Location: Pakistan

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New Publications: Research sheds light on climate and yield risk in South Asia

Written by on August 31, 2016. Posted in Publications.

Want to learn more about CIMMYT's activities in Pakistan? Check out our news feed here. Photo: CIMMYT — Want to learn more about CIMMYT’s activities in Pakistan? Check out our news feed here. Photo: CIMMYT

EL BATAN, Mexico (CIMMYT) — A new paper by scientists from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) highlight important risks to farmers’ yields in Pakistan due to climate change and call for current climate adaptation policies across South Asia to be revised in response.

Rice and wheat are the principal calorie sources for over a billion people in South Asia. Both of these crops are extremely sensitive to climate and agronomic management conditions under which they are grown.

Which is why climate change – projected to increase heat stress and variability across the region – is a huge threat to farmers growing these crops.

And while the influence of climatic conditions on crop growth have been widely studied, empirical evidence of the link between climate variability and yield risk in farmers’ fields is comparatively scarce.

Using data from 240 farm households, the paper “Climate variability and yield risk in South Asia’s rice–wheat systems: emerging evidence from Pakistan” responds to this gap and isolates the effects of agronomic management from climatic variability on rice and wheat yield risks in eight of Pakistan’s twelve agroecological zones. The authors’ results highlight important risks to farmers’ ability to obtain reliable yield levels for both crops, finding season-long and terminal heat stress have a negative effect on rice and wheat yields, with heat being particularly damaging to wheat.

The study also finds farmers have limited capacity to adapt to respond to climactic changes within a crop season, concluding that current climate change adaptation policies must be reviewed to increase resilience for Pakistan’s and South Asia’s cereal farmers, suggesting avenues for investment in improved crop research and development programs.

Read more about this study and more recent publications from CIMMYT researchers, below:

A direct comparison of remote sensing approaches for high-throughput phenotyping in plant breeding. 2016. Tattaris, M.; Reynolds, M.P.; Chapman, S. Frontiers in Plant Science 7: 113
Baseline simulation for global wheat production with CIMMYT mega-environment specific cultivars. 2016. Gbegbelegbe, S.D.; Cammarano, D.; Asseng, S.; Robertson, R.; Chung, U.; Adam, M.; Abdalla, O.; Payne, T.S.; Reynolds, M.P.; Sonder, K.; Shiferaw, B.; Nelson, G. Field Crops Research. Online First.
Climate variability and yield risk in South Asia’s rice–wheat systems: emerging evidence from Pakistan. 2016. Muhammad Arshad; Amjath-Babu, T.S.; Krupnik, T.J.; Aravindakshan, S.; Abbas, A.; Kachele, H.; Muller, K. Paddy Water Environment. Online First.
Genome wide association mapping of stripe rust resistance in Afghan wheat landraces. 2016. Manickavelu, A.; Joukhadar, R.; Jighly, A.; Caixia Lan; Huerta-Espino, J.; Ahmad Shah Stanikzai; Kilian, A.; Singh, R.P.; Ban, T. Plant Science 252: 222-229.

New multi-crop zero-till planter boosts yields and farming efficiency in Pakistan

Written by on June 24, 2016. Posted in Features.

Planting rice with the first locally produced multicrop planter in Sheikhupura, Punjab Province, Pakistan. Photo: Irfan Mughal/Greenland Engineering

ISLAMABAD — A new planter that promotes dry seeding of rice, saves water and increases planting efficiency is being used increasingly in Pakistan’s Punjab Province.

Many farmers in Punjab alternately grow rice and wheat in their fields throughout the year, and the province produces more than 50% of Pakistan’s rice and 75% of its wheat.

Traditionally, rice planting involves transplanting 4-6-week old seedlings into puddled fields, a process that requires large amounts of water and labor, both of which are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. Repeated puddling negatively affects soil physical properties, decreases soil aggregation and results in hardpan formation, which reduces the productivity of the following wheat crop.

Sustainable intensification aims to increase the productivity of labor, land and capital. Conservation agriculture (CA) relies on practices such as minimal soil disturbance, permanent soil cover and the use of crop rotation to maintain and/or boost yields, increase profits and protect the environment. It also helps improve soil function and quality, which can improve resilience to climate variability.

