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research: Genetic resources

Training seminar to promote the effective use of plant genetic resources in Kazakhstan

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Launched in 2010 by the National Center for Biotechnology of the Republic of Kazakhstan, JSC “KazAgroInnovation”, FAO, and CIMMYT, the “Strengthening the Plant Biotechnology Capacity for Sustainable Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture in Kazakhstan” initiative gained further momentum when CIMMYT organized a training seminar on “Modern Plant Genetic Resources: Conservation, Characterization, and Use Methods” during 24-28 October 2011 in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

In his welcome address, Muratbek Karabayev (CIMMYT-Kazakhstan) focused on the mobilization of genetic plant resources, and the role of biotechnology and breeding in the preservation and management of genetic resources, agriculture, and food production. Karabayev stressed that success can only be achieved through mutually beneficial cooperation between plant breeders and biotechnologists, and that partnerships should have a common purpose and trust between collaborators, with proper funding to assist research at the highest international standards.

Olga Mitrofanova, Head of the Wheat Genetic Resources Department, N.I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry (VIR), presented on the role of plant genetic resources in crop breeding, and the contribution of VIR to this science, such as the agroecological classification of cereals by sub- regions according to climatic conditions and varieties. This is particularly important in countries as large as Kazakhstan as regional factors need to be considered when drafting and implementing development strategies for biotechnology, plant genetic resources, and breeding.
Other speakers included Sergej Martynov, Key Researcher, VIR, and Elena Salina, Cytology and Genetics Institute, who delivered lectures on the genetic diversity and evolution of domestic and wild wheat species, and the various approaches of analyzing plant genetic resources.

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Seminar participants agreed that the use of biotechnology in crop production should be assessed based on the breeding efficiency of new varieties. At the national level, activities should involve a wide range of stakeholders to efficiently preserve and use plant genetic resources in the long-term. The key priorities are that disease-free seeds should be preserved in-situ and ex-situ, with duplication in other seed banks, as well as appropriate regeneration and replenishment of collections. The contents of collections should be properly characterized and documented by well-qualified staff. Communication with other collections is also vital for identifying and obtaining new seed sources, and for subsequent distribution and utilization of germplasm.

As mentioned in the Informa issue 1767, many Kazakhstani scientists also feel it is necessary to establish a National Bank of Genetics Resources in Kazakhstan, and to develop a National Strategy on the conservation of plant genetic resources and their use in food and agriculture.

11th Asian Maize Conference is the BIGGEST yet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Warming up to the conference with the MAIZE Asia Interface

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

CIMMYT features in GRDC’s Ground Cover magazine

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The November-December 2011 issue of the Grains Research and Development Corporation’s (GRDC) magazine, Ground Cover, stressed the importance of continued funding of wheat research, and highlighted the role of Australian institutions such as the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in advancing CIMMYT’s research.

In 2010, the GRDC and ACIAR contributed over 10 percent of CIMMYT’s annual budget, and CIMMYT’s Director General, Thomas Lumpkin, expressed his gratitude for their sustained support; a reflection of their many shared values in wheat breeding and development, he said. This investment has a significant return: over 90 percent of the wheat currently grown in Australia has ancestry originating from CIMMYT’s genebank.

To read the full story click here.

Pillar of maize: a special salute to scientists who uncovered its domestication and diversity

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mysteries-of-maize-2An extraordinary session of the ASA/CSSA/SSSA convention in San Antonio, Texas, during 16-19 October 2011, honored researchers who have dedicated their professional lives to understanding and using the diversity of the amazing food crop, maize, and its wild relatives Tripsacum and teosinte. Entitled “The mysteries of maize: A recognition of pillars in maize science,” the session paid tribute to the careers of Major Goodman, Hugh Iltis, Takeo Ángel Kato Yamakake, Wilfredo Salhuana, JosĂ© de JesĂșs SĂĄnchez GonzĂĄlez, and H. Garrison Wilkes, as well as CIMMYT’s own Suketoshi Taba and JosĂ© Crossa.

