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Theme: Environmental health and biodiversity

The world needs better management of water, soil, nutrients, and biodiversity in crop, livestock, and fisheries systems, coupled with higher-order landscape considerations as well as circular economy and agroecological approaches.

CIMMYT and CGIAR use modern digital tools to bring together state-of-the-art Earth system observation and big data analysis to inform co-design of global solutions and national policies.

Our maize and wheat genebanks preserve the legacy of biodiversity, while breeders and researchers look at ways to reduce the environmental footprint of agriculture.

Ultimately, our work helps stay within planetary boundaries and limit water use, nutrient use, pollution, undesirable land use change, and biodiversity loss.

Linking sustainable agricultural methods

While agricultural food systems feed the world, they also account for nearly a third of the world’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Reducing the negative environmental footprint of agrifood systems while at the same time maintaining or increasing yields is one of the most important endeavors in the world’s efforts to combat climate change.

One promising mechanism is carbon credits, a set of sustainable agricultural practices designed to enhance the soil’s ability to capture carbon and decrease the amount of GHG’s released into the atmosphere.

Farmers generate these carbon credits based on their reduction of carbon released and then sell these credits in the voluntary carbon market, addressing the critical concern of sustainably transforming agricultural systems without harming farmers’ livelihoods.

Two is better than one

Conservation Agriculture (CA) is a system that involves minimum soil disturbance, crop residue retention, and crop diversification, among other agricultural practices. Its potential to mitigate threats from climate change while increasing yields has made it increasingly popular.

Using remote sensing data and surveys with farmers in the Indian states of Bihar and Punjab, four CIMMYT researchers quantified the effect on farmer’s incomes by combining CA methods with carbon credits. Their findings were published in the April 22, 2024, issue of Scientific Reports.

Previous CIMMYT research has shown that implementing three CA practices: efficient fertilizer use, zero-tillage, and improved rice-water management could achieve more than 50% of India’s potential GHG reductions, amounting to 85.5 million tons of CO2.

“Successfully implemented carbon credit projects could reward farmers when they adopt and continue CA practices,” said Adeeth Cariappa, lead author and environmental and resource economist at CIMMYT. “This creates a win–win scenario for all stakeholders, including farmers, carbon credit businesses, corporate customers, the government, and the entire economy.”

Farmers would enjoy an additional income source, private sectors would engage in employment-generating activities, the government would realize cost savings, and economic growth would be stimulated through the demand generated by these activities.

Less carbon and more income

The researchers found by adopting CA practices in wheat production season, farmers can reduce GHG emissions by 1.23 and 1.97 tons of CO2 per hectare of land in Bihar and Punjab States, respectively.

The researchers determined that CA practices, when combined with carbon credits, could boost farmer income by US $18 per hectare in Bihar and US $30 per hectare in Punjab. In Punjab, however, there is a ban on burning agricultural residue, which reduces potential earnings from carbon markets to US $16 per hectare.

“More farmers engaging CA methods is an overall positive for the environment,” said Cariappa. “But convincing individual farmers can be a struggle. By showing them that carbon credits are another potential source of income, along with increased yields, the case for CA is that much stronger.”

While the potential benefits are significant, there are challenges to linking CA and carbon credits.

“To achieve these potential benefits, carbon credit prices must rise, and projects must be carefully planned, designed, monitored, and implemented,” said Cariappa. “This includes selecting the right interventions and project areas, engaging with farmers effectively, and ensuring robust monitoring and implementation mechanisms.”

Eight-year study in India by CGIAR and ICAR scientists suggests adoption of Conservation Agriculture can boost yields and manage an increasing carbon footprint

Twenty-twenty four is set to become one of the hottest years on record. Warmer temperatures are destabilizing ecosystems, threatening human life, and weakening our food systems. On Earth Overshoot Day, CIMMYT calls for increased attention to the interplay between environmental health and efficient, abundant food production through sustainable practices.

Food systems are one of the top contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, accounting for one-third of all human-caused GHG emissions. While contributing to climate change, food production is also sorely impacted by it, undermining agrarian livelihoods and the ability to feed an increasing global population. Extreme and unpredictable weather is causing economic hardship, food and nutrition insecurity, and use of environmentally harmful practices.

In the Western Indo-Gangetic Plains of India, rice and wheat are the dominant staple crops, grown yearly in rotations covering more than 13 million hectares. But conventional tillage-based methods have been unable to increase yields. Some of these traditional methods based on intensive tillage have harmed the soil, exhausted aquifers, and increased GHG emissions, without raising crop yields. CGIAR soil and climate scientists and agronomists have partnered to find solutions that help increase rice and wheat production, while minimizing harmful environmental effects.

One of the CA-based practice research fields at ICAR-CSSRI. (Photo: Nima Chodon/CIMMYT)

At CIMMYT, we interviewed a group of CGIAR scientists who recently published a long-term study on sustainable intensification in the Western Indo-Gangetic Plains. Their work, conducted at the Central Soil and Salinity Research Institute (ICAR-CSSRI) in Karnal, India, demonstrates how integrating Conservation Agriculture (CA)-based principles into cropping systems can support climate-resilient and sustainable food systems.

“Today, agriculture faces many challenges, such as increasing input costs to maintain yield in the face of climate change and ensuring the sustainability of agricultural land,” said Mahesh Gathala, senior scientist at CIMMYT.

He mentioned that the collaborative research spanned over eight years, covering various crops and cropping cycles, and studying seven scenarios representing different farming practices. One scenario was based on farmers’ existing practices, while the other six involved combining and integrating the agronomic management practices and crop diversification options based on CA principles. The team collected data on yield, profitability, soil health, global warming potential, and fertilizer use, to name critical factors.

Gathala highlighted, “The findings are consistent with our previous research conclusions, while reinforcing the significant compounding impact of Conservation Agriculture-based cropping practices in the region, in the long-run.”

According to M.L. Jat, a former CIMMYT scientist who is global director for ICRISAT’s Resilient Farm and Food Systems Program, the CA-based measures that emerged from this research are applicable in much of the Western Indo-Gangetic Plains and beyond.

“Most of our research trials over some 2-5 years have provided substantial evidence in favor of Conservation Agriculture-based cropping diversification and sustainable intensification,” Jat said. “However, this study is one of very few long-term, collaborative research trials that provide strong evidence for policy decisions on resilient, climate-smart cropping system optimization to boost yields and nutrition, while improving soil health and fighting climate change.”

Other lead authors of the publication, Timothy Krupnik, principal scientist at CIMMYT and CGIAR South Asia, and Tek Sapkota, the Climate Change Science lead at CIMMYT, provided further explanation of important lessons from this eight-year study.

Two CA-based practice research scenarios at ICAR-CSSRI. (Photo: Nima Chodon/CIMMYT)
How does CA contribute to the sustainable and conscious use of natural resources? In what ways could CA be framed to governments to develop policies that do a better job of feeding us nutritious food while contributing to climate change adaptation and mitigation?

Tek Sapkota: Conservation Agriculture promotes the production of nutritious, diversified crops, sustainable yield improvements, climate change adaptation, economic benefits, and environmental protection. Governments can support these initiatives through financial incentives, subsidies, investment in research and extension services, and the development of supporting infrastructure and market access. This support further enables farmers to implement and benefit from sustainable agricultural practices.

CIMMYT and CGIAR-led projects in South Asia, like CSISA/SRFSI/TAFFSA, have already recorded some wins for CA implementation. What are some immediate implications of this study on CIMMYT’s ability to deliver this knowledge to more smallholders in the region?

Timothy Krupnik: The ICAR-CIMMYT partnership establishes long-term experiments, or living labs, across diverse ecologies to build trust among smallholder farmers, extension workers, and stakeholders. These initiatives aim to demonstrate CA’s benefits, as part of sustainable intensification. The science-based evidence generated will be co-owned by partners, through their extension networks, and shared with farm communities to highlight CA’s advantages. Additionally, the study supports reducing carbon footprints, contributing to climate change mitigation and sustainable agricultural practices and potentially used by carbon market players to disseminate CA.

