Location: Lao People's Democratic Republic

Enhancing maize seed and feed security

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on May 21, 2024. Posted in News.

Maize is the second most important cereal in Laos after rice, driven primarily by the demand for animal feed in neighboring countries such as China, Thailand, and Vietnam. Laos has an export-oriented maize sector, with most of the country’s production destined for these markets. The sector reached its peak in 2016, when production levels hit 6 metric tons per hectare across an area of 0.26 million hectares.

Over 90% of Laos’s maize production relies on rain-fed agriculture, with maize grain and stover serving as the primary source of feed for smallholder farmers who depend on mixed crop and livestock farming systems for their livelihoods. However, between 2016 and 2022, total maize area and production declined significantly, contracting by 64% and 70%, respectively. Several factors contributed to this decline, including volatile market prices, competition from cassava and other crops, rising production costs, and yield losses due to pests, diseases, and soil nutrient degradation because of monocropping.

Additionally, Laos relies on imported hybrid maize seed, primarily from Thailand and Vietnam, which creates a dependence on external suppliers and exposes farmers to price fluctuations. Recognizing the importance of improving maize productivity and sustainability, the Laotian government is taking steps to enhance local capacity for seed production and ensure access to affordable high-quality feed.

Enhancing local hybrid maize seed production

Recognizing the importance of enhancing the availability and accessibility of quality maize seed and feed, CIMMYT and Laos’s National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI) have initiated the evaluation of high-yielding maize hybrids for both grain and stover quality. In 2023, 12 yellow-kernel maize hybrids developed by the CIMMYT-Asia breeding program underwent evaluation in Laos. The same set of hybrids is undergoing evaluation in 2024 to identify stable and suitable germplasm. According to Siviengkhek Phommalath, director of the rice and cash crop research center at NAFRI, the 2023 evaluation provided promising results, with at least two hybrids performing better or on par with widely grown commercial ones in Laos. These hybrids exhibit high productivity, particularly in terms of grain and stover quality. However, further validation is planned for 2024, with the introduction of additional testing sites to assess performance across various environments.

Following thorough evaluations across multiple years and environments, the most suitable dual-purpose maize hybrids will be allocated to NAFRI by CIMMYT along with their parental lines, to kickstart local seed production. However, the capacity of national partners needs to be strengthened to initiate local hybrid maize seed production effectively, and this necessitates the integration and coordination of efforts among all stakeholders in the seed and feed value chains in Laos.

Capacity building across seed and feed value chains

In response to the need for capacity building in local hybrid seed production and ensuring a consistent supply of high-quality seed and feed to Laotian smallholder farmers, NAFRI has collaborated with CIMMYT under the CGIAR Sustainable Intensification of Mixed Farming Systems (SIMFS), Seed Equal, and Plant Health Initiatives to organize an international training workshop on enhancing access to quality maize seed and feed in the crop-livestock farming system of Lao PDR, which took place from May 7-9, 2024.

The three-day interactive workshop, held in Vientiane, brought together 28 specialists from various organizations, including NAFRI, Souphanou Vong University, the Upland Agriculture Research Center (UARC), Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Offices (PAFO), as well as maize seed importers and grain traders from different provinces within the country.

The first day was dedicated to understanding the challenges and opportunities of the maize seed value chain. Participants were divided into three groups based on their practical backgrounds and invited to discuss challenges, stakeholder roles, and develop actionable recommendations for better coordination across value chains. This multi-stakeholder platform aimed to comprehend the challenges and opportunities of the crop-livestock farming nexus and integrate them into a more sustainable and productive system. It also served as a forum to promote synergistic partnerships among value-chain actors in enhancing local access to good quality seed and feed. The following days focused on various essential components of quality hybrid seed production, including understanding product profiles and market segments, realizing the economics of hybrid maize seed production, seed quality assurance, management of maize pests and diseases, and enhancing maize stover quality.

A collaborative approach

Workshop participants highlighted the challenges they face in acquiring maize seeds from external sources, citing inconsistent delivery times and limited availability of preferred varieties as factors that posed significant operational constraints. “The development of a competitive domestic maize seed system would ensure timely seed supply for farmers and save resources for the nation,” said Maisong Yodnuanchan, an agripreneur from Xiangkhouang province. His concerns resonated with fellow agripreneurs Bounmy Si and Teuang Sophapmixay, from Oudomxay and Hua Phan provinces, respectively, who both acknowledged the challenges associated with the current reliance on imported seeds and the potential benefits of a sustainable, locally produced seed supply.

