Theme: Climate adaptation and mitigation

Climate change threatens to reduce global crop production, and poor people in tropical environments will be hit the hardest. More than 90% of CIMMYT’s work relates to climate change, helping farmers adapt to shocks while producing more food, and reduce emissions where possible. Innovations include new maize and wheat varieties that withstand drought, heat and pests; conservation agriculture; farming methods that save water and reduce the need for fertilizer; climate information services; and index-based insurance for farmers whose crops are damaged by bad weather. CIMMYT is an important contributor to the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security.

Tech-savvy women in Haryana implement precision fertilizer application

Written by on August 3, 2015. Posted in News.

The state of Haryana, India’s breadbasket, faces a major challenge due to the excessive use of nitrogen fertilizer (N: P: K = 27.2: 9.8: 1) in agriculture. The overuse of nitrogen fertilizer in the rice-wheat systems of Haryana has led to high production costs, low efficiency, environmental pollution and nitrate contamination of groundwater, which causes blue baby syndrome in young children.

Another challenge to agriculture in Haryana is that traditional ways of farming are no longer attractive to educated youth, which means that fewer young people are opting to become farmers. However, new innovations and technological advancements are making agriculture much more attractive to young people, especially women, and creating awareness and building capacity about these advancements is critical to make women see the potential in agriculture.

CIMMYT, under the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security, organized a day-long field training session for young female farmers in the climate-smart village of Bastada, Haryana, on the GreenSeeker, a hand-held sensor that measures nitrogen, assesses crop vigor and calculates a Normalized Difference Vegetation Index representing crop health. Nearly 20 young women from farm families in Bastada participated.

Farmers often lack training to interpret raw data from devices like the GreenSeeker. To address this problem, CIMMYT, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and the Government of Punjab launched a mobile calculator application in January 2015 that allows farmers to precisely calculate the nitrogen in their fields right on their mobile phone, ensuring accurate nitrogen fertilizer application, which in turn raises crop yields and profits.

Mamta, a young woman of 23 who participated in the training session, mentioned that farmers faced a serious problem due to a shortage of urea during the winter 2014-15 wheat season. This problem is easier to avoid now that her cell phone has a GreenSeeker application that allows her to calculate the precise amount of nitrogen in her rice and wheat fields. “The application is very helpful in saving nitrogen to the tune of one bag of urea per hectare,” said Mamta.

CIMMYT plans to hold similar training sessions for young women and men throughout the states of Haryana, Punjab and Bihar, which will no doubt make them more likely to opt to become farmers and will go a long way towards ensuring adequate fertilizer application by farmers.

Trainees learn to use the GreenSeeker application on their cell phones, which used to be simple devices that could only send or receive calls and text messages.

Maize that packs a punch in face of adversity: unveiling new branded varieties for Africa

Written by on July 14, 2015. Posted in Features.

Even in the best years, significant swathes of sub-Saharan Africa suffer from recurrent drought. Drought wreaks havoc on the livelihoods of millions of Africans – livelihoods heavily leaning on rain-dependent agriculture without irrigation, and with maize as a key staple. And that is not all: drought makes a bad situation worse. It compounds crop failure because its dry conditions amplify the susceptibility of maize in farmers’ fields to disease-causing pests, whose populations soar during drought.

Providing maize farmers with context-specific solutions to combat low yields and chronic crop failure is a key priority for CIMMYT and its partners, such as those in the Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) Project.

“Our main focus is to give famers durable solutions,” remarks Dr. Stephen Mugo, CIMMYT Regional Representative for Africa and a maize breeder, who also coordinates CIMMYT’s work in WEMA. “These seeds are bred with important traits that meet the needs of the farmers, with ability to give higher yields within specific environments.”

Farmers in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and South Africa will soon access WEMA’s high-yielding drought-tolerant maize hybrids. In total, 13 hybrids were approved for commercial production by relevant authorities in these countries. These approvals were spread between October 2014 and March 2015 in the various countries.

Kenya’s National Variety Release Committee (NVRC) approved four hybrids in February 2015 (WE2109, WE2111, WE2110 and WE2106), while neighboring Uganda’s NVRC also approved four hybrids at the end of 2014 (WE2101, WE2103, WE2104 and WE2106). Across Uganda’s southern border, in March 2015, the Tanzania Official Seed Certification Institute approved for commercial release WE3117, WE3102 and WE3117. Still further south, South Africa’s Department for Agriculture registered two hybrids (WE3127 and WE3128) in October 2014.

In each country, all the hybrids successfully underwent the mandatory National Performance Trials (NPTs) and the Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability (DUS) tests to ascertain their qualities and suitability for use by farmers.

Varieties that pack a punch
In Kenya, these new WEMA varieties boast significantly better yields when compared to varieties currently on the market as well as to farmer varieties in drought-prone areas of upper and lower eastern, coastal, central and western Kenya.

And that is not all: across them, the new hybrids also have resistance to rampant leaf diseases like maize streak virus, turcicum leaf spot and gray leaf spot.

