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Location: Africa

CIMMYT’s work in Africa helps farmers access new maize and wheat systems-based technologies, information and markets, raising incomes and enhancing crop resilience to drought and climate change. CIMMYT sets priorities in consultation with ministries of agriculture, seed companies, farming communities and other stakeholders in the maize and wheat value chains. Our activities in Africa are wide ranging and include: breeding maize for drought tolerance and low-fertility soils, and for resistance to insect pests, foliar diseases and parasitic weeds; sustainably intensifying production in maize- and wheat-based systems; and investigating opportunities to reduce micronutrient and protein malnutrition among women and young children.

Celebrate World Food Day with CIMMYT on 16 October

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Join CIMMYT in celebrating World Food Day on 16 October!

Since 1979, World Food Day has served as a call for people around the world to come together to reduce hunger. This year the theme for World Food Day is “Family Farming: Feeding the world, caring for the earth,” as FAO celebrates 2014 as the International Year of Family Farming (IYFF). Family farmers play a significant role in eradicating hunger and poverty, providing food security and nutrition, improving livelihoods, managing natural resources and achieving sustainable development especially in rural areas.

World Food Day is especially important to CIMMYT’s mission to “sustainably increase the productivity of maize and wheat systems to ensure global food security and reduce poverty.”

According to the CIMMYT 2013 annual report, maize and wheat account for about 40 percent of the world’s food and 25 percent of the calories consumed in developing countries. Billions of people in developing countries receive more than half of their daily calories from maize- and wheat-based foods. These countries need about 700 million tons of maize and wheat to meet their food needs. Because of population increases by 2020, these countries will need an additional 368 million tons of maize and wheat to sustain their communities. By improving varieties of maize and wheat and supplying these varieties to the world, CIMMYT is fighting for and working toward the World Food Day mission daily through various programs and projects.

As one example, innovative wheat varieties from CIMMYT and its research partners have helped Ethiopia more than double its wheat production in a decade, increasing from 1.60 million tons to more than 3.92 million tons from 2003/04 to 2013/14. A 2014 nationwide study published in Food Policy involving more than 2,000 farm households in Ethiopia’s major wheat-producing areas revealed that those who adopt improved wheat varieties are able to spend more on food, are more likely to be food secure and are less likely to suffer chronic or transitory food shortages.

In addition, CIMMYT’s Hill Maize Research Project (HMRP) has been working with national research and extension partners, non-governmental organizations, private seed companies and farmers to develop, test and disseminate high-yielding maize varieties, support seed production and marketing, and test and promote resource-conserving farming practices in the mid-hills of Nepal. Maize is a vital crop in this region especially for poorer families and accounts for nearly 20 percent of all caloric intake. In Nepal, maize is typically grown on family farms; harsh climates, poor infrastructure and market access and worsening shortages of labor are just some of the challenges these families face. The HMRP is helping to address these constraints for a positive impact on farm productivity. Join CIMMYT and FAO on World Food Day by generating awareness of the 805 million people who are suffering from chronic hunger worldwide. How? Follow the conversation online on Facebook and Twitter, by using the hashtag #WFD2014, or visit the World Food Day website to discover how to take action by virtually “toasting” a farmer or even joining/hosting an event in your community.

For more information on World Food Day visit http://www.worldfooddayusa.org/.

Partnering with seed companies to disseminate fertilizer-friendly maize seed in East Africa

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Watanga Chacha, CEO Meru Agro displays a bag of HB513, a fertilizer-friendly maize hybrid. Picture: Biswanath Das/CIMMYT
Watanga Chacha, CEO Meru Agro displays a bag of HB513, a fertilizer-friendly maize hybrid.
Picture: Biswanath Das/CIMMYT

Seed companies are key partners in delivering improved seed to smallholder farmers in Africa, the key beneficiaries of agricultural research. Meru Agro in Tanzania is one such partner, producing ‘fertilizer-friendly’ maize varieties with support from the Improved Maize for African Soils (IMAS) project. “We call the varieties ‘fertilizer-friendly’ because they use the small amounts of fertilizer that smallholder farmers in Africa apply more efficiently,” said Dr. Biswanath Das, CIMMYT maize breeder. Since 2013, Meru Agro has been multiplying HB513, a fertilizer-friendly and drought-tolerant hybrid. The company has produced over 1,200 metric tons of HB513 seed, which can potentially reach 50,000 smallholder farmers in the mid-elevation regions of Tanzania in the upcoming cropping season.

Promotion

The small-to-medium enterprise uses innovative methods to promote its maize varieties. The company runs extensive demonstration plots at key locations and gives away ‘promo packs’ to farmers during field days. “These are 100 gram packs that we give away through the agrodealers. The packs allow farmers to test the varieties for themselves and compare them with what they are growing,” said Watanga Chacha, the company’s chief executive officer. The company also participates in the annual NaneNane agricultural shows held in Arusha, Mbeya and Mwanza in August where they showcase their varieties. “When they plant for NaneNane, they do it at intervals to ensure that farmers can see how the hybrid performs at different growth stages,” said Dr. Mosisa Worku Regasa, CIMMYT seed systems specialist.

Watanga Chacha, CEO Meru Agro displays a bag of HB513, a fertilizer-friendly maize hybrid. Picture: Biswanath Das/CIMMYT
Watanga Chacha, CEO Meru Agro displays a bag of HB513, a fertilizer-friendly maize hybrid.
Picture: Biswanath Das/CIMMYT

Meru Agro has embraced radio as a marketing tool. “We use radio advertisements to reach farmers in our target areas,” said Chacha. “We have the advertisements recorded in the local accents which help the audience identify with them.” The company also invests in extension, training farmers in good agricultural practices augmented with training for agro-dealers. “This has contributed to the expansion of our distribution network as farmers get to know the merits of the maize varieties we are selling,” adds Chacha. “The training gives farmers confidence that they are buying a good variety by knowing the merits of the varieties in advance.”

Rapid Growth

Meru Agro has grown from an agro-dealer that began operations in October 2006 and evolved into a seed and farm input supplier in 2009. “We started with three employees, we now have 34 people, eight graduates, five diploma holders and one master’s degree holder,” says the entrepreneur. “A good strategy does not automatically translate to good performance. The team you have makes the difference – their technical skills and capacity to execute the strategy makes the difference,” said Chacha, crediting his staff for contributing to the company’s success.

