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.
Future food and nutrition security is threatened by climate change, overexploitation of natural resources, and pervasive social inequalities. Promising solutions are often technology-focused and not necessarily developed considering gender and social disparities. A new paper by CIMMYT’s Tina Beuchelt and Lone Badstue (Open access in Food Security, DOI 10.1007/s12571- 013-0290-8) examines and addresses these issues for conservation agriculture as part of a cropping system with nutrition- and climate-smart potential, based on leading literature and field experience in Zambia and Mexico.
Findings point to situations where the promotion of conservation agriculture for smallholders may have undesired effects relating to drudgery, nutrition and food security, residue use, assets, mechanization, and extension. The paper closes with a discussion of opportunities and pathways to mitigate these trade-offs, including gender transformative approaches, engagement with alternative or nontraditional partners with different but complementary perspectives and strengths, “smart” combinations of technologies and approaches, and policies for inclusive development.
If rural women in developing countries had the same access to land, technology, credit, education and markets as men, their yields could increase by 20 to 30 percent. Estimates show this alone would raise agricultural production in developing countries by 2.5 to 4 percent,1 which could lift 100 to 150 million people out of hunger. Research also shows that the reduction of gender disparities and the empowerment of women leads to better food and nutrition security for households and significantly strengthens other development outcomes such as child education.2,3 Yet, more than 1.1 billion women worldwide do not have equal access to land, inputs and extension.
The work of CIMMYT researchers Lone Badstue and Tina Beuchelt focuses on gender relations in wheat and maize-based systems. Aiming to strengthen the linkages between gender equality and nutrition- and climate-smart agricultural technologies, their research is a collaboration between CIMMYT; CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS); and CGIAR Research Program MAIZE. Beuchelt and Badstue won the silver prize for their poster, “Towards nutrition- and climate-smart agriculture: discussing trade-offs from a gender and intragenerational perspective” at the recent Conference on Global Food Security in the Netherlands.
Beuchelt explained it is not always possible to predict how the introduction of new agricultural technologies will affect labor patterns, resource allocation and land allocation between men and women. “To successfully achieve equal access to technologies and benefits from agricultural research for development, we need to be aware of gender and social equity perspectives throughout the whole project cycle,” Beuchelt said. “Starting from the planning and design stage, opportunities and trade-offs of agricultural interventions need to be assessed and addressed.”
Beuchelt added that it can also be difficult to predict whether a new technology will be adopted and who will benefit. Both intended and unintended impacts can occur at the individual, household and community levels.
Male and female stakeholders need to work together to develop solutions to mitigate trade-offs or strengthen gender and social equity impacts. These can include gender-responsive measures (acknowledging and addressing gender disparities) or gender-transformative measures (commitment to bringing about equity in gender relations).
Agricultural research often focuses on technological innovations but does not always consider social disparities or differing effects on men and women. In their paper, Beuchelt and Badstue discuss conservation agriculture and its potential for nutrition- and climate-smart food production and argue for “smart combinations” of technologies and gender aware approaches. The smart combination of technology could include using conservation agriculture (with long-term benefits) and maize-bean intercropping (with short-term benefits) informed by gender analysis.
“It is important to acknowledge the whole complexity of the food system and the linkages between its different elements,” Beuchelt said. “Gender should not be an add-on, but a fully integrated part of the research and development intervention in order to achieve equity for all.”
1. Food and Agriculture Organization’s State of Food and Agriculture 2010-2011 2. World Bank, 2009; FAO, 2010; Meinzen-Dick et al., 2011b 3. IFPRI, 2005
A meeting last month highlighted the efforts of the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) and CIMMYT to improve wheat in the country. PARC and CIMMYT-Pakistan organized the annual wheat planning and Wheat Productivity Enhancement Program (W-PEP) meeting from 17 to 18 September at the National Agriculture Research Centre (NARC) in Islamabad.
The meeting reviewed progress and achievements during the last three years under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) funded W-PEP program and refined work plans for 2013-14. The program is aimed primarily at developing wheat varieties that resist Ug99 stem rust as well as fostering seed multiplication and distribution, improved agronomic practices and human resource development in the agriculture sector to ensure food security. During the inaugural session, USDA Agriculture Counselor Clay Hamilton said the USA and Pakistan have a long history of agricultural collaboration. The U.S. will continue to provide support for wheat productivity in Pakistan, he said.
Shahid Masood, PARC scientist from the Plant Sciences Division, highlighted PARC’s role in strengthening the national and provincial agricultural research system in coordination with national and international collaborators and research partners. Imtiaz Muhammad, CIMMYT country liaison officer for Pakistan, briefed the participants about W-PEP’s achievements during last three years and the impact of this program on the national wheat research system in rust surveillance, breeding, pre-breeding and capacity building, which led to the release of Ug-99 resistant wheat varieties like NARC-2011. National partners from all provinces, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan, presented their achievements and work plans for 2013-14. They acknowledged the role of USDA, CIMMYT and PARC in supporting wheat productivity enhancement in Pakistan.
A CIMMYT project working in the rural districts of Jharkhand, India, is encouraging farmers to grow maize and use conservation agriculture practices to adapt to decreased rainfall and a changing climate. CIMMYT’s Sustainable Intensification of Smallholder Maize-Livestock Farming Systems in Hill Areas of South Asia project is funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development.
The project is working with scientists from Krishi Vigyan Kendras research and extension centers (KVKs), Birsa Agricultural University, the state agricultural department and farmers to promote maize as a viable alternative to rice in stress-prone and rain-dependent districts of Jharkhand. The rural farming population is vulnerable to rainfall fluctuations and drought is recurrent in Jharkhand. Almost 90 percent of the cultivated area is monocropped (mostly with rice), and only 9 percent of the cropped area is irrigated.