Dr. Murenga Mwimali of the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, who is also WEMA’s Country Coordinator in Kenya, explains: “These hybrids are expected to give farmers an average yield of three tonnes per hectare in moderate drought and eight tonnes in good seasons. These are better seeds that will help Kenyans fight hunger through increased productivity.” According to the UN Food and Agricultural Organization, Kenya’s national average productivity in 2013 was a meager 1.6 tonnes per hectare. This compares poorly with South Africa’s 6 tonnes, Egypt’s 9 tonnes and USA’s 9–12 tonnes, as generally reported in other statistics.

Where to find them
The seed of these new varieties should be available in the market once selected seed companies in Uganda and Tanzania produce certified seeds by end of August 2015.

Dr. Allois Kullaya, WEMA Country Coordinator in Tanzania, applauded this achievement and the partnership that has made it possible. “Through the WEMA partnership, we have been able to access improved seed and breeding techniques. The hybrids so far released were bred by our partner CIMMYT and evaluated across different locations. Without this collaboration, it would not have been possible to see these achievements.” said Dr. Kullaya.

In South Africa, close to 10,000 half-kilo seed packs of WE3127 were distributed to smallholder farmers to create awareness and product demand through demonstrations to farmers and seed companies.

This seed-pack distribution was through local extension services in the provinces of Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu–Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North-West.

Three seed companies also received the hybrid seed to plant and increase certified seed for the market.

Where it all begins – the CIMMYT ‘cradle’, crucible and seal for quality assurance
“In the WEMA partnership, CIMMYT’s role as the breeding partner has been to develop, test and identify the best hybrids for yield, drought tolerance, disease resistance and adaptability to local conditions,” says Dr. Yoseph Beyene, a maize breeder at CIMMYT and WEMA Product Development Co-leader.

To do this, more than 10, 000 new hybrids combinations are evaluated each year to identify new hybrids that will perform most consistently in various conditions. Hybrids that look promising are subjected to a rigorous WEMA-wide area testing. Only those that pass the test get the CIMMYT nod and ‘seal of approval’. But the tests do not end there: for independent and objevhe verfication, the final test is that these select few advance to – and are submitted for – country NPTs.

Dr. Beyene explains: “Because of these rigorous testing, hybrids that are adapted in two or three countries have been identified and released for commercial production to be done by regional and multinational seed companies which market hybrids in different countries. This eases the logistics for seed production, distribution and marketing.”

How to recognize the new varieties – distinctive shield against drought
All the hybrids released under the WEMA project will be sold to farmers under the trade-name DroughtTEGO™. ‘Tego’ is Latin for cover, protect or defend. The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), which coordinates the WEMA Project, has sub-licensed 22 seed companies from the four countries to produce DroughtTEGO™ seeds for farmers to buy.

WEMA’s achievements are premised on a powerful partnership of scientists from CIMMYT, national agricultural research institutes from the five WEMA target countries (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Mozambique and South Africa), AATF and Monsanto.

WEMA is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the United States Agency for International Development and the Howard G. Buffet Foundation.

Links: More on WEMA | WEMA 2015 annual meeting in Mozambique | Insect Resistant Maize in Africa Project (completed in 2014)

Training on developing stress-resilient maize at CIMMYT-Hyderabad, India

Written by on July 13, 2015. Posted in News.

A training course on developing stress-resilient maize for early-/mid-career maize breeders from national programs, agricultural universities and seed companies, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs), was held at CIMMYT-Hyderabad, India, on 15 May 2015. The course was open to partners in the Heat Tolerant Maize for Asia (HTMA) project and members of the International Maize Improvement Consortium (IMIC-Asia). It covered key aspects of precision phenotyping, including enhancing precision of field trials, managing adequate levels of stress to express available genotypic variability, using advanced tools to capture data efficiently and precision in recording various traits in phenotyping trials.

At the outset, B.S. Vivek, Maize Breeder at CIMMYT-Hyderabad, introduced the course agenda and objectives and mentioned that participants would learn various aspects of stress phenotyping. C. Aditya, System Developer, and M.T. Vinayan, Maize Stress Breeder at CIMMYT-Hyderabad, discussed FIELD-LOG, the new android-based data-capturing software developed by CIMMYT. They explained the details of its software applications and the method used for recording data in the field and transferring them to a computer.

FIELD-LOG is an excellent user-friendly system that increases the efficiency of data capturing and processing, and at the same time significantly reduces the chances of human error. Participants received hands-on training on using FIELD-LOG to install, operate and record data in the field, and then transfer them to a computer. This was followed by a series of presentations by P.H. Zaidi, Senior Maize Physiologist, CIMMYT-Hyderabad, on various aspects of field-based precision phenotyping for abiotic stress, including site selection and characterization.

Seetharam, Project Scientist at CIMMYT-Hyderabad, discussed various plant traits and the proper way of capturing data in field phenotyping trials. Participants practiced recording data on various traits in heat stress phenotyping trials using the FIELD-LOG system. M.T. Vinayan explained the do’s and don’t’s in field phenotyping at various stages.

