Location: Ethiopia

For more information, contact CIMMYT’s Ethiopia office.

Ethiopian policymakers consider wider use of DNA fingerprinting

Written by Rodrigo Ordóñez on September 12, 2019. Posted in Features. 1 Comment on Ethiopian policymakers consider wider use of DNA fingerprinting

How to track adoption and assess the impact of maize and wheat varieties? Some of the methods used until now, like farmers’ recall surveys, have various limitations. In addition to relying exclusively on people’s memory and subjectivity, they are difficult to replicate and prone to errors.

DNA fingerprinting, on the other hand, allows objective evaluation and is considered the “gold standard” method for adoption and impact assessments.

It consists of a chemical test that shows the genetic makeup of living things, by separating strands of DNA and revealing the unique parts of their genome. The results show up as a pattern of stripes that can be matched against other samples.

This technique is extremely helpful in tracking crop varieties and monitoring their adoption. It can be used to assess the impact of research-for-development investments, guide breeding and seed system strategies, implement the intellectual property rights of breeders, assess the use of crop genetic resources, and informing policy.

On June 25, 2019, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) held a half-day workshop in Addis Ababa to discuss the use and application of DNA fingerprinting in Ethiopia for the tracking of crop varieties.

High-level government officials and major players in the agricultural sector were interested in learning more about the policy implications of this tool and how to mainstream its use.

CIMMYT’s Socioeconomics Program Director, Olaf Erenstein (left), talks to Eyasu Abraha, Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources (center), and Mandefro Nigussie, Director General of the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research.

Introducing DNA fingerprinting in Ethiopia

The main DNA fingerprinting project in Ethiopia has been in operation since January 2016, focusing on the country’s two major staple crops: wheat and maize. The project covers the Amhara, Oromia, SNNPR, and Tigray regions, which together account for 92% and 79% of the national wheat and maize production.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has funded the project, which was jointly implemented by CIMMYT, the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), Ethiopia’s Central Statistical Agency (CSA) and Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT).

The main objective of the project was to generate a knowledge base for the practical use of DNA fingerprinting, to mainstream the use of this technology, and to offer policy options and recommendations.

CIMMYT scientists Dave Hodson (left), Bekele Abeyo (center) and Sarah Hearne participated in the workshop.

Better monitoring for wheat self-sufficiency

At the workshop, researchers presented two policy briefs specific to Ethiopia: one focusing on policy implications of DNA fingerprinting for tracking bread wheat varieties and another one on how to revitalize the durum wheat sub-sector.

Speaking at the workshop, Eyasu Abraha, Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources, noted that the government planned to achieve wheat grain self-sufficiency in the next few years by increasing wheat productivity in the highlands and expanding wheat production to the lowlands through irrigation. In this regard, improved crop variety development and dissemination is one of the key elements to increase agricultural productivity and improve the livelihood of millions of smallholder farmers.

According to Abraha, more than 130 wheat varieties have been released or registered in Ethiopia since the late 1960s, in collaboration with international research organizations. Public and private seed enterprises have multiplied and distributed these varieties to reach smallholder farmers.

Even though adoption studies have been conducted, there is still a strong need for more accurate and wider studies. In addition to tracking adoption and demand, using DNA fingerprinting could help understand the distribution of varieties across space and time.

Ethiopian maize breeders will directly apply knowledge gained from training

Written by Leslie Domínguez on September 10, 2019. Posted in News.

Training attendees outside the Rift Valley Hotel in Adama, Ethiopia. (Photo: CIMMYT)

From July 22–26, the Stress Tolerant Maize for Africa (STMA) project organized a training in Adama, Ethiopia to update maize technicians on recent developments in maize research, data collection and seed production. The training was designed to stimulate good breeding programs, good data collection in trial and nurseries, production of better quality seed and development of improved varieties. Around 25 trainees attended, mainly from maize breeding research centers. Similar trainings were conducted in all STMA project countries over the last three and a half years.

CIMMYT staff from Ethiopia, Kenya and Zimbabwe and staff from the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) Bako Research Center delivered training on methodologies and gave practical demonstrations on tablets. Presentations focused on the origin and botany of the maize plant, constraints to maize production in Ethiopia, data collection, breeding for abiotic stresses, new tools for phenotyping, maize lethal necrosis (MLN), and seed quality control.

Mandefro Nigussie, Director General of EIAR, said that the training was important because it addressed data collection. “If we are missing the data, we are missing the investment of the country,” he noted. He recognized CIMMYT’s culture in empowering research centers through trainings. The role of EIAR is to generate, test, disseminate and scale technologies. Therefore, having technicians who are aware of the recent developments in their areas is crucial.

Cosmos Magorokosho, maize breeder and STMA project leader, said that the core components of the training were to give technicians a strong understanding of the basics of maize and the physiology of maize plant. The knowledge they gained from this training will support them during data collection and when breeding for resistance to diseases and pests and improved seed production.