Seed production and breeding research done by organizations such as CIMMYT and the national agriculture institutes benefit small seed companies like Meru Agro. “We have released four maize hybrid varieties in collaboration with CIMMYT and we are producing some open-pollinated varieties (OPVs) that have been released by the national program in Tanzania,” said Chacha. The company’s product portfolio leans towards hybrid seeds; this is informed by the market response. “Most farmers in Tanzania are now shifting from OPVs to hybrids.” The company is planning to establish a breeding unit in the near future. In the meantime, it relies on public goods derived from breeding research produced by CIMMYT and the national agriculture institute.

The company is partnering with other agencies involved in seed distribution in Tanzanian including the Tanzania Agricultural Partnerships (TAP), Farm Input Promotional Services (FIPS) and the Government Farm Input Subsidy Program to distribute 400,000 two-kilogram packs of maize seed to smallholder farmers. “We are targeting smallholder farmers, some of whom have very little land, between one-quarter of an acre to three acres,” said Chacha. “In Tanzania, farmers prefer small packs of certified seed. There is a huge untapped market in Tanzania as maize is the staple crop,” said Chacha explaining the rationale behind their expansion plans.
“The IMAS program provided technical backstopping and financial support to Meru Agro for seed production of MERU HB 513 which is drought-tolerant, in addition to being nitrogen use efficient,” said Das. Meru Agro staff have participated in seed business management courses facilitated by CIMMYT, contributing to capacity building within the company. “The company has produced large volumes of certified seed,” said Regasa.

Challenges

“The seed business is challenging,” said Chacha. The CEO cites the high investment costs in machinery for seed cleaning, grading and packaging. Chacha says drought is one of the challenges that hamper their seed production as not all of it is done under irrigation. “It takes time to convince farmers,” added Chacha, citing promotion as another challenge.

Go back to IMAS Project Updates

NuME organizes financial management workshop for partners

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CIMMYT’s Nutritious Maize for Ethiopia (NuME) project recently organized a half-day workshop to refresh the knowledge of financial officers from partner institutions on various accounting and reporting procedures, with specific reference to financial procedures that apply to projects funded by the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD). Dr. Adefris Teklewold, NuME project leader, provided a detailed explanation of NuME objectives and its implementation to date.

Participants listen attentively during a session of the financial management workshop.

The workshop was facilitated by Ato Antenane Abeiy, NuME project manager, and hosted some 20 finance and accounting professionals drawn from both governmental and non-governmental organizations directly involved in the implementation of the project. Participants included representatives of the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture, Sasakawa Global 2000 and Farm Radio International.

Abeiy said that the workshop was organized to familiarize the participants with overall project financial management processes, as well as the requirements and procedures that apply both to CIMMYT and DFATD. The workshop clearly identified the challenges observed to date in NuME project fund administration processes and discussed possible solutions that will ease and speed up financial operations and systems for the remainder of the project.

Accordingly, discussions were held on topics including CIMMYT and donor requirements, NuME budget categories and budget lines, NuME cash transfer modalities, fund request and release procedures, implementation start-up, financial management and documentation, financial accountability, auditing and quality assurance and a summary checklist of required information and flow of activities developed to receive, disburse and report project-related funds.

Challenges and ‘common mistakes’ in financial management and reporting observed to date were discussed. These include: delays in signing sub-grant agreements; delays in fund release; underutilization of funds; under-reporting of expenditures; delays in reporting and reporting without following formal channels; filing reports without official approval; and reporting in lump sums with no detailed expenditure and description of expenditures attached.

Participants noted during the discussions that they will use the skills gained from the workshop to properly expedite and administer project funds and ease matters for their institutions and staff to properly implement the various activities planned for the effective implementation of the NuME project.

NuME is implemented by CIMMYT in Ethiopia and funded by DFATD. It is designed to help improve the food and nutritional security of Ethiopia’s rural population – especially women and children – through the adoption of quality protein maize varieties and crop management practices that increase farm productivity.

Addressing challenges in maize breeding to deliver improved seed to African smallholder farmers

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Members of a CBO that produces improved open-pollinated varieties in Malangeni, Swaziland, host visitors from NSIMA and DTM.

In Swaziland, maize is a staple crop and a source of income for many of the nation’s farmers. “The work on our staple crop cannot be overstated,” said Dr. Vusumuzi Mkhonta, acting director, Department of Agriculture, Research and Specialist Services in Swaziland. “If anything were to happen to maize, the entire population might perish.”

Mkhonta was speaking at the opening ceremony of the annual collaborators meeting, which brought together partners of the New Seed Initiative for Maize in Africa (NSIMA) and the Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA) projects in Mbabane, Swaziland, held 13-15 August. Mkhonta recognized the importance of maize research in the country to enhance food security and livelihoods. He also expressed appreciation for support from the Centre for Agricultural Research and Development in Southern Africa (CCARDESA).

Participants discussed some of the challenges in maize breeding that impact the delivery of improved seed. These include the parasitic weed Striga and maize lethal necrosis (MLN), a deadly disease that has affected maize-growing areas in eastern Africa.

The CIMMYT-led NSIMA project, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), involves five countries: Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo (Katanga Province), Lesotho, South Africa and Swaziland. In South Africa, the project is implemented in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu Natal and Limpopo provinces, serving smallholder farmers who do not have access to maize hybrid seeds. “The large seed companies that operate in South Africa cater to commercial farmers and sell seed in huge quantities,” said James Gethi, CIMMYT seed system specialist and NSIMA project leader. “This means that farmers who need about two to three kilograms of seed are left out of the improved seed network.”

The CBO’s leader addresses visitors from the NSIMA and DTMA projects during the field day.
The CBO’s leader addresses visitors from the NSIMA and DTMA projects during the field day.

Since its inception, the project has been contributing to food and seed security in the southern Africa region. “Within three years, we have delivered 500 tons of open-pollinated varieties (OPVs) of improved seed to smallholder farmers within the NSIMA countries,” said Gethi, citing this as a key highlight of the project.

