As staple foods, maize and wheat provide vital nutrients and health benefits, making up close to two-thirds of the world’s food energy intake, and contributing 55 to 70 percent of the total calories in the diets of people living in developing countries, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. CIMMYT scientists tackle food insecurity through improved nutrient-rich, high-yielding varieties and sustainable agronomic practices, ensuring that those who most depend on agriculture have enough to make a living and feed their families. The U.N. projects that the global population will increase to more than 9 billion people by 2050, which means that the successes and failures of wheat and maize farmers will continue to have a crucial impact on food security. Findings by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which show heat waves could occur more often and mean global surface temperatures could rise by up to 5 degrees Celsius throughout the century, indicate that increasing yield alone will be insufficient to meet future demand for food.
Achieving widespread food and nutritional security for the world’s poorest people is more complex than simply boosting production. Biofortification of maize and wheat helps increase the vitamins and minerals in these key crops. CIMMYT helps families grow and eat provitamin A enriched maize, zinc-enhanced maize and wheat varieties, and quality protein maize. CIMMYT also works on improving food health and safety, by reducing mycotoxin levels in the global food chain. Mycotoxins are produced by fungi that colonize in food crops, and cause health problems or even death in humans or animals. Worldwide, CIMMYT helps train food processors to reduce fungal contamination in maize, and promotes affordable technologies and training to detect mycotoxins and reduce exposure.
It is estimated that nearly one in three people in the United States are living a “gluten-free” lifestyle (New Scientist, July 2014). This diet trend has been supported and encouraged by celebrities, athletes and influential people around the world. In the past five years there has been an epidemic of self-diagnosed gluten intolerance. Many are claiming gluten is a toxic addictive that causes bloating, various mental disorders, stomach pains, headaches and lethargy.
Gluten intolerance can be the result of a multitude of disorders, including coeliac disease. According to Coeliac.org , “Coeliac disease is caused by a reaction of the immune system to gluten – a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. When someone with coeliac disease eats gluten, their immune system reacts by damaging the lining of the small intestine.” Cutting out gluten means cutting out one of the primary food groups. Many gluten-free foods sold in stores are short on fiber and have higher sugar content, often making these products less healthy for non-gluten-intolerant consumers. Only about one percent of the United States population suffers from coeliac disease, so why is one-third of the population going gluten-free and swearing off wheat even after the health risks? Non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) may be the cause. Many are claiming NCGS as a result of having no immune reaction to gluten but still experiencing bloating and stomach pain that went away after adopting a gluten-free diet. Small studies have been conducted, and it appeared that NCGS is legitimate. Peter Gibson of the Alfred Hospital and Monash in Melbourne, Australia, was one of the first to study the effects of gluten with randomized tests. Even after his first test came back positive, showing that the participants who ate gluten were experiencing abdominal pains and lethargy, Gibson was not convinced (New Scientist, 2014.)
“The trouble is that wheat has more than just gluten in it,” said Gibson (New Scientist, 2014). What Gibson discovered was gluten in wheat was not causing the illnesses. Results pointed to the fermentable oligo-di-monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAPs) found in wheat, which are also present in many fruits, vegetables and dairy products (The Guardian, 2014).
CIMMYT is running an online campaign to dispel myths about wheat, as well as raise awareness about the importance of wheat in the world. For more information visit the Wheat Matters website, and join in on the #WheatMatters conversation on Facebook and Twitter.
“If I have not touched ugali, I have not eaten,” said engineer Menjo Mosonik, the Bomet County official in charge of agriculture and infrastructure. The saying is from his community where ugali, a dish made from maize meal, is a staple food. This is true of many communities in Kenya, where maize is a staple food and a key ingredient in daily meals.
The maize lethal necrosis (MLN) disease, which can cause up to 100 percent yield loss on farmers’ fields, is threatening this source of food and livelihoods for many in the country. Because of this, 40 county officials, including County Executive Committee (CEC) officials who are responsible for agriculture in Kenya’s devolved government structure, visited the CIMMYT MLN Screening Facility in Naivasha, Kenya on 5 August.
The facility could hold the key to addressing this lethal disease, which was first recognized in 2011 and has affected maize cultivation in many counties. The facility is hosted by the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) center for livestock research, which is also the Regional Centre of Excellence for Dairy Research for East and Central Africa.
“We work in partnership,” said CIMMYT’s regional representative for Africa, Dr. Wilfred Mwangi, as he welcomed the CECs. “To show our commitment to overcoming MLN, CIMMYT brought our specialists from China and Mexico to help identify the disease when it was first observed in Kenya.”
CIMMYT pathologist Dr. George Mahuku gives a guided tour of the MLN Screening Facility in Naivasha, Kenya. Photo by Florence Sipalla.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) organized the visit and is supporting training sessions on the disease in major maize growing areas. So far, they have trained 320 participants in eight counties. “We wanted policy-makers to appreciate work being done by national and international research organizations to address MLN,” said Dr. Wilson Ronno, head of crop production at FAO-Kenya. “We realized we need to inform policy-makers, as this is a very sensitive issue of food security,” said Ronno, adding, “we are putting up demonstration sites in Bomet to show farmers how to manage the disease through good agricultural practices.”
The county officials were given a guided tour of the facility by Dr. George Mahuku, CIMMYT pathologist. As he showed them around the facility, Mahuku explained the research being carried out by CIMMYT, in collaboration with KARI and partners from the public and private sectors, to screen germplasm and identify sources of resistance to MLN.
“We are screening germplasm from different places in the [East Africa] region,” said Mahuku, adding that germplasm from Mexico and the United States has also been screened at the facility. “Because this is a new disease, we are also developing protocols on how to handle the viruses and screen germplasm for resistance. These protocols will be shared with our partners through training so that we are all well-coordinated in addressing the problem,” he added.
“There is hope,” said Mahuku as he pointed at germplasm that is showing tolerance to the deadly disease. He explained that CIMMYT is going to screen the germplasm in multiple environments. “This is why we really value partnerships,” he added, emphasizing the important role partners play in the research process.