Apart from climate resilience, could you explain what are the economic benefits of diversification in the rice-wheat dominant systems?

Tek Sapkota: Diversifying away from rice-wheat cropping systems provides significant economic benefits beyond climate resilience. It enhances income stability, improves resource use efficiency, maintains soil health, reduces production costs (such as irrigation expenses and water usage), and opens up new market opportunities. Diversification contributes to the creation of more sustainable and profitable farming systems.

How can CGIAR and national agricultural research and extension systems promote more widespread adoption of these technologies by farmers in South Asia and beyond?

Tek Sapkota: By establishing a multi-stakeholder platform for learning, knowledge sharing, and developing adoption pathways, CGIAR Research Centers could work together with national partners to create programs that support capacity building and knowledge transfer. Another crucial step would be to collaboratively adapt and customize the technology to local production conditions ensuring smooth implementation at the grassroots level. Additionally, it is important to encourage innovations in policies, markets, institutions and financial mechanisms to facilitate scaling.

Read excerpts of the full journal article: Enhancing productivity, soil health, and reducing global warming potential through diverse conservation agriculture cropping systems in India’s Western Indo-Gangetic Plains

Sowing seeds of change to champion Conservation Agriculture

Florence Mutize’s thriving fields of maize, in Bindura, a small town in Mashonaland Central region of Zimbabwe, serve as living proof of the successes of Conservation Agriculture (CA), a sustainable cropping system that helps reverse soil degradation, augment soil health, increase crop yields, and reduce labor requirements while helping farmers adapt to climate change. The seeds of her hard work are paying off, empowering her family through education and ensuring that a nutritious meal is always within reach.

“I have been dedicated to these CA trials since 2004, starting on a small plot,” said Mutize. “Now, with years of experience and adaptation to changing climates, I’ve seen my yields increase significantly, harvesting up to a tonne of maize on a 30 by 30m plot using direct seeding and ripping techniques together with crop residue to cover the soil and rotating maize with soybean.”

Mutize is one of many mother trial host farmers implementing CA principles through the CGIAR Ukama Ustawi regional initiative in Bindura. A mother trial is a research approach involving testing and validating a suite of climate-smart agriculture technologies to identify the best-performing ones which can then be adopted on a larger scale.

Nestled in the Mazowe valley, Bindura experiences a subtropical climate characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters, ideal for agricultural production. But the extremes of the changing climate, like imminent dry spells and El Niño-induced threats, are endangering local farmers. Yet, smallholder farmers like Mutize have weathered the extremes and continued conducting mother trials, supported by the agriculture extension officers of the Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services (ARDAS) Department of the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development.

“Where I once harvested only five bags of maize, rotating maize with soybeans now yields 40 bags of maize and 10 bags of soybeans,” Mutize proudly shares.

The UU-supported CA program also extends to farmers in Shamva, like Elphas Chinyanga, another mother trial implementer since 2004.

Elphas Chinyanga and his son inspect maize cobs in their field. (Photo: CIMMYT)

“From experimenting with various fertilization methods to introducing mechanized options like ripping and direct seeding, these trials have continuously evolved,” said Chinyanga. “Learning from past experiences, we have gotten much more benefits and we have incorporated these practices into other fields beyond the trial area. I am leaving this legacy to my children to follow through and reap the rewards.”

Learning has been a crucial element in the dissemination of CA technologies, with CIMMYT implementing refresher training together with ARDAS officers to ensure that farmers continue to learn CA principles. As learning is a progressive cycle, it is important to package knowledge in a way that fits into current training and capacity development processes.

Pre-season refresher training with mother trial host farmers and extension in Hereford, Zimbabwe. (Photo: CIMMYT)

This process could also be labelled as “scaling deep” as it encourages farmers to move away from conventional agriculture technologies. Reciprocally, scientists have been learning from the experiences of farmers on the ground to understand what works and what needs improvement.

Inspired by the successes of his peers in Shamva, Hendrixious Zvomarima joined the program as a host farmer and saw a significant increase in yields and efficiency on his land.

“For three years, I have devoted time to learn and practice what other farmers like Elphas Chinyanga were practicing. It has been 14 years since joining, and this has been the best decision I have made as it has improved my yields while boosting my family’s food basket,” said Zvomarima.

The longevity and success of the initiative can be attributed to committed farmers like Mutize, Chinyanga, and Zvomarima, who have been part of the program since 2004 and are still executing the trials. Farmer commitment, progressive learning, and cultivating team spirit have been the success factors in implementing these trials. CIMMYT’s long-term advocacy and learning from the farmers has been key to a more sustainable, resilient, and empowered farming community.

Enhancing the resilience of our farmers and our food systems: global collaboration at DialogueNEXT

“Achieving food security by mid-century means producing at least 50 percent more food,” said U.S. Special Envoy for Global Food Security, Cary Fowler, citing a world population expected to reach 9.8 billion and suffering the dire effects of violent conflicts, rising heat, increased migration, and dramatic reductions in land and water resources and biodiversity. “Food systems need to be more sustainable, nutritious, and equitable.”

CIMMYT’s 2030 Strategy aims to build a diverse coalition of partners to lead the sustainable transformation of agrifood systems. This approach addresses factors influencing global development, plant health, food production, and the environment. At DialogueNEXT, CIMMYT and its network of partners showcased successful examples and promising directions for bolstering agricultural science and food security, focusing on poverty reduction, nutrition, and practical solutions for farmers.

Without healthy crops or soils, there is no food

CIMMYT’s MasAgro program in Mexico has enhanced farmer resilience by introducing high-yielding crop varieties, novel agricultural practices, and income-generation activities. Mexican farmer Diodora Petra Castillo Fajas shared how CIMMYT interventions have benefitted her family. “Our ancestors taught us to burn the stover, degrading our soils. CIMMYT introduced Conservation Agriculture, which maintains the stover and traps more humidity in the soil, yielding more crops with better nutritional properties,” she explained.

CIMMYT and African partners, in conjunction with USAID’s Feed the Future, have begun applying the MasAgro [1] model in sub-Saharan Africa through the Feed the Future Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AID-I), where as much as 80 percent of cultivated soils are poor, little or no fertilizer is applied, rainfed maize is the most widespread crop, many households lack balanced diets, and erratic rainfall and high temperatures require different approaches to agriculture and food systems.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and CIMMYT are partnering to carry out the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) movement in Africa and Central America. This essential movement for transforming food systems endorsed by the G7 focuses on crop improvement and soil health. VACS will invest in improving and spreading 60 indigenous “opportunity” crops—such as sorghum, millet, groundnut, pigeon pea, and yams, many of which have been grown primarily by women—to enrich soils and human diets together with the VACS Implementers’ Group, Champions, and Communities of Practice.

The MasAgro methodology has been fundamental in shaping the Feed the Future Southern Africa Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AID-I) Rapid Delivery Hub, an effort between government agencies, private, and public partners, including CGIAR. AID-I provides farmers with greater access to markets and extension services for improved seeds and crop varieties. Access to these services reduces the risk to climate and socioeconomic shocks and improves food security, economic livelihoods, and overall community resilience and prosperity.

Healthy soils are critical for crop health, but crops must also contain the necessary genetic traits to withstand extreme weather, provide nourishment, and be marketable. CIMMYT holds the largest maize and wheat gene bank, supported by the Crop Trust, offering untapped genetic material to develop more resilient varieties from these main cereal grains and other indigenous crops. Through the development of hardier and more adaptable varieties, CIMMYT and its partners commit to implementing stronger delivery systems to get improved seeds for more farmers. This approach prioritizes biodiversity conservation and addresses major drivers of instability: extreme weather, poverty, and hunger.

Food systems must be inclusive to combat systemic inequities

Successful projects and movements such as MasAgro, VACS, and AID-I are transforming the agricultural landscape across the Global South. But the urgent response required to reduce inequities and the needed investment to produce more nutritious food with greater access to cutting-edge technologies demands inclusive policies and frameworks like CIMMYT’s 2030 Strategy.

