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Location: Americas

CIMMYT has several offices in the Americas, including global headquarters in Mexico and a regional office in Colombia. Activities are supported by an additional 140 hectares of stations in diverse agro-ecological zones of Mexico. CIMMYT’s genebank in Mexico stores 27,000 maize and 170,000 wheat seed collections – key to preserving the crop genetic diversity of the region. CIMMYT projects range from developing nutritionally enhanced maize to mapping regional climate change hot spots in Central America. The comprehensive MasAgro project aims to increase wheat production in Mexico by 9 million tons and maize production by 350,000 tons by 2030. CIMMYT promotes regional collaboration and facilitates capacity building for scientists, researchers and technicians.

FONTAGRO project holds workshop in Colombia

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FontagroThe FONTAGRO project “Development of Maize Lines Combining Drought Tolerance and Ear Rot Resistance as a Way to Mitigate the Effects of Climate Change and Minimize Mycotoxin Contamination” held a workshop during 11-14 September 2012 in Monteria, Colombia. The workshop was jointly organized by CIMMYT and Sergio Mejía of CORPOICA and gathered participants and collaborators from Peru, Panama, Honduras, and Colombia. The participants were trained in concepts of seed production and explored ways to link with seed companies so that quality seed products can reach farmers. They were also trained in harvesting techniques and collecting agronomic data of the validation trials.

The FONTAGRO project has led to the release of two varieties combining drought tolerance and resistance to ear rots and mycotoxins which have already been registered and released in Honduras. Two additional varieties are currently in the process of being validated for release in Colombia and Nicaragua. Mycotoxins result from fungal infection of maize kernels and have detrimental health effects when contaminated grain is consumed by humans and livestock. They have the potential to cause acute and chronic health problems through direct consumption, consumption through animal products, skin contact, and inhalation. Pre- and post-harvest technologies have been an effective method of reducing mycotoxins in maize.

“Through the generous support of the Director of Corpoica Turipana, the course went on very well,” stated George Mahuku, FONTAGRO project leader. During his opening remarks, Mahuku highlighted the successes of the project in validation and distribution of maize varieties and hybrids. “The project has also made progress in creating awareness of the health hazards from mycotoxin contamination,” stated Mahuku.

Luis Narro from CIMMYT-Colombia discussed current developments in maize breeding and the genesis of hybrid maize production. FĂ©lix San Vicente, leader of International Maize Yield Consortium (IMIC)-Latin America, discussed the IMIC concept and CRPs MAIZE and WHEAT, as well as ways to channel products from this project into the CRP/IMIC concept to increase diffusion and distribution. Cesar Ruiz from Semivalle, a private seed company based in Colombia, provided insights into the seed industry and the interactions between public institutions and private seed companies, a crucial component of the project enabling improved varieties to reach farmers. Alba Arcos, a CIMMYT-Colombia PhD student, presented on doubled haploid technology and how this can be harnessed to accelerate inbred line development combining different favorable traits.

“The meeting was a success and the project has generated many products in three years, including information on the incidence and prevalence of aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination of maize. We hope that we can leverage more funding to ensure that these products are widely tested throughout Latin America,” stated Mahuku. Overall, the FONTAGRO project and its network of collaborators have generated more than 6,000 doubled haploid lines combining drought tolerance and ear rot resistance.

During the workshop, collaborators discussed next steps for the project. A possible link to leverage funding from IMIC and CRP MAIZE to continue the network of breeders, researchers, and seed companies were discussed as follow-up items. A Spanish language course on doubled haploid technology will take place at the end of November at CIMMYT headquarters in El BatĂĄn, Mexico. The workshop will draw upon the results of the Monteria workshop and promote linkages throughout the region of Latin America.

Phenotyping, plant breeding and precision agriculture in Peru

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The National Agricultural Innovation Institute, through the Vista Florida Experiment Station in Chiclayo, Peru, in collaboration with CIMMYT, organized the workshop “Phenotyping in plant breeding and precision agriculture” during 27-29 August 2012. The objective was to demonstrate and discuss innovative agricultural technologies and platforms that can contribute to making agriculture more modern and profitable.

