Tag: New Publications

Africa is facing increasing complications in farming as climate change makes weather more unpredictable and leads to mass desertification of previously farmable land. Conservation agriculture (CA) has been touted for decades as the solution, not only to farming in climate change, but as a way to sequester Carbon in soil and actively combat climate change through agriculture.

A new study shows that while CA is well suited to helping farmers adapt to, and even increase profits in changing climates, there is considerable uncertainty about how much CA contributes to the mitigation aspect.

Overall the authors emphasized that the main benefit of CA is the adaptation potential, which helps farmers markedly improve productivity, achieve stable yields and decrease labor inputs, but further research is needed to determine effects on climate change.

Read the full study “How climate-smart is conservation agriculture (CA)?  Its potential to deliver on adaptation mitigation and productivity on smallholder farms in southern Africa” and check out other recent publications by CIMMYT staff below:

How climate-smart is conservation agriculture (CA)? – its potential to deliver on adaptation, mitigation and productivity on smallholder farms in southern Africa. 2017. Thierfelder, C., Chivenge, P., Mupangwa, W., Rosenstock, T.S., Lamanna, C., Eyre, J.X. In: Food Security, vol 9, p 537–560.

Nitrogen assimilation system in maize is regulated by developmental and tissue-specific mechanisms. 2016. Plett, D., Holtham, L., Baumann, U., Kalashyan, E., Francis, K., Enju, A., Toubia, J., Roessner, U., Bacic, A., Rafalski, A., Tester, M., Garnett, T., Kaiser, B.N., Dhugga, K. In: Plant Molecular Biology, vol. 92, p. 293-312.

Nitrogen management under conservation agriculture in Cereal-based Systems. 2016. Jat, H.S., Jat, R.K., Parihar, C.M., Jat, S.L., Tetarwal, J.P., Sidhu, H.S., Jat, M.L. In: Indian Journal of Fertilizers, vol.15, no.4, p.76-91.

Novel structural and functional motifs in cellulose synthase (CesA) genes of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum, L.). 2016. Kaur, S., Gill, K.S., Singh, J., Dhugga, K. In: PLoS One, vol.11, no.1, 1-18 p.

Ocurrence and identification of cereal cyst nematode, heterodera filipjevi (nemata: heteroderidae), in Bolu province of Turkey. 2016. Imren, M., Toktay, H., Kutuk, H., Dababat, A.A. In: Nematropica, vol. 44, no. 2, p. 154-161.

On-farm evaluation of hermetic technology against maize storage pests in Kenya. 2016. Likhayo, P., Bruce, A.Y., Mutambuki, K., Tadele Tefera Mueke, J. In: Journal of Economic Entomology, vol.109, no.4, p. 1-8.

Stay-green and associated vegetative indices to breed maize adapted to heat and combined Heat-Drought Stresses. 2017. Cerrudo, D., Gonzalez-Perez, L., Mendoza, A., Trachsel, S. In: Remote sensing, vol. 9, no. 3, p. 1-13.

The research and implementation continuum of biofortified sweet potato and maize in Africa. 2017. Tanumihardjo, S.A., Ball, A.M., Kaliwile, C., Pixley, K.V. In: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, v. 1390, p. 88-103.

Transgenic strategies for enhancement of nematode resistance in plants. 2017. Muhammad Amjad Ali, Azeem, F., Amjab Abbas Joyia, F.A., Hongjie Li, Dababat, A.A. In: Frontiers in Plant Science, v. 8, no. 750.

Understanding the determinants of alternate energy options for cooking in the Himalayas: Empirical evidence from the Himalayan region of Pakistan. 2017. Dil Bahadur Rahut, Ali, A. Mottaleb, K.A. In: Journal of Cleaner Production v. 149, p. 528-539.

Utilizing high-throughput phenotypic data for improved phenotypic selection of stress-adaptive traits in wheat. 2017. Cairns, J.L., Reynolds, M.P., Poland, J. In: Crop Science, v. 57, p. 648-659.

Investigating Conservation Agriculture (CA) Systems in Zambia and Zimbabwe to Mitigate Future Effects of Climate Change.  2010. Thierfelder, C., Wall, P. C. In: Journal of Crop Improvement, v.24(2), p. 113-121.

EL BATAN, Mexico (CIMMYT) – A new study examines the role of collective resource management in conflict.

Climate-induced migration can spur competition for resources such as cropland and freshwater, and stress or undermine existing social institutions according to the authors of the new study. The food security crisis and international ‘land grabs’ have drawn renewed attention to the role of natural resource competition in the livelihoods of the rural poor.

The study focuses on how collective action in natural resource competition can strengthen social-ecological resilience and mitigate conflict.

The scientists identified three action recommendations: using policy interventions to promote collectively managed natural resources, support natural resource management institutions to expand their ability to support collective action in response to competition and increase measures to affect the action arena by shifting incentives toward cooperative resolutions of resource conflicts and enhancing conflict resolution processes.

The authors note that stakeholders cannot write collective action into existence, but that collective natural resource management under effective guidance has been an effective peacebuilding mechanism.

Read the full study “Addressing conflict through collective action in natural resource management” and check out other recent publication by CIMMYT staff below:

• Addressing conflict through collective action in natural resource management. Ratner, B.D.; Meinzen-Dick, R.; Hellin, Jon; Mapedza, E.; Unruh, E.; Veening, W.; Haglund, E.; May, C.; Bruch, C.. International Journal of the Commons 11 (2): 877-906. DOI: http://doi.org/10.18352/ijc.768Netherlands. Uopen Journals.

• Land use and agricultural change dynamics in SAT watersheds of southern India. Ahmed, I.M., Murali Krishna Gumma, Shalander Kumar, Craufurd, P., Rafi, I.M., Amare Haileslassie, In: Current Science, vol. 110, no. 9, p. 1704-1709.

• Linkages and interactions analysis of major effect drought grain yield QTLs in rice. Vikram, P., Mallikarjuna Swamy, B.P., Dixit, S., Trinidad, J., Sta Cruz, T., Maturan, P.C., Amante, M., Arvind Kumar, In: PLoS One, vol. 11, no. 3: e0151532.

• Long term effect of conservation agriculture in maize rotations on total organic carbon, physical and biological properties of a sandy loam soil in north-western Indo-Gangetic Plains. Parihar, C.M., Yadav, M.R., Jat, S.L., Singh, A.K., Kumar, B., Pradhan, S., Chakraborty, D., Jat, M.L., Jat, R.K., Saharawat, Y.S., Yadav, O.P. In: Soil and Tillage Research, vol.161, p.116-128.

• Maize maintains growth in response to decreased nitrate supply through a highly dynamic and developmental stage-specific transcriptional response. Plett, D., Baumann, U., Schreiber, A.W., Holtham, L., Kalashyan, E., Toubia, J., Nau, J., Beatty, M., Rafalski, A., Dhugga, K., Tester, M,. Garnett, T., Kaiser, B.N. In: Plant biotechnology journal, vol.14, no.1, p.342-353.

• Mapping of spot blotch disease resistance using NDVI as a substitute to visual observation in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Suneel Kumar, Roder, M.S., Singh, R.P., Kumar, S., Ramesh Chand, Joshi, A.K., Kumar, U. In: Molecular Breeding, vol.36, no.95, p.1-11.

• Independent introductions and admixtures have contributed to adaptation of European maize and its American counterparts. Brandenburg, J.T., Tristan Mary-Huard, Rigaill, G., Hearne, S., Corti, H., Joets, J., Vitte, C., Charcosset, A., Nicolas, S.D., Tenaillon, M.I. In: PLoS Genetics, v.13, no.3: e1006666.

• Maximizing maize quality, productivity and profitability through a combined use of compost and nitrogen fertilizer in a semi-arid environment in Pakistan. Iqbal, S., Thierfelder, C., Zaman Khan, H., Hafiz Muhammad Rashad Javeed, Muhammad Arif, Muhammad Shehzad. In: Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, v. 107, p. 197-213.