Upon completing five days training, all trainees received certificates along with the presentations and other relevant documents for future reference. CIMMYT maize breeder Dagne Wegary said he appreciated the active participation and dedication of the trainees and the interest they showed to improve their knowledge and skills. He reminded them that this is the start of a long journey and they will have to use the knowledge and skills gained to help farmers produce more and ensure food security. Trainees reflected that the training increased their existing knowledge in maize breeding and helped them to understand the current developments in the area. They said they would directly apply what they have learned and transfer the knowledge to other colleagues working in maize breeding.

New platform rapidly diagnoses wheat rust

Written by Mary Donovan on August 13, 2019. Posted in In the media.

“Knowing which strain you have is critical information that can be incorporated into early warning systems and results in more effective control of disease outbreaks in farmer’s fields” said Dr. Dave Hodson, a rust pathologist at CIMMYT in Ethiopia and co-author of the paper “MARPLE, a point-of-care, strain-level disease diagnostics and surveillance tool for complex fungal pathogens.” Read more here.

A researcher holds an element of the MARPLE Diagnostics kit. (Video: John Innes Centre)

Using the MARPLE kit to diagnose wheat rust in Ethiopia

Written by Marcia MacNeil on August 12, 2019. Posted in Videos. 6 Comments on Using the MARPLE kit to diagnose wheat rust in Ethiopia

MARPLE (Mobile and Real-time PLant disEase) Diagnostics is a revolutionary mobile lab developed by a team from the John Innes Centre (JIC), the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR). It uses nanopore sequence technology to rapidly diagnose and monitor wheat rust in farmers’ fields.

Designed to be used without constant electricity and in varying temperatures, the suitcase-sized lab allows researchers to identify wheat rust to strain level in just 48 hours — something that used to take months using other tools.

The MARPLE team was recognized as Innovator of the Year for international impact in 2019 by the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

A new video from the John Innes Centre shows how the MARPLE Diagnostics kit will allow Ethiopia to quickly identify wheat rust strains, instead of sending samples to labs abroad.

CIMMYT and CGIAR staff members put their tree seedlings in the ground. (Photo: CIMMYT)

CIMMYT and CGIAR staff join Ethiopia’s record-breaking tree-planting campaign

Written by Rodrigo Ordóñez on August 1, 2019. Posted in News.

Staff members of CIMMYT and other CGIAR centers in Ethiopia participated in the country's nationwide campaign that resulted in the planting of more than 350 million trees in one single day. (Photo: CIMMYT) — Staff members of CIMMYT and other CGIAR centers in Ethiopia participated in the country’s nationwide campaign that resulted in the planting of more than 350 million trees in one single day. (Photo: CIMMYT)

July 29, 2019, was a remarkable day for Ethiopia. People across the country planted 353,633,660 tree seedlings in just 12 hours, according to the official count, in what is believed to be a world record. This figure also exceeded the target of a nationwide campaign calling citizens to plant 200 million trees in one day. This initiative was part of the Ethiopian government’s “Green Legacy” initiative, which aims to plant 4 billion trees by October.

The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and other CGIAR centers working in Ethiopia joined the tree-planting campaign. In the morning of July 29, staff members turned out at Adwa park, near Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport, to plant tree seedlings. This activity was coordinated by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) after receiving an invitation from the Bole subcity administration.

Ethiopia’s tree-planting day received worldwide attention. Al Jazeera reported that, “in addition to ordinary Ethiopians, various international organizations and the business community have joined the tree planting spree which aims to overtake India’s 66 million planting record set in 2017.”

A greener future for CGIAR

Ethiopia’s reforestation efforts align with CGIAR’s sustainability strategy.

In its current business plan, CGIAR has five global challenges including planetary boundaries. Food systems are driving the unsustainable use of the planet’s increasingly fragile ecosystem. A stable climate, water, land, forests and the biodiversity they contain are a precious, yet finite, natural resource. Food systems account for about one-third of greenhouse gas emissions and will be profoundly affected by its impacts. Agriculture is driving the loss of the world’s forests and productive land, with 5 million hectares of forests lost every year and a third of the world’s land already classified as degraded. Agriculture accounts for about 70% of water withdrawals globally, is a major cause of water stress in countries where more than 2 billion people live, and water pollution from agricultural systems poses a serious threat to the world’s water systems.

With Ethiopia’s increasing population, there is a high pressure on farmland, unsustainable use of natural resources and deforestation.

At the Agriculture Research for Development Knowledge Share Fair organized in Addis Ababa on May 15, 2019, CGIAR centers demonstrated how they are working together to improve agriculture production and environmental sustainability, tackling local challenges and generating global impact in partnership with other organizations, communities and governments.

At the fair’s opening ceremony, Seleshi Bekele, Ethiopia’s Minister of Water, Irrigation and Electricity, noted that the country has policies, institutional arrangements as well as human and financial resources to work towards sustainability. As a result, Ethiopia has made remarkable achievements towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goals with the continued support and contributions from partners like CGIAR. He also called CGIAR centers to support the efforts to plant 4 billion tree seedlings in 2019, as part of Ethiopia’s climate change adaptation and mitigation goals.

