIMLESA (Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Legume Cropping Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa) Annual Regional Planning and Review Meeting. Representation from the Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research (ACIAR), which generously supports the work, included nine members of the organization’s Commission for International Agricultural Research.

Participants shared lessons from the last two years and discussed better ways to design and implement future activities. Ten sessions addressed issues including project implementation, Australian-African partnerships, program and partner progress and lessons, and communications and knowledge management.

SIMLESA

A key message was that SIMLESA had consolidated and strengthened activities across all objectives, maximizing gains from integration, innovation, information, and technology diffusion for greater impacts on livelihoods and agroecosystems. It was noted that the use of integrated systems can foster productive intensification of agriculture and, indeed, the Innovation Platform Framework, supported by science and partnerships, can contribute to productive, sustainable and resilient maize-legume systems. For even greater impact, the program should rely on stronger leadership from agribusiness, while supporting the public sector’s role, and ensure a farm-income focus to reduce poverty.

Another key message was to strengthen Australian-African partnerships through better delivery of research products, capacity building under any of ACIAR’s four thematic areas, bridging research and extension, strengthening policy and socioeconomic research, and building individual and institutional capacity.

SIMLESA25 Speaking at the SIMLESA’s second “birthday party,” Joana Hewitt, chairperson of the ACIAR Commission for International Agricultural Research, reiterated the Australian government’s commitment to long-term partnerships with African governments. Participants also heard of the new SIMLESA Program in Zimbabwe, focusing on crop-livestock interactions. During the dinner, Kenya and Mozambique were recognized for their efforts in promoting and strengthening local innovation platforms.

In addition to SIMLESA’s program steering committee and the mid-term review team, the event drew representatives from USAID’s Farmer-to-Farmer Program, from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the African Agriculture Technology Foundation (AATF), the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), and the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) of South Africa. SIMLESA is centered in five countries— Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, and Mozambique—with spillovers benefiting Uganda, Sudan, and Zambia. Representatives from all those countries interacted at the meeting.

A SIMLESA “village” and poster presentations allowed partner representatives and researchers to showcase achievements, and visits to Karatu and Mbulu—Tanzanian sites where SIMLESA is present— demonstrated how the project is transforming agriculture.

The voice of farmers in Malawi and Mozambique: Mother-baby trials

Written by on March 21, 2012. Posted in News.

In February 2012 several CIMMYT staff working in Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Legume Cropping Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa (SIMLESA), including project leader Mulugetta Mekuria, Peter Setimela, and Isaiah Nyagumbo, as well as the national coordinators, made field visits and met with farmers who are collaborating in participatory trials in their own fields. SIMLESA is a four year program that was launched in March 2010 and is being funded by the Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research (ACIAR). The project has adopted mother-baby trials (MBT), where farmers choose varieties that interest them from a central “mother” trial and test them out on their own farms in “baby” trials, as a way of evaluating new drought tolerant maize and legume varieties under farmer-managed conditions.

In the Manica Province of Mozambique, SIMLESA has been able to gear up its MBT activities through collaboration with farmers’ association IDEEA-CA, reaching out to more farmers through the association’s networks in and around the province. Improved varieties, appropriate use of commercial fertilizers, and the adoption of conservation agriculture (CA) practices have the potential to significantly improve the livelihoods of poor resource farmers in the region. The “yellow trial”, for example—with replications with and without fertilizer—demonstrates the advantages of using fertilizers.

The trials have provided a voice for farmers as they try out new drought tolerant maize and legume varieties in their fields and have the opportunity to influence seed companies to multiply the varieties they prefer. “It took me two seasons to appreciate the yields of the new hybrid,” said Marcello Chikukwa of Sussundenga District. “I was suspicious of the small plant size as compared to our local variety. But I realised that the local variety takes long to mature and had too much herbage, and the stem was very tall but the yields were very low.”

The testimony of farmers like Chikukwa is building momentum as farmers gain exposure to new drought tolerant maize and legumes in combination with CA practices and fertilizer use. The project also facilitates the creation of seed road maps, collaborating with diverse partners to produce certified seed and run promotion activities. Seed companies like Dengo Commercial in Mozambique are participating in seed production and promotion of new drought tolerant varieties, which are expected to produce good yields despite erratic rainfall in the region. Nine maize varieties and ten soya bean varieties are being promoted in three districts of Mozambique and six districts in Malawi.

