Agricultural Research for Development Improves Food Security Contents 1 Message from the Director General: Will food price inflation eradicate years of poverty reduction? Precision, sustainable intensification and innovation systems 4 7 9 Conservation Diversification and Water-saving techniques agriculture in Malawi: conservation in India’s salvage wheat in “We always have cropping systems drought-stricken problems with rain Kazakhstan here.” High-yielding, disease-resistant, climate-ready varieties and seed delivery 12 14 16 17 19 Fighting hunger with Training supports The Drought Tolerant The seed chain: Bhutan maize provides rust-resistant seed wheat’s dramatic rise Maize for Africa project: Producing better seed quality protein and in Zambia Six years of addressing for Mexico’s smallholder defies fungus African smallholder farmers farmers’ needs Catalyzing the force of maize and wheat farmers: Reports from CGIAR Research Programs 22 23 24 MAIZE: Global WHEAT: An Climate Change, alliance to improve international, Agriculture and Food the food security and collaborative effort to Security livelihoods of the raise the productivity resource-poor in the of wheat farming developing world systems 25 CIMMYT financial overview, 2011-12 27 Trustees and principal staff 28 CIMMYT contact information Message from the Director General Will food price inflation eradicate years of poverty reduction? Thomas A. Lumpkin, CIMMYT Director General, inspects high-yielding wheat in northern Mexico. The work of CIMMYT and its many valued partners on maize and wheat farming systems is more important now than at any time in the organization’s history. Our planet’s expanding population, changing diets, limited natural resources, demand for bio-fuels and increasingly variable climate are all putting extraordinary pressure on the global food system. The evidence is all around us. In 2012, for the third time in less than six years, we faced a global food price crisis with international maize prices reaching levels double those of just two years prior. In the wake of the Arab Spring, two major wheat production and cereal importing areas, North Africa and the Middle East, remain highly stressed by rising wheat prices. In recent years average wheat imports for all of Africa have reached more than 35 million tons annually, costing the continent’s nations more than US$12 billion and threatening the supply of wheat products for resource-poor consumers. Global grain markets are increasingly prone to severe and unpredictable weather events, driven by climate change. For example, in 2012 more than 27,000 high temperature records were broken in the USA, and the downturn in crop production there sent shockwaves through the world’s markets. Some countries resorted to export bans or panic buying. Resulting food price spikes were widely felt but most severely in the food security and diets of the poor. As described in a recent joint statement from three United Nations agencies (“Tackling the Root Causes of High Food Prices and Hunger,” FAO, IFAD and WFP; September 2012), the poor spend large portions of their incomes on food and will eat less or shift to cheaper, lower-quality foods when prices rise. As far back as 1969 – fully 40 years before his death and only one year before he received the Nobel Peace Prize for his contributions to the Green Revolution that saved hundreds of millions from food shortages – hunger fighter and CIMMYT wheat researcher Dr. Norman E. Borlaug warned that “…the magnitude of the world food problem should not be underestimated. Recent success in expanding wheat, rice and maize production in Asian countries offers the possibility of buying 20-30 years of time.” Once again it is clear that the world can no longer afford to rely on imports from a handful of high-production “breadbasket” countries. Low stocks of staple crops, exacerbated by financial speculation, have put humanity into a precarious situation where reduced production in just one of these breadbaskets can destabilize the entire global food exchange system. Agricultural Research for Development Improves Food Security 1 Photo: Xochiquetzal Fonseca/CIMMYT Call to action: Strategic framework for Through its unique mandate and position, CIMMYT fighting hunger and its partners use our global collections of maize and Despite the world’s seeming failure to learn from past wheat genetic resources and state-of-the-art genotyping mistakes, there is hope. Many countries could increase and phenotyping technology – including those typically agricultural productivity to reduce import overreliance, available only within the multinational private sector – benefit the rural poor and increase economic development. and make the results available to national public sector The potential for improvement is enormous, particularly programs and small- and medium-size companies that considering the large gap between crop yields on research