• Modeling preference and willingness to pay for Drought Tolerance (DT) in maize in rural Zimbabwe. Kassie, G., Awudu Abdulai, Greene, W.H., Shiferaw, B., Tsedeke Abate, Amsal Tesfaye, Tarekegne Sutcliffe, C. In: World Development, v. 94, p. 465-477.

• Nitrogen transformations in modern agriculture and the role of biological nitrification inhibition. Coskun, D., Britto, D.T., Weiming Shi, Kronzucker, H.J. In: Nature Scientific reports, v. 3, no. 17074, p. 1-10.

• Occurrence of wheat blast in Bangladesh and its implications for South Asian wheat production. Chowdhury, A.K., Mahender Singh Saharan, Aggrawal, R., Malaker, P.K., Barma, N.C.D., Tiwari, T.P., Duveiller, E., Singh, P.K., Srivastava, A., Sonder, K., Singh, R.P., Braun, H.J., Joshi, A.K. In: Indian Journal of Genetics and Plant Breeding, vol. 77, no. 1, p. 1-9.

EL BATAN, Mexico (CIMMYT) – A new study examines how networks help spread new technologies and innovations in agriculture.

The study’s authors focused on the dissemination of innovations relating to conservation agriculture (CA) – practices based on the principles of minimal soil disturbance, permanent soil cover and crop rotation – and studied farmers working with Mexico’s Sustainable Modernization of Traditional Agriculture Initiative (MasAgro).

Current population trends and current climate change projections suggest that food insecurity is likely to rise. Farmer responsiveness to new practices and technologies will play a crucial role in determining if there will be adequate food production.

The study found that farmers mainly learn about new practices from each other through internal networks, but that depending on the type of information, may look beyond their close groups for input from research institutions and other external resources. In CA, producers mainly learn about machinery, crop rotation, minimum tillage and weeding from each other, but rely on research institutions for information about biofertilizers and pests. When information is obtained from external networks, producers tend to adopt new practices on a step by step basis, rather than as a collective uptake.

The majority of farmers in the study area adopted two to four CA practices, with only 21.5 percent of producers adopting an array of five or more CA practices, and less than ten percent adopting one or no practices. The most commonly adopted CA practices are those which reduce labor costs, increase yields and improve soil fertility such as weed management, use of quality seed and minimum tillage practices. The authors noted that many more farmers were willing to adopt a comprehensive CA package, but were hindered by a lack of resources and access to specialized machinery.

The results show that innovation diffusion must happen along several dimensions, through the first stage of innovation to adoption and adapting innovations to meet needs. These dimensions dynamically interact, and determine the dissemination of new ideas.

Producers rely on key actors within their internal networks to identify useful innovations, and on their entire internal network to spread the message. The study’s authors stated that there is an urgent need to establish networks that focus on creating pathways for sharing knowledge, information and practices among actors at different levels.

MasAgro is an initiative led by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA).

Read the full study “Innovation diffusion in Conservation Agriculture:  a network approach” and check out other recent publications from CIMMYT staff below.

•         Impact of conservation agriculture on growth and development of rice-wheat and maize-wheat cropping system in western Indo-Gangetic plains. 2016. Choudhary, K.M., Nandal, D.P., Jat, M.L., Hooda, J.S., Verma, K.C. In: Annals of biology, vol.32, no.2 p.174-177.
•         Impact of informal groundwater markets on efficiency of irrigated farms in India: a bootstrap data envelopment analysis approach. 2016. Manjunatha, A.V., Speelman, S. Aravindakshan, S., Amjath-Babu, T.S., Puran Mal In: Irrigation Science, vol.34, p.41-52.
•         Implications of high temperature and elevated CO2 on flowering time in plants. 2016. Jagadish, K.S.V., Bahuguna, R.N. Djanaguiraman, M. Gamuyao, R. Prasad, V.P.V. Craufurd, P. In: Frontiers in Plant Science, vol.7, no. 913.
•         Irrigation water saving through adoption of direct rice sowing technology in the Indo-Gangetic Plains: empirical evidence from Pakistan. 2016. Ali, A., Dil Bahadur Rahut, Erenstein, O. In: Water Practice and Technology, vol. 11, no. 3, p. 610-620.
•         Identification and validation of single nucleotide polymorphic markers linked to Ug99 stem rust resistance in spring wheat. 2017. Long-Xi Yu, Shiaoman Chao Singh, R.P. Sorrells, M.E. In: PLoS One, v.12, no.2: e0171963.
•         Identification of heat tolerant wheat lines showing genetic variation in leaf respiration and other physiological traits. 2017. Suzuky Pinto, R., Molero, G., Reynolds, M.P. In: Euphytica, v. 213, no. 76, p.1-15.
•         Impacts of changing weather patterns on smallholder well-being: evidence from the Himalayan region of northern Pakistan. 2017. Ali, A., Dil Bahadur Rahut, Erenstein, O. In: International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, v. 9, no. 2, p. 225-240.
•         Implications of less tail end water on livelihoods of small farmers in Pakistan. 2017. Ali, A., Dil Bahadur Rahut, Imtiaz, M. In: Outlook on Agriculture, vol. 46, no. 1, p. 36-43.
•        Improving agricultural knowledge management: The AgTrials experience. 2017. Hyman, G., Espinosa, H., Camargo, P., Abreu, D., Devare, M., Arnaud, E., Porter, C., Mwanzia, L., Sonder, K., Traore, S. In: F1000 Research, vol. 6, no. 317.

EL BATAN, Mexico (CIMMYT) – A new study identifies the key ways to keep up with India’s rising food demand while minimizing greenhouse gas emissions.

Global food production must increase by 70 percent to meet a population of more than 9 billion in 2050. India, with a current population of 1.3 billion and rising, is central to this challenge.

As incomes rise in developing countries, many go through ‘nutrition transition’ away from staple crops towards high greenhouse gas-producing foods like meat and dairy. India, however, has a cultural preference for a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet — dairy, eggs, and plant-based products —  and is likely to differ in this regard from similar developing countries, like China or Brazil.

In India, the majority of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture are produced from agricultural inputs, farm machinery, soil displacement, residue management and irrigation.

Authors in a recent study from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) have identified higher emissions from continuously flooded rice, compared to rice which has more frequent periods of water drainage, and a wide range of emissions for other crops due to variation in fertilizer application.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has placed emphasis on mitigation of greenhouse gases from agriculture and a number of strategies have been proposed. Measuring emissions from different crops and management systems can help identify the most efficient way to reduce future greenhouse gas emissions while keeping up with food demand.

Read the full study “Greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural food production to supply Indian diets: Implications for climate change mitigation” and check out other recent publications from CIMMYT staff below.

• Genomic regions associated with root traits under drought stress in tropical maize (Zea mays L.). Zaidi, P.H., Seetharam, K., Krishna, G., Krishnamurthy, S.L., Gajanan Saykhedkar, Babu, R., Zerka, M., Vinayan, M.T., Vivek, B. In: PLoS One, vol.11, no.10: e0164340.

• Global challenges and urgency for partnerships to deploy genetic resources. Sukhwinder-Singh, Vikram, P., Sansaloni, C.P., Pixley, K.V. In: Indian Journal of Plant Genetic Resources, vol. 29, issue 3, p. 351-353.

• High accuracy of predicting hybrid performance of Fusarium head blight resistance by mid‑parent values in wheat. Miedaner, T., Schulthess, A., Gowda, M., Reif, J.C., Longin, F.H. In: Theoretical and Applied Genetics, vol 130, no. 2, p. 461–470.