At the end, participants provided feedback on the course and thanked CIMMYT for organizing it. They also suggested adding other features to further enhance the usefulness of the FIELD-LOG system.

CIMMYT-CCAFS initiative develops 500 new climate-smart villages in Haryana, India

Written by on July 13, 2015. Posted in News.

A climate-smart farmer in Ludhiana, Punjab, India. Photo: P. Casier/CGIAR

The Department of Agriculture (DoA) of the Indian state of Haryana, in collaboration with CIMMYT-CCAFS, developed an action plan to mainstream climate-smart agriculture (CSA) in the state and develop 500 new climate-smart villages (CSVs), at a workshop held on 8 June 2015. Over the past three years, Haryana has successfully adopted CSA technologies and practices through a CSV initiative of CIMMYT and the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). Demand-driven policies and engagement by local governments are essential to ensure CSVs continue to expand throughout the country.

CSVs identify, adapt and evaluate demand-driven CSA interventions aimed at improving the capacity of local farmers to adapt to climate change. Northwest India, which is crucial to the country’s food security, faces diverse challenges to meet current and future food demands. Problems such as groundwater scarcity, soil health deterioration, heat stress, erratic rainfall due to climate change and high input costs are taking a toll on farmers.

In response, India has promoted a portfolio of successful CSA interventions, particularly in Haryana, and has developed over two dozen CSVs in the last three years. Rice-wheat systems in these CSVs have proven more resilient than other areas to tough climatic challenges, such as extremely high rainfall during the 2014-2015 winter season. While many farmers experienced yield losses of 30-50%, those in CSVs only lost 5-10%.

The success of 28 CSVs in Haryana’s Karnal district over the last three years has raised the confidence level of stakeholders, particularly the state’s DoA, which are now involved in developing more CSVs in the state in close collaboration with CIMMYT-CCAFS and partners.

According to an official letter issued by the DoA piloting the new 500 CSVs, “The farmers of our state are facing challenges of natural resource degradation, high input costs and frequent weather abrasions due to climate change. The adoption of climate-smart agriculture technologies [and] new innovative practices in agriculture is essential.”

CIMMYT-CCAFS climate-smart village site in Haryana, India. Photo: CIMMYT/CCAF

Farmer-friendly policies that prioritize CSA have been implemented by the government of Haryana, but more has to be done to ensure further adoption of CSA throughout the state and the country. During the workshop, a roadmap was designed for implementing the 500 CSVs, that includes devising strategies to attract rural youth and women to agribusinesses across the state. Suresh Gehlawat, Additional Director Agriculture, government of Haryana, called this approach a “win-win for all stakeholders.” Knowledge sharing and capacity building to promote CSAs contribute to the continuous expansion of CSVs across state and country.

Learning climate smart agricultural practices empowers women farmers in Haryana

Written by on July 6, 2015. Posted in News.

Haryana is traditionally an agrarian state where many farm operations are undertaken by women; however, in this male-dominated farm society, decision-making does not involve women folk. Under CIMMYT-CCAFS, we developed a farm budgeting booklet that was distributed to women and men farmers in climate-smart villages (CSVs) and got very good response from young educated women farmers. To further empower them, we have been training women farmers in these CSVs to make them confident farmers so that in this world of changing climate, they are knowledge-empowered and able to increase their family income and develop stable rural livelihoods by actively contributing to decision-making.

During training, women farmers are taught technical aspects of agriculture such as how to sow direct-seeded rice and the importance of fertilizer management and crop yield.

They also become acquainted with a farm lekha jokha book, which is an accounting and farm management tool that allows farmers to understand and compare farm expenses that, though important, are commonly neglected. This book was designed keeping in mind the situation of women farmers in Haryana. Keeping a record of farm practices makes women more knowledgeable, thereby escalating their decision-making authority at home. Their decision-making is supported by their understanding of technological interventions that help them manage their farms more efficiently and reduce the errors of current farm practices by analyzing data which they record in this book.

Training makes women farmers realize that their knowledge is not only technical but valuable. We hope this realization will lead them to consciously explore, strengthen and share the expertise they have acquired.

Direct sowing of rice (DSR) in Unchasaman village, Haryana. Photo: CIMMYT

Director General Martin Kropff on Science Week 2015: “Taking CIMMYT to the next level”

Written by on June 30, 2015. Posted in News.

During Science Week (15-18 June) held at CIMMYT headquarters in El Batán, Mexico, scientists from around the world gathered to share the successes and review the activities of different CIMMYT programs. Attendees sought to find solutions to help meet global food needs related to basic cereals, as well as combat poverty and face the challenges posed by climate change.

CIMMYT staff from around the world came together to discuss key points and identify new opportunities for improving work quality, learn-change processes, work plans for the coming decades and CIMMYT’s role in science and development.

“The main objective of this Science Week is to take CIMMYT to a higher level of quality and create more impacts,” said CIMMYT Director General Martin Kropff, who welcomed scientists from all over the world. Kropff highlighted the importance of research to learn change processes for the next decades and reaffirm CIMMYT’s goals while interacting with external partners.