serve farmers directly. plots and those in farmers’ fields. Science, policymakers and regulators must provide solutions. Expertise and experience in precision, sustainable intensification and innovation system approaches, like Individual countries must increase their investments in those that have characterized the study and promotion of agriculture and agricultural development. The agriculture conservation agriculture in Asia, Africa and Latin America, sector is the primary driver of many national economies in are helping farmers to save resources and face climate the developing world, and several examples of such national change. Such work features prominently in this report. commitments appear in this report. For example, a number of nations in eastern and southern Africa have invested Global action plans such as the CGIAR Research Programs in developing drought-tolerant maize and improving the (MAIZE, WHEAT and Climate Change, Agriculture and productivity of maize-legume cropping systems. Several are Food Security, or CCFAS) provide rallying points for shared studying the potential to grow more wheat and thus reduce research by developing and developed countries to imports. Mexico’s MasAgro is an ambitious program to raise raise crop yields under the increasing heat and drought maize yields across the country by modernizing farming to be conditions that farmers face. more productive, sustainable and environmentally friendly. CIMMYT and India have founded the Borlaug Institute for Humanity has the means to eliminate hunger and South Asia (BISA), an international agricultural research malnutrition in spite of climate change and rising demand, organization, to address food problems specific to the region. but we need political will and investment to empower agricultural systems and farmers. The goal is not simply to Comprehensive national and international research avoid another food crisis. The goal is to grow enough food approaches can help both smallholders and larger-scale sustainably and efficiently to feed the planet. Otherwise farmers in developing countries to grow enough for their the world will continue to lurch from one food crisis to needs and for markets at all levels. Solutions must include the next. improved agronomy (to restore soil quality), more efficient use of inputs (water, land, fertilizer and labor), improved For nearly 50 years CIMMYT has been working to build crop varieties and storage methods (to reduce post-harvest food security and diminish hunger and poverty. Successes losses), implementing biophysical and molecular research in these efforts would not have been possible without (to increase crop yields) and improving the efficiency of local critical funding from our donors, the cooperation of our and regional markets. partners across the world and the contributions and hard Farmers are where the solution starts work of CIMMYT employees. On behalf of the CIMMYT Farmers – particularly smallholders – are where it all starts. Board of Trustees, I would like to recognize CIMMYT’s Based on field-based evidence and on CIMMYT experiences donors, partners and employees and thank them for their of nearly 50 years, providing small-scale farmers with significant contributions to our efforts. high-yielding, disease-resistant and climate-ready varieties, promoting effective seed delivery and improving agronomic practices can dramatically benefit individual families, entire Thomas A. Lumpkin countries and the globe as a whole. Director General 2 Annual Report 2012 Precision, sustainable intensification and innovation systems Agricultural Research for Development Improves Food Security 3 Smallholder maize farmers in Malawi are adopting sustainable crop management practices that decrease labor and help capture and hold rainfall, Daimoniz Miondo is one of 800 farmers in Chipeni, Mvera Extension Planning Area, Dowa District, salvaging harvests when Malawi, who has adopted CA practices in recent years. “I’m harvesting between 30 and 40 bags of maize now per acre; previously I was only able to grow 15 or 20 bags,” said Miondo, who farms to water is scarce. support a household of seven. “Before conservation agriculture, my farm was plagued by erosion and the rain would wash away the fertilizer and affect the yields.” Conservation agriculture in Malawi: “We always have problems with rain here.” In early March 2012, a rainstorm burst upon parched, specialists point out the virtues of such approaches: labor yellowed maize fields that roll far out over surrounding and cost savings; improved soil structure and fertility; hills near the city of Zomba (about 150 kilometers south of increased infiltration and water retention; less erosion; and Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital). A month prior, the water might lower greenhouse gas emissions. Conservation agriculture have saved the crop, which was withering under another of is widely