Skip to main content

Location: Asia

As a fast growing region with increasing challenges for smallholder farmers, Asia is a key target region for CIMMYT. CIMMYT’s work stretches from Central Asia to southern China and incorporates system-wide approaches to improve wheat and maize productivity and deliver quality seed to areas with high rates of child malnutrition. Activities involve national and regional local organizations to facilitate greater adoption of new technologies by farmers and benefit from close partnerships with farmer associations and agricultural extension agents.

11th Asian Maize Conference is the BIGGEST yet

Written by on . Posted in News.

The 11th Asian Maize Conference “Addressing climate change effects and meeting maize demand for Asia” took place during 07-11 November 2011 in Nanning, China. Nearly 375 scientists and resource personnel from 22 maize-growing countries participated, along with representatives of several large seed companies and NGOs.

AMC
The conference was jointly organized by CIMMYT and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), and hosted by the Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences (GXAAS) and the Guangxi Maize Research Institute (GMRI). The choice of location recognizes the increasing demand for maize in China; whilst China grows more maize than any other crop, and produces 180 million tonnes annually, it also imports nearly 14 million tonnes. China’s expanding middle class is eating more poultry, eggs, and pork; meat consumption in China has tripled since 1980 and China currently accounts for half the world’s consumption of pork. Of the total maize produced in Asia, 70% is used to feed animals, whilst just 23% is used for direct consumption.

Maize consumption is also increasing in other Asian countries: in Indonesia, imports of maize are estimated to double from 2010 levels to 3.2 million tonnes this year, and at 16 million tones, Japan is the world’s largest importer of maize. These increases are expected to continue.

The conference was opened by Yangrui Li (President, GXAAS), Ren Wang (Vice-President, CAAS), Thomas Lumpkin (Director General, CIMMYT), and Chen Zhangliang (Vice-Governor, Guangxi Provincial Government). They highlighted the growing importance of maize in the developing world, especially Asia, and the need for strong international collaborations to address challenges in maize-based systems.

Keynote speakers included BM Prasanna (Director, Global Maize Program, CIMMYT), Shihuang Zhang (Chief Expert, Crop Science Institute, CAAS), Greg Edmeades (retired scientist and former CIMMYT Maize Physiologist), Daniel Jeffers (Maize Breeder, CIMMYT-China), Gary Atlin (Associate Director, Global Maize Program, CIMMYT), Roberto Tuberosa (University of Bologna, Italy), Kevin Pixley (Director, Genetic Resources Program, CIMMYT), Adrian Johnson (Vice-President, International Plant Nutrition Institute), Bekele Shiferaw (Director, Socioeconomics Program, CIMMYT), and Yiqing Song (CAAS), along with many invited speakers. They covered a range of topics from conservation agriculture systems, to site-specific nutrient management and nutritionally improved maize. Sessions also highlighted recent developments in the CIMMYT-led MAIZE comprehensive research program, including technological advances such as the use of double haploids, phenotyping tools, and the large-scale genotyping initiative, Seeds of Discovery.

Participants also discussed the increasing frequency of natural disasters in Asia, and the effects these have on food production. Floods in Pakistan, droughts in China, and water stress in India have all impacted the ability of Asian maize producers to meet consumption demands.

The conference concluded with a Maize Field Day, organized by Cheng Weidong at the GMRI research station, where landraces and promising hybrids were demonstrated. Participants praised the success of the conference, with Bijender Pal (Senior Maize Breeder, Bioseed) stating: “The conference was very well organized, with excellent lectures by the experts on various key aspects, and a comprehensive treatment of the key issues for maize in Asia.”

Warming up to the conference with the MAIZE Asia Interface

As a preface to the Asian Maize Conference, almost 70 scientists, representatives of private sector seed companies, members of the International Maize Improvement Consortium of Asia, and NGOs participated in the MAIZE Asia interface on 07 November 2011. Chaired by CIMMYT’s Director General, Thomas Lumpkin, the meeting aimed to present the main strategic initiatives and vision of the MAIZE project to key Asian partners and stakeholders, outline challenges, promote collaborations, and discuss how to disseminate relevant technologies for the benefit of smallholder maize farmers in Asia.

Conservation agriculture for rainfed smallholder maize systems of eastern India

Written by on . Posted in News.

During 19-23 October 2011, Birsa Agriculture University (BA7U), Jharkhand, India, hosted a short course on “Conservation Agriculture in Rainfed Small Holder Maize Farming Systems”, under the aegis of the IFAD “Sustainable Intensification of Smallholder Maize- Livestock Farming Systems in Hill Areas of South Asia” project. The course aimed to provide practical exposure on key elements of conservation agriculture (CA), including calibration and operation of planting machinery, and component technologies of CA-based crop management solutions. Over 25 participants attended, including researchers and extension agents from BAU, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), State Department of Agriculture, NGOs, private sector, and service providers from across Jharkhand.

