funder_partner: Michigan State University (MSU)

The right time for the right place

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on September 30, 2022. Posted in Features.

Wheat is a strategically important crop for Afghanistan because as a major source of nutrition — accounting for up to 60% of a family’s daily caloric intake — it is linked directly to national food security. However, despite occupying over 2.5 million hectares of arable land across the country, Afghanistan does not currently produce enough wheat to meet the needs of a growing population. On average, annual production is estimated at around 5 million metric tons — 2 million metric tons less than needed — and as a result Afghanistan makes up this significant shortfall by importing wheat flour from neighboring countries where wheat productivity is significantly higher.

There is tremendous potential to increase national wheat productivity by introducing improved agronomic practices and making use of suitable farming technologies. However, given Afghanistan’s vast agro-ecological diversity, it is essential that best practices are recommended based on local conditions, as these vary greatly across the country.

Take seeding, for instance. Sowing wheat seed at the optimum time has been shown to help maximize yields and significant research has been undertaken to determine the optimal sowing dates for winter and spring wheat in different areas. These times are governed not only by environmental requirements and growing cycles, but also by the need to avoid certain diseases and insect pests, which may be more prevalent at specific times of year.

But these can vary widely even within a season. For example, research shows that the best time to sow irrigated winter wheat in Afghanistan’s hot and arid western provinces is from the second week of October up until the end of the month. However, the optimum window falls one month later in the more mountainous and forested provinces of the East, and even later for rain-fed wheat.

The same distinctions apply to seeding and fertilizer application rates, which can vary subtly between similar regions. Consider that the optimum seed rate for irrigated wheat sown using the broadcast method is the same in both the Northern and Central zones, 25-30 kilograms per jerib (approx. half an acre). One might expect the optimum rates for row cultivation to match, but in fact they differ by two kilograms. This might not seem like much, but given how significantly seed density and spacing influence crop yield and quality, these figures are vital knowledge for farmers looking to maximize their yield potential.

To help disseminate these research-based recommendations to farmers and local agricultural extension staff, researchers at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) have partnered with Afghanistan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, Michigan State University’s Global Center for Food Systems Innovation and the USAID to compile four new booklets featuring zone-specific advice for irrigated and rain-fed systems in each of Afghanistan’s main agro-ecological zones.

Covering between four and ten provinces each, these guides include localized recommendations for the best sowing dates, nutrient management, weed management, and best practices in irrigation, arming wheat farmers with the key information they need to effectively increase production in their area and support the country’s wider food security needs.

More information is available in the booklets below:

Zone-Specific Recommendations for: Northern Region

Zone-Specific Recommendations for: Central Region

Zone-Specific Recommendations for: Eastern Region

Zone-Specific Recommendations for: Western Region

Cover photo: The optimal time for wheat sowing in Afghanistan varies by region according to the country’s vast agro-ecological diversity. CIMMYT recommends a localized approach. (Photo: Rajiv Sharma/CIMMYT)

Setting a standard: improving field trial data

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on September 15, 2022. Posted in Features.

“In Afghanistan, wheat is synonymous with food,” says Rajiv K. Sharma, formerly a senior scientist at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). Standing at about 250kg per year, the country’s per capita consumption of the crop is among the highest in the world. However, Afghanistan does not have a robust wheat research and development system. The majority of wheat varieties have been introduced from outside the country and the national wheat seed replacement rate is one of the lowest in the world at around 5%.

In a bid to strengthen research and development and boost crop productivity in the country, CIMMYT scientists have collaborated with Michigan State University and USAID to design a new, illustrated manual for wheat researchers, intended to aid them during experiments and facilitate smooth and timely data collection. As applied wheat research requires the monitoring and measurement of both qualitative and quantitative traits by different researchers across multiple locations, consistency of approach is crucial.

As well as providing descriptions of characteristics like glaucousness (the presence or absence of leaf waxes) and advice on measuring leaf area, the manual provides several different scales for determining the extent to which a wheat plant is affected by frost damage, cereal rusts or foliar diseases like Septoria and powdery mildew. Covering everything from leaf angle to chlorophyll content, this resource ensures that scientists throughout Afghanistan are supported to follow the same observation and measurement protocols while recording trial data, ensuring a standardized approach, thus bolstering the country’s wheat research sector and ensuring the data is also aligned to international projects.

