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.

Hands-on training for rice-maize project participants in Bangladesh

Written by on June 23, 2009. Posted in News.

Jagadish Timsina, IRRI-CIMMYT senior scientist and project leader, and Enamul Haque, CIMMYT cropping system agronomist, organized two training sessions on 21-23 April and 14-15 June 2009 for the joint CIMMYT-International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) project “Sustainable intensification of rice-maize systems in Bangladesh.”

Agronomists and engineers from Bangladesh who focus on the conservation agriculture (CA) aspects of the project also assisted in sessions. More than 30 researchers, field assistants, and machinery service providers learned about the operation of two machines; the power tiller operated seeder (PTOS), and the bed former and planter.

“We want to build their machinery-operating skills for sowing and establishing rice, wheat, and maize,” said Timsina. Participants gained information about the establishment and basic agronomy of dry-seeded rice and unpuddled transplanted rice, both of which eliminate the need for puddling the soil—a process that destroys its structural and physical properties—according to Timsina. “By not puddling we can reduce water requirements, input costs, and greenhouse gas emissions,” he said. In both sessions, participants put together and took apart machines and learned the functions of individual parts. In June, farmers were introduced to the Sayre Smart Planter, which can be used for diverse, resource-conserving forms of tillage.
The CIMMYT-IRRI project promotes CA and nutrient management and has been running in three districts since November 2008, thanks to funding by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). National project partners include the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI);the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI); the Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD); the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC); and the Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service (RDRS).

International winter wheat traveling seminar in the Ukraine

Written by on June 22, 2009. Posted in News.

The International Winter Wheat Improvement Program (Turkey- CIMMYT-ICARDA) conducted a traveling seminar in Ukraine during 08-13 June 2009 to learn about wheat research and breeding in the country and strengthen international and regional cooperation on winter wheat. The seminar attracted 62 participants from 19 countries, even with scientists covering their own travel costs to Ukraine. The group assembled in Kiev for visits to the Ukrainian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the Institute of Genetics and Physiology, and the Mironovka Wheat Institute.

Then the group traveled by bus to Odessa (500 km) to see the Breeding and Genetics Institute. “All participants were impressed by the level of research and breeding they saw,” says Alexey Morgounov, Global Wheat Program breeder based in Turkey, who led the seminar. “Experimental and production fields were well maintained and the crop diversity was very interesting.” Ukraine produces almost twice as much wheat as it consumes and plays an important role in the region’s food security. New, locally-bred varieties characterized by high yield potential, good grain quality, and good disease resistance contribute to this success. At the concluding session the group developed proposals to enhance regional cooperation in breeding for drought, rust resistance, and grain quality, and in networking. “We especially appreciated our hosts’ hospitality and good logistics,” says Morgounov.

The beginning of Bangladesh’s “Patronato?”

Written by on June 11, 2009. Posted in News.

Many of us in the CIMMYT community are familiar with “Patronato”—the group of private farmers in northern Mexico who have collaborated with the center since the 1950s. These farmers support the center and partners’ research activities, and in turn have benefited from new and improved agricultural technologies.

Now, a similar partnership between CIMMYT and farmers seems to be developing in Bangladesh. About 70 farmers recently talked about forming a farmers’ association of 200-300 members and a farmers’ federation of 25,000 members. Enamul Haque, CIMMYT-Bangladesh cropping systems agronomist and facilitator of the farmers’ federation initiatives, was present for the 18 May 2009 discussions which took place at a farmers’ union meeting in Nababpur, Baliakandi, Rajbari. Abdul Wohab, principal scientific officer, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Gazipur also attended the meeting. Farmers’ federation initiatives are also starting in Rajshahi, Lalmonirhat, and Dinajpur districts, according to Haque.

“A farmers’ association and federation would facilitate CIMMYT’s work to spread conservation agriculture, as well as new crop varieties and technologies,” said Haque. CIMMYT and BARI have worked in the region since 2003, assisting with quality seed and facilitating the development and dissemination of conservation agriculture technology. However, the small-scale farmers who benefit from this technology can benefit even further by working together and becoming part of larger associations. This could give farmers better bargaining power and link them to product marketing and seed and input companies.

