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Theme: Capacity development

CIMMYT training courses play a critical role in helping international researchers meet national food security and resource conservation goals. By sharing knowledge to build communities of agricultural knowledge in less developed countries, CIMMYT empowers researchers to aid farmers. In turn, these farmers help ensure sustainable food security. In contrast to formal academic training in plant breeding and agronomy, CIMMYT training activities are hands-on and highly specialized. Trainees from Africa, Asia and Latin America benefit from the data assembled and handled in a global research program. Alumni of CIMMYT courses often become a significant force for agricultural change in their countries.

CIMMYT-CCAFS explores innovative ways of researching gender and climate change in farming households

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By Florence Sipalla /CIMMYT

CIMMYT scientists working on the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) are exploring novel ways to conduct research on gender and climate change. “Household methodologies offer a potentially innovative entry point for climate-smart interventions,” said CIMMYT-CCAFS project leader Dr. Clare Stirling, explaining the project’s interest in doing in-depth gender research. “In the past, most agricultural interventions have focused on men, even though women provide most of the workforce and day-to-day management and knowledge on farms.”

Photo: Florence Sipalla/CIMMYT

CIMMYT-CCAFS is keen on tapping into women’s knowledge of farming practices. “Studies show that involving and empowering women in decision-making can have a significant impact on production,” said Stirling. “Evidence suggests that household methodologies can offer a very effective route to increasing the impact of work by CIMMYT-CCAFS.” The CIMMYT-CCAFS team’s commitment to gender research has not gone unnoticed. “At the last CCAFS annual meeting, we won the gender award in recognition of the progress that we have made in our gender activities and outputs,” said Stirling.

The scientists, drawn from multi-disciplinary backgrounds in conservation agriculture, maize and socioeconomics programs, recently held a workshop on gender research methodologies that have been successful in other settings. The workshop was facilitated by gender consultants Cathy Farnworth and Helena Zefanias Lowe, and its purpose was to increase awareness about new approaches. Participants also discussed ways to improve the welfare of women in farming communities by ensuring they are part of the actionable implementation of research at farm level.

One of the methodologies discussed was the Gender Action Learning System (GALS), which allows researchers to use visual tools to gather more nuanced information from farming communities during household studies. “GALS creates opportunities for both men and women. It starts with individuals and grows to collective action,” said Lowe. Sharing examples from Sierra Leone, where GALS was implemented by the International Fund for Agricultural Development, Lowe demonstrated how the method enabled researchers to generate information on how men and women shared resources and decision-making power in the household.

CIMMYT-CCAFS scientists held a workshop in Nairobi, Kenya, on gender research methodologies that have been successful in other settings. Photo: Florence Sipalla/CIMMYT

“When we talk about gender, the tendency is to think of it solely as women’s issues, but the GALS method brings other relationships into the picture such as co-wives, older men and younger women,” said Lowe. The use of this methodology resulted in some successes within the community, such as an increased number of women in farmers’ associations and leadership positions, as well as improved negotiation skills for both men and women. Through participation in GALS, some members of the farming community also became trainers and are now able to share their knowledge with others.

Farnworth indicated that the household methodologies discussed at the workshop were not just about women’s empowerment. “The idea is that everybody changes and becomes empowered because men are also disempowered by some of the roles they play,” she said. In discussing household methodologies, Farnworth noted that a great deal of extension work focuses on the household as a unit and does not examine intra-household dynamics, hence the need to consider new methodologies.

CIMMYT socio-economist Dr. Sika Gbegbelegbe gained new knowledge from the workshop. “The method goes beyond the science to bring about transformational change,” she said, adding that learning how GALS had been successful in the West African context was indicative that it could be applied elsewhere. “However, it takes time to implement, to see the change happening in people’s lives,” she added.

Former DG praises CIMMYT’s progress, renews Japanese collaboration with CIMMYT

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By Karen Willenbrecht/CIMMYT

CIMMYT’s previous director general had strong praise for the organization’s current working environment and leadership after a tour of the headquarters office at El Batán on 24 July.

(Left to right): Akira Endo, director of International Research and Cooperation Division, Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Fisheries; Masa Iwanaga, president of JIRCAS; Thomas Lumpkin, CIMMYT Director General; Hans-Joachim Braun, CIMMYT Global Wheat Program director; and Masahiro Kishii, CIMMYT scientist in wheat cytogenetics/wide crossing. Foto: Xochiquetzal Fonseca/CIMMYT

“I’m pleased to see the energy of the staff, the new facilities and how Tom has built on CIMMYT’s strengths,” Dr. Masa Iwanaga said. “It gives me professional satisfaction; the six years I devoted here have paid off handsomely.”

Masa, now president of the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS), came to CIMMYT to sign a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two organizations.

“Our previous agreement was signed in 1998,” Masa said after the signing ceremony. “I wanted to refresh and strengthen our relationship, and ensure more opportunities for scientific collaboration.”

