Nominations are now being accepted for the 2024 Jeanie Borlaug Laube Women in Triticum (WIT) awards honoring outstanding early-career scientists engaged in wheat research. The Borlaug Global Rust Initiative (BGRI) presents the WIT awards to acknowledge excellence and leadership among scientists in the initial stages of their careers. Recipients of the 2024 awards will benefit from advanced leadership and scientific training for wheat research, supported by the BGRI and the Accelerating Genetic Gains in Maize and Wheat project led by CIMMYT.
Applications will be accepted until January 31, 2024. These awards, named after Jeanie Borlaug Laube, chair of the BGRI and daughter of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Norman E. Borlaug, have recognized the accomplishments of early-career scientists in wheat research worldwide since their establishment in 2010. To date, the BGRI has acknowledged over 70 deserving individuals.
In the central region of Mexico, specifically in Guanajuato, Heineken, and CIMMYT have teamed up to help barley farmers and suppliers adopt environmentally friendly farming practices.
Sieg Snapp, director of the Sustainable Agrifood Systems (SAS) program at CIMMYT, has been selected as a recipient of the 2023 International Soil Science Award. Bestowed by the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA), the award recognizes outstanding contributions to soil science on the international scene.
The awarding panel looks for lasting contributions to international soil science, including creativity and relevance in the establishment of scientific research, the application of sound principles of international significance. A key factor is evidence of bringing about long-lasting change in practices related to soil science in more than country, as Snapp has done through improved understanding of integrated nutrient management in Malawi and Tanzania. Snapp’s receipt of the prestigious award affirms her lifelong commitment to enhancing the science and practice of agriculture for the betterment of the planet and its people.
Sieglinde Snapp receives the International Soil Science Award. (Photo: ASA, CSSA, SSSA)
Snapp is a trailblazing scientist renowned for pioneering the “mother-baby trial” method, the go-to tool for participatory research which has helped develop farmer-approved technologies in 30 countries. Her groundbreaking approach has significantly advanced participatory research, enriching our understanding of soil health, crop diversity and agroecology, informing extension services and policymakers in Africa and beyond.
Snapp received her award at the ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, where she also delivered the ASA Plenary/E.T. & Vam York Distinguished ASA Lectureship. Her talk, titled “Sustainable Agrifood Systems for a Changing World Requires Action-driven Science,” unveiled CIMMYT’s strategy for advancing the science of SAS in a rapidly changing world. In it, she addressed the pressing issues of climate change, conflict and food insecurity, emphasizing the need for action research, new data analytics and agro-diversity. These, she emphasized, are essential elements to safeguard the resilience and sustainability of our farming systems.
To combat food loss and waste, Sylvanus Odjo post-harvest specialist at CIMMYT and Heike Ostermann post-harvest expert at Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) argue for a comprehensive approach that goes beyond single solutions such as storage technologies.
Drawing examples from her work and life, Louise Fresco, a recognized global leader in food and agriculture science, shared the need for diligence, commitment, understanding the bigger cause, and pushing boundaries for women to succeed in their careers. She is optimistic about the progress of women’s roles in fields such as food agriculture, science, and equity.
The eleventh speaker in the CIMMYT-hosted online seminar series — Catalysts of Change: Women Leaders in Science — was Louise Fresco. Louise is a former UN director, an advocate for scientific research and innovation, a contributor to think tanks, and an advisor to academies in Europe and the United States.
CIMMYT Director General Bram Govaerts opened the session by introducing Louise as “a leader of change, a visionary, a renowned speaker, and thought leader.” Rahel Assefa, CIMMYT Regional Project Manager–Africa, moderated the session.
The ABCs of a Career
Louise recounted the beginnings of her career with the United Nations in Papua New Guinea, at a time when communication relied heavily on handwritten letters. Correspondence with her mother could take up to three months, and she often relied on a two-way radio for work-related communication. She recalled a particular incident when her radio was struck by lightning, leaving her without any means to connect with the outside world. “The transformation brought about by technology since those days has motivated me to push forward, and there is still so much to accomplish,” she said.