CIMMYT and NAFRI open a workshop session. (Photo: NAFRI)

The training workshop offered valuable insights into addressing these concerns, providing a comprehensive overview of effective seed system development and the technical aspects of seed production applicable to a wide range of crops beyond maize. “This is the first ever training I received in my career and the knowledge gained will be directly applicable to my research activities at the UARC,” said researcher Malay Soukkhy. Recognizing the unique context of Laos compared to most of its neighboring countries with more established seed systems, AbduRahman Beshir, CIMMYT’s seed systems specialist for Asia and the lead trainer and facilitator for the workshop, emphasized the need for a collaborative approach to develop a custom solution for Laos. The workshop itself exemplified this collaborative spirit, incorporating a variety of engaging formats such as group discussions, lectures, assignments, and participant presentations. Subject matter specialists from CIMMYT offices in Nepal, India, and Kenya, as well as experts from Alliance Bioversity-CIAT and ILRI offices in Asia, shared valuable experiences applicable to Laos’s seed and feed systems.

Cementing partnerships

While addressing the participants, Timothy J. Krupnik, regional director for CIMMYT’s Sustainable Agrifood Systems Program in Asia, opened the workshop by acknowledging the invaluable support of NAFRI for organizing the event and collaborating under the CGIAR mixed farming initiative. He highlighted the imminent finalization of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between CIMMYT and NAFRI, which will pave the way to further cement partnerships and establish a long term CIMMYT operations in Laos.

NAFRI’s Director General, Chanthakhone Bualaphan, presided over the workshop and emphasized the importance of continued collaboration between CIMMYT and NAFRI. Bualaphan requested CIMMYT’s continued focus on capacity building in Laos, encompassing both human resource development and institutional strengthening. She further highlighted the establishment of a specific target for domestic hybrid maize seed production, aligning with the government’s self-sufficiency goals. To translate plans into action, Bualaphan emphasized the need for future training programs to be more action-oriented and practical. She concluded by reiterating NAFRI’s unwavering support for CIMMYT’s expanded activities in Laos, with the ultimate objective of significantly improving the livelihoods of Laotian farmers. The workshop culminated with the presentation of certificates to participants and the development of a collaborative follow-up plan for deploying well-tailored maize germplasm within the mixed farming system of Laos.

CIMMYT leads innovation sprint to deliver results to farmers rapidly

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on December 5, 2022. Posted in Features.

Smallholder farmers, the backbone of food systems around the world, are already facing negative impacts because of climate change. Time to adapt climate mitigation strategies is not a luxury they have. With that in mind, the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM4C) facilitates innovation sprints designed to leverage existing development activities to create a series of innovations in an expedited timeframe.

At the UN COP27 in Egypt, AIM4C announced its newest round of innovation sprints, including one led by the International Center for Maize and Wheat Improvement (CIMMYT) to enable smallholder farmers to achieve efficient and effective nitrogen fertilizer management. From 2022 to 2025, this sprint will steer US $90 million towards empowering small-scale producers in Africa (Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe), Asia (China, India, Laos and Pakistan), and Latin America (Guatemala and Mexico).

“When we talk to farmers, they tell us they want validated farming practices tailored to their specific conditions to achieve greater productivity and increase their climate resilience,” said Sieg Snapp, CIMMYT Sustainable Agrifood Systems (SAS) program director who is coordinating the sprint. “This sprint will help deliver those things rapidly by focusing on bolstering organic carbon in soil and lowering nitrous oxide emissions.”

Nitrogen in China

Working with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), the sprint will facilitate the development of improved versions of green manure crops, which are grown specifically for building and maintaining soil fertility and structures which are incorporated back into the soil, either directly, or after removal and composting. Green manure can significantly reduce the use of nitrogen-based fertilizers, which prime climate culprits.

“There are already green manure systems in place in China,” said Weidong Cao from CAAS, “but our efforts will integrate all the work being done to establish a framework for developing new green manure crops aid in their deployment across China.”

Triple wins in Kenya

The Kenya Climate Smart Climate Project, active since 2017, is increasing agricultural productivity and building resilience to climate change risks in the targeted smallholder farming and pastoral communities. The innovation sprint will help rapidly achieve three wins in technology development and dissemination, cutting-edge innovations, and developing sets of management practices all designed to increase productive, adaption of climate smart tech and methods, and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Agricultural innovations in Pakistan

The Agricultural Innovation Program (AIP), a multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral project funded by USAID, led by CIMMYT, and active in Pakistan since 2015, fosters the emergence of a dynamic, responsive, and competitive system of science and innovation that is ‘owned’ by Pakistan and catalyzes equitable growth in agricultural production, productivity, and value.