Father and son Iqbal Mughal and Irfan Mughal are co-owners of Greenland Engineering, which currently manufactures zero-tillage wheat drills for Pakistan’s farming communities. They worked with CIMMYT from 1994-2003 as part of the the rice-wheat consortium. In response to the interest expressed by farmers, they are also producing the new multicrop planter for rice farmers in Daska, Punjab Province. Photo: Mumtaz Ahmed/Engro Fertilizers

Dry seeding of rice (DSR), a practice that involves growing rice without puddling the soil, can save up to 25 percent of the water needed for growing the crop and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. However, the old fluted roller drills used for DSR do not guarantee uniform plant-to-plant spacing and break the rice seeds, requiring farmers to purchase more seed than otherwise needed.

In 2014, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) imported a multicrop, zero-till planter from India that drills the seed and the fertilizer simultaneously while maintaining appropriate spacing between plants without breaking the seeds.

That same year, CIMMYT evaluated locally modified multicrop zero-till planters for dry seeding of Basmati rice at five sites in Punjab. As a result, the plant populations, tillers and grain yields at these sites were 10 percent higher compared to those at the sites where old fluted roller drills were used. During the current 2016 rice season, Greenland Engineering has so far manufactured and sold over 30 multicrop planters to rice growers across Pakistan.

CIMMYT’s initiative to spread the locally adapted, multicrop, zero-till planter throughout Pakistan was made possible through the Agricultural Innovation Program supported by the United States Agency for International Development, in collaboration with Greenland Engineering and Engro Fertilizers. National partners such as the Rice Research Institute Kala Shah Kaku, Adaptive Research Punjab and Engro Fertilizers are also helping to scale out the multicrop planter and other CA technologies throughout Punjab’s rice-wheat areas.

CIMMYT’s initiative to spread the locally adapted, multicrop, zero-till planter throughout Pakistan was made possible through the Agricultural Innovation Program, supported by the United States Agency for International Development, in collaboration with Greenland Engineering and Engro Fertilizers. National partners like the Rice Research Institute Kala Shah Kaku, Adaptive Research Punjab and Engro Fertilizers are also helping to spread the multicrop planter and other CA technologies throughout rice-wheat areas in Punjab.

Scientists trained on breeding program management, statistical data analysis

Written by on June 13, 2016. Posted in News.

Rabia Akram receiving her certificate for successfully attending the training course. Photo: Awais Yaqub/CIMMYT

ISLAMABAD — CIMMYT in collaboration with Pakistan’s National Agricultural Research Center conducted a training course on maize breeding program management and statistical data analysis from 23-27 May 2016 in Islamabad, Pakistan. The training was attended by nearly 40 participants nominated from agricultural universities, public and private institutions across the country. It was the first in its kind to address breeding program management and introduce current software to analyze various phenotypic and genotypic data. This hands-on training will help scientists select varieties suitable for use by Pakistani farmers based on multi-environment datasets.

“Today, crop improvement techniques are getting advanced in each passing day and countries that are investing in cutting-edge science and state-of-the-art technologies not only are self-sufficient, but are leading exporters of their surplus products,” said Chairman of Pakistan’s Agricultural Research Council, Nadeem Amjad.

Participants of maize breeding program management and statistical data analysis training held in Islamabad from 23-27 May 2016. Photo: Amina Nasim Khan/CIMMYT

Amjad emphasized the need to build the capacity of scientists dedicated to fields such as crop modeling, bioinformatics and advanced agricultural statistical software to modernize and enhance agricultural productivity in Pakistan. He thanked CIMMYT for addressing the need that can help maize and wheat researchers to grow in these fields and improve their work.

“Thanks to this training I have analyzed all my data in just two hours. Before this it would have taken me months as I was using less efficient, less user friendly and very old software. This is a real support from CIMMYT and my tasks are greatly simplified,” said Rashad Rashid, a representative from Rafhan Maize Products private company.

Together with CIMMYT Pakistan scientists, the training was conducted by Mateo Vargas Hernandez and Alvarado Beltran Gregorio, consultant and senior data analyst from CIMMYT’s Biometry and Statistical Unit respectively, who are part of the team that developed the software used during the training.

“Sharing statistical software and training of researchers by the very people who were involved in developing the software makes this training unique,” according to Muhammad Azeem Khan, Director General of National Agricultural Research Center, who closed the ceremony.

Pakistan maize stakeholders discuss progress

Written by on June 8, 2016. Posted in News.

NARC’s maize team receiving a certificate of appreciation. Photo: M. Waheed Anwar/CIMMYT — NARC’s maize team receiving a certificate of appreciation from AIP. Photo: M. Waheed Anwar/CIMMYT

ISLAMABAD — CIMMYT’s Agricultural Innovation Program (AIP) held its annual maize working group meeting on 10-11 May with over 20 representatives from public and private seed companies and higher learning institutions in attendance. The working group evaluated AIP partners’ progress in deploying CIMMYT-derived maize hybrids and varieties to farmers.