• Identification and functional characterization of the AGO1 ortholog in maize. Dongdong Xu, Hailong Yang, Cheng Zou, Wen-Xue Li, Yunbi Xu, Chuanxiao Xie In: Journal of integrative plant biology, vol.58, no.8, p.749-758.
• Identification of genomic associations for adult plant resistance in the background of popular South Asian wheat cultivar, PBW343. 2016. Huihui Li, Sukhwinder-Singh, Bhavani, S., Singh, R.P., Sehgal, D., Basnet, B.R., Vikram, P., Burgueño, J., Huerta-Espino, J.  In: Frontiers in Plant Science, vol.7, no.1674, p.1-18.
• Genomic Selection for increased yield in Synthetic-Derived Wheat. 2017. Dunckel, S., Crossa, J., Shuangye Wu, Bonnett, D.G., Poland, J. In: Crop Science, v. 57, p. 713-725.
• Germinate 3: development of a common platform to support the distribution of experimental data on crop wild relatives. 2017. Shaw, P., Raubach, S. Hearne, S., Dreher, K.A., Glenn Bryan, McKenzie, G., Milne, I., Gordon Stephen, Marshall, D. In: Crop Science, v. 57, p.1-15.
• Greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural food production to supply Indian diets: Implications for climate change mitigation. 2017. Vetter, S.H., Sapkota, T.B., Hillier, J., Stirling, C., Macdiarmid, J.I., Aleksandrowicz, L., Green, R., Joy, E.J.M., Dangour, A.D., Smith, P. In: Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment v. 237, p. 234-241.
• How climate-smart is conservation agriculture (CA)? its potential to deliver on adaptation, mitigation and productivity on smallholder farms in southern Africa. 2017. Thierfelder, C., Chivenge, P., Mupangwa, W., Rosenstock, T., Lamanna, C., Eyre, J.X. In: Food Security, vol. 9, no. 3, p. 537–560.
• Identification and molecular characterization of novel LMW-m and -s glutenin genes, and a chimeric -m/-i glutenin gene in 1A chromosome of three diploid Triticum species.  2017. Cuesta, S., Alvarez, J.B., Guzman, C. In: Journal of Cereal Science, v. 74, p. 46-55.

EL BATAN, Mexico (CIMMYT) – A new study shows how wheat breeders can more efficiently increase yield and improve their selections by using modern genetic tools.

Wheat is the most widely cultivated crop in the world, and provides one fifth of the protein and calories consumed globally. Demand for wheat by 2050 is predicted to increase by 70 percent from today’s levels due to population growth and dietary changes, but new diseases, diminishing resources and climate change are making it harder for farmers to meet future needs.

Researchers at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) recently found that spring wheat breeders can incorporate genetic testing with traditional methods to increase yield and quality faster than ever before.

The study’s authors examined the effects different environments had on spring wheat yield. By using genetic selection, they were able to predict complex traits more efficiently than if they had only used the traditional method of pedigree selection, where researchers choose the best plants from each generation to use for breeding the next generation.

According to the authors, developing genetic selection models is an important step to accelerate the rate of genetic gains and grain yields in plant breeding.

Read the full study “Genomic prediction with pedigree and Genotype X environment interaction in Spring Wheat grown in South and West Asia, North Africa, and Mexico ” and check out other recent publications from CIMMYT staff below.

• Genome-wide association study in wheat identifies resistance to the cereal cyst nematode Heterodera Filipjevi. Pariyar, S.R., Dababat, A.A., Sannemann, W., Erginbas-Orakci, G., Elashry, A., Siddique, S., Morgounov, A.I., Leon, J., Grundler, F. In: Phytopathology, vol. 106, no.10, p.1128-1138.

• Genomic characterization of phenylalanine ammonia lyase gene in buckwheat. Thiyagarajan, K., Vitali, F., Tolaini, V., Galeffi, P., Cantale, C., Vikram, P., Sukhwinder-Singh, De Rossi, P., Nobili, C., Procacci, S., Del Fiore, A., Antonin, A., Presenti, O., Brunori, A. In: PLoS One, vol.11, no.3: e0151187.

• Genomic prediction models for grain yield of spring bread wheat in diverse agro-ecological zones. Saint Pierre, C., Burgueño, J., Fuentes Dávila, G., Figueroa López, P., Solís Moya, E., Ireta Moreno, J., Hernández Muela, V.M., Zamora Villa, V., Vikram, P., Mathews, K., Sansaloni, C.P., Sehgal, D., Jarquín, D., Wenzl, P., Sukhwinder-Singh, Crossa, J. In: Nature Scientific reports, vol.6, no. 27312.

• Genomic prediction of genotype x environment interaction kernel regression models. Cuevas, J., Soberanis, V., Perez-Elizalde, S., Pérez-Rodríguez, P., De los Campos, G., Montesinos-Lopez, O.A., Burgueño, J., Crossa, J. In: The Plant Genome, vol.9, no.3, p.1-20.

• Genomic prediction using phenotypes from pedigreed lines with no marker data. Ashraf, B., Edriss, V., Akdemir, D., Autrique, E., Bonnett, D.G., Janss, L., Singh, R.P., Jannink, J.L., Crossa, J. In: Crop Science, vol. 56, no. 3, p. 957-964.

• Genetic gains in yield and yield related traits under drought stress and favorable environments in a maize population improved using marker assisted recurrent selection. Bankole, F., Menkir, A., Olaoye, G., Crossa, J., Hearne, S., Unachukwu, N., Gedil, M. In: Frontiers in Plant Science, v.8, no.808.

• Genetic yield gains in CIMMYT’s international elite Spring Wheat yield trials by modeling the Genotype X environment interaction. Crespo-Herrera, L.A., Crossa, J., Huerta-Espino, J., Autrique, E., Mondal, S., Velu, G., Vargas, M., Braun, H.J., Singh, R.P. In: Crop Science, v. 57, p.789-801.

• Genome-wide association mapping and genome-wide prediction of anther extrusion in CIMMYT spring wheat. Muqaddasi, Q.H., Reif, J.C., Zou Li, Basnet, B.R., Dreisigacker, S., Roder, M.S. In: Euphytica, v. 213, no. 73, p.1-7.

• Genome-Wide prediction of metabolic enzymes, pathways, and gene clusters in plants. Schlapfer, P., Zhang, P., Chuan Wang, Taehyong Kim, Banf, M., Lee Chae, Dreher, K.A., Chavali, A.K., Nilo-Poyanco, R., Bernard, T., Kahn, D., Rhee, S.Y. In: Plant Physiology, v. 173, p. 2041-2059.

EL BATAN, Mexico (CIMMYT) — A committee was recently assembled by the US National Academies to assess the benefits and risks of genetically engineered (GE) crops and accompanying technologies.

GE crops – also popularly referred to as genetically modified organisms (GMOs) – have been a controversial issue since the public continues to perceive GE crops as unsafe, even though there is scientific consensus about their safety. Opponents of GE crops point to potential environmental concerns, food safety and intellectual property law issues.

The authors focused on individual varieties and traits within GE crops to form individual conclusions, rather than make a blanket conclusion about the safety and benefits of GE crops. The committee was composed of 20 experts from diverse fields and the report reflects over 900 studies on GE crops.

The US National Academies requires all reports to seek input from individuals directly involved in the problem under consideration. The committee on GE crops felt this was especially important given that the public views GE crops as such a controversial issue. The authors held public meetings and webinars, heard from 80 speakers ranging across perspectives and received over 700 comments from their website.

In their 584-page report, the authors answer the questions they determined to be most pressing based on public and scientific input. The report has received criticism from pro- and anti- GE advocates for not overtly backing or condemning GE crops.

The committee said they realize an almost 600-page report is a lot, so they organized the report based on answering questions, this way the public can easily find where their most pressing concerns are addressed. The authors said they hope that the evidence in the report will deepen the level of public conversation around GE crops.

Read the full study “Elevating the conversation about GE crops” and check out other recent publications from CIMMYT staff below.

