Partners with the Agricultural Innovation Program for Pakistan (AIP) are working to enhance availability and access to maize seeds and varieties. The AIP maize working group discussed problems and shared recommendations to help improve maize production and productivity during its inception meeting from 3-4 February in Islamabad.
Dr. Iftikhar Ahmad, chairman of PARC, leads a group discussion. On his left is Shahid Masood, a member of the plant sciences division of PARC. On his right are Michael Wyzan, USAID representative, and Imtiaz Muhammad, AIP interim project leader and CIMMYT country representative.
Maize follows wheat and rice as Pakistanâs third most important cereal crop and is first in productivity. Covering 1.14 million hectares with a national average grain yield of about 4.0 tons per hectare (t/ha), maize area, production and productivity increased by 14.5 percent, 26 percent and 13.6 percent, respectively, from 2010-11 to 2013, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. The high demand for feed and food are the main forces driving the increased production of maize in Pakistan. Punjab and KPK provinces are the leaders in maize production. Most maize production receives irrigation, and the majority of maize farmers produce the crop in rotation with wheat and rice.
A partnership launched on 3 February by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Feed the Future Partnering for Innovation and led by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) will help CIMMYT and other partners to fight a parasitic plant affecting maize production.
Known locally as âwitchweed,â the parasitic plant Striga spp. casts no spells but uses needle-like tendrils to suck nutrients from maize roots. The weed is prevalent in Nyanza and Western Provinces of Kenya, where it grows on some 200,000 hectares and causes crop damage worth an estimated US$ 80 million per year. Photo: CIMMYT
The three-year, performancebased grant of US$ 3 million is the largest grant awarded by Feed the Future Partnering for Innovation to date, according to an AATF press release. Feed the Future Partnering for Innovation supports projects increasing the productivity of smallholder farmers while AATF promotes sustainable agricultural technology for smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The funding will help improve maize production in east Africa by âupscaling the commercialization of StrigAwayTM â an herbicidetolerant seed and treatment that controls the infestation of Striga â a parasitic weed that often results in total crop loss and even abandonment of arable land,â the press release said. Striga â commonly known as witchweed â can cause 20 to 80 percent crop loss in maize and affects 1.4 million hectares in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, according to the release.
CIMMYT helped develop the StrigAwayTM technology package along with partners including the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. An herbicide-tolerant maize variety is coated with an herbicide that kills Striga when the seed is sown and sprouts.
Other partners, including the agrochemical company BASF and six local seed companies, will promote the project in the three target countries. The project aims to create 4,000 demonstration plots and sell 1,000 metric tons of seed to 20,000 smallholder farmers. Partners will also offer technical support on how to use the seed and launch campaigns and promotion of StrigAwayTM.
A new, open-source book on agricultural machinery in Bangladesh is now available online. Made in Bangladesh: Scale-appropriate machinery for agricultural resource conservation was written by authors from CIMMYT and the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute. The book was a product of the USAID-funded Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia â Mechanical and Irrigation (CSISA-MI) and CSISA Bangladesh projects, as well as the EU-funded Agriculture, Nutrition and Extension Project (ANEP) and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research-funded Rice-Maize Project.
The book details the functions and designs of smallscale agricultural machinery used in conjunction with two-wheel tractors (2WTs). 2WTs are used extensively in Bangladesh and several other countries, and the small-scale implements extend the usefulness of the 2WTs. Most implements are compatible with conservation agriculture-based management practices while the bookâs technical drawings allow manufacturers and engineers to reproduce and improve upon the original designs. The PDF version of the book, which is found here in the CIMMYT repository, is open access and can be downloaded and shared. The book will soon be translated and released in Bangla. For more information, contact Tim Krupnik, CIMMYT cropping systems agronomist, at t.krupnik@cgiar.org.
Nepali scientists learned about developing heat stress-resistant maize during a training event organized by Nepalâs National Maize Research Program (NMRP) and CIMMYT on 16 January at the NMRP in Rampur, Chitwan, Nepal. The event was part of the Heat Tolerant Maize for Asia (HTMA) project supported by USAID under the Feed the Future initiative.