He said the alliance is valuable because CIMMYT can translate the basic science conducted by his agency into practical applications for farmers. JIRCAS, part of Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, plays a core role in international collaborations for research in Japan.

Masa Iwanaga, CIMMYT’s former director general, paid a visit 24 July to headquarters, where he toured the gene bank and renewed
the memorandum of understanding between CIMMYT and his current organization. Photo: Xochiquetzal Fonseca/CIMMYT

The MOU calls for both organizations to cooperate on research projects that promote “agricultural technologies which will contribute to the increased production of agricultural commodities and improved natural resource management in developing countries in the world.” Masa and his successor, Dr. Thomas A. Lumpkin, discussed holding a conference in Japan this year, and Masa said he anticipates JIRCAS having a much stronger influence in the Global Wheat Program under the new MOU.

Dr. Marianne Bänziger, deputy director general for research and partnerships, said the collaboration with Japan on biological denitrification inhibition could support the next Green Revolution, as earlier Japanese technologies have done.

Masa was DG of CIMMYT from 2002 to 2008, a period of extreme financial difficulties for the organization. Lumpkin credited him with keeping CIMMYT afloat and bringing it back to profitability, establishing important new partnerships and continuing the Center’s record of scientific achievements and recognition.

“I appreciate all the staff who worked very hard with me to survive and make CIMMYT better,” Masa said. “It’s a stronger institution now.”

CIMMYT-led climate project is finalist at Asia Mobile Tech Awards

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By Katie Lutz 

A CIMMYT-led project was named as a finalist for the 2014 mBillionth Award South Asia thanks to its mobile platform that helps farmers adapt to changing climate conditions.

“Dissemination of climate-smart agro-advisories to farmers in CCAFS benchmark sites of India” was launched in August 2013 under the leadership of Dr. Surabhi Mittal, a senior agricultural economist based in India, in cooperation with the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). In the past 10 months, the project has helped 1,200 male and female farmers in eight Indian villages to gain more knowledge about climate-smart technology and adopt technologies to lessen their risks from climate fluctuations. The project also measured how receiving information on mobile telephones will affect farmers.

More than 300 entries were submitted for the award, which honors the most influential and leading practices in the mobile and telecommunications industry in South Asia. It was presented 18 July by the Digital Empowerment Foundation and Vodafone in a ceremony at the India Habitat Center. The CIMMYT project received acknowledgment for its impact on small farmers from Sanjeev Gupta, joint secretary of the Indian Ministry of Agriculture, and M.V. Ashok, chief general manager of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development.

CIMMYT’S director general, Dr. Thomas A. Lumpkin, congratulated everyone involved with the project. “This shows your technological leadership,” he said in a staff email announcing the award. “Use this to energize your activities.”

Affordable drought-tolerant maize for small holder farmers

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By Anita Mins

There is a growing need for drought-tolerant maize cultivars among smallholder farmers in developing countries, particularly in Asia where the cultivars’ development is a technical reality and outputs are achievable. Public-private partnership projects such as the Affordable, Accessible, Asian Drought-Tolerant Maize (AAA) project attempt to address smallholder farmers’ urgent and long-lasting need to access available and affordable new crop varieties that are robust, drought-tolerant and high-yielding.

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IMAS technical staff undergo training to manage risks during confined field trials

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Participants mark the field during the practical segment of the training session.
Picture: Titus Kosgei/CIMMYT

By Florence Sipalla

Ten members of the technical staff from the Improved Maize for African Soils (IMAS) project joined their counterparts from the Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) project for training in managing risks during confined field trials (CFTs). Participants learned how to minimize the risk of disseminating materials under analysis into feed and food pathways. Emphasis was placed on spatial and temporal separation of the flowering parts of plants, to ensure they do not move outside the CFT. Incinerating all materials after the collection of trial results was also emphasized. IMAS staff participated in the course to help them prepare for the mock trials that will be carried out later this year at IMAS CFTs in Kiboko and Kitale, Kenya.

The training served as a refresher course in the standard operating procedures and protocols outlined by the National Biosafety Authority (NBA). Dr. Joseph Gichuki, head of biotechnology at the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), explained the key steps in operating a CFT: the application process, conducting an experiment, the NBA review process, receiving trial material and storage. He also stressed the importance of closely monitoring the movement of trial materials, storage of materials and disposal facilities.

Participants learned the importance of record-keeping of all activities in the CFT: planting, storage, special isolation, flowering, whether the crop should be destroyed after flowering and early destruction once the data required has been collected. Post-harvest data collection was also discussed, including the need to record if there are volunteer crops after harvest and when they are removed.

The workshop ended with a practical session. Participants planted an event that is under trial by the WEMA team being led by Regina Tende, a senior research scientist at KARI-Katumani. “It was very educational for all staff members who participated,” said Titus Kosgei, IMAS research technician. “We are ready to plant our first mock trials now that our team has been trained on CFT management,” said Dr. Biswanath Das, CIMMYT maize breeder and co-leader of the IMAS project.