For Kropff, Science Week is an opportunity to develop better communication channels so that the ideas of all participants can help formulate a new strategy that fosters better cooperation among the different CIMMYT programs in order to achieve the best impacts.

Kropff also mentioned the importance of CIMMYT’s genetic breeding work, the work done in our germplasm banks and of strategies aimed at achieving sustainable intensification of cereal production worldwide.

Science Week 2015 participants at welcome and introduction ceremony. Photo: CIMMYT

“CIMMYT is a great institution and has grown very quickly, so it is necessary to put all our scientists to work and develop new plans, new projects and new ways of making future impacts,” said Kropff.

In his final remarks, the Director General said he was very happy to be part of CIMMYT because of the great scope for improvement that events like Science Week provide. “This is the best start one could have, to know all CIMMYT staff worldwide and that they know me, so we can communicate more openly,” Kropff said.

Bangladeshi scientists learn to develop stress-resilient maize

Written by on June 24, 2015. Posted in News.

The Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) and CIMMYT organized a training course on developing stress tolerant maize at BARI facilities in Gazipur, Joydebpur, Bangladesh, on 21 April 2015. The course, part of CIMMYT’s Heat Tolerant Maize for Asia (HTMA) project supported by the United States Agency for International Development under its Feed the Future initiative, gave maize scientists the opportunity to learn the principles, tools and techniques involved in developing high yielding maize hybrids with enhanced tolerance to major abiotic stresses such as drought and heat, as well as how to effectively deploy them.

Ensuring that high yielding, improved varieties continue to be developed in Bangladesh is vital for smallholder farmers to have reliable seed that can thrive despite these abiotic stresses. “Stress tolerant maize hybrids are important to ensure sustainable food security in Bangladesh, especially in view of climate change effects, as our country is identified as one of the most vulnerable zones,” said Mohammad Amiruzzaman, BARI Chief Scientific Officer and Plant Breeder.

Attending the course were nearly 30 participants (11 female scientists among them), including maize breeders, agronomists and physiologists from BARI and three other research stations working on maize in Bangladesh. During the course, P.H. Zaidi, CIMMYT Senior Maize Physiologist and HTMA Project Leader, gave lectures on developing stress tolerant maize hybrids, on maize phenology and physiology, and on how maize responds to heat stress; he also provided the technical details of precision phenotyping and the selection criteria used for heat stress breeding. A.R. Sadananda, CIMMYT Maize Seed System Specialist, gave a talk on testing and deploying selected hybrids.

Participants in the course on developing stress-resilient maize. Photo: Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute

“Maize is one of the important crops for the food security of Bangladesh,” said Md. Jalal Uddin, BARI Director of Research in his concluding remarks. He added that the course was a great opportunity for maize researchers to learn many useful aspects of maize improvement and thanked CIMMYT and USAID for the support provided to the Bangladesh Maize Program.

HTMA offers stress-resilient maize hybrids to meet Bangladesh’s growing demand

Written by on June 8, 2015. Posted in News.

CIMMYT’s Heat Stress Tolerant Maize for Asia (HTMA) project held a hybrid maize field day during 21-22 April at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute’s (BARI) Regional Agricultural Research Stations (RARS) in Khoirtola, Jessore and Gazipur. The event was attended by over 60 participants, including local maize farmers, Bangladeshi seed company representatives, agricultural input dealers, Bangladesh government seed system officers and BARI maize researchers.

Rafiqul Islam Mondal, BARI Director General, addressing the participants in HTMA’s hybrid field day held in Jessore, Bangladesh. Photo: BARI. — Rafiqul Islam Mondal, BARI Director General, addressing the participants
in HTMA’s hybrid field day held in Jessore, Bangladesh. Photo: BARI.

Maize is the third most important food crop in Bangladesh after rice and wheat, covering from 3,000 hectares (ha) in 1990 to over 300,000 ha at present. This growth is largely demand driven, as maize is used both as feed (poultry, fish and cattle) and food. Annual maize demand in the country is approximately two million tons, with domestic production meeting only about 14% of that. Almost all maize grown is hybrid maize, and about 6,500 metric tons of hybrid seed are required annually. However, only about 15% of annual seed demand is met by domestic seed production; the rest is imported, mainly from India. Bangladesh must enhance domestic sources of hybrid seed to meet demand more reliably and at a lower cost.

To accelerate hybrid maize production and address climate-change effects, BARI joined HTMA in developing and deploying high-yielding, climate-resilient hybrids for stress-prone ecologies across the region. Under the project, which is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), every two years a new wave of products is available for on-farm testing and deployment. The most recent hybrids were planted at four locations in Bangladesh, including BARI research stations.