The session was moderated by Carolyn Lawrence, assistant professor at Iowa State University and a member of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA-ARS) team managing the Maize Genetics & Genomics Database (MaizeGDB). Wilkes led off with a presentation about the in-situ conservation of teosinte and its co-evolution with maize. Among the other speakers, Taba talked about the potential for further use of the Mexican maize race Tuxpeño in future breeding work and thanked participants for their collaboration, consultation, and encouragement in developing the CIMMYT maize collection during his career. Closing the session was former CIMMYT molecular biologist and current USDA-ARS research geneticist Marilyn Warburton, who discussed issues around the use and conservation of the Zea gene pool.

Profiles of the pillars. A professor at the Colegio de Postgraduados, Kato is among many distinguished Mexican scientists whose contributions to research on maize evolution and diversity predate the advent of DNA markers; besides elucidating chromosome knob patterns for American maize races, he studied in partnership with late Nobel Laureate and cytogeneticist Barbara McClintock the possible migration and integration of maize germplasm. University of Guadalajara professor the collection and characterization of Mexican maize races and teosinte, the wild relative from which maizedirectly evolved.

During many years as a researcher at Pioneer, Salhuana was instrumental in efforts to identify and transfer useful diversity from tropical to temperate maize. Professor Emeritus of Botany at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Iltis is best known for studies on the domestication of maize, for leading a team of botanists who discovered the Zea diploperennis teosinte species, and for advocating the conservation of teosinte in natural habitats. Director of Maize Breeding and Genetics at North Carolina State University, Goodman helped lay the genetics and breeding groundwork to clarify and synthesize relationships among maize genetic resources, and has strongly supported the conservation of Latin American maize.

In addition to his interest in the evolution of maize, retired University of Massachusetts at Boston professor Wilkes has focused on economic botany, the genetics of domestication, and the promotion of effective gene banks and policies to conserve and use plant genetic resources. A regular visitor to CIMMYT, Wilkes helped improve and strengthen the center’s maize seed conservation systems and its global role as a genetic resource preserver and promoter.

Retired CIMMYT biometrician and distinguished scientist Crossa has helped define key methodologies for conserving and using the center’s maize genetic resources, including proper procedures to regenerate older seed samples or to form representative subsets of large collections. The head of maize genetic resources, Taba has worked at CIMMYT since 1975. His many accomplishments include coordinating the work of national seed banks in 13 Latin American countries to rescue and regenerate more than 15,000 endangered seed collections of native maize races. He has also pioneered farmer participatory approaches to improve maize landraces while retaining essential qualities that farmers value, and has developed core subsets of major maize race collections. Finally, his abiding interest in conserving and studying maize wild relatives has expanded CIMMYT’s teosinte collections and lately led to his discovery of a new perennial teosinte in western Mexico.

“Maize’s domestication over 9,000 years from teosinte to a productive food crop is an incredible story,” said Taba. “These scientists have helped bring it to light, as well as defining the diversity that will give maize farmers new traits to meet the challenges of food scarcity and climate change.”

The special session was organized by Tom Payne, head of wheat genetic resources at CIMMYT, and Candice Gardener, research leader / supervisory plant biologist for the US Department of Agriculture (USDA-ARS-MWA-PIRU).

Using genomic selection for breeding

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As genotyping technologies advance, so do their applications. Genomic selection through genotyping by sequencing can be used for breeding: marker data is produced, missing data is filled in across the genome, and models are run on the data to identify genotypes that express desirable traits and thus should go forward in breeding programs. Combined with field observations, genomic selection can provide a powerful lens for choosing good breeding lines.

Many CIMMYT staff from different areas are working on genomic selection, in partnership with scientists from Cornell University, Diversity Arrays Technology Pty Ltd (DArT P/L; Australia), the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), and Kansas State University. On 24 October 2011, a meeting coordinated Ky Mathews, CIMMYT Biometrician, with assistance from Geneticist/Molecular Breeder Susanne Dreisigacker, brought to El BatĂĄn 24 specialists from CIMMYT and partner institutes to enhance communication, share experiences, and identify challenges associated with genomic selection.