practiced by farmers in the USA, Canada, Australia the region’s prolonged droughts. By the time this rain came, and the Southern Cone of South America. Its use is now however, many desiccated plants were too far gone to save. spreading in the developing world. Southern Malawi maize farmers would lose one-third or For small-scale farmers in places like Malawi, where more of their harvest to 2012’s dry weather, according to maize subsists on rain alone, the benefits of CA are most agricultural extension expert Mphatso Gama. “Of course, visible during dry spells. Then, residues, root holes and we always have problems with rain here,” he explained, “but earthworms catch and channel falling rain and retard 2012 was the worst in years.” Maize is Malawi’s primary evaporation. “Maize was wilting in conventionally food crop, but because of the prolonged drought conditions managed plots due to the drought,” according to a small many households in southern Malawi faced a long “hungry group of Lemu farmers who gathered to talk about season”— the months until the next maize harvest, after their management practices. “In fields managed using last year’s grain has been eaten. conservation agriculture, there is no problem.” Hope will not wilt “This area receives an average of only 200-400 millimeters However, not all experienced the hungry season, including of rainfall per year,” said Gama. That’s barely enough more than 400 farmers and their families at Lemu in Balaka to raise a maize crop. “The population is dense and the Township, southern Malawi. Over the last six years they average farm landholding of less than half a hectare have been using conservation agriculture (CA) – a set of supports a household of five members,” added Gama. In practices that includes eliminating traditional ridge-and- addition to maize, farmers grow groundnuts, potatoes, furrow tillage systems, keeping crop residues on the soil cotton and cassava, and also keep chickens and goats. and rotating or intercropping maize with other crops. CA 4 Annual Report 2012 “We started (conservation agriculture) with six farmers has played a role (in farmers’ acceptance),” he explained. in 2005-06 and financial assistance and training from “People can see that under conservation agriculture, CIMMYT,” Gama explained. By the 2011-12 crop cycle, the crop will do much better, compared to conventional nearly one-fifth of the area’s 2,200 farmers had adopted agriculture.” the practices. According to Gama, many more would like to, but a lack of funds for imports has constrained access to Housed in the Ministry of Agriculture and supported by fertilizers and herbicides – the latter needed to stop weeds the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United in no-till systems. Nations, Malawi’s National Conservation Agriculture Task Force aligns extension efforts, research and messaging Saving labor and livelihoods to promote CA. Because CA practices are complex Belita Maleko, small-scale maize and mixed-crop farmer and knowledge-intensive, it is crucial to coordinate in the Mwansambo extension planning area, Nkhotakota extension. Gama lauded the cooperation between TLC and Zone of central Malawi, was widowed 19 years ago, but government extension services, saying it has significantly kept on farming with help from her family. At the invitation increased everyone’s production. “On average, there is a of government extension officers and Total LandCare single extension worker for every 2,000 farmers in Malawi,” (TLC), a non-governmental organization (NGO), she began he explained. “TLC and government extension jointly plan adopting CA practices and sowing plots to demonstrate and work as part of the national strategy for agriculture.” those practices to neighboring farmers in 2006. Malawi furnishes a good setting for CA, according to Draft animals are scarce in Malawi and traditional maize Christian Thierfelder, CIMMYT cropping systems agronomist cultivation involves as many as 160,000 hoe strokes per in southern Africa. “Few farmers have livestock, so crop hectare (ha). It appeared strange and somehow unjust to residues can be kept on the fields instead of going for neighbors when Maleko stopped hoe plowing and began to fodder,” he explained. “There are markets for produce, and leave residues and stems from previous crops on her fields. herbicide is normally available. There are vibrant extension “Some asked ‘How can you do this?’” said Maleko. “Others services, especially if we look at TLC.” To enhance soil care speculated that I was degrading the soil…some people and food security, Thierfelder and the Malawi specialists thought I was mad, but I said ‘No, I’m not mad, I know have promoted maize-legume rotations. “We’ve also been what I’m doing.’” working with cowpeas and soybeans, and farmers are particularly excited about maize-groundnut rotations.” The Farmers desperately need these new practices to face the work