Participants record heat-stress phenotyping data in the field. Photo: Courtesy of NMRP
Nearly 30 participants attended the training, including maize breeders, agronomists and field technicians from the NMRP, the Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS) in Nepalgunj and the Agricultural Research Station (ARS) in Surkhet. Keshab Babu Koirala, NMRP coordinator, gave an overview of maize research in the country and emphasized the effects of climate change on national production. Koirala noted the importance of developing stress-resilient maize varieties and hybrids for sustainable maize growth.
P.H. Zaidi, maize physiologist and project leader of HTMA, gave lectures on developing heat stress-resilient maize hybrids, including maize phenology and physiology, how maize responds to heat stress, technical details of precision phenotyping, selection criteria for heat stress breeding and development of heat-tolerant hybrids. Zaidi used a bilingual interaction model to encourage participation in both English and Hindi in the presentations and discussions.
In the afternoon, participants visited HTMA maize trials at the NMRP experimental farm, where participants were divided into groups to score the performance of more than 900 hybrids planted there. Participants were excited to see new, promising hybrids. Attendees also had the opportunity to interact with Zaidi, Koirala and each other. âIt is exciting to see quite a few very promising hybrids from the HTMA project, which are well-adapted in Tarai, Nepal,â said Tara Bahadur Ghimire, chief of ARS in Surkhet, Nepal. âIf we select only 10 percent of the hybrids planted here, we will have a choice of about 100 to take forward. These hybrids will help us in switching from open-pollinated varieties to hybrids to boost maize production in our country and enhance its food security.â
After the field visit, participants gave feedback on the training and handson exercises. In the training, the scientists and field technicians learned key aspects of abiotic stress breeding and developing heat stress-tolerant maize. In his closing remarks, Koirala thanked USAID and CIMMYT for supporting NMRP in capacity building. âThis is an excellent approach, which benefitted many scientists in one go rather than inviting a few to CIMMYT-India,â he said. âThis needs to be replicated again in the near future so that scientists from maize research stations â other than those that are participating in the HTMA project â can get this opportunity.â
Stephen Mugo, CIMMYT; JesĂșs Madrazo, Monsanto; and John McMurdy, USAID, members of the WEMA Partnership at the ND-GAIN Award program. Photo: Courtesy of Monsanto
Monsanto received an award in December recognizing its impact in Africa through the Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) project. The Notre Dame Global Adaptation Index (ND-GAIN) Corporate Adaption Award is given annually by the University of Notre Dame for contributions to awareness, science or action in creating resilience to climate change. In 2013, Monsanto and PepsiCo were recognized for their impacts on climate change and vulnerability. The awards were announced in Washington, D.C.
WEMA, which is providing improved maize varieties to farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa, is a public-private partnership that includes participation by CIMMYT, the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) and the national agricultural research systems of Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. Monsanto joins CIMMYT and national agricultural research systems in providing maize germplasm and technical expertise for the project. WEMA is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and USAID. WEMA is in its second phase. Its first conventional maize hybrid, branded under DroughtTEGO, is being sold for planting to smallholder farmers in Kenya. The first harvest is expected early this year.
JesĂșs Madrazo, vice president of corporate engagement for Monsanto, received the award on behalf of the WEMA project. He was accompanied by John McMurdy, international research and biotechnology adviser for the USAID Bureau for Food Security and Rose Barbuto, senior consultant for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. CIMMYTâs Stephen Mugo, principal scientist and maize breeder for the Global Maize Program based in Kenya, represented CIMMYT, AATF and national agricultural research systems partners at the event. âThe ceremony was an excellent platform for the work being done by ND-GAIN to raise awareness about the need for national efforts towards adaptation to climate change,â Mugo said. âThe fact that Monsanto and the WEMA project were recognized for contributing to Kenyaâs rise on the ND-GAIN index ladder was very welcome.â Read more about the award on Monsantoâs blog.
