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Howard G. Buffett and Patronato visit CENEB to discuss conservation agriculture in Sonora

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2012-02-22-VISITA-CENEB-PIEAES-CIMMYT-26On 22 February 2012 we welcomed Howard G. Buffett and members of Sonora’s ‘Patronato’ (Patronato para la Investigación y Experimentación Agrícola del Estado de Sonora; PIEAES) to CIMMYT’s CENEB (Campo Experimental Norman E. Borlaug) station near Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, Mexico. The visit emphasized our joint concerns to improve food security and identified shared interests for improving opportunities for smallholder farmers and local entrepreneurs, and for widespread promotion of CA.

Patronato is a union of farmer organizations that has supported research by CIMMYT and partners such as INIFAP throughout the last four decades. This support has enabled greater advances in the state of Sonora, Mexico and throughout the world.

In addition to being a philanthropist, entrepreneur, and author, Howard G. Buffett is a farmer actively practicing no-till methods (a key component of CA) on his farm in Nebraska. He has strong links with Mexico; in 2000, he received the Aztec Eagle Award, the highest honor bestowed on a foreign citizen by the Government of Mexico. Currently, he acts as an Ambassador Against Hunger for the United Nations World Food Programme, and in 2011, the World Food Programme awarded him the George McGovern Leadership Award, alongside Bill Gates.

Cultivating CIMMYT’s links with Africa: A meeting with the African Development Bank

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On 10 February 2012, CIMMYT’s Director General, Thomas Lumpkin, visited the headquarters of the African Development Bank (AfDB) in Tunis, Tunisia, accompanied by Wilfred Mwangi, Liaison Officer for Africa, and Karim Ammar, Head, Durum Wheat Program. In his meeting with the Bank’s President, Donald Kaberuka, Lumpkin presented CIMMYT’s major projects and activities on wheat and maize research and development in Africa, including breeding, biotechnology, agronomy, socioeconomics, seed systems, and human resources development. “The AfDB President was keenly interested in biotechnology, and we discussed examples of successful projects and the potential benefits for Africa,” said Lumpkin.

MG_4329The group also discussed the MAIZE CRP and CIMMYT’s strong partnership with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). Institutional linkages such as these can be very beneficial to African smallholder farmers, as demonstrated by the major projects accomplished by CIMMYT’s Africa offices, such as Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA), Sustainable Intensification of Maize- Legume Cropping Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa (SIMLESA), Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA), Insect Resistant Maize for Africa (IRMA), and Improved Maize for African Soils (IMAS). “CIMMYT has had an enormous impact on wheat in Africa. Most cultivars are CIMMYT derived and many wheat scientists from African NARS have been trained at CIMMYT,” said Ammar.

It is hoped that these successes can continue, given the strength of the CIMMYT cadre of researchers currently based in Africa. Of the 38 African-based IRS, 29 are African scientists from seven different countries, and the directors of both the Socioeconomics Program and the Global Maize Program are based in Nairobi. “Africa has become the nucleus for maize research and development of CIMMYT,” stated B.M. Prasanna, Director of the Global Maize Program.

Throughout the meetings, CIMMYT’s desire to assist West African countries in maize and wheat production was expressed. CIMMYT is currently leading the WHEAT CRP in conjunction with the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), an initiative with a strong focus on Africa. Lumpkin emphasized the need for this CRP to also address wheat needs in African countries which are not traditionally wheat growers, but where wheat consumption may be rapidly increasing. According to FAO, Algeria’s bread and durum wheat imports rose 41.5 percent to a record 7.42 million tons in 2011, and the continent’s most populous nation, Nigeria, imports 4 million tons of wheat per year according to the USDA, with annual per capita wheat consumption currently about 25 kg.

Follow-up activities with the AfDB will be co-ordinated by Mwangi, who has already had further meetings with the Bank’s executive staff. “It was an excellent meeting and gave us the opportunity to highlight the major investments CIMMYT is making in Africa”, said Mwangi. The meeting formed part of a series of CIMMYT activities in Tunisia, Kenya, and Nigeria, designed to strengthen ties with local partners, donor organizations, and CGIAR institutions in the region.

