Ceremony for the awarding of an honorary doctorate to Dr. Bram Govaerts of CIMMYT. (Photo: Richa Puri / BISA)
During a formal ceremony at Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology (CSA) in Kanpur, India, Bram Govaerts, CIMMYT Director General, was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor Honoris Causa. This prestigious honor not only recognizes Govaerts’ outstanding career but also highlights CIMMYT’s innovative and collaborative work on behalf of global food security, a joint effort that impacts millions of farmers and communities around the world.
Upon receiving the recognition, Govaerts dedicated it to the entire CIMMYT team, emphasizing, “This honor is a testament to the tireless work of my colleagues and collaborators at CIMMYT, who, through science and innovation, are contributing to food and nutrition security in key regions such as India and South Asia.” He further noted that this Honorary Doctorate symbolizes the global commitment of CIMMYT and Mexico in addressing the agricultural and climate challenges that threaten food production.
This recognition also underscores the strong agricultural partnership between Mexico and India, a collaboration that has saved millions of lives. This alliance dates back to the Green Revolution, led by Norman Borlaug, who introduced wheat varieties developed in Mexico that allowed India to double its agricultural output and avert a catastrophic famine in the 1960s.
Ceremony for the awarding of an honorary doctorate to Dr. Bram Govaerts of CIMMYT. (Photo: Richa Puri / BISA)
Today, CIMMYT continues to be a vital partner for India, developing maize and wheat varieties that are resilient to extreme climate conditions and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. The Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA), established in 2011 as a collaboration between CIMMYT and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), is a testament to the progress made through international collaboration. BISA has played a critical role in strengthening India’s agri-food systems, improving the livelihoods of millions of farmers, and contributing to environmental restoration in the region.
Beyond commercial ties, scientific collaboration between Mexico and India has been a cornerstone of agricultural improvements in both countries. India, the world’s second-most populous country, faces significant food production challenges, many of which mirror Mexico’s struggles, such as soil degradation and the effects of climate change. Thanks to CIMMYT’s collaboration with Indian institutions, critical advances have been made to address these challenges, paving the way for more resilient and sustainable agriculture.
The honorary doctorate awarded to Bram Govaerts not only recognizes his leadership but also the transformative impact of CIMMYT and its partners in improving the lives of millions of people around the world. Govaerts said, “This award reflects the strength of international scientific collaboration and the power of science to change the world.”
The World Food Prize Foundation names CIMMYT’s former Deputy Director General for Research, Marianne Bänziger, and current post-harvest specialist in the Sustainable Agrifood Systems (SAS) program, Sylvanus Odjo, as two of its inaugural 2024 Top Agri-food Pioneers (TAP).
The TAP List, introduced by the Foundation in celebration of its 38th anniversary, highlights 38 innovators from 20 countries and six continents who are making groundbreaking contributions to food and agriculture. Working in a wide range of fields, including agriculture, agtech, nutrition, education and advocacy, these pioneers embody the spirit of innovation needed to address the challenges facing global food systems today.
Leading the way: Meet the Top Agri-Food Pioneers of 2024
Photo: CIMMYT
Sylvanus Odjo, one of the awardees, is a postharvest specialist focused on the development and implementation of postharvest practices to improve food security in rural communities. He leads a network of research platforms in Mexico, Central America, and Africa, working with collaborators to fill research gaps and provide key recommendations to farmers, the private sector, governments, and NGOs. Odjo holds an M.S. in Food Science and Nutrition and a Ph.D. in Agricultural and Biological Engineering, with his doctoral research focused on the effects of drying processes on maize grain quality.
Photo: CIMMYT
Marianne Bänziger, also recognized on the TAP list, received her Ph.D. in plant physiology from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1992. She is the former Deputy Director General for Research at CIMMYT, where she coordinated efforts to develop drought-tolerant maize varieties for smallholder farmers, promoting innovative approaches such as stress breeding methods and participatory trials.
Throughout her career, she has held positions in both science and management. Bänziger has an impressive publication record, with more than 50 articles and book chapters in peer-reviewed international journals and books.
As the first cohort of the TAP List, this group of pioneers will grow annually to form a global network dedicated to fostering collaboration and shared learning across food systems. These pioneers will also be featured at the 2024 Borlaug Dialogue in Des Moines, Iowa, October 29 to 31.
