Tag: recognition

Arun K Joshi receives prestigious Sh. VS Mathur Memorial Award

Written by Richa Sharma Puri on April 17, 2024. Posted in News, Press releases.

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.

Maria Itria Ibba presents award for research into improving nutrition in staple foods

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on February 28, 2024. Posted in News.

Maria Itria Ibba, a scientist at CIMMYT, was among the presenters of the newly established Marie Clark Taylor CGF (Coalition for Grain Fiber) Fellowship. Katherine Frels presented the award to Delaware State University student Lauren A. Waller on 21 February at the Coalition for Grain Fiber workshop in Kansas City, KS. The fellowship is named after Marie Clark Taylor, an educator, plant breeder, and former dean at Howard University. It honors a minority student dedicated to applying plant science and/or food science for the benefit of all socioeconomic groups.

Lauren Waller, an undergraduate studying plant science, presented her research at the CGF workshop, Opportunities and Risks: Wheat Milling, Baking Supply Chain and the Coalition for Grain Fiber. The event’s theme was “creating the roadmap to growing more fiber – using commercial wheats to improve diets.”

“In the U.S., where dietary fiber is critical for cardiometabolic health, over 90% of women and 97% of men fall short of recommendations,” said Ibba. “Leveraging natural variation in wheat’s major fiber components offers a promising solution without disrupting current habits. By addressing these issues, we can bridge health gaps, recognizing the link between socioeconomic status and chronic conditions.”

The Coalition for Grain Fiber seeks to improve the nutrition in staple foods without negatively impacting their taste, feel, or consumer price. It is dedicated simultaneously to establishing profit incentives for farmers and other food suppliers that deliver foods with increased nutrients. “The efforts of the Coalition for Grain Fiber are pivotal in weaving a healthier future for all, breaking the chains of disease in under-served communities around the world.” The program builds research ties that allow students at HBCUs and minority-serving institutions to develop a network of mentors and collaborators at land grant- and R1 universities around the U.S.

Ibba joined Rod Wallace of the Foundation for Innovation in Healthy Food (FIHF) and Dr. Katherine Frels of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in presenting the award.

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.

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 CIMMYT

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.

CIMMYT scientists recognized for significant research impact

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on January 18, 2024. Posted in News.

CIMMYT applies high quality science to develop more resilient agrifood systems. This year three scientists from CIMMYT are included in Clarivate’s 2023 Analysis of the most highly cited academic papers.

Jill Cairns participates at a plenary session. (Photo: Alfonso Cortés/CIMMYT)

While CIMMYT’s mission does explicitly require academic publication from its scientists, “the recognition reflects extensive networking with academia, opening doors for new technologies to benefit resource-poor farmers and consumers as well as lending scientific kudos to CIMMYT and underpinning fundraising efforts,” says Distinguished Scientist and Head of Wheat Physiology, Matthew Reynolds.

Maize Physiologist Jill Cairns and collaborators spearheaded the application of high throughput phenotyping for maize-breeding in sub-Saharan Africa, which she says, “would not have been possible without involving leading academic experts like JL Araus at Barcelona University.”

José Crossa chairs the session: adding value to phenotypic data. (Photo: Alfonso Cortés/CIMMYT)

Biometrician and Distinguished Scientist José Crossa has pioneered wheat genetic analysis and use of artificial intelligence to solve crop research questions. “With machine learning tools like Deep Learning, there is a golden opportunity to understand the many complex dimensions of crop adaptation, so data-driven breeding models will have the necessary precision to target complex traits,” he explains. Crossa is widely respected by leading academics in biometrics for his insights on bridging statistical theory to solve real world problems.

Reynolds has built initiatives like the Heat and Drought Wheat Improvement Consortium (HeDWIC) and the International Wheat Yield Partnership (IWYP) that transfer cutting-edge technologies—from many of the best academic institutions in the world—to application in breeding, helping to widen wheat gene pools globally.

Matthew Reynolds speaks at a workshop. (Photo: Alfonso Cortés/CIMMYT)

All three scientists achieved the same recognition last year. As in 2022, Reynolds was awarded for his contribution to scientific literature in plant and animal sciences, while Cairns and Crossa were awarded for their contributions to scientific literature across several fields of research (cross fields).

Since 2001, Clarivate’s Highly Cited Researchers list has identified global research scientists and social scientists who have demonstrated significant and broad influence in their field(s) of research. It recognizes exceptional research performance demonstrated by the production of multiple papers that rank in the top 1% by citations for field and year, according to the Web of Science citation indexing service.

In 2023, the list recognizes 6,849 individuals from more than 1,300 institutions across 67 countries and regions.

CIMMYT researcher receives Heroes Award

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on November 2, 2023. Posted in Press releases.

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.”

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.

The Nebraska Wheat Board provided support for the efforts of the foundation and the coalition.

“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 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

Former CIMMYT wheat scientist, Mohan Kohli, receives Paraguay’s National Order of Merit award

Written by Mike Listman on October 6, 2023. Posted in News.

Paraguay’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Julio César Arriola, recently bestowed on Man Mohan Kohli, retired wheat geneticist of CIMMYT the “Comendador” award of the country’s National Order of Merit, highlighting the scientist’s “…exceptional contribution to Paraguayan agriculture and economy.”

A dedicated field specialist, on 2 August 2023 retired CIMMYT wheat geneticist Man Mohan Kohli was recognized as “Comendador” of the Paraguay’s National Order of Merit. In his acceptance speech, Kohli cited the benefits of public-private partnerships to profit farmers and catalyze food grain value chains. (Photo: CIMMYT)

A native of India, where he completed schooling including a Ph.D. in wheat genetics, Kohli worked at CIMMYT during 1971-2004 on topics including spring x winter wheat crosses, resistance in wheat to the rust and other diseases, and the improvement and promotion of triticale, a wheat x rye hybrid.