Dr. Stephen Mugo, CIMMYT maize breeder and WEMA project leader, was one of the course facilitators. The training was coordinated by KARI maize breeder Murenga Mwimali, in collaboration with CIMMYT and partners from the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services, Monsanto and the NBA.

 

Go back to IMAS Project Updates

Participants mark the field during the practical segment of the training session.
Picture: Titus Kosgei/CIMMYT

By Florence Sipalla

Ten members of the technical staff from the Improved Maize for African Soils (IMAS) project joined their counterparts from the Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) project for training in managing risks during confined field trials (CFTs). Participants learned how to minimize the risk of disseminating materials under analysis into feed and food pathways. Emphasis was placed on spatial and temporal separation of the flowering parts of plants, to ensure they do not move outside the CFT. Incinerating all materials after the collection of trial results was also emphasized. IMAS staff participated in the course to help them prepare for the mock trials that will be carried out later this year at IMAS CFTs in Kiboko and Kitale, Kenya.

The training served as a refresher course in the standard operating procedures and protocols outlined by the National Biosafety Authority (NBA). Dr. Joseph Gichuki, head of biotechnology at the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), explained the key steps in operating a CFT: the application process, conducting an experiment, the NBA review process, receiving trial material and storage. He also stressed the importance of closely monitoring the movement of trial materials, storage of materials and disposal facilities.

Participants learned the importance of record-keeping of all activities in the CFT: planting, storage, special isolation, flowering, whether the crop should be destroyed after flowering and early destruction once the data required has been collected. Post-harvest data collection was also discussed, including the need to record if there are volunteer crops after harvest and when they are removed.

The workshop ended with a practical session. Participants planted an event that is under trial by the WEMA team being led by Regina Tende, a senior research scientist at KARI-Katumani. “It was very educational for all staff members who participated,” said Titus Kosgei, IMAS research technician. “We are ready to plant our first mock trials now that our team has been trained on CFT management,” said Dr. Biswanath Das, CIMMYT maize breeder and co-leader of the IMAS project.

Dr. Stephen Mugo, CIMMYT maize breeder and WEMA project leader, was one of the course facilitators. The training was coordinated by KARI maize breeder Murenga Mwimali, in collaboration with CIMMYT and partners from the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services, Monsanto and the NBA.

 

Go back to IMAS Project Updates

Climate-smart villages in Indian Punjab are heading for resilient farming

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By JM Sutaliya, Parvinder Singh, Tripti Agarwal, ML Jat/CIMMYT and Anil Bana/Department of Agriculture, Government of Punjab, India

Punjab agriculture officers and farmers met in June to discuss the climate-smart villages that CIMMYT is testing, and they agreed that the CSVs offer one of the best strategies for making farming resilient and sustainable in the state.

CIMMYT, with financial support from the CCAFS South Asia regional program, recently initiated climate-smart village (CSV) pilots in Punjab State, India. On 16 June, Dr. IPS Sandhu, chief agriculture officer of Patiala District, and several other officers visited Aluna, one of the CSVs being piloted in close collaboration with the Punjab Department of Agriculture and several innovative farmers. The on-site stakeholder discussions on the emerging challenges of climate change included topics such as the El NiĂąo effect during the current monsoon season and extended rains during the maturity period of winter crops.

The participants agreed that climate-smart agricultural practices being undertaken in the CSVs are some of the best for making farming resilient and sustainable in the Punjab. CIMMYT’s JM Sutaliya and Punjab’s Vimalpreet Singh gave briefings on the climate-smart agriculture practices being undertaken in the CSVs, including direct-seeded rice (DSR), precision water management using Punjab Agricultural University-designed tensiometers, precision nutrient management using the Nutrient ExpertTM tool, GreenSeeker, energy saving technologies, introduction of maize to diversify rice mono-cropping and efficient weed management in DSR. Farmers were given demonstrations of the GreenSeeker tool for nitrogen management and spraying techniques for weed control on DSR. The proposed Weather Smart weather forecasting services for farmers were also discussed.

Sandhu praised the CSV initiatives and shared his suggestions to strengthen and expand the CSV program in Punjab’s Patiala District. Additionally, he proposed a baseline socioeconomic survey of Aluna, formation of a farmers’ group, a women farmers’ club and other strategies to encourage more farmer contact. Looking to the future, he advocated integration with allied agriculture departments. Highlighting community-supported agriculture interventions for residue management, Sandhu spoke about the importance of advance planning and utilizing a spreader with a combine harvester. He also shared his personal experience using a Turbo Happy seeder to avoid burning straw in subsequent wheat crop.

Sandhu assured CIMMYT of close collaboration from the Department of Agriculture in the future, including extended support to scale up and expand the climate-smart agriculture initiatives in the CSVs with the goals of combating the adverse effects of climate change and addressing food security.