Attending the workshop were 76 representatives from national institutions such as INIA, Peru’s agrarian universities, seed companies and agribusinesses, regional organizations, the International Potato Center (CIP) and FAO. The workshop consisted of lectures and field practices on the use of tools such as GPS, SPAD, and GreenSeeker. One of its strengths was the high level of interaction between instructors and participants, and the feedback given by farmers and seed company staff.

Course instructors were JosĂ© Luis Araus of the Plant Biology Department of the University of Barcelona, Spain; Llorenc Cabrera-Bosquet of the Plant Ecophysiology Laboratory for Environmental Stress, Montpellier, France; Argemiro Moreno Berrocal of the Plant Breeding Department, National Coffee Research Center, Colombia, and Luis Narro from CIMMYT’s regional office in Colombia.

During the workshop, instructors stressed the importance of technologies and tools that support precision agriculture, such as remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS). They also emphasized land-based and hand-held sensors such as SPAD-502 and GreenSeekerTM, which, among other things, can be used to improve nitrogen use efficiency in maize.

Course instructors indicated the usefulness of GIS not only for storing, organizing, and analyzing spatial data, but also for relating and geo-referencing information from different sources in support of decision making. They also showed that GPS can be used to layout plots, determine distances, and estimate plot area.

Also highlighted was the need to develop new phenotyping methodologies to improve maize tolerance to drought and other biotic stresses. A topic of discussion was the use of stable oxygen and carbon isotopes to evaluate yield potential and drought tolerance. As for phenotyping under controlled conditions, phenotyping platforms were described, particularly the PhenoArch platform located at INRA, Montpellier, France.

INIA Agricultural Research Director Enrique La Hoz and Miguel Monsalve Aita, Director of the Vista Florida Experiment Station, indicated the importance of this type of event for updating both researchers and farmers on new tools that can help make agriculture more modern and profitable. Carlos Zañartu Otoya, President of the Lambayeque Seed Producers’ Association, mentioned the Association’s intention to promote the information provided during the event and offered to help organize future workshops.

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CIMMYT at the 1st Agro-biodiversity and Agro-products Fair

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2012-09-08-15.22.26National Service Seed Inspection and Certification (SNICS) and National Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (SINAREFI) organized the first Agro-biodiversity and Agroproducts Fair in Xochitla Ecological Park, Tepozotlan, Mexico, during 7-8 September 2012, to promote conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources of crop species which originated in Mexico (maize, squash, bean, avocado, tejocote, poinsettia, and vanilla). Production techniques, crop diversity, biodiversity, handicraft, agro-industrial processing, and culinary products were demonstrated to a large audience of farmers, educators, private entrepreneurs, policy-makers, donors, and international institutions representatives.

2012-09-08-15.30.06CIMMYT participated in the fair through its Seeds of Discovery (SeeD) initiative under the Genetic Resources Program. Martha Willcox (SeeD maize phenotyping coordinator) and Carolina Saint Pierre (SeeD wheat phenotyping coordinator) presented maize and wheat collections from the CIMMYT genebank and a poster prepared by Paulina GonzĂĄlez and Bibiana Espinosa from the germplasm bank emphasizing the importance of seed conservation and its long-term benefits for humanity. CIMMYT team was also represented by Isabel Peña, Institutional Relations Head, who provided visitors with information on CIMMYT. The CIMMYT booth was visited by many students, professors, and farmers. The students and professors expressed a particular interest in CIMMYT’s publications on maize and wheat diseases, conservation agriculture, the SeeD initiative, breeding for drought and low nitrogen tolerance, breeding of native maize (criollos), and grain storage techniques. Farmers were mostly interested in CIMMYT maize collections samples. They also shared their experience working with different types of maize.

The Fair’s program included many interesting presentations. SINAREFI highlighted their conservation networks including custodian farmers of native maize in the states of Sinaloa and Oaxaca. The farmers brought maize ears to demonstrate maize races they produce and maintain on their farms, and discussed the advantages of the dynamic on-site conservation system which allows for farmer selection and adaptation to changing environments. Other members of the agricultural research community were present at the Fair to discuss their recent research activities and demonstrate their products.