Louise shared a few keywords that have helped her interpret the world around her and work toward greater goals. The first is assiduous. “Working hard comes at a price. Balancing your private life and what you want to do at work is important and not easy—so ask for advice when needed. Don’t be shy. Be diligent,” she said.
“Second, think about the big picture,” she continued. “Think about where you want to go.” She also reminded the audience that having the big picture doesn’t mean being naive or believing everything will resolve by itself; rather, it implies knowing where one is standing and where one wants to go. She gave an example of how 20 years ago, genetic modification was a controversial subject and how she believed that “if we do the right science, even if nobody sees it, I will continue to talk about it and try to promote good work in this field.”
The third aspect is commitment. “Committing to work and also to partners, because you can’t do it alone,” she told the audience, adding, “In life, coincidence plays a role—you can’t plan many things, but once there is an opportunity, don’t be afraid to seize it.”
Women in the Workplace
Louise shared her experience working at the male-dominated Wageningen University, where she was the second woman to be appointed professor. She encountered various challenges but focused on collaborating with colleagues across different departments to establish her credibility. She summed up her approach: “Be brave. Be assiduous. Be committed. Find your partnerships. Don’t be afraid to ask.”
When asked about the impact of being a woman in the workplace, Louise reflected, “There were few women in our times, and that was an advantage and a disadvantage—advantage because people would remember me, a disadvantage because they would always think I would serve the coffee and type up the minutes. The trick is to find the balance and not to get upset when people treat you like a secretary.”
“Times are different today. You are lucky to live in a time when it is acceptable to be a woman in science, outreach, or agriculture, as you have the strength of numbers and supportive men who want to see qualified women making strides forward,” she added.
She recounted how, at FAO, she had 16 leadership positions reporting to her—and not one was a woman. She tried to recruit several women for the positions but faced challenges. “The lesson learned is that we must focus on hiring and promoting women at all levels, not just in senior roles.”
Louise stressed the importance of fostering the right mindset from primary school onward. “By the time students reach university, they should understand their potential roles regardless of gender, recognizing that there is no inherent difference in the capabilities of girls and boys. This approach can help cultivate a more inclusive and supportive environment.”
Travel Changes Worldview
Traveling plays a crucial role in personal development and cultural understanding, according to Louise. “Get out of your comfort zone. Go to countries where things are difficult.”
Drawing from her own experience, she recounted living in Africa for eight years without access to running water or electricity. “This experience was enriching from a personal perspective, as it allowed me to understand what it is like to cook meals without electricity or gas. I realized how African women spend hours getting essentials such as water, firewood, and food,” she said. In Asia, she experienced the hardships of working in rice fields barefoot, exposing herself to parasitic diseases. “It helped me understand how women bend over 10,000 times per hectare to plant rice seedlings.” These experiences have profoundly influenced her perspective, reinforcing the importance of the scientists and extension workers in bringing scientific knowledge to these communities to enhance their quality of life.
Continuous Learning for Women in Career
Louise emphasized the need for continuous learning to enhance personal growth. “Take note of things you’ve noticed during the day—things you’ve learned or seen around. Get a reflective diary,” she recommended, also encouraging reading and engaging in art forms. “Read about people different from you—other lives, other periods, other classes,” she said, sharing how she always reads books by authors of the place she is traveling to. Additionally, she highlighted that attending art events with colleagues can strengthen relationships, encourage discussions beyond work, and offer a unique perspective for women.
Role Models and Mentorship
Regarding mentorship, Louise pointed out that while she has never had a mentor herself, she actively advocates for mentorship opportunities for women. “Young men also need mentors. We can’t just emancipate women if we don’t emancipate men too,” she said.
Louise explained how women can balance career growth with personal life—either by specializing in a niche field and always being in demand, or by having children early on and then moving into a career full-fledged. She also suggested creating a network of women to help with childcare.