The course was inaugurated by A. K. Sarkar, Acting Vice Chancellor, BAU, with assistance from D.K. Singh ‘Dron’, Assistant Director of Research, BAU, Ken Sayre, CA Consultant, CIMMYT, and coordination by ML Jat, Senior Cropping Systems Agronomist, GCAP, CIMMYT. The course covered the basics of CA, with particular relevance to smallholder rainfed farming systems, including the calibration and operation of CA machinery, component technologies of residue, nutrient, weed management, and diversification, and how these technologies can be adapted for the region through partnerships with stakeholders, including farmers. A range of CA machinery (manual and animal-drawn, two- and four-wheel tractors), introduced to the region by CIMMYT and particularly suited to rainfed smallholder farmers, was demonstrated. Participants also shared their experiences of IFAD CA projects undertaken so far and discussed strategies for balancing crop-livestock integration, in relation to CA, as livestock is an important factor in rainfed farming systems.

The concept of ‘Basic-Strategic Research-Delivery’ continuums within the hubs concepts of South Asia (CSISA) and Mexico (MasAgro) were explained to the participants. It was highlighted that in IFAD, a similar pattern is being followed for a value chain solution of technology packages to the farmers.CHINA8

Innovation Research Program Award for the CIMMYT-CAAS program

Written by on . Posted in News.

Congratulations to the joint program of CIMMYT and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), which was recently awarded the Innovation Research Program Award from the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture, in recognition of it’s outstanding contributions to wheat quality research and it’s impacts in China.

The CIMMYT-CAAS program was established in 1997 and has achieved significant progress in establishing quality testing protocols for traditional Chinese products, molecular marker development and application, QTL mapping for resistance to yellow rust and powdery mildew, documenting yield progress, variety development and extension, and HR development through collaborations with Chinese institutes and those overseas, including Murdoch University, University of Sydney, and USDA-ARS. The team is led by Zhonghu He, CIMMYT Principal Scientist and Country Representative, and includes seven CIMMYT-trained senior scientists, 15 graduate students, and ten support staff. Highly regarded both in China and internationally, the project also received CGIAR’s regional award in 2007, and a First Class Award in Science and Technology Progress from the Chinese State Council.

First ARIA-CIMMYT Wheat Researchers’ Workshop

Written by on . Posted in News.

Wheat research in Afghanistan can be regarded as still in its infancy. The country has released over a dozen winter and spring wheat varieties during the last ten years, but increased stakeholder coordination would improve wheat production and productivity. The Agricultural Research Institute of Afghanistan (ARIA) and CIMMYT have been collaboratively conducting a large number of wheat experiments over the last several years, which have contributed to the development of many popular wheat varieties. To enhance wheat research, and involve all Afghan wheat researchers in planning and results’ interpretation, the first ARIA-CIMMYT wheat researchers’ workshop was held during 19-21 September 2011 at the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, Kabul. The workshop was attended by 46 wheat researchers from a range of disciplines and regions.

Group-Photo-Workshop

M.T.Sahib Dad Pakbin, Advisor, ARIA, Sayed Noorudin Hariq, Ex-Senior Researcher, ARIA, and Mohammad Qasem Obaidi, Director, ARIA, chaired several technical sessions and contributed to deliberations and the finalization of recommendations. A. K. Joshi, Regional Wheat Breeder, CIMMYT-Nepal, Ramesh Chand, Professor of Plant Pathology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India, and Mahmood Osmanzai, former CIMMYT Wheat Agronomist and current Consultant with the Japan International Cooperation Agency, participated in technical sessions and contributed to the development of their respective disciplines’ research programs for the 2011-12 crop cycle.

Delegates deliberated over the release of wheat varieties in the country and agreed to conduct zone-wise varietal evaluation trials, with subsequent zone-wise varietal releases. Standardized norms on the use of common and regional checks in yield evaluation trials, and criteria for promotion and release of varieties were discussed, and it was agreed to use the National Rust Screening Nursery as a reference for deciding resistance and susceptibility of test entries. The workshop also identified six wheat, three barley, two durum, and three triticale varieties for commercial release.

It was also requested that CIMMYT organize two further workshops: one on research results’ analysis and interpretation, and another for ARIA researchers on rust scoring. This year, CIMMYT will also technically support a wheat breeding programme at ARIA-Kabul. Obaidi expressed that the collaboration should be continued, in order to consolidate and improve wheat research in the country.

In closing, Pakbin commented that it was the first time a dedicated workshop was conducted for wheat research in Afghanistan. Rajiv Sharma, Country Liaison Officer, Afghanistan, thanked the delegates for their participation and purposeful contributions. The workshop also agreed to invite other partners in the country to contribute their test entries to the programme, to avoid duplication of efforts and to bring about synergy in national-level operations.