The Fair provided opportunities for interaction with local farmers and students from different parts of Mexico, and demonstrated various agro-products and sustainable technologies. CIMMYT’s participation raised public awareness of CIMMYT’s work and created a closer relationship with SNICS and SINAREFI.

Representing CIMMYT at the ICAE in Brazil

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ICAE-socioeconomics1A team of scientists from CIMMYT’s socioeconomics program participated in the 28th triennial International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE) in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, during 18-24 August 2012. ICAE, which is considered the key platform for the preservation of international agricultural and development economics research, brought together over 700 researchers and provided an opportunity to share new research ideas, methods, and tools.

The CIMMYT team presented more than 20 papers and posters and organized symposia in various sessions. Hugo de Groote and Bekele Shiferaw presented during a preconference workshop on ‘Innovations in Impact Assessment of Agricultural Research: Theory and Practice’ organized by the CGIAR Standing Panel on Impact Assessment. Several externally reviewed papers contributed by the CIMMYT team were accepted for oral and poster presentations during the conference. The presenters included Bekele Shiferaw, Menale Kassie, Olaf Erenstein, Hugo De Groote, Zachary Gitonga, Asfaw Negassa, Moti Jaleta, Sika Gbegbelegbe, Mulugetta Mekuria, and Surabhi Mittal. CIMMYT PhD students also presented their work, which is supported by CIMMYT projects.

CIMMYT and partners organized symposia on the Impact Pathway of Modern ICT on Agricultural Growth in South Asia and Africa (Mittal); Challenges in Assessing and Developing Seed Systems in Emerging Markets (Erenstein); Experimental Methods for Propoor Value Chain Development (De Groote and Matty Demont of Africa Rice Centre); Understanding the Drivers of Sustainable Intensification of Smallholder Agriculture (Mekuria); Challenges in Assessing and Valuing Drought Tolerance in Risk-prone Agricultural Systems (Erenstein); Bio-economic Modeling for Analysis of Food Security and Climate Change (Gbegbelegbe and Shiferaw); and Emerging Role of Grain Marketing Boards (GMBs) in Africa (Shiferaw with Michigan State University partners).

The conference also provided an opportunity to socialize and network with colleagues old and new. The current socioeconomics team enjoyed meeting with former directors Derek Byerlee, Prabhu Pingali, and John Dixon, and former colleague Greg Traxler, for some informative and enlightening discussions.

Gender integration in CGIAR Research Programs

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The move to integrate gender in the organizational and research agenda of the CGIAR Research Programs (CRPs) and Centers is gaining speed, also due to the formation of the ‘CGIAR Gender and Agriculture Research Network’ earlier this year. The network consists of Lead Gender Specialists from each of the 15 CRPs, as well as other social and biological scientists committed to the integration of gender in agricultural research for development.

This network of highly energetic women and men reunited at a workshop hosted by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation during 25-27 July 2012 in Seattle, USA. The objective was to discuss how CGIAR research can contribute to closing the gender gap in agriculture and to explore opportunities for collaboration in gender-responsive research across CRPs. Lone Badstue, CIMMYT Gender Specialist, represented the MAIZE and WHEAT CRPs, and CIMMYT Socioeconomist Tina Beuchelt also participated.

NetworkGroupPhoto“The workshop was a great opportunity to share ideas and lessons learned, to exchange concepts of different gender strategies, as well as to discuss the latest gender-related research methods,” said Beuchelt. The workshop identified four themes for cross-program research on gender and agriculture: (1) engendering agricultural value chains; (2) gender-transformative approaches; (3) gender and technology adoption and diffusion; and (4) gender and nutrition. The participants also agreed upon a shared set of gender-responsive research outcomes that can be jointly monitored to assess progress towards CGIAR System Level Outcomes. Furthermore, they discussed how to measure these outcomes and agreed to continue collaboration on the development and measurement of a shared set of genderresponsive indicators.