The role of extension workers in managing diseases such as MLN was discussed, as they are instrumental in disseminating information on how to manage the disease. “Management is very important and is going to play a key role in minimizing or averting the devastating effects of MLN,” said Mahuku.
“This was a learning experience. We will be able to tell farmers what we have seen,” said Purity Muritu, who is in charge of agriculture in Nakuru County. Muritu said she would also explain to farmers the importance of having a maize-free season to break the MLN cycle. The CECs suggested that county officials visit the MLN facility to be sensitized on MLN and how to manage it.
A seed production crop of Chuanmai 104. This Provincial government initiative pays a private seed company to produce seed, which is then freely distributed to local farmers to facilitate the efficient uptake of this high- yielding variety. Photo: Garry Rosewarne.
Genes found in million-year-old grass species are helping scientists multiply the genetic diversity of wheat and generate varieties that yield more than eight tons of grain per hectare in southwestern China, where rain-fed wheat grows in low temperatures after sowing and winter droughts can hold back productivity.
Many wheat x grass crosses – known as “synthetic” wheats – were developed 25 years ago by a CIMMYT research team, and have since been used in breeding programs worldwide. The first synthetic variety to reach Chinese farms, Chuanmai 42, arrived in the Sichuan Basin in 2003, and allowed wheat farmers there to boost yields by as much as 20 percent – the most significant increase in the region for decades.
“Despite major research and breeding efforts, on-farm wheat yields in southwestern China had stagnated below eight tons per hectare,” said Dr. Zhonghu He, CIMMYT distinguished scientist and wheat breeder. “Chuanmai 42 and more recent synthetic-derived varieties changed that. It has been the leading variety in the Sichuan Basin for a decade.” Chuanmai 42 was developed by Professor Wuyun Yang, senior wheat breeder at the Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Science (SAAS) and a CIMMYT wheat training graduate. “In 2011, the China State Council gave SAAS the scientific progress award for the creation of Chuanmai 42 and the exploration of genetic diversity from synthetic wheat,” He said.
A new report in the journal Crop Science (1) has shed light on the physiological differences that give Chuanmai 42 and other synthetic derivatives better yields. “In our three-year study, the synthetic crosses were more vigorous in early growth stages, and grew more above ground at flowering time than non-synthetic varieties,” said Dr. Garry Rosewarne, CIMMYT wheat scientist and co-author of the report. “At maturity, more dry matter was partitioned to grain in the synthetic varieties and the plants were more erect and compact,” he added. These differences gave the synthetics a nearly 12 percent yield advantage, according to Rosewarne. “It’s very encouraging to see the newer synthetic derivatives significantly out-performing Chuanmai 42,” he said.
A report published in the journal BMC Plant Biology (2) in May describes a study that combines digital imaging of grain and molecular markers to analyze grain size and shape and their effects on yield in synthetic-derived wheat. This work was accomplished under the Valilov-Frankel Fellowship, involving scientists from institutes in Australia, China and Pakistan, as well as CGIAR Centers Bioversity International and CIMMYT. The study found that parts of the synthetic genome originating from a wild grass might carry genes that enhance grain weight, a key component of higher yield in wheat. “This study involved 231 synthetic derivatives,” said He, a co-author of the report. “It confirms the great potential of this type of wheat to help low- and middle-income countries meet the rising demand for wheat-based products, as their populations grow and urbanize.”
Dr. Abdul Mujeeb-Kazi, retired CIMMYT distinguished scientist who led the team that performed the original wheat x grass crosses 25 years ago, is also a co-author of the study.
1. Tang, Y., G.M. Rosewarne, C. Li, X. Wu, W. Yang, and C. Wu. 2014. Physiological factors underpinning grain yield improvements of synthetic derived wheat in South Western China, accepted paper, Crop Science, posted 07/29/2014. doi:10.2135/cropsci2014.02.0124.
2. Rasheed, A., X. Xia, F. Ogbonnaya, T. Mahmood, Z. Zhang, A. Mujeeb-Kazi, and Z. He. 2014. Genome-wide association for grain morphology in synthetic hexaploid wheats using digital imaging analysis. BMC Plant Biology 2014, 14:128 doi:10.1186/1471-2229-14-128
The Agricultural Innovation Project (AIP) for Pakistan, led by CIMMYT and funded by USAID, has accomplished a great deal since its inception in March 2013. Among this year’s most notable AIP achievements by partner institutions were numerous training sessions and workshops, important vaccine developments, progress in baseline surveys and advances in seed improvement and distribution.
In May, 25 stakeholders involved in dairy production received training on the seven rapid assessment (RA) tools developed and modified by the International Livestock Research Institute (IRLI). Another 25 stakeholders involved in small ruminant production were given training on the small ruminant value chain rapid assessment (SRVC RA) tools by scientists from the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA). On 4 June, a wheat seed value chain workshop organized by CIMMYT in collaboration with the Cereal Crops Research Institute (CCRI) and the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) was held at CCRI in Nowshera, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province (KPP).
Nearly 50 actors in the wheat seed value chain participated in the workshop, in order to analyze gaps and identify opportunities in the KPP wheat seed system. A “training of trainers” was organized by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) on developing and validating a local rice crop check system at Engro Eximp, Muridke, Sheikhupura for seven field staff of the private sector on 24 June.
The World Vegetable Center held a series of customized training workshops with its partners in order to identify gaps, exchange experiences and to further streamline the Center’s activities among public and private partners. Advances have also been made in improved maize seed under the AIP maize component, which evaluated the performance of about 220 recently introduced maize varieties against locally available checks in spring 2014. Preliminary results from the harvested sites show the good selection potential of introduced maize varieties, which consisted of early to intermediate maturity, climate-resilient and bio-fortified white and yellow kernel hybrids and open pollinated varieties.
