Working with smallholders to understand their needs and build on their knowledge, CIMMYT brings the right seeds and inputs to local markets, raises awareness of more productive cropping practices, and works to bring local mechanization and irrigation services based on conservation agriculture practices. CIMMYT helps scale up farmersâ own innovations, and embraces remote sensing, mobile phones and other information technology. These interventions are gender-inclusive, to ensure equitable impacts for all.
Melinda Smale’s groundbreaking work in agricultural economics, particularly her collaboration with CIMMYT, has played a pivotal role in advancing the understanding of crop diversity conservation. At CIMMYT, Smale worked with plant breeders and agronomists to analyze maize landraces and wheat genetic diversity, contributing to the development of strategies that support sustainable agriculture and food security. Her research has informed CIMMYTâs efforts to preserve biodiversity and enhance the resilience of farming systems, directly aligning with the organization’s mission to improve global food security through science and innovation.
Stakeholder collaboration to create a coherent digital agriculture framework, an ecosystem to promote digital agriculture, and local government participation emerged as top recommendations to bridge the gap between technology and agriculture during the International Digital Agriculture Forum, Nepal 2024, held in Kathmandu, Nepal. Â
The event themed âInnovate, Cultivate, Thrive: Advancing Agriculture with Digital Solutionsâ brought together global and local stakeholders to explore the transformative potential of digital solutions in Nepalâs agricultural sector. Â
The focus on addressing the digital divide in Nepalâs agricultural sector by sharing emerging technologies and innovations, generating research ideas to provide inputs to the upcoming digital agriculture strategy of Nepal National Digital Agriculture Strategy and Action Plan for Nepal, and promoting an inclusive and sustainable transformation in the agriculture and food systems of Nepal.Â
Over the course of two days, the event attracted 135 participants, including 11 international experts and 29 national experts and representatives. It was organized by the Nepal Seed and Fertilizer Project (NSAF) and implemented by CIMMYT, with support from the United States Agency for Agriculture Development (USAID) in partnership with Pathway Technologies & Services Pvt Ltd, Seed Innovation Pvt Ltd, and Kathmandu Living Labs Pvt Ltd.
Key highlights from the event Â
The forum included keynote presentations, success stories of ICT business practices, and panel discussions with global subject experts, industry leaders, government agencies and local agritech companies. The event also comprised breakout groups for in-depth discussions, and formal and informal networking opportunities.Â
In his welcome address, Country Representative for Nepal and Coordinator of NSAF Dyutiman Choudhary highlighted the impact of digital agriculture on Nepalese farmers through the NSAF project. He shared how, in partnership with GeoKrishi and PlantSat, farmers now stay more informed on various issues through mobile app, SMS, IVR, farmer advisory services, and crop insurance. Â
The opening session was chaired by Dr. Deepak Kumar Kharal, secretary, agriculture development, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD). Keynote speeches included a global perspective on digital agriculture by Prof. Athula Ginige from Western Sydney University, and national perspective by Ms. Shabnam Shivakoti, joint secretary MoALD. Â
Prof. Ginige presented on âCultivating Innovation: Transforming Challenges into a Sustainable Digital Agrifood Future.â He highlighted the plight of 719 million smallholder farmers living below the poverty line and stressed the need to use digital opportunities such as IoT, AI, and big data to address challenges of food waste and climate change. He shared his experience in developing mobile platforms to improve the lives of smallholder farmers. Â
In her keynote address Shivakoti set the context of Nepalâs digital agriculture and the initiatives undertaken by the government. She highlighted how digital innovations such as virtual agriculture commodity market E-hatbazar, programs such as digital land record maintenance, remote sensing data, and digital apps like GeoKrishi are driving growth in Nepalâs agricultural sector. She also shared details about the draft National Digital Agriculture Strategy. Â
Judith Almodovar, acting director of the Economic Growth Office at USAID-Nepal, emphasized the importance of digital tools in enhancing productivity, efficiency and sustainability. She highlighted USAID’s investment through NSAF in digital innovations, such as seed and soil fertility management using digital tools. Â
âBy leveraging advanced technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), big data analytics, and remote sensing, we can provide real-time insights, improve supply chain management, and increase farmers’ resilience to climate shocks,â she said. Â
The forum featured three technical sessions: innovations in digital agriculture; digital agriculture in actionâpolicies and practices and; rapid fire presentations by seven Nepalese digital ag companies. Additionally, six local digital start-up companies displayed their products. Â
The closing session was chaired by Dr. Narahari Prasad Ghimire, director general of the Department of Agriculture, while Dr. Rajendra Prasad Mishra, secretary of Livestock Development, was invited as chief guest.Â
Recommendations from the forum Â
The discussions and deliberations led to a series of recommendations primary among which were the importance of stakeholder collaboration to create a cohesive digital agriculture framework and developing partnerships and ecosystems to support digital agriculture, including data governance and personalized advisory services for farmers. Participants also emphasized that local governments must be encouraged to lead agricultural digitization initiatives, including staff training and adopting IoT-based intelligent irrigation systems, sensor-based drip irrigation, and drone technology for monitoring crops and livestock. Digital input certification and QR-based agri-input verification (seed, breed, saplings, and fertilizer) tracking systems to enhance trust and transparency emerged as a critical factor. Participants agreed that it was necessary to design technical information, including emergency agricultural alerts, in various formats (text, video, audio) to accommodate farmers with lower levels of literacy. Â
The World Food Prize Foundation names CIMMYT’s former Deputy Director General for Research, Marianne BĂ€nziger, and current post-harvest specialist in the Sustainable Agrifood Systems (SAS) program, Sylvanus Odjo, as two of its inaugural 2024 Top Agri-food Pioneers (TAP).Â
The TAP List, introduced by the Foundation in celebration of its 38th anniversary, highlights 38 innovators from 20 countries and six continents who are making groundbreaking contributions to food and agriculture. Working in a wide range of fields, including agriculture, agtech, nutrition, education and advocacy, these pioneers embody the spirit of innovation needed to address the challenges facing global food systems today.Â
Leading the way: Meet the Top Agri-Food Pioneers of 2024Â
Photo: CIMMYT
Sylvanus Odjo, one of the awardees, is a postharvest specialist focused on the development and implementation of postharvest practices to improve food security in rural communities. He leads a network of research platforms in Mexico, Central America, and Africa, working with collaborators to fill research gaps and provide key recommendations to farmers, the private sector, governments, and NGOs. Odjo holds an M.S. in Food Science and Nutrition and a Ph.D. in Agricultural and Biological Engineering, with his doctoral research focused on the effects of drying processes on maize grain quality.