The local non-governmental organization Vikash Bharti Farm Science Centre and CIMMYT organized Maize Day on 29 August in Gumla district. The event brought together 400 farmers, state agricultural department scientists, district officials and extension agents to highlight the benefits of cultivating maize, using conservation agriculture to enhance productivity. They also discussed the need for better policies. “Quality protein maize (QPM) is nutritionally superior to normal maize and provides additional dietary benefits to the tribal farmers who consume maize. It’s also a nutritious feed for poultry,” said A.K. Singh, KVKs zonal director for the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.
In Basuwa village in Gumla district, farmers cultivated more than 80 hectares of the QPM hybrid HQPM 1 for the first time this year and have committed to increase maize cultivation to 323 hectares next year. “Earlier, farmers in my village were interested in growing only rain-fed rice because it’s their staple food,” said Joni Uraon, head of the Basuwa village council. “But now they are very happy with maize because it is giving them higher profits.” Farmers also asked for stronger market linkages to ensure competitive prices for their produce. Panai Uraon, the Gumla district government collector, welcomed the efforts of scientists and farmers to promote maize cultivation and announced additional funds will be allocated to the Basuwa village council for agricultural development activities and to supplement local irrigation systems. Ken Sayre, who has extensive knowledge of Turkey and the region, conducted the course. He also travelled to three key research institutes in Ankara, Eskisehir and Konya prior to the workshop to see the experimental fields and discuss how to reduce variability in the fields and enhance the precision of experiments.
HMRP partners visiting CBSP groups in the hill district of Palpa, Nepal. Photo: G. Ortiz Ferrara/CIMMYT
By Dilli KC/CIMMYT
Beginning in August, the Hill Maize Research Project (HMRP-IV), has worked with the Seed Entrepreneurs Association of Nepal and the District Agriculture Development Office to facilitate formal contracts between 51 community-based seed production (CBSP) groups and 25 seed buyers/traders for a total of 201 tons of improved seed of different maize varieties. Of the total contracted seed, seed companies account for 55 percent; agrovets, 20 percent; community seed banks, 13 percent; and cooperatives, 12 percent.
Launched in 1999, HMRP is in its fourth phase. The project focuses on improving the food security and income of resource-poor farm households in the hills of Nepal by raising the productivity, sustainability and profitability of maize-based cropping systems. Work now covers 20 hill districts of Nepal and is jointly funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). CIMMYT implements the project in partnership with an array of public and private sector institutions in Nepal. Principal partners include the National Maize Research Program under the Nepal Agricultural Research Council, the Crop Development Directorate under the Department of Agriculture, the Seed Quality Control Centre and the National Seed Board under the Ministry of Agriculture Development. Other partners include community-based organizations, farmer groups, NGOs, private entrepreneurs, seed companies and universities.
Community Based Maize Seed Production
The project began multiplying seed of improved maize varieties through CBSP groups in 2000. That year, about 14 tons of improved maize seed were produced by seven CBSP groups. By 2011, more than 1,140 tons of improved maize seed were produced by 195 CBSP groups and, in 2012, 207 groups produced 1,036 tons. Of the total marketable surplus seed produced in 2011, about 75.1 percent was marketed or exchanged, compared to 83.3 percent in 2012. The seed was marketed mainly across the 20 hill districts of the HMRP project area. Seed production through CBSP groups has been a successful model in Nepal and has contributed to increasing the adoption of improved maize varieties and technologies. The CBSP model helps ensure the availability of improved maize seed in remote hill areas on time at lower prices.
Pre-sowing seed contract
Maize seed marketing is one of HMRP’s major challenges. Until 2012, CBSP groups did not consider the supply and demand in markets, resulting in surplus seed in some areas and deficits in others. The 2013 project phase initiated pre-sowing seed contracts for improved maize varieties, assisting and guiding CBSP groups and seed buyers/traders (agrovets, community seed bank cooperatives and seed companies) to sign formal agreements.
The modified ‘Gongli Africa +.’ Photo: Frédéric Baudron/CIMMYT
By Frédéric Baudron/CIMMYT
The Farm Mechanization and Conservation Agriculture for Sustainable Intensification (FACASI) project is addressing the decline of farm power in Africa. The project is working with smallholder farmers to deliver small mechanization based on inexpensive, two-wheel tractors and introduce power-saving technologies, such as conservation agriculture.
Last March, participants evaluated the performance of the Gongli seeder – a seed drill sold in China – under the typical conditions of maize smallholder farmers in Kenya and Tanzania. Gongli inventor Jeff Esdaile, engineers from the Centre for Agricultural Mechanization and Rural Technology (CAMATEC) and engineers from the Kenya Network for Dissemination of Agricultural Technologies met at a CAMATEC workshop from 9 to 20 September in Arusha, Tanzania, to modify the Gongli seeder and produce the Gongli Africa +. The original Gongli seeder is well suited to seed small-grain crops in close rows into fields without long, loose residue or heavy weeds. For sowing maize in a typical field around Arusha, however, the machine had several shortfalls: it handled loose maize residues and heavy weeds poorly; the pressing wheels got in the way of the operator’s walk; the seed and fertilizer hoppers were too high and blocked the operator’s visibility; the seed meters were not precise enough for maize planting; and transporting the machine from field to field required walking long distances because the machine cannot be ridden and does not fit in a trailer.