Best or comparable varieties identified will be further tested to fulfill variety release procedures. With the help of ILRI, the production of the Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) vaccine in Pakistan will soon be improved. The version of the vaccine currently produced in Pakistan is thermo-stable at 35˚C, while the version of the vaccine produced by IRLI is thermo-stable at 45˚C and is therefore more resistant to damage and able to be kept at a wider variety of temperatures.
Dr. Jeff Mariner, a former ILRI employee, visited Pakistan in June and conducted a technical audit of the production process in the two laboratories that produce the PPR vaccine. An action plan that includes training and production of a first batch of vaccine based on ILRI’s vaccine composition was created based on this audit, and will be implemented in August in order to help Pakistan create a more heat-resistant variety of the PPR vaccine.
AIP staff members have also worked this year to address the issue of quality fodder for livestock in Pakistan by promoting the growth of spineless cactus on range-land. AIP Livestock, in collaboration with the Rangeland Research Institute (RRI) of the National Agricultural Research Council (NARC), held a farmer’s field day at NARC on 15 May to train farmers in the advantages and methodology of growing spineless cactus. Forty farmers participated, and many have since planted spineless cactus on their lands. IRRI, in collaboration with Engro Exemp, distributed 600 kilograms (kg) of certified, high-yielding Basmati-515 rice seed to 30 farmers in the Punjab region to scale up the adoption of this variety. Basmati-515 has good quality attributes and a comparatively short growing duration, and is an excellent supplement to super basmati, which has lost its yield potential and is also prone to damage by insects and diseases.
One hundred kg of high-yielding, salt-tolerant seed of low phytate rice variety NIAB IR-9 was also distributed to farmers in Usta Muhammad in Balochistan. In addition, IRRI is working to promote mechanized dry rice seeding in Pakistan; a method which uses significantly less water than rice cultivated using the conventional planting method and is much easier to harvest. IRRI scientists, with the help of local farm machinery manufacturer Greenland Engineering, have identified a proper seed drill for direct dry seeding, which they are popularizing through the creation of public and private partnerships.
In addition, AIP reports that baseline surveys for wheat and conservation agriculture as well as vegetables and mung bean value chains are in progress in Pakistan’s four provinces. A maize baseline survey will be launched in August, and will interview more than 500 maize growers. The CIMMYT socio-economics team is also preparing to initiate durum wheat value chain studies in Pakistan, which will target producers, millers, food processors, seed companies, dealers, consumers and restaurants. A total of US $82,829 in funding was awarded to 14 research and extension projects, including: three projects related to grape and mango processing from PMAS Arid Agricultural University, Rawalpindi; seven projects on citrus from a research group at Citrus Research International; and four projects focusing on mangoes from faculty at the Institute of Horticulture and Institute of Food Science and Technology at the University of Faisalabad.
UC-Davis and the AIP Perennial Horticultural Project in-country coordinator will conduct the first review of these funded projects in September. Looking to the future, AIP partners chaired by UC-Davis met in Islamabad in June and created a working group for vocational training, which collaboratively planned cross-institute vocational training activities. The top priorities are to implement a short course on proposal writing that will enable the collaborators to prepare highquality proposals for upcoming competitive grant submissions on AIP call, as well as statistics courses that cater to the specific needs of trials and breeders.
There is wide-spread misperception that wheat is mainly produced in rich countries, exported to developing countries and then consumed by those societies’ wealthiest. In fact, for hundreds of millions of poor people their main staple is not maize, rice or cassava – they grow and eat wheat.
Wheat provides around one-fifth of all calories and protein for people globally. More food products are made from wheat than from any other cereal. In developing countries, wheat feeds around 1.2 billion people who live on less than US$ 2 a day. For every three poor rice consumers, there are two poor wheat consumers.
The global wheat trade is bigger than all other staples combined. Of the 150 million tons of wheat exported annually, 125 million tons go to developing countries, where nearly all wheat is consumed as food. Half of the wheat traded globally is exported to Africa and western Asia. Sixty million tons (40 percent) are imported by countries in North Africa and Central and West Asia. Sub-Saharan Africa, which is not considered a traditional wheat-eating region, buys 15 million tons (10 percent of the total).
In Sub-Saharan Africa, demand for wheat is growing faster than for any other commodity. Main drivers include population growth (need for more food), urbanization (wheat is a convenient food for migrating males) and the demand for wheat products by the increasing female work force. Female workers prefer wheat products because of they are fast and easy to prepare, freeing time the women otherwise would spend on traditional food processing and preparation.
Though trade statistics indicate developing countries depend on wheat imported from developed countries, of the 700 million tons wheat harvested globally, around 60 percent of that tonnage is produced and around 70 percent is consumed in developing countries. China, the world’s biggest producer, harvests twice as much wheat as the United States.
In North Africa and Central and West Asia, wheat is more critical for food security than in any other region worldwide, since it provides 35 to 50 percent of all calories and protein. Increases in wheat and bread prices have and will continue to lead to social unrest.
Mahatma Gandhi best described what wheat means for these people: “There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.” To end this unacceptable situation, increased wheat production is vital.
In the next 35 years, production of wheat needs to increase by at least 60 percent to meet the increased demand. In other words, the global average yield will need to increase from 3 metric tons per hectare (mt/ha) to 5 mt/ha, in spite of global warming, eroded soils, land scarcity and competition for fertile land and water from higher-valued crops. Considering current production constraints and market realities, the world’s primary wheat-exporting countries are unlikely to provide the extra wheat needed to feed the 2050 global population of 9.6 billion.
Wheat productivity must first increase in developing countries, where yield gaps continue to be unacceptably high. Through increased adoption of improved wheat varieties, better agronomic practices and effective post-harvest storage, developing countries could develop sustainable food systems, become less dependent on imports and stay more resilient against food price increases. These huge challenges can be met, provided investments in breeding and agronomy increase significantly and quickly. Policy-makers must recognize that increasing investments in agriculture is not a problem – it is the basis and solution to improve the livelihoods of the poor.