“Seed production is the second most important pillar for DTMA,” said Dr. Tsedeke Abate, the project leader. Abate indicated that in Kenya, seed production in the past year was significantly lower as a result of MLN disease. Abate highlighted the importance of the partnership between the project and small- to medium-sized seed companies that play an important role in disseminating drought- tolerant maize seed to farmers.

Dr. Abebe Menkir, a maize breeder with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), gave a keynote address during the meeting. “Resistance to Striga is an important trait for maize varieties specifically developed for areas infested with the parasite,” said Menkir. “Let us bring the technologies together to benefit farmers.”

“We need innovative systems for transforming agriculture and research results as business,” said Professor Timothy Simalenga, Executive Director of CCARDESA. Simalenga gave an overview of CCARDESA’s role, which cuts across the research value chain.

Participants visited a seed processing unit in Malangeni, run by a community-based organization (CBO) that currently produces ZM521, an improved OPV. “This women-dominated farmers’ group specializes in producing certified seed for use by the community,” said Gethi. With assistance from the SDC-supported Seed and Markets Project (SAMP), the farmers have acquired machinery. “CIMMYT is providing the group with basic seed and technical support for production of certified seed.”

The DTMA project also awarded country teams for their efforts in breeding and dissemination of drought- tolerant maize during the meeting. The Zimbabwe and Angola teams won the breeding and dissemination awards, respectively. The winners received a plaque and cash prizes.

The NSIMA project is providing improved open-pollinated seed to farmers who did not have access to them before. Project staff and partners pose for a group photo during the annual meeting.

In Swaziland, maize is a staple crop and a source of income for many of the nation’s farmers. “The work on our staple crop cannot be overstated,” said Dr. Vusumuzi Mkhonta, acting director, Department of Agriculture, Research and Specialist Services in Swaziland. “If anything were to happen to maize, the entire population might perish.”

Kenyan government officials visit MLN screening facility

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“If I have not touched ugali, I have not eaten,” said engineer Menjo Mosonik, the Bomet County official in charge of agriculture and infrastructure. The saying is from his community where ugali, a dish made from maize meal, is a staple food. This is true of many communities in Kenya, where maize is a staple food and a key ingredient in daily meals.

The maize lethal necrosis (MLN) disease, which can cause up to 100 percent yield loss on farmers’ fields, is threatening this source of food and livelihoods for many in the country. Because of this, 40 county officials, including County Executive Committee (CEC) officials who are responsible for agriculture in Kenya’s devolved government structure, visited the CIMMYT MLN Screening Facility in Naivasha, Kenya on 5 August.

The facility could hold the key to addressing this lethal disease, which was first recognized in 2011 and has affected maize cultivation in many counties. The facility is hosted by the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) center for livestock research, which is also the Regional Centre of Excellence for Dairy Research for East and Central Africa.

“We work in partnership,” said CIMMYT’s regional representative for Africa, Dr. Wilfred Mwangi, as he welcomed the CECs. “To show our commitment to overcoming MLN, CIMMYT brought our specialists from China and Mexico to help identify the disease when it was first observed in Kenya.”

CIMMYT pathologist Dr. George Mahuku gives a guided tour of the MLN Screening Facility in Naivasha, Kenya. Photo by Florence Sipalla.
CIMMYT pathologist Dr. George Mahuku gives a guided tour of the MLN Screening Facility in Naivasha, Kenya. Photo by Florence Sipalla.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) organized the visit and is supporting training sessions on the disease in major maize growing areas. So far, they have trained 320 participants in eight counties. “We wanted policy-makers to appreciate work being done by national and international research organizations to address MLN,” said Dr. Wilson Ronno, head of crop production at FAO-Kenya. “We realized we need to inform policy-makers, as this is a very sensitive issue of food security,” said Ronno, adding, “we are putting up demonstration sites in Bomet to show farmers how to manage the disease through good agricultural practices.”

The county officials were given a guided tour of the facility by Dr. George Mahuku, CIMMYT pathologist. As he showed them around the facility, Mahuku explained the research being carried out by CIMMYT, in collaboration with KARI and partners from the public and private sectors, to screen germplasm and identify sources of resistance to MLN.

“We are screening germplasm from different places in the [East Africa] region,” said Mahuku, adding that germplasm from Mexico and the United States has also been screened at the facility. “Because this is a new disease, we are also developing protocols on how to handle the viruses and screen germplasm for resistance. These protocols will be shared with our partners through training so that we are all well-coordinated in addressing the problem,” he added.

“There is hope,” said Mahuku as he pointed at germplasm that is showing tolerance to the deadly disease. He explained that CIMMYT is going to screen the germplasm in multiple environments. “This is why we really value partnerships,” he added, emphasizing the important role partners play in the research process.

The role of extension workers in managing diseases such as MLN was discussed, as they are instrumental in disseminating information on how to manage the disease. “Management is very important and is going to play a key role in minimizing or averting the devastating effects of MLN,” said Mahuku.

“This was a learning experience. We will be able to tell farmers what we have seen,” said Purity Muritu, who is in charge of agriculture in Nakuru County. Muritu said she would also explain to farmers the importance of having a maize-free season to break the MLN cycle. The CECs suggested that county officials visit the MLN facility to be sensitized on MLN and how to manage it.

CIMMYT hosts field days in Kenya showcasing fertilizer-friendly maize

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By Florence Sipalla

Some of the CIMMYT partners who participated in a field day showcase fertilizer friendly maize in Kiboko, Kenya. Photo: Biswanath Das/CIMMYT
Some of the CIMMYT partners who participated in a field day showcase fertilizer friendly maize in Kiboko, Kenya.
Photo: Biswanath Das/CIMMYT

Many smallholder farmers in Africa can only afford to apply small amounts of fertilizer to their maize crop. Fertilizer-friendly maize, bred to more efficiently use the small quantities of fertilizer that farmers apply, is helping to address this challenge. On 8 and 25 July, the Improved Maize for African Soil (IMAS) project, led by CIMMYT, hosted two field days at Kiboko, Kenya, to showcase fertilizer-friendly pre-commercial maize hybrids and inbred lines. CIMMYT also held a similar field day on 4 March in Harare, Zimbabwe attended by 50 partners from the southern Africa region. The event was organized by CIMMYT breeder Dr Amsal Tarekegne.