In 1978 he was assigned to a CIMMYT regional program involving wheat breeding, development and training in collaboration with countries of the Southern Cone of South America, which included facilitating the regional testing and exchange of wheat breeding lines and selection data.

As of 2004, Kohli has been an active part-time consultant with Paraguay’s national wheat program and the Bioceres Group in Argentina.

“Funding ended for CIMMYT wheat research in Paraguay in 1993,” Kohli said. “In 2003 we started direct cooperation again through a joint venture including the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, the Paraguayan Chamber of Cereals and Oilseeds Exporters, and CIMMYT.”

“Back in 2003, Paraguay was producing about 320,000 tons of wheat each year and importing over 200,000 tons. Now, yearly output is around 1 million tons and the country exports almost a third of that.”

Kohli said the joint initiative had promoted higher-yielding wheat varieties and farming methods, lowered the costs of agrochemicals, and helped form associations involving farmers and millers—the complete cycle from sowing to marketing for wheat.

Paraguayans eat an average of over 85 kilograms of wheat each year as pasta, bread and other bakery products.

Kohli’s career has led him to work with science luminaries such as M.S. Swaminathan, Glenn Anderson, Joe Rupert, Cal Qualset, Warren Kronstad, Frank Zillinsky, and Sanjaya Rajaram, among others.

“I met CIMMYT scientist and eventual Nobel Peace laureate, Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, in 1967,” Kohli said. “We continued to meet every year on his visits to India and, when I was about to finish my Ph.D. in 1970, he invited me to join the team at CIMMYT.”

“It has been a privilege and honor to have worked alongside many dedicated colleagues at CIMMYT and national programs who have contributed significantly to building research capacities and global food security over the last 50 years. This award is dedicated to all of them and the farmers who have been the primary source of inspiration for our work”.

For more information in Spanish, see:

Paraguay le otorga la Orden Nacional del Mérito a Mohan Kohli, respetada figura del sector agrario

CIMMYT director general and cropping system scientist to receive the 2023 Glenn Anderson Lectureship Award

Written by Mike Listman on August 18, 2023. Posted in News.

The Canadian Phytopathological Society (CPS) will bestow on Bram Govaerts, director general of CIMMYT, the 2023 Glenn Anderson Lectureship Award, during the upcoming International Congress of Plant Pathology (ICPP2023) in Lyon, France, on August 21, 2023.

Bram Govaerts, CIMMYT director general, participates in the World Food Prize and Borlaug Dialogue. (Photo: CIMMYT)

The award honors the legacy of Robert Glenn Anderson (1924-81), eminent Canadian agricultural scientist and former CIMMYT wheat research director who helped ignite in India the “green revolution,” a rapid modernization of agriculture during the 1960s-70s and by which that nation went from grain shortages and hunger to becoming a leading grain exporter.

A bioscience engineer and soil scientist who is a PhD graduate from Belgium’s Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and has worked in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, Govaerts will give the keynote address “Agrifood system for a food and nutrition secure world: From efficiency to resilience,” describing in part the relevance of CIMMYT and its partners’ work.

“Early warning and surveillance systems are key to building resilience in food insecure communities and regions,” said Govaerts. “Supporting this, in concert with national agricultural research systems and private partners, CIMMYT crop breeding programs yearly disseminate dozens of disease resistant, climate resilient varieties of maize, wheat, and dryland cereals, where they are most needed.”

“The Center’s science and partnerships have helped prevent the spread of deadly crop pests and diseases in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia,” he added, “and we have new ‘Glenn Andersons’ who are doing exactly what is needed to strengthen global food security, with plant health innovations and systemic thinking.”

Borlaug’s wish: Take it to the farmer

Working with scientists, training specialists, extension agents, farmers, and communications and technology experts, a CIMMYT program led by Govaerts for over a decade in Mexico applied the admonition of Norman E. Borlaug, Nobel laureate and colleague of Anderson, to “take it to the farmer,” combining the right seed with the right conservation agriculture production practices embedded in integrated markets, while recognizing and incorporating farmer knowledge.

“Ongoing efforts of the Center and national and local partners are promoting the adoption of conservation agriculture-based sustainable intensification to transform food systems throughout the Global South” Govaerts explained. “The training offered, and the advisory systems supported by CIMMYT’s work aim to empower women and disadvantaged social groups, while offering opportunities for fulfilling livelihoods to a new generation of farmers who will grow nutritious food for all.”

A CIMMYT scientist since 2007 as a Post-doctoral Fellow, Maize and Wheat based Cropping Systems Management, and current director general, in 2014 Govaerts received the World Food Prize’s “Norman Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application from the World Food Prize” for the development and spread of sustainable agricultural systems. He is A.D. White Professor-at-Large at Cornell University and, in 2020, was elected a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy (ASA) for outstanding contributions to the field of agronomy.

The Robert Glenn Anderson lecture series on the security of the world food supply was first given at joint meetings of the Canadian Phytopathological Society (CPS) and American Phytopathological Society (APS) in 1986 and an endowment fund was then established by the CPS. More recently, the Lecture has been given at the International Congresses of Plant Pathology (ICPP1998 to 2018).

As a Robert Glenn Anderson lecturer, Govaerts enters the hallowed company of other distinguished scientists who have been invited to give the address, including Norman E. Borlaug (1992); Per Pinstrup-Andersen, Emeritus Professor of Cornell University (2000), South African researcher Jennifer A. Thomson (2015); and late World Food Prize laureate and CIMMYT wheat director, Sanjaya Rajaram (2019).

For more information or interviews:

Ricardo Curiel
Communications manager to the director general
CIMMYT
r.curiel@cgiar.org