The modified Gongli Africa + features cutting discs that can be fitted in front of the standard tines for heavy mulch and weed loads. Two large back tires, used as pressing wheels in the field, were added, as well as a platform for the operator to stand on, facilitating transport to and from the fields. Because the machine will be used to sow a maximum of two rows, the third bar was removed from the seeder. The seed and fertilizer hoppers were lowered, and, finally, specialized seed metering systems for large seeds such as those of maize were installed. Results from initial field testing were encouraging. Thorough field testing will take place next November in Tanzania and Kenya. After minor modifications, the specifications of the Gongli Africa + will be sent to Gongli LTD for commercial manufacturing.
Retired CIMMYT scientist Alejandro Ortega y Corona was honored for his 59 years of maize research at the Meeting for the Coordination of Investigation of Drought Tolerance in Maize from 5 to 6 August. Ortega received recognition for his work with CIMMYT and Mexico’s National Forestry, Agricultural, and Livestock Research Institute (INIFAP) at a special meeting of the Biodiversity Project of Mexico and CIMMYT’s Sustainable Modernization of Traditional Agriculture (MasAgro) initiative in Ciudad Obregón, Sonora State, Mexico.
Kevin Pixley, director of CIMMYT’s Genetic Resources Program, extended thanks and gratitude for the 23 years Ortega served in the organization’s maize program in the areas of entomology, physiology, breeding and pathology. Pixley read letters sent by former CIMMYT maize physiologist Greg Edmeades and Marianne Bänziger, deputy director general for research and partnerships, who worked closely with Ortega in developing drought and heat tolerant maize varieties. A Yaqui dancer statue was presented to Ortega to honor his years of hard work, dedication and leadership at CIMMYT. INIFAP’s Salvador Fernandez and Rafael Ariza congratulated Ortega for his service and dedication.
Photo: M.C. Manuel Guerrero of INIFAP Obregón
Erasmo Valenzuela Cornejo, director of INIFAP’s Northwest Regional Research Center of spoke about Ortega’s accomplishments and contributions, among them the mass rearing of insects for CIMMYT maize breeders, QPM maize and screening for heat and drought tolerance. Ortega produced the heat tolerant hybrid H431, which continues to be the number-one hybrid in commercial production for summer plantings in southern Sonora. More than 40 INIFAP scientists, including regional directors and research station superintendents, attended the meeting, as well as five CIMMYT scientists. Scientists working on drought or heat tolerance in maize from other institutions, including the University of Nuevo Leon, Antonio Narro Agrarian Autonomous University and the maize seed company Pioneer–Mexico, also attended the meeting.
Martha Willcox and Gilberto Salinas from MasAgro- Biodiversity organized the meeting to coordinate research evaluating maize accessions from both INIFAP and the CIMMYT germplasm bank, which were collected in arid areas under controlled drought trials to identify new sources of drought resistance. The expansion of infrastructure to conduct large-scale replicated trials on INIFAP stations was a main topic of discussion. Salinas gave an overview of the MasAgro Biodiversity project and Willcox explained the specific objectives for drought and heat phenotyping under the project.
Juan Manuel Hernández and Ariel Ruíz from INIFAP gave a history of the recent INIFAP maize collection, which Ortega coordinated on a national level, and the selection within that collection for semiarid races based on GPS and climatic data. Samuel Trachsel, maize physiologist, explained CIMMYT’s methods of evaluating drought tolerance as well as the infrastructure and equipment needed. Trachsel also spoke about site requirements and precipitation and temperature profiles provided by Kai Sonder to best select sites for development. Juan Burgueno and Willcox spoke on genetic variation within accessions and experimental design.
Photo: Andrew S. Chamanza/ MoAFS, Malawi and S. Mittal/CIMMYT
CIMMYT’s Surabhi Mittal gave a lecture and met with policymakers from Kenya, Liberia and Malawi as part of the Chaudhary Charan Singh National Institute of Agricultural Marketing, Department of Agriculture & Cooperation, Government of India training program on 23 September. The three-month program is the first in a series of three trainings funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development in cooperation with Africa and India.
The training aimed to strengthen ties between India and Africa in learning about agricultural initiatives, challenges and success stories, as well as pointing to innovative marketing and policy solutions to address food security challenges in Africa. Presenters included senior officials from the three African countries and participants from organizations involved in cereal crops, horticulture, animal husbandry, dairy, fisheries, agribusiness, financial institutions and academia engaged in agromarketing. Mittal spoke about government food security policies and modern information and communications technologybased extension policies in India. The discussion covered fertilizer policies, price policies, coping mechanisms to mitigate climate change risk, conservation agriculture and food security programs.
A member of CIMMYT’s Board of Trustees received the 2013 Yara Prize, an award that honors people who have significantly contributed to African agriculture. Dr. Lindiwe Majele Sibanda, CEO of the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN), was honored for her work with African farmers. The prize this year focused on agricultural innovators and entrepreneurs. Award winners are chosen by a committee considering their work improving sustainable agriculture and food security.
Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu, founder and CEO of the Smallholders Foundation in Nigeria, also received the Yara Prize. The two were honored this month at a ceremony in Oslo by Jørgen Ole Haslestad, President, CEO and Chairman of Yara and the Yara Prize Committee. Both Sibanda and Ikegwuonu are entrepreneurs, spread knowledge to smallholder farmers and youth and are “true examples of the can-do spirit and drive that plays a vital role in transforming agriculture in Africa,” according to a Yara Prize report on the award ceremony.
Sibanda, a trained animal scientist and practicing commercial beef farmer from Zimbabwe, became CEO of FANRPAN in 2004 and has been a researcher and advocate in southern Africa for years. FANRPAN focuses on food and agricultural policies to reduce poverty, improve food security and foster sustainable development in Africa. Sibanda developed the organization’s current strategy and has helped FANRPAN grow as a policy research and advocacy organization with a global voice, focusing especially on female farmers and youth.