“In Latin America and throughout the world, there is still a huge gap between the access of information and technology,” said Secretary of Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras, Laura Elena Suazo Torres. “Civil society and the public and private sectors cannot have a sustainable impact if they work opposite to each other.”

Ismahane Elouafi, CGIAR executive managing director, emphasized that agriculture does not face, “a lack of innovative science and technology, but we’re not connecting the dots.” CIMMYT offers a pathway to bring together a system of partners from various fields—agriculture, genetic resources, crop breeding, and social sciences, among others—to address the many interlinked issues affecting food systems, helping to bring agricultural innovations closer to farmers and various disciplines to solve world hunger.

While healthy soils and crops are key to improved harvests, ensuring safe and nutritious food production is critical to alleviating hunger and inequities in food access. CIMMYT engages with private sector stakeholders such as Bimbo, GRUMA, Ingredion, Syngenta, Grupo Trimex, PepsiCo, and Heineken, to mention a few, to “link science, technology, and producers,” and ensure strong food systems, from the soils to the air and water, to transform vital cereals into safe foods to consume, like fortified bread and tortillas.

Reduced digital gaps can facilitate knowledge-sharing to scale-out improved agricultural practices like intercropping. The Rockefeller Foundation and CIMMYT have “embraced the complexity of diversity,” as mentioned by Roy Steiner, senior vice-president, through investments in intercropping, a crop system that involves growing two or more crops simultaneously and increases yields, diversifies diets, and provides economic resilience. CIMMYT has championed these systems in Mexico, containing multiple indicators of success from MasAgro.

Today, CIMMYT collaborates with CGIAR and Total LandCare to train farmers in southern and eastern Africa on the intercrop system with maize and legumes i.e., cowpea, soybean, and jack bean. CIMMYT also works with WorldVeg, a non-profit organization dedicated to vegetable research and development, to promote intercropping in vegetable farming to ensure efficient and safe production and connect vegetable farmers to markets, giving them more sources for greater financial security.

Conflict aggravates inequities and instability. CIMMYT leads the Feed the Future Sustainable Agrifood Systems Approach for Sudan (SASAS) which aims to deliver latest knowledge and technology to small scale producers to increase agricultural productivity, strengthen local and regional value chains, and enhance community resilience in war-torn countries like Sudan. CIMMYT has developed a strong partnership funded by USAID with ADRA, CIP, CRS, ICRISAT, IFDC, IFPRI, ILRI, Mercy Corps, Near East Foundation, Samaritan’s Purse, Syngenta Foundation, VSF, and WorldVeg, to devise solutions for Sudanese farmers. SASAS has already unlocked the potential of several well-suited vegetables and fruits like potatoes, okra, and tomatoes. These crops not only offer promising yields through improved seeds, but they encourage agricultural cooperatives, which promote income-generation activities, gender-inclusive practices, and greater access to diverse foods that bolster family nutrition. SASAS also champions livestock health providing food producers with additional sources of economic resilience.

National governments play a critical role in ensuring that vulnerable populations are included in global approaches to strengthen food systems. Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture, Victor Villalobos, shared examples of how government intervention and political will through people-centered policies provides greater direct investment to agriculture and reduces poverty, increasing shared prosperity and peace. “Advances must help to reduce gaps in development.” Greater access to improved agricultural practices and digital innovation maintains the field relevant for farmers and safeguards food security for society at large. Apart from Mexico, key government representatives from Bangladesh, Brazil, Honduras, India, and Vietnam reaffirmed their commitment to CIMMYT’s work.

Alice Ruhweza, senior director at the World Wildlife Fund for Nature, and Maria Emilia Macor, an Argentinian farmer, agreed that food systems must adopt a holistic approach. Ruhweza called it, “The great food puzzle, which means that one size does not fit all. We must integrate education and infrastructure into strengthening food systems and development.” Macor added, “The field must be strengthened to include everyone. We all contribute to producing more food.”

Generating solutions, together

In his closing address, which took place on World Population Day 2024, CIMMYT Director General Bram Govaerts thanked the World Food Prize for holding DialogueNEXT in Mexico and stressed the need for all partners to evolve, while aligning capabilities. “We have already passed several tipping points and emergency measures are needed to avert a global catastrophe,” he said. “Agrifood systems must adapt, and science has to generate solutions.”

Through its network of research centers, governments, private food producers, universities, and farmers, CIMMYT uses a multidisciplinary approach to ensure healthier crops, safe and nutritious food, and the dissemination of essential innovations for farmers. “CIMMYT cannot achieve these goals alone. We believe that successful cooperation is guided by facts and data and rooted in shared values, long-term commitment, and collective action. CIMMYT’s 2030 Strategy goes beyond transactional partnership and aims to build better partnerships through deeper and more impactful relationships. I invite you to partner with us to expand this collective effort together,” concluded Govaerts.

[1] Leveraging CIMMYT leadership, science, and partnerships and the funding and research capacity of Mexico’s Agriculture Ministry (SADER) during 2010-21, the program known as “MasAgro” helped over 300,000 participating farmers to adopt improved maize and wheat varieties and resource-conserving practices on more than 1 million hectares of farmland in 30 states of Mexico.

Visual summaries by Reilly Dow.

Unlocking Zambia’s maize potential through crop diversity

While maize is the primary staple food crop in Zambia, its productivity on farmers’ fields reaches on average only about 20 percent of what it could achieve with good agronomic practices. Some reasons for this inefficiency are use of traditional varieties, low fertilizer use, and ineffective weed and pest control.

Closing the gap between potential and realized yields would have major benefits for farmers in Zambia, both in terms of income and food security at the household and national levels. One possibility to increase maize productivity is by increasing crop diversity through the inclusion of legumes in maize-based farming systems. This could be done through intercropping, growing legumes in the rows between maize plants, or crop rotations and alternating maize and legumes in the same field from season to season.

CIMMYT scientists, along with collaborators from the Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI) and the University of Zambia’s School of Agricultural Science, set out to determine which cropping systems might lead to increased productivity for maize farmers in Zambia and their results were published in the journal Field Crops Research.

“There is great potential in Zambia to increase yields to help ensure food security,” said Mulundu Mwila, PhD candidate and scientist at ZARI. “We wanted to determine the cropping systems that offered the most benefits.”

Setting up the study

For this research, ZARI and CIMMYT scientists established maize-based cropping systems trials, comprising maize monocropping, and maize-legume rotations and intercrops under both ‘conventional’ tillage, and Conservation Agriculture, across 40 farms in a variety of agroecological zones in Zambia.  The team also conducted household surveys in the same communities hosting the on-farm trials to determine the share of households with enough cultivated land to benefit from the tested cropping systems.

Researchers found that the tested cropping systems produced more maize per hectare compared to non-trial host farms in the same region. The greatest positive effect uncovered was that maize-legume rotations in Zambia’s Eastern Province had the potential to increase maize yield by 1 to 2 tons per hectare, per growing season. “The Eastern Province trials showed better results because of stable and adequate rainfall amounts and distribution and because of using groundnut as a rotation crop,” said Mwila.

Researchers attributed the small effect of legumes on maize yield in the Southern Province to low levels of biomass production and nitrogen fixation, due to low and erratic rainfall, and to low residue incorporation because of livestock grazing. Conversely, the small effect of legumes on maize yield in the Northern Province might be attributed to the high rainfall amount in the region, leading to high rates of leaching of residual nitrogen during the growing season as well as the use of common beans as the preceding crop.

Finding the right amount of land

With evidence showing the potential benefits of maize-legume rotations, the availability of land is a constraint for small farms across sub-Saharan Africa, thus it is important to quantify the land area needed for farmers to implement maize-legume rotations.

“Our findings match prior research showing the benefits of maize-legume rotations in Eastern Zambia” said Silva. “However, implementing maize-legume rotations remains a challenge for many smallholders due to small farm sizes.”