CIMMYT staff show their hands full of dirt after planting tree seedlings in Bole subcity, near Addis Ababa's international airport. (Photo: CIMMYT) — CIMMYT staff show their hands full of dirt after planting tree seedlings in Bole subcity, near Addis Ababa’s international airport. (Photo: CIMMYT)

Strengthening wheat production in Africa

Written by Mary Donovan on July 31, 2019. Posted in In the media.

CIMMYT researcher Bekele Abeyo remarked at the International Wheat Congress that there are hardly any African countries self-sufficient in wheat, and that food security in Africa is dependent on wheat production.

Matthew Reynolds, CIMMYT researcher and head of the Heat and Drought Wheat Improvement Consortium (HeDWIC), noted that the consortium has already benefited nine African countries and stresses the importance of future work in this area.

Scientist Bekele Abeyo details research in Africa with BBC

Written by Rodrigo Ordóñez on July 26, 2019. Posted in News.

CIMMYT’s representative in Ethiopia, Bekele Abeyo, gives an interview for Ethiopian media. (Photo: Jérôme Bossuet/CIMMYT)

Most African countries have good potential for boosting wheat production if they are supported with technology, innovation and research, said Bekele Abeyo, a senior scientist with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT).

Abeyo, who is based in Ethiopia, which is one of the top wheat-producing countries in Africa, was speaking to BBC Newsday from the International Wheat Congress in the city of Saskatoon in Canada’s western wheat growing province of Saskatchewan.

Interview starts at 31:00:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w172wpkb45wc459

In Ethiopia, a third of local demand is satisfied by imports, Abeyo said, adding that to reduce import bills, the government is trying to expand wheat production and irrigation in the lowlands where there is high potential for wheat production.

Climate change in Ethiopia and across sub-Saharan Africa is affecting yields, so scientists are working on producing drought-tolerant varieties of wheat. They are also producing biofortified varieties of wheat to help meet nutritional demand for zinc and iron.

More than 800 delegates, including researchers from the CGIAR Research Program on Wheat, CIMMYT, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), the International Wheat Yield Partnership (IWYP), Cornell University’s Delivering Genetic Gain in Wheat project (DGGW), the University of Saskatchewan and many other organizations are discussing the latest research on wheat germplasm.

The CGIAR Research Program on Wheat (WHEAT), led by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), is a founding member of the G20 Wheat Initiative, a co-host of the conference.

Wheat provides 20% of all human calories consumed worldwide. In the Global South, it is the main source of protein and a critical source of life for 2.5 billion people who live on less than $2 a day. Wheat is central to conversations about the rural environment, agricultural biodiversity and global food security.

People eat local injera flatbread made of maize. (Photo: Simret Yasabu/CIMMYT)

Ethiopian farmers weatherproof their livelihoods

Written by Rodrigo Ordóñez on July 9, 2019. Posted in Features.

Many maize farmers in sub-Saharan Africa grow old varieties that do not cope well under drought conditions. In the Oromia region of Ethiopia, farmer Sequare Regassa is improving her family’s life by growing the newer drought-tolerant maize variety BH661. This hybrid was developed by the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), using CIMMYT’s drought-tolerant inbred lines and one of EIAR’s lines. It was then officially released in 2011 by the EIAR as part of the Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA) project, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and continued under the Stress Tolerant Maize for Africa (STMA) initiative.

“Getting a good maize harvest every year, even when it does not rain much, is important for my family’s welfare,” said Regassa, a widow and mother of four, while feeding her granddaughter with white injera, a flat spongy bread made of white grain maize.

Since her husband died, Regassa has been the only breadwinner. Her children have grown up and established their own families, but the whole extended family makes a living from their eight-hectare farm in Guba Sayo district.

Sequare Regassa (wearing green) and her family stand for a group photo at their farm. (Photo: Simret Yasabu/CIMMYT)

On the two hectares Regassa cultivates on her own, she rotates maize with pepper, sweet potato and anchote, a local tuber similar to cassava. Like many farming families in the region, she grows maize mainly for household food consumption, prepared as bread, soup, porridge and snacks.

Maize represents a third of cereals grown in Ethiopia. It is cheaper than wheat or teff — a traditional millet grain — and in poor households it can be mixed with teff to make the national staple, injera.

In April, as Regassa was preparing the land for the next cropping season, she wondered if rains would be good this year, as the rainy season was coming later than usual.

In this situation, choice of maize variety is crucial.

She used to plant a late-maturing hybrid released more than 25 years ago, BH660, the most popular variety in the early 2000s. However, this variety was not selected for drought tolerance. Ethiopian farmers face increasing drought risks which severely impact crop production, like the 2015 El Nino dry spell, leading to food insecurity and grain price volatility.

Sequare Regassa sorts maize grain. (Photo: Simret Yasabu/CIMMYT)

Laborious development for fast-track adoption

Under the DTMA project, maize breeders from CIMMYT and the Ethiopian Institute for Agricultural Research (EIAR) developed promising drought-tolerant hybrids which perform well under drought and normal conditions. After a series of evaluations, BH661 emerged as the best candidate with 10% better on-farm grain yield, higher biomass production, shorter maturity and 34% reduction in lodging, compared to BH660.