Maize productivity in Pakistan has increased almost 75 percent since the early 1990s thanks to the adoption and expansion of hybrid maize varieties. However, the seed that spurred this growth is largely imported at an annual cost of $50 million. Since AIP’s launch in 2013, however, more than 80 CIMMYT-derived maize hybrids and open-pollinated varieties have been adapted to Pakistan’s diverse ecologies. Currently, 21 public- and private-sector companies are testing and deploying these locally-adapted cultivars to smallholder farmers across the country.

In his opening statement, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) Chairman Nadeem Amjad cited AIP as the best example of sustainable development projects and said that one of its invaluable contributions is “sharing of valuable parental lines and breeder seeds.” He added that CIMMYT hybrids can help “resource-poor maize farmers have affordable maize seeds at their doorstep.”

Participants in AIP’s annual maize working group meeting, 10-11 May 2016, Islamabad, Pakistan. Photo: Amina Nasim Khan/CIMMYT

At the meeting, partners reported on their progress producing parental seed and described how they planned to deliver quality seeds to farmers. They also identified key challenges in Pakistan’s maize seed value chain and recommended potential solutions during the group discussion.

In his concluding remarks, Pakistan’s National Agricultural Research Center (NARC) Director General Muhammad Azeem Khan said that it was only thanks to AIP innovations and interventions that NARC was able to start producing seed of biofortified hybrid maize, a first in the history of Pakistan.

Certificates of appreciation were presented by AIP to NARC for jump-starting hybrid seed production in Pakistan and hosting various national maize events in 2015, as well as to Tara Crop Sciences (Pvt.) Ltd. for conducting the best maize trials evaluated by AIP maize partners during the 2015 traveling maize seminar.

Read about AIP in the media below:

Pakistani farming community nudged to improve agricultural productivity

Written by on May 30, 2016. Posted in News.

(L-R) Mark Bell (UC Davis), UAAR representative, Imtiaz Muhammad (CIMMYT), Rai Niaz, Vice Chancellor PMAS-UAAR, UAAR representative, UAAR representative. Photo: PMAS-UAAR.

ISLAMABAD — The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Agricultural Innovation Program (AIP) for Pakistan, in partnership with Pir Mehr Ali Shah University of Arid Agriculture Rawalpindi (PMAS-UAAR), organized a one-day conference on “Agricultural Productivity Improvement through Nudging.” The conference was attended by agricultural experts, professors, scientists, researchers, national and international experts, and students.

Rai Niaz, PMAS-UAAR Vice Chancellor, chaired the inaugural session. He extolled the partnership between AIP and PMAS-UAAR that will bring innovation to science and better opportunities in the agricultural sector. CIMMYT Country representative Muhammad Imtiaz gave the participants an overview of AIP activities.

The audience takes a keen interest in the seminar’s inaugural session. Photo: PMAS-UAAR.

Mark Bell, representative of University of California Davis, outlined some areas in which nudging, a technique that influences people towards desirable behavior, can be used as a potential vehicle for agriculture extension.

The technical session of the seminar was jointly chaired by Muhammad Imtiaz and Abdul Saboor, Dean of the Social Science Faculty, PMAS-UAAR.

Speaking during the technical session, Imtiaz described the nudging concept and the difference between nudging and incentivizing. He explained in detail the types of decisions made by the farming community and their implications for crop and livestock productivity. He spoke about AIP’s nudging efforts and how successful they have been in the livestock, vegetable and cereal sectors. He explained how farmers are nudged through AIP to increase agricultural productivity. The participants lauded AIP’s efforts to nudge farmers to adopt innovations and increase their productivity.

Assessing the potential of ICT in Pakistan’s agricultural extension

Written by on May 5, 2016. Posted in News.

Mark Bell presented the working paper to the Federal Minister of National Food Security and Research, Pakistan. Photo: Amina Nasim Khan/CIMMYT — Mark Bell presented the working paper to the Federal Secretary of National Food Security and Research, Pakistan. Photo: Amina Nasim Khan/CIMMYT

ISLAMABAD– The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Agricultural Innovation Program for Pakistan shared the findings and proposed a plan for applying information communication technology (ICT) in agricultural extension in Pakistan, today in Islamabad during the launch ceremony of a working paper on the use of ICT in agriculture extension in Pakistan

This working paper is a product of AIP’s e-PakAG led by the University of California Davis (UC Davis) and highlights a series of opportunities to enhance the use of ICT in agricultural extension. Held at the National Agricultural Research Center (NARC), Islamabad, the launch ceremony of ICT use highlighted the promising role of new tools such as cell phones and enhanced videos in obtaining better scientific results to help farmers. The work by UC Davis and the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, was implemented as part of the AIP, led by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in partnership with the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), ILRI, AVRDC, IRRI and UC Davis.