Nearly 35, 50, and 70% of the surveyed farms in the Northern, Eastern, and Southern Provinces, respectively, had enough land to achieve the same level of maize production obtained on their farm with the yields of the maize-legume rotations tested in the on-farm trials. “With our findings showing increased maize yields, and our efforts to determine the amount of land needed for food and nutrition security at household level, the next steps can be to facilitate methods to disseminate this information to policy makers and to farmers that have enough land area to benefit from diversified cropping systems,” said Silva.

For farmers with not enough land to reap the benefits of maize-legume rotations, intercropping legumes within the maize has shown promising results. The researchers also call for further research to specify the contributing factors to small farms not seeing benefits from maize-legume rotations.

CIMMYT scientists deliver training to improve agriculture in Uzbekistan

Scientists from the Research Institute of Plant Genetic Resources in Uzbekistan (RIPGR) attended training on gene bank management and genetic resources, coordinated by CIMMYT-TĂŒrkiye on 13-20 April 2024. Hosted at the Turkish Department of Agricultural Economics and Project Management (TAGEM), the training is supported by the World Bank Group, which is helping Uzbekistan to modernize the country’s agriculture. With one of the highest levels of wheat consumption in Central Asia, the modernization project aims to increase Uzbekistan’s wheat yield and meet demand for the crop.

The course included lectures on status and activity of the Turkish Seed Germplasm Bank (TSGB), policy instruments and international perspectives on plant genetic resources, herbarium techniques, biotechnology studies, and genetic resources. Uzbek scientists also became acquainted with scientific laboratories, visiting the field station in İkizce Gölbaßı and learned about the breeding, pathology, and agronomy activities at the station as well as the collaboration activities between CGIAR Research Centers and TAGEM.

Country-wide expertise

In addition to sessions at CIMMYT’s office in TĂŒrkiye, participants also visited the National Gene Bank in Ankara and the National Gene Bank of Izmir.

At the latter location, experts delivered sessions on a range of topics, such as the Plant Diversity and Genetic Resources Program of TĂŒrkiye; in vitro and cryopreservation techniques; the conservation, data recording, and documentation of plant genetic resources; conservation and utilization of vegetable genetic resources; conservation studies on mushroom genetic resources; studies on wheat genetic resources and wheat breeding at the international winter wheat breeding program; regional collaboration to combat wheat rust disease in Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA); and international winter wheat breeding strategies.

In addition to the seminar sessions, the participants also visited several locations to familiarize themselves with scientific processes in field and laboratory conditions. They visited the field gene banks, guided by Fatih Çağir, who provided brief information about the fruit genetic resources activities of TĂŒrkiye. They also visited the plant collection activities and herbarium techniques laboratory, the National Gene Bank, Herbarium, Fungarium & Seed Physiology Laboratory of the Plant Genetics Resources Department & Plant Tissue Center, and the Regional Cereal Rust Research Center.

The importance of the training course for Uzbek scientists is to study the system of rational use, conservation, and management of plant genetic resources of TĂŒrkiye and to introduce new innovative knowledge in Uzbekistan. It also consists of discussing aspects related to bilateral cooperation and sustainable development in the field of plant genetic resources as well gene bank management.

The delegation from Uzbekistan, on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and the director of the Research Institute of Plant Genetic Resources, Zafarjon Mashrapovich Ziyaev, expressed their deep gratitude to the organizers and departments for this training course.

There’s an increasing interest for hubs in Mexico

Walking methodologies for CIMMYT’s South Pacific hub (Photo: CIMMYT)

“We know about what CIMMYT has done with the hubs here in Mexico, so we’re trying to understand how this methodology works, what happens within the research platforms, in the parcels, the relationship between these two spaces, the technological menus, and how that menu is reaching up to farmers,” says Emmanuel Ekom, from the Ernest and Young team (organization which in the framework of Excellence in Agronomy, a CGIAR initiative) studies how innovation is rising in agriculture.

“We understand that CIMMYT in Mexico has been able to create an innovation approach that prioritizes the farmer. I came from Nigeria with my team, and we are delving ourselves into this approach to comprehend its functioning and see if we can replicate these brilliant ideas in several other countries of the Global South. So, we have visited many interesting hubs in all Mexico,” says Emmanuel.

“One of the most interesting things we were able to experience in one of the hubs was that the mayor from a small town was trained by CIMMYT staff. He understood what the agriculture conservation involves and had contributed to share this knowledge to his people”, mentions Emmanuel who also highlights the participation and inclusion from both private, public, and teaching institutions in the operation of the hubs.

“You could see their faces fill with excitement, especially farmer women when they were talking about how much time they could have saved if they had used the technology developed by CIMMYT and its collaborators. Such methodology is not only making life easier, but it’s also driving farmer women to increase their incomes and helping them save time so that they concentrate on other things. Just the same, I was able to see how the gender-based approach is coping with CIMMYT’s goal and that’s impressive”, says Emmanuel.

“I saw first-hand how the hubs’ function had made an impact on farmers lives, but the most interesting part was seeing both hubs’ managers and farmers get along very well. Every time we went to a parcel, our plan was to only visit one farmer but sometimes we ended up visiting 10 or 15, and the manager would go and chat with them. And I think that’s amazing”, says Emmanuel, for whom the experience of the hubs in Mexico will allow him to draw up the path to replicate this methodology in other latitudes.

This blog piece was originally published in Spanish. 

Digital solutions advance soil health for sustainable food systems and climate resilience

Panelists at the “Digging Deeper: Advancements in Soil Health Monitoring for Sustainable Food Systems and Climate Resilience” side event, hosted by IFDC at the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health (AFSH) Summit held in Nairobi. (Photo: Marion Aluoch/CIMMYT)

Farmers interact with soils daily, supporting the entire food system. Empowering them with tools for research and scalable learning initiatives is crucial.

Speaking as a panelist at the 2024 Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health (AFSH) summit, Paswel Marenya, CIMMYT senior scientist, emphasized the need to enhance farmers’ capacities to effectively utilize digital tools.

“Digital tools do not inherently lead to impactful changes unless they enhance farmers’ capabilities in managing soil health,” said Marenya. “The potential of a digital tool should enable farmers to shorten the cycle from receiving information to applying new techniques.”

Paswel Marenya, senior scientist at CIMMYT. (Photo: Marion Aluoch/CIMMYT)

Simple, easy to use tools

One promising solution is the development of user-friendly platforms that synthesize essential information from cutting-edge research into practical tools.

“In partnership with IFDC, CIMMYT is currently collaborating to develop an interface that synthesizes essential information into a user-friendly digital platform. This interface would be complemented by tools that allow for on-site testing,” said Marenya.

“CIMMYT aims to design digital tools that not only improve access to information but enhance the farmers’ ability to learn, innovate, and adapt. This approach promises real progress beyond more recommendations,” said Marenya.

This sentiment was echoed by Leigh Winowiecki, soil and land health global research lead at CIFOR-ICRAF, who discussed advancements in soil health monitoring and highlighted the Land Degradation Surveillance Framework (LDSF) which collects data on various indicators of soil health.

Leigh Ann Winowiecki, global research lead for soil and land health at CIFOR-ICRAF. (Photo: Marion Aluoch/CIMMYT)

Addressing the forum as the keynote speaker for the side event titled, “Digging deeper: Advancement in soil health monitoring for sustainable food systems and climate resilience,” Winowiecki showcased the global implementation and impact of the framework, noting its implementation in 40 countries.

“This framework is a field-based method that collects data on various indicators of soil health, land degradation, and vegetation diversity across landscapes,” Winowiecki said.

The findings from the framework guide practical interventions to mitigate soil erosion and influence policy.

Annie Wakanyi, director of partnerships & business development at One Acre Fund, highlighted how they prioritize farmers by providing high-quality inputs on credit, ensuring they are distributed near their farm fields, and offering training on usage, as well as assisting farmers in accessing markets for the surplus they produce.