The resulting BH661 variety was released in 2011 for commercial cultivation in the mid-altitude sub-humid and transition highlands.

The year after, as farmers experienced drought, the Ethiopian extension service organized BH661 on-farm demonstrations, while breeders from CIMMYT and EIAR organized participatory varietal selection trials. Farmers were impressed by the outstanding performances of BH661 during these demos and trials and asked for seeds right away.

Seed companies had to quickly scale up certified seed production of BH661. The STMA project team assisted local seed companies in this process, through trainings and varietal trials. Companies decided to replace the old hybrid, BH660.

Comparison of the amount of certified seed production of BH660 (blue) and BH661 (red) from 2012 to 2018. (Graph: Ertiro B.T. et al. 2019) — Comparison of the amount of certified seed production of BH660 (blue) and BH661 (red) from 2012 to 2018. (Source: Ertiro B.T. et al. 2019)

“In addition to drought tolerance, BH661 is more resistant to important maize diseases like Turcicum leaf blight and grey leaf spot,” explained Dagne Wegary, a maize breeder at CIMMYT. “For seed companies, there is no change in the way the hybrid is produced compared to BH660, but seed production of BH661 is much more cost-effective.”

EIAR’s Bako National Maize Research Center supplied breeder seeds to several certified seed producers: Amhara Seed Enterprise (ASE), Bako Agricultural Research Center (BARC), Ethiopian Seed Enterprise (ESE), Oromia Seed Enterprise (OSE) and South Seed Enterprise (SSE). Certified seeds were then distributed through seed companies, agricultural offices and non-governmental organizations, with the technical and extension support of research centers.

Sequare Regassa stands next to her fields holding a wooden farming tool. (Photo: Simret Yasabu/CIMMYT)

From drought risk to clean water

After witnessing the performance of BH661 in a neighbor’s field, Regassa asked advice from her local extension officer and decided to use it. She is now able to produce between 11-12 tons per hectare. She said her family life has changed forever since she started planting BH661.

With higher maize grain harvest, she is now able to better feed her chickens, sheep and cattle. She also sells some surplus at the local market and uses the income for her family’s needs.

Sequare Regassa feeds her granddaughter with maize injera. (Photo: Simret Yasabu/CIMMYT)

“If farmers follow the recommended fertilizer application and other farming practices, BH661 performs much better than the old BH660 variety,” explained Regassa. “If we experience a drought, it may be not that bad thanks to BH661’s drought tolerance.”

Regassa buys her improved seeds from the Bako Research Station, as well as from farmers’ cooperative unions. These cooperatives access seeds from seed companies and sell to farmers in their respective districts. “Many around me are interested in growing BH661. Sometimes we may get less seeds than requested as the demand exceeds the supply,” Regassa said.

She observed that maize prices have increased in recent years. A 100 kg bag of maize that used to sell for 200–400 Ethiopian birr (about $7–14) now sells for 600–700 Ethiopian birr (about $20–23). With the increased farmers’ wealth in her village, families were able to pay collectively for the installation of a communal water point to get easy access to clean water.

“Like women’s role in society, no one can forget the role maize has in our community. It feeds us, it feeds our animals, and cobs are used as fuel. A successful maize harvest every year is a boon for our village,” Regassa concluded.

Women and youth find profitable business pathways through small-scale mechanization

Written by Shiela Chikulo on June 28, 2019. Posted in News.

Mechanization demonstration during a field visit to Makonde, Zimbabwe, as part of the FACASI Phase 2 final review meeting. Photo: Shiela Chikulo/CIMMYT

African farmers have ten times fewer mechanized tools per farm area than farmers in other developing regions, according to the Malabo Panel’s mechanization report. For the past six years, the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) funded Farm Mechanization and Conservation Agriculture for Sustainable Intensification (FACASI) project has explored ways to address poor access to appropriate mechanization solutions, which is costing smallholders a lot in lost productivity.

“One of the key outcomes of the FACASI initiative has been to present women and youth with pathways into diverse profitable income generating businesses using small mechanization,” says Alice Woodhead, professor in rural economies at the University of Southern Queensland in Australia. Woodhead shared her impressions following a field visit to Makonde, in northwestern Zimbabwe, as part of the FACASI Phase 2 final review meeting held in May. Almost 40 public and private sector project partners from Zimbabwe and Ethiopia attended the event in Harare as well as ACIAR representatives.

Farm machinery: women entrepreneurs thrive on two wheels

Agatha Dzvengwe and Marianne Jaji shared their business experience as two-wheel tractor (2WT) service providers in Makonde. The 2WT, which can be used for multiple purposes from transporting, planting, fertilizer application and shelling, allows them to plant efficiently and provides additional income through hiring out their tractors to neighboring farmers. For instance, during the 2018/19 season, Dzvengwe used the Fitarelli planter to plant ten hectares of maize, two hectares of sugar beans and five hectares of soybeans. Because of the planter’s efficiency, she had enough extra time to hire out planting services to neighboring farmers, earning $100 for one hectare of maize, and double for the planting of soybean or sugar beans.