In addition to being a member of CIMMYT’s Board of Trustees, she chairs the International Livestock Research Institute Board of Trustees. “Advocacy is something that is close to my heart and I’m passionate about it,” Sibanda told the publication Africa Green Media after winning the award. “I am an animal scientist by training, but this passion for policy advocacy developed when I realized that we were failing to put research into use.”
Chhavi Tiwari of Banaras Hindu University talks with Mirzapur farmers about biofortified wheat.
Women farmers in India are learning about the benefits of biofortified wheat from CIMMYT and other CGIAR researchers. Scientists met with 106 women on 8 August in the village of Pidkhir, in Mirzapur District of Uttar Pradesh, India, to advocate for the use of biofortified wheat and listen to feedback on nutrition and the impacts of nutritional deficiency on women and children.
The event was part of a program conducted in more than 50 villages in India’s Eastern Gangetic Plains. Collaborators included Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in Varanasi, Mahamana Krishak Samiti (a farmers’ cooperative in Mirzapur) and CIMMYT’s South Asia office in Kathmandu, Nepal. BHU’s Chhavi Tiwari led the meeting in Pidkhir, which was attended by women of different ages and occupations including farmers, housewives, daily wage workers, government organization workers and school teachers. Other participating scientists included B. Arun, Ramesh Chand and V.K. Mishra from the BHU HarvestPlus wheat team as well as Arun Joshi from CIMMYT.
The HarvestPlus project was started at BHU in 2005 as part of a collaborative effort with the Biofortification Challenge Program (HarvestPlus) at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture, the International Food Policy Research Institute and CIMMYT to identify biofortified wheat varieties adapted in South Asia. Five of the participants at the meeting participated in the HarvestPlus trials in Pidkhir that began in 2005 and said they were happy with the wheat variety. “I cannot believe that wheat with high zinc and iron could be grown in our fields in the near future,” said Sursati, a woman working with HarvestPlus wheat throughout the course of the project. Most participants were new to the subject and learned about the importance of biofortified wheat – particularly its importance to the health of women and children. Women also answered a questionnaire on their backgrounds and interests in biofortified wheat. Most were educated through primary school and some were given help by literate peers. Four male farmers from Pidkhir, including Harbans Singh, head of the Mahamana Krishak Cooperative, also facilitated the process.
All of the women were in favor of receiving biofortified wheat developed through the HarvestPlus project. They also expressed their desire to visit and see the BHU research farm, where wheat scientists from the university are conducting research with CIMMYT’s Global Wheat Program team. The farmers agreed to advocate for new biofortified wheat varieties and help the BHU team when needed.
Left to right: Katharine McDevitt, Professor of Sculpture at Chapingo Autonomous University and sculptor of the statue of Dr. Norman E. Borlaug; Dr. Etienne Duveiller, BISA Director of Research for South Asia; Dr. Thomas A. Lumpkin, Director General of CIMMYT and BISA; and the Honorable Sri Sharad Pawar, Indian Minister of Agriculture. Photo credit: M. Shindler/CIMMYT
By Miriam Shindler, CIMMYT
The Honorable Shri Sharad Pawar, India’s Minister of Agriculture, and Jeanie Borlaug Laube, daughter of the late Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, unveiled a statue of Borlaug at the National Agricultural Science Complex in Delhi on 19 August. Working for its precursor and later CIMMYT, Borlaug developed semi-dwarf, disease-resistant wheat varieties and led the introduction of these high-yielding varieties combined with modern agricultural production techniques in Mexico, India and Pakistan. As a result, Mexico became a net exporter of wheat by 1963. Between 1965 and 1970, wheat yields nearly doubled in India and Pakistan, greatly improving food security in those nations. These collective increases in yield have been labeled the Green Revolution, and Borlaug is often called the “Father of the Green Revolution” and credited with saving more than 1 billion people worldwide from starvation. Borlaug was awarded the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his work and contributions to world peace through an increased food supply.
Flowers are placed at the statue of Dr. Norman Borlaug at the National Agricultural Science Complex in Delhi. Photo credit: M.Shindler/CIMMYT
The CIMMYT-commissioned statue was donated to the people and scientists of India as a gift to mark 50 years of partnership (Dr. Borlaug introduced his new wheat varieties in India in 1963). The statue leaves a permanent reminder of Dr. Borlaug’s achievements and a legacy for the future. The statue was handmade by the artist Katharine McDevitt, professor of sculpture at Universidad Autónoma Chapingo (Chapingo Autonomous University) in the Mexican State of Texcoco. It is the oldest agricultural university in the Americas and is also where Dr. Borlaug started his research in Mexico in 1944, sleeping on the floor of a university barn. The Borlaug statue holds a book inscribed with the names of some of the leading visionaries who worked with him during the “Green Revolution” – M.S. Swaminathan, C. Subramaniam, B. Sivaraman, A.B. Joshi, S.P. Kohli, Glenn Anderson, M.V. Rao andV.S. Mathur. It also contains a list in Latin and Hindi script of the original Mexican wheat varieties that were so productive in India. Speaking at the event, Dr. Thomas Lumpkin, Director General of both CIMMYT and the Borlaug Institute of South Asia, said, “In his vigorous support for an agricultural revolution in South Asia and his passion for understanding their circumstances, Norm won the hearts of Indian farmers and helped deliver 50 years of food security to the region. The National Agricultural Science Complex, where Norm spent a lot of his time in India, is a fitting place for this statue, and hopefully will inspire a new generation of scientists to conquer the great new challenges facing the country and the region.”