Photo: CIMMYT
Marianne BĂ€nziger, also recognized on the TAP list, received her Ph.D. in plant physiology from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1992. She is the former Deputy Director General for Research at CIMMYT, where she coordinated efforts to develop drought-tolerant maize varieties for smallholder farmers, promoting innovative approaches such as stress breeding methods and participatory trials.Â
Throughout her career, she has held positions in both science and management. BĂ€nziger has an impressive publication record, with more than 50 articles and book chapters in peer-reviewed international journals and books.Â
As the first cohort of the TAP List, this group of pioneers will grow annually to form a global network dedicated to fostering collaboration and shared learning across food systems. These pioneers will also be featured at the 2024 Borlaug Dialogue in Des Moines, Iowa, October 29 to 31.Â
Dorothy Mandaza, local farmer from ward 19 of Seke District, inspecting her maize cobs (CIMMYT)
Maize productivity in eastern and southern Africa faces numerous challenges, including biotic and abiotic stresses, as well as socio-economic factors. To tackle these constraints, CIMMYT, in collaboration with partners, has been developing elite multiple stress-tolerant maize hybrids for different market segments. The hybrids are rigorously evaluated in research stations under managed stresses, especially those faced by farmers, including drought, heat, and low nitrogen. The process is complemented with evaluations conducted in actual farmer conditions through a participatory approach, which enables researchers to identify traits preferred by farmers.
Over the years, and through consistent engagement with farming communities, CIMMYT and partners have established a large on-farm testing network to allow farmers to test the best-performing hybrids within their own fields and management. This ensures that new varieties selected for commercialization suit the needs, constraints, and priorities of smallholder farmers.
Centrality of ROFT in the variety development process
Regional on-farm trials (ROFTs) are a crucial step towards maximizing the impact of breeding investments. ROFTs help scientists understand the performance of pipeline hybrids under diverse management conditions. The data and insights gathered from these trials, led by district leads, are instrumental in identifying the best varieties to release. In Zimbabwe, the extensive on-farm testing is conducted with support from Zimbabweâs government extension arm, the Department of Agricultural, Technical, and Extension Services (Agritex), and selected seed companies.
To help track the progress or challenges in varietal performance evaluation at the farm level, CIMMYT has been convening feedback sessions with district agriculture extension officers (DAEOs) across 19 districts. These sessions have been instrumental in strengthening the collaboration with Agritex, standardizing data collection, and improving data quality and returns from the established on-farm testing network.
Conversations with district agriculture extension officers in Harare during a feedback session. (Photo/CIMMYT)
The ROFT trials have been ongoing in Zimbabwe for over a decade across 19 districts, located in natural regions I, II, and III. These trials have been implemented by more than 137 AEOs and have involved over 1,000 farmers. The network deliberately included a diverse range of farmers, with around 40% being female plot managers, to encompass a wide range of smallholder farming practices.
Participatory engagement is key
Every year, CIMMYT produces improved varieties that are then taken up by partners, including National Agricultural Research System (NARS) partners and seed companies. The on-farm trials aim to generate agronomic performance data in comparison to the widely grown commercial varieties and farmersâ own varieties. This data is used for a rigorous advancement process, where varieties that pass the test are then furthered for licensing and possible commercialization by CIMMYTâs partners.
Farmer involvement at the final stage of the variety selection process is key to the success of these trials. Farmers evaluate the varieties based on their specific needs, on their farms. This step is crucial as it empowers farmers to have a say in the variety development process. CIMMYT actively uses this participatory selection approach, seeking input from farmers and refining breeding targets as necessary. Farmers communicate their preferences and feedback through the farmer evaluation sheets, helping breeders fine-tune their targets and develop varieties that meet farmers’ needs.
Another key element of the on-farm trials is that they help assess breeding progress in farmersâ fields in terms of crop productivity and return on investment.
Written by mcallejas on . Posted in Uncategorized.
The Intercropping project aims to identify options for smallholder farmers to sustainably intensify wide-row crop production through the addition of short-duration, high-value intercrop species and to help farmers increase their productivity, profitability and nutrition security while mitigating against climate change.
The focus is on intensification of wide-row planted crops: dry (rabi) season maize in Bangladesh, eastern India (Bihar and West Bengal states) and Bhutan, and sugarcane in central north India (Uttar Pradesh state). The primary focus is to sustainably improve cropping system productivity, however, the effects of wide-row, additive intercropping at the smallholder farm level will be considered, including potential food and nutrition benefits for the household.
There are many potential benefits of wide-row, additive intercropping, beyond increased cropping system productivity and profitability: water-, labor- and energy-use efficiencies; improved nutrition and food security for rural households; empowerment for women; and (over the longer term) increased soil health.