Marianne Jaji provides 2WT based shelling services, which she says generates steady income for her household, enabling her to contribute to important household decisions. Despite the 2018/19 season being characterized by drought, Jaji was confident that she could still earn a decent income from neighboring farmers engaging the 2WT harvesting services. Other women service providers reported relief from labor drudgery and empowerment. “We have been freed from the burden of toiling in the field. Now that I own a 2WT, the society respects me more.”

“In a business dominated by men, women like Agatha and Marianne can become successful entrepreneurs, providing crucial farming services for the community such as shelling, planting and transport,” explains Bertha Tandayi, a FACASI research assistant at the University of Zimbabwe, where she studies the adoption of 2WT based technologies by women entrepreneurs in Makonde and Nyanga districts.

Small-scale mechanization has higher adoption rates in areas where the most profitable services are provided, such as shelling. The benefits for entrepreneurs and the community are visible and include the creation of employment, home renovations, asset accumulation, livestock rearing, borehole drilling and the purchasing of agricultural inputs.

Sustainable shelling enterprise for Mwanga youth group

Since establishing their enterprise in 2016 following training under the FACASI project, the Mwanga youth group is still going strong in Makonde. During a live demonstration of the medium sized sheller, Masimba Mawire remarked that the shelling business has provided steady and reliable income for the group. Brothers Shepherd and Pinnot Karwizi added that the group has gained from further training in maintenance, facilitated through the FACASI project. “It is evident that the youths have found a way to work as a business team, giving them purpose and to realize aspirations of being a business owner and not just an employee,” said Woodhead.

Of the services provided through the 2WT technologies, shelling services are in greatest demand, as this simple technology significantly reduces the time spent on shelling maize cobs. A medium sized sheller, for example, produces between five and six tons of shelled maize grain per day, over ten times more than manual shelling.

The combined benefits of income, reduced drudgery and high efficiency of the 2WT based technologies have transformed the lives of the youths and women services providers. Confident in their future, they plan to expand their business portfolios, looking at value addition options such as post-harvest processing of other crops.

Paswel Marenya

Written by Emma Orchardson on May 31, 2019. Posted in Uncategorized.

Paswel Marenya is a Senior Scientist at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). He is the global coordinator of the SIMLESA project, based in Nairobi.

Marenya holds an MSc in Applied Economics and a PhD in Natural Resources Policy and Management, both from Cornell University. His research focuses on maize-based smallholder systems in eastern and southern Africa, and on the analysis of pathways and impacts of technology adoption within the framework of sustainable intensification.

He has published research on farmer policy, farmer preferences for supporting technology adoption among maize farmers in Malawi, soil quality mediated returns to fertilizer, and the macro impacts of disease tolerant varieties. He is currently working on understanding the most effective investment priorities for strengthening climate-smart agriculture in eastern and southern Africa.

Delegates of the meeting organized by CIMMYT and ASARECA pose for a group photo. (Photo: Jerome Bossuet)

Conservation agriculture works for farmers and for sustainable intensification

Written by Jérôme Bossuet on May 30, 2019. Posted in Features.

The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) and the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Southern Africa (ASARECA) gathered agriculture leaders, experts, ministers and permanent secretaries from 14 countries in the region May 2-4, 2019 in Kampala, Uganda. These experts reflected on the lessons learned from the eight year-long Sustainable Intensification of Maize and Legumes farming systems in Eastern and Southern Africa (SIMLESA) project, funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR).

During this regional SIMLESA policy forum, ministers of agriculture signed a joint communiqué calling for mainstreaming conservation agriculture practices and enabling sustainable intensification of African agriculture, in response to the ongoing agroecological crisis and fast-growing population.

The minister of agriculture, animal industry and fisheries of Uganda, Vincent Ssempijja, reminded that “Africa is paying a high price from widespread land degradation, and climate change is worsening the challenges smallholder farmers are facing.” Staple crop yields are lagging despite a wealth of climate-smart technologies like drought-tolerant maize varieties or conservation agriculture.

“It is time for business unusual,” urged guest speaker Kirunda Kivejinja, Uganda’s Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of East African Affairs.

Research conducted by CIMMYT and national partners in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda under the SIMLESA project provided good evidence that sustainable intensification based on conservation agriculture works — it significantly increased food crop yields, up to 38%, as well as incomes, while sustainably preserving soil health.

In Malawi, where conservation agriculture adoption rose from 2% in 2011 to 35% in the 2017/18 season, research showed increases in water infiltration compared to the conventional ridge-and-furrow system of up to 90%, while soil organic carbon content increased by 30%. This means that soil moisture is better retained after rainfall, soil is more fertile, and plants grow well and cope much better during dry spells.

The SIMLESA project revealed that many farmers involved in CIMMYT research work, like Joseph Ntirivamunda in Rwanda, were interested in shifting towards more sustainable intensification practices. However, large-scale adoption still faces many hurdles.

“You cannot eat potential,” pointed out CIMMYT scientists and SIMLESA project leader Paswel Marenya. “The promise of conservation agriculture for sustainable intensification needs to be translated into more food and incomes, for farmers to adopt it widely.”