Research managers and scientists from CIMMYT, Limagrain and Seed Co Limited held a discussion at CIMMYT-Nairobi on 4 July to forge a partnership to effectively tackle the maize lethal necrosis (MLN) disease in Africa.
Scientists from CIMMYT’s Global Maize Program, led by BM Prasanna, and representatives of the two companies, including Thierry Rosin (Limagrain lead for global corn research), Michel Debrand (chief executive officer, Limagrain-Africa), Emmanuel Aubry (head of corn research, Limagrain-South America) and Ephrame Havazvidi (research manager, Seed Co Limited), had detailed discussions on opportunities for collaborative research on MLN, as well as training and capacity building of African partners.
Photo: Florence Sipalla/CIMMYT
The proposed partnership seeks to fast-track the breeding and release of MLN-tolerant hybrids adapted to Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) through molecular marker-assisted breeding. “Seed Co is already an important partner of CIMMYT in Africa. Limagrain has been supporting CIMMYT’s research work with maize doubled haploids at CIMMYT in Mexico, and disease resistance in Asia,” said Prasanna, adding that through this proposed partnership all parties would bring various strengths to the effort of finding effective solutions to MLN.
MLN has resulted in significant yield losses to smallholder farmers in East Africa. Therefore, it is important to identify and develop germplasm with MLN tolerance to replace the susceptible varieties in SSA as quickly as possible. “CIMMYT’s recent work on identification of trait donors for MLN tolerance, coupled with the establishment of the MLN screening facility at Naivasha, serve as an important foundation for this partnership to develop improved maize varieties for Sub-Saharan Africa with MLN tolerance and other adaptive traits,” said Prasanna.
The visitors from Limagrain and Seed Co also toured the MLN Screening Facility at Naivasha, where germplasm from public and private sector partners is being screened. “It was a very good eye-opener on the MLN disease,” said Havazvidi, who described the MLN research for development efforts of CIMMYT as “well-thought-out,” especially with respect to the investigation of screening protocols and identification of sources of resistance to the disease. “I was impressed with the size of the screening and the professionalism in developing and managing the work at the MLN screening facility,” Rosin said.
“I learned a lot about MLN which was new to me,” stated Aubry. Debrand commented that, “the research collaboration with CIMMYT will enhance the impact of Limagrain and Seed Co in Africa, especially with reference to maizebased food security.”
Genetic resources and bioinformatics are the responsibility of the Genetic Resources Program (GRP). It contributes to CIMMYT’s overall mission of increasing crop productivity to improve food security and improve livelihoods by storing, analyzing and disseminating the world’s largest collection of maize and wheat genetic resources, which are contained in the Wellhausen-Andersen Genetic Resources Center. The Center is one of only three ISO-certified seed banks in the world and the only one in North America. In its maize and wheat gene banks, seeds are held in trust for humanity under the framework of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Moreover, CIMMYT seed is made freely available to researchers and national agriculture institutions around the globe.
GRP scientists and staff work to provide healthy, viable seed and reliable information from the maize and wheat genetic resources collections and are responsible for more than 175,000 accessions. Their work enhances the use of maize and wheat genetic resources through research and technology, excellence in data stewardship and the creation of tools and methods that enable CIMMYT and its partners to readily use the available information.
The GRP consists of various units that work in tandem to achieve CIMMYT’S goals:
The Seed Health Laboratory staff members work on the safe exchange of wheat and maize seed around the world and are responsible for thousands of exchanges of maize and wheat samples annually.
The Biometrics and Statistics Unit provides service, research and training for CIMMYT and its partners, including methodology-model solutions, statistical analyses and experiment designs. A data stewardship approach strives for responsible stewardship and provides open access to CIMMYT’s seed data and the knowledge derived from it. Through this approach data standards, documentation, curation processes and timelines are established to coordinate the receipt, storage, manipulation and quality control of field and molecular data. It also enables accurate data documentation and storage throughout the analysis pipeline, versatile institutional databases and repositories, interfaces, output and informatic tools that are used by scientists and research assistants, reporting back the user requirements to CIMMYT’s software engineers in order to achieve continuous improvement of these tools.
CIMMYT recognizes that sustainably meeting the growing global demand for food may require the responsible use all of the available technologies, including genetically modified (GM) varieties of maize and wheat. Applying the practice of “sovereignty and safety first,” each nation will determine when and how GM crops will be used in their territory and this will require a legal and regulatory framework to be in place before any work can be done in this area (see CIMMYT’s guiding principles). CIMMYT is a member of “Excellence Through Stewardship,” which “promotes the universal adoption of stewardship programs and quality management systems for the responsible use and management of biotechnology-derived plant products.”
The Seeds of Discovery (SeeD) initiative systematically explores and mobilizes genetic variation in CIMMYT’s and other gene bank collections into maize and wheat breeding programs to increase productivity resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses such as heat, drought and disease.
The GRP’s activities can be summarized as:
Conservation, characterization, distribution and use of genetic resources.
Safe distribution of seed.
Stewardship and ensuring open-access to CIMMYT’s data and derived information.
Creation of quality, open-source software.
Development and validation of new tools and methods for gene mining and crop improvement.
Partners of the Maize Lethal Necrosis (MLN) project in Africa, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture (SFSA), came together to review and discuss the progress and next steps for the project at a workshop on 14-15 May.
“The primary goal of this project is to identify MLN-tolerant germplasm, including inbred lines and pre-commercial hybrids, for potential deployment of MLN-tolerant varieties (with other relevant adaptive traits) through partners in Sub-Saharan Africa. The project also seeks to gain information regarding the genetics of resistance to the disease, create awareness and build capacity for more effective MLN management.
Group photograph taken at the MLN Screening Facility, Naivasha, Kenya. Photo: Florence Sipalla/CIMMYT
“As the project matures, we will be screening additional promising germplasm coming out of the MLN screening facility at Naivasha and from national agricultural research institute (NARI) partners at satellite testing centers in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda under high natural disease pressure. This will help to validate the performance of the germplasm under MLN in important agro-ecologies,” said CIMMYT Global Maize Program Director and MLN-Africa project leader, BM Prasanna.