A key concern is managing and sharing the huge volumes of data that the approach is expected to generate. “The datasets will grow and grow as the technologies progress,” says Mathews. “CIMMYT and other organizations will need infrastructure and resources to store, analyze, and interpret results. Communication will also be vital, with maize and wheat researchers receiving data for analysis at slightly different times, and with a turn-around time shorter and faster than anything we’ve dealt with before.” Genotyping by sequencing can produce many markers across the genome (order of thousands to millions), but still as much as 70% of marker scores may be missing, so scientists are applying a technique known as “imputation” to fill in the rest. The technique involves estimating what the values might have been using information available in the dataset. JosĂ© Crossa and his team have been working on developing imputation methods for genotyping by sequencing. He warns that the methods are still in development, and their accuracy and feasibility for imputing biological missing data are as yet unknown.

For now, CIMMYT researchers are running an initial, testing cycle of genomic selection that should conclude in about eight weeks. Further meetings at that time will look at results, analyze mistakes, and identify learning points on all aspects, including imputation.

Biotechnology applied to plant genetic breeding

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A course on biotechnology applications to plant genetic breeding was held during 26-30 September 2011, at La Molina Agricultural University, Lima, Peru. Over 100 scientists from Peru’s National Institute of Agricultural Innovation and Peruvian universities attended the course, which focused on modern concepts and procedures of biotechnology as applied to plant breeding.

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The instructors covered many topics. Myriam Cristina Duque, International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), gave a presentation on biometrics applied to plant breeding, with an emphasis on experimental designs for non-balanced trials. Gary Atlin, CIMMYT, then focused in on heritability, mixed models theory and its application to plant breeding, as well as current uses of sequencing and genomics. Association mapping and analysis of plant genomes using molecular markers and QTL mapping was the subject of a presentation by Marilyn Warburton, USDA, and Luis Augusto Becerra, CIAT, also discussed molecular markers, as well as demonstrating the use of MapMaker and conducting a session on plant gene-based mapping. Luis Nopo, Arkansas State University, spoke about transgenic plant transformation and RaĂșl Blas, La Molina Agricultural University, conducted a practical session on extracting DNA from plants.

Unanimous positive feedback was received from the participants, who suggested that similar courses be held in other locations in order to better disseminate knowledge on current technologies. Resources for the course came from Peru, whose partnership with CIMMYT dates back 10 years, with the objective of developing profitable and environmentally-friendly maize technologies.

CIMMYT looks to further partnerships with Peru

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Following the course on biotechnology for plant genetic breeding in Peru, Gary Atlin (Associate Director, CIMMYT Global Maize Program) and Luis Narro (Coordinator, CIMMYT-Columbia) met with Juan Rheineck Piccardo, Peru’s Vice-Minister of Agriculture on 27 September 2011, to discuss possible further partnerships between CIMMYT and the Peruvian government.

It is hoped that further collaborations would increase maize production in Peru, which currently produces just 40% of its national grain demand. Piccardo expressed interest in the proposals, suggesting that a project should be implemented at the National Institute of Agricultural Innovation (INIA) to select water-efficient maize genotypes. Atlin and Narro then visited the INIA site at Paiján, in the north coastal zone of Peru, to assess it’s characteristics. The area has no rainfall, allowing researchers to control the amount of water the plants receive during development, and the water table is more than 8 meters below ground-level, therefore avoiding interference between underground water and irrigation systems. Dialogues will continue once the selection trial has been established.

Utilizing plant genetic resources to identify useful traits

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The work of plant breeders has enabled the production of high-yielding crops; some are resistant to certain diseases or adapted to particular environments, but new diseases emerge and climates change. The work of plant breeders is therefore constantly evolving, and alleles to tackle production challenges need to be identified. This was the issue addressed in a seminar by Michael Mackay, currently a Senior Scientist at Bioversity and formerly Curator of the Australian Winter Cereals Collection, on 14 October 2011, entitled “More effective utilization of plant genetic resources for plant breeding”.

There is a huge amount of variability in wheat collections, and they may contain traits which are useful for plant breeding, but Mackay pointed out that identifying the accessions which have these traits is somewhat akin to “searching for a needle in a haystack.” However, it may be possible to use “environmental sieves” to identify these accessions, said Mackay.