The Australian delegation stand with CIMMYT representatives in front of the Gene Bank. Front row left to right: Ambassador Tim George, Ms. Robyn McClelland, Sergeant-at-Arms, Dr. Thomas Lumpkin, Hon. Bronwyn Bishop, Mr. Stephen Jones MP, Hon. Philip Ruddock MP and his wife Back row left to right: Ashleigh McArthur, Australian Embassy in Mexico; Senator Deborah OâNeill; Mr. Mark Coulton MP; William Blomfield, Australian Embassy in Mexico; Dr.Marianne BĂ€nziger , CIMMYT Deputy Director General; Mr. Damien Jones, Special Adviser to the Speaker; Dr. Kevin Pixley, Director Genetic Resources Program Director; Dr. Hans Braun, Director Global Wheat Program Director; Ricardo Curiel, MasAgro Communications Specialist. (Photo: Xochiquezatl Fonseca/CIMMYT)
The Honorary Bronwyn Bishop, speaker of the Australian House of Representatives, commended CIMMYTâs impressive achievements during a visit to the El BatĂĄn campus on 16 January. Bishop was accompanied by Tim George, the Australian ambassador to Mexico, as well as three other members of the House of Representatives and a member of the Senate.
In an engaging presentation, CIMMYT Director General Thomas Lumpkin captivated the delegation by showcasing CIMMYTâs history and extensive agricultural research for development activities. The delegation was also impressed by CIMMYTâs contribution to the Australian agriculture sector; 98 percent of Australian wheat is derived from CIMMYT parental lines. A 4.6 percent yield increase due to CIMMYT germplasm translates into additional annual income of up to AUD$ 250 million (US$ 219.8 million) for Australian wheat farmers.
The fruitful visit was an opportunity to strengthen the partnership between CIMMYT and Australia and to form future collaborative projects that will help both farmers in the developing world and in Australia. Australia is one of CIMMYTâs strongest partners and collaborators. Institutions such as the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) are working with CIMMYT to improve maize and wheat varieties for farmers in Australia and the developing world.
By Ravi Valluru, Arun Joshi and Ravi P. Singh/CIMMYT
Innovative approaches to plant genotyping are helping CIMMYT researchers and partners to develop high-yielding, climate-resilient wheat in South Asia.
Researchers sow wheat trials. Photo: Arun Joshi
The genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) approach offers significant benefits over traditional plant breeding. Conventional breeding relies on scoring phenotypes, which is often laborious and inexact, to determine the estimated breeding value (EBV). This approach delays the verification of breeding results. Plant selection through genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (GS), however, is a variant of marker-assisted selection (MAS) that enables crop breeders to rank best parents accurately and cost-effectively.
Researchers Jesse Poland, a geneticist with Kansas State University, and Ravi P. Singh, head of CIMMYTâs bread wheat improvement program, are developing GBS-assisted wheat with support from Cornell University. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is funding the $5 million, five-year project under the Feed the Future initiative. âThis genotyping project signifies a new era of big science for international wheat development,â Poland said.
The project builds on the established heat tolerance and yield potential framework established by CIMMYT scientists. About 1,000 advanced wheat lines developed in Mexico by CIMMYT were planted at Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) locations as well as in Faisalabad, Pakistan, and six environments in Ciudad ObregĂłn, Mexico, to characterize them for heat tolerance.
Researchers acquire âgreennessâ data using a hand-held NDVI sensor. Photo: Ravi Valluru
Through rigorous testing of wheat lines for various traits â including yield â the GS project will promote the best varietal options for testing and release by national programs and the private sector in South Asia. âIncorporating genomic selection criteria into CIMMYTâs bread wheat breeding pipeline will significantly expedite wheat genetic gains,â Singh said. Wheat varieties developed by the GS project will have enhanced climate resilience. Their heat tolerance and maximized yield potential could reduce heat-induced yield losses by 20 to 30 percent. âEfforts will be initiated to incorporate the genomic selection strategy into conventional breeding programs in South Asia,â said CIMMYT wheat breeder Arun Joshi, adding that genomic information, genomic models and optimized strategies generated through the GS project will benefit cultivar selection worldwide.
Though MAS improves breeding decisions, GS has several additional benefits. âBeing a hypothesis-independent approach, the beauty of GS is that it tracks genetic variance for a trait in a population and reduces the breeding cycle significantly,â Singh said. Additionally, the genomic data collected will be useful to manage the genetic diversity and the retention of favorable alleles in the population, safeguarding prospects for long-term genetic gains.