Conservation agriculture gaining momentum in Bangladesh

Written by on . Posted in News.

Capacity building and improved technical knowledge of conservation agriculture (CA) are crucial elements of the Cereal System Initiative in South Asia expansion in Bangladesh (CSISA-BD).

As part of CSISA-BD, CIMMYT recently organized an intensive course on CA-Based Crop Management, during 1-2 and 13 October 2011. The Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) is a principal partner for CSISA-BD, and the course was developed in collaboration with it’s Farm Machineries and Post-Harvest Processing Engineering Division, and conducted in Gazipur, Bangladesh. Twenty-three participants, including CSISA agricultural development officers from CIMMYT and IRRI, and BARI Engineers, undertook the course.

Course topics included the rationale and principles behind CA-based crop management, the justification for the CA-based hub structure and adaptive research, and key issues associated with CA machinery. The majority of the course consisted of practical, hands-on exercises to calibrate and prepare two-wheeled tractors (2WT) for the direct seeding of maize, wheat, lentil, and rice under strip and zero till conditions. Further discussion and exercises centered on the potential of raised bed planting and crop residue management to conserve soil moisture, ameliorate salinity problems, and decrease production costs in Bangladesh.

In collaboration with BARI, similar intensive, hands-on workshops on CA-based crop and machinery management will be conducted with Bangladeshi farm service providers throughout the country. Thanks to Ken Sayre and Timothy Krupnik (CIMMYT), and M.A. Wohab and Md. Arshadul Haque (BARI) for leading the workshop, with organizational assistance and backstopping from A.K. M. Salah Uddin and Dinabandhu Pandit (CIMMYT).

Traveling seminar exhibits maize research and development in the hills of Nepal

Written by on . Posted in News.

Travelling-SeminarDuring 19-21 August 2011, a travelling seminar on “Maize Research and Development in the Hills of Nepal” was organized by the CIMMYT-led Hill Maize Research Project (HMRP), Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC), and the Nepal Department of Agriculture (DoA). The seminar offered policy makers first-hand information on maize varietal development, seed multiplication, technology dissemination, and HMRP’s efforts to improve food security and livelihoods of small-scale and disadvantaged farmers in the region. The 25 participants included representatives from the National Planning Commission, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, National Seed Board, NARC, DoA, donors (SDC and USAID), and NGOs.

The first day included visits to participatory variety selection (PVS) and community-based seed production (CBSP) sites, and women’s CBSP cooperatives in Fulbari and Buluwa villages, 60km east of Kathmandu in the Kavre district. HMRP Leader, Guillermo Ortiz-Ferrara, described the work of HMRP, highlighting the increasing role of CBSP groups and the private sector in seed production and marketing, participation of multi-stakeholders, focus on gender equity and social inclusion, and continuation of farmers’ participatory adaptive research, including maize germplasm introduction and testing. Nanu Ghatani, Chairperson of the cooperatives, was one of the 45 members of the women’s cooperative and farmers who gathered to welcome the participants. She described the accomplishments of the CBSP cooperatives and their impact on enhancing food security; since the introduction of the new maize varieties and improved crop management technologies “maize yield has been doubled, and by selling improved seed, farmers could fetch NRs 35/Kg in 2010, when the price of maize grain was NRs 17/Kg. In value terms our land has been tripled,” she said. This has enabled women farmers to substantially increase their savings, she added. USAID representative Kip Sutton commended HMRP and partners for reducing poverty and food insecurity in the area, but participants also learned that there are further needs to improve yields, storage facilities, credits, inputs, and training.

Travelling-Seminar21The following day featured a visit to the Hill Crop Research Program (HCRP), Kabre, Dolakha. Participants observed the onsite maize research and development activities, such as source seed production of improved maize varieties, and had the opportunity to interact with scientists at the station. N.P. Adhikari, Director of Crops and Horticulture, NARC, and D.B. Gurung, National Maize Coordinator, complimented the scientists for their accomplishments in maize research and development, both at the station and in the field.

Station Chief, K.B. Koirala, gave a presentation on “Present status, priority, and challenges of maize research and seed production in HCRP Kabre”, highlighting that the work of the station has improved maize source seed production and quality, and reached thousands of poor farmers in the target area. The team then visited one of the farm cooperatives, which is conducting maize CBSP on 7ha. In later feedback, Adhikari commented that the seminar provided experiences which could only be appreciated by observations at the field level.