“From its beginning, AIP has been dedicated to building partnerships with local organizations and, smallholder farmers throughout Pakistan, which is very much in line with the objectives and goal as envisioned by Pakistan Vision 2025 and the Vision for Agriculture 2030, as Pakistan is a priority country for CIMMYT. However, a concerted effort is required from various players representing public and private sectors,” said Thakur Prasad Tiwari, senior scientist at CIMMYT. “Using that existing framework to deliver rapid climate smart innovations, the innovation sprint is well-situated to react to the needs of Pakistani farmers. “

Policies and partnerships for innovations in soil fertility management in Nepal

The Nepal Seed and Fertilizer (NSAF) project, funded by USAID and implemented by CIMMYT, facilitates sustainable increases in Nepal’s national crop productivity, farmer income, and household-level food and nutrition security. NSAF promotes the use of improved seeds and integrated soil fertility management technologies along with effective extension, including the use of digital and information and communications technologies. The project facilitated the National Soil Science Research Centre (NSSRC) to develop new domain specific fertilizer recommendations for rice, maize, and wheat to replace the 40 years old blanket recommendations.

Under NSAFs leadership, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MOALD) launched Asia’s first digital soil map and has coordinated governmental efforts to collect and analyze soil data to update the soil map and provide soil health cards to Nepal’s farmers. The project provides training to over 2000 farmers per year to apply ISFM principles and provides evidence to the MOALD to initiate a balanced soil fertility management program in Nepal and to revise the national fertilizer subsidy policy to promote balanced fertilizers. The project will also build efficient soil fertility management systems that significantly increase crop productivity and the marketing and distribution of climate smart and alternative fertilizer products and application methods.

Public-private partnerships accelerate access to innovations in South Asia

The Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA), established in 2009, has reached more than 8 million farmers by conducting applied research and bridging public and private sector divides in the context of rural ‘innovation hubs’ in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. CSISA’s work has enabled farmers to adopt resource-conserving and climate-resilient technologies and improve their access to market information and enterprise development.

“Farmers in South Asia have become familiar with the value addition that participating in applied research can bring to innovations in their production systems,” said Timothy Krupnik, CIMMYT systems agronomist and senior scientist. “Moreover, CSISA’s work to address gaps between national and extension policies and practices as they pertain to integrated soil fertility management in the context of intensive cropping systems in South Asia has helped to accelerate farmers’ access to productivity-enhancing innovations.”

CSISA also emphasizes support for women farmers by improving their access and exposure to improved technological innovations, knowledge, and entrepreneurial skills.

Sustainable agriculture in Zambia

The Sustainable Intensification of Smallholder Farming systems in Zambia (SIFAZ) is a research project jointly implemented by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Zambia’s Ministry of Agriculture and CIMMYT designed to facilitate scaling-up of sustainable and climate smart crop production and land management practices within the three agro-ecological zones of Zambia. “The Innovation Sprint can take advantage of existing SIFAZ partnerships, especially with Zambia’s Ministry of Agriculture,” said Christian Thierfelder, CIMMYT scientist. “Already having governmental buy-in will enable quick development and dissemination of new sustainable intensification practices to increase productivity and profitability, enhance human and social benefits while reducing negative impacts on the environment.”

Cover photo: Paul Musembi Katiku, a field worker based in Kiboko, Kenya, weighs maize cobs harvested from a low nitrogen trial. (Florence Sipalla/CIMMYT)

CGIAR Initiative: Sustainable Intensification of Mixed Farming Systems (SI-MFS)

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on September 20, 2022. Posted in Uncategorized.

Most agricultural production in the Global South takes place in mixed farming systems, which allow farmers to diversify risk from single crop production, use labor efficiently, access cash and add value to products. Key drivers — climate change, population pressure, urbanization, water scarcity, changing diets, volatile food prices — mean that flexible and accelerated changes in mixed farming systems will be needed to achieve global targets such as the Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainable intensification, or the production of more food on the same piece of land while reducing the negative environmental impact, is a viable avenue.

Two types of hurdles must be overcome to adequately meet the challenge at farming systems level. One hurdle is to ensure efficient coordination, integration and transfer of innovations, information, tools and standardized methodologies. A second hurdle is to integrate multiple biophysical and socio-economic thematic-level outputs and identify strategies that minimize trade-offs and maximize synergies, resulting in multiple impacts at scale.

Objective

This Initiative aims to provide equitable, transformative pathways for improved livelihoods of actors in mixed farming systems through sustainable intensification within target agro-ecologies and socio-economic settings.