Annie Wakanyi, director of global government partnerships, One Acre Fund. (Photo: Marion Aluoch/CIMMYT)

The private sector’s role was addressed by Jonathan Atkinson, Farm Service Unit Africa, who introduced the “cost to serve model” to understand the dynamics between costs and return on investments for farmers. He emphasized the need for practical, scalable approaches for soil health interventions that cater for commercial activities.

Jonathan Atkinson, farm service unit Africa. (Photo: Marion Aluoch/CIMMYT)

Professor Nalivata of Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources emphasized the importance of addressing soil erosion to achieve soil health in Africa using Malawi as a case study. He discussed policy implementation on fertilizer, promoting climate-smart agricultural practices and research as strategies implemented to address soil degradation in Malawi, calling for more initiatives like incentives for farmers and building human capacity.

“This can be achieved if we maintain a collaborative approach involving government, academia, the private sector, and donor communities to transform soil health and improve livelihoods,” said Nalivata.

Latha Nagarajan, SOILS consortium director IFDC’s USAID-funded soils initiative. (Photo: Marion Aluoch/CIMMYT)

Latha Nagarajan, in her presentation on the IFDC’s USAID-funded soils initiative, highlighted how the initiative improves livelihoods through innovative soil management. She explained the ‘space to place’ approach, which integrates spatial remote sensing data with place-specific soil health data to enhance soil management decisions, increasing efficiency, resilience, and sustainability.

Launch of a new Global Partnership for the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils initiative

Traditional and nutrient-rich crops are vital for global food security. (Photo: CIMMYT)

Rome/Texcoco, Mexico – An initiative to build resilient agrifood systems grounded in diverse, nutritious, and climate-adapted crops grown in healthy soils, today marked another milestone through a new partnership between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and CIMMYT, a CGIAR Research Center.

FAO and CIMMYT signed a Memorandum of Understanding establishing a Partnership for the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) initiative. The joint Partnership will play a pivotal role leading efforts to coordinate, grow, and strengthen the VACS movement across a wide range of public and private stakeholders.

“By joining forces with CGIAR and CIMMYT, we bring together our collective capacities to build a strong momentum and platform to advance the VACS,” said FAO’s Director-General QU Dongyu. “VACS effectively brings together the Four Betters set out in the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31: better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life – leaving no one behind.”

“Our 2030 Strategy focuses on strengthening agrifood systems to increase nutritional value and climate resilience,” said CIMMYT’s Director General, Bram Govaerts. “We are proud to stand united, through VACS, with FAO, whose excellent track record on policy work and networking with national governments will help equip farmers with resilient seed and climate-smart cropping systems that regenerate, rather than degrade, the soils on which their diets and livelihoods depend.”

Launched in 2023 by the U.S. Department of State in partnership with the African Union and FAO, the VACS movement aims to build sustainable and resilient agrifood systems by leveraging opportunity crops and building healthy soils to enhance agricultural resilience to climate change and improve diets. Nutrient-rich and traditional crops like sorghum, millet, cowpea, and mung bean are vital for food security and nutrition under climate change but have seen little attention so far. VACS recognizes the interdependence of crops and soils: Crops need good soil to be productive, and different crops can only be sustainably grown on some types of land.

FAO-CIMMYT partnership aims to boost farm productivity and nutrition

Since its launch the VACS initiative has supported many activities including the Quick Wins Seed Systems Project in Africa, which promotes the adoption of climate-resilient dryland grains and legumes and helps smallholders access seeds of local nutritious crops like pearl millet, finger millet, and mung bean, and connects them with markets and agri-services. Meanwhile, the VACS Fellows programme trains African breeding professionals, strengthening regional agrifood systems. In Central America, InnovaHubs partner with CGIAR, Mexico, and Norway to connect farmers with markets, technologies, and high-quality seeds. FAO, through its work, including as part of the International Network on Soil Fertility and Fertilizers (INSOILFER) and the Soil mapping for resilient agrifood systems (SoilFER) project, assists members with the implementation of sustainable and balanced soil fertility management for food security and to promote actions to enhance the link between nourished healthy soils and opportunity crops.

Leveraging on the expertise and mandates of both CIMMYT and FAO, the new joint VACS Partnership will support, coordinate and amplify the impact of all stakeholders of the VACS movement, public and private, through the following functions:

  • Strategy: The Partnership will develop and maintain a VACS strategy, including by defining its mission, objectives, and approach.
  • Resource Mobilization: The Partnership will work with public and private sector donors to increase investments in VACS-aligned work.
  • Donor and Implementer Coordination: The Partnership will coordinate work among major VACS donors and implementers, including by coordinating the VACS Implementers’ Group.
  • Stakeholder Engagement: The Partnership will strengthen ties across public and private stakeholders to catalyze action in support of VACS, including by coordinating the VACS Community of Practice and the VACS Champions program.
  • Shaping the Policy Environment: The Partnership will coordinate the development of a VACS policy agenda and work to advance it at the local, national, and multinational levels.
  • Communications: The Partnership will elevate the importance of diverse crops and healthy soils as a fundamental means of advancing a range of sustainable development goals.
  • Results Management: The Partnership will develop and maintain a results management framework to track progress in achieving VACS objectives.

About CIMMYT

CIMMYT is a cutting edge, non-profit, international organization dedicated to solving tomorrow’s problems today. It is entrusted with fostering improved quantity, quality, and dependability of production systems and basic cereals such as maize, wheat, triticale, sorghum, millets, and associated crops through applied agricultural science, particularly in the Global South, through building strong partnerships. This combination enhances the livelihood trajectories and resilience of millions of resource-poor farmers, while working towards a more productive, inclusive, and resilient agrifood system within planetary boundaries.

About FAO

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.

Our goal is to achieve food security and nutrition for all by enabling all people to have regular access to enough locally appropriate high-quality nutritious food to prevent all forms of malnutrition and to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 members – 194 countries and the European Union, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.

For more information or interviews:

Jelle Boone
Interim Head of Communications, CIMMYT
j.boone@cgiar.org
Mobile/WhatsApp: +52 595 1247241

Peter Mayer
FAO News and Media
peter.mayer@fao.org

Transforming agriculture together: insights from the Ukama Ustawi Share Fair

The Zimbabwe Team of the Agroecology Initiative participated in the Share Fair event of the CGIAR initiative Ukama Ustawi (UU), which was held in Masvingo, Zimbabwe, and brought together farmers, the private sector, and researchers from seven countries (Zimbabwe, South Africa, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi, Kenya, and Ethiopia). The overarching goal for our participation was twofold: Glean insights from the UU initiative’s experiences and practices and, where possible, to adopt and adapt approaches and technologies relevant to the Agroecology Initiative. Equally significant was the aim to share our learnings and explore potential areas of collaboration. From the UU initiative perspective, the Share Fair engagement sought greater integration and knowledge exchange across its work packages, and countries where UU is being implemented, and other CGIAR initiatives. Farmers were at the center of the Share Fair, sharing and learning from each other, together with the experts.

The event aimed to foster collaboration and innovation in addressing key issues related to agriculture and sustainability in the region.

Insights from UU Share Fair activities

The Share Fair showcased an array of innovative technologies poised to transform agricultural practices in the region, among these new solar-powered borehole irrigation, chameleon soil moisture sensors for irrigation management, and conservation agriculture practices that included crop intercropping and rotation, cover cropping (mulching), and minimum tillage. Notably, mechanization options tailored for conservation agriculture, such as 2-wheel tractors and basin diggers, were demonstrated, with particular emphasis on gender-inclusive approaches for smallholder farmers. UU initiative prioritizes integrated crop and livestock systems, which are vital for small-scale farmers in terms of both dietary needs and income generation.

UU service providers and CIMMYT staff demonstrating the basin digger.
LERSHA, in collaboration with IWMI, demonstrates the chameleon soil moisture sensor.

We shared insights on the benefits of the adoption of mother-baby trials. Setting up such trials can help researchers and stakeholders identify potential risks, challenges, and limitations of the innovation without risking large-scale failure or negative impacts on the environment or communities. This helps in making informed decisions about whether or not to adopt an innovation.