Thirty-three partners representing seed companies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and national agriculture research systems (NARS) from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda participated in the field days. They were able to evaluate and select IMAS pre-release hybrids and advanced inbred lines. “The focus of the IMAS line development pipeline is nitrogen use efficiency, which has been added to other adaptive traits relevant for Sub-Saharan Africa,” said Dr. Biswanath Das, breeder and co-leader of the IMAS project. “The germplasm is very diverse, incorporating nitrogen use efficiency from Latin American and temperate sources in the Africa-adapted materials,” said Das. Over 3,000 advanced inbred lines were on display at Kiboko for selection by partners.

The deadly maize lethal necrosis (MLN) disease has emerged as a primary challenge to maize breeding in the East African region. “The lines displayed at Kiboko are also being evaluated in parallel for their responses to MLN at the MLN Screening Facility at Naivasha,” said Das. The results from the trials at Naivasha will further help partners in making use of selected germplasm in their breeding programs.

“I gained insight into the work that IMAS is doing,” said Saleem Ismail, chief executive officer of the Western Seed Company. Ismail said that he had selected germplasm from this field day; “I plan to cross these materials with my testers for evaluation in western Kenya.” He added that he would like to see how the germplasm combines with early- and late-maturing materials.

“This germplasm is very useful,” said Wilson Muasya, a breeder with Kenya Seed Company. “You never see this kind of germplasm assembled in one place. We can diversify and improve our germplasm and our own varieties,” added Muasya. “We can also identify materials that can effectively fight the MLN disease.”

Philip Leley, a maize breeder with the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), Muguga Station, said he wanted to introduce diversity into KARI’s maize breeding program, especially for traits such as nitrogen use efficiency and MLN tolerance.

Partners from BRAC, one of the largest NGOs in the world, and Nuru International, an NGO based in Kenya, also participated in the field visit. Shahadat Hossain of BRAC-Uganda and Peter Wangai of Nuru International were keen to identify hybrids that could be marketed to their target farmers. In 2013, Nuru International worked with 6,000 farmers in Kenya’s Kuria district, and plans to expand to 10,000 farmers by next year.

“We provide farmers improved seed and fertilizer for one acre of land,” said Wangai. “We also advise them on varieties to plant,” explained Wangai, who indicated that the organization is eager to identify maize varieties that can tolerate MLN. “We are discouraging farmers from planting maize in the short rain season because of MLN,” he said, explaining that part of Nuru’s extension service is to advise farmers on how to manage the spread of MLN.

BRAC provides integrated services in agriculture, health and microfinance in several countries in Africa, including Tanzania and Uganda. “Since 2000, we have trained more than 100,000 farmers in Uganda,” said Hossain. The NGO provides different types of seed to farmers including maize, rice and vegetables. “We have BRAC-branded maize open-pollinated varieties,” said Hossain. “We currently procure hybrids from a commercial seed company in Uganda but plan to put our own hybrids on the market in the future.”

“Organizations such as BRAC and Nuru International help to diversify the suppliers of CIMMYT’s improved maize germplasm. Together with other development partners in the region, they play a very important role in ensuring that thousands of smallholder farmers have access to new improved varieties, as well as information,” said Das.

Partnership on maize lethal necrosis in Africa makes significant progress

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Partners of the Maize Lethal Necrosis (MLN) project in Africa, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture (SFSA), came together to review and discuss the progress and next steps for the project at a workshop on 14-15 May.

“The primary goal of this project is to identify MLN-tolerant germplasm, including inbred lines and pre-commercial hybrids, for potential deployment of MLN-tolerant varieties (with other relevant adaptive traits) through partners in Sub-Saharan Africa. The project also seeks to gain information regarding the genetics of resistance to the disease, create awareness and build capacity for more effective MLN management.

Group photograph taken at the MLN Screening Facility, Naivasha, Kenya. Photo: Florence Sipalla/CIMMYT

“As the project matures, we will be screening additional promising germplasm coming out of the MLN screening facility at Naivasha and from national agricultural research institute (NARI) partners at satellite testing centers in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda under high natural disease pressure. This will help to validate the performance of the germplasm under MLN in important agro-ecologies,” said CIMMYT Global Maize Program Director and MLN-Africa project leader, BM Prasanna.

Mike Robinson, chief scientific advisor at SFSA and representatives of several seed companies and NARIs in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda participated in the MLN Field Day at Naivasha on 14 May. The companies included East African Seed, Kenya Seed Company, Meru Agro, Monsanto, DuPont Pioneer and Seed Co Limited. “We hope to submit several germplasm entries for trials at the MLN screening facility in the next planting season,” said Francis Ndambuki, a maize breeder with Kenya Seed Company.

Less than a year after its opening, the MLN screening facility is now fully functional, evaluating materials from several partner organizations, including the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, NARIs and seed companies. The partners/ visitors had an opportunity to see several trials taking place at the facility, as well as promising MLN-tolerant germplasm. Scientists involved in this project are working intensively – in collaboration with national and international institutions to develop and validate virus inoculation and germplasm screening protocols. They are also testing a large array of germplasm for responses against MLN under artificial inoculation, developing diagnostic techniques and building the capacity of national partners in MLN diagnostics and management.

The CIMMYT seed systems team is working on scaling-up the identified MLN-tolerant germplasm and distributing it to interested public and private partners in Africa. The progress made on the project’s diverse fronts was presented in detail, and the next steps were discussed during the project meeting held in Nairobi on 15 May. “We are pleased that CIMMYT teamed with KARI to address this important issue for Africa,” said Joseph Mureithi, KARI deputy director. Mureithi continued, “The MLN screening facility at Naivasha is a model of partnership between CGIAR centers, NARIs and the private sector,” adding that the results of the trials at the facility would have far-reaching impact. “Stresses such as drought and poor soil fertility could potentially compound the expression of the MLN disease,” said KARI virologist Dr. Anne Wangai, a key partner in this project. “This is a great opportunity to demonstrate the confluence of technologies – breeding, pathology and entomology,” said Robinson, urging the project partners to further strengthen the scientific edge and demonstrate how the research being undertaken on the disease can quickly result in products that benefit African farmers affected by the disease.

