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.

CIMMYT quality protein maize hybrids shine in 2005-06 trials

Written by on November 17, 2006. Posted in News.

In global trials during 2005-06, white-grained, quality protein maize (QPM) experimental hybrids from CIMMYT significantly outyielded the best seed industry checks. QPM grain contains nearly twice normal maize’s levels of the essential amino acids, lysine and tryptophan. Normal and single-cross (two inbred lines as parents) QPM hybrids were tested at 15 locations in Latin America, Asia, and Africa, and three-way-cross (an inbred line and a single-cross hybrid as parents) QPM hybrids were tested at 44 locations in Central America, Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela. The best white-grained QPM hybrids beat the best seed industry checks across country sites and at more than 50 individual locations.

“This is a new generation of QPM hybrids,” says CIMMYT maize breeder and Distinguished Scientist, Hugo Cordova. “In Mexico two of the experimental hybrids out-yielded the checks by 28% and 38%. Ear rot was heavy in Central America in 2005 as a result of Hurricane Stan, but the best QPM hybrids showed damage levels well below those seen in seed industry checks.”

Cordova, who has led QPM research and dissemination with partners since the mid-1990s, recently visited a trial sown in the field of a farmer in Tepalcingo, Morelos State, Mexico, by former CIMMYT maize breeder, Narciso Vergara, now working with the company BIOFABRICA SIGLO XXI, which markets QPM and biofertilizers as package.

During 2006 partners in the Agrosalud Project, funded by CIDA-Canada and implemented by CIMMYT, are conducting nearly 600 demonstrations worldwide involving QPM hybrids and varieties. Preliminary results indicate good acceptance by farmers. Production of basic and commercial seed is in progress. The release by national agencies of new QPM cultivars is expected for early 2007.

PHOTO: “This maize has good yield and the ears are clean of rot,” says Farmer J. Jesús Rebolloza Vergara of Tepalcingo, Morelos State, Mexico. He and CIMMYT maize breeder Hugo Cordova stand before a pile of the CIMMYT QPM hybrid 519c, an improved version of a hybrid originally released by the Mexican National Institute of Forestry, Agriculture, and Livestock Research (INIFAP). The same hybrid is being evaluated in El Salvador for release as “Platino” in 2007. Rebolloza lent the 0.6 hectare plot shown here for 2006 trials in which CIMMYT QPM hybrids beat popular seed industry hybrids.

Release of new CIMMYT-derived maize hybrid in Peru

Written by on November 10, 2006. Posted in News.

A new maize hybrid, INIA 609 Naylamp, which yielded as much as 10 tons per hectare in marginal soils, based on data gathered from trials at 36 locations in the agriculturally rich province of Lambayeque, Peru, was released in the provincial capital of Chiclayo on 06 October. INIA 609 Naylamp is one of several Peruvian hybrids developed using CIMMYT inbred lines—two from population 24 and one from population 36—sent to Peruvian breeders 15 years ago.

“Naylamp” was a mythological character of ancient Peru who arrived from abroad to bring civilization to the region. INIA 609 Naylamp was developed by Pedro Injante Silva, breeder at the Vista Florida, Chiclayo, research station of Peru’s Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Extensión Agraria (INIEA). Injante is an alumnus of CIMMYT training courses on crop improvement and maize agronomy in Mexico and Venezuela.

The release ceremony was attended by more than 250 persons, with the Vice Minister of Agriculture Carlos Luna Conroy presiding and dignitaries of other branches of the Ministry of Agriculture from Lambayeque and Chiclayo, from the Regents Commission, and from farmer groups. Testing and promotion of the hybrid during 2003 and 2005 was funded by the Peruvian MOA program INCAGRO. INIA 609 Naylamp also showed excellent performance in trials under zero-tillage.

Corpoica maize ‘V-114’ released in Colombia

Written by on August 18, 2006. Posted in News.

Last 25 July, more than 180 farmers and staff from CIMMYT and CORPOICA, Colombia’s agriculture research organization, gathered in the field of Isabel Cristina Cardenas at Los Palmitos, near Sincelejo, Sucre Department, Colombia, to celebrate the release of the new variety V-114. A product of CIMMYT research in Mexico, Thailand, Peru, and Colombia, and with key contributions from Colombian scientists in evaluation and promotion, V-114 was formerly known as Iquitos 9328 and was developed by Hugo Cordova, Carlos De Leon, Luis Narro and other CIMMYT staff, together with CORPOICA. CIMMYTs Asian Regional Maize Program also improved the variety’s resistance to downy mildew, an important disease of maize in this region of Colombia, prior to its introduction. CORPOICA staff at the ceremony included Paolo Bianchi, Director of the organization’s Turipaná Research Station, while CIMMYT was represented by Luis Narro and me.