IMAS technical staff undergo training to manage risks during confined field trials

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By Florence Sipalla/CIMMYT

Ten members of the technical staff from the Improved Maize for African Soils (IMAS) project joined their counterparts from the Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) project for training in managing risks during confined field trials (CFTs) —both projects funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Participants learned how to minimize the risk of disseminating materials under analysis into feed and food pathways. Emphasis was placed on spatial and temporal separation of the flowering parts of plants, to ensure they do not move outside the CFT. Incinerating all materials after the collection of trial results was also emphasized. IMAS staff participated in the course to help them prepare for the mock trials that will be carried out later this year at IMAS CFTs in Kiboko and Kitale, Kenya.

Ten members of the technical staff from the Improved Maize for African Soils project joined their counterparts from the Water Efficient Maize for Africa project for training in managing risks during confined field trials.

The training served as a refresher course in the standard operating procedures and protocols outlined by the National Biosafety Authority (NBA). Dr. Joseph Gichuki, head of biotechnology at the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), explained the key steps in operating a CFT: the application process, conducting an experiment, the NBA review process, receiving trial material and storage. He also stressed the importance of closely monitoring the movement of trial materials, storage of materials and disposal facilities.

Participants learned the importance of record keeping of all activities in the CFT: planting, storage, special isolation, flowering, whether the crop should be destroyed after flowering and early destruction once the data required has been collected. Postharvest data collection was also discussed, including the need to record if there are volunteer crops after harvest and when they are removed.

Participants marked the field during the practical segment of the training session.

The workshop ended with a practical session. Participants planted an event that is under trial by the WEMA team being led by Regina Tende, a senior research scientist at KARI-Katumani. “It was very educational for all staff members who participated,” said Titus Kosgei, IMAS research technician. “We are ready to plant our first mock trials now that our team has been trained on CFT management,” said Dr. Biswanath Das, CIMMYT maize breeder and co-leader of the IMAS project.

Dr. Stephen Mugo, CIMMYT maize breeder and WEMA project leader, was one of the course facilitators. The training was coordinated by KARI maize breeder Murenga Mwimali, in collaboration with CIMMYT and partners from the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services, Monsanto and the NBA.

 

Improved Maize for African Soils(IMAS) was created to improve food security and livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa by creating and sharing new maize varieties that use fertilizer more efficiently and help smallholder farmers get higher yields, even where soils are poor and little commercial fertilizer is used. To learn more about this project and IMAS visit the project website here.

Smart tools for farmers in South Asia to help increase yield

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By Anuradha Dhar/CIMMYT

In South Asia, 90 percent of smallholder farmers using fertilizer lack access to soil testing services. Due to blanket recommendations, the application of nutrients is not well-matched to the local requirements of the soil and crop. Also, excessive and imbalanced use of chemical fertilizers can result in the deterioration of soil fertility. This is becoming a cause for concern to the Indian agriculture sector. According to a study published in the Journal of the Environment, Development and Sustainability, India is losing soil 30 to 40 times faster than the natural replenishment rate. The solution lies in part in having a precise, site-specific nutrient management approach that will build a sustainable and profitable agriculture sector.

CSISA scientist explaining Crop Manager tool to a farmer in Odisha.

A decision-making tool called Crop Manager is being developed by the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA), in collaboration with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), state universities and government partners. Crop Manager will provide location specific fertilizer recommendations to farmers growing rice and maize in Odisha state, and to farmers growing rice, wheat and maize in Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar states. A version of the tool, Rice Nutrient Manager, is also being developed by CSISA in the Cauvery Delta of Tamil Nadu state, to support and complement the existing crop management advisory services of the state government. The partners are in the advanced field testing phase and are fine-tuning the tools prior to official release.

Crop Manager is an expanded version of Nutrient Manager, which was first conceptualized and released by IRRI in the Philippines in 2009. Crop Manager combines improved nutrient management with field-specific, best bet crop management guidelines to address three to four of the main agronomic constraints, in addition to fertilizer recommendations.

Fast and Futuristic

Crop Manager is accessible in both web-based and mobile Android formats, with a simple, user-friendly interface providing personalized fertilizer guidance for small-scale farmers and extension workers. To use the tool, farmers provide information about their fields by responding to a set of 12-15 brief questions about field location, planting method, seed variety, typical yields, choice of fertilizer, method of harvesting and other factors.

Screenshot of the Crop Manager interface.

Based on these inputs, the tool recommends the ideal amount of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) nutrients to be added at critical growth stages to increase yield and profit, while taking into account the amount of fertilizer the farmer prefers to use. With a connection to the Internet, farmers can receive advice instantly on mobile devices. Information from Crop Manager will be available in Hindi, Odiya and English. An interactive voice response system in being planned, to guide the user through the survey using a recorded questionnaire.