HTMA project details and progress were shared with participants during a pre-field visit session by Sirajul Islam, Chief Scientific Officer and Head of BARI-RARS, Jessore. CIMMYT maize breeder P.H. Zaidi discussed HTMA’s potential impact and importance in addressing climate change effects, especially in Bangladesh. Salahuddin Ahmad, BARI’s Principal Scientific Officer, gave an overview of the 24 HTMA hybrids, plus four popular commercial hybrids and two BARI hybrids that were planted in the field. Participants then visited the field sites and evaluated the HTMA hybrids, scoring each one by preference. Of the 30 hybrids, the top 8 were from HTMA. Many participants, including Nurul Hoque, Additional General Manager of the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), Nasir Uddin Khan, DAE Additional Director, Jessore Region, and Jalal Uddin, BARI Director of Research, expressed the need to increase domestic maize production to minimize imports and maintain food security and self-sufficiency.

Sadananda explained the importance of public and private sector partnerships for successful development and deployment of the HTMA hybrids. T.P. Tiwari also stressed the need for maize diversification to achieve sustainable production and the need to develop salt tolerant varieties. B.R. Banik, BARI Training and Coordination Director, said the newly developed HTMA hybrids will help Bangladesh deal with climate change effects currently and in the future.

Rafiqul Islam Mondal, BARI Director General, highlighted HTMA’s progress and the need to explore the potential for cultivating maize in unutilized areas to boost production.

“It is truly exciting to see the enthusiasm of stakeholders,” said Mohammad Amiruzzaman, Chief Scientific Officer of BARI’s Plant Breeding Division, in his concluding remarks. “We will work on finalizing the best-bet products, officially register and then deploy them in collaboration with our seed company partners.”

Other participants included representatives from Lal Teer Seed Ltd., Supreme Seed Company Ltd., ACI Ltd., Krishi-bid Group, Monsanto Bangladesh Ltd., Syngenta, Petrochem Ltd., the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC), Christian Commission for Development in Bangladesh (CCDB), Katalyst, BADC and the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE). CIMMYT representatives included T. P. Tiwari, CIMMYT-Bangladesh Country Liaison Officer, P.H. Zaidi, Senior Maize Physiologist and HTMA Project Leader, and A.R. Sadananda, Seed System Specialist.

Well-positioned for next phase, CSISA India plans for monsoon cropping season

Written by on June 1, 2015. Posted in News.

As Phase II of the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) draws to a close in India, it is well positioned for a Phase III, according to Andrew McDonald, CIMMYT Cropping Systems Agronomist and CSISA Project Leader speaking at the Objective 1 planning and evaluation meeting for the 2015 monsoon cropping season held in Kathmandu, Nepal, on 22-24 April. The meeting was attended by CSISA’s Objective 1 teams from the Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Tamil Nadu hubs, comprising diverse disciplinary experts from CIMMYT, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

Phase II began in October 2012 and will be completed in October of this year. The external evaluation report, commissioned by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), commended the uniqueness of CSISA’s work with service providers and farmers, its staff’s dedication and the strong collaboration among CSISA partners. CSISA was established in 2009 to promote durable change at scale in South Asia’s cereal-based cropping systems, and operates rural “innovation hubs” throughout Bangladesh, India and Nepal.

The teams took a critical view of activities from the previous monsoon cropping season and highlighted priority areas for this year. “Sustainable intensification of cropping systems should be the centerpiece of our growth strategy. Rice followed by mustard followed by spring maize or green gram is a great system that can help us achieve 300% cropping intensity,” said R.K. Malik, CIMMYT Senior Agronomist and CSISA Objective 1 Leader. “We need to focus not only on how to create new service providers but also on how existing ones can be used as master trainers. This will help fill the gap of field technicians and further strengthen delivery,” Malik explained, regarding CSISA’s network of more than 1,800 service providers.

Andrew McDonald, CSISA Project Leader, speaks at CSISA’s planning and evaluation meeting in Kathmandu, Nepal. Photo: Ashwamegh Banerjee

Leading discussions on the Odisha hub, Sudhir Yadav, IRRI Irrigated Systems Agronomist, emphasized the importance of identifying the non-negotiable steps for successful technology implementation. “The performance of zero tillage, for example, depends on soil type, date of seeding and whether the crop is rainfed or receives supplementary irrigation,” said Yadav. CSISA successfully introduced zero tillage in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj District, where it has enabled crop intensification thanks to the retention of residual soil moisture.

The meeting served as a platform for representatives from Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) Improved Rice-based Rainfed Agricultural Systems project to showcase lessons in managing rainfed rice systems in northern Bihar.

CSISA is currently in discussions with USAID and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) to design the technical program, and determine the scope, geography, duration and budget of Phase III.

Maize protects Colombian coffee from climate change

Written by on June 1, 2015. Posted in News.

The Eddy Covariance microclimate station in Paraguaycito takes meteorological data needed to predict climate variability. Phots: Claudio Romero Perilla.

Preliminary results have shown that a maize-coffee cropping system acts like a huge atmospheric carbon sink, capturing up to 60 times more carbon than a coffee-bean system during one cycle of the associated temporary bean crop. In addition, maize creates a more adequate micro-climate for coffee’s growth and development because it reduces air temperature, helps to maintain soil moisture and decreases daytime-nighttime soil temperature fluctuations. This has a buffer effect that benefits soil biochemical processes and improves crop productivity.