Little research has been conducted to date into wide-row, additive intercropping (as distinct from traditional replacement intercropping) in South Asian agroecologies. To successfully and sustainably integrate wide-row, additive intercropping into farmers’ cropping systems a range of challenges must be resolved, including optimal agronomic management and crop geometry, household- and farm-scale implications, and potential off-farm bottlenecks.
This project aims to identify practical methods to overcome these challenges for farming households in Bangladesh, Bhutan and India. Focusing on existing wide-row field crop production systems, the project aims to enable farmers to increase their cropping system productivity sustainably and in a manner that requires relatively few additional inputs.
Project activities and expected outcomes:
Evaluating farming households’ initial perspectives on wide-row, additive intercropping.
Conducting on station replicated field trials into wide-row, additive intercropping, focusing on those aspects of agronomic research difficult or unethical to undertake on farms.
Conducting on farm replicated field trials into wide-row, additive intercropping.
Determining how wide-row, additive intercropping could empower women. Quantify the long-term benefits, risks and trade-offs of wide-row, additive intercropping.
Describing key value/supply chains for wide-row, additive intercropping. Determine pathways to scale research to maximize impact.
Quantifying changes in household dry season nutrition for households representative of key typologies in each agroecological zone.
CIMMYT, Mexico, August 27, 2024 â Crop wild relatives that have survived changing climates for millions of years may provide the solution to adapting wheat, humanity’s most widely grown crop, to climate change. Two new studies led by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) reveal how tapping into this ancient genetic diversity can revolutionize wheat breeding and safeguard global food security.
As the weather becomes more erratic and extreme, wheat â providing 20% of all calories and protein globally and serving as the primary staple food for 1.5 billion people in the Global South â faces unprecedented threats. These include heat waves, delayed rains, flooding, and new pests and diseases.
“We’re at a critical juncture,” says Dr. Matthew Reynolds, co-author of both studies. “Our current breeding strategies have served us well, but they must now address more complex challenges posed by climate change.”
The research points to a vast, largely untapped reservoir of nearly 800,000 wheat seed samples stored in 155 genebanks worldwide. These include wild relatives and ancient, farmer-developed varieties that have withstood diverse environmental stresses over millennia. Although only a fraction of this genetic diversity has been utilized in modern crop breeding, it has already delivered significant benefits.
Photo CIMMYT: Wheat diversity spikes
Proven impacts of wild wheat genes
One of the studies, a review published today in Global Change Biology (GCB)*, documents the immense impact of wild relativesâ traits, including on environmental sustainability. It finds that the cultivation of disease-resistant wheat varieties has avoided the use of an estimated 1 billion liters of fungicide just since 2000.
âWithout transferring disease-resistant genes from wild relatives to wheat, fungicide use would have easily doubled, harming both human and environmental health,â says Dr. Susanne Dreisigacker, Molecular Breeder at CIMMYT and co-author of the review.
Sharing of new wheat breeding lines through the CIMMYT-led International Wheat Improvement Network, comprising hundreds of partners and testing sites around the world, increases productivity worth USD 11 billion of extra grain every year. The extra productivity has saved millions of hectares of forests and other natural ecosystems from cultivation.
The review highlights other key breakthroughs using wheat wild relatives, including:
Some experimental wheat lines incorporating wild traits show up to 20% more growth under heat and drought conditions compared to current varieties.
Genes from a wheat wild relative have generated the first crop ever bred to interact with soil microbes, reducing the production of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas, and enabling the plants to use nitrogen more efficiently.
New, high-yielding cultivars in Afghanistan, Egypt and Pakistan were developed using wild genes and have been released as they are more robust to the warming climate.
âBreeding the first beneficial interaction with the soil microbiome â in this case biological nitrification inhibition, or BNI-wheat â is a landmark achievement by CIMMYT and JIRCAS, opening up a whole new spectrum of opportunities to boost cropping systemsâ resilience and reduce environmental footprints,â says Victor Kommerell, co-author of the GCB review, and Director of CropSustaiN, a new research initiative to determine the global climate mitigation and food security potential of BNI wheat.
The second study in Nature Climate Change* showcases the urgent need to scale-up exploration and use of genetic diversity for improved climate resilience. Among the traits needed are deeper, more extensive root systems for better water and nutrient access; photosynthesis that performs well across a wider temperature range; better heat tolerance in reproductive processes; and improved survival during delayed rains or temporary flooding.
âTapping into the complex climate-resilient traits so urgently needed today requires both access to greater genetic diversity and a paradigm shift in breeding approaches,â explains co-author of the GCB review, Dr. Julie King of Nottingham University.
Modern crop breeding has focused on a relatively narrow pool of âstar athletesâ: elite crop varieties that are already high performers and that have known, predictable genetics. In contrast, the genetic diversity of wild wheat relatives offers complex climate-resilient traits â but their use has been more time-consuming, costly and riskier than traditional breeding approaches with elite varieties. Now, new technologies have changed that equation.
Making the impossible possible
“We have the tools to quickly explore genetic diversity that was previously inaccessible to breeders,” explains Dr. Benjamin Kilian, co-author of the review and coordinator of the Crop Trustâs Biodiversity for Opportunities, Livelihoods and Development (BOLD) project that supports conservation and use of crop diversity globally.
Among these tools are next-generation gene sequencing, big-data analytics, and remote sensing technologies, including satellite imagery. The latter allows researchers to routinely monitor traits like plant growth rate or disease resistance at unlimited numbers of sites globally.
However, realizing the full potential of these genetic resources will require global cooperation. “The most significant impacts will come through widespread sharing of genetic resources and technologies,” says Dr. Kilian.