Biosafety, regulations, and policy issues for biotechnology in Kazakhstan

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1Seminar-Biosafety-CIMMYT-Kazakhstan-Dec-20111Since 2010, CIMMYT has been orchestrating the project “Strengthening the Plant Biotechnology Capacity for Sustainable Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture in Kazakhstan”, in conjunction with the National Center for Biotechnology of the Republic of Kazakhstan, JSC “KazAgroInnovation” of the Ministry of Agriculture, and FAO. This initiative aims to improve breeding methods for the most important crops through the application of biotechnology and effective use of plant genetic resources, as well as identifying priorities and measures to develop these areas within Kazakhstani research institutions.

As part of the project, CIMMYT organized a training workshop on biosafety, regulations, biotechnology policy issues, plant genetic resources, and breeding, during 05-09 December 2011, in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The event was attended by scientists and experts from breeding organizations affiliated with JSC “KazAgroInnovation” and academic institutions of the Ministry of Education and Science of Kazakhstan. Welcoming the participants, Muratbek Karabayev, CIMMYT-Kazakhstan, spoke of Kazakhstan’s potential to become a world-leading exporter of high-quality grain and crops, given its huge land resources, well-developed agricultural infrastructure, and scientific capacity. Izbassar Rahimbayev, Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology and Guy Riba, National Institute for Agricultural Research, France, then both highlighted the importance of biosafety and bioethics in the experiments and applications of genetic engineering. Riba informed participants about the large contribution of biotechnology to food security, and emphasized the role of well-established international collaborations in the development of agriculture. The legal aspects of labeling genetically modified products were elaborated on by Evgeniy Klimov, President of the Kazakhstan Foundation for Integration of Ecological Culture.

Edgar Klose, Maerkish Institute for Promotion of Technology and Innovation, Germany, lectured on the concept of sustainable development, with particular reference to reasonable economies, the environment, and social justice. He also briefed participants on the latest devices and technologies being used in Europe for plant breeding, crop production, and ecology. Representing the Quarantine Nursery of Cereal Crops, Kazakhstan Ministry of Agriculture, Amangeldy Sarbaev, reported on issues related to testing imported seed material, as well as the ongoing collaborations between CIMMYT and the Kazakh Research Institute of Farming and Crop Production. Shymbolat Rsaliev, Institute for Biological Safety Problems, Kazakhstan, also spoke of the necessary international approach, especially when considering plant pathogens such as the potential threat of the stem rust Ug99.

Nazira Bishimbaeva, Institute of Plant Biology and Technology, Kazakhstan, spoke of the possibilities of expanding the genetic basis of selection through biotechnological techniques, particularly stem cell engineering and somaclonal variation. She described the genotype-independent plant regeneration technology for wheat lines with valuable traits, which was developed at the Institute. Biotechnology methods are already being used at the International Potato Center (IPC), and were explained at the workshop by Carlos Carli, IPC Central Asian Liaison Officer. The participants were unanimous in concluding that the national agricultural and biological research systems in Kazakhstan should utilize plant genetic resources for the benefit of food production, as well as ensuring that research and commercial production integrates advanced approaches and technologies. This will increase the efficiency of the agricultural sector in maintaining improved national food security and agricultural export capacities.

Regional dialogue for conservation agriculture in South Asia

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During 01-02 November 2011, agricultural science, extension, and development leaders, key researchers of South Asian national agricultural research and extension systems, and representatives from regional CGIAR centers, FAO, USAID, NGOs, and farmer associations, met in New Delhi, India, for a dialogue on conservation agriculture (CA) in South Asia. The meeting focused on conservation agricultural research for development (CAR4D) and greater impacts on small-holder farmers, and was organized jointly by the Asia Pacific Association of Agricultural research Institutions (APAARI), CIMMYT, and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

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Raj Paroda, Executive Secretary, APAARI, emphasized the dual challenges currently facing food security in South Asia, namely resource fatigue and decelerating productivity growth. These factors are being further exacerbated by rises in the costs of food and energy, depleting water resources, vulnerability of soil to degradation, and climate change. Producers’ profits are decreasing, making farming unattractive and unsustainable in the region. CA is seen as a key driver in the Millennium Development Goals to improve efficiency and sustainability through systembased management, optimization of crop yields, economic benefits, and environmental impacts. Whilst the pace of adoption of CA in the region has slowed in the past few years, it is hoped that meetings such as this can provide a common regional platform for stakeholders to share information and define priorities for the deployment of CA, develop common strategies for local problem resolution, facilitate the exchange of knowledge, products, and experiences, and map the future of CA in South Asia.