CIMMYT's director general Martin Kropff (left) greets Uganda's second deputy prime minister, Kirunda Kivejninja. (Photo: Jerome Bossuet) — CIMMYT’s director general Martin Kropff (left) greets Uganda’s second deputy prime minister, Kirunda Kivejninja. (Photo: Jerome Bossuet)

The scale conundrum

Farmers’ linkages to markets and services are often weak, and a cautious analysis of trade-offs is necessary. For instance, more research is needed about the competing uses of crop residues for animal feed or soil cover.

Peter Horne, General Manager for ACIAR’s global country programs, explained that science has an important role in informing policy to drive this sustainable transformation. There are still important knowledge gaps to better understand what drives key sustainable farming practices. Horne advised to be more innovative than the traditional research-for-development and extension approaches, involving for instance the private sector.

Planting using a hoe requires 160 hours of labor per hectare. A two-wheel tractor equipped with a planter will do the same work in only 3 hours.

One driver of change that was stressed during the Kampala forum was the access to appropriate machinery, like the two-wheel tractor equipped with a direct planter. While hoe planting requires 160 hours of labor per hectare, the planter needs only 3 hours per hectare, enabling timely planting, a crucial factor to respond effectively to the increased vagaries of the weather and produce successful harvests. While some appropriate mechanization options are available at the pilot stage in several African countries like Ethiopia or Zimbabwe, finding the right business models for service provision for each country is key to improve access to appropriate tools and technologies for smallholder farmers. CIMMYT and ACIAR seek to provide some answers through the complementary investments in the Farm Mechanization and Conservation Agriculture for Sustainable Intensification (FACASI) project.

CASI can be scaled but requires tailoring sustainable intensification agronomic advices adapted to local environment and farming systems. Agricultural innovation platforms like the Mwanga mechanization youth group in Zimbabwe are one way to co-create solutions and opportunities between specific value chain actors, addressing some of the constraints farmers may face while implementing conservation agriculture practices.

Providing market incentives for farmers has been one challenging aspect, which may be overcome through public-private partnerships. Kilimo Trust presented a new consortium model to drive sustainable intensification through a market pull, linking smallholder farmers with food processors or aggregators.

“SIMLESA, as a long-term ambitious research program, has delivered remarkable results in diverse farming contexts, and conservation agriculture for sustainable intensification now has a more compelling case,” said Eric Huttner, ACIAR research program manager. “We should not ignore the complexity of conservation agriculture adoption, as shifting to new farming practices brings practical changes and potential risks for farmers, alongside benefits,” he added. As an immediate step, Huttner suggested research to define who in the public and private sectors is investing and for what purpose — for example, access to seed or machinery. Governments will also need further technical support to determine exactly how to mainstream conservation agriculture in future agricultural policy conversations, plans and budgets.

“Looking at SIMLESA’s evidence, we can say that conservation agriculture works for our farmers,” concluded Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union. During the next African Union Specialized Technical Committee in October 2019, she will propose a new initiative, scaling conservation agriculture for sustainable intensification across Africa “to protect our soils and feed our people sustainably.”

Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union, speaks at the SIMLESA regional forum. (Photo: Jerome Bossuet)

MARPLE team members Dave Hodson and Diane Saunders (second and third from left) stand for a photograph after receiving the International Impact award. With them is Malcolm Skingle, director of Academic Liaison at GlaxoSmithKline (first from left) and Melanie Welham, executive chair of BBSRC. (Photo: BBSRC)

MARPLE team recognized for international impact

Written by Marcia MacNeil on May 17, 2019. Posted in News.

The research team behind the MARPLE (Mobile And Real-time PLant disEase) diagnostic kit won the International Impact category of the Innovator of the Year 2019 Awards, sponsored by the United Kingdom’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

The team — Diane Saunders of the John Innes Centre (JIC), Dave Hodson of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and Tadessa Daba of the Ethiopian Institute for Agricultural Research (EIAR) — was presented with the award at an event at the London Science Museum on May 15, 2019. In the audience were leading figures from the worlds of investment, industry, government, charity and academia, including the U.K.’s Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation, Chris Skidmore.

The BBSRC Innovator of the Year awards, now in their 11^th year, recognize and support individuals or teams who have taken discoveries in bioscience and translated them to deliver impact. Reflecting the breadth of research that BBSRC supports, they are awarded in four categories of impact: commercial, societal, international and early career. Daba, Hodson and Saunders were among a select group of 12 finalists competing for the four prestigious awards. In addition to international recognition, they received £10,000 (about $13,000).

“I am delighted that this work has been recognized,” Hodson said. “Wheat rusts are a global threat to agriculture and to the livelihoods of farmers in developing countries such as Ethiopia. MARPLE diagnostics puts state-of-the-art, rapid diagnostic results in the hands of those best placed to respond: researchers on the ground, local government and farmers.”

On-the-ground diagnostics

The MARPLE diagnostic kit is the first operational system in the world using nanopore sequence technology for rapid diagnostics and surveillance of complex fungal pathogens in the field.

