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funder_partner: DuPont Pioneer

Improved Maize for African Soils (IMAS)

Written by Mary Donovan on . Posted in Uncategorized.

African maize farmers must deal with drought, weeds, and pests, but their problems start with degraded, nutrient-starved soils and their inability to purchase enough nitrogen fertilizer. Maize yields of smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa are a fraction of those in the developed world, due mainly to the regionā€™s poor soils and farmersā€™ limited access to fertilizer or improved maize seed. On average, such farmers apply only 9 kilograms of fertilizer per hectare of cropland. Of that small amount, often less than half is captured by the crop; the rest is leached deep into the soil where plants cannot recover it or otherwise lost.

The Improved Maize for African Soils Project (IMAS)Ā develops maize varieties that are better at capturing the small amount of fertilizer that African farmers can afford, and that use the nitrogen they take up more efficiently to produce grain. Project participants will use cutting-edge biotechnology tools such as molecular markersā€”DNA ā€œsignpostsā€ for traits of interestā€”and transgenic approaches to develop varieties that ultimately yield 30 to 50 percent more than currently available varieties, with the same amount of nitrogen fertilizer applied or when grown on poorer soils.

The varieties developed will be made available royalty-free to seed companies that sell to the regionā€™s smallholder farmers, meaning that the seed will become available to farmers at the same cost as other types of improved maize seed.

In four years or less, African farmers should have access to IMAS varieties developed using conventional breeding that offer a 20 percent yield advantage over current varieties. Improved varieties developed using DNA marker techniques are expected to be introduced within seven to nine years, and those containing transgenic traits are expected to be available in approximately 10 years, pending product performance and regulatory approvals by national regulatory and scientific authorities, according to the established laws and regulatory procedures in each country.

IMAS is being led by CIMMYT and funded with $19.5 million in grants from theĀ Bill & Melinda Gates FoundationĀ and theĀ U.S. Agency for International Development. The projectā€™s other partners ā€”Ā DuPont-Pioneer,Ā Kenya Agricultural Livestock and Research OrganizationĀ and theĀ Agricultural Research Council of South AfricaĀ ā€” are also providing significant in-kind contributions including staff, infrastructure, seed, traits, technology, training, and know-how.

The second phase of IMAS continues to be implemented through the Seed Production Technology for Africa (SPTA) project.

OBJECTIVES

  • Conventional and marker assisted breeding to develop hybrids and OPVs with improved nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) adapted to southern and eastern Africa
  • Identification and deployment of native trait alleles to enhance yield under low nitrogen conditions through association mapping and Quantitative Trait Loci mapping
  • Development of transgenic maize varieties adapted to southern and eastern Africa with increased yield under severe nitrogen limitation
  • Managing NUE varieties for sustainability in African maize cropping systems
  • Project stewardship, public awareness and capacity building
  • NUE variety registration, release and dissemination in southern and eastern Africa

DuPont Pioneer explores support for CGIAR Excellence in Breeding Platform

Written by on . Posted in News.

Photo: CIMMYT
Photo: CIMMYT

EL BATAN, Mexico (CIMMYT) – A DuPont Pioneer leadership delegation visited CIMMYT HQ on May 12 to explore public-private collaboration approaches within the new CGIAR Excellence in Breeding Platform (EiB). The high level delegation, included Geoff Graham, Vice President of Plant Breeding, and other members of management from Global Breeding & Marker Technology Field Technology Innovation & Operations, and Africa, and Latin America regional operations. The team got acquainted with the EiB through interactions with CGIAR scientists and a tour of the CIMMYT scientific facilities.

The visit focused on mutually beneficial collaboration that would enable CGIAR and DuPont Pioneer breeding programs to better capitalize on each other’s experiences, and strengthen knowledge sharing in the pre-competitive domain. The ultimate aim is to improve public and private breeding programs targeting the developing world, including for crops with lower private sector investments.

This visit is the latest in a series of new public-private collaborations with DuPont Pioneer. During CIMMYT’s 50th anniversary celebrations DuPont Pioneer and CIMMYT entered a Master Alliance Agreement to jointly develop improved crops using CRISPR-Cas advanced plant breeding technology for characteristics that address the needs of smallholder farmers around the world.

“Public and private sector breeding programs may target different farming communities and agricultural commodities,” said Marianne Banziger, CIMMYT Deputy Director General for Research and Partnerships. “Nonetheless there are many areas where we can learn from each other and thereby accelerate benefits reaching farming communities, both in poorer and wealthier countries.”

The Excellence in Breeding Platform is one of three new platforms within the new CGIAR portfolio. Drawing from innovations in the public and private sector, the Platform will provide access toĀ cutting-edge tools, services and best practices, application-oriented training and practical advice with the intention to modernize breeding programs targeting the developing world.