South Africa commits to building capacity

Written by on March 9, 2012. Posted in News.

During 20-25 February 2012, 16 scientists from partners of the Sustainable Intensification of Maize- Legume Cropping Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa (SIMLESA) project and national agricultural research systems from Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, and Mozambique, met at the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) of South Africa headquarters in Pretoria, South Africa, for a capacity building workshop.

The workshop was the first of its kind conducted under the SIMLESA project, which is supported by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and coordinated by CIMMYT. The week-long training covered biometry, principles of conservation agriculture and soil science, and executing the concept of innovation platforms. Practical examples, working groups, and a visit to the Institute of Soils, Climate and Water made the training interactive and interesting. Participants also developed country action plans for implementing innovation platform activities.

The CEO and President of ARC, Shadrack Moephuli, addressed the participants and reaffirmed ARC’s commitment to contributing to improved food security through initiatives such as SIMLESA. He expressed his gratitude to both ACIAR and CIMMYT, and acknowledged the collaborative research activities being undertaken. Yolisa Pakela-Jezile, Senior Manager, ARC Training services, described the forthcoming country trainings and the opportunities for post-graduate studies in South African universities for scientists from SIMLESA and national agricultural research systems.
Finally, SIMLESA Program Coordinator, Mulugetta Mekuria acknowledged ARC’s support for the capacity building objective of SIMLESA. He also briefed the ARC CEO and the Executive Directors of Research, Development, and Technology Transfer on SIMLESA’s progress to date, and extended an invitation to the 2nd SIMLESA Annual Review and Planning meeting in March.

SIMLESAvisit-at-the-ISCW-ARC-trainingEQ

CIMMYT features in GRDC’s Ground Cover magazine

Written by on November 24, 2011. Posted in News.

The November-December 2011 issue of the Grains Research and Development Corporation’s (GRDC) magazine, Ground Cover, stressed the importance of continued funding of wheat research, and highlighted the role of Australian institutions such as the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in advancing CIMMYT’s research.

In 2010, the GRDC and ACIAR contributed over 10 percent of CIMMYT’s annual budget, and CIMMYT’s Director General, Thomas Lumpkin, expressed his gratitude for their sustained support; a reflection of their many shared values in wheat breeding and development, he said. This investment has a significant return: over 90 percent of the wheat currently grown in Australia has ancestry originating from CIMMYT’s genebank.

To read the full story click here.

Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister praises SIMLESA achievements in Africa

Written by on October 19, 2011. Posted in News.

“Agricultural research will remain pivotal to lifting agricultural productivity in the next 50 years as it has over the past 50 years.”

This was one of the key messages of Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Kevin Rudd in a plenary address closing the 5th World Congress on Conservation Agriculture, held in Brisbane, Australia during 26-29 September 2011. Rudd spoke in depth on the importance of agricultural research in ensuring global food security, recognizing the contributions of CIMMYT and other Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) centers. “Food security requires that governments, global organizations, policymakers, scientists and farmers work in partnership to develop the best possible strategies to rise to this great global challenge of our time.”

The minister singled out the impressive achievements of the initiative on Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Legume Cropping Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa (SIMLESA) since its launch in early 2010. “This particular project is helping to develop drought and disease-tolerant maize and legume varieties and to educate farmers about new farming technologies in conservation agriculture in five African countries. In the first eighteen months of the program, we’ve helped train more than 150 agricultural researchers from Malawi, Mozambique, Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania and trialed conservation agriculture in 215 fields owned by local farmers. It’s on track to reaching its target of increasing crop productivity of maize and legumes by 30% on around half a million African small farms within 10 years.”

SIMLESA is funded by the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), and led by CIMMYT. It is being implemented in collaboration with the national agricultural research systems of Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania; the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT); and Australian partners including the Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (QDEEDI), Murdoc University, and the University of Queensland. These partnerships with Australian universities, as well as with universities in Africa, have been key to building capacity through short-term training and postgraduate fellowships for researchers. Adopting the Innovation Platform framework, further co-operation with a range of private and public sector organizations, NGOs, and famers’ organizations in Africa has meant the project has been able to quickly and effectively reach farmers on the ground with outputs such as varieties and technologies.