Farmers at the field day listed for researchers some of their most highly-valued traits in an improved variety. These included low production costs, yields above 3 t/ha, suitability for use under zero-tillage and for intercropping with cassava, resistance to insect pests, and that the seed can be saved and replanted.

When asked about their experience growing V-114, farmers had the following comments:

V-114 looks like a local variety (criollo) and they think it contains local germplasm because it has variation for kernel color (yellow to reddish) and cob shape. They like this as they associate it with stability and stress tolerance.
Farmer Rigoberto Romero said that when he planted recycled seed of V-114 he obtained the same (good) performance from the second crop as he obtained in the first season, when he planted official (‘certified’) seed.
Farmer Silvio Tovar said that he planted 5 kg of seed as an intercrop with cassava, and harvested 1 ton of maize (equivalent to more than 4 t/ha).

The field day was a celebration of several years of work by CIMMYT and CORPOICA scientists, and a couple years of participatory evaluation work with farmers. It was a pleasure to see the excellent interaction between CORPOICA extension staff and farmers, who exchanged sincere questions, important advice, and quite a few jokes. In addition to lunch, each farmer at the field day was given 5 kg of seed of V-114.

John Niederhauser remembered at Toluca Station

Written by on August 11, 2006. Posted in News.

On Saturday, July 29th the ashes of Dr. John S. Niederhauser, who died in August 2005, were laid to rest in a potato field at the Toluca station, by his son Mr. Roberto Niederhauser and his wife. Niederhauser was a leading researcher on potatoes and co-founder of the Centro Internacional de la Papa (CIP), Perú.

The Niederhausers were joined for the ceremony by Ing. Manuel Villarreal Gonzáles, family friend and Dr. Niederhauser’s work colleague; Ing. Hugo Gómez Arroyo, President of Confederacion Nacional de Productores de Papa; Sr. José Gómez Nieva, a friend and colleague of Dr. Niederhauser; Dr. Héctor Losoya Saldaña, Director de Pictipapa. After visiting the station, the group continued onwards and upwards for a second ceremony at the Nevado de Toluca.

Wheat genetic resource experts at CIMMYT plot global strategy

Written by on July 7, 2006. Posted in News.

The world’s keepers of wheat genetic resources must provide better access to seed and information from their collections, as well as meeting the rising demand for wheat’s wild relatives, DNA mapping populations, and genetic stocks. These conclusions emerged from a meeting of 12 internationally respected experts on the genetic resources of wheat, rye, and triticale. The specialists—who came from Asia, Europe, Australia, and North America—gathered at CIMMYT in Mexico 20-22 June 2006 to develop a global strategy for the conservation and use of the genetic resources of wheat and related species.

Participants decided on five priorities to reach the goals above: (1) developing an integrated information system on the world’s collections; (2) addressing deficiencies in the management of important collections; (3) ensuring that key collections are adequately backed-up; (4) addressing gaps in the genetic diversity conserved in global collections, with particular emphasis on wild relatives; and (5) augmenting collections of genetic stocks—materials that contain specific genetic characters, genes, or gene constructs.

The meeting was sponsored by the Global Crop Diversity Trust, an initiative founded by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI). “Wheat is probably the largest and most important crop, in terms of number of collections and accessions conserved by national programs around the world,” says Brigitte Laliberté, scientist at the Trust, which seeks to ensure the conservation and availability of crop diversity for food security worldwide. “The proposed global wheat conservation strategy will guide the allocation of funds from the Trust to secure key reference collections in perpetuity.”

Payne on the radio

Written by on June 16, 2006. Posted in News.

payne en el radio Tom Payne, head of the CIMMYT wheat collection in the Wellhausen-Anderson Genetic Resources Center will be heard on the stations of National Public Radio in the United States later this month. He was interviewed this week for a story about the launching of a new genebank project in Norway. The interview was conducted over the telephone by NPR journalist Dan Charles from a studio in Washington DC. NPR sent their Mexico City journalist, Karina Pais to record Tom’s answers to the questions.

Norway announced that it will dig a large cave deep inside a frozen mountain on the arctic island of Svalbard with the capacity to hold copies of all the world’s crop seed varieties. Norway says the arctic cold will provide a failsafe backup for the world’s major genebanks, like the one at CIMMYT, which depend on electricity to keep their refrigeration equipment running. The Norwegian project is expected to be ready in 2007.

New CIMMYT-based maize hybrid released in Colombia

Written by on June 9, 2006. Posted in News.