On the final day, participants visited the Hariyali Seed Company, a community-managed private seed company promoted by HMRP in Sindhupalchowk district. Company Coordinator, D.B. Bhandari, and the President of Sindhu-Tuki Seed Producers’ Cooperative, Gunda Bahadur Thami, outlined the progress of the cooperative so far; from the first maize PVS and intercropping trials in 2004, to the formation of a CBSP group in 2005, transformation into a cooperative in 2008, and culminating in the formation of the community-owned seed company in 2010, with maize seed being multiplied in 50ha.

The feedback from participants was very positive, with Bharat Upadhyaya, Executive Director of Nepal’s Center for Environmental and Agricultural Policy Research, Extension, and Development, commenting that “my 30 years of professional career in agriculture development in Nepal would have been incomplete if I would have missed this visit.” It was suggested that the event should be conducted annually during the main maize season.

Spotlight on maize seed marketing in Nepal

Written by on . Posted in News.

Since 1999, the CIMMYT-led Hill Maize Research Project (HMRP) has been analyzing the maize seed value chain, increasing market assurance for seed from community-based seed production (CBSP) projects, and enhancing management and marketing competencies of stakeholders. The project covers 20 hill districts across Nepal and is funded by SDC and USAID-Nepal. Now in its fourth phase, the overall goal remains improving the food security and income of farm households, particularly of the poor and disadvantaged.

Seed marketing is a major component of this goal, and HMRP Phase IV aims to improve this by enabling seed producers to get sustainable, best possible returns through reliable, on time market information and pre-sowing contracts; encouraging farmers to sell a maximum quantity of seed by providing seed revolving funds to CBSP groups; increasing market efficiency to reduce the price gap between seed producers and buyers; making seed of farm origin available at a reasonable price by ensuring quality through accurate labeling; and enabling seed businesses to become sustainable enterprises.

Marketing-Workshop-Chitwan
On 25 August 2011, HMRP held a “Maize Seed Marketing Workshop” in Nepalgunj, Banke, to facilitate the marketing of maize seed and help establish links between CBSP groups, partners, and seed traders, to improve efficiency and sustainability. The 66 participants represented both seed suppliers and buyers or traders. Lila Ram Poudel, Deputy Director General, Department of Agriculture, Nepal, chaired the workshop, with training assistance from D. Bhandari, Chief of the Seed Quality Control Center, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Suroj Pokharel, Program Director, Crop Development Directorate, Durga Adhikari, General Secretary, Seed Entrepreneurs Association of Nepal, and Ram Chandra Bhusal, Seed Value Chain and Marketing Specialist, Center for Environmental and Agricultural Policy Research, Extension, and Development.

Guillermo Ortiz-Ferrara, HMRP Leader, introduced the workshop, with subsequent technical sessions focusing on HMRP’s approaches to seed production and marketing, with particular reference to government seed programs, and sustainable strategies for maize seed marketing with a value chain approach. Participants were also able to share their own experiences of seed trading in open discussions.

The workshop resulted in several recommendations: that local Agrovets participate in seed trading with CBSPs, ideally distributing seed in cooperation with the Seed Entrepreneurs’ Association of Nepal and the District Agriculture Development Office (DADO); allocation of Village Development Committee block grants to enable the purchase of seed from CBSPs, with other social groups also encouraged to purchase the improved seed; DADOs to increase informal research and development kits and improve seed coverage in remote areas, to facilitate access to improved seed for poor farmers; and the investment of a proportion of the government’s seed subsidy to purchase seed from CBSP groups, rather than importing.

A second workshop was conducted on 22 September 2011 for 69 public and private stakeholders from the mid-western and eastern hills of Nepal. Chaired by Dil Bahadur Gurung, National Maize Coordinator of Nepal, this workshop also encompassed problem identification and recommendations for efficient and sustainable maize marketing (Group 1), and the recommendation of guidelines for seed revolving funds (Group 2).

Group 1 recommended that seed availability information be disseminated via local radio and newspapers; seed should be produced under the pocket area concept; DADO should enforce a code of conduct, with mandatory seed packaging and labeling; a seed bank should be established at the district level, with infrastructure support; and seed revolving funds and transportation subsidies should be provided to seed producers. Group 2 added that these seed revolving funds should be monitored, with training given for management of the funds.

HarvestPlus-China field day exhibits maize hybrids in southwestern China

Written by on . Posted in News.

The HarvestPlus-China (HPC) Annual Meeting for 2011 was held in Lijiang, Yunnan Province, China, during 27-30 September 2011, with 66 national and international scientists participating, including Howarth Bouis (HarvestPlus Director), Markus Palenberg (HP Program Strategy Advisor), and Jeroen Bordewijk (HP Program Advisory Committee Member). Prior to the meeting, many of the participants attended a Maize Field Day in Yun County, organized by the HPC high provitamin A maize team, Fan Xingming, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences (YAAS), and Li Jiansheng, China Agricultural University (CAU), together with members of the Lincang Agricultural Technical Extension Center office in Yun Xian.

group-photo1
Two YAAS-developed hybrids, Yunrui 8 and YR506, were the focus of the field day. Yunrui 8 is a high quality maize hybrid developed using CIMMYT germplasm and an elite YAAS inbred. It was released in Yunnan in 2005, and was recommended by the Ministry of Agriculture for use in southern China in 2010. Uptake by farmers in the region has been rapid, and the hybrid has been planted on a cumulative area of 0.5 million ha between 2005-2011; providing the farmers with a USD 118 million net increase in income.