Mexico is the fifth highest maize-consuming country in the world. It is also the number one consumer of maize for food, given that its population eats 70 percent of available maize grain every year. The national food maize groups included in this percentage can be divided into three main types: home consumption, the nixtamalized flour industry and the maize dough and tortilla industry. Businesses in the latter sector must supply maize grain of uniform quality so that maize processing will be more efficient, stable and profitable. With this in mind, 30 Mexican dough and tortilla manufacturers, grain marketers and seed producers attended a practical training course entitled “Maize Grain Quality and Technology” given by researchers from the Sustainable Modernization of Traditional Agriculture (MasAgro) initiative from 2 to 3 September in the Cereals Laboratory of the School of Agroindustrial Engineering of the Autonomous University of Chapingo (UACh).
Representatives from UACh, the National Forestry, Agricultural, and Livestock Research Institute (INIFAP) and CIMMYT studied the effects that physical, structural and chemical grain characteristics have on tortilla appearance and the tortilla-making process. Course participants tried several simple methods for evaluating grain quality and the efficiency of tortilla making. They also did some very basic testing to determine the quality of the tortillas they made. “By using these lab techniques and processing maize grain with different textures and colors, and seeing the difference it makes in the appearance, texture and color of the tortillas, I acquired the tools I need to evaluate the grain I buy for my business,” said one of the participants. “Up to now, I’ve constantly been adjusting the process and mixing different types of grain and I always get the same quality, but sometimes I don’t get it right and I lose a lot of money.”
After exchanging their experiences, businessmen, grain merchants and seed producers showed interest in revising Mexican Regulation (Norma Mexicana) 034-1 on grain quality to make the range of values match the current dough- and tortilla-making process. In their opinion, the different links of the maize production chain are increasingly demanding when it comes to the raw materials, processes and products they use. For this reason, Gricelda Vázquez of INIFAP’s Valley of Mexico Experiment Station (CEVAMEX) thinks continued collaboration among research and industrial institutions is needed to ensure that research results extend beyond the production process. As David Tecotl pointed out, “Only by attending these courses at the university do we acquire firsthand knowledge of these important alternatives.” He and his fellow trainees tested the best techniques for mixing nixtamalized flour (of bean, barley, oat, amaranth, and maize) to make more nutritionally rich tortillas, as did the UACh students who are doing their Ph.D. research under the supervision of Ofelia Buendía, one of the course organizers.
Introducing maize stover into India’s commercial dairy systems could mitigate fodder shortages and halt increasing fodder costs, according to new research by CIMMYT and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). The two organizations collaborated on the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia project (CSISA), which is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), as well as the CGIAR Research Program on MAIZE. Their study shows that while significant variations exist among maize cultivars in terms of their stover quantity and fodder quality, stover from some high yielding popular hybrids is at par or even better value with the best sorghum stover traded. Sorghum stover, the above-ground biomass left after grain harvest, supports much of the urban and near-urban dairy production in peninsular India.
Between 130 and 200 tons of sorghum stover are sold daily in the fodder markets of Hyderabad alone. Some of the stover is transported several hundred kilometers and costs, on a dryweight basis, about 50% of the price of sorghum grain, which is up from 20 to 30% just 15 years ago. Sorghum stover’s high monetary value can be explained by India’s demand for sorghum fodder, and possibly to a decline in the area of sorghum planted. The crop has been replaced with maize in some regions. Dairy farmers and fodder traders in India generally think maize stover is less suitable than sorghum stover as livestock feed. To challenge the negative perceptions about maize stover, maize stover of a popular high-yielding hybrid with high-quality stover fodder was provided to a commercial dairy producer in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
This dairy producer had maintained his eight improved Murrah buffaloes on a diet typical of that of urban and near-urban dairy systems in peninsular India. It consisted of 60% sorghum stover and 40% a homemade concentrate mix of 15% wheat bran, 54% cotton seed cake, and 31% husks and hulls from threshed pigeon-pea. Each of the dairy producer’s buffaloes consumed about 9.5 kg of sorghum stover and 6.5 kg of the concentrate mix per day and produced an average of 8.9 kg of milk per day. This dairy producer purchased sorghum stover at 6.3 Indian rupees (Rs) per kilogram. Together with the cost for concentrates, his feed cost totalled 18.2 Rs per kg of milk while his sale price was 28 Rs per kg of milk. In this trial, the dairy farmer purchased maize stover at 3.8 Rs per kg. When he substituted sorghum stover with maize stover, his average yield increased from 8.9 to 9.4 kg of milk per buffalo per day while his overall feed costs decreased from 18.2 to 14.5 Rs per kg of milk per day. The substitution of sorghum stover with maize increased his profits from 3.7 Rs per kg of milk, apart from an additional 0.5kg milk per buffalo.
This study demonstrated the big potential benefits for India’s smallholder rainfed maize and dairy farmers of adopting dual-purpose, food-and-feed maize cultivars, which combine high grain yield with high fodder quality. In this way, farmers can help solve the problem of fodder scarcity while increasing the benefits of their maize cropping. “Poultry and animal feed has been the major driver for unprecedented increase in demand of maize in South & Southeast Asia. The dual-purpose maize, with high stover quality along with high grain yield, is emerging as another big driver that can further add in the increasing demand for maize in this region” says CIMMYT Maize Breeder P.H. Zaidi, who is actively collaborating with ILRI-Hyderabad, India.
Two sets of filters made of polypropylene fibers in the upper part of the trap passively collect airborne pollen.