Colombia’s Agriculture and Livestock Research Corporation (CORPOICA) has released a new maize hybrid, CORPOICA PALMIRA H-262, for the country’s Cauca Valley Department. The new single-cross hybrid, which yielded more than 9 tons per hectare on average in tests in the region, was developed using acid-soil-tolerant inbred lines CLA176 and CLA215 from CIMMYT, according to Luis Narro, Center maize researcher in South America.

“This shows how quality breeding materials developed for certain environments—in this case, acid soils—can be successful in a range of settings,” according to Narro, who says that acid-tolerant maize is routinely evaluated for yield potential in locations, such as Cauca Valley, with fertile soils and normal pH.

The new hybrid emerged from tests in Cauca Valley in 2001, with support from the Colombian Ministry of Agriculture, to find a variety that would out-yield available commercial hybrids. CORPOICA and CIMMYT assembled a trial comprising 20 hybrids—17 experimental hybrids from CIMMYT, and 3 commercial checks. “H-262 won out not only for its high yields, but also because it yields well under diverse conditions and has good grain quality: semi-flint type, and good for making the popular food ‘arepas,’ ” Narro says.

Dominated by the river which gives the Department its name and home to nearly 3 million people, the Cauca Valley is the country’s leading sugarcane producer. Farmers there also grow maize on some 20,000 hectares; just over half of it on holdings of less than 30 hectares.

The hybrid was released in February 2006 in a ceremony attended by CORPOICA Director General Arturo Vega, Colombian farmers, researchers, and policymakers. Diego Aristizábal Quintero, Director of CORPOICA’s Palmira facility, thanked CIMMYT and others who contributed to the development of H-262.

“I would like to take this opportunity to recognize CIMMYT’s close and effective collaboration, the participation of FENALCE, and the support of the Ministry of Agriculture, whose funds allowed us to obtain the product that we are proudly turning over today for the benefit of the Valley’s farmers…” At the time of release, 8.2 tons of seed of H-262 were available—enough to sow more than 500 hectares.

Jorge Bolaños remembered

Written by on May 5, 2006. Posted in News.

The 52nd annual meeting of the Central American Cooperative Program for Improvement of Crops and Animals (PCCMCA), held in Nicaragua 24-28 April 2006, was dedicated in memoriam to Jorge Bolaños. Jorge was remembered in the opening ceremony with words by Noël Pallais, Director of INTA, Chris Dowswell (on behalf of Norman Borlaug), and Nicaraguan President – and Jorge’s father – Enrique Bolaños.

At least 200 people crowded in the meeting hall to remember Jorge and reflect on his many contributions to Nicaragua, CIMMYT, science, farmers, family and friends. A brief video was shown with footage of Jorge meeting with journalists, talking with friends, interacting with farmers, and smoking his trademark cigars. Among the many things said of Jorge, perhaps the most memorable were the words of a poor Nicaraguan farmer who could scarcely conceal his disbelief and appreciation that this son of the President was meeting, talking and “rubbing elbows” with him in his remote village.

Jorge was also remembered for his leadership of the PRM, the Swiss-funded Central American regional maize program; scientists credit Jorge with modernizing the way they conduct research both individually and collaboratively.

Of course, Jorge was well known to the CIMMYT community. He was a bright physiologist, known worldwide for his research at CIMMYT on drought tolerance in maize. Jorge was also known for his special friendship with and support of field workers, particularly at the Tlaltizapan field station, where he conducted much of his drought tolerance research. Jorge was a unique, flamboyant character: outspoken, humorous, irreverent, intellectual, fun-loving, unforgettable.

Published 2006

CIMMYT hosts high level visitors

Written by on April 14, 2006. Posted in News.

Showing our best to some high level donor representatives was the name of the game the week of March 20 as CIMMYT played host to several important visitors. Ms Jacqueline Schafer, Assistant Administrator Bureau of Economic Growth Agriculture and Trade (EGAT), USAID came with three colleagues. Their original plan to leave in mid afternoon was shelved when Ms Schafer decided to stay longer and spend more time with CIMMYT staff. Among the stops on her tour – an explanation of conservation agriculture work for small holder farmers. Mr. Fernando Delgado, Field Superintendent in Toluca came to make an enthusiastic presentation on the long term conservation agriculture plots at El Batan.

Former Japanese Prime Minister, Mr. Ryutaro Hashimoto, also visited. He was escorted on his tour by Director General Iwanaga and several of CIMMYT’s Japanese scientists. These visits gave CIMMYT staff the chance to talk about the impact of agricultural research for development and key roles Centers like CIMMYT play in helping alleviate poverty. This message is especially important at a time when donor countries are assessing their funding priorities. A

Also visiting CIMMYT headquarters were the Palestinian Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Walid Abed Rabboh, and Dr. Amor Chermiti Director General of INRA, the national agricultural research program of Tunisia.

Published 2006