An inspiring presentation by Eve Crowley, Deputy Director of the Food and Agriculture OrganizationÂŽs Gender, Equity and Rural Development Division, provided valuable insights on critical success factors for mainstreaming gender in the CRPs and identified good practices that promote mainstreaming.

Topics to work on were many and time flew by in the workshop. As a follow-up to the workshop, a set of joint CRP concept papers on the integration of gender in the CGIAR research agenda will be developed. The group parted sharing the spirit of working together on this topic highly relevant to all CRPs.

Defining priorities for quality research in native maize

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DSC_0127In order to define the research priorities for the Seeds of Discovery initiative in maize quality of landraces (a Strategic Initiative of both CRPs MAIZE and WHEAT funded by Mexico), a diverse group of food scientists, chemists, maize breeders, genebank curators, social scientists, and representatives of research institutions such as UNAM and Chapingo, met for a workshop to discuss future research on quality characteristics within native Mexican maize.

Held during 23-24 April 2012, at MansiĂłn del Quijote, the workshop recognized the need to preserve cultural customs and identify market niches in order to ensure the conservation and use of germplasm. Many native maize landraces are grown by farmers for specific culinary uses. Tlayudas, for example, are normally prepared using native maize from Raza bolita, whilst Pozole is only prepared with pozolero maize belonging to the ancho, cacahuacintle, and eloteros occidentales races. These culinary and cultural niches are not easily filled by standard
commercial hybrids.

The workshop was organized by Martha Willcox (Genetic Resources Program) and Natalia Palacios (Global Maize Program). “We wanted to prioritize specific uses and areas of research,” said Natalia Palacios. “By discussing state of the art research on quality, germplasm conservation
and characterization, and the uses and applications of landraces, we were able to identify some starting points for further research,” she added. Whilst a great deal of work has focused on landrace quality, much of this research has gone undocumented. Therefore, one of the key focuses for 2012 will be on data analysis, documentation, and publication.

“Overall, we hope to identify and characterize accessions with exceptional quality parameters to be used in breeding, both at the landrace level and to introgress into improved breeding lines, in order to provide an economic benefit to farmers,” stated Martha Willcox.

Latin American ministers visit CIMMYT and develop food price crisis strategy

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CIMMYT E-News, vol 5 no. 5, May 2008

may05Skyrocketing food prices recently brought Latin American agriculture ministers from 14 countries and development experts to CIMMYT to seek a way forward for a region characterized by serious rural poverty.

On 26 May 2008, ministers of agriculture and government officials from Belize, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and Venezuela, as well as representatives of international organizations working in agricultural development and the Mexican media—more than 70 persons in all—visited CIMMYT’s headquarters in Mexico to learn about the center’s work and discuss collaborative strategies for addressing the food price crisis. The visit was part of a two-day summit organized by Mexico’s agriculture (SAGARPA) and foreign relations (SRE) ministries, following up on recommendations from a regional summit on the same topic in Nicaragua earlier this month.

Speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Centers of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) in his welcoming talk, CIMMYT Director General Tom Lumpkin emphasized the need to move from the present emergency to a permanent vision for addressing the crisis. “It appears that two decades of complacency about basic food production has finally given way to a sense of urgency,” Lumpkin said. “We must now transform that urgency into a long-term vision, making sensible investments in agricultural research and extension to provide food for our children and our grandchildren.”

Have policy makers forgotten small-scale farmers?

The rising cost of food is being felt around the world, especially by poor people in rural zones. Though often not on the radar screens of policymakers, the rural poor are numerous. A recent paper from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) says there are more than 400 million small farms in developing countries, and that these are home to most of the world’s hungry and disadvantaged. In Latin America and the Caribbean, nearly 64% of the rural population lives below the poverty line, according to a report by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Over the last two decades, the number of poor people in rural areas in the region has increased in both absolute and relative terms, the report says.