Other speakers at the event included AK Singh, Deputy Director General (Natural Resource Management), ICAR, Peter Kenmore, IPM Expert, FAO, Thomas Lumpkin, Director General, CIMMYT, and S. Ayyappan, Director General, ICAR. Ayyappan spoke of the successes achieved by the Rice-Wheat Consortium for the Indo-Gangetic Plains (RWC), including increasing the use of CA technologies in the region. He also highlighted the current importance being given to CA, through the National Initiative on Conservation Agriculture that will be launched by the Indian Government as part of its 12th five-year plan for special programs. Lumpkin reiterated these points, mentioning that CA will play an important role in most of the CRP’s (the CGIAR mega-programs for rice, maize, wheat, climate change, etc.).

CIMMYT’s Senior Cropping Systems Agronomist, ML Jat, presented the global overview of CA with several key recommendations, including the need to establish long-term basic and strategic research in different production systems, define appropriate CA technologies for different systems with improved access for farmers, and develop communication tools to better enable sharing of knowledge, experiences, and farmer innovations between all stakeholders.

Training seminar to promote the effective use of plant genetic resources in Kazakhstan

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Launched in 2010 by the National Center for Biotechnology of the Republic of Kazakhstan, JSC “KazAgroInnovation”, FAO, and CIMMYT, the “Strengthening the Plant Biotechnology Capacity for Sustainable Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture in Kazakhstan” initiative gained further momentum when CIMMYT organized a training seminar on “Modern Plant Genetic Resources: Conservation, Characterization, and Use Methods” during 24-28 October 2011 in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

In his welcome address, Muratbek Karabayev (CIMMYT-Kazakhstan) focused on the mobilization of genetic plant resources, and the role of biotechnology and breeding in the preservation and management of genetic resources, agriculture, and food production. Karabayev stressed that success can only be achieved through mutually beneficial cooperation between plant breeders and biotechnologists, and that partnerships should have a common purpose and trust between collaborators, with proper funding to assist research at the highest international standards.

Olga Mitrofanova, Head of the Wheat Genetic Resources Department, N.I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry (VIR), presented on the role of plant genetic resources in crop breeding, and the contribution of VIR to this science, such as the agroecological classification of cereals by sub- regions according to climatic conditions and varieties. This is particularly important in countries as large as Kazakhstan as regional factors need to be considered when drafting and implementing development strategies for biotechnology, plant genetic resources, and breeding.
Other speakers included Sergej Martynov, Key Researcher, VIR, and Elena Salina, Cytology and Genetics Institute, who delivered lectures on the genetic diversity and evolution of domestic and wild wheat species, and the various approaches of analyzing plant genetic resources.

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Seminar participants agreed that the use of biotechnology in crop production should be assessed based on the breeding efficiency of new varieties. At the national level, activities should involve a wide range of stakeholders to efficiently preserve and use plant genetic resources in the long-term. The key priorities are that disease-free seeds should be preserved in-situ and ex-situ, with duplication in other seed banks, as well as appropriate regeneration and replenishment of collections. The contents of collections should be properly characterized and documented by well-qualified staff. Communication with other collections is also vital for identifying and obtaining new seed sources, and for subsequent distribution and utilization of germplasm.

As mentioned in the Informa issue 1767, many Kazakhstani scientists also feel it is necessary to establish a National Bank of Genetics Resources in Kazakhstan, and to develop a National Strategy on the conservation of plant genetic resources and their use in food and agriculture.

CIMMYT features in the International Forum on Food Security and Price Volatility

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The World Food Day was established in 1979 by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to raise awareness of the global food problem and strengthen solidarity against hunger, malnutrition and poverty. To commemorate World Food Day 2011, an international forum on “Food Security and Price Volatility: Scope, Perspectives, and Recommendations” took place during 17-18 October at the Sevilla Palace Hotel, Mexico City. The event was convened by FAO’s representatives in Mexico, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA), the Latin American Economic Commission (CEPAL), and the Inter- American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).