Mike Robinson, chief scientific advisor at SFSA and representatives of several seed companies and NARIs in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda participated in the MLN Field Day at Naivasha on 14 May. The companies included East African Seed, Kenya Seed Company, Meru Agro, Monsanto, DuPont Pioneer and Seed Co Limited. “We hope to submit several germplasm entries for trials at the MLN screening facility in the next planting season,” said Francis Ndambuki, a maize breeder with Kenya Seed Company.
Less than a year after its opening, the MLN screening facility is now fully functional, evaluating materials from several partner organizations, including the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, NARIs and seed companies. The partners/ visitors had an opportunity to see several trials taking place at the facility, as well as promising MLN-tolerant germplasm. Scientists involved in this project are working intensively – in collaboration with national and international institutions to develop and validate virus inoculation and germplasm screening protocols. They are also testing a large array of germplasm for responses against MLN under artificial inoculation, developing diagnostic techniques and building the capacity of national partners in MLN diagnostics and management.
The CIMMYT seed systems team is working on scaling-up the identified MLN-tolerant germplasm and distributing it to interested public and private partners in Africa. The progress made on the project’s diverse fronts was presented in detail, and the next steps were discussed during the project meeting held in Nairobi on 15 May. “We are pleased that CIMMYT teamed with KARI to address this important issue for Africa,” said Joseph Mureithi, KARI deputy director. Mureithi continued, “The MLN screening facility at Naivasha is a model of partnership between CGIAR centers, NARIs and the private sector,” adding that the results of the trials at the facility would have far-reaching impact. “Stresses such as drought and poor soil fertility could potentially compound the expression of the MLN disease,” said KARI virologist Dr. Anne Wangai, a key partner in this project. “This is a great opportunity to demonstrate the confluence of technologies – breeding, pathology and entomology,” said Robinson, urging the project partners to further strengthen the scientific edge and demonstrate how the research being undertaken on the disease can quickly result in products that benefit African farmers affected by the disease.
“Policy advocacy is key,” said Wilfred Mwangi, CIMMYT’s regional representative for Africa. He emphasized the need to fast-track registration and commercialization of the MLN-tolerant hybrids, especially in the MLN-affected countries. The Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) was commended for its commitment and support in fast-tracking the release of promising MLN-tolerant hybrids. “There is fast progress on the MLN research and the first wave of improved materials is coming now,” said Robinson, adding that he is looking forward to seeing more materials in the future. He emphasized the importance of coordination, policy clarity, communication and international synergies on MLN research and development in Africa.
Thomas Lumpkin served as director general at CIMMYT from 2008 to 2015.
The history of wheat is the history of civilization. Over 10,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent our ancestors ascended from an existence as hunter-gatherers and began tending and domesticating crops. Thus began wheat’s symbiotic relationship with the history of civilization and humankind’s responsibility as stewards of planet Earth.
Wheat is not only a major diet component but wheat-based products are the personification of cultural heritage and pride. Imagine Italians without pasta, North Africans without couscous, Indians without Chapattis or Chinese without noodles or steamed bread. It is time to pay homage to this grass, which was the basis for the development of modern civilizations and has done so much for the human race.
Wheat is the staple food of humankind, and its history is that of civilization. Yet today wheat is losing its crown. Many perceive wheat to be a food eaten and produced only by rich countries. Atkins, Davis (wheat belly) and other diets have convinced even more that wheat is bad for you and less wholesome than other crops. Although wheat remains an important crop, funding for wheat research has decreased significantly in recent years.
In spite of all these challenges, the demand for wheat is not dropping. Wheat is the staff of life for 1.2 billion poor people who live on less than US$ 2 a day; providing 20 to 50 percent of daily calories and 20 percent of protein. From South Asia through to Central Asia across the Middle East and on to North Africa, wheat is a staple food. Demand for wheat is not isolated to these traditional wheat-eating regions. Today African countries spend about US$ 12 billion annually to import some 40 million tons of wheat. What was once considered a minor crop for consumers in Sub-Saharan Africa, demand for wheat is now growing faster than for any other commodity and is now considered a strategic crop for food security by African leaders.
Perhaps what is most concerning are the predictions for the near future. Demand for wheat in the developing world is projected to increase 60 percent by 2050. India, the largest wheat-consuming country after China, has 17.5 percent of total world’s population and 20.6 percent of the world’s poor. If you look at a map showing the locations of recent food riots, it is almost identical to one showing where wheat provides more than one-third of a person’s daily calories. Households in developed countries spend less than 10 percent of their income on food supplies, in many countries, that percentage is much more. For example, in Pakistan and Egypt this figure is around 40 percent.
Interested in this subject? Find out more information here:
An Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report published earlier this year predicts that wheat will be the first of the main staple crops to be significantly affected by climate change, because of its sensitivity to heat and the fact that it is grown all over the world. Current projections predict that with every Celsius degree increase in temperature, wheat yields in semi-tropical areas could drop by 10 percent. Changes in weather may also lead to an increased risk in the severity of wheat diseases, which may cause severe losses in areas that were previously thought of as unimportant.
Recurrent food crises combined with climate change, depletion of natural resources and rising food prices are threatening the lives of millions of poor people who depend on wheat for both diet and livelihood. Demographers predict that by 2050 the earth’s population will peak at 9.6 billion. Developing countries, especially those in Africa and South Asia, are experiencing tremendous population growth. Based on current crop yields and food distribution methods, feeding nearly 10 billion people will not be trivial. Sustainably increasing wheat production will have a crucial impact on food security.
Wheat’s significant contribution to humankind is not yet over.
The Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) recently joined numerous countries and organizations around the world that have taken time this year to pay tribute to the life and achievements of Dr. Norman Borlaug, holding a series of events from 8-12 July in Uganda to celebrate what would have been his 100th birthday. The theme of the celebration was “Take it to the farmer,” in honor of Dr . Borlaug’s inspiring final words.