CIMMYT proudly announces that Distinguished Scientist and Head of Wheat Physiology, Matthew Reynolds, has been honored with the prestigious 2024 International Crop Science Award by the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA). Reynolds has advanced CIMMYT’s mission by promoting global partnerships that strengthen plant science, expand the center’s international reach, and provide young scientists with opportunities to engage in agricultural research.
Revolutionizing wheat breeding for climate resilience
Reynolds develops wheat breeding technologies aimed at improving climate resilience and the productivity of wheat cropping systems. His research has unveiled the physiological bases of yield potential and abiotic stress resistance in wheat. Reynolds’s efforts reveal the genetic underpinnings of complex traits, facilitating the development of hardier wheat varieties from diverse gene pools.
Global collaboration and impact
Reynolds promotes international collaboration among wheat scientists. He leads key initiatives such as the International Wheat Yield Partnership (IWYP) and the Heat and Drought Wheat Improvement Consortium (HEDWIC). These collaborations leverage collective expertise and have resulted in significant outputs, including high-yield lines tested at approximately 200 sites globally, which confirm innovative routes to enhanced yields and climate resilience.
Mentorship and educational contributions
Reynolds’s laboratory at CIMMYT is a hub for mentoring young scientists. He has provided open-access manuals on phenotyping, translated into four languages, to support global research efforts. His extensive publication record covers crop physiology, genomics, and pre-breeding. Since 2018, Reynolds has consistently ranked in the top 1% of researchers in his field by Web of Science. In 2024, Matthew Reynolds also received the Research.com Plant Science and Agronomy in Mexico Leader Award for placing 53rd in the world and 1st in Mexico.
International Crop Science Award
The International Crop Science Award recognizes creativity and innovation in transforming crop science practices, products, and programs on an international level. The award acknowledges scientists who have achieved global impact through long-lasting knowledge generation that strengthens international crop science.
For more information on the 2024 awards, including award descriptions, please visit CSSA Awards or contact awards@sciencesocieties.org.
Distinguished Scientist and Head of Wheat Physiology at CIMMYT, Matthew Reynolds, received the Research.com Plant Science and Agronomy in Mexico Leader Award 2024 for placing 53rd in the world and 1st in Mexico in the Research.com ranking of Best Plant Science and Agronomy Scientists 2023.
“Being recognized with this award highlights the far-reaching influence of the wheat science taking place in Mexico and its impact on the development of agronomy around the world,” said Reynolds. “Sharing outputs as international public goods with scientists globally has positive benefits for smallholder farmers and their communities. Widening genetic diversity for key traits helps to improve yield and climate resilience -including resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, providing reliable harvests and food security.”
Specializing in technologies to increase the productivity of wheat cropping systems around the world, Reynolds has helped to create a new generation of advanced lines at CIMMYT through physiological breeding approaches that widen the genepool, increasing understanding of yield potential and adapting wheat to drought and heat, developing high throughput phenotyping methodologies, and training other researchers.
Reynolds developed and led the Heat and Drought Wheat Improvement Consortium (https://hedwic.org/) and initiated a global academic network that led to the International Wheat Yield Partnership (https://iwyp.org/), where he champions collaboration that brings together plant science expertise from around the globe to boost yield and climate resilience.
Other CIMMYT scientists in the top 100 world rankings include Distinguished Scientist and former Head of Global Bread Wheat Improvement Ravi P. Singh in 57th place globally and 2nd in Mexico, and Distinguished Scientist in the Biometrics and Statistics Unit, José Crossa, who ranked 59th globally and 3rd in Mexico.
This is the third edition of Research.com positioning scholars based on their research output in plant science and agronomy. Rankings are allocated based on a detailed study of 166,880 scientists in bibliometric data sources, with up to 10,700 people analyzed for this field of work.
Cargill Mexico and CIMMYT presented the 2023 edition of the Cargill-CIMMYT Award for Food Security and Sustainability, which aims to acknowledge and promote projects and actions that contribute to mitigating and resolving the food problems facing the country.
With this award, Cargill and CIMMYT seek to promote actions and projects that contain innovative ideas on technologies, productive inputs, agronomic practices, marketing models, collaboration schemes, among others, that result in a sustainable and scalable increase in agricultural production in Mexico.