The village of Mangzhou in Yun County started growing Yunrui 8 in 2005 and during the field day it could be seen extensively planted throughout the valley and surrounding hills, with high acceptance by the local farmers and those in the neighboring villages. Due to its high yield, resistance to foliar diseases and ear rot, quality grain traits, and storability, the hybrid meets the needs of the farmers who market the grain, as well as using it for animal feed. A higher oil content and improved lysine levels means that farmers can also raise their animals to market standards quicker than with normal maize.

YR506 is finishing its second year of regional testing and offers farmers the first high yielding, provitamin A hybrid adapted to their needs. It is derived from national program germplasm and high provitamin A germplasm from HarvestPlus collaborations with the US.

Farmers attending the field day described the excellent performance of Yunrui 8, and how it has had a positive impact on their livelihoods. Luo Yaowu, Director of the Yun County Agricultural Bureau, expressed the importance of these two nutritionally enriched hybrids, and his appreciation of the efforts of HarvestPlus- China in developing them to improve the livelihoods of local farmers. Special thanks were given to all members of the organizing team for the success of the field day, and to Director Shi Zehai and his team from the Agricultural Technical Extension Center.

Biotechnology issues addressed in Kazakhstan

Written by on . Posted in News.

In the Republic of Kazakhstan, general breeding programs are funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, whilst those relating to biotechnology are funded through the Ministry of Education and Science. The use of biotechnology within plant breeding is a complex issue, and genetic and physiological studies within national breeding programs are often limited. To help develop a national strategy for the use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture in Kazakhstan and foster relevant collaboration between the country’s biotechnology and agricultural crop research organizations, CIMMYT-Kazakhstan staff organized a training seminar on modern trends and methods for plant breeding and seed production during 15-19 August 2011. The event drew scientists and experts from Kazakhstani breeding programs, the Kazakhstan-Siberia Network on Spring Wheat Improvement (KASIB), and national research and educational organizations.

DSC_0603

Representing FAO, Chikelu Mba delivered a presentation highlighting food security issues. He argued that if food production is to increase by the necessary 70% within the next 40 years, we must use not only conventional plant breeding, but also increase experimental mutagenesis (chemical and physical), use of in vitro tissue culture, cell selection, technologies based on haploidy and somaclonal variability, molecular markers, and DNA recombinations. Mba also drew attention to the new FAO program, “Global Partnership Initiative for Plant Breeding Capacity Building” (GIPB), which aims to improve food security and sustainable development within developing countries through improved crop breeding.

The current challenges of plant breeding in Kazakhstan and central Asia were addressed in a presentation by R. Urazaliev. Presently, projects are focused on breeding new varieties and improving wheat cultivars, increasing yield, improving quality, decreasing the share of by-products, and reducing losses from pests and diseases. V.P. Shamanin, Professor at Omsk Agricultural University, also spoke of the economic importance of wheat and the current issues and trends related to crop breeding. Emphasis was given to adaptive breeding and breeding for resistance to environmental stresses, and Shamanin also described the seed production and distribution systems in Russia and other developed countries. The focus was not only on wheat however, as Carlo Carli from the International Potato Center, Peru, also emphasized how these issues are also relevant to potato crops worldwide, and also how biotechnology is currently being applied to improve the yield of potatoes and raise their nutritional value.

V. Syukov (Samara, Russia) gave a presentation on the genetic basis of plant breeding, and also described how physiological and genetic approaches are being applied to breeding at the Samara Agricultural Research Institute. The speakers emphasized that development and implementation of multi-disciplinary projects should be prioritized, in addition to building capacity within breeding, biotechnology, and genetic resources, and promoting training seminars featuring international expertise.

In concluding the seminar, participants agreed that several measures should be taken at the national level to develop breeding and seed production; including expanding current research methods through modern applied methods, biotechnology, and active utilization of artificial climate techniques; use of ICTs in the breeding process; improvement of state testing of varieties with expedited testing procedures; introduction of efficient variety replacement and seed farming systems; and further training of specialists and increased international collaboration. With respect to Kazakhstan, participants felt that the legislative and regulatory framework governing breeding, seed growing, and PGR should be improved; a National Gene Bank should be created, with Kazakhstan joining the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants and the International Seed Testing Association; and the National Strategy on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture must be developed and approved.