links with and is reinforced by a CIMMYT-led project challenges coming their way, according to John Chisui, TLC focusing on the sustainable intensification of maize-legume Zonal Manager and Land-Use Specialist. “Climate change cropping systems (SIMLESA) in eastern and southern Africa. Maleko sees CA as a blessing that has helped pay for school fees and homestead improvements. “I will not stop practicing conservation agriculture, because it generates many benefits,” she said. “I have enough time to grow other crops. I’m very happy because I’ve built another house with my proceeds. I don’t even complain about being a widow – otherwise, I wouldn’t have sent my children to school. Married women come to me and ask for food. I’m a happy woman.” For more information: Christian Thierfelder, cropping systems agronomist (c.thierfelder@cgiar.org) “I lost my husband in 1994, but I don’t complain because conservation agriculture is doing the work my husband would have done,” said farmer Belita Maleko, of the Mwansambo extension planning area, Nkhotakota Zone, central Malawi. Agricultural Research for Development Improves Food Security 5 Photo: Trevor Samson/CIMMYT Photo: Trevor Samson/CIMMYT CIMMYT and conservation agriculture in Africa Most soils in southern Africa are infertile and degraded. Few small-scale farmers can afford or apply much fertilizer for maize – the main food crop – and cropping systems are generally extractive: stems and leaves are removed for fodder and other uses, with a net loss in soil organic matter year after year. Increasing populations encroach on arable land; once-common, the fallowing of fields is but a memory. Temperatures are predicted to rise, as are import prices for fertilizers and herbicides. Droughts and seasonal dry spells are already becoming more frequent and severe. In this challenging context, CIMMYT began working with local researchers, extension agents, NGOs and farmers in 2004 to study, test and promote CA. “Conservation agriculture is the most sustainable system we currently know for this environment,” stated CIMMYT cropping systems agronomist Christian Thierfelder, “The basic principles – minimum soil disturbance, crop residue retention and diversified crop rotations – are widely applicable, but must be adapted for local conditions and farmers’ circumstances.” Over the years, CIMMYT and its partners have studied local conditions and cropping systems, identified “best bet and best fit” practices for diverse settings and reached out to partner with organizations and communities. “A key strategy has been to establish demonstration and validation technology with many challenges to overcome. plots run by farmers in their fields, with backstopping from Achieving widespread adoption may take considerable extension and NGO partners,” Thierfelder said. “We provide time and effort, but ‘difficult’ is not a good excuse for the farmers with seeds, fertilizers and herbicides, which not getting started.” they pay back to a community project or fund at harvest time. For farmers, the demonstration plots are successful The work described has been possible thanks to examples of conservation agriculture and serve as learning funding from the Australian Centre for International centers. Researchers group them strategically for use as Agricultural Research (ACIAR), Australia; the Federal on-farm trials to evaluate the performance of conservation Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development agriculture over the course of years.” (BMZ/GIZ), Germany; the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD); the Swiss Agency In partnership with regional NGOs and government for Development and Cooperation (SDC); and the U.S. extension services, these efforts in Malawi, Mozambique, Agency for International Development (USAID), as well Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe have inspired as generous, unrestricted contributions from many approximately 35,000 farmers to experiment with CIMMYT donors. CA technology – results of a targeted approach in 75 intervention villages on 400 demonstration plots, according to Thierfelder. “We realize this is a complex 6 Annual Report 2012 Photo: Xochiquetzal Fonseca/CIMMYT Farm environments are heating up in South Asia. New practices that help farmers save precious water and land resources and face Diversification and warmer climates are gaining ground, with support from a conservation in India’s global affiliation of public and private research, extension and input marketing specialists. cropping systems In response to recent water shortages and with support benefits of CA machinery, including the laser land leveler, from scientists, farmers in the Upper Krishna Project a zero-tillage multi-crop planter and a direct seeder, were command area of Karnataka State in southwestern India demonstrated and explained. Farmers who have adopted have begun growing a winter crop of maize using