The manual has since been distributed to National Agricultural Research System (NARS) researchers and other stakeholders across the country, accompanied by a number of CIMMYT-led trainings on how best to use the resource.

Download the manual here: Wheat Field Trial Data Collection Manual

Cover photo: Researchers check for stand reduction in wheat seedlings in Afghanistan. (Credit: CIMMYT)

In case of fall armyworm, watch this video

Written by AFM Nazmul Alam on October 12, 2020. Posted in Videos.

To the first-time observer, the aftermath of a fall armyworm infestation must be terrifying. The larvae can cause significant damage to an entire field in a single night, leaving once-healthy leaves looking like tattered rags.

A new instructional video, which will air in Bangladesh, aims to combat both the pest and the distress its appearance can cause with detailed, actionable information for farmers. The video describes how to identify the pest, its lifecycle and the kind of damage it can do to maize — among other crops — and provides techniques for identifying, assessing, and combating an infestation.

This video was developed by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) with support from the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) and the Bangladesh Wheat and Maize Research Institute (BWMRI), as part of the project Fighting back against fall armyworm in Bangladesh. Supported by USAID’s Feed the Future Initiative and Michigan State University, this CIMMYT-led project works in synergy with the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA), and with national partners to mitigate the impact of this invasive pest on smallholder farmers’ livelihoods.

The video is available in Bangla with English captions.

Jamal conquered his dreams through maize farming

Written by Steven M on October 6, 2020. Posted in Videos.

When we talk about the impact of agricultural research we often rely on numerical metrics: percent increase in yield, percent decrease in crop loss, adoption rates, etcetera. For farmers on the ground, however, the impact can be much harder to boil down to a few numbers. Hiding behind every statistical table are real stories of dreams dashed or fulfilled, of everyday people trying to survive and flourish.

A new educational video powerfully dramatizes this point through the story of Jamal Mia and his daughter Rupa. Jamal’s dreams to own a house and see Rupa enroll in college are threatened when his maize crop is attacked by fall armyworm. An encounter with an agricultural extension officer puts Jamal on track to tackle the infestation, save his crop and secure his family’s wellbeing.

The video was developed by CIMMYT with support from Bangladesh’s Department of Agricultural Extension and the Bangladesh Wheat and Maize Research Institute (BWMRI), as part of a project titled “Fighting back against fall armyworm in Bangladesh.” Supported by USAID’s Feed the Future Initiative and Michigan State University, this CIMMYT-led project works in synergy with the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) and with national partners to mitigate the impact of this invasive pest on smallholder farmers’ livelihoods.

The video was filmed in Dinajpur district, Bangladesh, and is available in Bangla with English captions.

Participants in one of the trainings learn how to scout and collect data on fall armyworm in a maize field. (Photo: Bandana Pradhan/CIMMYT)

Collective efforts to fight fall armyworm in Nepal

Written by Rodrigo Ordóñez on April 7, 2020. Posted in Features.

Three years ago, farmers in the country were combatting the threats of a destructive tomato pest, Tuta Absoluta, and are now battling their way to manage the attack of fall armyworm on maize fields across the country. Since the government’s Plant Quarantine and Pest Management Centre (PQPMC) declared the arrival of fall armyworm on August 2019, this pest is reported to have infested almost half the districts of Nepal and continues to spread further.

“I wasn’t able to gather even half the yields I used to get from my maize field following the fall armyworm outbreak last year,” said Pavitra, a farmer from Sindhupalchowk district, Nepal.

The level of incidence and damage varies from place to place, but farmers have reported up to 80% crop loss in extreme cases. In Nepal, the fall armyworm has the potential to cause maize yield losses of 20-25%, which translates to the loss of more than half a million tons of the annual maize production — estimated at around $200 million. If the pest is left unrestrained, its impact will be huge for farmers and the economy.

This calls for a collective effort and broad mobilization to effectively manage fall armyworm and limit its spread across the country. Since the pest was expected to reach Nepal, partners have conducted workshops and community mobilization initiatives.

Experts at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) have been working with public and private partners before and after the arrival of the invasive pest in Nepal. The shared efforts have focused on creating awareness, disseminating appropriate technologies and management techniques, and strengthening the capacity of communities, institutions and governments.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development has established a national taskforce to fight the pest. Most provinces have established similar taskforces that include researchers, agriculture extension agents, farmers and entrepreneur associations.