Louise concluded by sharing how she is extremely optimistic about the progress of women’s roles in food, agriculture, science, and equity. “I’m optimistic because so many women are so resilient and willing to work and discover things,” she said.
Listen to the full edition here — Women Leaders in Science: Louise Fresco.
Global concerns are escalating as population growth, climate challenges and regional conflicts contribute to a food crisis. CIMMYT, in collaboration with 13 countries, is registering 160 drought-tolerant maize varieties to address changing climatic conditions, underscoring the need for unified efforts in global agricultural organizations.
A recent meta-analysis by Leonard Rusinamhodzi a systems agronomist at CIMMYT and Sigrun Dahlin from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences provides an overview of how many agroecological practices are not widely adopted because of their high labor requirements.
Latest advances in sensor technology and data processing allow early detection, mapping and monitoring of crop infestation, helping prevent large-scale outbreaks.
A recent study published in Nature Scientific Reports, assesses the capability of very high-resolution satellite (VHRS) imagery and high-resolution unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) imagery for high-throughput phenotyping and detecting impacts of wheat rusts in earlier crop growth stages. UAVs and VHRS offer high potential for nonintrusive, extensive, rapid and flexible measurements of plant biophysical properties at very high spatial and temporal scales.
The study—led by CIMMYT in partnership with the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) and Lincoln Agritech Ltd from New Zealand—establishes that these advanced sensor technologies are emerging as gamechangers in crop health management. They save time, complement traditional disease scoring methods and field surveys, and are cost-effective.
Further, the study establishes that multispectral VHRS sensors can pave the way for the upscaling of disease severity assessment from plot to regional scales at early growth stages.
Wheat rust is a global challenge
Globally, crop infections are an increasing threat to crop production and food security. Increased cross-border trade and travel, coupled with a changing climate are resulting in increased frequency and severity of crop disease outbreaks. Of all the diseases that affect wheat, wheat rusts are among the most damaging, capable of causing epidemics on a vast scale with significant economic and production losses. As of date, global losses from wheat rusts equate to 15 million tonnes per year (USD $2.9 billion). In Ethiopia, a major stripe/yellow-rust epidemic in 2010 affected an estimated 600,000 hectares, resulting in production losses of 15–20% and causing economic losses of USD $250 million. Similarly, a stem/black rust (SR) epidemic from 2013-2014 infected approximately 40,000 hectares. SR, which can cause 100% crop loss within weeks, is re-emerging as a major concern to wheat production.
Early detection, monitoring and timely intervention is key
Rapid early-season detection, monitoring and timely control of wheat rusts in susceptible varieties are critical to avoid large-scale outbreaks, especially in countries where fungicides are scarcely available or too costly for smallholders. UAV-based high-throughput phenotyping (HTP) has been recently investigated to support wheat improvement breeding, in particular, to assess plant growth development, canopy architecture, physiology, reaction to abiotic stress, crop disease and insect pest response, and wheat yield.
Figure 1
Spectral and thermal measurements at the plant and canopy levels allow for monitoring the interactions between plant germplasm and environmental (abiotic and biotic) factors. The current study identifies several spectral features from UAV and VHRS multispectral imagery that have strong assessment power for the detection of combined wheat rust diseases at early crop growth stages.
During a randomized trial conducted in Ethiopia, six bread wheat varieties with differing rust resistance were monitored using UAV and VHRS. In total, 18 spectral features were tested to assess stem and yellow rust disease progression and associated yield loss. Spectral properties of the wheat canopy (e.g., pigmentation, moisture, and biomass) are altered under rust disease stress. Using multispectral images and derived vegetation indices, it is possible to determine crop susceptibility to diseases and consequently can be used for detection and monitoring of wheat rusts.
Figure 2
Recent research on wheat, maize and dry bean demonstrated strong and significant correlations between vegetation indices extracted from UAV and VHRS imagery, confirming the feasibility of VHRS-HTP targeting biomass and yield; however, such satellite applications for plant breeding programs are still scarce.