The SAA/Sasakawa Global 2000 (SG2000) was founded in 1986 by Japanese philanthropist Ryoichi Sasakawa, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Borlaug, who was the president of SAA until his death in 2009.
The Sasakawa Africa Association was named Best Overall Exhibitor at the Nile Agricultural and Trade Show, one of the events organized as part of the Borlaug centenary celebration. Photo: Adefris Teklewold/CIMMYT
Celebration events were attended by numerous dignitaries, including Yohei Sasakawa, son of the founder and Chairman of the Nippon Foundation; Professor Ruth Oniang’o, Chairperson of SAA and the Sasakawa Africa Fund for Extension Education (SAFE); Rhoda Peace Tumusiime, African Union Commissioner of Rural Economy and Agriculture; Dr. John Hardman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Carter Center (representing President Carter); Nicéphore Dieudonné Soglo, former President of Benin, SAA Board member and former Executive Director of the World Bank; Dr. Amit Roy, President and CEO of the International Fertilizer Development Center, or IFDC (Borlaug served on the IFDC board for 11 years); and Ambassador Kenneth Quinn, President of the World Food Prize Foundation (which was founded by Borlaug). The Borlaug family was represented at the ceremony by his daughter Jeanie Borlaug Laube and his granddaughter Julie Borlaug. CIMMYT was represented by Adefris Teklewold, project leader of the Nutritious Maize in Ethiopia project, which is implemented in partnership with SG2000. Key members of the Ugandan government also took part, including Edward Ssekandi, Vice President of the Republic of Uganda; Gen. Moses Ali, Second Prime Minister of the Republic of Uganda; and Tress Bucyanayandi, Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries of the Republic of Uganda.
The celebration began with a National Symposium on Training and Research for Agricultural Development at Makerere University, organized by SAA in collaboration with the university’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. The topic of the symposium was Extension and Training for Agricultural Transformation and recognized the partnership between SAA and Makerere University in executing SAFE for many years through the Department of Extension and Innovation Studies. Topics included: extension for agricultural modernization; strengthening agricultural extension through mid-career training; how to attract youth in agriculture; the relevance of universities in agricultural transformation: going beyond the rhetoric of gender in agriculture; and more. Oniang’o chaired the symposium’s opening session about Borlaug’s legacy and said, “Dr. Borlaug believed in young people as future farmers and as advocates against hunger.”
Students and faculty from schools around the country took part in debate, drama, essay and dance competitions. Prizes were awarded to the winners at the closing ceremony. Photo: Adefris Teklewold/CIMMYT
A special video tribute to Borlaug – “Play it hard – the Borlaug Way” – was shown during the opening session, with words of acknowledgment for CIMMYT. This was followed by a video message from Carter. Representatives of organizations that had links to Borlaug through SAA honored his legacy.
Sasakawa recounted the story of how his father approached Borlaug to establish the SAA and persuaded him to be SAA president. Sasakawa described Borlaug as a “fearless fighter” and said that through SAA, he “not only helped farmers to increase their yield, but he also succeeded in planting the seed of confidence in their hearts.”
Another major event organized in connection with the centenary celebration was the Nile Agricultural and Trade Show at Jinja Town, which is located at the headwaters of the White Nile. The trade fair wasorganized by the Uganda National Farmers’ Federation in collaboration with SAA. The main objective of the trade show was to create a platform whereby different stakeholders – farmers, researchers, manufacturers, consumers, traders, policy makers, students and financial institutions – could meet to identify advances, challenges and comparisons related to Uganda’s agriculture sector. Schoolchildren also staged colorful drama and dance performances at the trade fair to pay tribute to Borlaug for his work with smallholder farmers around the world. Different agricultural technologies and inputs available for adoption were also displayed.
The main event of the commemoration was a two-day symposium held in Jinja, “Take it to the Farmer: The Borlaug Legacy for Uganda.” The symposium was attended by senior Ugandan governmental officials and focused on the enduring results of the Borlaug legacy for both Uganda and Africa. During the symposium, Ssekandi said of Borlaug, “His achievements and contribution to humanity is a long narrative of one man’s love for other people, as exhibited by his contribution to the eradication of hunger in Africa and Uganda.”
As part of the commemoration to honor Borlaug, competitions were held in schools around the country in areas where SAA is working. Students and faculty held debates on agricultural issues, drama and dance performances, and an essay challenge on the status and future of agriculture in Uganda.
The Ethiopian government has embarked on a new initiative to improve nutritional security in the country through the widespread demonstration and use of quality protein maize (QPM), a type of maize that contains enhanced levels of protein. The new government initiative is a high-level endorsement of CIMMYT’s five-year Nutritious Maize for Ethiopia (NuME) project.
One of NuME’s goals is to promote the delivery and use of QPM seeds. Photo: NuME staff
The principal goal of NuME is to improve the food and nutritional security of Ethiopians through the widespread application and use of QPM and improved agronomic practices that increase productivity. NuME project leader Adefris Teklewold said, “The new government initiative will play a major role in making the QPM technology and inputs available to a larger number of maize farmers living beyond NuME target woredas (districts).”
The key aspects of NuME are in the government QPM scale-out plan, “Strengthening Quality Protein Maize Promotion and Seed Supply Systems in Ethiopia.” The plan sets a target to increase the area producing QPM in Ethiopia to 200,000 hectares in 2015-2017, roughly 10 percent of the total land currently devoted to maize production in the country.
After critical review and enrichment by key stakeholders, the initiative was approved by Ato Wondirad Mandfero, State Minister of Agriculture, as “an initiative that links agriculture and nutrition.” Mandfero issued directives for the initiative’s immediate implementation in high-potential maize growing areas in the country, as well as the inclusion of QPM technology dissemination in the regular government extension program starting this year. The Ethiopian government’s agricultural extension program focuses primarily on assisting small-scale farmers to improve their productivity by disseminating research-generated information and technologies.