New technologies allow crop researchers to precisely identify and transfer beneficial traits from wild relatives, making what has been seen as a risky, time-consuming process into a targeted, efficient strategy for climate-proofing crops. âSatellite technology turns the planet into a laboratory,â says Dr. Reynolds, âCombined with artificial intelligence to super-charge crop-breeding simulations, we can identify whole new solutions for climate resilience.â
This research, which also applies to any crop with surviving wild relatives, promises to enhance global food security and make cropping systems more environmentally sustainable. Developing more resilient and efficient wheat varieties will help feed a global population while reducing agriculture’s environmental footprint.
Photo CIMMYT: Wheat diversity spikes
Study information and links
*Wheat genetic resources have avoided disease pandemics, improved food security, and reduced environmental footprints: A review of historical impacts and future opportunities. King J, Dreisigacker S, Reynolds M et al., 2024. Global Change Biology (Study available under embargo upon request)
*New wheat breeding paradigms for a warming climate. Xiong, W., Reynolds, M.P., Montes, C. et al. Nat. Clim. Chang. (2024). Â https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-024-02069-0
Note to editors
About CIMMYT
Headquartered in Mexico, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (known by its Spanish acronym, CIMMYT) is a not-for-profit agriculture research and training organization. The center works to reduce poverty and hunger by sustainably increasing the productivity of maize and wheat cropping systems in the developing world. Learn more at staging.cimmyt.org
About the Crop Trust
The Crop Trust is an international organization working to conserve crop diversity and protect global food and nutrition security. At the core of the Crop Trust is an endowment fund dedicated to providing guaranteed long-term financial support to key genebanks worldwide. The Crop Trust supports the Svalbard Global Seed Vault and coordinates large-scale projects worldwide to secure crop diversity and make it available for use, globally forever and for the benefit of everyone. The Crop Trust is recognized as an essential element of the funding strategy of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Learn more at www.croptrust.org
About the Biodiversity for Opportunities, Livelihoods and Development (BOLD) Project
BOLD is a 10-year project to strengthen food and nutrition security worldwide by supporting the conservation and use of crop diversity. The project works with national genebanks, pre-breeding and seed system partners globally. Funded by the Government of Norway, BOLD is led by the Crop Trust in partnership with the Norwegian University of Life Sciences and the International Plant Treaty.
CGIAR has launched a pilot program in Zimbabwe’s Mbire and Murehwa districts to promote agroecological solutions, with CIMMYT as a key partner. The initiative aims to develop sustainable farming practices by addressing challenges like pest outbreaks, drought, and access to quality seeds. CIMMYT’s involvement includes introducing innovative technologies such as demonstration plots and seed fairs, designed to enhance agricultural resilience and sustainability in the region. This collaborative effort seeks to empower local farmers and create a more sustainable agricultural system in Zimbabwe.
Food security in the prevailing uncertain climatic and economic conditions can only be guaranteed by deliberate actions toward maximizing production, especially in stress-prone environments. The main priority of the CGIAR and NARS breeding programs is to enhance genetic gain in crops through the assessment of seed varieties with drought-resilient, nutritional, and yield traits. This is achieved by leveraging data-driven approaches and embracing contemporary tools and methodologies.
Innovative approaches such as molecular tools, doubled haploid technology, and refined breeding schemes have greatly contributed to the strides made in CIMMYTâs endeavor to elevate genetic gain within breeding pipelines. These advancements not only drive improved productivity but also promise cost-effective strategies for navigating the challenges posed by climate variability.
Molecular Tools
In maize breeding, traditionally, at each stage of the pipeline, entries are grown in multi-location trials. Phenotyping in multiple environments helps to select the best entries not only based on their genetic values but also on environmental factors and their interaction with diverse environments. However, this is also a labor-intensive and time-consuming step in the breeding pipeline. Molecular breeding offers a transformative solution by expanding breeding programs while minimizing phenotyping requirements. It is a well-known fact that trait phenotype results from both genetic and non-genetic factors, with genetic factors being contributed by the expression of genes at the DNA level.
Identifying genomic regions close to causative genes for traits of interest, such as high yield, disease resistance, or quality, can help to incorporate desirable genes/alleles into selected elite genotypes. DNA-based markers aid in efficiently tracking the inheritance of genetic traits, thereby facilitating the selection of desired traits in breeding programs. Marker-assisted forward breeding accelerates the selection of plants with desired traits by identifying the genetic markers associated with those traits. With such harnessed genotypic information, breeders can pre-select genetic material before embarking on the resource-intensive phenotyping stages. This strategic utilization of molecular markers, particularly in identifying susceptibility to key diseases like maize streak virus (MSV) and maize lethal necrosis (MLN), enables the judicious allocation of resources for phenotyping.
Figure 1. Summary of marker-assisted forward breeding across six breeding pipelines for MLN- and MSV-resistance haplotypes over the past six years.
Since 2018, CIMMYT has been implementing marker-assisted forward breeding for MSV and MLN. Since then, more than 100,000 pure breeding lines have been tested by examining their favorable haplotypes with a small set of 10 genetic markers and discarding the lines carrying unfavorable haplotypes for MSV and MLN resistance. In the last six years, nearly 30,000 lines have been rejected before undergoing field testing. In southern Africa, for instance, a rapid response to seed movement using molecular and serological techniques prevented the spread of MLN and facilitated the incorporation of resistance traits into new plant varieties.
