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Prof. Jianbing Yan, Former CIMMYT maize scientist, appointed as the new President of Huazhong Agricultural University, China

Written by dmedina on . Posted in News.

Huazhong agricultural university (Photo: Wallhere)

Prof. Jianbing Yan, a former maize scientist at CIMMYT, has been appointed as the President of Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU) in Wuhan, China on 20th August 2024. Jianbing was part of the CIMMYT family working on maize genetics and molecular breeding from 2006 to 2011. He worked as a Joint Post-Doctoral Associate between CIMMYT and Cornell University from October 2006 to September 2008, as an Associate Scientist from October 2008 to August 2009, and as a Scientist from September 2009 to March 2011. Due to his excellent work on Provitamin A biofortification in maize grain, Jianbing received the Japan International Award for Yong Agricultural Researchers in 2010, and the DuPont Young Professor Award in 2011. He also received the Outstanding CIMMYT Alumnus Award in 2014.

Jianbing joined HZAU as a full professor in April 2011. He served as the Vice Dean of the College of Life Science and Technology of HZAU from 2013 to 2017, as the Dean of the College of Plant Science and Technology of HZAU from 2017 to 2020, and as the Vice President of HZAU from 2019 to 2024.

Prof. Jianbing Yan

Jianbing is renowned in the research areas of maize genetics, genomics, and big data-driven breeding. He was the winner of the 2022 L. Stadler Mid-Career Award from the Maize Genetics Cooperation; the award is given to an outstanding maize scientist who has been in a permanent position for between nine and 20 years and has an outstanding track record of discovery research in maize genetics. Jianbing also received multiple national awards, including the National Natural Science Foundation for Excellent Youth in 2012, the National Youth Top-notch Talent Support Program in 2013, the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars and the Chair Professor of Cheung Kong Scholars Programme in 2015, etc.

Huazhong Agricultural University is recognized as a first-class agricultural university worldwide. It has a total of 14 disciplines listed as the Top 1% of ESI (Essential Science Indicators), including Plant & Animal Science, and Agricultural Sciences. HZAU and CIMMYT jointly hosted a webinar on Intelligent Agriculture in 2020. CIMMYT is one of the four funder institutes for the Global Food Security Association for Young Scientists hosted by HZAU, which was officially launched in December 2022 to connect young scientists around the world, working in the fields of food security. The 1st and 2nd Global Food Security Forums for Young Scientists were co-organized by HZAU and CIMMYT in Wuhan in 2022 and 2023, respectively, to inspire future generations of scientists to communicate and exchange ideas on cutting-edge agricultural research. Dr B.M. Prasanna, Director of CIMMYT Global Maize Program, CIMMYT, has been serving as the member of the International Advisory Committee of HZAU since 2022.

CIMMYT looks forward to building strong partnerships with HZAU in strategic and applied research of crop improvement, sustainable agrifood systems, and capacity building of next-generation agricultural researchers.

 

CIMMYT’s Matthew Reynolds receives 2024 China Friendship Award

Written by dmedina on . Posted in News.

Matthew Reynolds, Distinguished Scientist and Head of Wheat Physiology at CIMMYT, is the recipient of the 2024 China Friendship Award. This recognition highlights his cutting-edge research to enhance the climate resilience and yield of wheat cropping systems, as well as his dedication to fostering collaboration between CIMMYT and China.

Researcher, Innovator, Collaborator, Mentor

During his 35-year tenure at CIMMYT, Reynolds has played a pivotal role in developing a new generation of advanced wheat lines based on physiological breeding approaches. This work has led to the creation of more resilient wheat varieties from diverse gene pools, significantly boosting yield potential.

Reynolds is the eighth CIMMYT scientist to receive the China Friendship Award. His numerous accolades include being an elected member of the Mexican Academy of Sciences and earning fellowships with the American Society of Agronomy and the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), the latter representing the society’s highest individual honor. He has also been honored with the prestigious 2024 International Crop Science Award by CSSA.

A prolific author in crop physiology and genomics, Reynolds actively promotes international collaboration among wheat scientists, tapping expertise and emerging technologies that enhance plant science. He provides young scientists with mentorship and opportunities to engage in agricultural research. He also leads key initiatives, such as the International Wheat Yield Partnership (IWYP) and the Heat and Drought Wheat Improvement Consortium (HEDWIC), which leverage collective expertise and innovations to improve yields and climate resilience.