To demonstrate advances of the project “Increasing the profitability of maize-coffee systems” that CIMMYT has been conducting in Colombia for 10 years in collaboration with the National Federation of Colombian Coffee Producers (FEDERECAFE, Spanish acronym), two field days were held at the Paraguaycito–Quindío (29 April) and La Catalina–Risaralda (7 May) Experiment Stations belonging to CENICAFE, FEDERECAFE’s research unit. At these events, attended by 158 representatives of the Local Coffee Growers’ Committees and the National Federation of Cereal Growers (FENALCE, Spanish acronym), the latest advances in the areas of climate change, agronomy and genetic improvement were presented.*

At Paraguaycito, CENICAFE agronomists Myriam Cañon and Angela Castaño explain the effects of climate on the coffee-maize system.

On the subject of climate change, Angela Castaño, a Ph.D. student at Cauca University linked to CENICAFE, indicated that at the Paraguaycito Experiment Station, the performance of agro-ecosystem depends on energy-water-carbon dynamics, because its distribution is related to the production system. In the case of coffee, solar radiation, water and atmospheric carbon are distributed differently depending on whether the coffee is fully exposed to the sun, or if it is grown in association with other crops.

With the aim of studying energy-water-carbon dynamics in different coffee production systems, at Paraguaycito there is an Eddy Covariance micro-climate station that measures the sun’s energy and the amount of carbon and water vapor in the production system. Strategically placed sensors in the micro-climate station measure air and soil temperature and humidity, as well as the flow of latent heat (energy used for evapotranspiration) and of perceivable heat (energy used to heat the air). This information is used to study four types of agro-ecosystems that include growing temporary crops during the growth stage of coffee, namely, coffee with maize; coffee with common beans; coffee with pigeon-pea; and coffee under full sun exposure.

Myriam Cañon, Paraguaycito Station Coordinator, mentioned that the coffee-maize association reduces the number of coffee plants that die.

Diego Montoya, La Catalina Station Coordinator, explained that rain is now less frequent but more intense. This causes damage due to surface runoff on the steep terrain where coffee is grown in Colombia. However, there is less damage when coffee is cropped in association with maize because the soil is better protected by both crops.

This is the first of a two-part report; the second part will be published in the next issue of the CIMMYT Informa.

SUPER WOMAN: Julie King tames wild relatives of wheat, improving resilience

Written by on May 29, 2015. Posted in Features.

GENETIC VARIATION AND DIVERSITY TRANSFER ACROSS DIFFERENT GRASS SPECIES

International Women’s Day on March 8, offers an opportunity to recognize the achievements of women worldwide. This year, CIMMYT asked readers to submit stories about women they admire for their selfless dedication to either maize or wheat. In the following story, wheat breeder Jessica Rutkoski writes about her Super Woman of wheat, Julie King, a research fellow at Britain’s University of Nottingham.

Wild relatives of wheat are of particular importance to wheat breeders trying to develop disease-resistant and high-yielding varieties that can tolerate various environmental stresses, including drought and poor quality soils.

These wild grasses, cousins to the ancestors of modern-day wheat, provide a vast and largely untapped source of genetic variation for almost all traits important for wheat growers.

Plant geneticist Julie King, a research fellow with the University of Nottingham, has developed a new strategy for transferring genetic variation and diversity across different grass species. This strategy is now being used to transfer genetic variation into wheat from its distant relatives, which carry key disease resistance and stress tolerance genes. Very few people in the world are capable of this work, and so Julie plays a key role in adding new variations.

By crossing wheat with its wild relatives, a painstaking process, Julie and her research team aim to improve the ability of wheat to tolerate heat, drought, and salt – of key benefit in a world where freshwater is going to become even more scarce amid changing climate and population pressures.

Working with wild relatives is very difficult and not many people can do it – it’s like magic. It almost takes super powers to overcome the many barriers that can prevent hybridization of the species – so many crosses fail.

Any views expressed in this article are those of the author and not of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center.

SUPER WOMAN: Suchismita Mondal develops climate change resilient wheat

Written by on May 29, 2015. Posted in Features.

EL BATAN, Mexico (CIMMYT) — Suchismita Mondal was inspired by the humble flour tortilla to take up a career as an international wheat breeder.

Mondal’s original intention was to focus on plant genetics, so she moved from India, where she earned her undergraduate degree at Banaras Hindu University, to the United States to attend Texas A&M University.

Once there, her studies were focused on the application of genetics in breeding for wheat germplasm that would lead to improved tortilla quality, under the guidance of Dr. Dirk Hays, her master’s degree advisor.

“Being involved in the project, developing crosses and evaluating germplasm was my initial point of interest in breeding,” Mondal said, adding that she was also inspired by a conversation she had with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Norman Borlaug, who was teaching at the university.

Borlaug is known as the father of the Green Revolution due to the semi-dwarf wheat varieties he developed at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), which are credited with saving more than 1 billion lives in India, Pakistan and other parts of the developing world.