Looking ahead to upscaling
This study provides valuable insight into the upscaling capability of multispectral sensors for disease detection from UAV imagery at 5 cm per pixel to pan-sharpened satellite imagery at 50 cm per pixel, demonstrating a first step towards upscaling disease detection from plot to regional scales. Further work will expand and improve current methodology to examine the VHRS detection capability towards machine and deep learning techniques (e.g., convolutional neural network) to allow for continuous monitoring systems, focusing on both single and mixed rust diseases under different treatments (e.g., variable fungicide rates, irrigation rates).
The early detection of diseases through spectral analysis and the integration of machine learning algorithms offers invaluable tools to mitigate the spread of infections and implement prompt disease management strategies.
Figures (1-2):
Field trial captured at varying spatial resolutions:
(a) SkySat false color composite (NIR-R-G) at 50 cm pixels (booting stage; 2020-10-17)
(b) UAV false color composite (NIR-R-G) at 5 cm pixels (heading stage; 2020-10-29)
On October 4, 2023, CIMMYT continued its online seminar series — Catalysts of Change: Women Leaders in Science. The event featured a talk by Esther Ngumbi, an entomologist and academic at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
A riverside farm
Born into a small, rural community on the Kenyan coast, Esther Ngumbi grew up farming alongside her family. “I enjoyed the process of growing crops because I knew at the end of the season, we would have extra food for ourselves,” she explained. By the age of seven she decided she wanted to go it alone, and her father provided a small strip of land by the river, where she took to growing vegetables.
“Every morning I would sit there and just enjoy looking at this thriving cabbage patch I had,” she says. “And then one day the rains came. It rained for three days, the field flooded, and by the time the water receded I had lost my cabbages. The joy that had built was gone.”
“But this heartbreak continued,” she added. “Halfway through the season I would watch all our hard work go to waste.” Along came insects, drought, or flooding—all the stresses associated with climate change—and for her family it would mean no food. Ngumbi soon realized that this was not limited to her family’s farm: her neighbors, community, county, and country were all impacted by these challenges, leading to widespread food insecurity.
Feeding curiosity
“As a girl I was very curious,” said Ngumbi. “How do these insect pests find our crops? And when they find them, why aren’t our crops resilient enough to overcome these stresses? Little did I know that this curiosity would lead me into what my career is today: an entomologist.”
“But growing up in a rural village there were no role models; there were no scientists. There were no people I could look up to and be inspired to know that you could make a career out of entomology or that you could be a woman in science.”
Despite initially considering a career in accountancy, Ngumbi ended up studying for a BSc in biochemistry and zoology at Kenyatta University, where she immediately fell in love with practical research. “Stepping into the lab was such an exciting day for me,” she recalled. “I had so many questions, and I remember not wanting to leave because I wanted to answer all the questions I had grown up with.”
Later, extra-curricular experience at a local research center would feed her interest in entomology. The scientists she ended up working with ran a biological control program to assess how maize is impacted by lepidoptera pests, and the natural biological control agents that could be used to combat these. “How do plants communicate and call for help? Through releasing a chemical. I discovered that there is a wave of communication happening between our food crops and the community of organisms that associate with plants.”
Eager to learn more, Ngumbi went on to pursue an MSc before joining a Ph.D. program at Auburn University in Alabama, USA. “My parents had always told me that education is the gateway out of poverty, and they consistently encouraged me to go to the highest level. I knew I had to go to the top.”
At Auburn she had the opportunity to delve deeper into how plants defend themselves, and her successful research into beneficial soil microbes led to at least three U.S. patents. Following a few post-doctoral positions, she landed a role at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she currently works as an assistant professor in the Departments of Entomology and African American Studies.
Bringing others along
Ngumbi credits mentorship with getting her to where she is today. “At Kenyatta University my teachers saw a spark in me; I was curious and wanted to find answers. Mentors introduced me to scientists the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), so I could carry out experiments beyond what we were doing as part of my course.”