Farmers and Kamal Fakir, chairman of the Nababpur union, are enthusiastic about farmers working together. Fakir generously agreed to let CIMMYT use three rooms in the union building rent-free, which can serve as office space or as a sleeping room for CIMMYT researchers while they are working in Baliakandi. Several farmers also offered to spare land for CIMMYT for research purposes. “I’m happy to provide these rooms and facilities to CIMMYT. This building is a center for rural people and CIMMYT works to improve agriculture which ultimately benefits farmers and their families,” said Fakir. Haque also acknowledged this valuable contribution. “Farmers’ commitment and willingness to extend their resources to CIMMYT is proof of our strong partnership,” he said.

Unpuddled rice transplanting trials yield well in Bangladesh

Written by on June 3, 2009. Posted in News. 1 Comment on Unpuddled rice transplanting trials yield well in Bangladesh

More than 110 farmers attended a field day in Alipur village, Durgapur, Rajshahi district, Bangladesh on 16 May 2009. Enamul Haque, cropping systems agronomist, Conservation Agricultural Program, CIMMYT-Bangladesh, organized the field day along with CIMMYT partners Ilias Hossain, senior scientific officer, Bangladesh Regional Wheat Research Center (WRC); and Mohammad Abdur Rahman, principal scientific officer, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI).

The farmers’ day was set up to assess the first field trial for transplanted boro rice in unpuddled soil using strip-tillage, a minimal form of land preparation, and raised beds. Boro rice is high-yielding irrigated rice that is grown during the winter season and covers more than five million hectares in Bangladesh, where rice is grown year-round and is vital to food security. Almost all boro rice farmers in Bangladesh have been transplanting boro rice to puddled fields despite the fact that puddling destroys soil structure, is more costly, and requires more water and labor, according to Haque.

“I’m very grateful that a few skeptical farmers stepped forward before transplanting this year’s crop, and agreed to try the new practice,” said Haque. “They have healthy, vigorous plants in their fields and I believe this technology will spread.”

Farmers said they needed to weed only twice, instead of the three times typical for conventional tillage, and reported savings of 75% on land preparation, 30% on irrigation water, and 5-6% on fertilizer. Finally, from the look of the fields, farmers were expecting 12-15% more rice at harvest. At the end of the day, a quick show of hands indicated that all farmers present would continue to transplant boro rice using these resource-conservingpractices.

“My ambition is not only for this area,” said Hossain. “We can extend this technology to other wheat- and rice-growing areas. We have done a lot of work here so we can go to other areas and demonstrate it to farmers.”

CIMMYT-China runs third training course on

Written by on May 26, 2009. Posted in News.

Nearly 70 participants attended a four-day training course on quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping and breeding simulation at Sichuan Agricultural University (Ya’an, Sichuan), 11-14 May 2009. This is the third QTL training course CIMMYT-China has organized.

A rapid increase in the availability of fine-scale genetic marker maps has led to intensive use of QTL mapping in the study of quantitative traits. QTL are identifiable areas of DNA that are closely linked to genes of such traits. QTL are associated with continuous traits that are caused by multiple genes as well as the environment, and tend to be hard to locate. The QTL mapping course aimed to help scientists better identify and classify QTL—specifically for drought tolerance and yield-related traits—through new software and technology developed by the Crop Research Informatics Laboratory (CRIL) team at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) QuLine, developed by CIMMYT and shared by CIMMYT and University of Queensland, Australia, is a genetics and breeding simulation tool. It integrates various genes with multiple alleles that operate within epistatic networks and interact differentially with the environment. QuLine also predicts the outcomes from a specific cross following the application of a real selection scheme.

CIMMYT’s Wheat Breeding Program has used QuLine to compare selection strategies, to study the effects on selection of dominance and epistasis, to predict cross performance using known gene information, and to investigate the efficient use of marker-assisted selection in pyramiding multiple genes in wheat breeding. The QuLine tool can bridge vast amounts of biological data and breeders’ needs for heightened selection efficiency and gain, using all available tools and information.

The course was sponsored by the Generation Challenge Program (GCP), the National 973 Program of China, and the Natural Science Foundation of China.

CA seminar in India

Written by on April 27, 2009. Posted in News.

More than 100 farmers in India benefited from a traveling seminar on conservation agriculture (CA) organized by CIMMYT and held in the Samastipur and Begusarai districts during 28-29 March 2009.

After opening remarks by Dr. Solanki, head of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute’s regional Pusa research station, farmers visited CIMMYT run experimental CA plots at Rajendra Agriculture University (RAU) and the Regional Maize Research & Seed Production Center. They observed CA wheat seed production at the Adaptive Research Station, Begusarai, and saw several farmer participatory trials planted with zero-till (ZT) wheat, ZT maize, or bed planted with sugarcane and wheat intercropping. Also at the Adaptive Research Station, assistant agronomist Ashok Mahraj discussed on-station productivity improvements due to the adoption of CA practices in 2006, and the need to make local farming economically viable despite higher input prices and farm wages.