“Policy advocacy is key,” said Wilfred Mwangi, CIMMYT’s regional representative for Africa. He emphasized the need to fast-track registration and commercialization of the MLN-tolerant hybrids, especially in the MLN-affected countries. The Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) was commended for its commitment and support in fast-tracking the release of promising MLN-tolerant hybrids. “There is fast progress on the MLN research and the first wave of improved materials is coming now,” said Robinson, adding that he is looking forward to seeing more materials in the future. He emphasized the importance of coordination, policy clarity, communication and international synergies on MLN research and development in Africa.

When rural farmers are given a voice: successful farmers share their experience with sustainable intensification

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When traveling from Chimoio to Tete along one of the main roads in central Mozambique, one inevitably passes through Malomue, a small rural village in Báruè District. Since 2008, conservation agriculture (CA) technologies and improved drought-tolerant maize varieties have been promoted to farmers through various donor-funded projects, including a USAID-funded Feed the Future initiative.

In the past, farmers in the area would cultivate their land, clear the surface of all protective cover and burn the residue from the previous cropping season. The main food security crop in the area is maize, and due to lack of access to improved seed, lowyielding landraces were often planted. The introduction of improved agriculture technologies developed and tested by the Platform of Agriculture Research and Innovation (PARTI) and the Collaborative Research Support Program (CRSP) of the Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resource Management Lab (SANREM) at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) implemented in collaboration with the University of Tennessee, have brought significant change to Malomue. Farmers have been exposed to improved seed, fertilizers, improved weed management practices and more sustainable planting techniques based on conservation agriculture principles and practices.

Josè Leuane Dicane, a rural farmer from the community with approximately 15 hectares of cultivated land, said, “The first lesson I learned is that no fire should enter my plots, and I have managed to avoid burning grass from my neighbors.” Dicane also appreciates the reduced labor required when chemical weed control options and direct seeding techniques are used, as well as the increased moisture retention and fertility increases when legume crops are rotated and crop residues are kept on the soil surface. Improved drought-tolerant maize varieties, developed by CIMMYT and extended through Mozambican private seed companies, have further increased the yields on the fields of farmers such as Dicane. Dicane and his large family have become food self-sufficient. He has planted a garden where he produces higher value horticulture crops under small-scale irrigation, and has become an emerging commercial farmer by successfully selling his produce at a profit in the nearby town of Catandica.

The project has identified him as one of the most visionary and successful farmers in central Mozambique, worthy of sharing his experiences with others in the world. With support from USAID, Dicane and his wife were invited to go to the United States to attend a meeting of SANREM/CRSP. On 16 May, Dicane and his wife Judisse boarded an airplane on their way to the U.S. Neither had ever flown, stayed in a hotel or seen the world outside of Mozambique. This was the experience of a lifetime for them. During the SANREM/CRSP meeting on 20 May, they shared their new farming expertise with other participants and farmers. They spoke as if they had presented to an audience many times. Their very impressive report on the lives of rural farmers from Mozambique made a difference to many of the participants. The farmers from Malomue have been given a voice and the opportunity to describe the gradual changes in their lives. The changes might be small, but viewed through another lens, they are also groundbreaking.

Why wheat matters

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Photo credit: Ranak Martin
Photo credit: Ranak Martin

Thomas Lumpkin served as director general at CIMMYT from 2008 to 2015.

The history of wheat is the history of civilization. Over 10,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent our ancestors ascended from an existence as hunter-gatherers and began tending and domesticating crops. Thus began wheat’s symbiotic relationship with the history of civilization and humankind’s responsibility as stewards of planet Earth.

Wheat is not only a major diet component but wheat-based products are the personification of cultural heritage and pride. Imagine Italians without pasta, North Africans without couscous, Indians without Chapattis or Chinese without noodles or steamed bread. It is time to pay homage to this grass, which was the basis for the development of modern civilizations and has done so much for the human race.

Wheat is the staple food of humankind, and its history is that of civilization. Yet today wheat is losing its crown. Many perceive wheat to be a food eaten and produced only by rich countries. Atkins, Davis (wheat belly) and other diets have convinced even more that wheat is bad for you and less wholesome than other crops. Although wheat remains an important crop, funding for wheat research has decreased significantly in recent years.

In spite of all these challenges, the demand for wheat is not dropping. Wheat is the staff of life for 1.2 billion poor people who live on less than US$ 2 a day; providing 20 to 50 percent of daily calories and 20 percent of protein. From South Asia through to Central Asia across the Middle East and on to North Africa, wheat is a staple food. Demand for wheat is not isolated to these traditional wheat-eating regions. Today African countries spend about US$ 12 billion annually to import some 40 million tons of wheat. What was once considered a minor crop for consumers in Sub-Saharan Africa, demand for wheat is now growing faster than for any other commodity and is now considered a strategic crop for food security by African leaders.

Perhaps what is most concerning are the predictions for the near future. Demand for wheat in the developing world is projected to increase 60 percent by 2050. India, the largest wheat-consuming country after China, has 17.5 percent of total world’s population and 20.6 percent of the world’s poor. If you look at a map showing the locations of recent food riots, it is almost identical to one showing where wheat provides more than one-third of a person’s daily calories. Households in developed countries spend less than 10 percent of their income on food supplies, in many countries, that percentage is much more. For example, in Pakistan and Egypt this figure is around 40 percent.

An Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report published earlier this year predicts that wheat will be the first of the main staple crops to be significantly affected by climate change, because of its sensitivity to heat and the fact that it is grown all over the world. Current projections predict that with every Celsius degree increase in temperature, wheat yields in semi-tropical areas could drop by 10 percent. Changes in weather may also lead to an increased risk in the severity of wheat diseases, which may cause severe losses in areas that were previously thought of as unimportant.

Recurrent food crises combined with climate change, depletion of natural resources and rising food prices are threatening the lives of millions of poor people who depend on wheat for both diet and livelihood. Demographers predict that by 2050 the earth’s population will peak at 9.6 billion. Developing countries, especially those in Africa and South Asia, are experiencing tremendous population growth. Based on current crop yields and food distribution methods, feeding nearly 10 billion people will not be trivial. Sustainably increasing wheat production will have a crucial impact on food security.

Wheat’s significant contribution to humankind is not yet over.