India has 110 million mobile Internet users, of whom 25 million are in rural areas. “With mobile phone and internet penetrating fast in rural India, these ICT tools will serve as a useful platform to provide information to farmers easily, and at the time when they need it,” said Sheetal Sharma, a CSISA nutrient management specialist. Sharma added that these tools are based on strong scientific principles, and have an edge over traditional soil testing methods, which usually take more time to give recommendations and require farmers to carry soil samples to a testing facility. CSISA released a similar tool named Rice Crop Manager in Bangladesh last year to increase a farmer’s income by US $100 per hectare, per crop. This is a significant increase in a nation where farmers’ average income is less than $600 per year.

With the help of technologies like Crop Manager, CSISA hopes that farmers in South Asia will be able to replicate the high-tech precision farming used in developed countries with easy-to-use and low-cost options. The development of these products serves as a reminder that farmers are capable; they just need the right tools.

CIAT and CIMMYT complete genetic analysis and plant breeding course in Colombia

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By Luis Narro and Janeth BolaĂąos/ CIMMYT

Dr. Jiankang Wang planted a bread tree at the end of the course, which is a CIAT tradition to mark the close of an international training course.

CIMMYT’s office in Colombia,  in collaboration with the  International Center for  Tropical Agriculture (CIAT),  organized the Genetic Analysis  and Plant Breeding course from  23-27 June. This course has been  offered in Australia, China and  Mexico and reviews plant breeding  methods as well as quantitative  genetics, development of linkage  maps, quantitative trait loci (QTL)  mapping, identification of genes  with quantitative effect and epistasis,  analysis of the interaction QTL x  environment and integration of the  knowledge of the action of genes in  conventional breeding.

CIMMYT scientist Dr. Jiankang Wang, based in Beijing, facilitated the course with funding from the HarvestPlus Challenge Program.  While the course has been offered 10 times, this is the first to include genetic analysis of vegetative propagation species, which are important for CGIAR centers working with cassava, potatoes and sweet potatoes.

Attending the course were 42 scientists (16 women and 28 men), representing public and private institutions from Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and the United States.

William Viera, head of the Fruit Program at Ecuador’s National Autonomous Institute of Agriculture and Livestock (INIAP), described the course as “very interesting. It includes molecular techniques that will allow us high level scientific studies. In our case, we will start a research project on tree tomatoes, tamarind and little oranges (lulo). With the tools and knowledge we gained, we will be able to develop the project in a positive way, and will identify genes that increase disease resistance and improve fruit quality.”

Rocío Silvestre, coordinator of improved materials for the gene bank at the International Potato Center (CIP), said, “The opportunity to interact with our colleagues from all around the world is a great contribution to our research programs. What we learned in the course will help us to design genetic maps, QTL mapping and morphological data analysis.”

Karen Viviana Osorio, research assistant from the Colombian agribusiness Semillas Valle S.A., thanked CIMMYT for sharing the new technology and biotechnology tools currently used in the agriculture sector. Osorio noted that CIMMYT has “helped people who work in agricultural research to access updated and high-quality information. We have made the most of this course in our daily activities.” Bodo Raatz, a molecular geneticist from CIAT’s Bean Improvement Program, described the course as “what we need to know about improvement and genetic studies. It includes all we need to map QTL.”

The Genetic Analysis and Plant Breeding course drew 42 scientists representing public and private institutions from Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and the U.S.

CIAT’s Rice, Tropical Forages and Bean programs will benefit from information on the latest advances in the development of elements that facilitate their work with quantitative traits. “With this course we have been able to identity some needs from the national programs, and they have been provided with free access tools for genetic improvement,” said Luis Augusto Becerra, a molecular geneticist from CIAT’s Cassava Improvement Program.

There are tentative plans to organize another course in collaboration with CIP.

Boosting productivity of smallholder farms in Nepal, India and Bangladesh

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By Mahesh Gathala, TP Tiwari, Pat Wall/CIMMYT

CIMMYT will lead a new research initiative to make agriculture more productive, profitable   and sustainable for smallholder farmers in the Eastern Gangetic Plains (EGP) of Nepal, Bangladesh and India.
Launched in Dhulikhel, Nepal, on 4 July, the five-year  US$6.8 million regional research initiative, Sustainable  and Resilient Farming Systems Intensification in  the Eastern Gangetic Plains (SRFSI), will tap the  agricultural potential of the area and target 7,000  farmers to test and adopt appropriate new technology  and farming approaches.

The program, funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), will operate in eight districts: two in northwest Bangladesh, two in the eastern Terai of Nepal and two each in the Indian states of Bihar and West Bengal.

The three-day Inception and Planning Meeting that launched the program was attended by 84 participants from Australia, Bangladesh, India, Mexico and Nepal.  SRFSI is managed by CIMMYT on behalf of multiple partners including the national research and extension systems of Bangladesh, India and Nepal, Indian and Australian universities, national and international nongovernmental organizations, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation of Australia and four CGIAR Centers (CIMMYT, the International Rice Research Institute, the International Food Policy Research Institute and the International Water Management Institute).