The ten tall pollen traps that recently sprouted in the fields at El Batán could replace growing and harvesting maize as a cheaper, easier, and more comprehensive method of monitoring germplasm for transgenes. The traps are part of a pilot project that leaders from CIMMYT’s Maize Germplasm Bank and Seed Health Laboratory are testing at the three experiment stations in Mexico.
The unintentional presence of transgenes can be a concern for those requesting germplasm from CIMMYT’s bank. CIMMYT does not grow transgenic maize on-site, but transgenic pollen could come in from surrounding areas, said Denise Costich, head of the Maize Germplasm Bank. CIMMYT does not expect to detect GMO pollen in its nurseries, but there are other maize growers near the El Batán station. “The bottom line is that we need to be able to guarantee to our clients that, to the best of our knowledge, the seed we are sending them is GMO free,” Costich said. The current testing process, which has been used since 2008, involves growing border rows of maize and sending the resulting grain to an independent laboratory in Iowa. It requires harvesting and sending 10 or 15 kilograms of maize per station, and each load requires about 10 samples at more than $200 each. Testing occurs every cycle, which is once per year in El Batán and twice per year in Agua Fría and Tlaltizapán.
The new traps—called Pollen Mass Filter samplers (PMF)—collect airborne pollen for four weeks. The pollen is then extracted, filtered, and shipped to the lab in a small tube. It’s a lighter and more compact load than the grain, and, as opposed to harvesting, the pollen traps only require a filter change and one sample per cycle. The PMF system will also be more comprehensive. The CIMMYT gene bank grows maize varieties from all over the world with a wide range of flowering times but the border row method only monitors the flowering period of the specific maize variety used in the border.
Frieder Hofmann demonstrates how to rinse the pollen from a trap, with Seed Health Laboratory research assistant, Benjamin Asael Martínez, holding the collection bottle.
A continuous, non-biological pollen monitoring system, on the other hand, can cover diversity in flowering times, Costich said. Thirteen pollen samples have already been sent to Iowa, with all testing negative for the presence of transgenes, said Monica Mezzalama, head of the Seed Health Laboratory and member of the Biosafety Committee. Both methods of monitoring are being used this year. Costich said she researched the traps, which are popular in Europe, after thinking there had to be a more efficient monitoring method than testing kilograms of maize seed. The traps arrived from Germany at the end of May, followed by Frieder Hofmann, the inventor of the pollen sampler and an expert on environmental monitoring, who helped to assemble the traps and trained the team how to use them. During this summer cropping cycle, ten traps have been installed at El Batán, while the Agua Fría and Tlaltizapán stations each have one.
The goal of this pilot year is to determine how well the traps work, how much pollen is collected, and how many traps are needed for a comprehensive monitoring system. Costich said the next step for testing the detection ability of the PMF system is to install the traps in an area where transgenic maize is currently being grown.
CIMMYT is pleased to announce the release of 22 new CIMMYT maize lines (CMLs). The CMLs were developed at various breeding locations of CIMMYT Global Maize Program by multi-disciplinary teams of scientists. These lines are adapted to the tropical/subtropical maize production environments targeted by CIMMYT and the partner institutions. CMLs are freely available to both public and private sector breeders worldwide under CIMMYT’s standard material transfer agreement (SMTA).
Prior to their release, the CMLs are intensively evaluated for per se performance (especially under abiotic and biotic stresses) and performance in hybrid combinations (combining ability). Release of a CML does not guarantee high combining ability or per se performance in all environments; rather, it indicates that the line is promising or useful as a hybrid component or as a parent for pedigree breeding for one or more target mega-environments. The descriptions of the lines include heterotic group classification, along with information on their specific combining ability with widely-used CIMMYT lines. Instances where CMLs within a given heterotic group have good combining ability with other lines from the same heterotic group are also cited; the resulting hybrids may be useful either as single-cross products or as female parents of three-way or double-cross hybrids. Some of the new releases and previously-released CMLs have already been used as parents of successful hybrids or improved open pollinated varieties (OPVs) by public and private sector institutions. A brief description of each of the 22 new CMLs is presented below (the information in parentheses for each CML is the line code).
Further details about the lines are provided in CML540-561 Details. A limited quantity of seed of the CMLs can be obtained by sending a request to the CIMMYT Germplasm Bank.
CML540-561-Details
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CML540 (CZL00009)
An early-maturing, drought tolerant late-maturing resistance to maize streak virus (MSV), turcicum leaf blight (TLB), common rust (PS), and gray leaf spot (GLS). This line is classified as a CIMMYT heterotic group A line and combines well with CML395 and CML444. The line is producible as a male or female parent.
CML541 (CZL0717)
An early-maturing, white-grained, flint inbred late-maturing resistance to MSV and good drought tolerance. This line is classified as a CIMMYT heterotic group B line and combines well with CML312 and lines derived from the Zimbabwe Early White A (ZEWA) synthetic. The line is a component of the commercial OPV ZM309, which has been released for commercial cultivation in several African countries.
CML542 (CZL0723)
An early-maturing, drought tolerant late-maturing resistance to MSV. This line is classified as a CIMMYT heterotic group A line and combines well with CML395, CML444, and lines derived from Zimbabwe Early White B (ZEWB) synthetic. The line is a component of the commercial OPV ZM309, which has been released in several African countries. The line is usable either as a male or female parent.
CML543 (CKL05003)
A late-maturing inbred line with white, semi-dent grain. This line is classified as a CIMMYT heterotic group B line and combines well with CML442, CKL5005 and CKL5017. The line also combines well with group B tester CML444. The line was developed from sources combining MSV resistance and drought tolerance. It has excellent combining ability for grain yield, and is resistant to TLB, and tolerant to MSV, GLS and Diplodia ear rot. CML543 has moderate resistance to maize lethal necrosis (MLN). The line can be used as either a male or female for seed production.