zero the technologies shared their views and encouraged others tillage. The farmers are sowing directly into unplowed to innovate. soil and crop residues, as an alternative to their tradition of two crops of flooded rice each year. Coverage reached CIMMYT cropping systems agronomist, M.L. Jat, explained 1,200 ha in 2011 and the practice has caught the attention the benefits of conservation agriculture for diverse of other farmers and of several research and development cropping systems and specifically the practices CSISA is organizations. promoting. “The rice-wheat cropping system of the Indo- Gangetic Plains is labor-, water- and energy-intensive and Because zero-tilled winter maize boosts harvests and it becomes less profitable as these resources grow scarce,” incomes and saves water, it is being promoted through the Jat stated. “Farmers are adopting new practices to manage Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) satellite the situation: zero- or minimum-tillage to sow wheat; direct hub in Karnataka, the University of Agricultural Sciences- seeding of dryland rice; precise targeting of water and Raichur in collaboration with CIMMYT, the International nutrients; managing crop residues to avoid burning straw; Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and other public and private and diversifying the crops grown.” sector partners, including the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Reversing resource degradation and giving farmers a level playing field Many weigh in for change In Matiyala, a village in Ghaziabad District 35 kilometers In March 2012, 160 farmers from the districts of from Delhi, Sharanjit Singh Gill has been working with Gulbarga, Koppal, Raichur and Yadagir, and 45 scientists CIMMYT scientists, both as part of CSISA and of BISA, to and extension agents from various research stations of incorporate CA practices on his farm. One of many Punjab University of Agricultural Sciences-Raichur, the Karnataka farmers who moved from Delhi in the 1960s, Gill grows rice State Department of Agriculture and Ganga-Kaveri Seeds and wheat, practices legume rotations and raises cows and Company, attended a multi-stakeholder consultation on buffaloes on his 83-ha homestead. cropping diversification through the promotion of zero- tilled maize in Karnataka. Discussions covered a range of “We normally focus on smallholder farmers,” Jat explained, CA and diversification options, along with the specialized “but with medium-scale farmers like Gill, you can really implements required. In addition, concerns such as see the benefits of participatory technology development, residue, weed and pest management, cultivar choices and as they have more risk-bearing capacity and are able water-wise practices were discussed. The operation and to lead the way for smallholder farmers to adopt new technologies.” Agricultural Research for Development Improves Food Security 7 Photo: Julia Cumes are priceless,” Jat said. “Besides cutting fuel consumption, keeping residues on the soil instead of burning them adds 0.5 tons of carbon to the soil for every ton of residue, and farmers who have a 30-hectare farm are able to cut their emissions by more than 450 tons of CO2 per year.” Having a Nobel Peace Laureate visit your farm Gill’s farm is not only unique for his application of CA principles, but also because of its historic ties to former CIMMYT wheat scientist and hunger fighter, Dr. Norman Borlaug. Borlaug’s high-yielding, disease-resistant Mexican wheat varieties were brought to South Asia in the mid- 1960s. “Before Dr. Borlaug, India’s wheat fields were In 2001, as part of his adoption of CA techniques, Gill hired yielding only 1 to 1.5 tons per hectare. I remember the out for laser leveling – the use of a laser to guide a tractor- wheat varieties being very tall, with less grain and more scraper that flattens fields, thereby optimizing irrigation. He straw. Then we heard of one farmer in the village who has practiced zero tillage for 11 years and recently began managed to achieve 4 tons per hectare from the new seeding rice directly into unplowed soil and crop residues varieties.” According to Gill, by 1967 the new wheat using his own multi-crop zero-tillage planter known as the varieties were being sown by most farmers in his area. “Happy Seeder.” According to Gill, these farming methods increase organic matter, help to restore degraded soils and Borlaug received the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize for the save him about $6,700 per year in reduced diesel fuel costs widespread adoption by developing world farmers of and less pumping of irrigation water. Overall, Gill’s resource- improved seed and farming practices – a movement called conserving practices have cut his labor, diesel, water and the Green Revolution. He died in 2009, but had visited water pumping costs by 25 to 35 percent. Gill earlier that decade. “Dr. Borlaug