Other presenters included Dr. M. Kumar, RAU agronomist, who discussed the present status of zero-tilled wheat in Bihar state; Dr. R. Liak and Dr. P.K. Jha who spoke about the results of long-term CA experiments in ricewheat systems in connection with soil changes; Dr. S. Chowdhury, wheat breeder and CIMMYT consultant, who described new wheat varieties; and Ravi Gopal, CA agronomist, who explained overall practices in a rice-wheat CA system.

For their part, farmers from Katihar, Purnea, Khagaria, Begusarai, Samastipur, Darbhanga, Muzafarpur, and East Champaran learned how to improve yields and cut production costs for major crops, through participatory collaboration with scientists and extension workers on targeted CA modules.

Shandong Academy of Agricultural Science representatives visit CIMMYT

Written by on January 27, 2009. Posted in News.

Mr. Zhong Chonggao, President of the Shandong Academy of Agricultural Science, visited El Batán on 13 January 2009. Mr. Qiu Ruor, Director, Crop Research Institute, accompanied him, along with Mr. Wang Liming, Director, Maize Research Institute; Mr. Ding Hanfeng, Director, High Technology Research Center; and Mr. Liu Jianjun, Professor, Crop Research Institute.

DG Tom Lumpkin first met with the delegation in his office. They also spoke with Kevin Pixley, Associate Director, Global Maize Program, and Hans Braun, Director, Global Wheat Program. “The delegation was particularly interested in co-operation on raising yield potential, improving disease resistance, and our research on genetically modified maize and wheat,” said Braun.

The Chinese government is sponsoring a 13-year project on genetically modified (GM) crops in the country, according to a spokesperson for the Ministry of Agriculture, who estimated the project will cost USD 3.5 billion. This information comes from Science magazine (number 5894, volume 321) which also stated that “Half [the money] is expected to come from local governments on whose land GM crops will be grown and from agricultural biotechnology companies.” The initiative involves 64 projects on GM rice, maize, wheat, and soy bean, and the Shandong Academy of Agricultural Science will be involved mainly in the project’s downstream work, including genetic transformation and evaluation of the performance of the transgenic plants in biosafety greenhouses and the field, according to Huixia Wu, CIMMYT wheat transformation specialist.

The delegation discussed collaboration opportunities in areas such as germplasm, molecular markers, genetic transformation and capacity-building. The group also visited conservation agriculture field experiments with Agronomist Ken Sayre and Cropping Systems Management Specialist Bram Govaerts, and met with Jonathan Crouch, Director, GREU, several GREU staff members, and El Batán researchers from China.

CIMMYT-China wheat project honored

Written by on January 18, 2009. Posted in News.

A joint wheat quality project between CIMMYT and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) recently received a prestigious award from the Chinese government for research advances.The award, established in 1984, was presented in a ceremony on 9 January in Beijing’s Great Hall of People. Given to outstanding Chinese research programs, this year’s award was granted to 29 initiatives.
The wheat quality team was the only one in the area of agriculture and forestry. Project leader Zhonghu He and select leading scientists attended the ceremony where they met and shook hands with Chinese President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiaobao.

The wheat quality project, which collaborates with Capital Normal University and Shanxi Academy of Agricultural Science, boasts several major accomplishments. It has established a standardized quality testing system for products such as Chinese noodles, developed 22 functional markers and characterizations of Chinese wheat varieties, and published 120 research papers, including 54 papers in leading international journals in the area of crop genetics, breeding, and cereal chemistry. In addition, the project established a technique to separate storage protein and acid capillary electrophoresis for separation of high molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS), the cloning of six new genes for HMW-GS, and first report of illegitimate recombination for formation of HMW-GS.

Other accomplishments include the development of two core parents with an outstanding quality for pan bread making from CIMMYT wheats Yécora F74 and Saric F74 which contributed to the creation of 10 leading varieties that cover a total area of 8 million hectares, and the training of more than 50 postgraduates. Collaboration and support from CIMMYT cereal chemist Dr. Roberto Javier Peña, Dr. Craig Morris from USDA-ARS, Prof. Rudi Appels at Murdoch University, and Dr. Ken Quail at BRI, contributed to the work’s success.

Maseca pays a visit to CIMMYT

Written by on January 17, 2009. Posted in News.