Most hybrids in the final stages of breeding pipelines are passed through forward breeding. While Fall Armyworm, Gray Leaf Spot, common rust, and Turcicum Leaf Blight also cause substantial yield reductions in sub-Saharan Africa, research carried out under the AGG project indicates that the genetic makeup of these traits is oligogenic, governed by both moderate and small effect quantitative trait loci (QTLs), but lacking a single major-effect QTL and not amenable to forward breeding. This means that their resistance is influenced by complex multiple genetic factors, rather than being primarily controlled by a few major genetic regions. Alternatively, these biotic stress traits can be improved effectively through genomic selection.
Genomic selection is used to improve complex traits that are controlled by many small-effect QTLs. This approach does not require prior genetic information about the trait of interest and uses genome-wide marker information to estimate all marker effects and select individuals with high genomic-estimated breeding values (GEBVs). This means it uses data from various genetic markers to predict which individuals are likely to have desirable alleles for MSV and MLN. Genomic selection is being applied for grain yield under drought stress, and efforts are underway to extend its application to address more complex challenges related to plant diseases and pests. Foliar diseases are moderately complex traits.
Proof of concept on applying genomic selection for foliar diseases like gray leaf spot and northern corn leaf blight showed high prediction accuracies, supporting the implementation of genomic selection together with forward breeding for other traits at the early stage of the breeding pipeline. Implementing genomic selection for GY under optimum and drought management proved that maize breeders could obtain the same gain as with conventional breeding, where all entries are phenotyped in the field, but at approximately 35-40% less cost. Many candidate hybrids now entering the advanced stages of the breeding pipeline were developed using genomic selection. Several of our earlier studies (Beyene et al., 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021; Chaikam et al., 2019; Crossa et al., 2017; Prasanna et al., 2022; Vivek et al., 2017) showed that breeding pipelines achieved high genetic gain by adopting new molecular tools, thus confirming the benefit of adopting molecular breeding tools.
Currently, in CIMMYTâs eastern and southern breeding pipelines, all product profiles are using genomic selection at stage I, where the training population is evaluated in multiple locations with a sparse design, estimating the GEBVs for the unphenotyped lines, and using GEBVs and phenotypic BLUPs of test crosses in the selection for stage II. This process allows the handling of a large number of lines at stage I with a fixed budget without losing selection accuracy. Since 2017, we have used the âtest half and predict halfâ strategy (Figure 2), where all the lines were genotyped with mid-density markers, and the selected ~50% of the total stage I lines were testcrossed and evaluated in multiple locations to be used as a training population to estimate the GEBVs for the other 50% of the unphenotyped lines for the traits of interest. High prediction correlations were observed in three selected product profiles for GY under optimum, managed drought, and low soil N conditions (Figure 3).
Genomic selection is also implemented to reduce the breeding cycle. However, our final products are three-way cross hybrids, where genomic selection is applied only to select the best line rather than selecting the best hybrid combinations. Historical data were used to test the possibility of reducing the breeding cycle. However, our results showed that the use of historical data to predict 100% of lines from the current year yielded low to moderate prediction correlations both under optimum and drought conditions for GY, anthesis date, and plant height (Figure 4). Incorporating 10 to 30% of the testing population into the training population leads to high prediction correlations. This concludes that by using historical data, the training population, which needs to be test-crossed and evaluated in multiple locations every year, can be reduced from 50% to 10-30%, which helps breeders allocate the saved resources to evaluate more lines without losing prediction accuracy.
Doubled Haploid Technology
Doubled haploid technology speeds up the creation of inbred lines by producing entirely uniform lines. Pedigree line development is a traditional method in plant breeding aimed at gradually improving and stabilizing the genetic makeup of the new variety over time. It involves multiple generations of controlled crosses between parent plants with known characteristics. Each subsequent generation is carefully selected based on specific traits of interest, such as yield, disease resistance, or quality. Pedigree line development is expensive, particularly when nurseries are in remote locations.
Unlike traditional methods where some genetic variation remains, doubled haploid lines are completely homogeneous. This means that there is increased heritability of desirable traits and improved accuracy of selection. Doubled haploid technology, which is more compatible with the use of molecular markers, simplifies breeding processes and shortens the time needed to develop inbred lines (Chaikam et al., 2019).
The first doubled haploid facility in Africa was established in 2013 and is extensively used by the CGIAR, NARES, and the private sector. Over the past five years, 1,349 populations have been induced and more than 223,144 doubled haploid lines delivered to breeding programs from CGIAR, NARES, and the private sector in sub-Saharan Africa. Shifting from traditional pedigree-based breeding to doubled haploid technology has shown a high impact on key breeding metrics (gain per cycle and gain per year) not only in CIMMYT but also in national partners’ breeding programs, thus increasing genetic gain within the available budget.
Figure 2. Number of lines evaluated with phenotypic selection (PS) and genomic selection (GS) at stage I in EAPP1 product profile from 2017 to 2023. (PS â phenotypic selection, GS â genomic selection)Figure 3. Prediction correlations for grain yield (GY) under optimum (OPT), drought (MDt) and low soil N (low N) management conditions in EAPP1, EAPP2 and SAPP1 at stage I in 2023
Figure 4. Prediction accuracies for grain yield (GY), anthesis date (AD) and plant height (PH) estimated from independent validation schemes using a training population (TRN) consisting of 2017- and 2018-years breeding data and 10%, 30%, 50%, 70% and 90% of 2019 data converted from the testing population (TST) to the training population under optimum and managed drought conditions
Beyene, Y., Gowda, M., Suresh, L. M., Mugo, S., Olsen, M., Oikeh, S. O., Juma, C., Tarekegne, A., and Prasanna, B. M. (2017). Genetic analysis of tropical maize inbred lines for resistance to maize lethal necrosis disease. Euphytica213.