Sasakawa Africa Association celebrates the 100th anniversary of Norman Borlaug’s birth

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The Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) recently joined numerous countries and organizations around the world that have taken time this year to pay tribute to the life and achievements of Dr. Norman Borlaug, holding a series of events from 8-12 July in Uganda to celebrate what would have been his 100th birthday. The theme of the celebration was “Take it to the farmer,” in honor of Dr . Borlaug’s inspiring final words.

The SAA/Sasakawa Global 2000 (SG2000) was founded in 1986 by Japanese philanthropist Ryoichi Sasakawa, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Borlaug, who was the president of SAA until his death in 2009.

The Sasakawa Africa Association was named Best Overall Exhibitor at the Nile Agricultural and Trade Show, one of the events organized as part of the Borlaug centenary celebration. Photo: Adefris Teklewold/CIMMYT

Celebration events were attended by numerous dignitaries, including Yohei Sasakawa, son of the founder and Chairman of the Nippon Foundation; Professor Ruth Oniang’o, Chairperson of SAA and the Sasakawa Africa Fund for Extension Education (SAFE); Rhoda Peace Tumusiime, African Union Commissioner of Rural Economy and Agriculture; Dr. John Hardman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Carter Center (representing President Carter); Nicéphore Dieudonné Soglo, former President of Benin, SAA Board member and former Executive Director of the World Bank; Dr. Amit Roy, President and CEO of the International Fertilizer Development Center, or IFDC (Borlaug served on the IFDC board for 11 years); and Ambassador Kenneth Quinn, President of the World Food Prize Foundation (which was founded by Borlaug). The Borlaug family was represented at the ceremony by his daughter Jeanie Borlaug Laube and his granddaughter Julie Borlaug. CIMMYT was represented by Adefris Teklewold, project leader of the Nutritious Maize in Ethiopia project, which is implemented in partnership with SG2000. Key members of the Ugandan government also took part, including Edward Ssekandi, Vice President of the Republic of Uganda; Gen. Moses Ali, Second Prime Minister of the Republic of Uganda; and Tress Bucyanayandi, Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries of the Republic of Uganda.

The celebration began with a National Symposium on Training and Research for Agricultural Development at Makerere University, organized by SAA in collaboration with the university’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. The topic of the symposium was Extension and Training for Agricultural Transformation and recognized the partnership between SAA and Makerere University in executing SAFE for many years through the Department of Extension and Innovation Studies. Topics included: extension for agricultural modernization; strengthening agricultural extension through mid-career training; how to attract youth in agriculture; the relevance of universities in agricultural transformation: going beyond the rhetoric of gender in agriculture; and more. Oniang’o chaired the symposium’s opening session about Borlaug’s legacy and said, “Dr. Borlaug believed in young people as future farmers and as advocates against hunger.”

Students and faculty from schools around the country took part in debate, drama, essay and dance competitions. Prizes were awarded to the winners at the closing ceremony. Photo: Adefris Teklewold/CIMMYT

A special video tribute to Borlaug – “Play it hard – the Borlaug Way” – was shown during the opening session, with words of acknowledgment for CIMMYT. This was followed by a video message from Carter. Representatives of organizations that had links to Borlaug through SAA honored his legacy.

Sasakawa recounted the story of how his father approached Borlaug to establish the SAA and persuaded him to be SAA president. Sasakawa described Borlaug as a “fearless fighter” and said that through SAA, he “not only helped farmers to increase their yield, but he also succeeded in planting the seed of confidence in their hearts.”

Another major event organized in connection with the centenary celebration was the Nile Agricultural and Trade Show at Jinja Town, which is located at the headwaters of the White Nile. The trade fair wasorganized by the Uganda National Farmers’ Federation in collaboration with SAA. The main objective of the trade show was to create a platform whereby different stakeholders – farmers, researchers, manufacturers, consumers, traders, policy makers, students and financial institutions – could meet to identify advances, challenges and comparisons related to Uganda’s agriculture sector. Schoolchildren also staged colorful drama and dance performances at the trade fair to pay tribute to Borlaug for his work with smallholder farmers around the world. Different agricultural technologies and inputs available for adoption were also displayed.

The main event of the commemoration was a two-day symposium held in Jinja, “Take it to the Farmer: The Borlaug Legacy for Uganda.” The symposium was attended by senior Ugandan governmental officials and focused on the enduring results of the Borlaug legacy for both Uganda and Africa. During the symposium, Ssekandi said of Borlaug, “His achievements and contribution to humanity is a long narrative of one man’s love for other people, as exhibited by his contribution to the eradication of hunger in Africa and Uganda.”

As part of the commemoration to honor Borlaug, competitions were held in schools around the country in areas where SAA is working. Students and faculty held debates on agricultural issues, drama and dance performances, and an essay challenge on the status and future of agriculture in Uganda.

Ethiopian government adopts quality protein maize scale-out plan

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The Ethiopian government has embarked on a new initiative to improve nutritional security in the country through the widespread demonstration and use of quality protein maize (QPM), a type of maize that contains enhanced levels of protein. The new government initiative is a high-level endorsement of CIMMYT’s five-year Nutritious Maize for Ethiopia (NuME) project.

One of NuME’s goals is to promote the delivery and use of QPM seeds. Photo: NuME staff

The principal goal of NuME is to improve the food and nutritional security of Ethiopians through the widespread application and use of QPM and improved agronomic practices that increase productivity. NuME project leader Adefris Teklewold said, “The new government initiative will play a major role in making the QPM technology and inputs available to a larger number of maize farmers living beyond NuME target woredas (districts).”

The key aspects of NuME are in the government QPM scale-out plan, “Strengthening Quality Protein Maize Promotion and Seed Supply Systems in Ethiopia.” The plan sets a target to increase the area producing QPM in Ethiopia to 200,000 hectares in 2015-2017, roughly 10 percent of the total land currently devoted to maize production in the country.

After critical review and enrichment by key stakeholders, the initiative was approved by Ato Wondirad Mandfero, State Minister of Agriculture, as “an initiative that links agriculture and nutrition.” Mandfero issued directives for the initiative’s immediate implementation in high-potential maize growing areas in the country, as well as the inclusion of QPM technology dissemination in the regular government extension program starting this year. The Ethiopian government’s agricultural extension program focuses primarily on assisting small-scale farmers to improve their productivity by disseminating research-generated information and technologies.