The project was officially initiated by the Australian Ambassador to Nepal, Glenn White, together with the Executive Director of the Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC), Dr. Dil Bahadur Gurung; the Joint Secretary of the Nepal Ministry of Agricultural Development, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Adhikari; Dr. Claire Glendenning of the Australian Department of Foreign Affair and Trade; and Dr. John Dixon, principal adviser for ACIAR.

“This initiative will help to raise agricultural productivity in a region which has the potential to become one of Asia’s great food bowls,” White told the gathering of scientists and development practitioners.

The EGP is home to some 300 million people, with the world’s highest concentration of rural poverty and a strong dependence on agriculture for food security and livelihoods. The region is dominated by small farms with many female farmers who have little access to credit, quality seeds, fertilizers, irrigation or formal extension services. They also have to contend with climate-related risks and extreme events such as floods, drought and cold snaps.

“This program will allow farmers to test a range of innovations to help them boost food production, including conservation agriculture and efficient use of water resources, while strengthening their ability to adapt and link to markets and support services,” White said. “Our aim is to enable at least 130,000 farmers to adopt these technologies within the next 10 years.”

Gurung and Adhikari lauded the long-term partnership between CIMMYT and Nepal, as well as the ACIAR support of this project, and assured that the Ministry will extend its full support.

Key Objectives of the SRFSI

The Eastern Gangetic Plains region has the potential to become a major contributor to South Asian regional food security, but rice and wheat productivity remain low and diversification is limited because of poorly developed markets, sparse agricultural knowledge and service networks, and inadequate development of available water resources and sustainable production practices. Labor shortages – mainly during sowing and harvesting – are becoming more acute. These factors lead to smallholder vulnerability to climate and market risks that limit investments in new technologies.

SRFSI will undertake several high-priority activities to reduce these factors:

• Improving farmers’ access to inputs, services and market information in order to reduce the risk associated with adopting new practices.

• Removing policy barriers to technology adoption.

• Analyzing the appropriateness of technologies, service provider models, markets and policies for women farmers, and adjusting them where necessary, to help ensure food security and gender equity in the region.

• Developing new knowledge among farmers, researchers, extension and change agents, service providers, agro-dealers and others involved in agriculture. This has been identified as the key to achieving widespread adoption of new technologies and reductions in poverty in the EGP.

• Investing heavily in capacity building at multiple levels, from field days to short courses to linkages with advanced research institutions. Ultimately the project focal communities, where all aspects of the project activities are put into place to achieve the desired change, will become demonstration or learning sites for institutions or individuals interested in agricultural development, where they can observe the technological changes and talk with farmers and farmer organizations about the importance of the different components of the project in bringing about agriculture change.

SIMLESA Phase II up and running

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By Gift Mashango and Mekuria Mulugetta

Members of the project management committee discussed SIMLESA’s second phase during a 1 July planning meeting in Addis Ababa.

Phase II of the Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Legume Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa project (SIMLESA) began 1-4 July with a series of planning meetings in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. SIMLESA-II is a five-year project funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR).

Members of the project   management committee   (PMC) met on 1 July  to ensure that management and  implementing partners have a  common understanding of project  objectives, targets, milestones,  indicators and the assignment  of coordination responsibilities.  The PMC includes Olaf Erenstein,  director of the Socio-economics  Program; Bruno GÊrard,  director of the Conservation  Agriculture Program; Mekuria  Mulugetta, SIMLESA project coordinator; Daniel Rodriguez  of the Queensland Alliance for  Agricultural and Food Innovation;  and Peter Craufurd, SIMLESA strategy leader.

Based on lessons learned from SIMLESA’s first phase, the PMC adjusted the design of activities, timelines and strategies for scaling out SIMLESA practices to farmers.  One recommendation was to assign a coordinator to each of SIMLESA’s four objectives: Paswel Marenya for objective one, Isaiah Nyagumbo for objective two, Peter Setimela for objective three and Michael Misiko for objective four. The PMC noted that during the first phase, research scientists were operating in silos, and they urged the scientists to work as a team since the project objectives and activities are more closely linked in the second phase.

Olaf Erenstein, director of CIMMYT’s Socio-economics Program, addressed CIMMYT scientists, SIMLESA national coordinators and partners during a SIMLESA planning meeting.

The PMC also appointed a committee to spearhead the selection of partners for competitive grants in each country. The committee will consist of the national coordinator for each of the five target countries, an ACIAR representative, a project steering committee member, the objective four leaders and a PMC member. The two new partners, the International Livestock Research Institute and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture, are responsible for forage- and soil science-related activities, respectively.