Beyene, Y., Semagn, K., Crossa, J., Mugo, S., Atlin, G. N., Tarekegne, A., et al. (2016). Improving maize grain yield under drought stress and non-stress environments in sub-saharan africa using marker-assisted recurrent selection. Crop Science 56, 344â353. doi: 10.2135/cropsci2015.02.0135
Beyene, Y., Semagn, K., Mugo, S., Tarekegne, A., Babu, R., Meisel, B., Sehabiague, P., Makumbi, D., Magorokosho, C., and Oikeh, S. (2015). Genetic gains in grain yield through genomic selection in eight biâparental maize populations under drought stress. Crop Science55, 154-163.
Chaikam, V., Molenaar, W., Melchinger, A. E., and Prasanna, B. M. (2019). Doubled haploid technology for line development in maize: technical advances and prospects. Theor. Appl. Genet. 132, 3227â3243. doi: 10.1007/s00122-019-03433-x
Prasanna BM, Burgueño J, Beyene Y, Makumbi D, Asea G, Woyengo V, Tarekegne A, Magorokosho C, Wegary D, Ndhlela T, Zaman-Allah M, Matova PM, Mwansa K, Mashingaidze K, Fato P, Teklewold A, Vivek BS, Zaidi PH, Vinayan MT, Patne N, Rakshit S, Kumar R, Jat SL, Singh SB, Kuchanur PH, Lohithaswa HC, Singh NK, Koirala KB, Ahmed S, San Vicente F, Dhliwayo T, Cairns JE. 2022. Genetic trends in CIMMYTâs tropical maize breeding pipelines. Scientific Reports 12, 20110. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-24536-4
Vivek, B. S., Krishna, G. K., Vengadessan, V., Babu, R., Zaidi, P. H., Kha, L. Q., et al. (2017). Use of genomic estimated breeding values results in rapid genetic gains for drought tolerance in maize. Plant Genome 10, 1â8. doi: 10.3835/plantgenome2016.07.0070
Science without policy is just academia; policy without science is just guesswork. Through a blend of robust field research and policy advocacy, CIMMYT aims to bridge the gap between policy and practice in promoting sustainable agricultural practices through crop diversification in South Asia.
Taking Bangladesh as an example, CIMMYTâs work in the country highlights the critical need to link research with policy to achieve sustainable agricultural practices, enhance food security, and improve farmer livelihoods.
The power of research-informed policy
Bangladesh’s agriculture is highly rice-centric; although rational, this is risky and arguably unsustainable. This means there needs to be a focus on crop diversification, which is one of the approaches toward sustainable agriculture that can address socioeconomic and environmental challenges.
Recognizing these challenges, CIMMYT has been at the forefront of developing solutions by conducting extensive multi-location on-site and on-farm trials that consider the socioeconomic and pedoclimatic dimensions of farm households.
Additionally, CIMMYT analyzes historical policies and initiatives that have been implemented by the Bangladeshi government and international partners to promote crop diversification. Several opportunities for improvement were identified in past policies and project implementation; addressing these challenges requires bridging the gap between policies and research to scale up crop diversification efforts.
Through the RUPANTAR and CGIAR Transforming Agrifood Systems in South Asia (TAFSSA) projects, CIMMYT-Bangladesh has developed an analytical tool to understand the political economy of crop diversification policies and practices. When applied to agriculture policy research, this tool can be tailored to any country and policy context in South Asia.
For example, while the government recognizes crop diversification in its agriculture policies starting with the Fifth Five-Year Plan, substantial funding for crop diversification efforts was only recently allocated. Integration of crop diversification into the government’s annual funding systems is essential to mainstream crop diversification in agriculture.
Many crop diversification policies and projects primarily focus on production, neglecting market systems development for new crops. Similarly, research suggests insufficient attention is paid to cold storage and other infrastructure needed to support diversification.
Most initiatives appear to have been project-driven, resulting in short-lived action without long-lasting impact. Insufficient coordination and support from government agencies appears to have affected projects led by both governments and development partners.
Stakeholder engagement spreads awareness
Without translating research into policy, we leave innovation on the shelf. CIMMYT-Bangladesh disseminates research findings to policymakers through the country Priority Investment Plan for the crop sector at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC), and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member countries through regional consultation workshops on accelerating the transformation process for sustainable and nutrition-sensitive food systems.
Looking ahead, CIMMYTâs efforts in South Asia remain dedicated to bridging the gap between research and policy. Ongoing projects aim to generate robust evidence, advocate for informed policy decisions, and foster partnerships across sectors. By continuing to lead in this space, CIMMYT strives to contribute to a more resilient agrifood system for South Asia.
Wheat breeding strategies for increased climate resilience
With the challenges of climate change already affecting plant breeding, especially warmer days and warmer nights, the time to future proof the worldâs food supply is now. In order to make the best-informed changes, scientists at CIMMYT ran simulations mimicking five scenarios that might play out over the next 70+ years.
The researchers used 3,652 breeding line records from six global nurseries administered by the International Wheat Improvement Network, which is coordinated by CIMMYT, and involves hundreds of partners and testing sites worldwide. Researchers ran the data through five different climate change scenarios, ranging from stable to severe.
Along with colleagues from Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China, ICARDA, and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, CIMMYT scientists published their research in Nature Climate Change.
The results showed that less than one-third of wheat varieties adapted well to the warming the planet has already seen in the last 10 years. As temperatures increased in the simulation, researchers found a clear connection between rising temperatures and lower stability for a variety. As the global wheat-growing area becomes warmer and experiences more frequent heatwaves, breeding programs have to look beyond just yield optimization.