Crucial to implementing the approach are adequate and affordable genotyping platforms, simplified breeding schemes to capture additive genetic effects, models for estimating long-term marker effects and a close collaboration between science and industry.
âIf GS-assisted crop breeding, by encompassing other possible biological â for example metabolic â markers, lives up to its promise, it will certainly change the face of crop breeding, productivity and food security,â said CIMMYT wheat physiologist Ravi Valluru, interim coordinator of the GS project at BISA.
The Australian Ambassador to Ethiopia paid her first visit to a CIMMYT program this month and commended efforts to improve livelihoods in resource-poor rural households.
On her 7 November visit, Ambassador Lisa Filipetto learned about activities under the Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Legume Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa (SIMLESA) program, which have been implemented in different parts of Ethiopia since 2010. She visited SIMLESA sites in northwest Ethiopia, where work is conducted by the Amhara Regional Agricultural Research Institute (ARARI). Maize-based farming in the region is characterized by unsustainable production systems, including monocropping, repeated tillage and residue removal. SIMLESA promotes new crop varieties and production practices such as intercropping, maize-legume rotations, reduced tillage and year-round residue coverage. Farmers who have traditionally monocropped maize appreciate the new practices, which help them increase harvests while replenishing soil fertility.
Filipetto was accompanied by scientists from CIMMYT-Ethiopia and the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), SIMLESA partners. Dr. Biru Yitaferu, director general of ARARI, and Likawent Yeheyis, director of livestock research for ARARI, welcomed the visiting team. Yitaferu highlighted ARARIâs managerial structure, mandates, missions and resource capacities while Yiheyis presented an overview of SIMLESA work in the region.
Presentations showcased the programâs extensive research and development activities including conservation agriculture-based exploratory trials; farmer participatory variety selection (PVS) for maize, grain legumes and forage and fodder varieties; and technology implementation in South Achefer and Jabitenan districts, which is aided by ARARI researchers and district agricultural offices.
Filipetto visited a SIMLESA site hub in South Achefer and saw activities of the Abchikli Farmersâ Training Center on conservation agriculture-based intercropping, as well as PVS trials with hybrid and open-pollinated maize and varieties of sweet lupine â a multi-purpose legume crop traditional in Ethiopia. Four of the sweet lupine varieties in the trials are under the final stage of evaluation for future commercial release. Yeheyis said Amharaâs agriculture bureau will include conservation agriculture, maize-legume intercropping and maize-fodder/forage relay cropping in its regular extension program. This will contribute significantly to adoption of the technologies by a wider range of farming communities in the region, according to Yeheyis.
At the end of her visit, Filipetto expressed great interest in partnering with CIMMYT to improve livelihoods in the region. SIMLESA in Ethiopia is funded by Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).
More than 70 experts on maize, millet, rice, sorghum and wheat identified cross-cutting priorities and goals to address climate change, one of the most pressing issues for food security, at a recent meeting in India.
Entitled âMaintaining cereal productivity under climate change through international collaboration,â the meeting took place during 18-20 November at the National Agriculture Science Centre (NASC) Pusa Campus in New Delhi. CIMMYT organized the meeting with co-sponsorship from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). âWe learn a lot by comparing notes among crops,â said Matthew Reynolds, CIMMYT wheat physiologist and organizer of the meetingâs scientific program. âIt can help provide new inspirations as well as avoid reinventing the wheel.â
Following welcome speeches from Etienne Duveiller, CIMMYT Director for South Asia, as well as Saharah Moon Chapotin and Srivalli Krishnan from USAID, Tony Cavalieri from the BMGF and Swapan Kumar Datta from the Indian Centre for Agricultural Research (ICAR), a diverse panel summarized the challenges climate change poses to cereal production. Mark Rosegrant, director of the Environment and Production Technology Division at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), highlighted the numerous effects climate change is predicted to have on cereal production and prices. Maize prices are predicted to increase by more than 50 percent and the prices of other crops by 25 to 50 percent by 2050. âThis is without accounting for effects of climate change,â he said. âClimate change is a threat multiplier, and significant new expenditures are required to reduce its adverse impacts.â
Other presentations included information on temperature thresholds in different crops, efficient phenotyping and breeding approaches and how crop modeling might facilitate the design of climate-ready crops. Leading scientists focusing on each of the five crops gave presentations on recent genetic gains and research achievements in their field, which enabled participants to see the similarities between the crops and learn about discoveries applicable to their own research. Donor representatives emphasized the importance of collaboration and cross-cutting research to improve yield gains in the face of climate change. âWith all the expertise we have in this room, and with all the partners you have across the globe, I really think we can make a difference in this area,â Chapotin said. Participants split into multidisciplinary working groups to identify priorities and potential areas for cross-crop collaboration in the following areas: data management and sharing; genotyping platforms; heat and drought adaptive traits; phenotyping in a breeding context; and the minimum dataset required to define target environments.