From left to right, Fernando Guareschi, president of Cargill Mexico; winners Eduardo Cruz and Heriberto López, youth; Arturo Ortiz, opinion leader; Carlos Barragán, producer; Andrés Mandujano, researcher; and, Bram Govaerts, CIMMYT director general. (Photo: CIMMYT)
“The objective of this initiative is to identify and acknowledge technological innovations, actions, and practices that contribute to strengthening food security and sustainability in the Mexican countryside,” said Fernando Guareschi, president of Cargill Mexico. “The award-winning projects represent an achievement for the producers, researchers, opinion leaders, and young people who participate in each project. It is an indicator for us that we are on the right path to meet our goal of nourishing the world in a safe, responsible, and sustainable way.”
The 2023 edition of the award acknowledges innovations that lead to better integration of basic grain value chains, as well as productive market practices that improve the quality of life of producers in communities or agricultural centers.
“For CIMMYT, the partnership with Cargill has been key to recognizing and promoting the talent and innovation of the actors in the basic grains value chains in Mexico who share our determination to transform agricultural systems to make them more resilient, sustainable, and inclusive and, thus, strengthen food security for all Mexicans,” said Bram Govaerts, CIMMYT director general.
Within the framework of the awards ceremony, the winning projects were recognized in categories: researchers, producers, opinion leaders, and youth in the Mexican agricultural sector.
The winners of the 2023 edition of the Cargill–CIMMYT Award were –
Andrés Mandujano Bueno in the researchers category, with the project “Algorithms to optimize the use of nitrogen fertilizer.”
Carlos Barragán García in the producers category, with the project “Family agriculture and agribusiness.”
Arturo Javier Ortiz García in the opinion leaders category, with the project “Agricultural Islands.”
Eduardo Cruz Rojo in the youth category, with the projects “New production methods for the Mezquital Valley area.”
In this edition, projects were assessed by a jury and a committee of experts from the agricultural and food sector, who had the responsibility of determining the winners. Projects for each category were assessed with specific criteria:
Producers of basic grain production systems such as maize, wheat, barley, and sorghum.
Scientists and researchers in agronomy, genetics, improvement of maize, wheat, barley, or sorghum, and information and telecommunications technologies applied to the agrifood sector.
Leaders of associations of producers, technicians, and communication professionals who work in the agrifood sector in Mexico.
Youth who have carried out outstanding activities in the sustainable agricultural sector in Mexico, have implemented a pilot program in their community, or have contributed to agricultural technological innovation.
About Cargill
Cargill is committed to supplying food, ingredients, agricultural solutions, and industrial products to nourish the world safely, responsibly, and sustainably. Located at the center of the supply chain, we collaborate with farmers and customers to source, manufacture, and supply products vital to life.
Our 160,000 team members innovate with purpose, providing customers with the essentials so that businesses grow, communities thrive, and consumers live well. With 159 years of experience as a family business, we look to the future while staying true to our values. We prioritize people. We aim for excellence. We do the right thing, today, and for future generations. For more information, visit Cargill.com and our News Center.
About CIMMYT
CIMMYT is a cutting edge, non-profit, international organization dedicated to solving tomorrow’s problems today. It is entrusted with fostering improved quantity, quality, and dependability of production systems and basic cereals such as maize, wheat, triticale, sorghum, millets, and associated crops through applied agricultural science, particularly in the Global South, through building strong partnerships. This combination enhances the livelihood trajectories and resilience of millions of resource-poor farmers, while working towards a more productive, inclusive, and resilient agrifood system within planetary boundaries.
CIMMYT is a core CGIAR Research Center, a global research partnership for a food-secure future, dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security and improving natural resources.
The Society for the Advancement of Wheat and Barley Research (SAWBAR), ICAR-IIWBR, Karnal, bestowed the prestigious Sh. VS Mathur Memorial Award 2023 for outstanding contribution in the field of Wheat Crop Improvement.
T Mohapatra, former secretary of India’s Department of Agricultural Research and Education and director general of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), and Gyanendra Singh, director of the Indian Institute of Wheat & Barley Research (IIWBR) at ICAR, presented the award at the ceremony on March 27, 2024.
As recipient of this award Joshi, who is the managing director of the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA), CIMMYT country representative for India, and CIMMYT regional representative for South Asia, also delivered the Sh. VS Mathur memorial lecture during the ceremony. In his speech, Joshi spoke about past and present developments in wheat improvement and emphasized the importance of wheat across the globe, touching on the post-Green Revolution era and the critical timeline of events in wheat improvement. He delved into the factors responsible for variations in wheat yield and how to meet the rising demand for wheat consumption.