CML544 (CZL0610)
An intermediate-maturity, white-grained, semi-dent inbred line that has moderate-to-high levels of resistance to common midaltitude foliar diseases – MSV, TLB, GLS, Phaeosphaeria leaf spot (PLS) and PS. This line is classified as a CIMMYT heterotic group B line and combines well with CML488, CML443, and CML312. The line also combines well with group B tester CML202. It has moderate-to-excellent combining ability, especially under drought and low soil N. The line can be used as male or female for seed production, and has been used in several commercial hybrids in eastern and southern Africa.
CML545 (CZL0619) An early-maturing, white-grained, dent-type inbred line that has high levels of resistance to common mid-altitude foliar diseases (MSV, TLB, GLS, PLS, PS) and tolerance to low soil N and flowering stage drought. This line is classified as a CIMMYT heterotic group A line and combines well with CML488, CML395, CML443, and CML441. The line also combines with the group A line CML548. The line exhibits excellent combining ability, especially under low soil N stress. The line is best used as a male in three-way hybrid formation, although it can also be used as a component of early-maturing single-cross females. It has been used in one commercial hybrid in southern Africa.
CML546 (CZL0713)
An intermediate-maturity, white-grained, large semi-flint type inbred line with adequate levels of resistance to common mid-altitude foliar and ear diseases, especially MSV and GLS, and tolerance to low soil N stress. This line is classified as a CIMMYT heterotic group B line and combines well with CML197, CML312, and CML488. The line also combines well with group B tester CML202. The line exhibits excellent per se productivity, has good standability, and is a good combiner under both optimum and abiotic stress conditions. It can be used as a male or female parent, and is a component of one commercial hybrid in southern Africa.
CML547 (CZL00003)
An intermediate-to-late-maturing, large white-grained, semi-flint inbred line with adequate levels of resistance to TLB, GLS, and PLS. This line is classified as a CIMMYT heterotic group B line and combines well with CML197, CML312, and CML488. The line also combines well with group B testers CML202 and CML444. The line is drought tolerant and a good general combiner across optimum and abiotic stress conditions. It exhibits average per se productivity but has excellent plant type and standability. The line is best used as a component of intermediate-to-late-maturing single-cross females and has been used in several commercial hybrids in eastern and southern Africa.
CML548 (CZL054)
A white-grained, semi-flint, intermediate-maturity inbred line with good levels of resistance to MSV, TLB, GLS, PLS and PS, and moderate resistance to MLN. This line is classified as a CIMMYT heterotic group A line and combines well with CML489 and CML444. The line also combines well with group A testers CML197, CML312, and CML545. The line is drought tolerant, has good per se productivity, and is an excellent combiner under optimum conditions and drought stress. It is best used as a male parent in three-way hybrid formation, although it can also be used as a parent of single-cross females. The line has been used as a parent in one commercial hybrid in southern Africa.
CML549 (CLWRCW105)
A late-maturing, white semi-dent tropical late-maturing excellent overall combining ability in optimal, low N, and drought conditions. This line is classified as a CIMMYT heterotic group A line and combines well with CML494 and CML550. The line also combines with group A tester CML498. The line has good resistance to foliar diseases and ear rots, and can be used as a seed parent for single-cross hybrids due to its high per se yield.
CML550 (CLWN201)
An intermediate-maturity, white flint tropical line with excellent combining ability under low N and drought conditions, but average performance under optimal conditions. This line is classified as a CIMMYT heterotic group B line, and combines well with CML495, CML549, and CML552. The line can be used as a donor for low N stress tolerance. The line has good per se yield and could be used as female parent. It has moderate susceptibility to maydis leaf blight and TLB.
CML551 (CL02720)
A late-maturing, yellow flint tropical line with excellent combining ability across optimal and drought stress conditions. This line is classified as a CIMMYT heterotic group B line, and combines well with CML286, CLRCY017, and CLRCY041. The line has good per se yield and resistance to ear rots, but is susceptible to TLB and stem lodging. It is more suited for use as a female seed parent than as a male parent.
CML552 (CLRCW99) A late-maturing, white semi-flint tropical line with excellent combining ability under both optimal and high density conditions. This line is classified as a CIMMYT heterotic group A line, and combines well with CML494, CML550, and CLWN247. The line can be used either as a male or female parent in seed production.
CML553 (CLWN206)
A late-maturing, white flint, tropical line with excellent combining ability across optimal and stressed environments. This line is classified as a CIMMYT heterotic group A line, and combines well with CML494, CML550, and CLWN247. The line has excellent resistance to ear rots, but is slightly susceptible to maydis leaf blight. Due to its lower-than-average per se yield, it is best used as a male parent for hybrid seed production.
CML554 (CLQRCWQ131)
A late-maturing, white flint, QPM tropical line with excellent combining ability under optimal conditions and abiotic stress. This line is classified as a CIMMYT heterotic group A line, and combines well with CML503, CLRCWQ130, and CLRCWQ122. The line has good per se grain yield, good endosperm modification, and resistance to TLB. The line is best suited for use as a female seed parent.
CML555 (CLQRCWQ26) An intermediate-maturity, white-grained, semi-flint, QPM tropical line with excellent combining ability under low N conditions. This line is classified a CIMMYT heterotic group A line, and combines well with CML503, CLRCWQ130, and CLRCWQ123. The line has excellent per se yield, good endosperm modification, and is usable either as a seed or pollen parent.