In addition to technological innovations, we discussed various agribusiness tools aimed at supporting and empowering smallholder farmers. Different companies presented their agribusinesses and how they complement farming practices related to a spectrum of services, ranging from agroclimatic advice and improved access to financial services, mechanization, and digital technologies. Central to these endeavors was the objective of fostering business growth, promoting diversification, and nurturing stronger value chains within the agricultural sector.

Both initiatives (Agroecology and UU) acknowledge that farming enterprises must be matched with strong business models to guarantee long-term viability, and recognize the critical nexus between production and markets, underlining the importance of equipping farmers with financial literacy skills and encouraging diligent record-keeping practices.

Farmers participating in the Share Fair were trained on the use of the business model canvas to manage their businesses. They were taken through a practical session of aligning their farming enterprises with the business model canvas. The importance of ensuring the balance of all elements of the business model canvas was stressed. Farmers were encouraged to adopt a market-based approach to farming as a business. Farmers were urged to develop a thorough grasp of market dynamics in addition to skillful financial management techniques, emphasizing a market-based approach. The activities of the session, although summarized, were similar to the training that the Agroecology Initiative team has been carrying out in the identified business models of sorghum contract farming and the SASSO brooding program.

Blessing from CIMMYT at one of UU’s mother trial plots explaining the importance and benefits of crop diversification, rotation, and mulching.

Conclusion: Similar approaches, same objectives

The Agroecology Initiative team of Zimbabwe and the UU Initiative share a common goal of strengthening the resilience of the food systems and improving farmer livelihoods through sustainable agriculture methods. Through the development of synergies and the utilization of complementary strengths, they are in a position to jointly map out a course toward a more fair and sustainable agricultural landscape that promises prosperity for future generations. By facilitating cross-learning initiatives and leveraging indigenous knowledge systems, both initiatives can empower farmers with the tools and resources necessary to combat agricultural pests and diseases sustainably. The shared commitment to agroecological principles underscores the potential for collaboration in building resilient production systems. By facilitating cross-learning among farmers, who often have limited resources, the initiatives can empower them to leverage local knowledge and resources to solve their problems.

One major difference between the initiatives is that the UU places farmers at the center of its intervention and stakeholders as enablers, while the Agroecology Initiative emphasizes full partnerships among researchers and food system actors in addressing challenges related to local food systems and the co-development of relevant innovations that can strengthen and support resilience.

A panel of stakeholders and farmers in agribusiness explaining their business models.

Building on UU’s successful interactions with agribusinesses like LERSHA and Farm Africa, which provide mechanization, inputs, and financial services and assist farmers in developing strong and sustainable business models, we can gain from establishing similar alliances to support sustainable business models in the agricultural sector. Given the severe drought in 2023/24, farmers engaged with the SASSO chicken business model will face challenges in obtaining feed for their livestock and poultry. Exploring alternative feed sources, such as the black soldier fly, could be a potential solution. Collaborating with Insectary (a company that was present at the fair) and other local programs focused on alternative feed options could provide valuable insights and support.

The UU initiative has not actively engaged with youth in their study, while we have developed tools to understand youth participation in agriculture. There is an opportunity for the two initiatives to collaborate on a study targeting youth engagement, combining their expertise and resources to gain a deeper understanding of this issue of demographic importance and develop strategies to involve them in sustainable agriculture practices.

The original piece was written by Craig E. Murazhi, Dorcas Matangi, and Vimbayi G. P. Chimonyo and published by CGIAR’s Initiative on Agroecology. 

Mukwemba Habeenzu

Mukwemba Habeenzu is an economist with over 10 years of experience in agricultural project management. He is currently the Chief of Party/Project Manager for the Mechanization and Extension Activity at CIMMYT in Zimbabwe.

In his previous and current roles, he has led initiatives that promote climate-smart agriculture, mechanization, and social inclusion through market-based approaches to improve productivity, increase incomes, and ensure sustainability for project beneficiaries.

Mukwemba has a diverse background, having worked extensively in Zambia and Zimbabwe. His experience includes working with the private and public sectors, as well as various local and international organizations, focusing on areas such as research and extension, rural development, enterprise development, academia and capacity building, social inclusion, etc.
Mukwemba believes that this comprehensive approach can contribute to sustainable development in the agricultural sector.

It’s time to scale: Emerging lessons from decades of Conservation Agriculture research in Southern Africa

CA in action at the farmer level. (Photo: Christian Thierfelder/CIMMYT)

For decades, smallholder farmers in Southern Africa have battled the whims of a changing climate—from withered crops to yield reductions and looming food insecurity concerns. And the outlook is not improving. Based on the latest available science, the sixth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reaffirms the projected negative impacts of climate change on livelihoods in Southern Africa.

Conservation Agriculture (CA) has been considered as an important step to make smallholder farming systems climate smart and resilient. The principles of CA are simple yet potent: minimal soil disturbance, crop cover, and diverse rotations, which tend to have lasting implications on rebuilding soil health, conserving moisture, and nurturing a thriving ecosystem. A strong evidence base from on-farm and on-station trials show that CA has the potential to build the adaptive capacity and resilience of smallholder farming systems to climate stress.

Yet, despite the positive results, significant scaling gaps remain. Key questions arise on what can be done to turn the tide, scale, and encourage uptake. What institutional, policy and economic incentives would enable scaling? Could mechanization be the missing link? The Understanding and Enhancing Adoption of Conservation Agriculture in Smallholder Farming Systems of Southern Africa (ACASA) project responds to these questions. With funding from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) and implemented by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), and CIMMYT, the ACASA project goes beyond the narrow focus on promotion and technology delivery of past and ongoing interventions on CA in Southern Africa.

ACASA was designed to help stakeholders gain deeper understanding of the interactions between the socio-economic, biophysical, and institutional constraints and opportunities for adoption of CA practices. To do this, the project has undertaken extensive surveys aimed at understanding incentives, drivers, and barriers of CA adoption across Zambia, Malawi, and Zimbabwe.

Dialogues for change

Participants from across the region during the reflective meeting. (Photo: CIMMYT)

In December 2023, CIMMYT collaborated with IITA and the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development of Zimbabwe to convene a highly engaging, reflective, and learning meeting, with the participation of government representatives, the private sector, and research institutes, among others. The primary objective was to share valuable insights accumulated over years of research and development on conservation agriculture in southern Africa. These insights are a result of collaborative efforts in social science, scaling, and mechanization work by CIMMYT, IITA, and extension and research partners in Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Conversations centered on tracing the historical pathway of CA, leveraging mechanization, and identifying key enablers to transform smallholder agriculture.

Tracing the pathway of conservation agriculture

For decades, CIMMYT has been a leading force in promoting Conservation Agriculture. From the early stages in the 1990s, CIMMYT introduced CA principles and practices through on-farm and on-station field days, to undertaking robust research on biophysical impacts and developing adapted technologies in collaboration with national and global partners. As this research progressed and matured, efforts were made to integrate and focus on understanding the social and economic factors influencing CA adoption, while recognizing the significance of enabling environments. To date, linkages with mechanization and other innovations promoting CA-friendly equipment have been strengthened, ensuring inclusivity and empowerment. Questions remain around policy and institutional innovations to nudge and sustain adoption. In a nutshell, there is scope to borrow tools and methods from behavioral and experimental economics to better study and facilitate behavioral change among smallholder farmers. This snapshot highlights global efforts, grounded in scientific evidence, farmer centric approaches, and collaborative partnerships.