âStability is key for breeding programs and farmers,â said co-lead author Matthew Reynolds, CIMMYT distinguished scientist and head of wheat physiology. âKnowing that a specific variety works well in a specific environment and produces an expected amount of yield allows farmers better plan their crop futures.â
âWe performed the analysis from different perspectives, so that climate effects and appropriate adjustment suggestions for current breeding models can be considered from climate change, gene selection and/or geneâenvironment interaction perspectives,â said co-lead author Wei Xiong, CIMMYT Senior Scientist and Agricultural System Modeler.
The paradox of breeding elite lines
Local and regional breeding programs, as well as targeted breeding by CIMMYT, contribute to gene pools that overlap for many key agronomic traits, which limit genetic diversity.
âIt is an unintended consequence,â said Reynolds. âAs conventional breeding focuses on crossing the best and elite material, such focus can actually reduce genetic diversity.â
This âparadoxâ shows the need to increase genetic variability and environmental diversification in breeding programs that are developing higher-yielding climate-resilient cultivars. Breeding programs also need to target traits associated with improved adaptation to increased temperatures and tolerance to heatwaves, which requires multidisciplinary integration.
Looking to the past for answers
Over the past 10,000 years, the climate has been unusually stable, meaning modern, domesticated bread wheat has not been exposed to wide swings in temperature that are forecast for the next 100 years. Wild wheat relatives, like Triticeae, have had millions of years of experience in weathering changing climates.
CIMMYT has a pre-breeding program that examines wild wheat races and more exotic sources for climate resilience traits. When such traits are identified genetically, new breeding techniques such as gene editing can be employed and breeding models refined.
To activate these new techniques, several barriers need to be overcome, including more sharing of germplasm between countries and breeding teams, the use of faster breeding cycles where appropriate and improved understanding of genes that improve heat tolerance without a yield penalty.
With reduced climate resilience and slow cultivar development, the need to increase genetic variability for climate adaptation is urgent, particularly in developing countries, where warming rate is unprecedented, and breeding cycles tend to be longer than in developed countries.
âFaced with more climate variability, breeders need to revisit their breeding strategies to integrate genetic diversity that confers climate resilience without penalties to productivity,â said Reynolds.
The Africa-China-CIMMYT Science Forum in Nairobi gathered experts from China and Africa to explore strategies for transforming agrifood systems through innovation and cooperation. Organized by CAAS and CIMMYT, the forum emphasized the importance of collaboration in addressing food security, rural poverty, and climate resilience in Africa. Key discussions focused on the benefits of technology transfer and research partnerships to support smallholder farmers and advance agricultural modernization across the continent.
The Novo Nordisk Foundation and CIMMYT have launched the 4-year CropSustaiN initiative to determine the global potential of wheat that is significantly better at using nitrogen, thanks to Biological Nitrification Inhibition (BNI)âand to accelerate breeding and farmer access to BNI wheat varieties.
With a budget of US$ 21 million, CropSustaiN addresses the pressing challenges of nitrogen pollution and inefficient fertilizer use, which contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and ecological degradation. Currently, no other seed or agronomic practice-based solution matches BNI cropsâ mitigation impact potential. Growing BNI crops can complement other climate mitigation measures.
The challenge
Agriculture is at the heart of both food and nutrition security and environmental sustainability. The sector contributes ca. 10-12% of global GHG emissions, including 80% of the highly potent nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. Fertilizer use contributes to such N losses, because plants take up about 50%, the remainder being lost. Wheat is the world’s largest âcropâ consumer of nitrogen-based fertilizerâa relatively nitrogen-inefficient cerealâat the same time providing affordable calories to billions of resource-poor people and ca. 20% of globally consumed protein. CropSustaiN targets this nexus of productivity and planetary boundary impact by verifying and thus de-risking the needed breeding, agronomic, and social innovations.
A solution: BNI-wheat
BNI is a natural ability of certain plant species to release metabolites from their roots into the soil. They influence the nitrogen-transforming activity of nitrifying bacteria, slowing down the conversion of ammonium to nitrate in the soil. This preserves soil ammonium levels for a longer time, providing plants with a more sustained source of available nitrogen and making them more nitrogen-use efficient (nitrogen plant use efficiency). As a result, BNI helps reduce the release of N2O gas emissions and nitrate leaching to the surrounding ecosystem.
A research breakthrough in 2021, led by the Japan International Research Center of Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) in collaboration with CIMMYT, demonstrated that the BNI trait can be transferred from a wheat wild relative to a modern wheat variety by conventional breeding. BNI wheat can be made available to farmers worldwide.
Growing BNI wheat could reduce nitrogen fertilizer usage by 15-20%, depending on regional farming conditions, without sacrificing yield or quality.
Incorporating BNI into additional crops would reduce usage further. Farmers can get the same yield with less external inputs.
Other BNI-crops
CropSustaiN will work on spring and winter wheats. Rice, maize, barley, and sorghum also have BNI potential. CropSustaiN will build the knowledge base and share with scientists working on other crops and agronomic approaches.
Objectives and outcomes
This high risk, high reward mission aims to:
Verify the global, on-farm potential of BNI-wheat through field trial research and breeding.
Build the partnerships and pathways to meet farmer demand for BNI-wheat seeds.
Work with stakeholders on policy change that enables BNI crops production and markets
Success will be measured by determining nitrogen pollution reduction levels under different soil nitrogen environments and management conditions on research stations, documenting crop performance and safety, breeding for BNI spring and winter wheats for a wide range of geographies, and gauging farmer needs, interest, and future demand.