came to my farm in 2001,” he said, recalling Borlaug’s predictions. “He knew Conventional plowing for rice and wheat crops burns more that maize would replace rice. He told us that maize would than 200 liters of diesel – releasing over 0.5 tons of carbon fight hunger and he knew that things would change. dioxide (CO2) per ha per year, causes far greater wear and Limited water would cause problems for rice while higher tear on tractors and farm implements and requires more temperatures would also cause problems for wheat.” labor. “The environmental benefits of using zero-tillage For more information: M.L. Jat, CIMMYT cropping systems agronomist (m.jat@cgiar.org). The Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) is a non-profit research institute dedicated to the improvement of food security and the reduction of hunger in the region. A collaboration between CIMMYT, ICAR and the government of India, BISA harnesses the latest agricultural technologies to improve farming productivity and sustainably meet the demands of the future. BISA is committed to the people of South Asia, dedicated to the region’s farmers and focused on catalyzing a second Green Revolution. With funding from USAID and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), CSISA offers strategy, partnerships and new science and technologies to foster cereal production growth in South Asia’s most important grain baskets. It builds on technologies developed and lessons learned from the Rice-Wheat Consortium (RWC), the Irrigated Rice Research Consortium (IRRC) and other public and private investments in agricultural research and development. CSISA is implemented jointly by CIMMYT, IRRI, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), in partnership with public and private organizations across South Asia. 8 Annual Report 2012 Kazakhstan’s 2012 drought and high temperatures decreased the country’s wheat harvests by more than half from 2011 output, but wheat under zero-tillage practices produced three times more grain than conventionally cultivated Water-saving crops. Two million hectares are currently under zero tillage, making Kazakhstan one of the top 10 countries for CA and helping to techniques salvage avoid severe wheat shortages. wheat in drought-stricken Kazakhstan “If no-till practices had not been used during this period require less labor, machinery use, fuel, water and/or of drought, our production would have been virtually non- fertilizers. In rain-fed cropping, conservation agriculture can existent. It would have been an absolute catastrophe,” said also boost yields by capturing and conserving additional Valentin Dvurechenskii, Director General of the Kostanay moisture and making it available to the crop. Agricultural Research Institute in Kazakhstan, giving his verdict on the 2012 wheat crop. The findings of a 2012 FAO Investment Centre mission to Kazakhstan suggest that adoption of zero tillage and CA After farmers planted their wheat in April, Kostanay – the had raised domestic wheat production by almost 2 million country’s main wheat growing region – went two months tons. According to the mission report, this represents some without rain. Making matters worse, daily temperatures $580 million more income during 2010-12, enough grain to were several degrees above normal. At the time, farmer satisfy the annual cereal requirements of almost 5 million and Director General of the Agrofirm Dievskaya, Oleg people and the sequestering of about 1.8 million additional Danilenko, echoed the view of peers: “I’ve been a tons of CO2 per year. farmer for 35 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this.” Danilenko said the harsh conditions illustrated the Pushing out with better practices advantages of CA, which involves reduced or zero tillage, With the support of CIMMYT, the Kazakhstan Ministry keeping crop residues on the soil and rotating crops. “No of Agriculture, FAO, ICARDA, the World Bank and other other results have been nearly as successful.” international organizations and donors, Kazakhstan went from practically no land under CA in 2000 to 0.5 million ha Conserving where it counts in 2007. In 2012, as a result of ongoing farmer engagement Kazakhstan is the world’s sixth-largest wheat exporter. through demonstration plots, field days and close work However, more than 14 million of the country’s 15 million with farmer unions, CA is now practiced on 2 million ha, hectares of wheat are rain-fed, meaning virtually the entire or 13 percent of the country’s wheat-growing area. “This crop relies on precipitation and is thus vulnerable to dry amazing level of adoption is due to a few scientists who weather. Reports released in January 2013 said the 2012 saw the potential, but more importantly to the pioneer drought had shrunk the wheat crop by 57 percent from farmers who perfected the techniques and put them into 2011’s record harvests. practice; farmers believe