Imtiaz Muhammad sharing the highlight of AIP and his views on the impact of information communication technology (ICT) on improving agricultural sector. Photo: Amina Nasim Khan/CIMMYT

CIMMYT Country Representative Imtiaz, Muhammad during the presentation of a working paper on ICT in agricultural extension said, “This new era of technology is leading to new horizons in agricultural research. The trends indicate powerful impact of information communication technology on improving the farmer’s productivity and these innovative practices will ultimately improve the Pakistani agricultural sector.”

Praising the efforts of AIP, Federal Secretary for National Food Security and Research Abid Javed pointed out that the continuous support of the American people is reshaping Pakistan’s agricultural sector, particularly farmers.

“ICT, like never before, offers us unprecedented opportunities to connect people and make useful information available to poor farmers. We have to find out how to better turn that potential into reality,” said Mark Bell, leader of AIP’s e-Pak Ag.

Pakistan’s Federal Minister of National Food Security and Research shared his thoughts with the audience at the launching ceremony. Photo: Amina Nasim Khan/CIMMYT — Pakistan’s Federal Secretary of National Food Security and Research shared his thoughts with the audience at the launching ceremony. Photo: Amina Nasim Khan/CIMMYT

As PARC Chairman Nadeem Amjad indicated, today the use of ICT is essential and AIP’s efforts will make it easy to convey relevant and credible information to extension staff and, through them, to farmers.

The United States is committed to working hand in hand with Pakistan to develop and modernize the agricultural sector. As a global center of excellence in the improvement of maize and wheat systems, CIMMYT has maintained a long and highly productive relationship with the Pakistani government and national partners, with the invaluable support of U.S. government agencies. AIP’s E-Pak Ag activities are capturing science and research innovations led by UC Davis, which has a rich history of working with and strengthening research, education and extension programs around the world.

Launched in 2013, the USAID-funded Agricultural Innovation Program for Pakistan (AIP) works to increase agricultural productivity and incomes by promoting and disseminating modern practices in the cereal and cereal systems (wheat, maize and rice), livestock, fruit, and vegetable sectors; enhancing the capacity of agricultural scientists and researchers through short-term and long-term training such as M.Sc. and Ph.D. scholarships at U.S. land grant universities; establishing Provincial Agricultural Research for Development (AR4D) Boards to support expansion of provincial linkages to national, regional and international communities through a mechanism of coordination; and improving agricultural growth and research in Pakistan through a Competitive Grants System. Project management is vested in a unique consortium of Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) centers, US land grant universities, non-CGIAR centers, and the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), led by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). For more information, visit: aip.cimmyt.org.

New varieties reignite maize production in Pakistan

Written by on April 29, 2016. Posted in Features.

**M. Sadeeq Tahir, the first QPM farmer in Pakistan who tested the newly introduced QPM hybrids in his field. Photo: M. Ashraf**

ISLAMABAD – The maize sector in Pakistan is benefiting from an upsurge in investments leading to new varieties from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) that have the potential to increase production, enhance nutrition and strengthen national industry.

Maize is the third most important cereal crop in Pakistan, which at a production rate of four tons per hectare, has one of the highest national yields in South Asia. Maize productivity in Pakistan has increased almost 75 percent from levels in the early 1990s due to the adoption and expansion of hybrid maize varieties. The crop is cultivated both in spring and autumn seasons and grows in all provinces throughout the country.

However, the lack of a strong national seed system has caused Pakistan to import more than 85 percent of its hybrid maize seed at a cost averaged about $50 million annually since 2011. When coupled with other factors including a limited source of seed providers and non-relaxation of duties on imported seed, this causes the unit price of hybrid maize seed to be the most expensive in South Asia.

PROJECT BOOSTS SEED

A project launched in 2013, CIMMYT’s Agricultural Innovation Program (AIP) funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), led to a large-scale evaluation of maize varieties, which have since resulted in more than 1,000 diverse genotypes tested for favorable traits across Pakistan. Currently, 20 public- and private-sector companies are partnering with CIMMYT to test new varieties and deploy locally-adapted products.