A joint meeting with SIMLESA country coordinators was held on 3-4 July. The coordinators gave presentations on achievements of the first phase and lessons learned, plus the challenges and strategic plan for the second phase. Planned project activities for the second phase are not homogeneous across the SIMLESA countries; they are guided by the country’s priorities, the amount of support that will be required and the opportunities for scaling out. Discussion centered on strategies to scale out new technologies to more than 650,000 small-scale farmers by 2023.

At the end of the meeting, all participants agreed on an implantation plan that will be further refined at the national level during country-specific planning and review meetings.

CIMMYT Maize Program scientists assist African plant breeding academy training program in Kenya

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By B.M. Prasanna and Rita Mumm/CIMMYT

The first group to take part in the African Plant Breeding Academy training program included 24 scientists from 11 countries in Africa.

The African Plant Breeding Academy (AfPBA) held   a two-week training course on plant breeding at   the World Agroforestry Centre campus in Nairobi 15-28 June. The AfPBA is a continuing education program organized by the University of California, Davis and an initiative of the African Orphan Crops Consortium. It is designed to sharpen skills of plant breeders across Africa on the use of new technologies and current proven approaches to improve genetic gains and efficiencies, leading to increased food security, and to promote innovative research on African orphan crops. The program, which debuted in December 2013, consists of three two-week sessions. This was the second session, with the final session scheduled for December.

The first group of students in the AfPBA has 24 young scientists from 11 countries in Africa — Burkina Faso, Côte-d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and Zimbabwe — and includes four women. The core instructors for the session were Bruce Walsh (University of Arizona), Iago Hale (University of New Hampshire), Allen Van Deynze (University of California, Davis), and Rita H.  Mumm (University of Illinois), who also directs the AfPBA and will become a member of the CIMMYT Board of Trustees at its September meeting.

Topics covered in this session included multiple trait selection approaches such as selection indices and marker-assisted selection; multi-year, multilocation experimental designs and data analysis tools; approaches to phenotypic evaluation including specialized testing environments and use of secondary traits; and ways to manage and exploit geneenvironment interaction. AfPBA’s practice is to present concepts, principles and tools, then demonstrate these in action through actual breeding programs. This provides an opportunity for AfPBA students to ask practical questions about breeding targets and means to achieve them.

A team of CIMMYT Global Maize Program scientists based in Nairobi were invited to demonstrate some of the breeding concepts in action. On 19 June, B.M. Prasanna and his team presented their approaches and accomplishments pertaining to stress-resilient and nutritionally enriched maize germplasm development and delivery in the tropics (Prasanna); drought-tolerant maize for Africa (Tsedeke Abate); water use-efficient and insect-resistant maize germplasm for Africa (Stephen Mugo); nitrogen use-efficient germplasm for Africa (Bish Das); maize lethal necrosis in east Africa (George Mahuku); nutritionally enriched maize for the tropics (Dan Makumbi); molecular markerassisted breeding and genomic selection for maize improvement (Kassa Semagn and Yoseph Beyene); doubled-haploid technology for enhancing genetic gains and breeding efficiency (Prasanna and Sotero Bumagat). The students were quite enthusiastic about the interaction with CIMMYT scientists, and they shared their views on the improved maize development and deployment strategies in Africa.

CIMMYT and Punjab agricultural research institutions partner to introduce multi-crop bed planter

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By Imtiaz Hussain and Hafiz Nasrullah/CIMMYT

Farmers visiting cotton planted on wide beds with the planter.

CIMMYT and the Punjab Department of Agriculture Research have introduced a multi-crop bed planter system in Bahawalpur, Pakistan that can be used to plant crops such as cotton, maize, pulses, rice and wheat on raised beds while applying fertilizer at the same time. The Agronomy Research Station (ARS) and the Regional Agriculture Research Institute (RARI) are collaborating with CIMMYT to test and promote the planters in Punjab State.

To create awareness among the farming community in Bahawalpur, ARS and RARI held a field day on 26 June. More than 100 farmers and agriculture experts visited the cotton field that had been planted using the multi-crop bed planter, and Dr. Muhammad Akhter of ARS shared his experience in using the planter to plant cotton on wide beds. Farmers were impressed with the crop stand in the cotton fields and were later given a demonstration on planting mung bean with the planter.

Demonstration of mung bean planting with multi-bed crop planter.

Dr. Ghulam Hussain, director of RARI, highlighted the importance of using mechanical planting for different crops in order to save resources and time while also increasing yields. Dr. Muhammad Aslam of ARS said that planting on raised beds reduces the amount of water needed for irrigation by 30 to 40 percent and also improves crop yield by 15 to 25 percent.

An assistant agronomist at RARI, Dr. Hafiz Nasrullah, explained to farmers that they only need to purchase one planter, which can be used for various crops.  Farmers also learned that the multi-crop bed planter can be used to plant crops in residue and in zero tillage conditions, and that this would save them the cost of land preparation.

Farmers attending discussion and lectures on the field day in Bahawalpur.