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Over two days, participants from national and international policy and research organizations, public and private sector, and scholars and representatives from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Colombia, and the United States, exchanged experiences on the causes and effects of food price volatility, an issue which has an important impact on food security. They also explored options for public policy to reduce volatility, and identified elements to prepare a shared or coordinated agenda among countries and international organizations. Presentations ranged from the FAO outlining the establishment of a more efficient way to track fluctuating food prices, to details on the Brazilian government’s support of production at a family farm level.

Jonathan Hellin, Value Chain and Poverty Specialist for CIMMYT’s Socio-economics program (SEP), gave a presentation highlighting the importance of research and extension provision in meeting the challenges of increasing agricultural production and enhancing farmers’ access to markets. With the forum’s focus on policy issues, Hellin cited MasAgro, a coordinated initiative between CIMMYT and SAGARPA, as an example of integrated efforts between the public and private sectors to sustainably boost crop productivity. There are already visible, positive results from this project, such as increased interactions between scientists and small-scale farmers, and the benefits of MasAgro will be measurable in terms of Mexico’s wheat and maize production, added Hellin.

SAGARPA Undersecretary Mariano Ruiz-Funes reiterated the potential of MasAgro. “It starts from the plot, fosters commerce through contract farming, and adds value to products —with support of the Postharvest Management Program— allowing the development of a local market,” he said. Ruiz-Funes added that MasAgro is the most important program of recent years because it provides support directly to small farmers to promote higher crop yields, particularly in rainfed regions.

Biotechnology issues addressed in Kazakhstan

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In the Republic of Kazakhstan, general breeding programs are funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, whilst those relating to biotechnology are funded through the Ministry of Education and Science. The use of biotechnology within plant breeding is a complex issue, and genetic and physiological studies within national breeding programs are often limited. To help develop a national strategy for the use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture in Kazakhstan and foster relevant collaboration between the country’s biotechnology and agricultural crop research organizations, CIMMYT-Kazakhstan staff organized a training seminar on modern trends and methods for plant breeding and seed production during 15-19 August 2011. The event drew scientists and experts from Kazakhstani breeding programs, the Kazakhstan-Siberia Network on Spring Wheat Improvement (KASIB), and national research and educational organizations.

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Representing FAO, Chikelu Mba delivered a presentation highlighting food security issues. He argued that if food production is to increase by the necessary 70% within the next 40 years, we must use not only conventional plant breeding, but also increase experimental mutagenesis (chemical and physical), use of in vitro tissue culture, cell selection, technologies based on haploidy and somaclonal variability, molecular markers, and DNA recombinations. Mba also drew attention to the new FAO program, “Global Partnership Initiative for Plant Breeding Capacity Building” (GIPB), which aims to improve food security and sustainable development within developing countries through improved crop breeding.

The current challenges of plant breeding in Kazakhstan and central Asia were addressed in a presentation by R. Urazaliev. Presently, projects are focused on breeding new varieties and improving wheat cultivars, increasing yield, improving quality, decreasing the share of by-products, and reducing losses from pests and diseases. V.P. Shamanin, Professor at Omsk Agricultural University, also spoke of the economic importance of wheat and the current issues and trends related to crop breeding. Emphasis was given to adaptive breeding and breeding for resistance to environmental stresses, and Shamanin also described the seed production and distribution systems in Russia and other developed countries. The focus was not only on wheat however, as Carlo Carli from the International Potato Center, Peru, also emphasized how these issues are also relevant to potato crops worldwide, and also how biotechnology is currently being applied to improve the yield of potatoes and raise their nutritional value.

V. Syukov (Samara, Russia) gave a presentation on the genetic basis of plant breeding, and also described how physiological and genetic approaches are being applied to breeding at the Samara Agricultural Research Institute. The speakers emphasized that development and implementation of multi-disciplinary projects should be prioritized, in addition to building capacity within breeding, biotechnology, and genetic resources, and promoting training seminars featuring international expertise.

In concluding the seminar, participants agreed that several measures should be taken at the national level to develop breeding and seed production; including expanding current research methods through modern applied methods, biotechnology, and active utilization of artificial climate techniques; use of ICTs in the breeding process; improvement of state testing of varieties with expedited testing procedures; introduction of efficient variety replacement and seed farming systems; and further training of specialists and increased international collaboration. With respect to Kazakhstan, participants felt that the legislative and regulatory framework governing breeding, seed growing, and PGR should be improved; a National Gene Bank should be created, with Kazakhstan joining the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants and the International Seed Testing Association; and the National Strategy on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture must be developed and approved.