This would be one way of using genetic resources more effectively. According to Mackay: “Recent studies show that distribution of trait variation is not random; there are relationships between traits and environments; statistics and modern techniques provide effective means to target ‘best bet’ accessions; and online tools to facilitate this type of modeling are required to reduce the ‘diagnosis’ time.” The Focused Identification of Germplasm Strategy (FIGS) project is currently working on using climatic data in geographic information systems to investigate trait-by-environment relationships to identify useful accessions currently held within ex-situ genebanks worldwide.

With so much data, a smart system is needed to bring the information together and to build a dynamic interface between data providers and users. It is possible that the Genesys portal, “Gateway to genetic resources”, could be used as a kind of hub, enabling more of a service approach for the use of plant genetic resources, said Mackay.

Biotechnology issues addressed in Kazakhstan

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

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

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

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

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

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

CIMMYT Board of Trustees meets in Delhi

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The CIMMYT Board of Trustees Meeting commenced on 02 October 2011 at the IARC in Delhi, India. Comprised of 15 members from 11 different countries, representing private seed companies, agricultural policy organizations, farmer associations, and agricultural research institutes, the Board of Trustees meets every six months to support and advise CIMMYT’s senior management in operational strategies and direction. Newly-elected Board Chair Sara Boettiger convened the meeting and commended the organization on its recent achievements and growth, stating that “there are amazing things going on at CIMMYT.”

Opening the meetings, both Boettiger and CIMMYT Director General Thomas Lumpkin highlighted recent food security issues: the droughts in the horn of Africa and southern USA, flooding in Pakistan, and the volatility of food prices. As the meetings progressed, the main topics discussed included the recent approval of the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA), fundraising developments, staff safety, and the upcoming construction plans to improve the infrastructure of CIMMYT headquarters.

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Presentations also emphasized improvements in the past six months regarding staff, infrastructure, and growth. In particular, the success of the MasAgro initiative and the recent approval of BISA, which Lumpkin attributed to the professionalism and dedication of the national staff at the Delhi office, particularly Raj Gupta and Ajai Kumar.

Marianne BĂ€nziger, Director General of Research and Partnerships, highlighted the need to manage the current levels of growth at CIMMYT, and the important role played by national staff in all CIMMYT offices. In terms of growth, Banziger noted that Asia is the region which has undergone the greatest expansion; while in Africa, Kenya was highlighted as the country undergoing the most growth in terms of CIMMYT international staff.

Also in attendance were new staff members Bruno Gerard (Head of the Conservation Agriculture Program), Tom Short (Head of Financial Services), and returning CIMMYT staff member Kevin Pixley (Head of Genetic Resources). The meeting provided an opportunity for introductions, and for these members to familiarize themselves with current information regarding CIMMYT’s structure, growth, and upcoming challenges.

During the meetings, Boettiger stated that “CIMMYT must remember who we are and who our real stakeholders are – the world’s poor struggling to feed their families.” She also reminded staff that whilst management and organizational responsibilities are vital for delivering impact, CIMMYT senior staff must also strive to remain focused on the purpose and the mission of CIMMYT – to feed people.

Ambassadors Day highlights the importance of global collaboration in agricultural research

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To feed a growing population on today’s cultivated land, the world must increase food production 70% by 2050, said the Mexican Agriculture Ministry’s (SAGARPA) coordinator of advisors, Omar Musalem, citing FAO data and speaking for Agriculture Secretary Francisco Mayorga at CIMMYT’s Ambassadors Day in El Batán on 14 September 2011.

Ambassadors-Day11With diplomatic representatives from 15 countries in attendance, the event was designed to raise awareness and foster discussion on partnerships to secure global food security through agricultural research, an issue at the forefront of recent G20 talks in France. Musalem highlighted the Sustainable Modernization of Traditional Agriculture (MasAgro) initiative—implemented by SAGARPA and CIMMYT with myriad national, regional, and local organizations, both public and private—as an innovative model.

Prefacing Musalem’s address and welcoming the guests, CIMMYT Director General Thomas Lumpkin cited global challenges for agriculture—climate change, population growth, resource scarcities, rising food prices, new diseases, and increasing demand for biofuels. “SUVs are competing with the hungry people in the developing world,” said Lumpkin. “To address these issues, we need to improve current varieties of maize and wheat, enabling them to tolerate weather extremes and diseases. We also need to use fertilizer and pesticides more efficiently and without polluting.”