SAGARPA and CIMMYT undertake new, joint projects

As the meetings closed, Lumpkin urged “
the governments of Mexico and other countries in the region to re-examine their relationship with CIMMYT and bring new backing for research to increase food production and farm productivity.” In the week following the visit and at the invitation of Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture, Alberto CĂĄrdenas JimĂ©nez, the center has submitted proposals for joint SAGARPA-CIMMYT work to develop, test, and disseminate drought tolerant maize varieties, as well as management practices that reduce small-scale farmers’ losses of stored maize grain to insect pests.

For more information: Rodomiro Ortiz, Director, Resource Mobilization (r.ortiz@cgiar.org)

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Ravi Singh receives prestigious prize

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The University of Minnesota recently announced CIMMYT distinguished scientist Ravi Singh as the recipient of its 2010 E.C. Stakman Award.  Established in 1955 by plant pathologist E.C. Stakman, a pioneer in combating wheat diseases, the award is given to individuals for outstanding achievements in plant pathology. Stakman was also a former professor of Norman Borlaug.

“I feel extremely honored and humbled to receive this highly prestigious award,” Singh said. “Dr. Stakman was a mentor to Dr. Borlaug and is largely responsible for sending him to Mexico in 1944. You wonder whether Dr. Stakman knew or even guessed that this decision was going to change history and save millions of lives.”

Singh, who has been with CIMMYT for over 25 years, is world-renowned for his efforts to control wheat rusts and has trained over 400 young scientists. With this award he joins a long list of notable scientists, including I. A. Watson, who was dean of Sydney University’s College of Agriculture and a former pupil of Stakman himself, and 2007’s recipient, the late Bent Skovmand, former head of wheat genetic resources at CIMMYT, director of the Nordic Gene Bank, and key player in the development of Svalbard International Seed Bank.

Congratulations, Ravi!

Training, a golden rule at CIMMYT-Colombia

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Training is a key CIMMYT activity, and in the CIMMYT-Colombia office it has been essential for all staff. During 08-11 November 2011, CIMMYT colleagues and partners took part in a course on analysis and interpretation of experiments, and genetic designs applied to breeding.

The course was attended by 75 plant breeders, biometricians, and molecular biologists, from a range of institutions such as Colombian and Ecuadorian research centers (CENICAÑA, CENIPALMA, CENICAFE, INIAP), guilds and private seed companies (FENALCE, FEDEARROZ, FEDEPALMA, Dow Agrosciences, Monsanto, Semillas Valle), Colombian universities, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), and CIMMYT. From the CIMMYT biometrics and statistics unit, consultant and University of Chapingo professor Mateo Vargas and researcher Gregorio Alvarado taught how to develop theoretical concepts of experimental designs and demonstrated the use of SAS, Genstat, ASREML, and R to analyze experiments.

Participants praised the course and requested similar courses and training events in the future. The course was organized by CIMMYT maize breeder Luis Narro and CIAT biometrician Myriam Cristina Duque, with funding from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Colombia, as part of a collaborative project with the Colombian Corporation of Agriculture and Livestock Research (CORPOICA) and the Colombian National Federation of Cereals and Legume Growers (FENALCE).

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CIMMYT-Colombia also fosters the professional development of support staff, through CIAT’s employees program. The CIAT fund for human resource development covers as much as half of employees’ training expenses, and they can pursue studies as long as they are able to keep up with their work. Thesis students also have time for research.

CIMMYT-Colombia wishes to recognize the efforts of Joel Bolaños, field worker, who has finished his elementary and secondary studies, and will soon start high school education. Néstor Romero, systems engineer, and Claudio Romero, business administrator, have graduated and will now study agronomy. Alba Lucía Arcos, research assistant, received an MSc in plant genetic breeding, and is now working on a PhD. Luz Karime Gómez, former administrative assistant, received an MSc and has since gone to study for a PhD in international relations in Spain.