Participants felt that the seminar was important in addressing Kazakhstan’s agricultural issues, and thanked the FAO and CIMMYT-Kazakhstan for organizing and coordinating the activities.

Training to beat Karnal bunt in Afghanistan

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Karnal bunt is a wheat disease that can make grain too unpalatable for use in flour. It is quarantined by many countries, and can therefore seriously constrain global wheat seed exchange—and even movement of wheat within countries. During 17-18 September 2011 a training course for seed professionals on the management of Karnal bunt was held in Afghanistan at the National Seed Secretariat facility, Badam Bagh, Kabul, with the aim of ensuring that no infected seed lots pass through the certification process so avoiding the spread of the disease within the country. It was jointly organized between CIMMYT, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Afghanistan’s Plant Protection and Quarantine Department (PPQD) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

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Thirty-three participants attended from the Agricultural Research Institute of Afghanistan (ARIA), PPQD, FAO, and other organizations involved in seed production and certification. Their enthusiasm was reflected in their many questions as they learned about the disease’s history, epidemiology, visual identification, laboratory identification, and management through lectures and practical sessions. Mir Amanulldin Haidari, PPQD Director, who opened the event, said that he found it very useful for his department’s work. The training sessions were led by Ramesh Chand, Professor of Plant Pathology at Banaras Hindu University, India. Arun Joshi, CIMMYT wheat breeder, Rajiv Sharma, CIMMYT liaison officer for Afghanistan, and Javed Rizvi, Afghanistan country manager for ICARDA, also took part.

Karnal bunt has long been present in Afghanistan, with favorable climatic conditions promoting occasional outbreaks, and a recent survey by ARIA indicated that several popular wheat varieties are susceptible to the disease. It is particularly prevalent in the eastern region bordering Pakistan, which has emerged in recent years as an important seed-producing area within Afghanistan. This has raised the concern that a disease outbreak in this region could easily spread to other parts of the country. Thanks to this collaborative training event, the national seed system is now ready to tackle the issue of Karnal bunt and ensure a healthy future for Afghanistan’s wheat seed.

Ambassadors Day highlights the importance of global collaboration in agricultural research

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To feed a growing population on today’s cultivated land, the world must increase food production 70% by 2050, said the Mexican Agriculture Ministry’s (SAGARPA) coordinator of advisors, Omar Musalem, citing FAO data and speaking for Agriculture Secretary Francisco Mayorga at CIMMYT’s Ambassadors Day in El Batán on 14 September 2011.

Ambassadors-Day11With diplomatic representatives from 15 countries in attendance, the event was designed to raise awareness and foster discussion on partnerships to secure global food security through agricultural research, an issue at the forefront of recent G20 talks in France. Musalem highlighted the Sustainable Modernization of Traditional Agriculture (MasAgro) initiative—implemented by SAGARPA and CIMMYT with myriad national, regional, and local organizations, both public and private—as an innovative model.

Prefacing Musalem’s address and welcoming the guests, CIMMYT Director General Thomas Lumpkin cited global challenges for agriculture—climate change, population growth, resource scarcities, rising food prices, new diseases, and increasing demand for biofuels. “SUVs are competing with the hungry people in the developing world,” said Lumpkin. “To address these issues, we need to improve current varieties of maize and wheat, enabling them to tolerate weather extremes and diseases. We also need to use fertilizer and pesticides more efficiently and without polluting.”

Ambassadors-Day6As part of the event, the visitors toured the Wellhausen-Anderson Plant Genetic Resources Center with Thomas Payne and enjoyed a presentation on wheat’s wild relatives by David Bonnet. At the long-term conservation agriculture trial plot, Bram Govaerts described current efforts to test and promote CA practices among thousands of Mexican farmers. The group saw new maize and wheat varieties and learned in more detail about the work CIMMYT and its partners are doing on these crops, in field presentations by Félix San Vicente, Natalia Palacios, José Luis Torres, Marc Rojas, and Ravi Singh.

Interactions continued at a luncheon in the Guest House garden, closing this day of reaching out to Mexico City’s diplomatic corps. All participants enjoyed the cordial and professional attention of CIMMYT’s Corporate Services, particularly catering and security.