USAID Mission Director John Groarke (center) during the launching ceremony of the first QPM hybrids in Pakistan. Photo: Awais Yaqub

In just two years since the launch of this initiative, more than 80 CIMMYT-derived hybrids and open pollinated varieties of maize have been identified and adapted to diverse ecologies in Pakistan. In the first phase, CIMMYT allocated 49 maize products for registration, commercial release, further seed scale-up and delivery in the target geographies in Pakistan. This maize germplasm was sourced from CIMMYT’s regional maize breeding hubs mainly from Colombia, Mexico and Zimbabwe. With the help of national partners, these improved varieties are being put in the hands smallholder farmers throughout the country.

Seed businesses in Pakistan now have the leverage to run a competitive domestic market for maize seed, thanks to these new varieties. Diverse new lines are also more nutritious, mature earlier and are more tolerant to drought. They can also be delivered at an affordable price which is a huge step forward compared to the limited options smallholder farmers had before AIP started.

Biofortification, or the enhancement of the nutritional value of a crop, has been a cornerstone of CIMMYT’s work in developing improved varieties. Quality Protein Maize (QPM) was the first new hybrid product to reach farmers in Pakistan. Demonstration seeds from the first two biofortified maize hybrids in Pakistan were officially distributed to farmers this February by the National Agricultural Research Center (NARC), one of the national partners to AIP. The two QPM hybrids, originally from CIMMYT-Colombia, will reach about 300 farmers this season and further distribution is expected by 2017.

M. Hashim Popalzai (center) handing over samples of maize parental lines. At the left Mr. Faisal Hayat from the seed company Jullundur Private Ltd. receiving the seed and at the right Nadeem Amjad, PARC Chairman. Photo: M. Waheed Anwar

“We know how precious (CIMMYT’s) parental seeds are,” said Muhammad Hashim Popalzai from Pakistan’s Ministry of National Food Secuirity and Research. “At times it will take up to eight years to develop inbred lines and another 3-4 years to constitute hybrid seeds, however, we are getting them easily under the AIP program.”

Although developing new seeds takes time, the benefits could make a huge contribution to Pakistan’s economy, health and livelihoods for farmers across the country.

“These parental seeds will help us to produce the seed locally,” said Faiysal Hayat, deputy manager of seed company Jullundur Private Ltd., adding that they will also “enable us to provide quality seed at an affordable price to farmers.”

In reviewing the progress of AIP maize activities, Abdu Rahman Beshir, CIMMYT’s maize improvement and seed systems specialist said: “The overwhelming interest and collaborations from public-private stakeholders of Pakistan’s maize sector are the main thrust for CIMMYT’s maize varietal deployment drive in Pakistan.”

Subsequent activities in quality seed production and enhanced product positioning will further reinforce the encouraging gains of AIP which aims to have a vibrant maize seed system in Pakistan, according to Beshir.

AIP Pakistan institutes surveys to enhance effective interventions

Written by on April 7, 2016. Posted in News.

Imtiaz Muhammad sharing his views on the importance of follow-up surveys for improved Pakistani agricultural productivity. Photo: Amina Nasim Khan/ CIMMYT — Imtiaz Muhammad sharing his views on the importance of follow-up surveys for improved Pakistani agricultural productivity. CIMMYT/Amina Nasim Khan

ISLAMABAD (CIMMYT) — Development and agricultural professionals attending a planning meeting in Islamabad in March discussed the importance of follow-up surveys for project evaluation and intervention impact, particularly in relation to the Agricultural Innovation Program for Pakistan (AIP).

The meeting, organized by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), focused on the progress of AIP, which is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Representatives of USAID-Pakistan, CIMMYT and AIP partners including International Livestock Research Institute, International Rice Research Institute, The World Vegetable Center and University of California, Davis discussed conducting follow up surveys on strategy, methodology, sampling techniques and data analysis. Additionally, attendees discussed future plans.

“This is the right time to assess AIP’s performance, and we need to focus on the demands of the farmers, their challenges and work out a way forward for them to improve their agricultural productivity,” said Imtiaz Muhammad, CIMMYT country representative in Pakistan.

Nazim Ali, AIP activity manager, explained the importance of follow-up surveys and their significance in project evaluation and impact assessment. AIP primary partners shared lessons learned from baseline surveys and presented a work plan for follow-up surveys.

Akhter Ali, CIMMYT agricultural economist, spoke about the methodology used in follow-up surveys, sampling techniques, geographic spread and data analysis techniques.