Participants felt that the seminar was important in addressing Kazakhstan’s agricultural issues, and thanked the FAO and CIMMYT-Kazakhstan for organizing and coordinating the activities.

Training to beat Karnal bunt in Afghanistan

Written by on . Posted in News.

Karnal bunt is a wheat disease that can make grain too unpalatable for use in flour. It is quarantined by many countries, and can therefore seriously constrain global wheat seed exchange—and even movement of wheat within countries. During 17-18 September 2011 a training course for seed professionals on the management of Karnal bunt was held in Afghanistan at the National Seed Secretariat facility, Badam Bagh, Kabul, with the aim of ensuring that no infected seed lots pass through the certification process so avoiding the spread of the disease within the country. It was jointly organized between CIMMYT, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Afghanistan’s Plant Protection and Quarantine Department (PPQD) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Group-Photo-KB1
Thirty-three participants attended from the Agricultural Research Institute of Afghanistan (ARIA), PPQD, FAO, and other organizations involved in seed production and certification. Their enthusiasm was reflected in their many questions as they learned about the disease’s history, epidemiology, visual identification, laboratory identification, and management through lectures and practical sessions. Mir Amanulldin Haidari, PPQD Director, who opened the event, said that he found it very useful for his department’s work. The training sessions were led by Ramesh Chand, Professor of Plant Pathology at Banaras Hindu University, India. Arun Joshi, CIMMYT wheat breeder, Rajiv Sharma, CIMMYT liaison officer for Afghanistan, and Javed Rizvi, Afghanistan country manager for ICARDA, also took part.

Karnal bunt has long been present in Afghanistan, with favorable climatic conditions promoting occasional outbreaks, and a recent survey by ARIA indicated that several popular wheat varieties are susceptible to the disease. It is particularly prevalent in the eastern region bordering Pakistan, which has emerged in recent years as an important seed-producing area within Afghanistan. This has raised the concern that a disease outbreak in this region could easily spread to other parts of the country. Thanks to this collaborative training event, the national seed system is now ready to tackle the issue of Karnal bunt and ensure a healthy future for Afghanistan’s wheat seed.

Travelling seminar promotes conservation agriculture in eastern India

Written by on . Posted in News.

DSC00380During 19-22 September 2011, Birsa Agricultural University (BAU), Jharkhand, India, hosted the Sub-Regional Multi-Stakeholder Travelling Seminar entitled “Conservation Agriculture Based Crop Management Technologies in Smallholder Maize Systems.” Organized jointly by BAU and CIMMYT-India, under the aegis of the IFAD “Sustainable Intensification of Smallholder Maize-Livestock Farming Systems in Hill Areas of South Asia” project, the seminar was attended by 37 scientists, extension agents and NGO representatives, students from Krishi Vigyan Kendra’s (KVKs) and BAU, and farmers from the three districts of Jharkhand.

MP Pandey, Vice Chancellor, BAU Ranchi, opened the seminar and said that the “development and deployment of conservation agriculture (CA) in rainfed smallholder farming systems is critical to addressing the challenges of food and livelihood security.” CA is being widely adopted in India and CIMMYT is collaborating with national agricultural research systems to further deploy the techniques in the region. Pandey highlighted CIMMYT’s current IFAD project, which is being initiated with BAU, KVKs, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, and other NGOs, to develop and deploy CA in rainfed systems of Jharkhand. To accelerate the adoption of CA in Jharkhand, cross-learning and capacity building through events such as the travelling seminar are vital, he added. The inauguration was also attended by BAU Ranchi’s BN Singh (Director of Research) and RPS Ratan (Director of Extension Education), and members of the CIMMYT team in Jharkhand.

The seminar gave participants the opportunity to see the CA procedures occurring in maize systems in the IFAD project in Jharkhand, and the work of CIMMYT and CSISA in Bihar. Demonstrations included farmerparticipatory innovations, intercropping systems, seed production of maize inbreds and hybrids, and component technologies such as spray techniques, water and nutrient management, and small-scale CA machinery. Participants were exposed to strategic, adaptive research CA modules, with the key message being that CA-based crop management technologies promote greater resilience of farming systems for resource-poor farmers and risk-prone rainfed ecologies of eastern India.

New Borlaug Institute for South Asia fosters improved farming for food security

Written by on . Posted in News.

Philip-Ngolania2The Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) was officially launched on Wednesday, 5 October 2011, at the A.P. Shinde Symposium Hall, NASC Complex in New Delhi, India.

The event commenced with a welcome by the Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Dr. S. Ayyappan. The Agriculture Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Ramkrishna Kusmaria; Punjab Agriculture Minister, S. Sucha Singh Langah; and the Union Minister for Agriculture and Food Processing Industry, Sharad Pawar, accompanied by Pratibha Pawar, delivered speeches at the event. Also in attendance was Mr. Rajiv Mehrishi, Secretary of ICAR.