Rudd emphasized the value of investing in partnerships like these, particularly with respect to the growing field of conservation agriculture, the theme of the congress. “Conservation agriculture is one of the newest success stories in this quest to impart Australian knowledge to help feed the world,” he said. He reminded his listeners that Australia is both a world leader in agricultural research and a major international donor, mentioning the country’s role as a core supporter of the CGIAR.

Affirming Australia’s commitment to agricultural research and ending his address, he said “we need a new Agricultural Revolution of the 21st century if we are to feed a further 3 billion members of the human family. As a responsible global citizen, Australia stands ready to play our part.”

Complementing Rudd’s address at the congress, Mulugetta Mekuria, CIMMYT socio-economist and SIMLESA program coordinator, was interviewed by Australian media, including the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and several radio stations, on SIMLESA’s potential role in contributing to enhanced food security in eastern and southern Africa. He acknowledged the role of partners in national agricultural research systems who are helping to implement activities in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania; Australian institutions, regional and international partners for their technical backstopping; the support of the Australian government and ACIAR; and CIMMYT’s leadership of the program. “SIMLESA was designed to have impacts at both the household and regional level”, says Mekuria. “We want to increase food security and incomes while driving economic development through improved productivity from more resilient and sustainable farming systems. Project activities focus on integrated cropping systems, the use of innovation platforms to test and promote promising practices, and ensuring positive and measurable impacts.”

Partners in southern Africa projects discuss maize seed regulations

Written by on October 4, 2011. Posted in News.

Partners from various projects for farmers in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) met in Gaborone, Botswana, during 10-12 August 2011 to review progress and discuss future directions. Interactions involved members of the New Maize Seed Initiative for Southern Africa (NSIMA), the Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA) and the Insect Resistant Maize for Africa (IRMA) projects, as well as representatives from SADC, CIMMYT, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and local seed producers.

Edison Wotho, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Botswana, praised Botswana’s participation in NSIMA, whose products for that country’s farmers include a new drought tolerant maize hybrid (CZH0623) and three OPVs (ZM309, ZM401 and ZM523). “The projects come at the right time,” said Wotho. “The region is experiencing frequent droughts and food shortages.”

Simon Mwale, SADC headquarters, Gaborone, highlighted the progress of his organization, CIMMYT, and other partners to harmonize the seed regulations and ease restrictions on the release and cross-border movement of seed in the region. He said a SADC Seed Centre would be established in Lusaka, Zambia, to help implement harmonized seed regulations (a MoU is expected to be signed soon by SADC countries). George Bigirwa, Senior Program Officer, AGRA and Programme for Africa’s Seed Systems (PASS), described how to establish a successful seed business in Africa. Presenting outcomes of a recently conducted review of NSIMA in preparation for a phase III, SDC consultant David Karite mentioned that 7 new OPVs and 13 hybrids had been registered in SADC during 2008-10.

During a visit to Botswana’s Seed Multiplication Unit, participants discovered that the Unit produces about 3,000 tons yearly of Kgalagadi Early Pearly, the only registered OPV sold at a subsidized price by the government. It is looking forward to multiplying seed of drought tolerant maize varieties from the various projects. As part of NSIMA, breeder’s seed is also being multiplied to scale up seed production for the new varieties.

At a cocktail party sponsored by Seed Co-Botswana, Mulugetta Mekuria, CIMMYT Regional Liaison Officer for Southern Africa, gave an overview of the center’s activities in the region and commitments in support of the SADC objectives to enhance food security. He said CIMMYT was very pleased to partner with the new Center for the Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development in Southern Africa (Southern Africa-CCARDESA). Mekuria and CIMMYT Maize Breeder Peter Setimela also visited the Botswana Department of Agricultural Research to introduce the “Sustainable Intensification of Maize- Legume Cropping Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa program” (SIMLESA), following up on a 2010 visit by the President of Botswana to the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) to involve Botswanan scientists in the project.

Successful conservation agriculture trials continue in western Kenya

Written by on September 12, 2011. Posted in News.

As previously reported, trials of conservation agriculture (CA) have been yielding impressive results in southern Ethiopia. However, these positive changes are not restricted to this area; farmers in neighboring Kenya have also been reaping the benefits of adopting the new technologies of minimal tillage, application of herbicide, intercropping with desmodium and retention of crop residue. In just their third crop under CA practices, farmers in western Kenya are reporting more grain yield with less fertilizer use, and reduced labor requirements.