K.C. Bansal, director of the National Bureau for Plant Genetic Resources in India, questioned whether people are making the most of plant genetic resources in the face of climate change during his session âBiodiversity Act and Germplasm Access in India.â Many participants highlighted their own difficulties in getting germplasm out of India and Bansal outlined the procedure to simplify the process. Participants agreed that more accessible, synchronous and searchable data sharing will be essential for future collaborations. Data sharing will soon become mandatory for all USAID projects, and participants emphasized the need for a common system. Collecting data requires funding. Scott Chapman, crop adaptation scientist for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, estimated Australian programs spend several million dollars annually to collect the data from their national trials. Most participants expressed interest in establishing a working group to continue these fruitful, cross-crop interactions. A web portal to facilitate such dialogue will be established as soon as possible.
Farmers in Siaya and Bungoma counties of western Kenya, a region with low agricultural productivity, are embracing good agricultural practices and increasing their harvests through innovation platforms established as part of the Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Legume Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa (SIMLESA) project, in collaboration with the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI).
Members of Boro Farmers Innovation Platform attend a SIMLESA meeting.
This was evident during 7-8 October when a team of scientists from CIMMYT, KARI, SIMLESA and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) visited farmers in both counties who are members of the Boro and Bungoma South farmer innovation platforms. During the visit, farmers described how they had adopted conservation agriculture and intercropping and switched to using herbicides to control weeds.
Ferdinand Makhanu, one of several farmers visited in the Bumula region, said that information from SIMLESAâs innovation platforms has helped him improve his seed and farming technologies. âI initially harvested 10 bags of maize, which increased to 15,â he said. âI attribute this yield increase to utilizing the rich information I got during innovation platform meetings.â Makhanuâs farm is only about half a hectare, so the yield increase he describes â 450 kilograms (each bag of maize weighs about 90 kilograms) â is significant. He stated he now has better harvests, a greater variety of food crops on his farm and healthier cattle, enabling him to provide for the basic needs of his seven children.
About 200 kilometers away, in Siaya County, Julius Ongâayi from the Ngâombe Sifa Self Help Group also praised the innovation platforms. âI learned about conservation agriculture, which has improved my soilâs fertility,â he said. Ongâayi said the greatest challenge faced by area farmers is adapting to new farming methods. âMany farmers stubbornly stick to traditional seeds, when innovation platforms provide modern solutions that improve yields,â he told the visiting SIMLESA team.
Julius Ongâayi of Boro Farmers Innovation Platform in Siaya county, Kenya, tends to legumes on his farm. Photos: Michael Arunga
An Operational Field Guide for Developing and Managing Local Agricultural Innovation Platforms, produced by KARI with funding from AusAID through the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), which also funds SIMLESA, defines an innovation platform as a forum to foster interaction among a group of relevant stakeholders around a shared interest. Innovation platforms offer opportunities or practical solutions at the local level, linking farmers to markets and other stakeholders, and provide evidence for realistic policies and policy areas at the regional and national levels, according to Mulugetta Mekuria, CIMMYT socioeconomist and SIMLESA coordinator.