Ambassadors-Day6As part of the event, the visitors toured the Wellhausen-Anderson Plant Genetic Resources Center with Thomas Payne and enjoyed a presentation on wheat’s wild relatives by David Bonnet. At the long-term conservation agriculture trial plot, Bram Govaerts described current efforts to test and promote CA practices among thousands of Mexican farmers. The group saw new maize and wheat varieties and learned in more detail about the work CIMMYT and its partners are doing on these crops, in field presentations by FĂ©lix San Vicente, Natalia Palacios, JosĂ© Luis Torres, Marc Rojas, and Ravi Singh.

Interactions continued at a luncheon in the Guest House garden, closing this day of reaching out to Mexico City’s diplomatic corps. All participants enjoyed the cordial and professional attention of CIMMYT’s Corporate Services, particularly catering and security.

INIFAP visit

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As part of a Mexican government initiative to enhance the quality and service of its research organizations, on 20 September 2011 a team of specialists from the National Institute of Forestry, Agriculture, and Livestock Research (INIFAP) spent the day at El BatĂĄn interacting with CIMMYT staff on respective organizational cultures and values, missions and visions, research and business plans, and professional development.

Launching the visit with an overview of INIFAP, forestry support director Juan Bautista Rentería Anima described a rich and challenging research agenda keyed to Mexico’s diverse native crops and cropping environments. “In recent years the emphasis has again shifted to extension,” said Rentería, “trying to reach farmers with our products.”

Prefacing an introduction to CIMMYT, corporate communications head Mike Listman remarked on the strong parallels in scientific and institutional challenges facing both organizations. “I guess it shouldn’t come as a surprise, but we’re talking the same language on these issues” he said. The origins and evolution of CIMMYT are linked to INIFAP history, the director of the institute, Dr. Pedro Brajcich Gallegos, served as a CIMMYT wheat breeder, and both Brajcich and Salvador Fernández-Rivera, INIFAP Coordinator for Research, Innovation, and Partnerships, currently serve as CIMMYT Trustees.

Karen GarcĂ­a, executive director of the Sustainable Modernization of Traditional Agriculture (MasAgro) project launched in 2010, highlighted the key role of INIFAP in the Mexico-funded initiative.

Presentations by Luz George, head of the project management unit, Carolina Roa, head of the intellectual property unit, and Carlos López, head of information and communications technology, addressed services and applications offered by those areas. Bibiana Espinosa, research assistant in wheat genetic resources, also took part in discussions. The event was organized by Isabel Peña, head of interinstitutional relations in Latin America.

The INIFAP team thanked CIMMYT warmly for its hospitality and open sharing of information. In a closing session, Scott Ferguson, deputy director general for support services, thanked the visitors for coming, and emphasized that CIMMYT is still finding its way to more efficient systems and structures: “We’ve doubled our budget over the four years, after 28 years of zero growth in real terms. We are dealing with all the organizational problems of such rapid and dramatic growth, and appreciate the chance to share experiences and ideas with a longstanding partner.”

The INIFAP group comprised Bertha Patricia Zamora, Director of Programs and Strategic Projects; Juan Bautista Rentería Anima, Director of Forestry Support; Vicente Santacruz García, Director of Planning; Ceferino Ortiz Trejo, Director of linking Operative Units; Héctor Peña Dueñas, Director of Human Development and Professionalism; Ramsés Gutiérrez Zepeda, Director of Evaluation and Systems; Francisco Gonzålez Naranjo, Dirección of Efficiency and Accountability; Ricardo Noverón Chåvez, Head of the Legal Unit; Edmundo Mårquez Santana; Director of Scientific Exchange and Cooperation; Miguel Ignacio Moneta Porto, Head of Strategic Information Consolidation; and Omar Chåvez Aguilera, Head of Agreements for Scientific Cooperation.