Many of us living in Mexico know the brand name Maseca from the flour packages we see in the supermarket. Maseca is one of three brands owned by the Gruma corporation, which produces and markets flour and tortillas in the US, Europe, and China.
A group from Maseca visited El Batán on 14 January, along with Dr. Pedro Brajcich, DG of the Mexican National Institute of Forestry, Agriculture, and Livestock Research (INIFAP), and Dr. Gricelda Vázquez, an important partner in maize quality research efforts from INIFAP. Dr. Julio Berdegué, chairman of the Board of Trustees and our DG, Tom Lumpkin, welcomed and accompanied the group during the visit.

CIMMYT has worked with Maseca in the past to quantify post-research losses in Mexico. “During the visit, they were interested in quality protein maize, the improvement of ‘criollos,’ and lab methods for quality analysis, among other topics,” says Kevin Pixley, associate director, CIMMYT Global Maize Program. (Criollos are maize landraces, or particular varieties that are farmer-selected and often highly adapted to specific areas). “We also talked about collaboration with INIFAP and CINVESTAV” (a postgraduate and research institution in Mexico), adds Pixley.

The Maseca delegation included Alfonso Cebreros, director of government relations; Guillermo Arteaga, deputy director biotechnology and innovation; Luis Manuel Rolón, manager, agricultural planning; Alfredo Morales Díaz, manager, central laboratory; and Montserrat González Torre, chief, biotechnology and innovation projects. Maseca imports about 80% of the wheat it uses for milling, says Javier Peña, wheat grain quality specialist. “They are interested in having new wheat varieties adapted to the Mexican highlands and central Mexico which suit their needs and will enable them to save on importation costs.” The group offered to help CIMMYT secure funding from the public and private sectors and also invited CIMMYT researchers
to visit their maize milling and processing plant as well as their wheat flour mill in Puebla to better understand food processing and maize and wheat quality needs.

Ken Sayre receives award from China

Written by on December 31, 2008. Posted in News.

The Ningxia provincial government honored CIMMYT Agronomist Ken Sayre with the Liupanshan award on 05 December in recognition of the center’s contribution to promoting conservation agriculture in Ningxia province, China. Liupanshan is the most famous historical site of Ningxia province and the Liupanshan Award recognizes scientists from other countries who have made significant contributions to economic and social development in the province. Sayre has frequently traveled to Ningxia in the last 10 years to promote bed planting and conservation agriculture in the dryland area and has also helped introduce the associated technology and machinery from India to Ningxia. Congratulations!

Ravi Singh receives awards from Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces

Written by on December 4, 2008. Posted in News.

On November 21, 2008, Ravi Singh, CIMMYT distinguished scientist and wheat breeder, received the Jinding Award from Sichuan Provincial Government, China, in recognition of CIMMYT’s contribution to wheat production through shuttle breeding and training. Mr Wei Hong, Provincial Vice Governor, presented the award to Singh.

The Jinding Award is the highest honor from Sichuan Province and is designed to recognize scientists from other countries who have made significant contributions to economic and social development. Wheat is a leading crop in Sichuan, with around 1.4 million hectares of harvested area annually. The CIMMYT Global Wheat Program (GWP) has enjoyed a fruitful collaboration with Sichuan Province for the last 20 years, and more than 15 wheat varieties derived from CIMMYT germplasm are commercially released. In 2002 former GWP Director Sanjaya Rajaram also received the Jinding Award. In November 2008, Singh also received the Yuncai Award from Yunnan province in recognition of his contributions to wheat production in the Province. Congratulations!

Mini-symposium on maize molecular breeding at CIMMYT

Written by on November 28, 2008. Posted in News.

More than 40 maize scientists gathered for a mini-symposium on maize molecular breeding on 24 November 2008 at El Batán. Participants came from CIMMYT; the University of Chapingo; the Colegio de Postgraduados (Mexico); the Mexican National Institute of Forestry, Agriculture, and Livestock Research (INIFAP); the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS); and the China Agricultural University. Organized by the Maize Molecular Breeding Program, the symposium was titled: Where are we and where are we heading? Kevin Pixley, associate director of the Global Maize Program, opened the symposium and also helped to organize it.

“It’s important for the center to know where it stands on maize molecular breeding compared to advances being made in the very competitive public and private sectors,” says Yunbi Xu, CIMMYT maize molecular breeder who chaired the event. “The symposium helped us to see which direction we need to head in and will hopefully enable us to strengthen our collaboration with scientists in our host country.”