 

Aslam and Chaudhary Bashir Ahmed, agriculture extension experts, assured farmers and researchers that the extension department would do its best to transfer the successful and productive technologies to the farmers after the pilot testing had been completed.

This effort to promote conservation agriculture in Pakistan is supported by Feed the Future U.S. Agency for International Development under the Agricultural Innovation Program.

World Food Prize winner boosts wheat training at CIMMYT

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By Karen Willenbrecht/CIMMYT 

This classic photo of Dr. Sanjaya Rajaram, left, and Dr. Norman Borlaug studying data at the Ciudad Obregón experiment station in the 1990s was taken by Gene Hettel of the International Rice Research Institute. The photograph has been in CIMMYT’s archives for years, but there was no information about the photographer. We’re delighted to learn more about the photo and to give Hettel credit for his work.

Two additional trainees — one from Afghanistan and one from Ethiopia — had the opportunity to participate in CIMMYT’s Basic Wheat Improvement Course this year, thanks to the generous donation of US$ 20,000 by Dr. Sanjaya Rajaram, former director of CIMMYT’s Global Wheat Program (GWP) and winner of the 2014 World Food Prize.

“Training is something very close to my heart, and I would like to see more donors supporting this important function at CIMMYT,” he said during a 3 July visit to CIMMYT headquarters.    When he presented the check to CIMMYT last fall, Rajaram said he “hoped it would serve as an example to other people who believe in training.”

Rajaram started his CIMMYT career as a post-doctoral fellow, working alongside Dr. Norman Borlaug.  He then went on to lead the bread wheat breeding team from 1973- 1995 and develop wheat varieties   among the most widely-grown  worldwide. He served as director of the GWP from 1996 to 2002.

Sanjaya Rajaram, left, presents a check to Hans-Joachim Braun.

In his four decades at CIMMYT, Rajaram trained more than 400 wheat scientists. “He influenced so many trainees who lead wheat breeding in their home countries, and many became national research leaders,” said current GWP Director Hans-Joachim Braun.

Find out how Dr. Rajaram has influenced top CIMMYT scientists in our new video series, which debuted this week on YouTube. Dr. Ravi Singh, a wheat breeder, talks about his mentor in the first video.

Climate-smart villages: the framework

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Climate-Smart Villages (CSVs) in Haryana, India, are prioritizing and promoting climate-smart agriculture (CSA) interventions. Through the work of CIMMYT and its partners, the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) is promoting CSA interventions through CSVs in India and South Asia.

A planning workshop titled “Mainstreaming and scaling-out climate smart agriculture interventions in Haryana” was held on 27 May to promote climate-smart agriculture practices to benefit farmers. The workshop also addressed the emerging challenges of water scarcity and degrading soil health through promoting direct seeded rice (DSR), no till and diversification of ricewheat systems by introducing maize. Participants focused on daunting challenges in the agriculture sector. Topics included:

  • The promotion of CSA through techniques like laser-assisted precision land leveling and tools for precision nutrient management tools such as the GreenSeeker and Nutrient Expert software. The pedoclimatic and socio-economic condition of farmers including market demand, presented by CIMMYT’s Santiago LĂłpez-Ridaura.
  • An action plan to disseminate soil fertility information for informed decision-making on nutrients and fertilizer application was presented by T Satyanarayana, Deputy Director of the Internal Plant Nutrition Institute.
  • Developing a joint action plan between CIMMYT and the state department of agriculture for the 2014 monsoon season to implement CSA practices. DSR and maize promotion in Haryana. The roadmap emphasized diversification through maize.
  • Precise nutrient management for capacity building and training needs on precision nutrient management and DSR was laid out for 10 districts of Haryana.

In order to mainstream climate-smart villages, there is a need to identify, adapt and evaluate demand-driven CSA interventions aimed at improving the adaptive capacity of rural livelihoods to climate change. Other priorities include identifying target domains for CSA interventions; designing, monitoring and evaluating the processes to integrate and deliver CSA interventions to facilitate up-scaling and out-scaling beyond the CCAFS CSVs; innovative business models for CSA interventions; capacity development; and promoting policies that help farmers better adapt to climate change. Capacity building, training on new technology and dissemination of agro-advisories through voice messages are features of the CSVs in Haryana.

The benefits of CSVs are already clear, though policy implementation and technological gaps hinder information dissemination and adaptation. With due time and effort, the CSVs in India will transform agriculture and sustainable development. The meeting was chaired by Suresh Gahalawat, Joint Director Agriculture, Government of Haryana and was organized jointly by the State Department of Agriculture, the Government of Haryana, CIMMYT-CCAFS, CSSRI-NICRA. The key stakeholders involved were PC Sharma from CSSRI; RK Sharma, DWR; DK Sharma, CSSRI; Pawan Sharma, DDA, Karnal and other deputy directors of agriculture from different districts of Haryan.