CIMMYT at forum for revamping agriculture in Africa

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16The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) held its 5thAfrican Agriculture Science Week from 19-23 July 2010 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, a country in northwest Africa. More than 700 African farmers, ministers, scientists, policymakers, and public and private sector representatives utilized this opportunity to review the progress of agriculture research and development in Africa over the last three years, under the general theme of “African Agriculture in a Changing Global Environment.” The participants, including three CIMMYT representatives, also established a regional research agenda for the next three years.

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

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

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

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

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

Live from 2010 technical workshop of Borlaug Global Rust Initiative in St. Petersburg

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IMG_1962smallMore than 600 wheat breeders, pathologists and representatives of national agricultural research institutions arrived in St. Petersburg to discuss rusts affecting wheat production globally. After introductory remarks byJeanie Borlaug Laube (BGRI chair), Ronnie Coffman (BGRI vice-chair), and Dr. Swapan Datta, DDG (CS) of ICAR, day started with session on ‘World of Rust: Global perspectives’:

Afternoon session was focused on ‘Global Climate change: Projected Impacts on Rust Epidemiology’:
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The day ended by discussion moderated by Kathie Kahn on ‘Management of Major Genes and Minor Genes’ (recording of the presentations and discussions will be available on http://www.globalrust.org) in week or two.

Biotechnology: Potential boon for smallholder farmers, if prioritized

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Though not a magic bullet “cure all,” agricultural biotechnologies can and should be used in developing countries to improve smallholder farmers’ livelihoods, but farmers themselves need to be involved in decision making, according to participants at an international technical conference on agricultural biotechnologies last week.

During 01-04 March 2010, roughly 300 people from nearly 70 countries attended the International Technical Conference on Agricultural Biotechnologies in Developing Countries (ABDC-10), organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and held in Guadalajara, Mexico. Attendees included representatives from international organizations, civil society, national governments, and national agricultural research programs. Their goal in gathering was to assess the progress of biotechnologies across various agricultural sectors—crops, forestry, livestock, fisheries, and agro-industries—and to generate a forward-looking consensus on ways that biotechnologies can assist smallholder famers in developing countries.

Investment in and improvement of agriculture is vital for the more than one billion people who go to bed hungry each night, as well as for many farming families who survive on only a few dollars a day. Adoption of effective and cost-efficient agricultural biotechnologies is one way to address the food demands of a rapidly expanding and more affluent world population, while also confronting the challenges of increasing land degradation and climate variability.

“Two billion people live on small farms, about one-third of our population,” said Rodney Cooke, of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), while addressing the general session. “Investment in agriculture is two-anda- half-to-three times more effective in increasing the income of the poor than non-agricultural investments.”

The FAO predicts that by 2050 there will be a 70% increase in food demand, requiring at least 170 million more acres of cropland. Meeting this demand looks difficult, because crop yields have slowed from an annual increase of 3-6% to only 1-2%, in the last decade.

Agricultural biotechnologies can sustainably improve food security and help smallholder farmers escape poverty. However, many of these advanced technologies are underutilized in developing countries, where a large portion of smallholder farmers live. Overcoming this will require increased investments, international cooperation, effective national policies and regulatory frameworks, and collaboration with farmers and the various value-chain actors, said ABDC-10 participants. Several farmers and farmer representatives in attendance repeatedly stressed the importance of bottom-up development in applying biotechnology.

During the conference, participants divided their time between plenary sessions in the morning and small group meetings in the afternoon. Topics included region and sector-specific issues, as well as multidisciplinary topics such as empowering public participation in decision making; prioritizing the role of the farmer; and development of genomic resources. All participants discussed successes and failures in biotechnology projects in developing countries. The CGIAR was responsible for leading several group sessions; participating CG members included the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), CIMMYT, and the Generation Challenge Program (CGP).

CIMMYT director general Tom Lumpkin addressed the plenary session in a presentation on the use of biotechnology in the CGIAR. Tom Payne, head of CIMMYT’s wheat germplasm bank, was a panel member for a group session on the conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources. Jean-Marcel Ribaut, Carmen de Vicente, and Rajeev Varshney (ICRISAT) of the GCP also presented on accessing genetic resources, genomic applications, and molecular breeding in developing countries, respectively.