Insights from the field

Described as a data and evidence driven process, a notable highlight was the detailed gathering and analytical efforts using a large multi-country household survey involving 305 villages and 4,374 households across Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The main thrust was not only to harvest data but listen to farmers and better understand their context while deciphering their decision-making processes concerning CA adoption, across the three countries. A compelling and hopeful story unfolds from the results. The adoption of CA practices such as crop residue retention, minimum tillage, crop rotation, and intercropping is much higher than previously thought, highlighting a crucial need for better targeted surveys. Key enablers to strengthen adoption include access to CA extension, hosting demonstrations, and access to credit. In addition, age, and extension in the case of Zambia were identified as important drivers of the speed and persistence of adoption. Demand for mechanization is rising, which is key to address drudgery associated with CA and to raise production efficiencies. Key recommendations centered on the need for investments in a dense network of farmer-centric learning centers that allow for experiential learning, facilitating equitable access to mechanization, promoting private sector participation, and developing integrated weed management options as weeds remain the Achilles Heel of CA adoption in the region. [1]

Emerging lessons

A deep dive on the findings reveals critical considerations for the widespread adoption of Conservation Agriculture (CA). Firstly, weed-related labor challenges pose a significant obstacle, with around 75% of farmers in three countries citing weeds as the most constraining issue during initial CA adoption. Addressing this weed management challenge is essential, emphasizing the need for environmentally safe, non-chemical solutions as a research priority. Secondly, there is a noticeable gap between scientific research on CA and farmer practices, primarily attributed to limited technical knowledge. Bridging this gap requires innovative approaches to translate scientific information into practical, farmer-centered products. Thirdly, incentivizing CA adoption through complementary input support programs, like payments for environmental services, may encourage farmers, especially when private returns are not immediate.

Fourthly, strengthening extension systems is crucial to facilitate farmer learning and bridge the awareness-to-know-how gap. Lastly, investing in improved machinery value chains can alleviate high labor costs and drudgery associated with CA practices, with economic estimates suggesting farmers’ willingness to pay for machinery hire services. These insights collectively highlight the multifaceted nature of challenges and opportunities for scaling up CA adoption.

Moving forward

ACASA’s research findings are not just numbers — they are seeds of hope. They point towards a future where CA adoption among smallholder farmers can transform the breadbasket of the three African countries, and beyond. CIMMYT and its partners remain committed to continuous learning, refining their approaches, and working hand-in-hand with farmers to nurture the CA revolution.

It will not be a pipe dream to transform agriculture in Southern Africa through CA by cultivating seeds of resilience, one at a time. This is because the experience from the region suggests that with the right political will, it is possible to mainstream CA as a critical adjunct to climate-smart agriculture strategies and resilience building. This broader institutional and political buy-in is important since CA programming cannot succeed without sector-wide approaches to removing systemic constraints to technology adoption.  A classic example is the Government-backed Pfumvudza program in Zimbabwe, which has seen adoption of planting basins conditioned on receipt of input subsidies soar to more than 90%.

[1] CIMMYT/IITA Scientists explore the weed issue in detail in a paper just accepted and forthcoming in Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems – Unanswered questions and unquestioned answers: The challenges of crop residue retention and weed control in Conservation Agriculture systems of southern Africa.

New innovative crops could significantly reduce agriculture’s climate change impact and environmental footprint

As the global population approaches the 10 billion mark, the reliance on fertilisers to boost agricultural production has become an essential, yet environmentally challenging, practice. A Century-long dependence on these additives has allowed food production to keep pace with the growth in human population. However, the use of fertilisers across various farming systems is now causing severe ecological stress. The leaching of nitrogen into natural ecosystems, coupled with the release of greenhouse gases, is pushing the Earth’s environmental limits to a critical threshold.

To address this, an ambitious new research initiative aims to shrink the nitrogen footprint of agriculture by developing a breakthrough technology based on nature’s own solutions: a natural process called biological nitrification inhibition (BNI). The Novo Nordisk Foundation has awarded CIMMYT a grant of up to USD 21.1 million to lead an innovation research initiative called CropSustaiN that is designed to reduce the nitrogen footprint of wheat cultivation.

“Success in this initiative could lead to a major shift in agricultural practices globally, benefiting both the planet and farmers’ livelihoods. In addition to using less fertiliser, cost for the farmer will be minimal because all the components are already in the seed. This initiative could, potentially, be extended from wheat cultivation to include other staple crops like maize and rice,” says Claus Felby, Senior Vice President, Biotech, Novo Nordisk Foundation.

“BNI could be a part of how we revolutionise nitrogen management in agriculture. It represents a genetic mitigation strategy that not only complement existing methods but also has the potential to decrease the need for synthetic fertilisers substantially. The mitigation potential of better nitrogen fertiliser management could be as impactful for the Global South as the Green Revolution,” explains Bram Govaerts, Director General, CIMMYT.

Revolutionary mitigation approach

Rooted in a seed-based genetic strategy, BNI leverages a plant’s innate ability to suppress soil nitrification through the release of natural compounds. This approach potentially promises to curb the use and leaching of synthetic nitrogen fertilisers—a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution—without compromising wheat yield or soil vitality. The BNI-method contrasts with synthetic nitrification inhibitors and could offer a more scalable and cost-effective solution, potentially reducing nitrogen fertiliser usage by 20%, depending on regional farming conditions.

By harnessing the power of genetics in plant seeds, CropSustaiN leverages the natural process of BNI to develop new wheat varieties that require significantly less nitrogen fertiliser. Using conventional breeding, genes from wild crop relatives like wild rye, which have inherently better nitrogen use efficiency, are incorporated. CIMMYT makes such breeding products available to its global network of partners for the international public good.

The agenda for CropSustaiN includes validating BNI efficacy across diverse climates and integrating the technology into mainstream agricultural protocols. While the venture carries success risks, the potential rewards—ranging from widespread BNI adoption to valuable insights into nitrogen management—position it as a pioneering initiative. By ensuring that the seeds developed through this program are accessible to all farmers without exclusive patent rights, the Novo Nordisk Foundation is leading an inclusive approach to agricultural innovation.

CropSustaiN builds on the joint research by the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) and CIMMYT that started in 2015. The initiative has already yielded BNI wheat lines tested over three farming seasons. These innovative crops are now poised for further development and for scaling worldwide, indicating a potential paradigm shift in agricultural practices.

The Novo Nordisk Foundation has already laid the groundwork for CropSustaiN by funding related BNI research at CIMMYT, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Aarhus University, the University of Aberdeen, and the University of Copenhagen -thus fostering an ecosystem for research innovation.

About the Novo Nordisk Foundation

Established in Denmark in 1924, the Novo Nordisk Foundation is an enterprise foundation with philanthropic objectives. The vision of the Foundation is to improve people’s health and the sustainability of society and the planet. The Foundation’s mission is to progress research and innovation in the prevention and treatment of cardiometabolic and infectious diseases as well as to advance knowledge and solutions to support a green transformation of society.

www.novonordiskfonden.dk/en

About CIMMYT

CIMMYT is a cutting edge, non-profit, international organization dedicated to solving tomorrow’s problems today. It is entrusted with fostering improved quantity, quality, and dependability of production systems and basic cereals such as maize, wheat, triticale, sorghum, millets, and associated crops through applied agricultural science, particularly in the Global South, through building strong partnerships. This combination enhances the livelihood trajectories and resilience of millions of resource-poor farmers, while working towards a more productive, inclusive, and resilient agrifood system within planetary boundaries. CIMMYT is a core CGIAR Research Center, a global research partnership for a food-secure future, dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources. For more information, visit staging.cimmyt.org.

Further information 

Jakob Stein, Communications Specialist, jse@novo.dk

CIMMYT and China join forces to tackle wheat disease in Africa

While wheat acreage has been increasing across the whole of Africa, the sub-Saharan countries account for a significant proportion of the total growth and yield, equaling an area of approximately 3.1 million hectares and a production of more than 9 million tons. However, in recent years, Fusarium head blight (FHB) or head scab has become a major disease in the region, causing significant reductions in yield and quality due to the lack of resistant varieties and management tools.

In China, a successful wheat shuttle breeding program by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) and CIMMYT for improving FHB has existed since the 1980s. Additionally, CIMMYT and the Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (JAAS) have provided an FHB screening station in Nanjing since 2019. With a wealth of experience in confronting the disease, this ongoing partnership can help to solve the challenges currently faced by farmers in Africa.