About the China Friendship Award

The China Friendship Award is the highest honor given by the Chinese government to foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to China’s economic and social progress. It was established in 1991 by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs under the authorization of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China. As of September 2024, a total of 1,998 experts from over 80 countries and regions have received this award.

Photo: CIMMYT

Wheat breeding strategies for increased climate resilience

Written by dmedina on . Posted in News.

Wheat breeding strategies for increased climate resilience

With the challenges of climate change already affecting plant breeding, especially warmer days and warmer nights, the time to future proof the world’s food supply is now. In order to make the best-informed changes, scientists at CIMMYT ran simulations mimicking five scenarios that might play out over the next 70+ years.

The researchers used 3,652 breeding line records from six global nurseries administered by the International Wheat Improvement Network, which is coordinated by CIMMYT, and involves hundreds of partners and testing sites worldwide. Researchers ran the data through five different climate change scenarios, ranging from stable to severe.

Along with colleagues from Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China, ICARDA, and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, CIMMYT scientists published their research in Nature Climate Change.

The results showed that less than one-third of wheat varieties adapted well to the warming the planet has already seen in the last 10 years. As temperatures increased in the simulation, researchers found a clear connection between rising temperatures and lower stability for a variety. As the global wheat-growing area becomes warmer and experiences more frequent heatwaves, breeding programs have to look beyond just yield optimization.

“Stability is key for breeding programs and farmers,” said co-lead author Matthew Reynolds, CIMMYT distinguished scientist and head of wheat physiology. “Knowing that a specific variety works well in a specific environment and produces an expected amount of yield allows farmers better plan their crop futures.”

“We performed the analysis from different perspectives, so that climate effects and appropriate adjustment suggestions for current breeding models can be considered from climate change, gene selection and/or gene–environment interaction perspectives,” said co-lead author Wei Xiong, CIMMYT Senior Scientist and Agricultural System Modeler.

The paradox of breeding elite lines

Local and regional breeding programs, as well as targeted breeding by CIMMYT, contribute to gene pools that overlap for many key agronomic traits, which limit genetic diversity.

“It is an unintended consequence,” said Reynolds. “As conventional breeding focuses on crossing the best and elite material, such focus can actually reduce genetic diversity.”

This ‘paradox’ shows the need to increase genetic variability and environmental diversification in breeding programs that are developing higher-yielding climate-resilient cultivars. Breeding programs also need to target traits associated with improved adaptation to increased temperatures and tolerance to heatwaves, which requires multidisciplinary integration.

Looking to the past for answers

Over the past 10,000 years, the climate has been unusually stable, meaning modern, domesticated bread wheat has not been exposed to wide swings in temperature that are forecast for the next 100 years. Wild wheat relatives, like Triticeae, have had millions of years of experience in weathering changing climates.

CIMMYT has a pre-breeding program that examines wild wheat races and more exotic sources for climate resilience traits. When such traits are identified genetically, new breeding techniques such as gene editing can be employed and breeding models refined.

To activate these new techniques, several barriers need to be overcome, including more sharing of germplasm between countries and breeding teams, the use of faster breeding cycles where appropriate and improved understanding of genes that improve heat tolerance without a yield penalty.

With reduced climate resilience and slow cultivar development, the need to increase genetic variability for climate adaptation is urgent, particularly in developing countries, where warming rate is unprecedented, and breeding cycles tend to be longer than in developed countries.

“Faced with more climate variability, breeders need to revisit their breeding strategies to integrate genetic diversity that confers climate resilience without penalties to productivity,” said Reynolds.

African, Chinese stakeholders convene in Kenya amid call to transform food systems

Written by dmedina on . Posted in In the media.

The Africa-China-CIMMYT Science Forum in Nairobi gathered experts from China and Africa to explore strategies for transforming agrifood systems through innovation and cooperation. Organized by CAAS and CIMMYT, the forum emphasized the importance of collaboration in addressing food security, rural poverty, and climate resilience in Africa. Key discussions focused on the benefits of technology transfer and research partnerships to support smallholder farmers and advance agricultural modernization across the continent.

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CIMMYT and China join forces to tackle wheat disease in Africa

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in News.