Arun Kumar Joshi receives the Sh. VS Mathur Memorial Award. (Photo: CIMMYT)
Joshi advised that countries like India must bridge the yield gap by improving management in farmers’ fields, co-learning from other spring wheat-growing countries like Mexico and Egypt, and investing in science to address climate change. He also discussed opportunities to integrate modern science across all disciplines: genomics, gene editing, mechanization, robotics, AI, weed management, water, and nutrient use efficiency.
Talking about the future of wheat production, Joshi stressed the need to focus on traits that will be more important in the future, with an emphasis on accelerated genetic gain, gene-edited wheat, and how to breed heat-tolerant (40° C) varieties using various innovative tools and technologies.
About CIMMYT:
CIMMYT is a cutting edge, non-profit, international organization dedicated to solving tomorrow’s problems today. It is entrusted with fostering improved quantity, quality, and dependability of production systems and basic cereals such as maize, wheat, triticale, sorghum, millets, and associated crops through applied agricultural science, particularly in the Global South, through building strong partnerships. This combination enhances the livelihood trajectories and resilience of millions of resource-poor farmers, while working towards a more productive, inclusive, and resilient agrifood system within planetary boundaries.
CIMMYT is a core CGIAR Research Center, a global research partnership for a food-secure future, dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security and improving natural resources.
For more information, visit cimmyt.org.
About the Society for the Advancement of Wheat and Barley Research (SAWBAR):
SAWBAR was founded in 2007 and is housed at ICAR-Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research Karnal (Haryana) India. The Society presently has 300 life members and more than 320 annual and student members. SAWBAR is playing a significant role in bringing wheat and barley researchers on one platform for the exchange of innovative research and dissemination of knowledge related to the latest research happenings in the area of wheat and barley improvement. Annually, SAWBAR gives awards to pioneer cereal workers in various award categories.
About the Sh. VS Mathur Memorial Award:
The Sh. VS Mathur Memorial Award was constituted in year 2018 in the memory of eminent wheat worker Sh. VS Mathur. Mathur was one of the pioneer wheat workers who worked tirelessly with MS Swaminathan and HK Jain and developed a large number of high-yielding wheat varieties viz. Heera, Moti, Janak (HD 1982), Arjun (HD 2009), HD 2177, HD 2182, HD 2204, HD 2236, HD 2278, HD 2281, HD 2285, HD 2329, HD 2307 and HD 2327 for various regions of India.
Dr. Ravi Prakash Singh, associated with CIMMYT, is awarded the Padma Shri. He’s recognized for his global impact in agricultural science, notably developing over 730 climate-resilient, high-yield wheat varieties, benefiting small-holder farmers.
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.
Maria Itria Ibba, a scientist at CIMMYT, received the inaugural Heroes Award from the Foundation for Innovation in Healthy Food. She received the award on October 29 at the ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Ibba, head of CIMMYT’s Wheat Chemistry and Quality Laboratory, received the honor in recognition of her outstanding leadership in launching the foundation’s Coalition for Grain Fiber initiative.
Together with her team at CIMMYT, Ibba works on improving the processing and nutritional quality of the bread and durum wheat lines derived from the CIMMYT spring wheat breeding programs. The research they conduct combines genetics and cereal chemistry, and one of the main focuses is to improve wheat grain dietary fiber. This effort begins with the development of efficient screening methods and the identification of germplasm with unique dietary fiber profiles.
The coalition seeks to improve the nutrition in staple foods without impacting their taste, mouthfeel or consumer price. It is simultaneously dedicated to establishing profit incentives for farmers and other food suppliers that enhance public health by delivering increased nutrient foods.
According to the coalition, improvements in the nutritional content of white and whole wheat flour may ultimately save thousands of lives and billions of healthcare U.S. dollars globally.
“Most people across the world do not consume enough dietary fiber, which is essential in the fight against various diseases,” says Ibba. “Increasing the dietary fiber content of a staple crop like wheat could have a significant positive impact on the health of wheat consumers. Our goal is to increase dietary fiber intake through the consumption of wheat products with greater fiber content.”
Maria Itria Ibba. (Photo: CIMMYT)
Plant breeders, food scientists, nutrition/health scientists and economists are partnering with the coalition to transform the food industry. They support non-GMO (not genetically modified organisms) approaches to increasing naturally occurring dietary fiber in grains.
Over 50 public and private-sector laboratory leaders in three countries and 23 U.S. states have engaged with the coalition, including from CIMMYT, Rothamsted Research, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, University of California, Davis, Cornell University and Bayer Crop Science.