• First Report of Hop stunt viroid Infecting Citrus Trees in Morocco. 2016. Afechtal, M., Jamai, H., Mokrini, F., Essarioui, A., Faddoul, Z., Sbaghi, M., Dababat, A.A. In: Plant Disease, v. 100, no. 7, p.1512.

• First Report of Wheat Blast Caused by Magnaporthe oryzae Pathotype triticum in Bangladesh. 2016. Malaker, P.K., Barma, N.C.D., Tiwari, T.P., Collis, W.J., Duveiller, E., Singh, P.K., Joshi, A.K., Singh, R.P., Braun, H.J., Peterson, G.L., Pedley, K.F., Farman, M.L., Valent, O. In: Plant Disease, v. 100, no. 11, p. 2330.

• Gender as a Cross-Cutting Issue in Food Security: The NuME Project and Quality Protein Maize in Ethiopia. 2016. O’Brien, C., Gunaratna, N.S., Gebreselassie, K., Gitonga, Z., Tsegaye, M., De Groote, H. In: World Medical & Health Policy, v. 8, no. 3, p. 263-286.

• Genetic diversity of spring wheat from Kazakhstan and Russia for resistance to stem rust Ug99. 2016. Shamanin, V., Salina, E., Wanyera, R., Zelenskiy, Y., Olivera, P., Morgounov, A.I. In: Euphytica, v. 212, n. 2, p. 287-296.

• Genome-wide association study and qtl mapping reveal genomic loci associated with fusarium ear rot resistance in tropical maize germplasm. 2016. Jiafa Chen, Shrestha, R., Junqiang Ding Hongjian, Zheng Mu, C., Jianyu Wu, Mahuku, G. In: G3: genes – genomes – genetics, v. 6, no. 12, p. 3803-3815.

• Factors determining household use of clean and renewable energy sources for lighting in Sub-Saharan Africa. 2017. Dil Bahadur Rahut, Behera, B., Ali, A. In: Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 73, p. 661-672.

• Gains in maize genetic improvement in Eastern and Southern Africa: II. CIMMYT open-pollinated variety breeding pipeline. 2017. Masuka, B., Magorokosho, C., Olsen, M., Atlin, G.N., Banziger, M., Pixley, K.V., Vivek, B., Labuschagne, M., Matemba-Mutasa, R., Burgueño, J., MacRobert, J.F., Prasanna, B.M., Das, B., Makumbi, D., Amsal Tesfaye Tarekegne, Crossa, J., Zaman-Allah, M. Biljon, A. von, Cairns, J.E. In: Crop Science, v. 57, p. 180-191.

• Gender and inorganic nitrogen: what are the implications of moving towards a more balanced use of nitrogen fertilizer in the tropics? 2017. Farnworth, C.R., Stirling, C., Sapkota, T.B., Jat, M.L., Misiko, M., Attwood, S. In: International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, v. 15, no. 2, p. 196-152.

• Genetic diversity and population structure of native maize populations in Latin America and the Caribbean. 2017. Bedoya-Salazar, C.A., Dreisigacker, S., Hearne, S., Franco, J., Mir, C., Prasanna, B.M., Suketoshi Taba, Charcosset, A., Warburton, M.L. In: PLoS One, V. 12, no. 4: e0173488.

EL BATAN, Mexico (CIMMYT) – Maize nutritionally enhanced with vitamin A can bring significant health benefits to deficient populations, but recent modeling studies in Zambia suggest that its impact is being cut short by the low retention of provitamin A carotenoids – a naturally occurring plant pigment also found in many orange foods that the body then converts into vitamin A – during storage and postharvest grain loss.

Up to 30 percent of grain is lost in African countries when maize is stored using common storage methods, such as artisanal silos or woven bags, due mostly to insect, rodent or fungi infestations and accumulation of poisonous chemical compounds called mycotoxins, which are produced by certain fungi.

A recent study evaluated the impact of carotenoid retention in orange maize using different storage methods to assess the most efficient way to store grain without losing vitamin A carotenoids.  The researchers specifically evaluated how hammer and breakfast meal – the two most widely consumed grains in Zambia – age in metal silos, multilayer polyethylene and common woven bags, as well as single and multilayer polyethylene bags.

The researchers found significant differences between grain storage methods after 6 months of storage. Across all methods, hammer meal retained more carotenoid than breakfast meal after 4 months, though there was no difference in provitamin A carotenoid loss when using single and multilayer polyethylene bags.

Potential contribution of stored orange maize to the estimated average provitamin A requirement of children and women was around 25 percent – 26.5 and 24.3 percent for children and women, respectively – suggesting that orange maize meal can provide significant amounts of provitamin A to Zambian diets, even after 4 months of storage.

Read the full study “Carotenoid retention in biofortified maize using different post-harvest storage and packaging methods” and check out other recent publications from CIMMYT staff below.

• Economic benefits of climate-smart agricultural practices to smallholder farmers in the Indo-Gangetic Plains of India. 2016. Khatri-Chhetri, A., Aryal, J.P., Sapkota, T.B., Khurana, R. In: Current Science, v. 110, no. 7, p. 1251-1256.
• Effect of different mulching materials on maize growth and yield in conservation agriculture systems of sub-humid Zimbabwe. 2016. Mupangwa, W., Nyagumbo, I., Mutsamba, E.F. In: AIMS agriculture and food, v. 1, no. 1, p. 239-253.
• Effect of in situ moisture conservation practices on environmental, energetics and economic comparisons on maize + blackgram cropping system in dryland ecosystem. 2016. Jat, M.L., Balyan, J.K., Shalander Kumar, Dadhich, S.K. In: Annals of biology, v. 32, no. 2, p. 158-163.
• Effect of long-term tillage and diversified crop rotations on nutrient uptake, profitability and energetics of maize (Zea mays) in north-western India. 2016. Yadav, M.R., Parihar, C.M., Jat, S.L., Singh, A.K., Kumar, D., Pooniya, V., Parihar M.D., Saveipune, D., Parmar, H., Jat, M.L. In: Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences, v. 86, no. 6, p. 743-749.
• Effectiveness and economics of hermetic bags for maize storage: results of a randomized controlled trial in Kenya. 2016. Ndegwa, M.K., De Groote, H., Gitonga, Z.,  Bruce, A.Y. In: Crop Protection, v. 90, p. 17-26.
• Carotenoid retention in biofortified maize using different post-harvest storage and packaging methods. 2017. Taleon, V., Mugode, L., Cabrera-Soto, L., Palacios-Rojas, N. In: Food chemistry, v. 232, p. 60-66.
• Characteristics of maize cultivars in Africa: How modern are they and how many do smallholder farmers grow? 2017. Tsedeke Abate, Fisher, M., Abdoulaye, T., Kassie, G., Lunduka, R., Marenya, P., Asnake, W. In: Agriculture and food security, v. 6, no. 30.
• CIMMYT Series on carbohydrates, wheat, grains, and health: carbohydrates, grains, and whole grains and disease prevention. Part IV. Cancer risk: lung, prostate, and stomach. 2017. Jones, J.M., Peña-Bautista, R.J., Korczack, R., Braun, H.J. In: Cereal Foods World, v. 62, no. 1, p. 12-22.
• CIMMYT Series on carbohydrates, wheat, grains, and health: carbohydrates and vitamins from grains and their relationships to mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. 2017. Jones, J.M., Korczack, R., Peña-Bautista, R.J., Braun, H.J. In: Cereal Foods World, v. 62, no. 2, p. 65-75.
• Crossfire: ‘Private sector engagement in smallholder value chains’. 2017. Belt, J., Hellin, J. In: Practical Action Publishing, v. 28, no. 1-2.

MEXICO CITY (CIMMYT) — Farmers in Pakistan that practice climate change adaptation strategies like adjusting sowing time, adopting new crops and planting drought tolerant varieties have higher food security levels and are less likely to live in poverty than those that don’t, according to a new study.