21st ITMI workshop: wheat geneticists come together in Mexico City

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The 21st workshop of the International Triticeae Mapping Initiative (ITMI) was hosted in Mexico City from 05-09 September, coordinated by CIMMYT Wheat Molecular Biologist Susanne Dreisigacker. ITMI was conceived in 1989, originally as a five-year effort to develop RFLP maps for Triticeae crops (mainly wheat and barley). Today the ITMI international community coordinates research efforts in molecular genetics, genomics, and genetic analysis in the Triticeae (chiefly wheat, barley and rye), with the aims of keeping work in Triticeae at the cutting edge of genetic research, avoiding duplication, and ensuring that data and information on the Triticeae is readily available to the community.

Opening the meeting, speakers Jorge Dubcovsky of UC Davis, United States, and Takao Komastuda of the National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Japan, shared the stories of their groups working on the characterization of the genes involved in vernalization in wheat and domestication in barley respectively. Dubcovsky presented his findings around the isolation of the Vrn1, 2, and 3 genes and their interaction with several NF-Y proteins, shedding new light on the complex network that regulates flowering and development in response to vernalization and photoperiod in wheat. Komastuda discussed his team’s work on the phylogenetic analysis of barley, demonstrating that the six-rowed phenotype of barley originated repeatedly, at different times and in different regions, through independent mutations in the gene responsible, Vrs1.

Over the following four days, 40 speakers outlined their research advances in the areas of functional genomics, mapping and cloning, applied molecular breeding, the exploitation of genetic resources, and computational biology. The participants also went on a field visit to the Toluca research station to learn more about CIMMYT’s Global Wheat Program. During the last day new initiatives and technologies were introduced, including the CIMMYT SeeD project, Genotyping by Sequencing, and the first results of using 9000 SNP chips in wheat and barley.

Prior to the ITMI meeting the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC), of which CIMMYT is a member, held a one-day workshop to report on progress in sequencing the wheat genome. One of the IWGSC’s major milestones for 2011 has already been achieved: sequence assemblies—fragments of a long DNA sequence that are developed in order to reconstruct the original sequence of all 21 chromosomes—have been developed and will be accessible to the wheat community in September or October.

This year represented the ITMI meeting’s return to CIMMYT after a gap of approximately 20 years. Special thanks to the 140 participants from more than 30 countries who contributed to put together an effective and successful workshop.

Key Australian farmers visit CIMMYT

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From 19-22 August 2011, CIMMYT hosted six leading Australian grain farmers at Toluca and El Batán. The visit formed part of a tour of farms, private and public research institutes and grain processing facilities in Singapore, UK, France, Canada, USA, and Mexico, which was supported by Australia’s Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC).

At Toluca Research Station the group learned about CIMMYT’s wheat breeding efforts from Wheat Breeder Ravi Singh. Of particular interest were the developments concerning stem rust race Ug99, which has reached South Africa, and risks spreading from there to western Australia, if previous disease trends occur. Stripe rust resistance, increased yield potential, and tolerance to drought and heat were also discussed; GRDC invests in this research in view of CIMMYT’s past and current contributions to higher and more stable wheat yields in Australia.

CIMMYT’s efforts to increase diversity and improve disease resistance and productivity through wide crosses with ancestors, using re-synthesized breadwheats and translocations from more distant relatives of wheat were also outlined by Wheat Geneticist David Bonnett. Station Manager, Fernando Delgado, also presented work on CIMMYT’s long-term agronomy trials, including the technique of staggering the planting of maize using offset precision planting discs, in which maize plants in neighboring rows are not planted directly next to each other. This leads to reduced competition between neighbors, and potential yield increases in hybrids of up to 10%, with no additional inputs. The farmers said they are keen to try these ideas on their farms, which are spread across very different production environments, and range from an irrigated 800ha to 5000ha rainfed.

On Monday the group visited El BatĂĄn for further talks by Marianne BĂ€nziger (Deputy Director General, Research & Partnership), Etienne Duveiller (Associate Director, GWP), and Peter Wenzl (Project Lead, SeeD). They also visited the Genebank and saw more GRDC-funded rust resistance research in the field, presented by Sybil Herrera-Foessel (Wheat Geneticist/ Pathologist). Finally, Nele Verhulst further explained the long-term agronomy trials.