“I feel humbled to have received the Heroes Award,” says Ibba. “I know that this award not only represents the work I have been doing, but also all the hard work that my team and my organization have been doing for several years.”
About CIMMYT
CIMMYT is a cutting edge, non-profit, international organization dedicated to solving tomorrow’s problems today. It is entrusted with fostering improved quantity, quality, and dependability of production systems and basic cereals such as maize, wheat, triticale, sorghum, millets, and associated crops through applied agricultural science, particularly in the Global South, through building strong partnerships. This combination enhances the livelihood trajectories and resilience of millions of resource-poor farmers, while working towards a more productive, inclusive, and resilient agrifood system within planetary boundaries.
CIMMYT is a core CGIAR Research Center, a global research partnership for a food-secure future, dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security and improving natural resources. For more information, visit cimmyt.org.
About the Foundation for Innovation in Healthy Food
FIHF builds coalitions of stakeholders that support increasing the nutritional value of the foods we consume, while preserving consumers’ food experiences.
About the Coalition for Grain Fiber
The coalition is enrolling grain fiber in the fight against chronic disease. By improving the nutritional content of white and whole wheat flour, it seeks to save thousands of lives and dramatically reduce healthcare costs.
The jury of international scientist experts evaluated twenty-three research projects spanning nine countries on four continents for the 2023 Composite Flour Innovation Award. Sidhar Bhavani, senior scientist, head of Rust Pathology and Molecular Genetics at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) enriched the jury of the Awards, aimed to highlight the scientific work around the production and processing of non-wheat flours and their blends with wheat flour.
AMES, IOWA—The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) has announced the 2023 Borlaug CAST Communication Award goes to Alison Bentley.
While Bentley is known for her global research on wheat genetics, she is also recognized for her proficiency in science communication. Bentley has a passion for delivering practical applications from innovation to farmers, extensive reach through communicating and influencing, and mentoring and support of individuals and community efforts. Bentley’s exceptional work in raising awareness about the importance of wheat as a food crop is also evidenced by her wide-ranging list of communication activities.
In 2022 alone, Bentley delivered 20 scientific presentations—including five international keynote talks and 15 additional invited talks. Bentley focused her communication efforts around two major areas. The first area was her rapid, science-led response to the impact of the Russian/Ukraine war on global wheat production through a communication article in Nature, followed with a social media campaign and numerous presentations and invited policy briefings. Her second area of focus was a major communications campaign by initiating and leading the Women in Crop Science network. This network was developed to address key issues such as the promotion and championing of females throughout their research careers, creating equal opportunities, and increasing visibility of members.
The extensive breadth of Bentley’s outreach ranges from classic science presentations and open access articles to blogs, podcasts, YouTube videos, and Twitter campaigns. All these formats demonstrate her commitment to science communication and reaching as wide an audience as possible in an accessible way to engage with important, current topics regarding wheat supplies and plant breeding.
The official presentation of the award will take place at a special side event during the World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue event in Des Moines, Iowa, in October. The Borlaug CAST Communication Award honors the legacy of Norman Borlaug, a Nobel Prize winner and author of the first CAST publication, and Dr. Charles A. Black, the first executive vice president of CAST. It is presented annually for outstanding achievement by a scientist, engineer, technologist, or other professional working in the agricultural, environmental, or food sectors for contributing to the advancement of science through communication in the public policy arena.
ABOUT CAST
CAST is an international consortium of scientific and professional societies, universities, companies, nonprofits, libraries, and individuals. CAST convenes and coordinates networks of experts to assemble, interpret, and communicate credible, unbiased, science-based information to policymakers, the media, the private sector, and the public.
The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) is an international organization focused on non-profit agricultural research and training that empowers farmers through science and innovation to nourish the world in the midst of a climate crisis. Applying high-quality science and strong partnerships, CIMMYT works to achieve a world with healthier and more prosperous people, free from global food crises and with more resilient agri-food systems. CIMMYT’s research brings enhanced productivity and better profits to farmers, mitigates the effects of the climate crisis, and reduces the environmental impact of agriculture.
CIMMYT is a member of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food secure future dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources.
Like other crops, wheat – which makes up 20 percent of the human diet – is affected by threats to the global food system from persistent population growth and economic and climate pressures. These challenges are further exacerbated by the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. There is an urgent need to prioritize climate resilient wheat varieties to protect this food staple.