South Asia is likely to be one of the most affected regions by climate change due to the region’s vast agrarian population and large number of poor, unfavorable geography, limited assets and a greater dependence on climate-sensitive sources of income.

In Pakistan, climate change has had a direct impact on rain patterns and increased the frequency of extreme weather events such as flash floods. Adaptation measures at the farm level can help lessen the impact of these negative effects on food security.

Researchers from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) recently surveyed 950 farmers across Pakistan to see what adaptation measures to climate change they use, if any.

The study found that farmers in Pakistan are using a variety of adaptation practices to counter the adverse impacts of climate change, primarily adjusting sowing time, adopting new crops and planting drought tolerant varieties. The results also highlighted the importance of awareness and knowledge about the local context, climate change, adaptation and its benefits. Younger farmers and farmers with higher levels of education are also more likely to use these adaptation practices, as do farmers that are wealthier, farm more land and have joint families.

The authors of the study conclude that adaptation policies should focus on increasing the awareness of climate change and climate risk coping strategies and its benefits, as well as increasing the affordability of climate risk coping capacity by augmenting the farm household assets and lowering the cost of adaptation.

Read the full study “Assessing farmer use of climate change adaptation practices and impacts on food security and poverty in Pakistan” and check out other recent publications from CIMMYT staff below.

• Development of multiplex-PCR systems for genes related to flour colour in Chinese autumn-sown wheat cultivars. 2016. Zhang, Y., Wang, X., Jiang, L., Liu, F., Xinyao He, Liu, S., Zhang, X. In: Quality Assurance and Safety of Crops & Foods, vol. 8, no. 2, p. 231-241.
• DNA fingerprinting of open-pollinated maize seed lots to establish genetic purity using simple sequence repeat markers. 2016. Setimela, P.S., Warburton, M.L., Erasmus, T. In: South African Journal of Plant and Soil, vol. 33, no. 2, p. 1-8.
• Do forest resources help increase rural household income and alleviate rural poverty? Empirical evidence from Bhutan. 2016. Dil Bahadur Rahut, Behera, B., Ali, A. In: Forests, Trees and Livelihoods, vol. 23, no. 3, p. 1-11.
• Dwarfing genes Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b are associated with both type I FHB susceptibility and low anther extrusion in two bread wheat populations. 2016. Xinyao He, Singh, P.K., Dreisigacker, S., Sukhwinder-Singh, Lillemo, M., Duveiller, E. In: PLoS One, vol. 11, no. 9 : e0162499.
• A Bayesian Poisson-lognormal Model for count data for Multiple-Trait Multiple-Environment Genomic-Enabled prediction. 2017. Montesinos-Lopez, O.A., Montesinos-López, A., Crossa, J., Toledo, F.H., Montesinos-López, J.C., Singh, P.K., Juliana, P., Salinas-Ruiz, J. In: G3, vol. 7, no. 5, p. 1595-1606.
• A comparative political economic analysis of maize sector policies in eastern and southern Africa. 2017. Sitko, N.J., Chamberlin, J., Cunguara, B., Muyanga, M., Mangisonib, J. In: Food Policy, v. 69, p. 243-255.
• Agriculture and crop science in China: Innovation and sustainability. 2017. Yunbi Xu, Jiayang Li, Jianmin Wan. In: The Crop Journal v. 5, p. 95-99.
• Assessing farmer use of climate change adaptation practices and impacts on food security and poverty in Pakistan. 2017. Ali, A., Erenstein, O. In: Climate Risk Management, vol. 16, p. 183-194.
• Bayesian Genomic Prediction with Genotype x Environment Interaction Kernel Models. 2017. Cuevas, J., Cuevas, J., Crossa, J., Montesinos-Lopez, O.A., Burgueño, J., Pérez-Rodríguez, P., De los Campos, G. In: G3, vol. 7, no. 1, p. 41-53.

MEXICO CITY (CIMMY) – New evidence shows that not only do improved maize varieties increase crop productivity and farmer income, they can also decrease child malnutrition.

Malnutrition is the largest single factor contributing to the global disease and accounts for about 30 percent of infant deaths. Malnutrition is particularly widespread among children in Zambia, and is one of the leading contributors to the high burden of disease in the country. Around half of all Zambian children under the age of five are stunted, or too short for their age, indicating chronic malnutrition.

A recent Food Security study published by scientists at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) found that adoption of improved maize varieties significantly reduces the probability of stunting by an average of 26 percent in Zambian children.

The paper evaluated the impact of improved maize varieties with traits such as higher yields, early maturation and resistance to disease, on stunting in more than 800 households across eastern Zambia using an endogenous switching probit model to identify the determinants of child nutritional status and impact of improved maize varieties.

Researchers found that adoption of improved maize varieties held a key role in improving the income earning opportunities for rural households through increased maize yields. More maize – a staple of the Zambian diet – coupled with more money to spend on high calorie and protein foods led to a decline in malnutrition.

However, realizing the full benefits new technologies like improved maize can have on communities requires increased investment and policy support aimed at enhancing adoption by farmers, according to the study. Social dynamics and increasing education, especially among women, are particularly critical for promoting nutrition-enhancing child care practices, given that the probability of stunting was reduced by 16 percent with each additional year of schooling for the most educated female household member among adopters in the study.

Read the full study “Determinants of child nutritional status in the eastern province of Zambia: the role of improved maize varieties,” and check out more new publications from CIMMYT scientists below.

• Determinants of child nutritional status in the eastern province of Zambia: the role of improved maize varieties. 2016. Manda, J., Gardebroek, C., Khonje, M. G., Alene, A.D., Mutenje, M., Kassie, M. In: Food Security, vol. 8, no. 1, p. 239–253.
• Determinants of Crop Residue use along an intensification gradient in West Africa’s Savannah zones. 2016. Akinola, A. A., Abdoulaye, T., Valbuena, D.,  Erenstein, O., Amare Haileslassie, Germaine, I., Shehu, M., Ayedun, B. In: Tropicultura, vol. 34, no. 4, p. 396-410.
• Development and deployment of a portable field phenotyping platform. 2016. Crain, J.L., Yong Wei, Barker, J., Thompson, S.M., Alderman, P.D., Reynolds, M.P., Naiqian Zhang, Poland, J. In: Crop Science, vol. 56, p. 1-11.
• Development and Feasibility of innovative relay seeders for seeding wheat into standing cotton using a high clearance tractor in cotton-wheat system. 2016. Singh, M., Mahal, J.S., Sidhu, H.S., Manes, G.S., Jat, M.L., Singh, Y. In: Applied Engineering in Agriculture, vol. 32, no. 4, p. 341-352.
• Development and validation of KASP assays for genes underpinning key economic traits in bread wheat. 2016. Rasheed, A., Weie Wen, Fengmei Gao, Shengnan Zhai, Hui Jin, Jindong Liu, Qi Guo, Yingjun Zhang, Dreisigacker, S., Xianchun Xia, He Zhonghu. In: Theoretical and Applied Genetics, vol. 129, p. 1843-1860.
• The role of Hyalomma Truncatum on the dynamics of Rift Valley fever: insights from a mathematical epidemic model. 2017. Pedro, S.A., Abelman, S., Fisher, M., Tonnang, H., Mmbando, F., Friesen, D. In: Acta biotheoretica, vol.65, no.1, p.1-36.
• Use of genomic estimated breeding values results in rapid genetic gains for drought tolerance in maize. 2017. Vivek, B., Krishna, G., Vengadessan, V., Babu, R., Zaidi, P.H., Le Quy Kha, Mandal, S.S., Grudloyma, P., Takalkar, S., Krothapalli, K., Singh, I.S., Ocampo, E.T.M., Fan Xingming, Burgueño, J., Azrai, M., Singh, R.P., Crossa, J. In: The Plant Genome, vol. 10, no. 1, p. 1-8.
• Response to climate risks among smallholder farmers in Malawi: a multivariate probit assessment of the role of information, household demographics, and farm characteristics. 2017. Mulwa, C., Marenya, P.. Dil Bahadur Rahut. Kassie, M. In: Climate Risk Management, vol. 16, p. 208-221.