Training participants examine a fall armyworm on a maize leaf. (Photo: Bandana Pradhan/CIMMYT)

Fall armyworms are found on leaves in a maize field in Nepal. (Photo: Shailaja Thapa/CIMMYT)

A pheromone trap is installed next to a maize field in Nepal. (Photo: Bandana Pradhan/CIMMYT)

Participants in one of the trainings learn how to scout and collect data on fall armyworm in a maize field. (Photo: Bandana Pradhan/CIMMYT)

Training participants imitate the fall armyworm’s white inverted Y mark visible on the front of the head of the larva. (Photo: Bandana Pradhan/CIMMYT)

Gearing up to fight the very hungry caterpillar

In collaboration with national and provincial governments, CIMMYT has trained 426 agricultural professionals, including lead farmers, on how to identify and manage fall armyworm.

In February 2020, CIMMYT partnered with agricultural development directorates in two provinces to train 130 people on how to scout for fall armyworm and recommended solutions, based on integrated pest management principles.

In late 2019, CIMMYT engaged with the public and private sector through training workshops to disseminate proven practices to control the pest.

“Before, I was unable to recognize the pest that had destroyed my maize field. The hands-on training has been very informative,” said Urmila Banjgayu, a lead farmer who participated in one of the trainings. “I am certain to share the knowledge and practices that I learned with other farmers in my locality. They need to know what to do and what not to.”

Through the Nepal Seed and Fertilizer (NSAF) project, CIMMYT staff is working closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, the Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC), the PQPMC, provincial governments, and other USAID-funded projects and development partners in Nepal. Together, they have developed integrated pest management packages, informative factsheets and surveillance guidelines. CIMMYT researchers have shared experiences on pest management, surveillance and scouting techniques from other countries in Asia and Africa. They have also demonstrated digital tools that will help map the spread of the pest and build accurate interpretation for better management.

Outreach workers use an auto-rickshaw equipped with a sound system and infographics to disseminate information about armyworm in Nepal’s Banke district. (Photo: Darbin Joshi/CIMMYT.)

Farmers listen to information about fall armyworm displayed on an auto-rickshaw in Nepal’s Banke district. (Photo: Darbin Joshi/CIMMYT)

Fall armyworm awareness campaign

Farmers must learn how to identify and manage this pest. Bijaya Ghimire, a lead farmer from Kanchanpur district, had heard about fall armyworm from a nearby seed company and a few of his friends. He informed the Agriculture Knowledge Center about the symptoms he observed in his maize field, and verification of the larvae and damage confirmed the presence of fall armyworm. Luckily, Ghimire was able to control the pest before severe damage was done.

CIMMYT researchers collaborated with the Prime Minister Agricultural Modernization Project (PMAMP) to implement outreach campaigns in Banke district. This included a mobile information booth, local dissemination of audio messages, and distribution of posters and fact sheets about fall armyworm. The two-day campaign successfully raised awareness about the pest, reaching more than 1,000 farmers from four villages in maize growing areas.

Researchers also worked with Scientific Animations Without Borders (SAWBO) and adapted an educational video on how to identify and scout for fall armyworm in a field into Nepali. In collaboration with the PQPMC, the video was broadcast 42 times on three local TV channels, to an estimated audience of more than one million viewers in June 2019. The video has also received over 2,000 online views. The animated video is being shown to farmers using mobile phones and displayed on big screens during community events and workshops.

“Seamless collaboration is required among the major stakeholders in the country to collectively fight the pest,” said AbduRahman Beshir, CIMMYT seed systems lead for the NSAF project and member of the national fall armyworm taskforce. “The potential impact of fall armyworm poses a fundamental challenge for smallholder farmers in Nepal. If unattended, it is going to be a food security issue and an equally daunting task to safeguard livelihoods.”

Participants of the Fighting Back Against Fall Armyworm trainings learning to collect field data through the Fall Armyworm Monitor web app in a farmer's field in Chauadanga, Bangladesh. (Photo: Uttam Kumar/CIMMYT)

Crowdsourced data feeds fall armyworm surveillance in Bangladesh

Written by Matthew O'Leary on March 20, 2020. Posted in Features.

Following the spread of fall armyworm, crowdsourced data is powering a web-based application to help farmers in Bangladesh stay ahead of the crop pest.

The Fall Armyworm Monitor collects population, incidence and severity data, and guides pest management decisions. The web tool relies on information gathered by farmers using smartphones in their fields.