Mekuria urged farmers to try new maize varieties, including drought-tolerant ones developed in collaboration with CIMMYT and released by KARI. âWe know farmers want to use the varieties they know and have used for many years,â Mekuria said. âHowever, we have farm-level evidence that the new varieties grown under conservation agriculture-based sustainable intensification practices contribute to increased yield, reduce production costs and improve soil fertility over time.â
CIMMYT recently conducted an intensive, three-week course in Kenya for 37 young maize breeders â including 10 women â to provide them the knowledge and skills to use modern breeding methods efficiently in their maize programs. The course included participants from national programs and seed companies in 14 African countries.
Dennis Kyetere, the executive director of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), who officially opened the course, said the smallholder agriculture sector in Africa loses billions of dollars worth of agriculture produce annually. Kyetere said maize breeders have a significant role in reducing these losses and increasing smallholder farmersâ productivity. Courses included refresher sessions on principles of applied maize breeding, statistical data analysis and the use of information technology tools in managing breeding, analyzing data and managing breeding information.
Emphasis was placed on breeding maize for abiotic stress tolerance. Presenters also focused on maize lethal necrosis disease (MLN), including background on the disease in Africa, efforts made to breed for MLN resistance in African germplasm and strategies to prevent the spread of the disease. During the course, a mini-workshop emphasized the application of technologies such as molecular markers, doubled haploids (DH) and transgenics. Course attendees toured the Kenya Agriculture Research Institutionâs (KARI) Kiboko field station and Olerai farm.
In Kiboko, participants learned about the practical aspects of drought and low-nitrogen screening and toured the new CIMMYT-KARI DH facility. Participants were encouraged to send their elite breeding populations for DH production. âI have improved my general understanding of maize breeding theory and learned about breeding for drought tolerance,â Dunlop said. âThis should speed up selections and make more efficient use of time.â GMP breeders Cosmos Magorokosho, Stephen Mugo and Dan Makumbi organized the course while Catherine Kalungu handled logistics. Participants were sponsored through various GMP projects, including Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA), Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA), Improved Maize for African Soils (IMAS), a USAID project, Harvest Plus and the private seed companies Pannar, MozSeed, Zamseed and Seedco.
The Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA) project is an outgrowth of more than a decade of maize physiology research. It builds on more than 10 years of promoting the inclusion of selection for drought tolerance in maize breeding programs in Sub-Saharan Africa and the widespread development and regional testing of stress-tolerant varieties. DTMA is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with past support from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, USAID, the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Eiselen Foundation. This blog post was originally published by CGIAR.
By Philippe Ellul/CGIAR
Smallholder farmer prepares maize plot for planting with CIMMYT improved varieties, Embu, Kenya. Photo: CIMMYT
Currently, maize production supports the livelihoods of approximately 300 million people in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Climate change variability and the prevalence of extreme events, especially droughts, are a harsh reality for smallholder farmers in Africa who depend on rainfed agriculture. Maize production in Africa is almost completely rainfed and droughts plague approximately a quarter of the maize crop, resulting in losses as high as half the harvest. Extended periods of droughts therefore, adversely affect not only crop yields but also the livelihoods of African farmers. Economic analyses suggest that, if widely adopted, drought-tolerant maize seed can help African farmers cope with such impediments.
On a recent visit to the annual meeting of the Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA) initiative held in Nairobi, I was privy to some evidence of research impact in this area, which I found to be quite significant. The Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA) project (launched in 2006) seeks to mitigate drought and other barriers to production in the region.
Tanzanian farmer on drought tolerant maize demonstration plot. Photo: Anne Wangalachi/CIMMYT.
Here are some highlights of key data on the measurable impacts of the DTMA project and a snapshot of some lessons learned during my time there. Not only will this information be useful for future partnerships but it can also be used to inform our processes during the 2nd call for proposals for the CGIAR Research Programs.
The DTMA project started in 2006. Here are the targets that the project has achieved thus far (in 2013) in terms of measurable impact:
âŠ140 new DTMA varieties released,
âŠ30,000 tons of seed (17,000 T from new varieties) produced last year in 13 African countries (Angola, Benin, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe)
âŠAn impact efficiency study (presented during the meeting) which indicated that several countries were able to reach their objectives in terms of seed production; Zimbabwe and Kenya were able to double their previous expected figures
⊠110 African seed companies (72 small-national, 18 regional, 12 small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and 8 international enterprises) have adopted, produced and spread the new DTM varieties to local farmers,
⊠1,230, 000 hectares planted with these new varieties, and
âŠ3 million households and 20 million people in total benefited and reached.