“To meet the challenges of increased food demand in a sustainable way, biotechnologies are essential for the future,” Lumpkin said, stressing as well that such technologies need to show tangible results and the efficient use of time and money.

Payne explained that the CGIAR has 11 gene banks conserving over 530,000 samples of wild and domesticated crops in public trust, but that these genetic resources are not always accessible or useful to breeders. “There are so many accessions but so little information,” he said, adding that the CGIAR is collaborating on a new portal to improve access to the genetic resources (www.global-alis.org).

Additionally, CIMMYT was represented at the ABDC-10’s knowledge share fair, providing publications and information on the center’s biotechnology work. Highlighted projects included rust resistance wheat, nitrogen use efficient maize for African soils, water-efficient maize for Africa, and the conservation and use of maize and wheat genetic resources.

World Food Summit 2009

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The three-day World Food Summit led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) starts Monday 16 November in Rome. Nearly 60 heads of state are expected to attend to discuss important issues related to food security such as climate change adaptation and mitigation, rural development, and the economic crisis. Show your support by signing the related online petition at www.1billionhungry.org.

Scientists learn stem rust screening skills

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Scientists from over 20 countries, many of whom are collaborators with the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative (BGRI), gathered in Kenya on 28 September for a two week international training course titled “Stem Rust Note Taking and Evaluation of Germplasm.” Until 7 October, they will participate in practical handson field activities, which is appropriate as more than 30,000 wheat lines from around the world are currently ready  to be scored for stem rust resistance.

The Kenyan Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) is hosting the event at their Njoro research station, despite being affected by recent dry weather. In addition to field work, there are several scheduled lectures from renowned wheat pathologists and breeders: Bob McIntosh (Australia), Zac Pretorius (South Africa), Gordon Cisar (USA), Harbans Bariana (Australia), Brian Steffenson (USA), Kumarse Nazari (ICARDA), Dave Hodson (FAO), and CIMMYT colleagues Ravi Singh, Davinder Singh, Shridhar Bhavani, Yann Manes, Tadesse Degu, and Karim Ammar.

By the end of the course all participants should be able to score stem rust consistent with an international scale standard. This skill will allow them to actively contribute to the global monitoring of the stem rust Ug99. CIMMYT, the Durable Rust Resistant Wheat Project, KARI, and the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) jointly organized the training course.

Conservation agriculture conference for Central Asia

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Kazhakstan1CIMMYT staff in Kazakhstan organized an international conference on conservation agriculture (CA) 08-10 July 2009 in northern Kazakhstan at the Institute for Grain Farming. The conference, “No-till with soil cover and crop rotation: A basis for policy support to conservation agriculture for sustainable production intensification,” was financed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), CIMMYT, and the International Collaboration for Agricultural Research in Central Asia and the Caucuses (ICAR) project, which is managed by Washington State University. There were 150 participants including scientists from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan along with 70 farmers from Kazakhstan and Russia. Dr. Akylbek Kurishbayev, Kazakhstan’s minister of agriculture and an old friend of CIMMYT, opened the conference and stressed that the government of Kazakhstan is firmly committed to supporting the spread of CA; it already gives a higher subsidy to small farmers who use CA than it does to those who use conventional tillage.

“There was a lot of discussion on the definition of CA, not only because of some confusion with conservation tillage—the common tillage method for wheat in northern Kazakhstan—but also because of the problem of expressing the term in other languages, including Russian,” said Pat Wall, director of CIMMYT’s CA program. The papers presented at the conference, however, showed that CA is gaining in acceptance and application in Central Asia, both in dryland and irrigated situations, he said.

Kazhak2The conference highlighted the many problems still to be overcome for CA dissemination including the need for reorganization of many of the research and extension systems. Necessary diversification of cropping systems is often hampered by governmental policies and/or undeveloped markets. Weeds continue to be a problem and there is a lack of information on the adaptation of different crop varieties to CA, according to Wall.

Special thanks to CIMMYT staff in Kazakhstan who worked strenuously to make the conference a success: congratulations to Murat Karabayev, Arman Baitassov, Sagat Ishmuhanbetov, Mekhlis Suleimenov, Larissa Geronina, Zhumagali Ospanbayev, Tansara Murzatayeva, and Zina Telgarayeva.