“Learning about the direct impact of a breeder’s work in the farmers’ fields and lives of millions of people was also a significant motivation, not only to become a breeder, but also to work at CIMMYT,” said Mondal.

Later, for her doctoral degree, she went on to research the function of genetic controls for heat-stress resilience in winter wheat.

Following her graduation in 2011, she realized her ambition and began working at CIMMYT. Since then, Mondal has developed her career at CIMMYT — working with distinguished scientist Ravi Singh — where she is now an associate scientist in the bread wheat breeding program and develops high-yielding heat and drought tolerant germplasm.

Her work in the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) project has led to the identification of early-maturing, high-yielding, heat-tolerant lines with 10- to 15-percent superior yields in the heat-stressed environments of South Asia, two of which were released in India while various others are at different stages of testing.

“Strive hard, stay motivated,” she advises her successors, the upcoming generation of women scientists.

Seeds for needs in Malawi

Written by on May 22, 2015. Posted in Features.

On May 6, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Government of Malawi jointly launched five projects on food security, fisheries and environment. The USD-141-million-worth projects will be implemented by USAID in 13 districts over a five-year period.

These complementary projects are designed to work together to strengthen resilience to climate change, increase production and improve nutrition in targeted communities. The projects also connect with other USAID–Malawi activities in these areas.

More than 1,000 people attended the launch, representing farmer associations, USAID, local communities, non-governmental organizations, research institutions, Malawi government departments, seed companies, and CGIAR.

Officiating the launch held in Machinga District were Ms. Virginia Palmer, the United States Ambassador to Malawi; Dr. Allan Chiyembekeza, the Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Water Development; and Mr. Bright Msaka, the Minister of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining.

Ms, Virginia Palmer (left), US Ambassador to Malawi, and Dr Peter Setimela (CIMMYT–SARO), with the Feed the Future Malawi Improved Seed Systems and Technologies Project certificate of launch. Malawi heavily relies on agriculture for economic growth, with 80 percent of the country’s population engaged fulltime in agriculture.

Through the USD-21-million Feed the Future Malawi Improved Seed Systems and Technologies project, a consortium of agricultural research centers led by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is working to increase the supply and distribution of quality seed for maize, groundnuts, pigeonpeas, soybeans and sweet potatoes, and on developing an aflatoxin control product in seven focus districts in South-central Malawi. Other members of this consortium are CIMMYT, the International Potato Center, and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture.

Partnerships for progress

Feed the Future is the U.S government’s global hunger and food security initiative.

ICRISAT and its partners are working closely with the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Water Development. USAID support will promote the production and multiplication of breeder, basic and certified seed by skilled seed growers to ensure smallholder farmers have greater access to improved seed.

Winds of change in a changing world
Much of southern Malawi can no longer depend on traditional rain cycles in the face of climate change. Some districts, such as Machinga in the Southern Region, live under rain shadows – areas on the leeward side of the mountains where winds push the dry heat upward and drive promising rain clouds away, resulting in chronic droughts.

Ambassador Palmer’s speech focused on integrating development programs to enhance community resilience and lead to better outcomes. “We think this strong focus on co-location, coordination and collaboration will allow us to advance sustainable livelihood opportunities at a greater scale – and with greater impact – than would otherwise be possible.”

She also said this integration of USAID development projects in Malawi might soon become a model for development worldwide.

Seeds for needs, now and in the future
Dr. Peter Setimela, CIMMYT–Southern Africa Regional Office Seed Systems Specialist, observed: “To popularize drought-tolerant maize varieties, CIMMYT will support pre-basic and basic seed production, field days and demonstration plots to benefit smallholder farmers. We will support capacity building of both private-sector seed companies and government seed inspectors to improve overall quality and seed marketing in Malawi.”

Dr. Peter Setimela (wearing fleece), CIMMYT–SARO Seed Systems Specialist, explains CIMMYT's work on drought-tolerant maize. In the next three years, CIMMYT hopes to reach 50,000 households in Malawi with drought-tolerant maize varieties to help smallholder farmers adapt to the impacts of climate change. — Dr. Peter Setimela (wearing fleece), CIMMYT–SARO Seed Systems Specialist, explains CIMMYT’s work on drought-tolerant maize. In the next three years, CIMMYT hopes to reach 50,000 households in Malawi with drought-tolerant maize varieties to help smallholder farmers adapt to the impacts of climate change.

At only 25 percent, use of improved seeds is still very low among smallholders in Malawi. Maize yields are below 2 tonnes per hectare, whereas there are varieties available that can yield as much as 10 tonnes per hectare.

Over the next three years, CIMMYT hopes to reach 50,000 households with drought-tolerant maize varieties. This will ultimately reduce poverty and help farmers adapt to the impacts of climate change.
A seed system in a well-linked value chain is very important and had been missing in previous development efforts in the country.

“The design of the Improved Seed Systems and Technologies Project addresses these issues. My ministry is also keen to further work with the US government to ensure that these research activities reach Malawi’s smallholder farmers,’’ said Dr. Chiyembekeza.