CML556 (CLQRCWQ123)
A late-maturing, white grained, semi-dent, QPM line with excellent combining ability under optimal, low N, and drought conditions. This line is classified as a CIMMYT heterotic group B line, and combines well with CML491, CML553, and CML554. The line has good per se yield and can be used either as a male or female parent.
CML557 (CLQRCWQ48) A late-maturing, white-grained, semi-flint, QPM line with excellent combining ability under optimal conditions and very good performance under low N and high density stress. This line is classified as a CIMMYT heterotic group AB line and combines well with CML491, CML554, and CML555. The line has good root strength, excellent per se yield, and good endosperm modification. It can be used as either as a male or female parent.
CML558 (CETL08003) A late-maturing, white-grained, flint-type highland line with resistance to the most important highland diseases, especially TLB and PS. This line is classified as a CIMMYT heterotic group AB line. The line combines with materials from both the Kitale and Ecuador highland groups. The line has excellent combining ability and good per se yield, and can be used either as a female or male parent for hybrid seed production. It has been used as a parent in one three-way cross released in Ethiopia.
CML559 (CKIRL08062) An intermediate-maturity, white grained line adapted to the mid-altitude ecologies of eastern and southern Africa. This line is classified as a CIMMYT heterotic group AB line as it combines well with CML442, CML204, and CML312. The line is resistant to spotted stem borer (Chilo partellus) and African stem borer (Busseola fusca), the major field insect pests of eastern and southern Africa, and also has appreciable levels of resistance to MSV and other common foliar diseases, including TLB and GLS.
CML560 (CKIRL08104)
An intermediate-maturity, white-grained inbred line adapted to the midaltitude ecologies of eastern and southern Africa. This line is classified as a CIMMYT heterotic group B line as it combines well with CML312, CML202, and CML442. The line is resistant to spotted stem borer (Chilo partellus) and African stem borer (Busseola fusca). The line also has appreciable levels of resistance to MSV and other common foliar diseases, including TLB and GLS.
CML561 (CETL08001)
An intermediate-maturity, white-grained, flint-type highland line well-adapted to the midaltitude ecologies of eastern Africa. This line is classified as a CIMMYT heterotic group B line with resistance to TLB and PS. The line has excellent combining ability, per se productivity, and can be used both as a female or male parent. The line is being used as a parent in one three-way cross hybrid released in Ethiopia.
If rural women in developing countries had the same access to land, technology, credit, education and markets as men, their yields could increase by 20 to 30 percent. Estimates show this alone would raise agricultural production in developing countries by 2.5 to 4 percent,1 which could lift 100 to 150 million people out of hunger. Research also shows that the reduction of gender disparities and the empowerment of women leads to better food and nutrition security for households and significantly strengthens other development outcomes such as child education.2,3 Yet, more than 1.1 billion women worldwide do not have equal access to land, inputs and extension.
By S.P. Poonia/CIMMYT
Mexico is the fifth highest maize-consuming country in the world. It is also the number one consumer of maize for food, given that its population eats 70 percent of available maize grain every year. The national food maize groups included in this percentage can be divided into three main types: home consumption, the nixtamalized flour industry and the maize dough and tortilla industry. Businesses in the latter sector must supply maize grain of uniform quality so that maize processing will be more efficient, stable and profitable. With this in mind, 30 Mexican dough and tortilla manufacturers, grain marketers and seed producers attended a practical training course entitled “Maize Grain Quality and Technology” given by researchers from the Sustainable Modernization of Traditional Agriculture (
After exchanging their experiences, businessmen, grain merchants and seed producers showed interest in revising Mexican Regulation (Norma Mexicana) 034-1 on grain quality to make the range of values match the current dough- and tortilla-making process. In their opinion, the different links of the maize production chain are increasingly demanding when it comes to the raw materials, processes and products they use. For this reason, Gricelda Vázquez of INIFAP’s Valley of Mexico Experiment Station (CEVAMEX) thinks continued collaboration among research and industrial institutions is needed to ensure that research results extend beyond the production process. As David Tecotl pointed out, “Only by attending these courses at the university do we acquire firsthand knowledge of these important alternatives.” He and his fellow trainees tested the best techniques for mixing nixtamalized flour (of bean, barley, oat, amaranth, and maize) to make more nutritionally rich tortillas, as did the UACh students who are doing their Ph.D. research under the supervision of Ofelia Buendía, one of the course organizers.
Introducing maize stover into India’s commercial dairy systems could mitigate fodder shortages and halt increasing fodder costs, according to new research by CIMMYT and the 
This dairy producer had maintained his eight improved Murrah buffaloes on a diet typical of that of urban and near-urban dairy systems in peninsular India. It consisted of 60% sorghum stover and 40% a homemade concentrate mix of 15% wheat bran, 54% cotton seed cake, and 31% husks and hulls from threshed pigeon-pea. Each of the dairy producer’s buffaloes consumed about 9.5 kg of sorghum stover and 6.5 kg of the concentrate mix per day and produced an average of 8.9 kg of milk per day. This dairy producer purchased sorghum stover at 6.3 Indian rupees (Rs) per kilogram. Together with the cost for concentrates, his feed cost totalled 18.2 Rs per kg of milk while his sale price was 28 Rs per kg of milk. In this trial, the dairy farmer purchased maize stover at 3.8 Rs per kg. When he substituted sorghum stover with maize stover, his average yield increased from 8.9 to 9.4 kg of milk per buffalo per day while his overall feed costs decreased from 18.2 to 14.5 Rs per kg of milk per day. The substitution of sorghum stover with maize increased his profits from 3.7 Rs per kg of milk, apart from an additional 0.5kg milk per buffalo.
CML544 (CZL0610)
CML553 (CLWN206)