She recalled walking across the stage during her Ph.D. graduation ceremony, a key moment of reflection. “It was real that there were very few women like me in science. That I was only one of the many women I had grown up with that was privileged to have a PhD. And I wanted not to be the only person,” she said. “I wanted to make sure that I would leave open the same door I had walked through. That I would do my best to bring other women along.”
“I would step up to be a mentor. Step up to encourage other women. Step up to encourage other children from rural communities to say: you can do it, you can dream, you can follow your passions, you can be a scientist.”
With this in mind, Ngumbi ensures she collaborates with others in all areas of her research, incorporating young researchers into her labs and working directly with farmers. “I’m committed to ensuring that farmers who work so hard — especially smallholders — can grow crops and see all their hard work pay off.”
“I will continue to follow this journey of finding solutions to feed our growing planet, but I know that I cannot do it alone. We need all of us,” she added. “We still have very few women scientists — UNESCO estimates around 30% — and I hope that by the time I’m done with my career that number changes. But it’s going to depend on all of us.”
Ngumbi’s talk was followed by a Question and Answer led by Olivia Odiyo, a CIMMYT research associate based in Nairobi. The full discussion can be viewed online here. Spanish and French-language audio is also available.
When one thinks of heat waves, the natural tendency is to consider high daytime temperatures. However, when most people are sleeping, a hidden factor of climate change is taking place: temperatures at night are not dipping as much as observed in the past, which has dramatic effects on many crops, including wheat. In fact, nocturnal temperatures are rising more rapidly globally than daytime temperatures, which is of great concern as research is starting to show the sensitivity of plants to warmer nights.
A group of researchers, from the University of Nottingham, the Sonora Institute of Technology (ITSON) and CIMMYT examined how different wheat lines reacted to the effects of rising nighttime temperatures treatments imposed in the field, for three years at CIMMYT’s Norman E. Borlaug experimental station in Ciudad Obregon, Mexico. Their results, Night-time warming in the field reduces nocturnal stomatal conductance and grain yield but does not alter daytime physiological responses were published in New Phytologist.
Previous studies revealed that wheat yields decline 3-8% for every 1°C increase of the nighttime low temperature. For this research, the team subjected the selected wheat breeds to an increase of 2°C. The varieties were selected based on previous evaluations of their daytime heat tolerance.
Notably, the findings highlighted that genotypes classified as traditionally heat tolerant were sensitive to small increases in nighttime temperature even without daytime temperature stress, implying that adaptation to warm nights is likely under independent genetic control than daytime adaptation.
“These results are exciting as they offer new perspectives on the impact of night temperatures on diurnal photosynthetic performance and wheat yields,” said co-first author Liana Acevedo-Siaca. “Through this work we found that wheat yields decreased, on average, 1.9% for every degree that increased at night. Our hope is that this work can help inform future breeding and research decisions to work towards more resilient agricultural systems, capable of dealing with warmer day and nighttime temperatures.”
Plants at night
While plants do not “sleep” in the way animals do, nighttime for plants has long been thought of as a time of repose compared to daylight hours when photosynthesis is taking place. However, recent findings have revealed that plants are more active than previously thought at night, for example in transpiration, which is the process of plants gathering liquid water from the soil and releasing water vapor through their leaves.
“An interesting result of our research was that we found varieties characterized as heat tolerant, showed some of the greatest declines in yield in response to warmer nights,” said co-first author Lorna McAusland, Division of Plant and Crop Sciences, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham. “These are the varieties wheat farmers are being recommended for increasing daytime temperature, and so there is a worry that advantages gained during the day are being lost at night.”
“There is likely a goldmine of opportunities related to genetically improving nighttime processes in crops, as very little research has been conducted in that space. Useful genetic variation can be expected, since ‘night’ traits have never been considered or needed before now,” said co-author Matthew Reynolds, who leads the CIMMYT’s Wheat Physiology Lab that collaborates globally with experts via HeDWIC (https://hedwic.org/) and uses physiological pre-breeding as a conduit for cutting edge technologies to impact mainstream breeding.