Many Ethiopian families depend on maize as their staple food source, but ordinary maize lacks essential amino acids and a maize-based diet can leave children at risk for protein deficiency. Photo: NuME staff

An alliance of key government institutions engaged in the agriculture sector, including the Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency, the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), other key development partners and CIMMYT support the scale-out plan and will work together to help execute a variety of initiatives to fulfill the food and nutritional security of Ethiopians.

The government initiative will create synergies with NuME and expand QPM through more field demonstrations and field days. NuME is achieving success with these methods, but the government expansion will make the QPM technology and inputs available to a larger number of maize farmers living beyond NuME project woredas. The government initiative will also create opportunities for more collaborators to participate in the effort and thus for more experience-sharing and impact on the ground. According to Teklewold, “The ultimate winner will be small-scale Ethiopian farmers who will have access to the technology through a wide variety of outlets and extension services.”

A sizable number of Ethiopian families depend on maize as their staple food source. However, a maize-based diet is generally deficient in the essential amino acids lysine and tryptophan. This can leave families — and particularly children — at risk for protein deficiency, especially in circumstances where intake of alternative protein sources is limited.

NuME promotes QPM, maize varieties developed by CIMMYT scientists through conventional breeding that contains enhanced levels of protein compared to common maize varieties. Two CIMMYT scientists (Dr. Evangelina Villegas and Dr. Surinder Vasal) who worked to develop QPM in the 1980s and 1990s were awarded the World Food Prize in 2000 for their work. QPM helps to fill the lysine intake gap in circumstances where maize is the dominant source of calories and protein and intake of alternative protein sources is limited. This analysis is strongly supported by various studies conducted in West Africa, Latin America and Asia, which concluded that children in vulnerable environments could benefit nutritionally from QPM consumption1.

Key objectives outlined in the scale-out proposal include:

  • Identifying options to enhance seed businesses and impact pathways by identifying constraints and opportunities in the seed value chain.
  • Enhancing the capacity of regulatory agencies and developing systems to track improved seed use and impact.
  • Demonstrating and creating awareness of seed companies and farmers regarding the performance and nutritional superiority of QPM varieties.
  • Providing sufficient quantities of quality of QPM varieties to farmers in a sustainable manner.
  • Supporting seed companies and community-based organizations to improve their capacity in seed production skills, post-harvest seed handling and seed business management to enable them to absorb available QPM varieties and increase quality seed.

The government initiative notes that five QPM varieties have already been officially released by Ambo, Bako and Melkassa Research Centers. Basic and adaptive research activities are being conducted concurrently by different centers of the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) in collaboration with CIMMYT, to develop new improved QPM varieties adapted to different maize production environments and evolving stresses in the country.

As part of the initiative, a strategy will be developed to start QPM adoption by ensuring a sufficient QPM seed supply by:  improving access to credit and coordinated production of all seed categories (breeder, pre-basic, basic and certified) along the value chain; testing and demonstrating a stockist distribution plan for more efficient seed distribution; and providing seed business management and production training to emerging seed producers.

Target areas selected under the initiative include Agricultural Growth Program (AGP) woredas, most of which are in high-potential maize growing areas. An estimated 2.4 million people, comprising some 400,000 households in AGP woredas in Amhara, Oromia, SNNPR and Tigray regions, are expected to benefit from this initiative.

The NuME project is implemented by CIMMYT and funded by Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD). Among CIMMYT’s partners helping to implement NuME are EIAR, the Sasakawa Africa Association/ Sasakawa Global 2000; MoA; the Ethiopian Ministry of Health; the Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute; Farm Radio International; Harvard School of Public Health; universities; agricultural, technical, vocational and educational training centers; and numerous seed companies.

CIMMYT-CCAFS scientists identify maize varieties that can withstand drought and high temperatures in Zimbabwe

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By Florence Sipalla and Jill Cairns/CIMMYT

Schoolchildren singing a song they composed about climate change and agriculture at a field day in Gokwe, Zimbabwe.

CIMMYT scientists working on the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) have identified the most suitable maize varieties for high temperature and drought-prone environments in Zimbabwe. The scientists have been conducting research on drought- and heat-tolerant maize varieties in areas that are vulnerable to climate variability and climate change in Zimbabwe. Working in collaboration with Sustainable Agriculture Technology (SAT), a local NGO, the scientists are testing the suitability of drought- and heat-tolerant varieties as a solution to challenges farmers face in “climate hotspots.”
These farmers are vulnerable to climate change due to erratic and limited rainfall, a situation that is worsened by increasing temperatures. “To identify these areas, we looked at climate change patterns across Zimbabwe which allowed us to identify five wards: Bikita, Gokwe, Gutu, Mutare and Zaka,” said CIMMYT physiologist Dr. Jill Cairns. The scientists then downscaled projections of monthly changes in rainfall and temperature in these wards to confirm their vulnerability and get a better understanding of the seasonal changes likely to occur by 2050.

In this maize demonstration plot, crop management was done using hand weeding.

In partnership with SAT, scientists are screening drought- and heat-tolerant maize varieties in demonstration plots using different farmer-managed practices that are accessible to local communities. “SAT has very good links to extension leaders, which has helped us reach the community,” said Cairns. “It holds field days at each demonstration location and has managed to engage locally.” During these events, farmers are provided with information on climate change, improved maize varieties and modern agricultural practices. Cairns said highlights from field days she has attended included seeing schoolchildren sing about climate change and agriculture, and a group of HIV-positive women singing about agriculture and improved seed. The drought-tolerant maize varieties used in this study are from the Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA) project breeding pipeline, which is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The research on heat is a component of DTMA being funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

SIMLESA Phase II up and running

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By Gift Mashango and Mekuria Mulugetta

Members of the project management committee discussed SIMLESA’s second phase during a 1 July planning meeting in Addis Ababa.

Phase II of the Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Legume Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa project (SIMLESA) began 1-4 July with a series of planning meetings in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. SIMLESA-II is a five-year project funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR).

Members of the project   management committee   (PMC) met on 1 July  to ensure that management and  implementing partners have a  common understanding of project  objectives, targets, milestones,  indicators and the assignment  of coordination responsibilities.  The PMC includes Olaf Erenstein,  director of the Socio-economics  Program; Bruno Gérard,  director of the Conservation  Agriculture Program; Mekuria  Mulugetta, SIMLESA project coordinator; Daniel Rodriguez  of the Queensland Alliance for  Agricultural and Food Innovation;  and Peter Craufurd, SIMLESA strategy leader.