EL BATAN, Mexico (CIMMYT) — In northwestern India, growing maize is being advocated as an alternative to rice to address resource degradation challenges such as declining water tables and climate change induced variability in rainfall and temperature.

Sustainable agriculture practices have proven to increase farmer income, improve irrigation productivity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the cereal systems of the Indo-Gangetic plains (IGP), a fertile area extending over 2.5 million square kilometers across Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan.

The IGP currently abstracts 25 percent of global groundwater withdrawals, sustaining agricultural productivity across the region. However, aquifers are being depleted at rates faster than they can recharge, threatening food security for more than 500 million people.

In response, researchers from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) observed the impact of sustainable conservation agriculture practices like zero-tillage (ZT) and permanent bed planting (PB) in irrigated maize-based systems integrated with legumes in the IGP of northwestern India.

ZT and PB practices reduced irrigation water requirement by up to 65 and 98 hectares per millimeter, respectively, compared to conventional tillage systems, resulting in a water productivity boost of nearly 20 percent. Net profit from maize-based systems under ZT was over 30 percent higher than conventional systems.

The study concludes that by adopting sustainable practices like ZT and PB, farmers can sustainably increase productivity throughout the IGP region.

Read the study “Conservation agriculture in irrigated intensive maize-based systems of north-western India: Effects on crop yields, water productivity and economic profitability,” and check out other new publications from CIMMYT staff, below.

• Comparative performance of top-cross maize hybrids under managed drought stress and variable rainfed environments. 2016. Menkir, A., Meseka, S., Bossey, B. Ado, S., Obengantiwi, K., Yallou, C., Coulibaly, N., Olaoye, G., Alidu, H., Crossa, J. In: Euphytica, vol.212, p.455-472.
• Conservation agriculture in irrigated intensive maize-based systems of north-western India: effects on crop yields, water productivity and economic profitability. 2016. Parihar, C.M., Jat, S.L., Singh, A.K., Kumar, B., Singh, Y., Pradhan, S., Pooniya, V., Dhauja, A., Chaudhary, V., Jat, M.L., Jat, R.K., Yadav, O.P. In: Field Crops Research, vol.193, p.104-116.
• Control of Helminthosporium leaf blight of spring wheat using seed treatments and single foliar spray in Indo-Gangetic Plains of Nepal. 2016. Sharma-Poudyal, D., Sharma, R.C., Duveiller, E. In: Crop Protection, vol.88, p.161-166.
• Dairy farm households, processor linkages and household income: the case of dairy hub linkages in East Africa. 2016. Rao, E.J.O., Omondi, I., Karimov, A., Baltenweck, I. In: The International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, vol. 19, no. 4, p. 95-108.
• Detection of wheat stem rust races TTHSK and PTKTK in the Ug99 race group in Kenya in 2014. 2016. Fetch, T.G., Zegeye, T., Park, R.F., Hodson, D.P., Wanyera, R. In: Plant Disease, vol. 100, no. 7, p. 1495.
• Occurrence and population dynamics of the root lesion nematode Pratylenchus thornei (Sher and Allen) on wheat in Bolu, Turkey. 2017. Imren, M., Ciftci, V., Senol Yildiz, Kutuk, H., Dababat, A.A. In: Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry, vol. 41, no. 1, p. 35-41.
• Population structure and genetic diversity analysis of germplasm from the Winter Wheat Eastern European Regional Yield Trial (WWEERYT). 2017. Beil, C. T., Manmathan, H. K., Anderson, V. A., Morgounov, A.I., Haley, S. D. In: Crop Science, vol. 57, p. 1-9.
• QTL mapping for grain zinc and iron concentrations and zinc efficiency in a tetraploid and hexaploid wheat mapping populations. 2017. Velu, G., Yusuf Tutus, Gomez-Becerra, H.F., Yuanfeng Hao, Demir, L., Kara, R., Crespo-Herrera, L.A., Orhan, S., Yazici, A., Singh, R.P., Cakmak, I. In: Plant and Soil, vol. 411, no. 1, p. 81–99.
• Ratooning pigeonpea in maize-pigeonpea intercropping: productivity and seed cost reduction in eastern Tanzania. 2017. Rusinamhodzi, L., Makoko, B. Sariah, J. In: Field Crops Research, vol.203, p.24-32.

NAIROBI (CIMMYT) — A new study has revealed that sub-Saharan Africa’s maize variety turnover continues to fall behind the rest of the world.

The study – which observed nearly 500 maize varieties grown across 13 African countries during the 2013-2014 main crop season – found that the average age of maize seed being planted in the region is 15 years, compared to 3 to 5 years in the U.S. and other world regions such as Latin America and Asia, making sub-Saharan Africa slower in maize variety turnover.

“We have witnessed a positive and accelerated trend over the last decade, but the performance of maize is still much lower than what could be achieved with improved varieties and good agronomic management practices,” said Tsedeke Abate, lead author of the study.

The current low yield and slow variety turnover of the region contrasts sharply with the tremendous progress made to develop and release significant numbers of varieties. A record annual rate of 73 varieties were released from 2000-2014, compared to 12 varieties per year in the preceding five decades combined.

According to Abate, a major challenge is ensuring these newly released varieties are widely adopted by farmers, which is key for successful variety renewal and replacement. The study found adoption rates for hybrids and open pollinated varieties (OPVs) were just 37 and 21 percent, respectively, across the surveyed countries. Critical to successful adoption is sound government policy that facilitates increased investments in agriculture, availability and affordability of inputs like seeds and fertilizer, a strong extension system and market access for products, the authors of the study argue.

“This information should inform our breeding strategies to look at adaptability of the varieties in different agroecologies, and how this affects resources currently being used in breeding programs in the region,” said Abate. Maize provides more calories than any other crop for over 200 million people in sub-Saharan Africa, so ensuring high-quality, improved seed is being grown is vital for ensuring food security in the region.

The study also indicates that many farmers have higher preference for open pollinated varieties due to affordability, ease of storage, high poundability, high flour-to-grain ratio and favorable taste. The study emphasizes the importance of incorporating production, processing and consumption traits that are valued by farmers, not just yield and stress tolerance. This can allow national breeding efforts to rid biased and inappropriate varietal promotions, and therefore low adoption of new varieties.

One of the key recommendations the study suggests is that all varieties older than 10 years should be eligible for replacement, to reverse the current slow varietal turnover.

Read the full study “Characteristics of maize cultivars in Africa: How modern are they and how many do smallholder farmers grow?” and learn more about CIMMYT’s latest publications below.