It was developed by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in cooperation with Bangladesh’s Department of Agricultural Extension, through the Fighting Back Against Fall Armyworm project, supported by USAID and Michigan State University.

When a foreign caterpillar first munched through Muhammad Hasan Ali’s maize field during the winter 2018-2019 season, he was stumped as to what it was or how to manage it. All he knew was his harvest and the investment he made in growing his crop was at risk.

“I’d never seen this type of insect in previous seasons, but I soon learned from government extension workers it was the fall armyworm,” explained Hasan Ali, a farmer from rural Chuadanga, in western Bangladesh. When poorly managed, fall armyworm can significantly reduce maize productivity.

Hasan Ali asked to join a training program, where he learned how to identify, monitor and control the spread of the invasive and voracious crop pest. The training, mainly tailored to extension staff, was facilitated by CIMMYT and Bangladesh’s Department of Agricultural Extension.

Participants of the Fighting Back Against Fall Armyworm trainings learning to collect field data through the Fall Armyworm Monitor web app in a farmer’s field in Chauadanga, Bangladesh. (Photo: Uttam Kumar/CIMMYT)

Participants and instructors of the Fighting Back Against Fall Armyworm trainings participate in a field session to work with the Fall Armyworm Monitor web app in Chauadanga, Bangladesh. (Photo: Uttam Kumar/CIMMYT)

Equipped to fight the pest

Extension staff and farmers gained valuable insights into different methods of control, including management of small and large patches of insect attack.

“I learned to identify fall armyworms in my field — and how to use hand picking methods and appropriate application of insecticide for control,” said Hasan Ali.

Farmers also learned how to set up pheromone traps to monitor pest populations and to use smartphones to make data-driven integrated pest management decisions using a cloud-based monitoring platform.

Crowdsourced information on the movement of fall armyworm is essential for effectively monitoring its spread and is a pivotal step in its management, said CIMMYT Senior Scientist and Systems Agronomist Timothy Krupnik.

“Farmers in top maize growing regions are working with extension officers to monitor traps and report findings weekly by entering data into smartphones,” Krupnik said.

Pheromones are natural compounds emitted by female moths to attract males for mating. Synthetic compounds that mimic natural fall armyworm pheromones are placed in traps to lure and capture male moths, after which extension agents count moths, enter, and upload data in their districts. At the time of writing, 649 staff from the Department of Agricultural Extension are reporting weekly moth count and pest damage data.

“Pest management practices are best when they are data-driven,” Krupnik explained. “Having information on the geographical location, plant growth stage and severity of infestation provides an informed base from which appropriate decisions can be made, with the ultimate goal of reducing pesticide misuse.”

“We are also excited as the data are open-access, and we are working to share them with FAO and other partners crucial in fall armyworm response,” he added.

The Fall Armyworm Monitor gives moth count and other data at the division, district and upazilla levels. (Photo: CIMMYT)

Data for better decisions

“The website hosts real-time data and depicts them graphically and in maps depending on user’s preferences. This information — which was core to the training extension agents participated in — is key for integrated pest management strategies,” explained Mutasim Billah, CIMMYT Data Specialist and the lead developer of the application.

“The department of extension services have employed 253 officers to visit fields with handheld smart devices in 25 districts to upload data,” said Billah. “The online tool stores data entries in its server and calculates the aggregated value for division, district and sub-district level on a weekly basis, and shows the estimated values through charts and in tabular format.”

The Fall Armyworm Monitor has become an essential tool for government officials to aid farmers in managing the pest which so far has been successful, said Bijoy Krishna Halder, additional Deputy Director of Plant Protection with the Bangladesh government.

“CIMMYT’s web portal is a very efficient way to collect data from the field. Anyone can access the page to see the overall condition of infestation across the country,”said Krishna Halder. “I check the portal every week about the fall armyworm condition and now it shows that the infestation is low with the overall field conditions good.”

The pest native to the Americas has become a global menace as it has spread attacking crops through Africa, and Asia, threatening the food and economic security of smallholder farmers.

Visit the Bangladesh Fall Armyworm Monitor.

The Fall Armyworm Monitor was created as part of the new Fighting Back Against Fall Armyworm in Bangladesh project is aligned with Michigan State University’s Borlaug Higher Education for Agricultural Research and Development (BHEARD) program, which supports the long-term training of agricultural researchers in USAID’s Feed the Future priority countries.