A total of 14 presentations contributed by 10 speakers, each followed by brief discussions, focused on molecular breeding tools, maize quality traits, drought tolerance, simulation, and bioinformatics. Participants also learned about wheat molecular breeding at CIMMYT. “It gave a good overview of the practical applications and limitations of molecular breeding,” said Abel Gil Muñoz, professor at the Colegio de Postgraduados. Graham McLaren, principal scientist in the Generation Challenge Program (GCP)observed that, “It was also a good chance for the breeders to see what is available and for me in the GCP to see where we can support the adoption and advancement of molecular breeding technologies.”

Many of the participants said they would like to attend more meetings such as this one. “We hope to have a maize molecular breeding symposium once a year and to also include speakers from the private sector,” said Xu.

Special thanks to all the speakers and to Raman Babu, GREU maize molecular breeding consultant who presented three talks.

CIMMYT strengthens collaboration with China

Written by on October 24, 2008. Posted in News.

CIMMYT DG Tom Lumpkin had a successful visit to China during 16-17 October, signing agreements with the China Scholarship Council (CSC) and China Agricultural University (CAU). Starting in 2009, CSC will sponsor ten postgraduate students and visiting scientists to come to CIMMYT for collaborative research stays ranging from 6 to 24 months.

The scholarship includes international travel costs, insurance, and living allowance, and will increase CIMMYT’s training capacity for China. The agreement with CAU cemented a collaborative maize research program focusing on genomics, transgenics, germplasm exchange, bioinformatics, and conservation agriculture technologies. This collaborative program will create synergies between the two institutions in these five areas and also in agronomy and soil science, since CAU is a leading agricultural university specializing in maize and conservation agriculture.

Lumpkin also met Dr Zhai Huqu and Tang Huajun, President and Vice president, respectively, of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, and Ma Xinglin, DDG of the International Collaboration Department from the Ministry of Science and Technology, and discussed the possibility of establishing a regional center for CIMMYT in China. To advance this ambitious plan for a strong CIMMYT-China partnership, Lumpkin is planning a follow-up visit for early 2009.

China Friendship Award for José Luis Araus

Written by on October 3, 2008. Posted in News.

CIMMYT maize physiologist José Luis Araus received the prestigious China Friendship Award on 27 September 2008. A subsequent official reception took place with the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. The award is given every year since 1991 to foreign experts in diverse disciplines contributing to China development. Araus has worked for several years in a consultancy for a Chinese Seed Company based in Henan Province (Center of China, in the Yellow River Valley) to increase cereal yield potential.

José Luis Araus (left) with Ji Yunshi, DG State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs.

Conservation agriculture course at El Batán

Written by on June 30, 2008. Posted in News.

Between 26 May and 27 June 2008 CIMMYT El Batán hosted a five-week course in conservation agriculture (CA) for visiting scientists, entitled “Laying the ground for sustainable and productive cropping systems.” The eight participants came from China, Ethiopia, and Romania for intensive training in CA and resource conserving technologies in irrigated and rainfed wheat and maize production systems, including reduced tillage and crop residue management strategies.

Many CIMMYT specialists contributed to the course: “It was a very holistic approach, with diverse content from a number of disciplines—from breeders, soil specialists, agronomists, crop protection people, and so on,” said Tesfay Araya, from Ethiopia. He will be the first conservation agriculture specialist in northern Ethiopia, and is keen to introduce this interdisciplinary way of working. “I saw people here working together with good communication,” he said. “That’s the most important thing, and it’s very unique. It’s one lesson I learned.”

Another important element of the course was hands-on learning: the trainees participated in the ongoing activities of CIMMYT’s Cropping Systems Management team at El Batán and at the Toluca research station, and in nearby farmers’ fields, developing the skills for trial planning, management, and monitoring. Each participant also had to define a clear research objective and draft a paper during the course, and the results will be combined in a special publication. “We learned skills in publishing, writing, reviewing data…we didn’t miss anything,” said Tesfay Araya.

For Zhang Bin, from China, seeing the way CIMMYT researchers communicated with farmers was food for thought: “maybe we can do more to transfer conservation agriculture,” he said. “When I go back I will do research on conservation agriculture, and if I have good results I will demonstrate it to farmers and try to transfer the technology to them.”Between 1996 and 2008 over 30 visiting scientists and 86 trainees from 26 countries participated in long-term courses and research on zero-tillage and bed planting conducted at CIMMYT’s El Batán and Obregón research stations in Mexico.

(Source: Training Office databases.)