Colombian plains project hosts a maize harvest workshop

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AluminioOn 19 August 2011, a workshop was hosted by CIMMYT-Colombia for maize producers, association representatives, and educators and students from various local universities, among others, on the advances of a project to increase maize production in Colombia through the development of improved germplasm adapted to the production systems in the OrinoquĂ­a region (East Plains). The OrinoquĂ­a is an area of plains, covered by pasture and interspersed with rivers and forests; all the rivers terminate in the Orinoco river. The project is coordinated by CIMMYT-Colombia, with support from the Colombian Agricultural Research Cooperation (CORPOICA), Colombian Growers Federation of Cereals and Legumes (FENALCE), International Center of Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Colombia. The workshop took place at the CORPOICA Research Center in Villavicencio, Del Meta District.

As part of the workshop, attendants visited the field and observed the results of trials of maize with tolerance to acidic soils. For this component of the project, 1,000 acidity-tolerant hybrids are being tested in four locations of the Colombian high plains (C.I. La Libertad in Villavicencio; Menegua in Puerto LĂłpez; and Taluma and Carimagua in Puerto GaitĂĄn) in the Meta District. They are also being evaluated for yield potentialand other important agronomic traits which help to increase production and profitability. Workshop participants observed that the yields of the best hybrids evaluated in C.I. La Libertad exceeded 7 tons per hectare, and it is hoped that yields in Carimagua will reach almost 10 tons per hectare. Based on harvest data, from the 1,000 hybrids a 10% subset of those with the best performance will be selected for evaluation in an increased number of locations from 2012. The goal is to make the best five hybrids available to OrinoquĂ­a farmers within 3-4 years. This would make an important contribution to a region where there are enough resources to widen the agricultural frontier and duplicate the current area sown (5 million hectares).

The same project also trialed maize lines known to be susceptible or tolerant to acidic soils. At aluminum saturation levels of 60%, the susceptible lines died during the seedling stage, long before the flowering stage. These results are particularly relevant given that the percentage of aluminum saturation in a native savannah from the OrinoquĂ­a is over 90% and only a few plant species survive.

Biotechnology applied to plant genetic breeding

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A course on biotechnology applications to plant genetic breeding was held during 26-30 September 2011, at La Molina Agricultural University, Lima, Peru. Over 100 scientists from Peru’s National Institute of Agricultural Innovation and Peruvian universities attended the course, which focused on modern concepts and procedures of biotechnology as applied to plant breeding.

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The instructors covered many topics. Myriam Cristina Duque, International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), gave a presentation on biometrics applied to plant breeding, with an emphasis on experimental designs for non-balanced trials. Gary Atlin, CIMMYT, then focused in on heritability, mixed models theory and its application to plant breeding, as well as current uses of sequencing and genomics. Association mapping and analysis of plant genomes using molecular markers and QTL mapping was the subject of a presentation by Marilyn Warburton, USDA, and Luis Augusto Becerra, CIAT, also discussed molecular markers, as well as demonstrating the use of MapMaker and conducting a session on plant gene-based mapping. Luis Nopo, Arkansas State University, spoke about transgenic plant transformation and RaĂșl Blas, La Molina Agricultural University, conducted a practical session on extracting DNA from plants.

Unanimous positive feedback was received from the participants, who suggested that similar courses be held in other locations in order to better disseminate knowledge on current technologies. Resources for the course came from Peru, whose partnership with CIMMYT dates back 10 years, with the objective of developing profitable and environmentally-friendly maize technologies.

CIMMYT looks to further partnerships with Peru

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Following the course on biotechnology for plant genetic breeding in Peru, Gary Atlin (Associate Director, CIMMYT Global Maize Program) and Luis Narro (Coordinator, CIMMYT-Columbia) met with Juan Rheineck Piccardo, Peru’s Vice-Minister of Agriculture on 27 September 2011, to discuss possible further partnerships between CIMMYT and the Peruvian government.

It is hoped that further collaborations would increase maize production in Peru, which currently produces just 40% of its national grain demand. Piccardo expressed interest in the proposals, suggesting that a project should be implemented at the National Institute of Agricultural Innovation (INIA) to select water-efficient maize genotypes. Atlin and Narro then visited the INIA site at Paiján, in the north coastal zone of Peru, to assess it’s characteristics. The area has no rainfall, allowing researchers to control the amount of water the plants receive during development, and the water table is more than 8 meters below ground-level, therefore avoiding interference between underground water and irrigation systems. Dialogues will continue once the selection trial has been established.