Based on lessons learned from SIMLESA’s first phase, the PMC adjusted the design of activities, timelines and strategies for scaling out SIMLESA practices to farmers.  One recommendation was to assign a coordinator to each of SIMLESA’s four objectives: Paswel Marenya for objective one, Isaiah Nyagumbo for objective two, Peter Setimela for objective three and Michael Misiko for objective four. The PMC noted that during the first phase, research scientists were operating in silos, and they urged the scientists to work as a team since the project objectives and activities are more closely linked in the second phase.

Olaf Erenstein, director of CIMMYT’s Socio-economics Program, addressed CIMMYT scientists, SIMLESA national coordinators and partners during a SIMLESA planning meeting.

The PMC also appointed a committee to spearhead the selection of partners for competitive grants in each country. The committee will consist of the national coordinator for each of the five target countries, an ACIAR representative, a project steering committee member, the objective four leaders and a PMC member. The two new partners, the International Livestock Research Institute and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture, are responsible for forage- and soil science-related activities, respectively.

A joint meeting with SIMLESA country coordinators was held on 3-4 July. The coordinators gave presentations on achievements of the first phase and lessons learned, plus the challenges and strategic plan for the second phase. Planned project activities for the second phase are not homogeneous across the SIMLESA countries; they are guided by the country’s priorities, the amount of support that will be required and the opportunities for scaling out. Discussion centered on strategies to scale out new technologies to more than 650,000 small-scale farmers by 2023.

At the end of the meeting, all participants agreed on an implantation plan that will be further refined at the national level during country-specific planning and review meetings.

CIMMYT Maize Program scientists assist African plant breeding academy training program in Kenya

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By B.M. Prasanna and Rita Mumm/CIMMYT

The first group to take part in the African Plant Breeding Academy training program included 24 scientists from 11 countries in Africa.

The African Plant Breeding Academy (AfPBA) held   a two-week training course on plant breeding at   the World Agroforestry Centre campus in Nairobi 15-28 June. The AfPBA is a continuing education program organized by the University of California, Davis and an initiative of the African Orphan Crops Consortium. It is designed to sharpen skills of plant breeders across Africa on the use of new technologies and current proven approaches to improve genetic gains and efficiencies, leading to increased food security, and to promote innovative research on African orphan crops. The program, which debuted in December 2013, consists of three two-week sessions. This was the second session, with the final session scheduled for December.

The first group of students in the AfPBA has 24 young scientists from 11 countries in Africa — Burkina Faso, Côte-d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and Zimbabwe — and includes four women. The core instructors for the session were Bruce Walsh (University of Arizona), Iago Hale (University of New Hampshire), Allen Van Deynze (University of California, Davis), and Rita H.  Mumm (University of Illinois), who also directs the AfPBA and will become a member of the CIMMYT Board of Trustees at its September meeting.

Topics covered in this session included multiple trait selection approaches such as selection indices and marker-assisted selection; multi-year, multilocation experimental designs and data analysis tools; approaches to phenotypic evaluation including specialized testing environments and use of secondary traits; and ways to manage and exploit geneenvironment interaction. AfPBA’s practice is to present concepts, principles and tools, then demonstrate these in action through actual breeding programs. This provides an opportunity for AfPBA students to ask practical questions about breeding targets and means to achieve them.

A team of CIMMYT Global Maize Program scientists based in Nairobi were invited to demonstrate some of the breeding concepts in action. On 19 June, B.M. Prasanna and his team presented their approaches and accomplishments pertaining to stress-resilient and nutritionally enriched maize germplasm development and delivery in the tropics (Prasanna); drought-tolerant maize for Africa (Tsedeke Abate); water use-efficient and insect-resistant maize germplasm for Africa (Stephen Mugo); nitrogen use-efficient germplasm for Africa (Bish Das); maize lethal necrosis in east Africa (George Mahuku); nutritionally enriched maize for the tropics (Dan Makumbi); molecular markerassisted breeding and genomic selection for maize improvement (Kassa Semagn and Yoseph Beyene); doubled-haploid technology for enhancing genetic gains and breeding efficiency (Prasanna and Sotero Bumagat). The students were quite enthusiastic about the interaction with CIMMYT scientists, and they shared their views on the improved maize development and deployment strategies in Africa.

World Food Prize winner boosts wheat training at CIMMYT

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By Karen Willenbrecht/CIMMYT 

This classic photo of Dr. Sanjaya Rajaram, left, and Dr. Norman Borlaug studying data at the Ciudad Obregón experiment station in the 1990s was taken by Gene Hettel of the International Rice Research Institute. The photograph has been in CIMMYT’s archives for years, but there was no information about the photographer. We’re delighted to learn more about the photo and to give Hettel credit for his work.

Two additional trainees — one from Afghanistan and one from Ethiopia — had the opportunity to participate in CIMMYT’s Basic Wheat Improvement Course this year, thanks to the generous donation of US$ 20,000 by Dr. Sanjaya Rajaram, former director of CIMMYT’s Global Wheat Program (GWP) and winner of the 2014 World Food Prize.

“Training is something very close to my heart, and I would like to see more donors supporting this important function at CIMMYT,” he said during a 3 July visit to CIMMYT headquarters.    When he presented the check to CIMMYT last fall, Rajaram said he “hoped it would serve as an example to other people who believe in training.”

Rajaram started his CIMMYT career as a post-doctoral fellow, working alongside Dr. Norman Borlaug.  He then went on to lead the bread wheat breeding team from 1973- 1995 and develop wheat varieties   among the most widely-grown  worldwide. He served as director of the GWP from 1996 to 2002.

Sanjaya Rajaram, left, presents a check to Hans-Joachim Braun.

In his four decades at CIMMYT, Rajaram trained more than 400 wheat scientists. “He influenced so many trainees who lead wheat breeding in their home countries, and many became national research leaders,” said current GWP Director Hans-Joachim Braun.

Find out how Dr. Rajaram has influenced top CIMMYT scientists in our new video series, which debuted this week on YouTube. Dr. Ravi Singh, a wheat breeder, talks about his mentor in the first video.