DTMA partners made certain that complete accountability was applied to the partnership network in order to ensure that the impact of research outcomes could be quantified. Thanks to this well-designed management model, researchers involved in the DTMA initiative were able to not only produce high quality research outputs but also ensure that research outcomes were adopted and scaled up. In addition, local facilities for Doubled Haploid (DH) production from tropical and sub-tropical maize germplasm have also been set up at the KARI (Kenyan Agriculture Research Institute) Kiboko Station.
International and Pakistani scientists are expanding efforts to accelerate access to climate-resilient maize and rust-resistant wheat varieties in Pakistan, as well as to improve farmersâ access to quality seeds, as part of the Agricultural Innovation Program (AIP). Project partners discussed these priorities during a cereals and cereal systems meeting at the National Agricultural Research Center (NARC) in Islamabad from 29 to 30 August. AIP is a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)- funded project focusing on cereals, vegetables and livestock in Pakistan, a country challenged by rapid population growth and climate change.
CIMMYT is working with the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and other partners to increase agricultural productivity and the value of agricultural commodities in the country. The program is supporting Pakistan in agricultural research for development, which includes building partnerships between research and those it serves; increasing investments; generating, sharing and making use of agricultural knowledge for development; and demonstrating and building awareness of the development impact and returns from agricultural innovation. Farmers throughout the world face similar problems from increasing production costs, fluctuating market prices, water and soil degradation and potential implications of climate change, said Ken Sayre, a CIMMYT consultant on conservation agriculture. Sayre also described the benefits of conservation agriculture crop management technologies and their main principles.
These include seeding systems that allow major reductions in tillage, retaining adequate levels of crop residues on the soil surface and using diversified crop rotations. There are many challenges AIP can address. Maize yields in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province are low due to a lack of technology. Most maize farmers in Pakistan use manual sowing, which is not cost or time-effective, and farmers need more confidence in hybrid seeds before they will pay a premium for them. Meeting participants discussed several options for commissioned projects in wheat, including rapid diffusion of high-yielding, rust-resistant wheat; introducing fungicides for wheat management; and generating a durum wheat value chain in Pakistan. Participants also discussed potential projects and goals related to climate-resilient wheat, the cultivation of durum wheat in Balochistan province, the standardization of fungicides to combat yield losses and strengthening communication.
For the rice work plan, top priority areas include developing tolerance to submergence and heat in locally adapted varieties such as super basmati, basmati 515, IR-6 and IR 9, in addition to bacterial leaf blight resistance and superior grain quality. Abdul Rehman and Surapong Sarkarung represented IRRI, where some of the activities have already begun. Priorities for the maize work plan include introducing climateresilient maize hybrids, developing biofortified maize, developing cultivars with resistance to biotic stresses and strengthening the maize seed sector. CIMMYT maize expert R. Sadananda and national partners joined to refine the maize work plan. Kay Simmons from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-Agricultural Research Service and Ian C. Winborne, plant health advisor for the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, also attended the meeting to discuss wheat productivity enhancement in Pakistan.
Travelling Seminar participants visit the NARC Agricultural Research Station, Dailekh. Photo courtesy of Everest Media Pvt. Ltd
By Nirmal Gadal/CIMMYT
A three-day travelling seminar organized by CIMMYTâs Hill Maize Research Project (HMRP) and partners gave policy makers a first-hand look at the status of maize varietal development, source seed production, agronomic interventions and seed multiplication and marketing in 20 districts of Nepal. In close partnership with the Nepal Agriculture Research Council (NARC) and the Department of Agriculture (DoA), HRMP hosted this third annual seminar from 27 to 30 August for 25 officials representing donors such as the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), as well as organizations including the National Planning Commission, Ministry of Agriculture Development (MoAD), Ministry of Finance, non-government organizations, private companies and the media.