Some five years after HeDWIC was launched in 2014 to incorporate the most advanced research technologies into improving heat and drought tolerance of wheat, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported that climate change was having an impact on food security through increasing temperatures, changing precipitation patterns and greater frequency of extreme weather events in its Special Report on Climate Change and Land.
“While some areas are becoming more conducive to wheat growing, crop yields are suffering in other regions around the world traditionally known as bread baskets,” said wheat physiologist Matthew Reynolds, who leads HeDWIC at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT).
“Wheat is one of our fundamental crops, and we must spare no effort in protecting it from current and future challenges,” said Saharah Moon Chapotin, FFAR executive director. “Global collaborations are necessary to address global concerns, and these grants are bringing together international teams to share and build the science and research that will ensure the stability of this crop.”
To boost new ideas in “climate-proofing” crops, HeDWIC conducts virtual meetings that include all awarded research teams to take advantage of the collective global expertise in heat and drought resilience, leading to cross-pollination of ideas and further leverage of resources and capabilities.
In March, Reynolds led in-person discussions with some of the collaborating researchers at CIMMYT’s experimental research station on the outskirts of Ciudad Obregon, a city in Mexico’s Sonoran Desert, during CIMMYT’s annual Visitors’ Week.
Projects awarded in 2022
Exploring the potential of chlorophyll fluorescence for the early detection of drought and heat stress in wheat (FluoSense4Wheat)
“The HeDWIC mini proposal allows us to explore the potential of chlorophyll fluorescence for the early detection of drought and heat stress in wheat. The controlled irrigation conditions for wheat grown in Obregon give us the opportunity to quantify photosynthesis by fluorescence while drought develops. Detecting a drought-specific fluorescence response and/or the interaction between active and passive fluorescence is relevant for breeding selecting purposes as well as large spatial scale detection of drought by monitoring the plant.” – Onno Muller, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Germany
Physiological basis of amelioration of heat stress through nitrogen management in wheat
“Heat stress during grain filling can restrict the availability of carbohydrates needed for grain development. India has been experiencing sudden spikes in both minimum and maximum temperatures by 3 to 5 degrees above normal from late-February onwards, which is an important time for wheat grain-filling and has resulted in declining wheat productivity. Our team is examining the ability of pre-flowering nitrogen applications to support biomass accumulation and overcome the grain-filling source (carbohydrate) limitation during heat spikes. If successful, the results could have broad-reaching benefits given that farmers are familiar with and well-skilled in using nitrogen applications regimes in crop management.” – Renu Pandey, Division of Plant Physiology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute
Can reproductive development be protected from heat stress by the trehalose 6-phosphate pathway?
“The HeDWIC funding provides a unique opportunity to test how the regulatory sugar, trehalose 6-phosphate (T6P) can protect wheat yields against increasingly common chronic and acute heat stress events. We have already shown that T6P spray increases wheat yields significantly in field conditions under a range of rainfall in wet and dry years. With increasing likelihood of heat stress events in the years ahead, in unique facilities at CIMMYT, we will test the potential of T6P to protect reproductive development from catastrophic yield loss due to chronic and acute heat.” – Matthew Paul, Rothamsted Research, UK
Investigating tolerance of heat resilient wheat germplasm to drought
“Over the last decade, we have developed heat tolerant wheat germplasm at the University of Sydney that maintains yield under terminal heat stress. In our new HeDWIC project, this material will be tested under combined drought and heat stress under field conditions. This will provide plant breeders with highly valuable information on field tested germplasm for use in accelerated breeding programs targeting combined heat and drought tolerance. The work is critical for future food security considering the inextricable link between temperature and plant water demand, and the increased frequency and intensity of heat and drought events under projected climate change.” – William Salter, University of Sydney, Australia
Novel wheat architecture alleles to optimize biomass under drought
“Wheat Rht-1 dwarfing genes were an essential component that led to spectacular increases in grain yields during the Green Revolution. Although Rht1 and Rht2 are still used widely in wheat breeding 50 years after they were introduced, they are suboptimal under drought conditions and are often associated with a yield penalty. Using a more extensive range of Rht-1 dwarfing alleles that were developed at Rothamsted, we will introduce them into CIMMYT germplasm to optimize biomass and ultimately increase grain yields under drought stress.” – Steve Thomas, Rothamsted Research, UK
Additional comments from 2021 awardees