CIMMYT’s partnership with the Government of India, which spans more than five decades, is one of the longest and most productive in the world.
In October, a group of about 18 scientists from Bihar Agricultural University (BAU), Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR), and Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University (RPCAU) visited CIMMYT headquarters in Mexico to participate in the course on “Innovation in Agri-food Systems through the Hub Model”.
Numerous organizations have been at the forefront of developing tools to support scaling in agricultural research and innovation for development. One notable example is CIMMYT’s Scaling Scan, a pioneering initiative that is helping to advance scalable solutions in the dynamic field of agriculture.
At the online meeting, Prasanna shared CIMMYT’s research and development on FAW management in maize, including breeding for insect-pest resistance, screening maize germplasm against FAW under artificial infestation, and collaborative approaches on integrated pest management of FAW.
Key points from the discussion:
Collaborative efforts are important in managing FAW, and international R&D collaboration is as important as country-level research efforts.
CIMMYT has made significant progress in breeding FAW-tolerant maize hybrids (with native genetic resistance); three such hybrids have been released by national partners in Kenya, Zambia, Malawi, South Sudan, and Ghana, and several more countries in Africa are in the pipeline for release and deployment of these hybrids.
Insect resistance management is critical wherever Bt maize varieties have been already released or in the process of release.
Both conventionally derived and Bt-based resistant maize varieties have their own importance in FAW management.
Need to intensify breeding activities for developing elite maize germplasm with FAW resistance together with other important traits, and fast-track deployment of FAW-tolerant elite maize hybrids.
Possible to achieve synergies between host plant resistance and other IPM approaches for sustainable management of FAW.
Researchers interested in accessing germplasm from CIMMYT’s breeding program can source through a standard material transfer agreement.
Dr Prasanna responded to several queries from the participants of the meeting. Australian researchers and CIMMYT showed interest in further research collaboration. Dr Ramesh Raj Puri, DAF Extension Officer, facilitated the meeting.
The eighth edition of CIMMYT’s seminar series on women’s leadership — Catalysts of Change: Women Leaders in Science — features Usha Barwale Zehr, Director and Chief Technology Officer of Mahyco Private Limited, India. For the last 20 years, Usha has applied new technologies and tools, including biotechnology, to improve the quality and productivity of seeds and agriculture for smallholder farmers in Asia and Africa. Her recent work focuses on sustainability in agriculture and the integration of digital tools into the agricultural value chain to enhance smallholder farmers’ incomes.
During the virtual event, held on November 7, 2023, Usha emphasized the importance of innovative science and technology in agriculture to generate socio-economic impact.
Science and technology are critical catalysts
“The most inspiring aspect of my work is discovering how to help smallholder farmers achieve more from their small and marginal land holdings — those who continue to feed and support us by providing food for large populations in India and around the world,” Usha said, adding that the application of science to this endeavor is critical.
Usha’s thought process has been shaped by her role model — her father.
“His vision and progressive approach in using the latest in science and technology to make a socio-economic impact on the vast majority of our farming population has left a lasting impression on me,” she shared.
Supporting each other to get ahead
“When I think of how we can support each other — and support women in different contexts to become catalysts of change — learning from and helping each other is very important,” Usha said. She pointed out that professionally, we often become so busy that reaching out for help can be a challenge. That is why it is essential to establish structured interactions.
“We need to have formal engagements with colleagues to talk — not just about professional and academic challenges, but also about how we are navigating personal challenges in our professional journeys.” Creating support groups and formal structures to facilitate such engagement is very important, she concluded.
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2024 Jeanie Borlaug Laube Women in Triticum (WIT) awards honoring outstanding early-career scientists engaged in wheat research. The Borlaug Global Rust Initiative (BGRI) presents the WIT awards to acknowledge excellence and leadership among scientists in the initial stages of their careers. Recipients of the 2024 awards will benefit from advanced leadership and scientific training for wheat research, supported by the BGRI and the Accelerating Genetic Gains in Maize and Wheat project led by CIMMYT.