Participants visited a variety of sites. At the Agriculture Research Station (ARS) in the district of Dailekh, attendees interacted with scientists and observed maize research activities and conservation agriculture trials. In this area, the project is promoting intercropping white quality protein maize (Poshilo Makai-1) and off-season vegetables such as bitter gourd, tomatoes and radishes. HIV/AIDS infected women farmers in Rakam village of Dailekh were also invited to participate. âOur main resource is land,â said 30-year-old farmer Mana Sara Sijapati during a group discussion. âWe must increase our production from this land to have food security in our households during the entire year.â She asked the participants for a program targeted toward farmers affected by HIV/AIDS. Ram Prasad Pulami, joint secretary at the MoAD, asked NARC and DoA representatives to respond to the request immediately.
The group then participated in an interactive program with farmers, observed seed production activities and assessed on-farm trials and demonstration plots at the Basnatamala and Jeevanjyoti Women Community Based Seed Production (CBSP) Group. Dr. G. Ortiz-Ferrara, team leader for HMRP/CIMMYT, and Pulami jointly inaugurated an HMRPfunded seed store house that was built for the CBSP group. The team also visited the Sambriddhi Agriculture Cooperative, Ltd., as well as a quality protein maize village, where conservation agriculture trials will soon be established. Ortiz-Ferrara thanked all the participants, including the HMRP team, for their active participation and support in making the seminar successful. Pulami said during his closing remarks that he appreciated HMRPâs efforts and progress, especially the partnerships between the project and a number of diverse stakeholders. He said the government of Nepal is implementing a âMid-hill Mega Maize Production Programâ focused on 40 hill districts and will utilize HMRPâs experiences and research innovations.
HMRP partners visiting CBSP groups in the hill district of Palpa, Nepal. Photo: G. Ortiz Ferrara/CIMMYT
By Dilli KC/CIMMYT
Beginning in August, the Hill Maize Research Project (HMRP-IV), has worked with the Seed Entrepreneurs Association of Nepal and the District Agriculture Development Office to facilitate formal contracts between 51 community-based seed production (CBSP) groups and 25 seed buyers/traders for a total of 201 tons of improved seed of different maize varieties. Of the total contracted seed, seed companies account for 55 percent; agrovets, 20 percent; community seed banks, 13 percent; and cooperatives, 12 percent.
Launched in 1999, HMRP is in its fourth phase. The project focuses on improving the food security and income of resource-poor farm households in the hills of Nepal by raising the productivity, sustainability and profitability of maize-based cropping systems. Work now covers 20 hill districts of Nepal and is jointly funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). CIMMYT implements the project in partnership with an array of public and private sector institutions in Nepal. Principal partners include the National Maize Research Program under the Nepal Agricultural Research Council, the Crop Development Directorate under the Department of Agriculture, the Seed Quality Control Centre and the National Seed Board under the Ministry of Agriculture Development. Other partners include community-based organizations, farmer groups, NGOs, private entrepreneurs, seed companies and universities.
Community Based Maize Seed Production
The project began multiplying seed of improved maize varieties through CBSP groups in 2000. That year, about 14 tons of improved maize seed were produced by seven CBSP groups. By 2011, more than 1,140 tons of improved maize seed were produced by 195 CBSP groups and, in 2012, 207 groups produced 1,036 tons. Of the total marketable surplus seed produced in 2011, about 75.1 percent was marketed or exchanged, compared to 83.3 percent in 2012. The seed was marketed mainly across the 20 hill districts of the HMRP project area. Seed production through CBSP groups has been a successful model in Nepal and has contributed to increasing the adoption of improved maize varieties and technologies. The CBSP model helps ensure the availability of improved maize seed in remote hill areas on time at lower prices.
Pre-sowing seed contract
Maize seed marketing is one of HMRPâs major challenges. Until 2012, CBSP groups did not consider the supply and demand in markets, resulting in surplus seed in some areas and deficits in others. The 2013 project phase initiated pre-sowing seed contracts for improved maize varieties, assisting and guiding CBSP groups and seed buyers/traders (agrovets, community seed bank cooperatives and seed companies) to sign formal agreements.
By Imtiaz Muhammad/CIMMYT