INIFAP visit

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As part of a Mexican government initiative to enhance the quality and service of its research organizations, on 20 September 2011 a team of specialists from the National Institute of Forestry, Agriculture, and Livestock Research (INIFAP) spent the day at El BatĂĄn interacting with CIMMYT staff on respective organizational cultures and values, missions and visions, research and business plans, and professional development.

Launching the visit with an overview of INIFAP, forestry support director Juan Bautista Rentería Anima described a rich and challenging research agenda keyed to Mexico’s diverse native crops and cropping environments. “In recent years the emphasis has again shifted to extension,” said Rentería, “trying to reach farmers with our products.”

Prefacing an introduction to CIMMYT, corporate communications head Mike Listman remarked on the strong parallels in scientific and institutional challenges facing both organizations. “I guess it shouldn’t come as a surprise, but we’re talking the same language on these issues” he said. The origins and evolution of CIMMYT are linked to INIFAP history, the director of the institute, Dr. Pedro Brajcich Gallegos, served as a CIMMYT wheat breeder, and both Brajcich and Salvador Fernández-Rivera, INIFAP Coordinator for Research, Innovation, and Partnerships, currently serve as CIMMYT Trustees.

Karen GarcĂ­a, executive director of the Sustainable Modernization of Traditional Agriculture (MasAgro) project launched in 2010, highlighted the key role of INIFAP in the Mexico-funded initiative.

Presentations by Luz George, head of the project management unit, Carolina Roa, head of the intellectual property unit, and Carlos López, head of information and communications technology, addressed services and applications offered by those areas. Bibiana Espinosa, research assistant in wheat genetic resources, also took part in discussions. The event was organized by Isabel Peña, head of interinstitutional relations in Latin America.

The INIFAP team thanked CIMMYT warmly for its hospitality and open sharing of information. In a closing session, Scott Ferguson, deputy director general for support services, thanked the visitors for coming, and emphasized that CIMMYT is still finding its way to more efficient systems and structures: “We’ve doubled our budget over the four years, after 28 years of zero growth in real terms. We are dealing with all the organizational problems of such rapid and dramatic growth, and appreciate the chance to share experiences and ideas with a longstanding partner.”

The INIFAP group comprised Bertha Patricia Zamora, Director of Programs and Strategic Projects; Juan Bautista Rentería Anima, Director of Forestry Support; Vicente Santacruz García, Director of Planning; Ceferino Ortiz Trejo, Director of linking Operative Units; Héctor Peña Dueñas, Director of Human Development and Professionalism; Ramsés Gutiérrez Zepeda, Director of Evaluation and Systems; Francisco Gonzålez Naranjo, Dirección of Efficiency and Accountability; Ricardo Noverón Chåvez, Head of the Legal Unit; Edmundo Mårquez Santana; Director of Scientific Exchange and Cooperation; Miguel Ignacio Moneta Porto, Head of Strategic Information Consolidation; and Omar Chåvez Aguilera, Head of Agreements for Scientific Cooperation.

Matthew Reynolds becomes a Fellow of the ASA

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We are delighted to announce that in October, CIMMYT Wheat Physiologist Matthew Reynolds will be recognized as a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy (ASA) for 2011. The position of Fellow is the highest honor bestowed by the society, and is awarded to a maximum 0.3% of its members. Candidates can be nominated by other members of the society, in recognition of “outstanding contributions in an area of specialization whether in research, teaching, extension, service, or administration and whether in public, commercial, or private service activities.” “It is always helpful and gratifying to be acknowledged by an important, professional organization like the ASA,” said Reynolds. Congratulations!