farmers,” explained CA expert Pat Wall. Together with CIMMYT colleagues Alexei Farmers are initially attracted to zero tillage and Morgounov and Muratbek Karabayev, Wall initiated field conservation agriculture because the approaches trials with Kazakhstani scientists in the country’s northern dramatically cut their costs. These farming techniques steppes in 2000. Agricultural Research for Development Improves Food Security 9 Photo: Michelle Defreese “The main achievement of CIMMYT in Kazakhstan has CIMMYT’s conservation agriculture been changing the minds of farmers and scientists,” activities in Kazakhstan have been funded observed Bayan Alimgazinova, head of the Crop Production Department of KazAgroInnovation, a specialized by CIMMYT’s own resources and the organization created by the Ministry of Agriculture to comprehensive World Bank Agriculture increase the competitiveness of the country’s agricultural sector. Based on the positive results of research trials and Competitiveness Project (ACP). CIMMYT tests in farmers’ fields, Kazakhstan’s current state policy received two grants between 2008 and 2010 calls for every province to pursue zero tillage. from the World Bank’s ACP to promote CA “Kazakhstan presently has a wheat growing area of practices in Kazakhstan. 15 million hectares and can increase that area to 20 million hectares,” added Muratbek Karabayev, CIMMYT representative in Kazakhstan. “This is extremely important for the food security of the country, the Central Asian region and perhaps the entire world. There is a real opportunity to double yields using new advanced technologies and improved varieties. We’ve already seen this through conservation agriculture.” For more information: Muratbek Karabayev, CIMMYT representative in Kazakhstan (m.karabayev@cgiar.org) 10 Annual Report 2012 Photo: Michelle Defreese High-yielding, climate-ready varieties and seed delivery Agricultural Research for Development Improves Food Security 11 The USAID Famine Seed Project is preventing harvest losses and reducing costs for thousands of farmers in six countries, as well as providing an invaluable barrier against the spread of wheat stem rust. High-yielding, stem-rust resistant wheat developed by the late CIMMYT scientist, Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, and his partners helped afford the world decades of good harvests and low wheat grain prices. Based at Cornell University, the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative (BGRI) is an international effort that carries on Borlaug’s legacy to reduce global vulnerability to stem, yellow and leaf rusts of wheat and to foster a sustained global system to contain their threat. Fighting hunger with rust-resistant seed Nobel Prize winner Dr. Norman Borlaug once described and farmers. Together, these partners sought to identify rust as “the disease that never sleeps.” Yet for more than suitable Ug99-resistant varieties, conduct pre- and post- four decades, stem rust seemed to lie dormant, controlled release seed production and deliver this seed to farmers by use of resistant wheat varieties estimated to have in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, Nepal and saved farmers worldwide more than $1 billion annually. Pakistan. Researchers were surprised when a new, virulent race of stem rust, named Ug99, was detected in Uganda in 1998. In 2012, USAID undertook a final evaluation of the project Under favorable conditions, this race can completely and determined that this fledgling fast-response initiative devastate previously resistant wheat crops, and 90 percent had grown into a concerted and ongoing effort to reduce of the world’s wheat varieties are susceptible. crop losses attributable to Ug99 and other stem rusts. While large-scale seed multiplication usually begins at Fortunately, programs such as the Borlaug Global Rust cultivar release, this project initiated the process much Initiative (BGRI) responded quickly to the new threat and earlier to ensure that large quantities of seed would be identified several Ug99-resistant wheat lines. The race was available by the time that cultivars were released. Parallel, on to replant as much of the susceptible area as possible multi-location testing and seed multiplication then allowed with these new, high-yielding improved varieties; an area seed to be disseminated to farmers as quickly as possible. representing more than 40 million ha in the developing The project also linked with CSISA to utilize its existing world. In 2008, USAID spotted a problem: there were technology dissemination and adaptation hubs. resistant wheat varieties, but could developing countries produce enough resistant seed? A recipe for success By 2012, four of the countries had reached the goal of Seed versus pathogen in a race to multiply producing enough rust-resistant seed to sow 5 percent The multiplication and dissemination of stem rust-resistant of their