• But what do rural consumers in Africa think about GM Food? 2016. De Groote, H., Gitonga, Z., Kimenju, S.C., Keter, F., Ngigi, O. In: AgBioForum, vol.19, no.1, p.54-65.
• By-laws formulation and enforcement in natural resource management: lessons from the highlands of eastern Africa. 2016. Mowo, J., Masuki, K., Lyamchai, C., Tanui, J., Adimassu, Z., Kamugisha, R. In: Forests, Trees and Livelihoods, vol.25, no.2, p.120-131.
• Characterization of Research Nodes: an integrative approach through indexing. 2016. Das, K.K., Bhattacharya, P.M., Ghosh, A.K., Dhar, T., Pradhan, K., Chowdhury, A.K., Joshi, P.K., Gathala, M.K. In: International Journal of Bio-resource and Stress Management, vol.7, no.5, p.1083-1092.
• Combined linkage and association mapping identifies a major QTL (qRtsc8‑1), conferring tar spot complex resistance in maize. 2016. Mahuku, G., Jiafa Chen, Shrestha, R., Narro, L., Osorio Guerrero, K.V., Arcos, A.L., Yunbi Xu. In: Theoretical and Applied Genetics, vol.129, p.1217-1229.
• Identification and mapping of adult plant resistance loci to leaf rust and stripe rust in common wheat cultivar kundan. 2017. Ren, Y., Singh, R.P., Basnet, B.R., Caixia Lan, Huerta-Espino, J., Lagudah, E.S., Ponce-Molina, L.J. In: Plant Disease, vol.101, no.3, p.456-463.
• Identification of genomic regions for grain yield and yield stability and their epistatic interactions. 2017. Sehgal, D., Autrique, E., Singh, R.P., Ellis, M., Sukhwinder-Singh, Dreisigacker, S. In: Nature Scientific reports, vol. 7, no. 41578.
• Integrating islands of knowledge for greater synergy and efficiency in crop research. 2017. Borrell, A., Reynolds, M.P., In: Food and energy security vol. 6, no. 7, p. 26–32.
• Is production intensification likely to make farm households food-adequate? A simple food availability analysis across smallholder farming systems from East and West Africa. 2017. Ritzema, R.S., Frelat, R., Douxchamps, S., Silvestri, S., Rufino, M.C., Herrero, M., Giller, K.E., Lopez-Ridaura, S., Teufel, N., Paul, B., Wijk, M.T. van. In: Food Security, vol. 9, no. 1, p. 115–131.
• Maize market participation among female- and male-headed households in Ethiopia. 2017. Marenya, P., Kassie, M., Jaleta Debello Moti, Dil Bahadur Rahut. In: Journal of Development Studies, vol.53, no,4, p.1-14.

MEXICO CITY (CIMMYT) — A common platform through which data on genetic resources can be disseminated to both crop researchers and breeders can strengthen research communities, according to authors of a soon to be published Crop Science study.

Conservation and exploitation of crop wild relative species is a key component in ensuring food security and improving current agricultural output. By identifying traits that express resistance or tolerance to stresses like pests or drought, breeders can incorporate this genetic material into genetic background stocks, which could help mitigate problems imposed by climate change, land degradation and population pressure. This is particularly important in countries that will be more severely affected by the threat of reduced yields.

The researchers of the study “Germinate 3: Development of a Common Platform to Support the Distribution of Experimental Data on Crop Wild Relatives” used the Germinate platform to build web-based information resources on wild barley and potato collections, along with wheat, maize and their wild relatives in a way that could better meet the demands of researchers by developing new data visualization tools and integration with current software.

While the underlying species differ, the approach taken ensured that tools were compatible across all database instances. The researchers found that Germinate offers a common platform that can improve the exploration and wider use of genetic resources in breeding programs globally.

Read the advanced copy of “Germinate 3: Development of a Common Platform to Support the Distribution of Experimental Data on Crop Wild Relatives” and check out other new publications from CIMMYT scientists below.

• Avoiding lodging in irrigated spring wheat. I. Stem and root structural requirements. 2016. Piñera Chavez, F.J., Berry, P.M., Foulkes, M.J., Jesson, M.A., Reynolds, M.P. In: Field Crops Research. Vol.196, p.325-336.
• Avoiding lodging in irrigated spring wheat. II. Genetic variation ofstem and root structural properties. 2016. Piñera Chavez, F.J., Berry, P.M., Foulkes, M.J., Molero, G., Reynolds, M.P. In: Field Crops Research. vol.196, p.64-74.
• Awns reduce grain number to increase grain size and harvestable yield in irrigated and rainfed spring wheat. 2016. Rebetzke, G.J., Bonnett, D.G., Reynolds, M.P., In: Journal of Experimental Botany. vol. 67, no.9, p.2537-2586.
• Breeding value of primary synthetic wheat genotypes for grain yield. 2016. Jafarzadeh, J., Bonnett, D.G., Jannink, J.L., Akdemir, D., Dreisigacker, S., Sorrells, M.E. In: PLoS One. vol.11, no.9: e0162860.
• Bulked sample analysis in genetics, genomics and crop improvement. 2016. Cheng Zou, Pingxi Wang, Yunbi Xu. In: Plant biotechnology journal. Vol.14, no.10, p.1941-1955.
• Forward genetics by sequencing EMS variation induced inbred lines. 2017. Addo-Quaye, C., Buescher, E., Best, N., Chaikam, V., Baxter, I., Dilkes, B.P. In: G3. vol. 7, no. 2, p. 413-425.
• From stakeholders narratives to modelling plausible future agricultural systems. Integrated assessment of scenarios for Camargue, Southern France. 2017. Delmotte, S., Couderc, V., Mouret, J.C., Lopez-Ridaura, S., Barbier, J.M., Hossard, L. In: European Journal of Agronomy. vol. 82, p. 292-307.
• Genetic analysis and mapping of adult plant resistance loci to leaf rust in durum wheat cultivar Bairds. 2017. Caixia Lan, Basnet, B.R., Singh, R.P., Huerta-Espino, J., Herrera-Foessel, S., Yong Ren Randhawa, M.S., In: Theoretical and Applied Genetics. vol. 130, no. 3, p. 609–619.
• Genetic loci conditioning adult plant resistance to the Ug99 Race group and seedling resistance to races TRTTF and TTTTF of the stem rust pathogen in wheat landrace CItr 15026. 2017. Babiker, E.M., Gordon, T., Bonman, J.M., Shiaoman Chao Rouse, M.N., Yue Jin, Newcomb, M., Wanyera, R., Bhavani, S. In: Plant Disease. vol. 101, no. 3, p. 496-501.
• Genotype by trait biplot analysis to study associations and profiles of Ethiopian white lupin (Lupinus albus) landraces. 2017. Atnaf, M., Kassahun Tesfaye, Kifle Dagne, Dagne Wegary Gissa. In: Australian Journal of Crop Science. vol. 11, No. 1, p. 55-62.

MEXICO CITY (CIMMYT) – A new review of a biological control (BC) program for control of stem borers implemented from 1993 to 2008, in an effort to reduce cereal yield losses due to stemborer attacks in East and Southern Africa, highlights the potential for BC programs to lift a large number of people out of poverty and create greater returns for consumers and producers.

In 1993 the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology program released four biological control agents to control the economically important stem borer pests Busseola fusca, Chilo partellus and Sesamia calamistis. Two of the natural enemies that were released were established and spread throughout the region. The researchers used an economic surplus approach, using bio-agents related data and market data from Kenya, Mozambique and Zambia, to determine the benefits of BC for producers and consumers.

More than 135,000 people were estimated to be lifted out of poverty annually due to the BC intervention, contributing an aggregate monetary surplus of $1.4 billion to the economies of the three countries, with 84 percent from maize production. The study also found that BC research and intervention is very efficient, with an internal rate of return of 67 percent – compared to the considered discount rate of 10 percent – and an estimated benefit-cost ratio of 33:1.

The authors of the study argue that these successful findings underscore the need for increased investment in BC research to sustain cereal production and improve poor living conditions.

Learn more about the study “Assessing the long-term welfare effects of the biological control of cereal stemborer pests in East and Southern Africa: Evidence from Kenya, Mozambique and Zambia” and check out other new publications from CIMMYT scientists, below.