In its initial work in Ethiopia, the suitcase-sized field test kit has positioned the country — one of the region’s top wheat producers — as a world leader in pathogen diagnostics and forecasting. Generating results within 48 hours of field sampling, the kit represents a revolution in plant disease diagnostics. Its use will have far-reaching implications for how plant health threats are identified and tracked into the future.

MARPLE is designed to run at a field site without constant electricity and with the varying temperatures of the field.

“This means we can truly take the lab to the field,” explained Saunders. “Perhaps more importantly though, it means that smaller, less-resourced labs can drive their own research without having to rely on a handful of large, well-resourced labs and sophisticated expertise in different countries.”

In a recent interview with JIC, EIAR Director Tadessa Daba said, “we want to see this project being used on the ground, to show farmers and the nation this technology works.”

The MARPLE team uses the diagnostic kit in Ethiopia. (Photo: JIC)

Development of the MARPLE diagnostic kit was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the CGIAR Platform for Big Data in Agriculture’s Inspire Challenge. Continued support is also provided by the BBSRC’s Excellence with Impact Award to the John Innes Centre and the Delivering Genetic Gain in Wheat project, led by Cornell University and funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

More information on the award can be found on the JIC website, the BBSRC website and the website of the CGIAR Research Program on Wheat.

Fact sheet debunking labor and mechanization myths presented in Zimbabwe

Written by Matthew O'Leary on May 15, 2019. Posted in News.

A new fact sheet debunking myths about agricultural labor and mechanization has been presented at the Farm Mechanization and Conservation Agriculture for Sustainable Intensification (FACASI) end of project review meeting in Harare, Zimbabwe.

The fact sheet, based on a recent study by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), shows African farming households are far more dependent on hire labor markets, and much more inclined to hire mechanization services, than previously assumed.

Download the fact sheet “Debunking myths about agricultural labor and mechanization in Africa”.

FACASI review meeting

Over 50 agriculture for development specialists are gathering from May 11 to 17, 2019, to review the FACASI project’s progress. The project investigated how small-scale mechanization, such as two-wheel tractors with attachments, can be used to improve farm power balance, reduce labor drudgery, and promote sustainable intensification in Eastern and Southern Africa. The project also built the capacity of farmers to use size-appropriate machinery and trained hire service providers, to increase the equitable availability of mechanization services.

At the review meeting, participants will focus on widening the availability and use of small mechanization through commercialization, social inclusion, policy implications, and how to best use research outputs. They will also get to see two-wheel tractors in action and meet project farmers in visits to different districts around Zimbabwe.

In attendance are representatives from the project’s funder, the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), and partners including Ethiopia’s Ministry of Agriculture, the University of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Lands Agriculture Water Climate and Rural Resettlement, the University of Southern Queensland, service providers and training centers from Zimbabwe, and private sector representatives from Zimbabwe and Ethiopia.

For further information on CIMMYT’s agricultural mechanization work in Africa:

FACASI knowledge platform

Appropriate mechanization for African smallholders: A pathway to sustainable intensification and rural development.

Training manual greases the wheels for mechanization entrepreneurs

African youth find entrepreneurial opportunity in agricultural mechanization

Research busts common myths about agricultural labor in Africa, suggests a shift in mechanization policy

Workshop participants pose for a group photograph.

Sustaining the production and demand of Quality Protein Maize in Ethiopia

Written by Jérôme Bossuet on May 14, 2019. Posted in News.

The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and Ethiopia’s Ministry of Agriculture held a workshop on March 23, 2019, with the main stakeholders of the agricultural research and seed sectors to discuss how Quality Protein Maize (QPM) production and demand could be expanded, to ensure lasting nutrition benefits for consumers and incomes for farmers.

Maize is the second most cultivated cereal in Ethiopia, with 66% of cereal-farming households cultivating maize on 2.1 million hectares. It is a primary staple food in the major maize-growing areas as well as a source of feed for animals and a raw material for industries. With increasing pressures from climate change and population growth, maize is likely to be key to meeting the challenges of food and income security.

Despite its high productivity, maize grain does not provide balanced protein for human consumption. It is deficient in two essential amino acids, lysine and tryptophan, putting those who consume maize without alternative protein sources at risk of malnutrition and stunted growth and development. Infants and young children are especially at risk. Complementary and alternative sources of protein such as legumes or animal products — meat, eggs and milk – are often inaccessible or unaffordable to the poorest households.

QPM is a type of maize, developed through conventional breeding, that contains nearly twice the amount of tryptophan and lysine compared to common varieties. Research shows that eating QPM can improve quality protein intake among young children and QPM is nutritionally advantageous over conventional maize, especially for families with an undiversified diet dominated by maize.

Since 2012, CIMMYT has been working with the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), the Ministry of Agriculture and other strategic partners like the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), Sasakawa Global 2000 (SG2000) and Farm Radio International, to improve food and nutritional security in Ethiopian farming communities through the promotion and expansion of QPM under the Nutritious Maize for Ethiopia (NuME) project. This project built on the achievements of a previous project called Quality Protein Maize Development (QPMD). Both projects were financed by the government of Canada.