Participants reached consensus on the following points:

Follow-up survey questionnaires must be aligned with indicators, which AIP is currently reporting to USAID
Follow-up survey questionnaires will be refined internally
Women enumerators should collect sex-disaggregated data sets
For all AIP interventions, samples need to be representative
Agreed time frame for completion of the follow up surveys is tentatively December

For all interventions, AIP partners agreed on documentation of impact through follow up surveys.

These joint efforts will enable smallholder farmers to improve agricultural productivity and livelihoods across different agro-ecological regions of Pakistan.

U.S. embassy in Pakistan highlights hybrid maize seed production

Written by on March 28, 2016. Posted in News. 1 Comment on U.S. embassy in Pakistan highlights hybrid maize seed production

Pollination of maize. Photo courtesy of aip.cimmyt.org.

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director John Groarke presented new varieties of maize seed to Pakistani research organizations and private-sector seed companies on 17 February at the National Agricultural Research Center in Islamabad, according to a U.S. embassy press release.

These varieties were developed by the Agricultural Innovation Program (AIP), a joint effort led by CIMMYT and supported by USAID, to jump-start the production of quality hybrid maize seed in Pakistan. The varieties distributed are resistant to drought and heat, have enhanced nutritional quality and increased tolerance to insect attacks and low soil nitrogen.

AIP for Pakistan is working to sustainably increase agricultural productivity and incomes in the agricultural sector through the promotion and dissemination of modern technologies/practices in the livestock, horticulture (fruits and vegetables) and cereals (wheat, maize and rice) sector. The $30 million initiative also collaborates with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), the World Vegetable Center (AVRDC), the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the University of California – Davis and the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC).

Read the full press release here.

CIMMYT upgrades Pakistan’s national germplasm collection and distribution facility

Written by on December 18, 2015. Posted in News.

As a step towards modernizing and strengthening Pakistan’s national coordinated breeding programs, CIMMYT upgraded the seed storage facility of the National Agricultural Research Center (NARC) to meet international standards. The state-of-the-art facility offers a number of services such as damage control of stored wheat including avoiding both quantitative and qualitative losses, maintaining a record of incoming and outgoing seed, and tracking it until it reaches its destination.

Funded by the Wheat Productivity Enhancement Program (WPEP), the germplasm collection and distribution facility was formally inaugurated by Shahid Masood, member of the plant science division, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), on 20 November 2015. CIMMYT Country Representative Imtiaz Muhammad, PARC Chairman Nadeem Amjad, NARC DG Muhammad Azeem Khan, and agricultural experts from national and international organizations graced the occasion with their presence.

Upon unveiling the foundation stone, Shahid spoke about the intention behind setting up the facility, which is to provide an international standard for maintaining the quality of wheat seed and seed of other crops and keep track of national and international germplasm.

Atiq Ur Rehman Rattu, National Wheat Coordinator, PARC, briefed the group on the system that will be used to stop seed mixing, fumigate, package the seed, and record services before distributing seed packets to collaborators across Pakistan.

“This establishment will substantially improve grain quality in Pakistan. It will connect the international seed sector with national partners to conduct trials after maintaining a record of the incoming material and trace it to the end delivery points,” said Imtiaz. The attendees acknowledged the efforts of the WPEP and especially of CIMMYT in enhancing Pakistan’s national breeding facilities. Azeem highlighted the importance of quality seed for increased productivity and said that the new facility will maintain and distribute pure, high-quality seed to national collaborators.

CIMMYT maize varieties in high demand in Pakistan

Written by on December 18, 2015. Posted in News.

AbduRahman Beshir and M. Imtiaz

Pakistan imports more than 85% of its hybrid maize seed, which costs the country about US$ 60 million each year. Due to importation and other factors, the price of hybrid maize seed ranges from US$ 6-8 per kg, the highest in south Asia.

During a NARC-CIMMYT maize field day held on 25 November 2015, Muhammad Azeem Khan, Director General of Pakistan’s National Agricultural Research Center (NARC), said, “We are seeing valuable and precious contributions from the AIP [Agricultural Innovation Program] maize program which will help to lessen the dependency on imported hybrid maize seeds.” In his welcoming address to about 200 participants, the NARC DG mentioned the importance of reopening the CIMMYT office and reviving its activities after a gap of more than two decades.

CIMMYT’s maize activities in Pakistan are being implemented more widely under the recently launched AIP. M. Imtiaz, CIMMYT’s Country Representative and AIP project leader, welcomed the delegates and urged stakeholders to make an all-out effort to deliver maize varieties and hybrids particularly to resource-poor farmers.