The visit also included an informal meeting with the Australian Ambassador to Mexico. The Ambassador expressed interest in the links between CIMMYT and Australia, and the global role of CIMMYT in improving the productivity and sustainability of wheat- and maize-based cropping systems. This view was reiterated by the farmers, who were impressed with the value Australia receives from the GRDC’s investment in CIMMYT. The farmers were also accompanied by GRDC’s Communications Manager, and Gregor Heard of Australia’s Rural Press. The farmers themselves will also write a blog post about the visit, which can be found here.

Collaboration is the key to SeeD success

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The collaborative nature of the Seeds of Discovery (SeeD) initiative was highlighted at a seminar on 12th July, with Hans Braun, director of CIMMYT’s Global Wheat Program, calling for an “open and frank conversation” between associates. The 25 participants, from CIMMYT and the National Institute of Forestry, Agriculture, and Livestock Research (INIFAP) gathered at El Batán for a working meeting coordinated by Carolina Saint-Pierre, Genetic Resource Phenotyping Coordinator, CIMMYT, to discuss the development of collaborative projects for wheat phenotyping within SeeD, one of the four components of the Sustainable Modernization of Traditional Agriculture (MasAgro) project.

Dr.Carolina

In the opening session, SeeD coordinator Peter Wenzl highlighted how collaborations within the SeeD initiative will be vital to the success of the project: “CIMMYT is unable to conduct all the work on its own,” says Wenzl. Besides alliances with INIFAP and the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), the SeeD initiative will also collaborate with the James Hutton Institute (UK) on data management and DArT P/L (Australia) on molecular characterization of genebank accessions through the establishment of an agricultural genetic-analysis service in Mexico (“Servicio de AnĂĄlisis GenĂ©tico para la Agricultura” in Spanish).

The SeeD initiative hopes that by comprehensively studying and classifying the genotypes of seed collections, important information on the global biodiversity of maize and wheat can be made available worldwide. Wenzl says they “want to build a Google for genetic resources”.

Within this context, the ‘phenotypic characterization’ aims to discover how the plants withstand real field conditions. Evaluating plant performance for different traits and in different environments is crucial to understanding the information coded in plant genomes. It also enables further information to be gained regarding the genetic resources that affect the ability of plants to withstand climate change and resource scarcity.

This identification of novel genetic resources for plant breeding will not only benefit Mexico; “this particular project should be a project of Mexico to the world,” says Wenzl. It is an ambitious goal but one that it is hoped can be achieved through collaborators sharing research methodologies and combining their efforts. INIFAP and CIMMYT used the working meeting to begin this process by identifying joint work modules to address the challenges for wheat improvement, such as increasing wheat tolerance to heat, drought, and diseases.

Linking breeding, plant genetic resources, and biotechnology in Kazakhstan

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During 6-14 June 2011, a group of 24 national specialists from different institutions and regions traversed 1,400 kilometers of southeast, south, and southwest Kazakhstan in a travelling seminar organized by CIMMYT on breeding, plant genetic resources (PGR), and biotechnology. The aim was to evaluate the status of those research pursuits in the region, as well as prospects for their development, and to promote innovative technologies. The group visited farms and the region’s leading agricultural research organizations: the Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, the Kazakh Advanced Research Institute for Farming and Crop Production, the Krasnovodopad Agricultural Experimental Station, the Southwest Agricultural Research Center for Livestock and Crop Production, and the Kazakh Advanced Research Institute for Rice Production.

Seminar participants agreed that one of the most important tasks today is to increase crop yields by developing new varieties, mobilizing plant genetic resources, and using advanced biotechnologies—work now hindered by the weak link between biotechnology, breeding, and use of plant genetic resources in the country. Kazakhstan has stronger biotechnology capacity and more extensive plant collections than other Central Asian countries, but studies in those areas are conducted in parallel, without close interaction between breeders and biotechnologists. In most cases, biotechnology and molecular biology methods and developments stay locked away in the lab, with rare use by breeders and only rudimentary application to study, characterize, or use plant genetic resources for breeding.

Use of modern biological methods could significantly speed breeding, raise crop yields, and improve agronomic and economically-valuable traits. With Kazakhstan agriculture being categorized as ”risk farming,” biotechnology could help in breeding high-yielding, stress tolerant crop varieties.