While wheat acreage has been increasing across the whole of Africa, the sub-Saharan countries account for a significant proportion of the total growth and yield, equaling an area of approximately 3.1 million hectares and a production of more than 9 million tons. However, in recent years, Fusarium head blight (FHB) or head scab has become a major disease in the region, causing significant reductions in yield and quality due to the lack of resistant varieties and management tools.

In China, a successful wheat shuttle breeding program by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) and CIMMYT for improving FHB has existed since the 1980s. Additionally, CIMMYT and the Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (JAAS) have provided an FHB screening station in Nanjing since 2019. With a wealth of experience in confronting the disease, this ongoing partnership can help to solve the challenges currently faced by farmers in Africa.

To this end, CAAS, JAAS, and CIMMYT organized a training workshop on FHB management for Africa, which took place with financial support from China Aid in Beijing and Nanjing, China, between 10 and 23 April 2024. Twenty participants, 45% of which were women, attended the workshop, with specialists in wheat breeding, pathology, seed quarantine, and other related fields at public institutions in Ethiopia, Zambia, and Lesotho.

“This is the first time China has worked with an international organization to conduct an agricultural training workshop for sub-Saharan Africa,” said Zhonghu He, CIMMYT distinguished scientist and country liaison officer in China.

A hands-on demonstration at the Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (JAAS) and CIMMYT Fusarium head blight (FHB) precision phenotyping platform helps scientists in Africa to better understand and fight the wheat disease. (Photo: Liu Xiyan/CAAS)

Practical tools to target FHB

Experts from China and CIMMYT shared their successful experiences of FHB management, including breeding resistant varieties. The trainees benefitted from hands-on experience of FHB identification, disease screening (including inoculum preparation, inoculation, and scoring), mycotoxin quantification techniques, and wheat breeding.

At the end of the workshop, the participants were extremely pleased to observe the impressive progress made in China on wheat FHB both on breeding and disease control, and they expressed strong willingness to contribute to collaboration between Africa, China, and CIMMYT on more wheat breeding and research. Netsanet Bacha Hei from the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) was impressed with the scientific and technical expertise provided in the training and mentioned that sub-Saharan Africa needs similar practical trainings to mitigate the threat of FHB. Similar opinions were echoed by Doreen Malekano Chomba from the Zambian Plant Quarantine and Phytosanitary Service (PQPS), who discussed the need to have an effective in-country surveillance and monitoring to assess and manage FHB in the region.

Participants gather for the opening ceremony of the workshop at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) in Beijing. (Photo: Li Simin/CAAS)

Xu Zhang, who heads the FHB research program at JAAS, is very appreciative of the collaborative work that has been going on for several decades between CIMMYT and China, highlighting that the workshop represents another step in understanding and managing FHB in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond, Zhang said, JAAS and CIMMYT has grown together through strong partnership.

“This training lays firm groundwork for future China-Africa-CIMMYT collaboration on mitigating the threat of FHB and improving wheat production and food security in sub-Saharan African countries,” said He.

PARC pioneered, climate resilient wheat varieties

Written by dmedina on . Posted in In the media.

The “Sino-Pak Research Activities on Wheat Genomics” seminar, featuring CIMMYT-CAAS China’s Prof. Dr. Zhonghu He, highlighted the CIMMYT’s contributions to enhancing wheat genomics for better productivity and food security. Hosted by PARC at NARC, the event underscored advancements in breeding technologies and molecular markers, aiming to develop climate-resilient wheat varieties and foster Sino-Pak collaboration in agricultural research and innovation.

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Pakistan-China wheat breeding cooperation ensures Pakistan’s food security, UN SDGs: experts

Written by dmedina on . Posted in In the media.

The Pakistan-China collaboration on wheat production, supported by CIMMYT, focuses on enhancing wheat yield and quality in Pakistan to bolster food security. Through sharing Chinese technological advancements and leveraging CIMMYT’s expertise, this partnership is developing resilient, nutrient-rich wheat varieties, aiming for sustainable agriculture and progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

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MARA-CIMMYT Joint Laboratory hosts CGIAR delegation

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in News.