Many Ethiopian families depend on maize as their staple food source, but ordinary maize lacks essential amino acids and a maize-based diet can leave children at risk for protein deficiency. Photo: NuME staff
An alliance of key government institutions engaged in the agriculture sector, including the Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency, the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), other key development partners and CIMMYT support the scale-out plan and will work together to help execute a variety of initiatives to fulfill the food and nutritional security of Ethiopians.
The government initiative will create synergies with NuME and expand QPM through more field demonstrations and field days. NuME is achieving success with these methods, but the government expansion will make the QPM technology and inputs available to a larger number of maize farmers living beyond NuME project woredas. The government initiative will also create opportunities for more collaborators to participate in the effort and thus for more experience-sharing and impact on the ground. According to Teklewold, “The ultimate winner will be small-scale Ethiopian farmers who will have access to the technology through a wide variety of outlets and extension services.”
A sizable number of Ethiopian families depend on maize as their staple food source. However, a maize-based diet is generally deficient in the essential amino acids lysine and tryptophan. This can leave families — and particularly children — at risk for protein deficiency, especially in circumstances where intake of alternative protein sources is limited.
NuME promotes QPM, maize varieties developed by CIMMYT scientists through conventional breeding that contains enhanced levels of protein compared to common maize varieties. Two CIMMYT scientists (Dr. Evangelina Villegas and Dr. Surinder Vasal) who worked to develop QPM in the 1980s and 1990s were awarded the World Food Prize in 2000 for their work. QPM helps to fill the lysine intake gap in circumstances where maize is the dominant source of calories and protein and intake of alternative protein sources is limited. This analysis is strongly supported by various studies conducted in West Africa, Latin America and Asia, which concluded that children in vulnerable environments could benefit nutritionally from QPM consumption1.
Key objectives outlined in the scale-out proposal include:
Identifying options to enhance seed businesses and impact pathways by identifying constraints and opportunities in the seed value chain.
Enhancing the capacity of regulatory agencies and developing systems to track improved seed use and impact.
Demonstrating and creating awareness of seed companies and farmers regarding the performance and nutritional superiority of QPM varieties.
Providing sufficient quantities of quality of QPM varieties to farmers in a sustainable manner.
Supporting seed companies and community-based organizations to improve their capacity in seed production skills, post-harvest seed handling and seed business management to enable them to absorb available QPM varieties and increase quality seed.
The government initiative notes that five QPM varieties have already been officially released by Ambo, Bako and Melkassa Research Centers. Basic and adaptive research activities are being conducted concurrently by different centers of the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) in collaboration with CIMMYT, to develop new improved QPM varieties adapted to different maize production environments and evolving stresses in the country.
As part of the initiative, a strategy will be developed to start QPM adoption by ensuring a sufficient QPM seed supply by: improving access to credit and coordinated production of all seed categories (breeder, pre-basic, basic and certified) along the value chain; testing and demonstrating a stockist distribution plan for more efficient seed distribution; and providing seed business management and production training to emerging seed producers.
Target areas selected under the initiative include Agricultural Growth Program (AGP) woredas, most of which are in high-potential maize growing areas. An estimated 2.4 million people, comprising some 400,000 households in AGP woredas in Amhara, Oromia, SNNPR and Tigray regions, are expected to benefit from this initiative.
The NuME project is implemented by CIMMYT and funded by Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD). Among CIMMYT’s partners helping to implement NuME are EIAR, the Sasakawa Africa Association/ Sasakawa Global 2000; MoA; the Ethiopian Ministry of Health; the Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute; Farm Radio International; Harvard School of Public Health; universities; agricultural, technical, vocational and educational training centers; and numerous seed companies.
There is a growing need for drought-tolerant maize cultivars among smallholder farmers in developing countries, particularly in Asia where the cultivars’ development is a technical reality and outputs are achievable. Public-private partnership projects such as the Affordable, Accessible, Asian Drought-Tolerant Maize (AAA) project attempt to address smallholder farmers’ urgent and long-lasting need to access available and affordable new crop varieties that are robust, drought-tolerant and high-yielding.
Dr. Sanjaya Rajaram, center, joined Nuria Urquía Fernández, left, representative in Mexico of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, and Raúl Urteaga Trani, coordinator of international affairs of Mexico’s Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA), for a news conference on 15 July.
Better research and policies are not enough to ensure that wheat productivity rises to meet the expanding demand of the world population in coming decades, according to Dr. Sanjaya Rajaram, 2014 World Food Prize winner and retired CIMMYT distinguished scientist.
“If we want to make a change, research won’t do it alone; we need to work directly with farmers and to train young agronomists, ensuring they have a broad vision to be able to address the problems in farmers’ fields,” said Rajaram, speaking at a news conference in Mexico City on 15 July.
Rajaram shared the conference table with Nuria Urquía Fernández, representative in Mexico of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, and with Raúl Urteaga Trani, coordinator of international affairs of Mexico’s Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA). “Dr. Rajaram’s work on the genetic improvement of wheat has helped productivity to increase beyond population and demand growth,” said Urquía, who along with Urteaga introduced Rajaram at the event.
During 33 years as a CIMMYT wheat scientist, Rajaram worked directly with Nobel Peace laureate and World Food Prize founder Dr. Norman Borlaug. As leader of bread wheat breeding and later director of CIMMYT’s Global Wheat Program, Rajaram personally oversaw the development of more than 480 high-yielding, disease-resistant varieties sown on 58 million hectares in developing countries.
Speaking to representatives of leading national and global media outlets, Rajaram thanked CIMMYT for the freedom to conduct his groundbreaking wheat breeding research. He also acknowledged the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), where he worked for several years before his retirement in 2008, for its efforts to breed and spread improved legumes and other crops that foster diverse farming and diets. “Finally, I want to thank Mexico and farmers in agricultural states like Sonora, Estado de México, Jalisco and Guanajuato. As a foreigner, when I first arrived at CIMMYT I had to show that I could do the best for Mexico,” explained Rajaram, who was born and raised in India but is also a naturalized citizen of Mexico, a country he said opened its arms to him and his family.