Since last year, the Sustainable intensification of maize-legume cropping systems for food security in eastern and southern Africa (SIMLESA) initiative has been conducting on-farm trials for maize and bean production in western Kenya. SIMLESA is being implemented by the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), with technical support from CIMMYT and financial assistance from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR).

Christine Okola is one of the 25 members of the Liganwa Farmers Group participating in the trials. From a plot of 0.1ha, she used to harvest a maximum of one 90kg bag of maize per crop season; now, with CA practices, she harvests five bags of maize and one bag of beans from the same piece of land. John Achieng, KARI agronomist and SIMLESA Project Team Leader for western Kenya, estimates that it is possible for a farmer to harvest up to 4500kg of maize and 500kg of beans from 1ha using CA practices – a tenfold increase on the current averages. He attributes the increases to improved organic soil matter and the use of improved seed varieties. The maize used (DUMA 41) is a high-yielding and early maturing hybrid variety, whilst the bean (KK8) is resistant to bean root rot.

Like in Ethiopia, a farmers’ field day to demonstrate CA was also held in Siaya, western Kenya, with an attendance of over 1000 people. Boaz Cherutich, Siaya District Commissioner took this opportunity to thank CIMMYT and KARI for introducing CA to the region, and the Australian Government for providing financial support to the SIMLESA initiative.

Conservation agriculture trials impress in southern Ethiopia

Written by on August 30, 2011. Posted in News.

In Hawassa region, southern Ethiopia, maize yields have been steadily declining. The deep-rooted agricultural practices of low farm input application and removal of crop residues to feed livestock have damaged the land: soil is eroded, nutrients and organic matter are depleted.

But change is afoot. In Ethiopia, the Sustainable intensification of maize-legume cropping systems for food security in eastern and southern Africa (SIMLESA) initiative is being implemented by the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) and the Southern Agricultural Research Institute (SARI), with technical support from CIMMYT and financial assistance from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). Last year, SIMLESA conducted on-farm trials using conservation agriculture (CA) techniques: minimum tillage, crop residue management, intercropping/crop rotation (with maize and haricot beans) and participatory variety selection trials.

One of the farmers taking part in the trials was Yohanes Gudeta. He planted four CA trial plots: sole maize (BH-543), sole haricot bean (rotation), sole maize (rotation) and maize intercropped with haricot bean. In comparing these with the trial plot he farmed using traditional techniques, Gudeta observed that “the maize under CA is very robust and green, an indication of far better yields than we usually harvest.” Next planting season, Gudeta plans to increase his area under CA from trial plots to 0.5 ha.

According to Dagne Wagery, SIMLESA National Coordinator for Ethiopia, the trials aim to demonstrate that practicing CA allows for enhanced productivity and profitability of maize and legumes, whilst decreasing production risks such as abiotic and biotic constraints. Gudeta agrees: “soil erosion is a big problem in this area considering that we have sandy soils. The plots under CA are not affected by soil erosion,” he said. Farmers participating in the trials have also found that CA is less labour intensive, largely due to the Roundup herbicide used in CA, which controls grasses as well as weeds.

The success of the trials encouraged EIAR and CIMMYT to organize a farmers’ field day to demonstrate the performance of CA technologies, which was held in the Hawassa Zuria district on 16 August. Farmers from the other SIMLESA districts of Meskan and Misrak Badawacho attended, alongside agriculture officers, developments agents, seed dealers, and researchers.

The visitors were impressed with the visible results of CA, especially in the aspect of intercropping maize and beans, as this provides additional crop yield from the same piece of land. “Obtaining additional yield, be it maize or beans from the same piece of land is a boost to food security and land use efficiency,” said Solomon Admassu , SIMLESA Hawassa Site Coordinator and organizer of the field day. Following the success of these trials, the stakeholders have pledged to increase the dissemination and adoption of CA for enhanced food security in Ethiopia.

Safe use of herbicide and effective weed management course

Written by on February 2, 2011. Posted in News.

In Bangladesh, approximately 350 species of weeds have been identified, and in Asian countries, these weeds cause roughly 33% of total crop loss. Because of the threat posed by weeds, the use of herbicides in Bangladesh has risen rapidly in the past few years. Herbicides are a great asset to protect crops from weeds; however when not used properly, they can be dangerous to human health or lead to the premature development of herbicide-resistant weeds.