Activities

This objective will be achieved through:

Analyzing status, trends and future dynamics of mixed farming systems to identify entry points for equitable sustainable intensification, to mitigate negative impacts of change and seize emerging opportunities for livelihoods.
Building methods and tools for sustainable intensification of mixed farming systems to support decisions on what kind of sustainable intensification might work where, and for whom, in specific contexts.
Participatory co-design of mixed farming systems with evidence-based, validated sustainable intensification innovation packages that are responsive to improving efficiency, equity and resilience, in regions where mixed farming systems dominate the landscape.
Advancing and supporting scaling of innovations, through strategic partnerships and building the capacity of relevant actors in scaling approaches — a gender-transformative approach will be central to all innovation and scaling design to enhance equity.
Capacity-building for mixed farming system design and analyses, to support long-term impact on university and college students, scientists, extension agents, farmers, private sector, policy makers and development actors.

Outcomes

Proposed 3-year outcomes include:

Smallholder farmers use resource-efficient and climate-smart technologies and practices to enhance their livelihoods, environmental health and biodiversity.
Research and scaling organizations enhance their capabilities to develop and disseminate innovations.
Smallholder farmers implement new practices that mitigate risks associated with extreme climate change and environmental conditions and achieve more resilient livelihoods.
Women are youth are empowered to be more active in decision-making in food, land and water systems.
National and local governments utilize enhanced capacity to assess and apply research evidence and data in policymaking processes.

Traditional mixed maize farming system in northern Laos. (Photo: H. Weyerhaeuser/CIMMYT)

Fall armyworm survey marks CIMMYT’s first research project in Laos

Written by Matthew O'Leary on May 13, 2020. Posted in Features.

A major farmer survey is gathering data to understand how smallholders in Laos are responding to fall armyworm invasion and develop agroecological management options to control its spread.

The study, led by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in partnership with the Lao Farmer Network (LFN) and the National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI), is CIMMYT’s first official research initiative in the country.

Farmer surveys are being conducted in some of the country’s key maize farming areas, recording attempts to manage the pest and laying the groundwork to raise awareness on sustainable best-bet agroecological strategies that promote a healthy system approach to maize farming, says Horst Weyerhaeuser, a scientific program consultant working with CIMMYT.

“Currently, researchers, policy makers and extension officers possess little information on fall armyworm pest management and control in Laos,” he explains. “The survey is working to build a knowledge-base.”

In June 2019, CIMMYT and national research scientists confirmed that fall armyworm, a global pest that affects the food security of millions of maize farmers, was present in the country.

Working with CIMMYT, LFN trained lead farmers to conduct surveys and collect data from farmers in their local areas. The network has also been distributing a series of infographics and videos in local languages, developed by CIMMYT and translated with major support from HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation and the Lao Farmer Rural Advisory Project, to describe appropriate pesticide use and sustainable farming practices to limit impact on harvests.

“The survey data explores how farmers respond to the armyworm in their maize fields, so that integrated pest management strategies can be promoted for successful pest control and especially to limit excessive use of harmful pesticides,” says Phoutthasinh Phimmachanh, who leads the LFN secretariat. “The survey also asks about farmers’ plans for the upcoming rainy season and if they experienced a fall armyworm infestation in 2019 will it change their crop selection and planting schemes.”

The initiative is part of a larger strategy to work with government and farmers in southeast Asia to build a knowledge base on sustainable maize farming through the CGIAR program on MAIZE. Due to the impact of COVID-19, researchers are currently exploring options to continue these and additional surveys digitally and via telephone.

As maize farming increases, so does the risk fall armyworm poses to farmer livelihoods

A woman in Oudomxhai, Laos, stands in her maize field damaged by fall armyworm. (Photo: H. Weyerhaeuser/CIMMYT)

Maize is becoming an increasingly important cash crop in southeast Asia as diets change and consumer preferences for white meat and pork drive a transition from subsistence to commercial maize feed production. Farmer focus groups in northern Laos suggest that maize sales deliver more than 60% of smallholders’ annual cash income.

“Maize is the only cash crop for thousands of smallholder farmers in Laos. Fall armyworm poses a credible threat to their livelihoods and could push them to a vicious circle of poverty and damage to the environment,” explains CIMMYT economist Amjath Babu.

“We want to confirm anecdotal accounts suggesting uninformed farmers are buying whatever pesticides they can get their hands on in a bid to control the pest’s impact on harvests. This reaction mimics that of initial farmer responses in sub-Saharan Africa when the pest first broke out there in 2016.” In this sense, he adds, CIMMYT’s partnership with LFN helps to measure the implications of fall armyworm and the potential for this pest to reduce farmers’ profit margins while encouraging unsustainable pesticide use.