The three agricultural ministers of the states that will be hosting BISA facilities delivered speeches in recognition of the important role which BISA will play in improving food security not only in their own states, but throughout the whole of South Asia. Mr. Pawar highlighted the concerns of population growth both globally and especially in South Asia, in addition to rising food prices and unrest caused by food insecurity. He stated that “it would not be an overstatement to say that Norman Borlaug is a household name in India.” On a personal level, he also recalled his interaction with Dr. Borlaug in India in the 1960s.

BISA will have centers in Ludhiana in Punjab, Pusa in Bihar, and Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh. Each of the states contains varied agro-ecological zones allowing for testing a variety of maize and wheat cultivars suited to the equally varied environments of South Asia.

Dr. Thomas Lumpkin, CIMMYT Director General, delivered the closing remarks, reminding the audience of the challenges of global food security as well as the humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa. He also highlighted the support of the Mexican government and CIMMYT’s role in facilitating and promoting cooperation through its centers in India, Mexico, and Africa. Dr. Lumpkin concluded his speech stating that “CIMMYT has been in India for 50 years. It’s time we laid down some roots.”

880349537310The official opening ceremony was marked by a cultural event featuring classical Indian dancing including choreographical styles from all three states. In addition to CIMMYT-India staff and speakers, also present at the launching ceremony were the management committee of CIMMYT and its Board of Trustees. The launching ceremony was attended by representatives from CIMMYT’s sister institutions ILRI, IRRI, ICARDA, and Bioversity, as well as by the Allan Mustard Institute of the US Dept. of Agriculture and the private sector. The event was closed by a dinner and a speech by the Board of Trustees Chair, Sara Boettiger.

BISA was officially approved by India’s Union Cabinet, based on a proposal by the Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Research and Education on 30 September. In a press release issued by the government of India, the approval of BISA is described as follows: “The establishment of BISA in India will enable India to harness the best of international science, in meeting food security challenges. India would be able to rapidly and effectively absorb the research output of BISA thus benefiting farmers of the country.”

The Borlaug Institute of South Asia was conferred international status as detailed in clause 3 of the United Nations (Privileges and Immunities) Act of 1947. The Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), on behalf of the government of India, will be authorized in all matters regarding the establishment of the institute.

Conservation agriculture course in rainfed farming, Karnataka, India

Written by on . Posted in News.

From 18-22 August, the University of Agricultural Science (UAS) Raichur, Karnataka, hosted the first course on ‘Conservation agriculture (CA) in rainfed farming’ in India, in collaboration with CIMMYT, under the aegis of the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA). The 31 participants included young scientists and extension agents from NGOs and various research centers of UAS, in addition to machinery manufacturers and service providers from across Karnataka state. Also in attendance were BV Patil (Vice Chancellor, UAS, Raichur), Pat Wall (Director GCAP, CIMMYT), Raj Gupta (Head, CIMMYT-India), and Bruno Gerard (new Director GCAP, CIMMYT). ML Jat (Senior Cropping Systems Agronomist, CIMMYT) coordinated the course, with assistance from SG Patil (Director of Education, UAS), T Satanarayana (IPNI), RK Malik, and HS Sidhu.

During the course, participants learnt the basics of CA, including practical field training on CA machinery, techniques for intercropping systems under rainfed conditions, use of GreenSeeker optical sensors, spray techniques, and weed, nutrient, and water management practices in relation to CA. Raj Gupta described the CA priorities for the different ecologies of Karnataka, whilst Pat Wall shared his global experiences of CA and Bruno Gerard detailed his experiences with crop-livestock interactions in reference to CA.

In concluding the course, BV Patil thanked CIMMYT for previously initiating the CA program in Karnataka as part of the Rice-Wheat Consortium for the Indo-Gangetic Plains (RWC). Now, with the assistance of CSISA, it is hoped that the adoption of CA can be accelerated. The UAS has recently recruited new scientists in order to take CA to a larger scale in Karnataka, and has pledged to purchase CA planters to assist in these efforts, said Patil. Given that weed management is a key issue in rainfed areas, the university also hopes to collaborate with CSISA and CIMMYT scientists, in order to produce a publication of the subject of the synthesis of weeds on different production systems under rainfed ecologies.

Precision nutrient management for improved efficiency, healthier and more productive soils under maize and wheat systems in India

Written by on . Posted in News.

Precision or site-specific nutrient management (SSNM) is a science-based approach by which crops receive nutrients as and when needed, according to specific field conditions in a given cropping season. To apply it, farmers and their technical support need to know local crop yields, tillage systems, residue management, fertilizer use, external inputs, and the nutrient supplying capacity of the soil.