Seerat Asghar, Federal Secretary for National Food Security and Research, reminded participants about the role CIMMYT played in helping Pakistan to become self-sufficient in wheat, and described the collaboration between Norman Borlaug and Pakistani scientists. He stressed that this type of collaboration must continue in order to achieve similar results in maize. The Federal Secretary also highlighted AIP’s maize activities, which have introduced a wide range of maize germplasm to Pakistan including vitamin A enriched, biofortified maize hybrids and stem borer resistant open-pollinated varieties (OPVs), among others.

Under the AIP maize program, which started its field evaluation work in February 2014, CIMMYT has evaluated about 100 set of trials consisting of more than 1000 maize hybrids and OPVs in all provinces and regions of Pakistan. In less than two years, the national agricultural research system has identified about 50 hybrids and OPVs suitable for further validation and commercial production. “Pakistan can be taken as CIMMYT’s new frontier for maize where positive impacts can be achieved sustainably,” said AbduRahman Beshir, CIMMYT’s maize improvement and seed systems specialist. “Such fast results are not happening inadvertently; rather, they are creating strong collaborations, and developing confidence and trust in national partners will result in meeting set targets effectively.”

AIP maize is a multi-stakeholder platform consisting of 20 public and private partners who are directly involved in Pakistan’s maize evaluation and validation network. The number of stakeholders is expected to increase as the program further expands product testing and deployment in different parts of the country. During the field visit, Umar Sardar, R&D manager at Four Brothers Seed Company, noted the performance of different maize hybrids and expressed his company’s interest in marketing white kernel varieties in KPK provinces. Similarly, Jan Masood, Director of the Cereal Crops Research Institute (CCRI), asked CIMMYT to allocate some of the entries for the benefit particularly of small-scale farmers in the mountain areas of Pakistan.

During the field day, CIMMYT principles for allocating products to partners were also announced. Ten private and public institutions have submitted applications to CIMMYT’s Global Maize Program to obtain CIMMYT maize germplasm for further validation and commercialization in Pakistan; those requests are now being reviewed by a panel of maize experts working with CIMMYT in Asia.

After visiting demonstration plots and trials, the chief guest, Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan applauded CIMMYT’s efforts to foster the production and delivery of affordable quality seed. In his concluding remarks, the Minister said, “The country is importing a huge amount of hybrid maize seed, which contributes to the high input price for maize farmers, particularly those with limited resources. We need to strengthen our local capacity especially in hybrid maize seed production in order to enhance availability, accessibility, and affordability of quality seeds to our farmers.” Minister Bosan also noted the role of PARC, CIMMYT, and USAID under AIP.

PARC Chairman Nadeem Amjad expressed his gratitude to all the stakeholders and organizers of this national event. Former PARC Chairman Iftikhar Ahmad and Shahid Masood, former member of PARC’s plant science division, received awards from the chief guest in recognition of their contributions under the AIP program.

Representatives of local and multinational seed companies, public research institutes, relevant government institutions, and USAID, as well as progressive farmers and policymakers attended the field day.

To read more about the event, go to:

http://tvi.com.pk/new-high-yielding-maize-varieties-introduced-in-pakistan/

http://24news2day.com/2015/11/26/usaid-funded-innovation-program-introduces-new-maize-varieties/

http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=280397

http://www.sabahnews.net/national/new-maize-varieties-introduced-commercial-use/

http://www.newsmedialive.com/usaid-funded-innovation-program-introduces-new-maize-varieties/

Interview with CIMMYT Director General Martin Kropff in Pakistan

Written by on December 8, 2015. Posted in Features.

From 23 – 26 August, 2015, CIMMYT’s Director General Martin Kropff visited Pakistan to attend the Agricultural Innovation Program’s (AIP) annual conference in Islamabad. Following the conference Kropff met with the CIMMYT team to talk about his observations, suggestions and way forward for continued impact in Pakistan.

Q: Is there room for improvement in the agricultural sector in Pakistan?

A: With an average wheat yield of nearly three tons per hectare, Pakistan’s agricultural sector is in a good position but there are still many opportunities to grow. As highlighted by the Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan, technologies such as precision agriculture and hand-held technologies for soil testing, to increase yields present new opportunities. Many farmers’ I met at this year’s AIP conference are not using these improved technologies, and AIP can help ensure they have access.

Q: What is the role of public-private partnerships in agricultural development?

Kropff talking to CIMMYT-Pakistan team. Photo: Awais Yaqub/ CIMMYT

A: The private sector is essential for scaling up new technologies. CIMMYT, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and heads of international and national companies in Pakistan and other AIP partners are discussing opportunities for future collaborations. This won’t be just a project on maize or wheat – but a full systems approach incorporating the entire value chain.