Pesticides must be used with extreme caution and only appropriately if they are to be a part of any fall armyworm management regime, warns CIMMYT Senior Scientist Tim Krupnik.

“The pest has particular habits — like living under leaves, hiding in hard to reach places of the plant, and feeding mainly at night,” he explains. “This makes indiscriminate application of insecticides relatively less useful.” It could also inadvertently contribute to the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services through overuse of pesticides that cause mortality for natural enemies and parasitoids.

Scientists want to explore whether the higher production costs farmers may incur through additional insecticide purchase is encouraging a shift from maize cash crop monocultures to a more diverse production including replacement or rotations with cassava, fodder crops, and rotational grazing, where feasible.

“By building an evidence base we can work with the National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute,the agricultural department and farmers to build sustainable, resilient maize farming systems that ensure farmers continue to cash in on maize while diversifying production into sensible alternative crops, with emphasis on protecting their health and the environment,” Babu adds.

Fall armyworm survey part of a larger increase in maize research in southeast Asia

The expansion of maize in Laos has been accompanied by a progressive decrease in landscape and agricultural biodiversity, as farmers respond to opportunities to export maize at relatively profitable prices, largely to neighboring Vietnam and China, by resorting to an expansion of slash-and-burn agriculture with shortened fallows. The rapidly growing demand for maize has resulted in unsustainable farming systems intensification, explains Krupnik, with many farmers clearing forests to plant, and using excessive amounts of herbicides to keep weeds at bay.

“Combined with the fall armyworm invasion, potentially dangerous pesticides have been added to this scenario, with quite concerning potential consequences for further biodiversity loss and contamination of mountain streams by agrochemicals,” he says.

“Projects run by Helvetas, which has helped support our research through coordination and convening efforts, have measured dangerous levels of pesticides in the blood of samples taken from farmers and their families and government officials.”

Maize is important for income generation, but more sustainable and diverse cropping systems are needed to reduce the impact on biodiversity, while avoiding the worst pesticides that comprise human health. The data generated from this research will help design strategies to respond to these problems with more appropriate agricultural practices.

The ministry of agriculture has welcomed support from CIMMYT’s maize systems experts to aid in building a base of knowledge to inform the development of agricultural policy, says Chay Bounphanousay, director general of the National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute. “With the rise of maize farming and the associated challenges and opportunities it brings, an increase in research will inform agricultural policy to improve farmer livelihoods while protecting the environment.”

Cover photo: Traditional mixed maize farming system in northern Laos. (Photo: H. Weyerhaeuser/CIMMYT)

Responding to fall armyworm in Lao PDR

Written by Emma Orchardson on May 13, 2020. Posted in Uncategorized.

Highland maize production systems in Southeast Asia are crucial in that they generate considerable income for otherwise impoverished farmers in remote upland areas. However, they are largely unsustainable, involving destructive slash and burn agriculture, with increasingly short fallow times between crops. Additionally, and in response to historically favorable maize markets, many farmers now plan to expand maize cultivation areas, which is anticipated to have serious consequences for biodiversity loss and ecosystem services.

The arrival of fall armyworm adds additional pressures that could lead to intensification of management practices and over-use of insecticides; a partial transition away from maize as farmers respond to the pest by growing other crops and initiating new land use practices; and increased use of sustainable intensification practices that employ agroecological options for fall armyworm management.

Responding to fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith) with data, evidence and agroecological management options in Lao PDR is a research project funded through the CGIAR Research Program on Maize (MAIZE). It sees CIMMYT partner with the Laos Farmer Network (LFN) and the National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI) to understand how smallholders in the country are responding to fall armyworm invasion and develop agroecological management options to control its spread.

Working with CIMMYT, LFN will train lead farmers to conduct surveys and collect data from farmers in their local areas. The network will also distribute a series of infographics and videos in local languages, developed by CIMMYT and translated with major support from HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation and the Lao Farmer Rural Advisory Project, to outline appropriate pesticide use and sustainable farming practices to limit impact on harvests. An estimated 2,000 farmers will receive information on research results and fall armyworm management advice.

The results will offer evidence-based insights allowing LFN and the Lao Upland Rural Advisory Service (LURAS) project to plan future extension and development activities more effectively, while also identifying crucial additional research needs given these urgent issues and circumstances.

This research will yield actionable lessons and position LFN and the LURAS project to provide farmers with context-specific and agroecological fall armyworm management advice that responds to insights derived from farmer surveys that characterize pest incidence and severity, and relates them to farmers’ management practices, farm- and landscape-biodiversity, and location.