Wheat spikes against the sky at CIMMYT’s El BatĂĄn, Mexico headquarters. (Photo: H. Hernandez Lira/CIMMYT)
A collaborative effort
CIMMYT is the lead implementer of Novo Nordisk Foundationâs mission funding. CropSustaiNâs interdisciplinary, intersectoral, systems approach relies on building partnerships and knowledge-sharing within and outside this research initiative. 45+ partners are engaged in CropSustaiN.
The potential GHG emissions reduction from deploying BNI-wheat is estimated to be 0.016-0.19 gigatonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions per year, reducing 0.4-6% of total global N2O emissions annually, plus a lowering of nitrate pollution.
Impact on climate change mitigation and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)
The assumption is that BNI wheat is grown in all major wheat-growing areas and that farmers will practice a behavioral shift towards lower fertilizer use and higher fertilizer use efficiency. That could lead to ca. a reduction of 17 megatons per year globally. This can help nations achieve their NDCs under the Paris Agreement.
International public goods, governance, and management
CIMMYT and the Foundation are committed to open access and the dissemination of seeds, research data, and results as international public goods. The governance and management model reinforces a commitment to equitable global access to CropSustaiN outputs, emphasized in partnership agreements and management of intellectual property.
Invitation to join the mission
The CropSustaiN initiative is a bold step towards agricultural transformation. You are invited to become a partner. You can contribute to the mission with advice, by sharing methods, research data and results, or becoming a co-founder.
Please contact CropSustaiN Mission Director, Victor Kommerell, at v.kommerell@cgiar.org or Novo Nordisk Foundationâs Senior Scientific Manager, Jeremy A. Daniel, at jad@novo.dk.
In conflict-ridden Sudan, Gadarif State in Eastern Sudan is the most important region for sorghum production, with about 5-6 million feddan (5.18-6.22 acres) cultivated on an annual basis on large scale farms equipped with agricultural machinery. However, like the country, the state is covered with vertisols, clay-rich soils that shrink and swell with changes in moisture content, that become waterlogged and cannot be properly cultivated during rainy season.
To address the issue, technical experts from the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) are mapping areas affected by waterlogging in two localities, namely El Fashaga and El Nahal, to identify the most suitable lands to establish large drainage implementing sites integrated with improved crop varieties of sorghum. This work is part of CIMMYTâs Sustainable Agrifood Systems Approach for Sudan (SASAS) program, which works with farmers and herders to reduce their need for humanitarian assistance in conflict-affected Sudan.
âTo address the issue of vertisols affected by water logging in Al Gadarif, the prominent agricultural region in Sudan, we used the map developed by ICRISAT in 2023 and consulted with local farmers to identify 100 hectares El Fashaga and El Nahal localities to improve drainage and avoid waterlogging,â said Gizaw Desta, senior scientist at ICRISAT.
Waterlogging is common on poorly drained soil or when heavy soil is compacted, preventing water from being drained away. This leaves no air spaces in the saturated soil, and plant roots literally drown. Waterlogging can be a major constraint to plant growth and production and, under certain conditions, will cause plant death. In Gadarif state, 2.3 million hectares and 1.8 million hectares of vertisols are under high and moderate waterlogging conditions that impair crop production during the rainy season, leading to food insecurity if not reversed with appropriate agricultural practices.
Experts evaluate the compacted soil. (Photo: CIMMYT)
âFor years, my farm has been flooded by water during the rainy season, and I cannot cultivate sorghum as plants die of water suffocationâ, said Ali Ahmed, a farmer from Al-Saeeda area of ââAl-Nahal locality who is affected by waterlogging. âAlternatively, we as farmers affected by waterlogging were forced to cultivate watermelon instead of our main staple food sorghum. This shift in the crops we cultivate is hardly affecting our income. Â I am glad that ICRISAT is working to establish drainage systems and address waterlogging within our lands.â
âAt SASAS, we strive to ensure that farmers have access to fertile lands and other agricultural inputs. We work with our partners to address all problems facing farmers including waterlogging to help farmers continue producing their staple food and cash crops,â said Abdelrahman Kheir, SASAS chief of party in Sudan.
While agricultural food systems feed the world, they also account for nearly a third of the worldâs 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 worldâs efforts to combat climate change.
One promising mechanism is carbon credits, a set of sustainable agricultural practices designed to enhance the soilâs ability to capture carbon and decrease the amount of GHGâs 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 farmersâ 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 farmerâs 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.
âSuccessfully implemented carbon credit projects could reward farmers when they adopt and continue CA practices,â said Adeeth Cariappa, lead author and environmental and resource economist at CIMMYT. âThis creates a winâwin scenario for all stakeholders, including farmers, carbon credit businesses, corporate customers, the government, and the entire economy.â
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.
âMore farmers engaging CA methods is an overall positive for the environment,â said Cariappa. âBut 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.â
While the potential benefits are significant, there are challenges to linking CA and carbon credits.
âTo achieve these potential benefits, carbon credit prices must rise, and projects must be carefully planned, designed, monitored, and implemented,â said Cariappa. âThis includes selecting the right interventions and project areas, engaging with farmers effectively, and ensuring robust monitoring and implementation mechanisms.â
In a discussion on the future of crop breeding at the Cereals seminar, experienced wheat breeder Bill Angus highlighted CIMMYT as a leading example of effective global crop breeding, particularly for regions with limited agricultural inputs. He emphasized that while the UK has a competitive wheat breeding environment, it could learn from CIMMYT’s approach, which successfully develops wheat varieties suited for the developing world, where farmers often lack the luxury of chemical inputs. Angus advocated for the UK to adopt a more impactful and globally engaged breeding strategy, drawing inspiration from CIMMYT’s successes.