Workshop participants discuss the challenges of promoting QPM. (Photo: Simret Yasabu/CIMMYT)

Ethiopians are willing to pay for QPM

During the workshop, CIMMYT senior scientist and NuME project leader Adefris Teklewold talked about the favorable conditions that had contributed to the project’s success and which are also grounds for sustainability: government policies and strategies, technical knowledge and technology, and the productive collaboration among partners.

The NuME project operated in 36 woredas, or districts, of the Amhara, Oromia, SNNP and Tigray regions. More than 68% of the target population is now aware of the nutritional benefits of QPM, boosting the demand for the nutritious maize.

Four QPM varieties have been released since the beginning of the project and at least two promising varieties are in the pipeline. Figures show an adoption rate of 11% in the project’s target areas. Today, the main issue to reach out more people is shortage of seed.

Consumers are willing to pay up to 15-20% more for QPM grain compared to non-QPM maize, which can encourage farmers, seed suppliers and other stakeholders to invest on QPM.

The project team trained people in food preparation and organized events to demonstrate the benefits of QPM. One fifth of the 1,788 QPM demonstrations were managed entirely by women. Through demonstrations and blind tastings, people could check that QPM maize did not affect the taste or functional properties of traditional foods like dabo bread or injera flatbread. For instance, they realized that injera using QPM also stayed moist and could be rolled easily. In addition, a recent study on school feeding revealed that dishes made from QPM received wider acceptance.

A woman in Jimma, Oromia region, participates in a blind tasting of QPM maize products. (Photo: Samuel Diro/CIMMYT)

Beyond the NuME project

Germame Garuma, Director General of Extension at the Ministry of Agriculture, said that “QPM is an important solution to help us improve the nutrition situation in the country.” The Ethiopian government now aims to ensure 10% of the total maize growing area is planted with QPM. Ethiopia has included QPM as a key intervention in national strategies and programs, such as the Agriculture Growth Program-II and the Seqota Declaration.

Garuma called on all government offices at various levels and NGOs working in the agriculture and nutrition sector to continue the promotion of QPM. Workshop participants drew a roadmap with four focus areas: overall coordination, dissemination, technology generation and seed production. With the leadership of the Ministry of Agriculture, more families will be able to improve their diet with QPM in the future.

Dagmo Nour, Project Manager at Global Affairs Canada, expressed interest in engaging further with CIMMYT and its partners to ensure the sustainability and scaling of QPM efforts by addressing critical issues with Ethiopian seed systems.

Book launch: Lead farmers in eastern and southern Africa

Written by Carolyn Cowan on May 8, 2019. Posted in News. 1 Comment on Book launch: Lead farmers in eastern and southern Africa

Tackling the challenges of climate change and increasing scarcity of resources like arable land and water requires that farming and food systems around the world undergo fundamental shifts in thinking and practices. A new book draws on experiences of men and women farmers across eastern and southern Africa who have been associated with the Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Legume Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa (SIMLESA) project. The inspiring and moving accounts tell the story of how these farmers have bravely embraced change to improve their farming methods and consequently the lives and livelihoods of their families.

The maize-growing regions of southern and eastern Africa face many challenges, including lower than average yields, crop susceptibility to pests and diseases, and abiotic stresses such as droughts that can be frequent and severe. There is also widespread lack of access to high-yielding stress resilient improved seed and other farming innovations, presenting a need for scalable technologies, adapted to farmers’ growing conditions.

Maize is the most important staple crop in the region, feeding more than 200-300 million people across Africa and providing food and income security to millions of smallholder farmers. Prioritization of cost reducing, yield enhancing and resource conserving farming methods is vital to catalyze a shift towards sustainable and resilient maize agri-food systems. Conservation agriculture (CA) is one promising approach.

Launched in 2010, SIMLESA is led by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and funded by the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). The project supports farmers and partner organizations to achieve increased food production while minimizing pressure on the environment by using smallholder farmers’ resources more efficiently through CA approaches. SIMLESA is implemented by national agricultural research systems, agribusinesses and farmers in partner countries including, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

The farmers’ words in this book drive home the core philosophy of SIMLESA: that critical paradigm shifts in smallholder farming are possible and can lead to positive and potentially lasting impacts.

The candid accounts of the benefits yielded from adopting new practices like CA are a testimony to this idea: “Now we have seen with our own eyes these new methods are beneficial, and we want to continue what we are doing….my field is a school where others can learn,” said Maria Gorete, a farmer in Mozambique.

Policy makers and scientists from eastern and southern Africa met in Uganda at a regional forum convened by the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA), on 3-4 May 2019. The forum discussed ways to scale up the learnings of SIMLESA and a joint communique recommending policy actions was signed by the Ministers of Agriculture of the Republic of Burundi, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the State of Eritrea, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Madagascar, the Republic of Rwanda, the Republic of South Sudan, the Republic of the Sudan, the United Republic of Tanzania, the Republic of Uganda, the Republic of Malawi and the Republic of Mozambique of the high level Ministerial Panel on Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Legume Cropping Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa (SIMLESA).