“This opportunity has enabled the collection of significant amounts of data that will contribute to the advancement of knowledge in crop physiology and root biology. It has also provided early career researchers with opportunities to gain hands-on experience, develop important skills, and grow their networks. Additionally, this initiative has stimulated further ideas and collaborations among researchers, fostering a culture of innovation and cooperation that is essential for progress.” – Hannah Schneider, Wageningen University & Research, Netherlands
“The project is a unique opportunity for research groups from around the world to coordinate efforts on identifying ways to improve heat tolerance of wheat.” – Owen Atkin, Australian National University, Australia
“It is important to understand how high temperature limits crop growth and yield and to identify genetic variation that can be used for breeding climate resilient crops. This project has already begun to develop new methods for rapidly screening growth and physiological processes in genetically diverse panels which we hope will be invaluable to researchers and breeders.” – Erik Murchie, University of Nottingham, UK
“This project will provide novel phenotyping screens and germplasm to breeders and lay the groundwork for genetic analysis and marker development.” – John Foulkes, University of Nottingham, UK
The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) is an international organization focused on non-profit agricultural research and training that empowers farmers through science and innovation to nourish the world in the midst of a climate crisis. Applying high-quality science and strong partnerships, CIMMYT works to achieve a world with healthier and more prosperous people, free from global food crises and with more resilient agri-food systems. CIMMYT’s research brings enhanced productivity and better profits to farmers, mitigates the effects of the climate crisis, and reduces the environmental impact of agriculture.
CIMMYT is a member of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food secure future dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources.
The WIT awards are a premier recognition of talent and dedication of early-career women scientists and those who have excelled at mentoring women working in wheat and its nearest cereal relatives. This year’s winners are innovative wheat researchers from Malawi, Morocco, New Zealand, Spain, Tunisia and the United States.
“It is an honor to recognize these incredible scientists for their drive and vision in support of food security,” said Jeanie Borlaug Laube, chair of the BGRI and daughter of Nobel Prize Peace-winner Norman E. Borlaug. “My father believed that generations of hunger fighters would be needed to rid the world of food insecurity, and I’m proud to recognize these 2023 awardees for continuing to carry that mission forward.”
The WIT Early-Career Award provides women working in wheat with the opportunity for additional training, mentorship and leadership opportunities. The WIT Mentor Award recognizes the efforts of men and women who have played a significant role in shaping the careers of women working in wheat and demonstrated a commitment to increasing gender parity in agriculture.
“The WIT Awards have proven to be influential in shifting gender dynamics towards more equity in wheat science. WIT awardees are taking on leadership roles in scientific settings all over the world, and these newest awardees have the potential to continue that trend towards a more inclusive future,” said Maricelis Acevedo, director for science for the BGRI and research professor of global development in Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Since founding the WIT awards in 2010, the BGRI has now recognized 71 early-career award winners from 31 countries and 13 mentors from 9 countries.
From Malawi, Veronica is a Ph.D student, University of Nottingham (UoN)-Rothamsted Research (RRes) in the United Kingdom, and Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) in Malawi. She focuses on exploiting the wider genetic variation among wheat and wild relatives to identify novel sources for increased grain zinc and iron concentration, and transfer these to African varieties.
From Morocco, Hafssa is genomic selection expert for the durum wheat breeding program at International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) in Morocco. Her work is aimed at implementing genomic selection and speed breeding tools to deliver superior cultivars to national partners from Central and West Asia, North Africa, and West Africa.
From Spain, Marina is a fourth-year Ph.D. student at the John Innes Centre where she studies the post-anthesis development of the unpollinated wheat carpel under the supervision of Cristóbal Uauy and Scott Boden and in collaboration with KWS and Syngenta. Marina is applying a combination of approaches, including field trials, microscopy work, machine learning, and transcriptomics to better understand the genetic processes regulating different aspects of female fertility in bread wheat.
From New Zealand, Megan is a CERC Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). She focuses on developing molecular understanding of the interactions between rust fungi and wheat through structural biology and protein biochemistry, and recently adopted new artificial intelligence technologies in her work to facilitate structural analysis on a genome-wide scale for the purpose of exploiting structural conservation to engineer novel, durable genetic resistance in wheat and ensure effective utilization of current resistance.
From the United States, Amanda is a research geneticist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) at the Cereal Crops Research Unit in Fargo, North Dakota. Her current research program focuses on pre-breeding and germplasm improvement for both tetraploid and hexaploid wheat, focusing on the Great Plains region.