For this reason, a training program entitled “Safe Use of Herbicide and Effective Weed Management” was held at the Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service office (RDRS) in Rangpur during 16-20 January 2011 for national scientists, extension officers, and herbicide marketing agents. The 21 participants included scientists from Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Sylhet Agricultural University, RDRS Bangladesh, and Peoples Resource Oriented Voluntary Association (PROVA); as well as agricultural chemical companies Syngenta and ACI.

The training was led by Abul Hashem, Australian senior weed scientist from the Department of Agriculture and Food of Western Australia and renowned Bangladeshi weed scientist, SM Rezaul Karim from Bangladesh’s Agricultural University; and coordinated by Md. Enamul Haque, CIMMYT cropping systems agronomist, and KM Marufuzzaman, program manager of RDRS Bangladesh.

The training course covered a range of topics on weeds management theory and practice as well as on the safe use of herbicides. In the theory classes, the trainees learned about the scientific classification of weeds, various weed control methods, herbicide resistance, the significance and utility of herbicide label and MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet), safety requirements for spraying herbicides, personal protection equipment required in operation, among other subjects.

In the practical classes, the participants received instruction on how to set up a weed management trial, how to make assessments on weed control treatments, sprayer calibration, how to calculate spray volume and herbicide volume, how to read and use herbicide related information (e.g. spray chart, herbicide level and Material Safety Data Sheet), how to identify weed species, and how to develop a comprehensive weed management plan.

Based on post-course informal assessments, the training has already proven useful to the participants. They came to the training course with 5- 25% knowledge of safe herbicide usage. Most of the participants indicated that at the end of the training, their knowledge and understanding about weed management, herbicide use and herbicide safety requirements increased by 75- 90%. They also confessed that they had not previously received such training on herbicide use at university or during their employment with various research or extension organizations.

The training was organized under the collaborative research project “Addressing constraints to pulses in cereals-based cropping systems, with particular reference to poverty alleviation in north-western Bangladesh” which began in 2006 and involves the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC), BARI, RDRS, PROVA, DAE, CIMMYT, and Murdoch University-Australia.

The training program was funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), Crawford Fund Australia and co-sponsored by the Department of Agriculture and Food of Western Australia (DAFWA), the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Murdoch University, Australia, and RDRS Bangladesh.

Maize-legume project launched in southern Africa

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

During 11-15 May 2010, CIMMYT scientists from the Conservation Agriculture, Socioeconomics, and Maize programs met with SIMLESA partners in Malawi and Mozambique, coinciding with each country’s official SIMLESA launch. SIMLESA (Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Legume Cropping Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa) is new four-year project to improve farm-level food security and productivity in eastern and southern Africa. The project is a collaboration of international and national agricultural research programs, led by CIMMYT, funded by the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), and implemented in collaboration with national partners.

On 12 May in Malawi, the Principal Secretary of Malawi’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Andrew Daudi, announced the beginning of SIMLESA-Malawi. Daudi expressed his gratitude to the Australian Government and ACIAR for their generous financial assistance to SIMLESA, and to CIMMYT and its partners for developing the program document and preparing for the start of field activities.

Two days later, the Governor of Mozambique’s Manica Province, Ana Comuane, officially launched SIMELESA-Mozambique on 14 May in Chimoio, the province’s capital city and where the national maize research program is based. The Governor congratulated all those who assisted with the project’s development and encouraged SIMLESA partners to maintain the partnerships and collaborations fostered by the project, which will help meet the goal of increased productivity. She also extended her gratitude to ACIAR and the Australian government for their financial assistance.

SIMLESA project leader Mulugetta Mekuria, along with CIMMYT and ICRISAT scientists Bekele Shiferaw, Patrick Wall, Mosses Siambi, and Emmanuel Monyo presented project specific objectives and facilitated the subsequent discussions. National agricultural research institutes and private sector partners also outlined the current status and challenges of research in their respective organizations. In both Malawi and Mozambique, partners indicated their commitment to the implementation of the planned project activities. TV and press media in Malawi and Mozambique extensively covered the launch and inception meetings, and related government officials, SIMLESA project leaders, and national coordinators gave interviews.

Training on conservation agriculture in Bangladesh

Written by on May 20, 2010. Posted in News.