To this end, CAAS, JAAS, and CIMMYT organized a training workshop on FHB management for Africa, which took place with financial support from China Aid in Beijing and Nanjing, China, between 10 and 23 April 2024. Twenty participants, 45% of which were women, attended the workshop, with specialists in wheat breeding, pathology, seed quarantine, and other related fields at public institutions in Ethiopia, Zambia, and Lesotho.

“This is the first time China has worked with an international organization to conduct an agricultural training workshop for sub-Saharan Africa,” said Zhonghu He, CIMMYT distinguished scientist and country liaison officer in China.

A hands-on demonstration at the Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (JAAS) and CIMMYT Fusarium head blight (FHB) precision phenotyping platform helps scientists in Africa to better understand and fight the wheat disease. (Photo: Liu Xiyan/CAAS)

Practical tools to target FHB

Experts from China and CIMMYT shared their successful experiences of FHB management, including breeding resistant varieties. The trainees benefitted from hands-on experience of FHB identification, disease screening (including inoculum preparation, inoculation, and scoring), mycotoxin quantification techniques, and wheat breeding.

At the end of the workshop, the participants were extremely pleased to observe the impressive progress made in China on wheat FHB both on breeding and disease control, and they expressed strong willingness to contribute to collaboration between Africa, China, and CIMMYT on more wheat breeding and research. Netsanet Bacha Hei from the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) was impressed with the scientific and technical expertise provided in the training and mentioned that sub-Saharan Africa needs similar practical trainings to mitigate the threat of FHB. Similar opinions were echoed by Doreen Malekano Chomba from the Zambian Plant Quarantine and Phytosanitary Service (PQPS), who discussed the need to have an effective in-country surveillance and monitoring to assess and manage FHB in the region.

Participants gather for the opening ceremony of the workshop at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) in Beijing. (Photo: Li Simin/CAAS)

Xu Zhang, who heads the FHB research program at JAAS, is very appreciative of the collaborative work that has been going on for several decades between CIMMYT and China, highlighting that the workshop represents another step in understanding and managing FHB in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond, Zhang said, JAAS and CIMMYT has grown together through strong partnership.

“This training lays firm groundwork for future China-Africa-CIMMYT collaboration on mitigating the threat of FHB and improving wheat production and food security in sub-Saharan African countries,” said He.

Indian scientists visit TĂŒrkiye for soil and root health training program

Soil is the foundation of agriculture, and healthy soil is critical to the entire ecosystem. However, soil health is under threat today as many factors make soil unhealthy, leading to significant losses in farming. CIMMYT in India has been addressing these issues in partnership with national and international institutions, while CIMMYT’s SBP program in TĂŒrkiye aims to deliver high-yielding wheat germplasm that is resistant to SBP and supports the International Soil-Borne Pathogens Research & Development Center (ISBPRDC) of TĂŒrkiye. It also facilitates knowledge exchange and technology transfer to support joint research and development activities to improve soil health.

On arrival, the group of scientists and professors from Bihar was welcomed by Metin TĂŒrker, director general of Agricultural Research and Policies (TAGEM). Talking about the intricate nexus of agriculture, climate, and technology, TĂŒrker emphasized varietal developments to irrigation advancements and engaged in lively discussions with the group, fueled by a shared vision for agricultural sustainability.

Led by Abdelfattah A. Dababat, CIMMYT country representative in TĂŒrkiye and the leader of the SBD program, the scientists and professors from India ventured into the heart of research institutions, immersing themselves in the latest innovations in wheat improvement and plant pathology. Their journey took them from Ankara to Eskisehir and ended at the Abant Izzet Baysal University, Bolu, where they were greeted by passionate experts eager to share their knowledge. Bonds were forged amid lectures and laboratory demonstrations, and ideas ignited, paving the way for future collaborations.

Visit to Ankara Province

The participants visited the Field Crops Central Research Institute and were introduced to the TAGEM Seed Gene Bank and Herbarium. Participants were acquainted with seed processing and preservation methods with live demonstrations. Following that, participants visited the Plant Protection Central Research Institute in Ankara, where its Director Ayse Ozdem gave an overview of the institute’s mandates and research work. Participants had the opportunity to explore the plant pathology laboratory and learn about major crop diseases in TĂŒrkiye and their control measures.

Participants later visited winter wheat trial sites at the research station in Haymana, a district of Ankara province. The group then interacted with Mesut Keser, ICARDA’s wheat breeder who specializes in winter and facultative wheat while working on the International Winter Wheat Improvement Program (IWWIP). This was followed by a visit to the pathology field experiments, a breeder seed production area, and an experimental trial for evaluating Syngenta TYMIRIUM¼ technology at the research station.

Visit to TZARI in Eskisehir

Scientists also had a chance to visit the Transitional Zone Agricultural Research Institute located in the Central Anatolian Plateau of TĂŒrkiye. The institute’s director Sabri Cakir welcomed the participants and briefed them about the ongoing research activities of the institute and its relevance to agriculture in TĂŒrkiye. Savas Belen gave a general overview of the institute and the breeding program, while Abdullah Tane Kilinc presented a glimpse of the activities of the Department of Plant Pathology. Professor Halil Toktay gave an overview of plant parasitic nematodes in wheat and potato, followed by GĂŒl Erginbas Orakci who discussed the importance of managing soil-borne pathogens.

Beyhan Akin, wheat breeder at CIMMYT, gave a presentation on CIMMYT’s breeding activities in TĂŒrkiye, and Oğuz Önder presented fertilizer application on the quality of Bread Wheat and the importance of foliar fertilization in crops.

Thereafter, participants visited the plant pathology laboratory where Abdelfattah A. Dababat and GĂŒl Erginbas-Orakci gave an overview of laboratory methods to study Cereal Cyst Nematodes and Root-Lesion Nematodes with live demonstrations. Innovative approaches to tackle the Plant-Parasitic Nematodes in agriculture were also discussed. In the agronomy laboratory, Oğuz Önder gave a live demonstration for estimating plant grain and biomass yield by optical sensor-based technologies. Participants also had the opportunity to explore the soil science laboratory and become familiar with state-of-the-art equipment used for soil nutrient analysis.

Visit to Bolu

The participants visited Abant Izzet Baysal University, in Bolu, where the Rector Professor. Mustafa Alißarlı welcomed them. This was followed by presentations and discussions on burning issues in agriculture. Professor Senol Yildiz gave a presentation on soil health assessment and management. Professor Halil KĂŒtĂŒk of the Department of Plant Protection gave a brief overview of the latest research advancement in biological control of major crop diseases. In continuation, Abdelfattah A. Dababat gave an overview of the cereal cyst nematode and their management. The discussion led to a brainstorming session on soil health management, soil-borne diseases, soil microbiome, and the challenges of using microorganisms for soil health improvements. The major challenges and opportunities for agriculture development under changing climate scenarios in India and TĂŒrkiye were also discussed.

The training course exposed participants to the latest research and technologies for soil and root health management to increase agricultural productivity and profitability immediately and into the future. During the entire visit, participants working in different fields (soil science, agronomy, plant breeding, and microbiology) interacted with TĂŒrkiye’s expert counterparts to discuss their work and share valuable research insights. Several topics and technologies relevant to global agriculture, like zero tillage, climate-resilient agriculture, precision input management, hidden hunger, and digital agriculture, were discussed. Participants also explored future opportunities for bilateral research collaborations between India and TĂŒrkiye.

Participants expressed their deepest gratitude to the CIMMYT team at TĂŒrkiye, led by Abdelfattah A. Dababat, for arranging an effective training program and for the support provided at every step. “Your careful planning and thoughtful execution have created an environment where learning flourishes and connections are made. Thank you for your invaluable contribution to our learning journey,” said the participants. Participants also expressed their sincere thanks to the Ministry of Agriculture, TĂŒrkiye, and the BISA team for coordinating this training and making the entire experience seamless and impactful for all involved. Special thanks were offered to the Government of Bihar for supporting the travel of scientists from India for this training program under the climate-resilient agriculture project in the state.