In a country where more than half the population lives below the poverty line, the Southern Region has the highest percentage of poor households. Malawians are mainly farmers, and with 85 percent of the population depending on rain, these recurring droughts make it harder to feed the family – nearly one-quarter of Malawians cannot meet their daily food needs.

World Food Prize laureate Rajaram honored at World Food Forum

Written by on April 28, 2015. Posted in News.

From right to left: Alejandro Violic, retired CIMMYT training specialist, Sanjaya Rajaram and Juan Izquierdo, FAO consultant. Photo: Juan Izquierdo, FAO consultant

Sanjaya Rajaram, recipient of the 2014 World Food Prize, told more than 200 participants at the World Food Forum in Santiago, Chile, on 14 April, that he held hopes for a “second Green Revolution.”

Speaking to an audience that included the Chilean Minister of Agriculture, Carlos Furche Guajardo, Rajaram talked about feeding the world’s growing population and the challenges that farmers face to achieve this, which include rising temperatures and more extreme and erratic rainfall. Rajaram emphasized the importance of small-scale agriculture, genetically-modified crops and biofortified crop varieties to provide more nutritious food.

The event included a special recognition for Rajaram’s outstanding work at CIMMYT, along with Dr. Norman Borlaug, to develop more than 500 wheat varieties.

The Forum was organized by CROPLIFE,whose members include Dow, FMC, DuPont, BASF, Bayer, Monsanto, Syngenta and Arista.

Climate-smart agriculture achievements inspire support for BISA-CIMMYT in Bihar, India

Written by on April 28, 2015. Posted in News.

The Director of Agriculture (3rd from left) and the District Collector (2nd from right) view a demonstration of urea drilling in a standing wheat crop. Photo: Manish Kumar/CIMMYT

The Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA), CIMMYT and stakeholders are developing, adapting and spreading climate-smart agriculture technologies throughout Bihar, India. During the 2014-2015 winter season, BISA hosted visits for national and international stakeholders to view the progress of participatory technology adaption modules and climate-smart villages throughout the region.

“It is very encouraging to see the [BISA-CIMMYT’s] trials of new upcoming technology…We will be ready to support this,” wrote Dharmendra Singh, Bihar’s Director of Agriculture, in the visitor book during a state agriculture department visit to one of BISA’s research farms and climate-smart villages in Pusa. BISA, CIMMYT and the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), in collaboration with local stakeholders and farmer groups, established 15 Borlaug climate-smart villages in Samastipur district and 20 in Vaishali district, as part of a 2012 research initiative to test various climate-smart tools, approaches and techniques.

Agriculture Production Commissioner (3rd from the left) discussing climate smart practices with farmers in Digambra village. Photo: Deepak/CIMMYT

“I could understand conservation agriculture better than ever after seeing the crop and crop geometry in the field today,” wrote Mangla Rai, former Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) & Agriculture Advisor to the Chief Minister of Bihar. Raj Kumar Jat and M.L. Jat, CIMMYT cropping system agronomist and senior cropping system agronomist, respectively, showcased research trials on zero-tillage potato and maize, early-planted dual-purpose wheat, precision nutrient management in maize-wheat systems under conservation agriculture, genotype -by- environment interaction in wheat and crop intensification in rice-wheat systems through introduction of inter-cropping practices. Raj Kumar Jat also gave a presentation on how to increase cropping intensity in Bihar by 300% through timely planting and direct seeding techniques.

“Technologies like direct-seeded rice and zero-till wheat, which save both time and labor, should be adapted and transferred to Bihar’s farmers,” said Thomas A. Lumpkin, CIMMYT director general, at a meeting of the CIMMYT Board of Trustees with the Chief Minister of Bihar and other government representatives. “BISA is a key partner in building farmer and extension worker capacity, in addition to testing and promoting innovative agriculture technologies.”

The Agriculture Minister of Bihar visiting a zero tillage wheat field in a climate-smart village ( Bhagwatpur) of Samstipur district. Photo: Deepak/CIMMYT

“State agriculture officials should support BISA to hold trainings on direct-seeded rice for fast dissemination across Bihar,” agreed Vijay Chaudhary, Agriculture Minister of Bihar, at a BISA field day. Chaudhary along with 600 farmers and officials visited a climate-smart village where farmers plant wheat using zero tillage. Zero-till wheat is sown directly into soil and residues from previous crops, allowing farmers to plant seed early and to avoid losing yields due to pre-monsoon heat later in the season. Direct-seeded rice is sown and sprouted directly in the field, eliminating labor- and water-intensive seedling nurseries.

During the Bihar Festival, 22-24 March, BISA-CIMMYT showcased conservation agriculture practices and live demonstrations of quality protein maize-based food products, with over 10,000 famers and visitors participating. Vijoy Prakash, Agriculture Production Commissioner of Bihar, and other Bihar government officials discussed with farmers about new BISA-CIMMYT agriculture practices and emphasized the need to “introduce conservation agriculture in the state government’s agricultural technology dissemination program.” Prakash, along with government representatives, has approved two BISA proposals for a training hostel and research.