Adoption of such complex, knowledge-intensive approaches is slow, so the International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI), a not-for-profit, science-based organization headquartered at Norcross, Georgia, USA, has developed simple delivery systems entitled “Nutrient Expert” both for wheat and for hybrid maize, in consultation with scientists from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), several state agricultural universities, and CIMMYT. The Nutrient Expert systems are suited to diverse soils and management scenarios in India.

On 10 August, 55 agricultural experts from India’s public and private sectors gathered in New Delhi for a one day workshop on “Nutrient decision support systems for cereals and their dissemination strategies using ICTs” to discuss these systems and how to share them more widely by way of information and communication technologies such as cell phone services and CIMMYT-Agriplex.

Participants highlighted the need for more information on nutrient requirements under varied growing  conditions in complex agroecologies and for Nutrient Expert to encompass those scenarios, as well as to adopt a “situation-specific” (rather than site-specific) approach and consider nutrient addition or mining effects from previous crops. A version of Nutrient Expert is also required for rice and for rice-wheat, rice-maize and maize-wheat cropping systems.

Like all models, Nutrient Expert requires validation for specific circumstances. The workshop discussed ways to do this, including comparison with Soil Test Crop Response (STCR), State Recommendation (SR) and Farmers Fertilizer Practice (FFP) based recommendations.

Nutrient Expert recommendations focus on the major nutrients―nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium―but also needs to give specific rates for secondary and micronutrients (currently the systems include only a “Yes/No” decision for those nutrients). The All India Crops Research Program (AICRP) on micronutrients should be able to provide the required data.

The group appointed a multiorganization/stakeholder team to help plan the addition of Nutrient Expert to policy guidelines for making fertilizer recommendations. DCM Shriram Consolidated Limited (DSCL) requested a partnership with private industry and offered to validate Nutrient Expert in their Hariyali Kisan Bazar (HKB) farmer service centers.

Jointly organized by IPNI and CIMMYT, the workshop was attended by Dr PS Minhas, ADG (Soil and Water Management), ICAR directors and officers, vice chancellors and other officers from state agricultural universities, the State Department of Agriculture, the private sector, and nongovernment organizations, as well as scientists from IPNI (Adrian Johnston, Kaushik Majumdar, T Satyanarayana, Mira), CIMMYT (Pat Wall, Raj Gupta, ML Jat, Ajai Kumar), the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI; YS Saharawat), and hubs of the Cropping Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA; HS Sidhu, BR Kamboj, Kanwar Singh).

Conservation agriculture capacity building in Tamilnadu, India

Written by on . Posted in News.

The promotion of conservation agriculture (CA) in different agricultural systems of Tamilnadu, India, was the focus of a consultation organized with the Agriculture Commissioner, Sandeep Saxena, and officers of the State Department of Agriculture on 12 August at the Commisionerate of Agriculture, Chepauk, Chennai, Tamilnadu. Over 50 people attended, including Agricultural Officers from all 32 districts of Tamilnadu.

The issues facing the farmers of Tamilnadu – water, labor and energy shortages, soil health, climate change, farm profitability and food and livelihood security – were addressed in a presentation by ML Jat, Senior Cropping Systems Agronomist, CIMMYT. He highlighted how the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA), managed by CIMMYT and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), in conjunction with national agricultural research and extension systems, is evaluating and disseminating CA-based crop management technologies, such as laser leveling, direct dry seeded rice, zero till mechanical transplanted rice, zero till maize, intercropping with raised bed technology and multi-crop planters, in the region. He also said that Tom Lumpkin, Director General, CIMMYT, and Robert Ziegler, Director General, IRRI, have both visited Tamilnadu to gain feedback from the farmers on the use of CA technologies, and found that they were being well received.

ML recommended that the Government of Tamilnadu prioritize investments on the CA technologies. Currently a significant investment is being made in 2-Wheel Tractors (2WT), but they are not fitted with the seeder attachments associated with CA methods. It was suggested that in order to maximize the government investments, the 2WTs and seeder attachments should be promoted together. The officers of the Department of Agriculture were particularly interested in the 2WT-based machinery, and Saxena pledged to include CA in future government investments and priorities, with proven and location-specific technologies being outlined for dissemination by the Department of Agriculture.

In order to increase understanding, capacity building and awareness among the officers and field staff of the state department of agriculture, it was suggested that the field trials of CA-based crop management technologies and machinery should be demonstrated in a block approach, to communicate the knowledge to a larger number of farmers. Innovative SMS technology (CIMMYT Agriplex) will also help in transmitting real time, location specific and needs-based information to the farmers. It is hoped that within one month, the Department of Agriculture  will formulate an action plan for these developments, before reporting back to the CIMMYT/CSISA team for further discussion and implementation of the proposed plans.