CGIAR delegation arrives at the Joint Laboratory. (Photo: CIMMYT)

Several experts from across CGIAR, including Sonja Vermeulen, managing director of Genetic Innovation, Hugo Campos, CIP deputy director, Sarah Hearne, CIMMYT Genetic Resources program director a.i., and Charlotte Lusty, Genetic Innovation senior director gene banks, the Alliance Bioversity-CIAT, visited the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs MARA-CIMMYT Joint Laboratory on 25-26 January 2024.

The MARA-CIMMYT Joint Laboratory, hosted by Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), is a global leader in Chinese wheat quality and molecular development and application and plays a significant role in variety development, serving as an entry point for international collaboration.

The visit follows a China visit from CIMMYT’s Director General Bram Govaerts. “We remain committed to strengthening collaboration ties by continuing wheat and maize germplasm introduction, and climate change adaptation and carbon sequestration, two key issues we discussed, bearing in mind that our partnership with China is mutually beneficial and contributes to the world’s food security,” said Govaerts.

“The partnership between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and CIMMYT sets the standard for collaboration among CGIAR organizations and government ministries,” said Vermeulen. “And the timely and effective facilitation of the CAAS is a key part of this venture’s success.”

CGIAR delegation stands with Zhonghu He. (Photo: CIMMYT)

CIMMYT Distinguished Scientist and the Country Representative for China, Zhonghu He, presented the history and achievement of the China-CIMMYT partnership.

“CIMMYT maize varieties have been planted on more than 1 million hectares across China and three thousand new inbred lines were introduced to broaden the genetic base of Chinese maize germplasm,” said He. “The MARA-CIMMYT partnership has released thirteen commercial maize varieties in Nepal and elsewhere.”

The delegation received a first-hand look at noodle quality evaluation and gave high recommendation to the wheat variety Zhongmai 578, derived from CIMMYT germplasm with high-yield potential and excellent pan bread and noodle qualities. It is planted on half a million hectares across China, with a yield of six-thousand tons, leading to both improving farmer income and enhancing the competitiveness of the food industry in China.

Building on fifty years of collaboration, a visit by Chinese politicians to CIMMYT in Mexico breeds new opportunities for tackling global agricultural challenges

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on . Posted in News.

Tang Renjian, former governor of Gansu province, China, and current Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and CIMMYT Director General, Bram Govaerts. (Photo: CIMMYT)

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs for China, Tang Renjian, visited CIMMYT headquarters on Thursday, 11 January, along with dignitaries from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) and the Embassy of China. Tang, the former governor of Gansu province in China, attended the site with the aim of building on collaborative scientific work between his country and CIMMYT through the Joint Laboratory for Maize and Wheat Improvement in China.

CIMMYT was delighted to host Tang to showcase the benefits of the CIMMYT-China relationship for wheat and maize, and to identify opportunities for sustained collaboration. The highly regarded minister was able to hear about work including genetic analysis service for agriculture and methods to close the gap between farmers and research, as well as to observe CIMMYT’s facilities and field experiments. The meeting laid the foundations for potential future CIMMYT-China projects in areas such as germplasm exchange, molecular breeding, climate-resilient technology, and training.

Bram Govaerts, director general of CIMMYT, said, “Showcasing our science to Tang is an exciting chance for CIMMYT and China to grow what is already a fruitful partnership, impacting millions of people globally.”

Exemplifying impactful global partnerships

Since 1974, the CIMMYT-China relationship has improved the lives of millions of people via numerous evidence-based scientific projects, with support from the Chinese Academy for Agricultural Sciences (CAAS). Through five decades of partnership, the collaboration has resulted in up to 10.7 million additional tons of wheat for China’s national output with a value of US $3.4 million.

CIMMYT’s contribution to China’s wheat and maize is significant. In terms of wheat, 26% of wheat grown in China has been derived from CIMMYT germplasm since the year 2000, with Chinese scientists adding more than 1,000 accessions to the CIMMYT gene bank. CIMMYT maize varieties have been planted on more than 1 million hectares in China, with the partnership responsible for the release of 13 commercial varieties.

Renjian and Chinese dignitaries tour CIMMYT’s museum. (Photo: CIMMYT)

In 2023, the Joint Wheat Molecular Breeding International Lab (Joint Lab) launched as a collaborative project between China, Pakistan, and CIMMYT, with the aim of developing new high yield wheat varieties and enhancing capacity for crop breeding and production.