Q: How can we improve the seed industry’s capacity?

A: When I was Director at Wageningen University, we established an African Agribusiness Academy. Ambassadors from the university would organize groups of young entrepreneurs from across Africa to innovate and learn from our scientists, and vice versa. This type of partnership and co-learning could help AIP improve the industry and farmers’ lives as well as build relationships with the private sector.

Q: What has been your experience with Pakistani scientists and how can they continue to grow?

CIMMYT-Pakistan team photo with CIMMYT Director General Martin Kropff and former CIMMYT Director General Thomas Lumpkin (front row, fourth and fifth from the left, respectively). Photo: Awais Yaqub/ CIMMYT

A: Pakistani CIMMYT scientists are at a really good level. At CIMMYT we are not just conducting research but also applying it in the field, and we need to keep innovating with Pakistan’s national centers and scientists. We also need to continue training and mentoring Pakistan’s future scientists – students from national universities that are an incredible asset to future development.

CIMMYT encourages women farmers in Pakistan to grow their own wheat

Written by on November 27, 2015. Posted in News.

Woman farmer receiving wheat seed at the festival. Photo: Amina Nasim Khan

Farmers, students, scientists, and researchers showed keen interest in new agricultural technologies and practices offered by CIMMYT at the women farmers’ festival organized by Lok Sanjh Foundation at the National Agriculture Research Centre (NARC), Islamabad, Pakistan, on 11 November 2015.

At the festival, CIMMYT showcased high yielding wheat varieties that are resistant to rust, especially Ug99, as well as biofortified and normal yellow and white maize varieties, and information on conservation agriculture.

CIMMYT encourages farmers young and old, men and women, to grow their own wheat for a food secure world. As part of CIMMYT’s mandate to ensure food security, 2,500 smallholder farmers received seed of Faisalabad-08, Punjab-11, Pakistan-13, and NARC-11, wheat varieties that are resistant to rust, including Ug99, at the festival. Seerat Asghar, Federal Secretary, Ministry of National Food Security and Research, Imtiaz Muhammad, CIMMYT country representative, and Nazim Ali, USAID Pakistan representative, distributed the seed.

The team collected farmer information for future follow-up on the wheat varieties’ performance and yield improvement. More than 60% of the recipients were women farmers from the Pothwar region of Punjab province, including Chakwal, Fateh Jang, Gujar Khan, and Rawalpindi, Mardan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and Islamabad.

Seed distribution ceremony during the women farmers’ festival. Photo: Amina Nasim Khan.

WPEP helps farmers produce wheat seed for a food-secure future

Written by on November 13, 2015. Posted in News. 1 Comment on WPEP helps farmers produce wheat seed for a food-secure future

Wheat seed distribution in Nankana-Sahib, Punjab province. Photo: Monsif ur Rehman/CIMMYT Pakistan — Wheat seed distribution in Nankana-Sahib, Punjab province.
Photo: Monsif ur Rehman/CIMMYT Pakistan

As part of seed multiplication and distribution, an objective of the Wheat Productivity and Enhancement Program (WPEP), CIMMYT-Pakistan distributed quality wheat seed free of charge to smallholder farmers in Punjab province with the aim of replacing outdated, susceptible wheat varieties.

A distribution ceremony was held at the Wheat Research Institute (WRI) Faisalabad on 3 November 2015. The event was attended by Makhdoom Hussain, WRI-Faisalabad Director, and M. Imtiaz, CIMMYT Country Representative.

In the third round of wheat seed distribution by WPEP, each of 40 farmers received 25 kg of seed of PAKISTAN-2013 and NARC-2011, wheat varieties derived from CIMMYT germplasm that are resistant to rust (especially Ug99).

Small farmers sow maize with a push row planter in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan

Written by on November 5, 2015. Posted in News.

Farmer Jalees Ahmed planting maize with a push row planter in Nowshera, Pakistan. Photo: Ansaar Ahmed

In Pakistan, maize is planted on 0.97 million hectares, of which 0.42 million are located in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The maize crop in KP is sown predominantly by hand and farmers practice a variety of methods such as broadcast and line sowing. Small farmers broadcast the maize seed and then do a shallow cultivation; however, seed is wasted with this method.

Maize is also line-planted, which involves placing rope or string lengthwise with marks at specific distances. The maize seed is then planted with a hoe in what is known as the Thapa method, which is very labor intensive.