185 Over 60 researchers, field technicians, farmers, machinery manufacturers, service providers, and extension workers attended two recent conservation agriculture (CA) training events in Bangladesh. The first event was held at the Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI) station in Comilla on 28-29 April, followed by an event at the Wheat Research Centre of BARI in Dinajpur on 04-05 May. The events focused on machinery operation and maintenance, as well as the agronomy of dry direct-seeded rice (DSR). Both were part of joint CIMMYT-IRRI efforts to promote sustainable ricemaize systems in collaboration with several national Bangladesh partners.

At both locations, participants learned about the power tiller operated seeder (PTOS) and the bed former/planter attached with the Chinese-made two-wheel tractor. This equipment is promoted by the project for the rapid establishment of maize, rice, and other crops under CA-based tillage systems such as zero tillage, reduced or minimum tillage, and raised beds. Participants also learned various methods to calibrate seed rates for DSR and decided that fluted roller metering devices with 8 or 16 grooves are the best currently available option for sowing DSR. They also learned basic agronomy for DSR and unpuddled transplanted rice, both of which require the use of the demonstrated machinery.

Temporary-Internet-Files “Machinery operation and maintenance is vital for rapid dissemination of CA-based technologies,” said Jagadish Timsina, IRRI-CIMMYT senior cropping system agronomist. He added that this ACIAR-funded ricemaize project has been adapting and evaluating the PTOS and the bed former/planter at project sites, and has been refining these machines for their use in different soils with the help of agriculture engineers from the national agriculture research intuitions involved in the project. The project has given special emphasis to training and capacity building for machine use and has already trained more than 120 people from government and non-governmental organizations, as well as farmers, service providers, machinery manufacturers, and extension workers since it started in November 2008.

Thanks to those who assisted with and attended these two events, including Israil Hossain and M. Wohab, principal scientific officers and agriculture engineers from BARI who helped in Dinajpur; M. Wohab and A. Rahman, principal scientific officers and agriculture engineers from BRRI who helped in Comilla; T. P. Tiwari, CIMMYT cropping system agronomist and the coordinator of the USAID Famine project; and Timsina.

Five farmer field days focus on rice and maize

Written by on May 5, 2010. Posted in News.

untitled Various research and extensions workers collaborating with the project “Sustainable Intensification of Rice-Maize Systems in Bangladesh” organized five farmer field days throughout March and April 2010. The events took place in the districts of Comilla, Rangpur, and Rajshahi and attracted over 350 farmers.

During the field days, farmers gathered in front of maize fields with site-specific nitrogen management (SSNM) and conservation agriculture (CA) trials and shared their experiences, both positive and negative, with the researchers and extension workers. At all the project sites, there are CA farmer-participatory adaptive trials and researcher-managed SSNM trials for maize and rice. Some of the key new and improved CA technological options being introduced and promoted through these trials include maize planted under minimum tillage using a powertiller operated seeder (PTOS), strip tillage, zero tillage, fresh beds, and permanent beds. In all trials, farmers’ common practice is compared with CA technologies, and researcher-managed SSNM trials have treatments ranging from zero to reduced levels of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus.

“These field days provided ample opportunities for farmers, stakeholders, and researchers to share their experiences with each other on these new CA technologies being introduced and promoted by the project,” said Jagadish Timsina, IRRI-CIMMYT senior cropping system agronomist and project leader. “Grain yield and cost of production data are being collected from these trials that will allow us to compare the production and profitability of various CA technological options against farmers’ current practice of growing maize.”

untitled2 Though the project, which started in November 2008, initially focused on adaptive research in farmers’ fields, it is now starting to emphasize dissemination of improved CA practicies and SSNM technologies to farmers as well. This will be done through training and capacity building with researchers, farmers, extension workers, machinery manufacturers, and service providers.

The project is run jointly by CIMMYT and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) with national partners from governmental and non-governmental organizations. This project was recently featured in The New Nation: Bangladesh’s Independent News Source.

Traveling workshop in Bangladesh unites researchers

Written by on April 22, 2010. Posted in News.

The ACIAR-funded project “Sustainable intensification of rice-maize (R-M) systems in Bangladesh” held a traveling workshop in Bangladesh during 03-08 April. Fifteen researchers attended and traveled to four featured project sites in the Bangladesh districts of Comilla, Gazipur, Rajshahi, and Rangpur.