Outcomes of the conference included positive reports by leading Mexican newspapers and Notimex, the Mexican wire service whose postings are run by many other national media outlets.
Dr. S. Ayyappan, director general of ICAR, honored Rajaram as “the best living wheat scientist in the world today.”
Dr. Sanjaya Rajaram was on board a flight to New Delhi on 18 June when he was announced as the recipient of the 2014 World Food Prize (WFP). Upon landing, he was given a warm welcome by his close associates in India, Dr. O.P. Shringi and Sanjaya Chhabra of DCM Shriram Ltd. and others, who informed him of the official announcement. After spending some quality time with his family in his hometown of Varanasi, he had a completely new itinerary for his visit that involved several congratulatory events at agriculture-related institutes and organizations.
Rajaram has been working closely with DCM Shriram Ltd. in New Delhi since 2005 on its wheat project. Sovan Chakrabarty, the business head and executive director, congratulated Rajaram in the traditional Indian way, with a shawl and a bouquet, in the presence of the Shriram Farm Solutions team members. Shringi said the firm took pride in being the first to receive and honor Rajaram after the official WFP announcement. During the ceremony, Rajaram said he is a strong proponent of public-private partnerships for food security and increasing wheat productivity in India. He applauded Shriram Farm Solutions’ excellent famer delivery mechanism and the progress it has made in developing and marketing new wheat varieties in a very short time.
At the request of Dr. R. R. Hanchinal, chairperson of Protection of Plant Varieties & Farmers’ Rights Authority at the National Seed Institute of India, Rajaram attended a function at the National Agriculture Science Center Complex. Dr. S. Ayyappan, director general of the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) and the chief guest, honored Rajaram as “the best living wheat scientist in the world today,” and Hanchinal shared his achievements with a select group of scientists and authorities from Indian agricultural universities and institutions.
Children of DWR staff members joined Dr. Indu Sharma, director of DWR, to welcome Rajaram with waving flags.
The Indian Agriculture Research Institute in New Delhi, where Rajaram earned his master’s degree in genetics and plant breeding, also held a function. The director, Dr. H.S. Gupta, lauded Rajaram’s contributions and congratulated him for being selected to receive the most prestigious prize in agriculture.
In a speech to several distinguished scientists, Rajaram emphasized the need to address the productivity problems in the eastern part of the Indo-Gangetic plains.
Rajaram has been a regular visitor at Punjab Agriculture University in Ludhiana, so the vice chancellor, Dr. B.S. Dhillon, invited Rajaram to an event in his honor. Dr. Darshan Singh Brar, former head of plant breeding, biotechnology and biochemistry at the International Rice Research Institute, and Dr. Gurdev Singh, a former professor at the university and adviser to DCM Shriram Ltd., were special guests. Rajaram took time to interact with the faculty, particularly Dr. Kuldeep Singh, director of biotechnology, and his Ph.D. students.
Dr. Indu Sharma, director of DWR, presented a memento to Rajaram during an event held in his honor.
Dr. Indu Sharma, director of ICAR’s Directorate of Wheat Research (DWR), organized a large event for Rajaram’s visit to DWR on 27 June. Sharma joined a group of staff members’ children to welcome Rajaram by waving flags, and then she shared some fond memories in a staff meeting of him interacting with Indian wheat scientists in the field. The DWR staff gave Rajaram a standing ovation for his unparalleled contribution to wheat production, particularly in Asia. Dr. A.K. Srivastava, director of the National Dairy Research Institute in Karnal, offered hearty congratulations and opined that wheat varieties with slightly more biomass would be handy in providing much-needed fodder for milking animals.
Addressing the audience, Rajaram congratulated the Indian wheat researchers for achieving remarkable wheat production again this year, and he emphasized the need to develop human resources and train the younger generations to work hard in the fields in an interactive mode. He also discussed the important issue of post-harvest handling and storage facilities in India. He then planted a tree at DWR’s new compound in Karnal.
Visiting Fellow Richard Woodward of the Sheffield Political Economy Research Institute (SPERI) recently wrote a blog post titled “The CGIAR: The Most Important International Organisation You’ve Never Heard Of?” in which he describes the history and impact of CGIAR, including CIMMYT. He wrote that CGIAR “can justifiably claim to have made the biggest contribution to global nutritional improvements witnessed in the last 50 years.”
CIMMYT, along with IRRI, are named as two key institutions in the Green Revolution. In describing the crop-based focus of the CGIAR centers, Woodward highlights the 22 new maize varieties released by CIMMYT in 2013 as well as CIMMYT’s work fighting the rust disease Ug99.
Calling attention to CGIAR’s fluctuating budget, Woodward points to the political nature of funding that goes to catastrophes and large-scale programs such as the World Food Programme. As a result of this budget squeeze, CGIAR is forced “towards uneasy collaboration with large agribusiness corporations,” which Woodward notes has its dangers.
Woodward also calls into question why CGIAR gets little attention, when eradicating extreme hunger and poverty are both prominent Millennium Development Goals. He writes:
“Hunger and poverty are complex problems that defy straightforward policy solutions. Nevertheless, there is widespread agreement that boosting agricultural productivity in an environmentally sustainable manner – a goal to which CGIAR is devoted – is vital if poverty is to be alleviated.”
Only about one percent of the United States population suffers from coeliac disease, so why is one-third of the population going gluten-free and swearing off wheat even after the health risks? Non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) may be the cause. Many are claiming NCGS as a result of having no immune reaction to gluten but still experiencing bloating and stomach pain that went away after adopting a gluten-free diet. Small studies have been conducted, and it appeared that NCGS is legitimate. Peter Gibson of the Alfred Hospital and Monash in Melbourne, Australia, was one of the first to study the effects of gluten with randomized tests. Even after his first test came back positive, showing that the participants who ate gluten were experiencing abdominal pains and lethargy, Gibson was not convinced (New Scientist, 2014.)