A dual citizen of Tunisia and the United States, Amor is vice president of the Borlaug Training Foundation. His work has spanned organizations on multiple continents, with positions at the University of Tunis, ICARDA, and CIMMYT. As Wheat Training Officer at CIMMYT from 2012-2018, he enhanced academic and hands-on training on wheat improvement for junior scientists from over 20 countries annually. There he developed a modular advanced wheat improvement course for mid-career scientists. In Tunisia he initiated the CRP-Wheat Septoria Precision Phenotyping Platform in Tunisia, where from 2015 to 2021 he fully involved graduate research as part of platform that led to women researchers earning seven Ph.D. and two MSc degrees in a six-year period.
“I retired quite recently, however, I have a lot to do. I wish to mentor young scientists about on how to increase food production. I also look forward to working on several high-profile projects with farmers to tackle future issues they might face due to the climate changes on a crop like wheat,” shares the scientist.
Singh was honored with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman by the Government of India in January 2021, recognizing his outstanding achievements by non-resident Indians, persons of Indian origin, or organizations or institutions run by them either in India or abroad. He received this for his role in the development, release, and cultivation of more than 550 wheat varieties over the past three decades.
Singh has also been included among the top one percent of highly-cited researchers, according to Clarivate Analytics-Web of Science every year since 2017.
“To meet expected wheat demand for 2050, production will need to double, which means increasing harvests nearly 70 kilograms per hectare each year,” said Leonardo Crespo-Herrera, CIMMYT wheat scientist and 2022 Japan Award recipient. “Breeding will be a major contributor, but better agronomic practices and policies will also be critical.” (Photo: CIMMYT)
International science to save wheat — a crucial food grain for 2.5 billion of the world’s poor — from a rising tide of insect pests known as aphids was lauded on November 22 with the 2022 Japan International Award for Young Agricultural Researchers (the Japan Award).
The 2022 Japan Award recognized novel breeding approaches to identify and select for genetic resistance in wheat to two species of aphids that cause wheat grain losses reaching 20% and whose rapid spread is propelled by rising temperatures.
Aphid resistant wheat can contribute to more sustainable food production, protecting farmers’ harvests and profits, while reducing the need to use costly and harmful insecticides, said Leonardo Crespo-Herrera, bread wheat improvement specialist for the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and one of the three 2022 Japan Award recipients.
“In addition to genetic yield potential, CIMMYT wheat breeding focuses on yield stability, disease resistance, and nutritional and end-use quality,” Crespo-Herrera explained. “Adding another target trait — aphid resistance — makes wheat breeding much more challenging.”
Efficient and effective field testing to confirm the genetics
Crespo-Herrera and his CIMMYT colleagues managed to identify and characterize genome segments responsible for aphid resistance in wheat and its near relatives, as well as running innovative field tests for a set of elite wheat breeding lines that were predicted to carry that resistance.
“With the aphid species called the greenbug, its feeding causes yellowing and necrotic spots on wheat, so we could actually measure and score wheat plants in plots that we deliberately infested with the aphids, keeping the resistant lines and throwing out the susceptible ones,” said Crespo-Herrera.
For the other species, the bird cherry-oat aphid, the only visible feeding damage is when the plants become stunted and die, so Crespo-Herrera and colleagues instead measured biomass loss and reduced growth in 1,000 artificially infested wheat lines, identifying a number of lines that had low scores for those measurements. Given that the lines tested came from a set that had already shown resistance to the greenbug, some of the successful lines feature resistance to both aphid species.
For the bird cherry-oat aphid, in two years of additional field tests, Crespo-Herrera and his team found that aphid populations were lower in plots sown with resistant wheat lines. “The experiments included remote sensing measurements that identified certain spectral signatures correlated with aphid populations; this may help us to assess resistance in future field trials.”
The researchers also found that a cutting-edge approach known as “genomic prediction” provided good estimations regarding promising, aphid-resistant wheat breeding lines.
Motivating young researchers in research and development
Established in 2007, the Japan Award is an annual prize organized by the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Research Council (AFFRC) of Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and supported by the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS). Awardees receive a $5,000 cash prize.
In an excerpt of an official note regarding Crespo-Herrera’s research, those agencies said “…This study has been highly evaluated for developing (wheat) lines that have been distributed worldwide for use in wheat breeding, and the methods of this study have been applied to develop varieties with resistance mechanisms against various kinds of insects, not only aphids.”
Crespo-Herrera thanked JIRCAS and MAFF for the award. “I feel honored to have been selected.”
Mentorship and educational contributions