Conquering climate change with maize hybrids and varieties

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chiclayoA meeting was held during 17-21 January 2011 in Chiclayo, Peru to review progress on developing maize germplasm designed to mitigate the effects of climate change and reduce contamination with mycotoxins. This work is being conducted under the FONTAGRO funded project, “Developing and validating drought tolerant maize to stabilize productivity and reduce mycotoxin contamination resulting from climate change.” The project, which began in 2009 and will run until 2013, seeks to develop and distribute drought tolerant maize varieties that are resistant to ear rots and less prone to mycotoxin accumulation. The improved maize germplasm will be made available to Latin American scientists along with tools and methodologies for developing drought tolerant maize, and detecting mycotoxins in maize grains and products.

The project contributes to the sustainable production of regional maize, maize that each year becomes more exposed to the effects of extreme weather, most vulnerable to drought and climate change. It also ensures that maize is safe for human and animal consumption by addressing the problem of mycotoxin contamination. The consumption of mycotoxins in large quantities, especially aflatoxin, produced by Aspergillus flavus, and fumonisin, produced by Fusarium verticillioides has been associated with liver and esophageal cancer, stunted child growth, malnutrition, and death.

Commenting on the project’s success and upcoming challenges, CIMMYT senior scientist FĂ©lix San Vicente said, “In just the first year of the project we have identified some hybrids and varieties with great adaptation across a wide range of environments in the participating countries. This is very exciting and a testimony to the value of collaborative work. We should encourage and maintain networks to test new materials in diverse environments.”

To sustain this success, a 3-day workshop was held in conjunction with the meeting to harmonize protocols and procedures for the proper establishment, management and evaluation of drought and ear-rot trials. The course was led by San Vicente and fellow CIMMYT senior scientists George Mahuku and Luis Narro. San Vicente focused on the establishment and management of drought trials and CIMMYT’s advances in precision phenotyping for drought tolerance. Narro presented methodologies and protocols for identifying maize germplasm tolerant to acid soils.

Mahuku emphasized proper experiment design for evaluating maize germplasm for ear rot resistance, the effect of mycotoxins on human and animal health, and how to properly handle and process samples for mycotoxin analysis. He informed the participants about how they could utilize CIMMYT’s mycotoxin analysis facilities as well as presented CIMMYT’s advances in adapting the doubled haploid technology to rapidly generate pure inbred lines combing desirable traits.

Using this technology, completely pure (homozygous) lines can be generated in one year, compared to the five-year process of conventional breeding methodologies. CIMMYT currently uses this technology to develop maize germplasm combining drought tolerance and ear mold resistance to develop climate ready maize varieties and hybrids.

The meeting reached out to students, stressing the importance of climate change and mycotoxins to the future generation of scientists and breeders. Karen Viviana Osorio Guerrero, a graduate student from Colombia and funded under the FONTAGRO project, said, “As a student, the meeting was very interesting and allowed me to interact with field experts from all over Latin America. The workshop strengthened my knowledge about climate change, drought and the negative health effects of mycotoxin. I now have a clear idea of what I need to focus on in my studies, and how to do it”.

Overall, the workshop was a success which facilitated learning and collaboration among the participants. “The workshop was well organized and the visit to the experimental station highlighted some of the things that we need to take into consideration when conducting drought trials,” said Roman Gordon Mendoza of IDIAP. “I have learned a few things that I will take back home and implement.”

“The meeting served as a platform to exchange results, review progress, identify opportunities and challenges and find a common gound and understanding. This will allow us to more efficiently execute the project towards a common goal,” said Narro.

But there is still work to be done according to Mahuku. “We are off to a great start and we have made significant progress. We need to maintain the current rhythm, constant dialogue, and use standardized protocols if we are to succeed in delivering climate-ready maize germplasm,” he concluded.

“Developing and validating drought tolerant maize to stabilize productivity and reduce mycotoxin contamination resulting from climate change” is executed in conjunction with INIA (National Institute of Agrarian Research, Peru); IDIAP (Panama Institute of Agricultural Research); CORPOICA (Columbian Cooperation for Agricultural Research); INTA (Nicaraguan Institute of Agricultural Technology); DICTA (Leadership for Agricultural Science and Technology, Honduras); and CIMMYT. FONTAGRO, the Regional Fund for Agricultural Technology, which funds the project, is a consortium of Latin American countries that finance research and innovation of regional interest.