• Access to safe drinking water and human health: empirical evidence from rural Bhutan. 2016. Dil Bahadur Rahut, Ali, A., Nar Bahadur Chhetri Behera, B., Pradyot Ranjan Jena. In: Water Science and Technology. Vol. 16, no. 5, p. 1349-1360.
• Agricultural technology adoption, commercialization and smallholder rice farmers’ welfare in rural Nigeria. 2016. Awotide, B. A., Karimov, A., Diagne, A. In: Agricultural and food economics. Vol. 4, no. 3.
• Agrobiodiversity: prospects for a genetic approach to In situ conservation of crop landraces. 2016. Qualset, C.O., Castillo-Gonzales, F., Morgounov, A.I., Keser, M., Ozdemir, F. In: Indian Journal of Plant Genetic Resources. Vol. 29, issue 3, p. 278-280.
• An alternative strategy for targeted gene replacement in plants using a dual-sgRNA/Cas9 design. 2016. Yongping Zhao, Congsheng Zhang, Wenwen Liu, Wei Gao, Changlin Liu, Gaoyuan Song, Wen-Xue Li, Long Mao, Beijiu Chen, Yunbi Xu, Xinhai Li, Chuanxiao Xie. In: Nature Scientific reports. 2016., vol.6, no. 23890.
• Assessing the long-term welfare effects of the biological control of cereal stemborer pests in East and Southern Africa:  Evidence from Kenya, Mozambique and Zambia. 2016. Midingoy, S. G., Affognon, H. D. Macharia, I. Ong’amo, G. Abonyo, E. Ogola, G. De Groote, H. LeRu, B. In: Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. Vol. 23, p. 10-23.
• Development of a maize 55 K SNP array with improved genome coverage for molecular breeding. 2017. Cheng Xu, Yonghong Ren, Yinqiao Jian, Zifeng Guo, Zhang Yan, Chuanxiao Xie, Junjie Fu, Hongwu Wang, Guoying Wang, Yunbi Xu, Zhang Li-Ping, Cheng Zou. In: Molecular Breeding. Vol.37, no.20, p.1-12.
• Development of a multiple-hybrid population for genome-wide association studies: theoretical consideration and genetic mapping of flowering traits in maize. 2017. Hui Wang, Cheng Xu, Xiaogang Liu, Zifeng Guo, Xiaojie Xu, Shanhong Wang, Chuanxiao Xie, Wen-Xue Li, Cheng Zou, Yunbi Xu. In: Nature Scientific reports. Vol.7, no. 40239.
• Elite Haplotypes of a Protein Kinase Gene TaSnRK2.3 associated with important agronomic traits in Common Wheat. 2017. Lili Miao, Xinguo Mao, Jingyi Wang, Zicheng Liu, Bin Zhang, Weiyu Li, Xiaoping Chang, Reynolds, M.P., Zhenhua Wang, Ruilian Jing. In: Frontiers in Plant Science. v.8, no.368.
• Evaluation of the APSIM model in cropping systems of Asia. 2017. Gaydon, D.S., Singh, B., Wang, E., Poulton, P.L., Ahmad, B., Ahmed, F., Akhter, S., Ali, I., Amarasingha, R., Chaki, A.K., Chen, C., Choudhury, B.U., Darai, R., Das, A., Hochman, Z., Horan, H., Hosang, E.Y., Vijaya Kumar, P., Khan, A.S.M.M.R., Laing, A.M., Liu, L., Malaviachichi, M.A.P.W.K., Mohapatra, K.P., Muttaleb, M.A., Power, B., Radanielson, A.M., Rai, G.S., Rashid, M.H., Rathanayake, W.M.U.K., Sarker, M.M.R., Sena, D.R., Shamim, M., Subash, N., Suriadi, A., Suriyagoda, L.D.B., Wang, G., Wang, J., Yadav, R.K., Roth, C.H. In: Field Crops Research. Vol.204, p.52-75.
• Farmers’ prioritization of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) technologies. 2017. Khatri-Chhetri, A., Aggarwal, P.K., Joshi, P.K., Vyas, A.K. In: Agricultural Systems. Vol.151, p.184-191.

MEXICO CITY (CIMMYT) – While genetically modified (GM) foods continue to be a topic of debate in much of the developed world, few studies have focused on consumers’ acceptance of GM food in developing countries.

A new study from researchers at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) used a comprehensive primary dataset collected from 320 consumers in 2013 from Pakistan to analyze the determinants of consumer acceptability of GM foods in the country.

The researchers found that GM foods were more accepted among female consumers as compared to male consumers. In addition, older consumers were more willing to accept GM food compared to young consumers. The acceptability of GM foods was also higher among wealthier households. Low price is the key factor leading to the acceptability of GM foods.

Read the full study “Acceptability of GM Foods among Pakistani Consumers” here and check out other new publications from CIMMYT staff below.

• A study of allelic diversity underlying flowering-time adaptation in maize landraces. 2017. Romero Navarro, J. A., Wilcox, M. Burgueño, J. Romay, C. Swarts, K. Trachsel, S. Preciado, E. Terron, A. Vallejo, H. Vidal, V. Ortega, A. Espinoza Banda, A. Gomez, N. Ortiz-Monasterio, I. San Vicente, F.M. Guadarrama, A. Atlin, G.N. Wenzl, P. Hearne, S. Buckler, E. In: Nature genetics, vol. 49, p. 476-480. http://www.nature.com/ng/journal/v49/n3/full/ng.3784.html
• Bio-energy, water-use efficiency and economics of maize-wheat-mungbean system under precision-conservation agriculture in semi-arid agro-ecosystem. 2017. Parihar, C.M., Jat, S.L. Singh, A.K. Majumdar, K. Jat, M.L. Saharawat, Y.S. Pradhan, S. Kuri, B.R. In: Energy, vol.119, p.245-256. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544216318746
• Canopy temperature and vegetation indices from high-throughput phenotyping improve accuracy of pedigree and genomic selection for grain yield in wheat. 2017. Rutkoski, J., Poland, J. Mondal, S. Autrique, E. Gonzalez-Perez, L. Reynolds, M.P. Singh, R.P. Crossa, J. In: G3, vol. 7, no. 2. http://www.g3journal.org/content/suppl/. 2016./07/06/g3.116.032888.DC1
• Crop model improvement reduces the uncertainty of the response to temperature of multi-model ensembles. 2017. Maiorano, A., Martre, P. Asseng, S. Ewert, F. Müller, C. Rotter, R. Ruane, A.C. Semenov, M.A. Wallach, D. Wang, E. Alderman, P.D. Kassie, B.T. Biernath, C. Basso, B. Cammarano, D. Challinor, A.J. Doltra, J. Dumont, B. Eyshi Rezaei, E. Gayler, S. Kersebaum, K.C. Kimball, B.A. Koehler, A.K. Bing Liu O’Leary, G.J. Olesen, J.E. Ottman, M.J. Priesack, E. Reynolds, M.P. Stratonovitch, P. Streck, T. Thorburn, P.J. Waha, K. Wall, G.W. White, J.W. Zhigan Zhao Zhu, Y. In: Field Crops Research, vol.202, p.5-20. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378429016301368
• A genomic bayesian multi-trait and multi-environment model. 2016. Montesinos-Lopez, O.A., Montesinos-López, A. Toledo, F.H. Pérez-Hernández, O. Eskridge, K. Rutkoski, J. Crossa, J. In: G3, vol.6, p.2725-2744. http://www.g3journal.org/content/early/. 2016./06/23/g3.116.032359.full.pdf+html
• A hierarchical bayesian estimation model for multienvironment plant breeding trials in successive years. 2016. Jarquín, D., Perez-Elizalde, S. Burgueño, J. Crossa, J. In: Crop Science, vol. 56, p. 1-17. https://dl.sciencesocieties.org/publications/cs/abstracts/56/5/2260?search-result=1
• A predetermined proportional gains eigen selection index method. 2016. Ceron Rojas, J.J., Toledo, F.H. Sahagún-Castellanos, J. Crossa, J. In: Crop Science, vol.56, p.1-12. https://dl.sciencesocieties.org/publications/cs/abstracts/56/5/2436
• ABCs of diversifying information resources among rice smallholders of Ghana. 2016. Misiko, M., Halm, E. In: The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, vol.22, no.3, p.271-289. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1389224X.2015.1038281
• Acceptability of GM Foods among Pakistani Consumers. 2016. Ali, A., Dil Bahadur Rahut Imtiaz, M. In: Forests, Trees and Livelihoods, vol.7, no.2. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21645698.2016.1211216?scroll=top&needAccess=true