Participants visited fields at many collaborating institutions, as well as farmers’ fields. The selected visits focused on rice and maize cropping systems sown with conservation agriculture (often in comparison to farmers’ practice) and site-specific nutrient management (SSNM). At each site, they formed three groups to critically evaluate key trials and they often had the opportunity to talk with local farmers.

The workshop took participants to numerous sites and field locations, including several Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) research locations, Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Services (RDRS) trials, and project sites of the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), among others. Participants came from four collaborating organizations: the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), the Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD), BRRI, and RDRS. Jagadish Timsina, IRRI-CIMMYT senior cropping system agronomist and project leader, led and coordinated the workshop.

This workshop was modeled off of a previous rice-wheat consortium for the Indo-Gangetic Plains and a fruitful experience from the ACIAR rice-maize project conducted in October 2009.The course helped established further links among researchers and the Cereal System Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) project.

New collaborative maize and legume project kicks off in Africa

Written by on April 14, 2010. Posted in News.

A collaboration of national agricultural research programs has launched a new project to improve farm-level food security and productivity in eastern and southern Africa. The Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Legume Cropping Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa (SIMLESA) is a four-year project with various partner institutions. It is led by CIMMYT and funded by the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR).

At the end of March, the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) hosted a SIMLESA country planning meeting. The goals of the meeting were to plan SIMLESA project activities, develop detailed work plans and budgets, and to identify additional possible partnerships. Abera Deressa, Ethiopia’s state minister of agriculture, opened the meeting and congratulated CIMMYT for being a model for partnerships and for enhancing agricultural research and collaborations in sub-Saharan Africa. He was followed by Adefris Teklewold, director of crops research at EIAR, who welcomed all the participants to the meeting.

Next was a presentation by John Dixon, ACIAR advisor. Dixon gave an overview of the project’s origins; discussed the role of ACIAR and other Australian institutions; and emphasized the importance of integration and innovative systems to achieve real impact and meet SIMLESA objectives. This was followed by an address on CIMMYT’s commitment to SIMLESA and the region, given by Bekele Shiferaw, director of CIMMYT’s Socioeconomics Program.

The meeting continued with SIMLESA program coordinator Mulugetta Mekuria. Mekuria presented a profile of the project and its current status, as well as expected outputs of the planning meeting. Several other participants also gave presentations.

A similar meeting was held during 19-21 February 2010 in Nairobi, Kenya. This was the joint country planning meeting for Kenya and Tanzania, hosted by the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI). More than 35 participants from Kenya, Tanzania, CIMMYT, ICRISAT, and the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) attended the planning workshop.

Major SIMLESA partners include national agricultural research institutes from Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, and Mozambique, along with the Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development, and Innovation (QDEEDI), Murdoch University in Australia, ASARECA, ICRISAT, and the Agricultural Research Council of South Africa (ARC).

Researchers explore new data analysis tools

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

Fifteen researchers gathered at the headquarters of the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) in Gazipur, Bangladesh, earlier this month to learn more about data processing. The course, “Statistical analysis of field experimental data using CROPSTAT,” ran from 11- 13 January 2010 as part of the project “Sustainable intensification of rice-maize systems in Bangladesh,” which is funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR).

CROPSTAT is a data analysis program that uses balanced and unbalanced designs for single and multi-site analysis. None of the participants had used CROPSTAT before, though several had some background knowledge on other statistical software. CIMMYT-IRRI senior scientist and project leader Jagadish Timsina coordinated the course; Shahjan Kabir from BRRI, and Shalimuddin from the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), provided handson training. The project is jointly implemented by CIMMYT and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in collaboration with national partners: BARI, BRRI, the Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD), the Rangpur-Dinajpur Rural Services (RDRS), and the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC). The 15 researchers who attended the training were from the four project sites (Comilla, Gazipur, Rajshahi, and Rangpur) of BARI, BRRI, BARD, and RDRS.

After course completion, participants expressed interest in using CROPSTAT 7.2 to analyze ACIAR project data, and suggested a second, more advanced CROPSTAT course. One of the objectives of this ACIAR-funded, 5-year project (2008-13) is to provide training for researchers, farmers, and extension workers from governmental and nongovernmental organizations. The CROPSTAT training is one example of researcher-geared training.