More recently, scientists have played an important role in the free exchange of germplasm between China and countries in Africa, which will help to mitigate against any gene pool loss caused by climate-induced extreme weather events and enable the development of more resilient crop varieties.

Tang said, “Witnessing first-hand the work of CIMMYT’s scientists in Mexico is inspiring. We look forward to exploring further how we can build on the excellent relationship between China and CIMMYT to address global agricultural challenges.”

Govaerts said, “We hope that this partnership continues in order to address the need for nutritious crops and to develop innovative solutions for smallholder farmers.”

Visiting Chinese scholar devoted to agricultural research in Mexico

Written by dmedina on . Posted in In the media.

CIMMYT stands out for its role in agricultural innovation, demonstrated through the dedicated research of visiting Chinese scholar Wang Hui. Her tenure at CIMMYT underscores the center’s pivotal role in driving agricultural advancements through international partnerships, significantly contributing to global food security and scientific development.

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Chewing over the future of global food security

Written by mcallejas on . Posted in News.

CIMMYT Director General, Bram Govaerts, praised China’s recent efforts to curb its reliance on food imports and increase funding for technology-driven breeding techniques, including gene editing. Govaerts suggested such measures have managed to shield China from the unfolding global food crisis that is caused by a mix of factors such as regional conflicts, climate change and rising protectionism.

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Celebrating collaboration in science

Written by mcallejas on . Posted in News.

On the evening of 31 October 2023, CIMMYT held a partnership and alumni event with partners in China. Over 100 people from all over China joined the event in Beijing, which was chaired by He Zhonghu, distinguished scientist and CIMMYT country representative for China.

 

The event centered around the promotion and celebration of mutual collaboration in scientific research. In his opening speech, CIMMYT Director General Bram Govaerts celebrated the progress of the China-CIMMYT partnership, and highlighted what can further be achieved for global food security through continued partnership. His sentiments were echoed by the Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Sun Tan, who expressed his high expectations and strong support for future collaboration between Chinese institutions and CIMMYT.

 

Bram Govaerts presents on China’s and CIMMYT’s partnership. (Photo: Lu Yan/CIMMYT)

The event saw four Chinese institutions sign agreements with CIMMYT to promote mutual partnership: the Institute of Crop Sciences at CAAS, Huazhong Agricultural University, Henan Agricultural University, and Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Additionally, a ceremony was held in which 28 alumni and four partner institutions received awards for their contributions to scientific collaboration.

A fruitful partnership

China and CIMMYT have had a fruitful partnership over the past 45 years in areas including shuttle breeding, genomic research, sustainable crop systems and trainings that have greatly contributed to strengthening China’s food security with positive spillover effects to neighboring countries in the region.

The successful CIMMYT-China collaboration in shuttle breeding from the 1980s laid the foundations for the establishment of CIMMYT’s office in China in 1997. Bilateral cooperation then expanded to set up a Joint Lab between CIMMYT and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MOARA), in which more than 20 Chinese agricultural research institutes also participated. More recently in 2019, CIMMYT and the Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences jointly opened a new screening facility for the deadly and fast-spreading fungal wheat disease, fusarium head blight.

Bram Govaerts and Fan Shenggen receive an award from former visiting scientists. (Photo: Lu Yan/CIMMYT)

CIMMYT has transferred approximately 26,000 wheat seed samples to more than 25 institutions in China, which are now using these materials in their breeding or crop improvement programs. As a result of these efforts, 300 wheat cultivars derived from CIMMYT germplasm have been released and are currently grown on 10% of China’s wheat production area. This collaboration between CIMMYT and China has yielded 10.7 million tons of wheat grain with an estimated value of $3.4 billion.

Additionally, CIMMYT-derived maize varieties have been planted on more than one million hectares across China, and 3,000 new inbred maize lines have been introduced through CIMMYT to broaden the genetic base of Chinese breeding efforts in southwestern provinces.

Championing Global Cooperation to Crack Global Challenges

Written by mcallejas on . Posted in In the media.

Thomas A. Lumpkin, talks to China Today about his views on global coordination and cooperation, and reiterates his belief that China and the U.S. should play a leading role by working together. Lumpkin also discusses his interest in China’s traditional farming techniques and calls for stronger bilateral cooperation to address common global challenges.

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