national wheat areas – the minimum coverage wheat seed was initiated as the USAID Famine Seed Project, required so that, in case of a stem rust outbreak, in one a unique collaboration of CIMMYT, the International Centre season enough seed of the resistant varieties could for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), BGRI, be multiplied to sow a country’s entire wheat area. national research programs, national seed organizations Two countries – Egypt and Ethiopia – far exceeded this 12 Annual Report 2012 measure. In Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Nepal the area covered by resistant wheat rose from 16 ha in 2008 to more than 60,000 ha in 2012. This achievement was partly due to the active involvement of private companies in each of the countries. However, the role of progressive farmers increased year by year; by 2012 farmers were the leading seed multipliers of resistant varieties in all six countries. Overall, farmers now produce 80 percent of the Ug99-resistant seed. Arun Joshi, CIMMYT senior wheat breeder for South Asia, credits the impact of the project to a fast, funded response by the donor. “The fact that this threat to food security was recognized and there was a strong momentum to research and disseminate seed, supported by strong funding, was Farmer Mohammad Ashraf of Sariushap Village, Bamyan Province, the key factor in the success of this project.” Afghanistan, is one of many who have benefited recently from use of high-yielding, early-maturing, stem rust-resistant wheat varieties. Obvious benefits need no hard sell In 2012 CIMMYT began a new phase of a project supported by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) The new varieties were grown in trial plots in all six and ACIAR. Called “Sustainable Wheat and Maize Production countries, allowing farmers to see the results for in Afghanistan,” it builds on a decade of successful research, themselves. Even in the absence of rust, the varieties development and capacity-building activities with added emphasis produced 10 to 15 percent higher yields than existing on rain-fed rust resistant wheat and hybrid maize. cultivars. The new varieties were seen as insurance against a spreading disease, and because of their rust resistance and high yield farmers were quick to adopt them. In Bangladesh, for example, the Ug99-resistant variety produced during 2011-12, compared to just 114 tons Francolin was released in 2012 and became “popular in 2009-10. Afghanistan and Egypt both released the among farmers because of its high grain yield potential and same Ug99-resistant variety. Because Egypt had already good agronomic traits,” according to T.P. Tiwari, cropping produced large amounts of its seed, the country’s systems agronomist at CIMMYT-Bangladesh, who added authorities agreed to provide 120 tons to Afghanistan, that the variety also performed better than other varieties furnishing the stock for rapid seed multiplication. The during on-farm testing. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) supported and organized this seed transfer. By late 2012, more than 1.5 million farmers had directly benefitted from the project and the value of the higher “This was one of the most successful – if not the most yielding rust-resistant wheat was more than $700 million. successful – international efforts in recent decades to Farmers who chose to sell the new wheat varieties as seed multiply wheat seed and reach farmers in a very short instead of grain also found that they were able to earn 10 time,” explained Hans Braun, director of CIMMYT’s global to 15 percent more, as well as reducing production costs wheat program. because they no longer needed to apply fungicide. The area under Ug99-resistant varieties in the six countries For more information: Arun Joshi, senior wheat breeder, expanded from 52 ha in 2009 to around 250,000 ha in South Asia (a.k.joshi@cgiar.org) 2012, with an estimated 750,000 tons of resistant seed Agricultural Research for Development Improves Food Security 13 Photo: Zarrena Vasquez-CIMMYT Zambian wheat breeder Lutangu Makweti participated in the 2012 wheat improvement course at CIMMYT headquarters in Mexico. His experience inspired him to pass on his knowledge to others and launch new breeding According to Zambian wheat breeder Lutangu Makweti, a CIMMYT training course he attended gave work in his country. him valuable field skills that he passed on to colleagues back home. “Before the training I had not made a single cross,” he explained. “Afterwards, I managed to train 15 people in wheat crossings and made 137 crosses which are now in the F2 generations.” Training supports wheat’s dramatic rise in Zambia Like many in his circumstances worldwide, Zambian to Zambia for evaluation.” From a national output of just over wheat breeder Lutangu Makweti had received university 50,000 tons in 2000, Zambia boosted its wheat production instruction in the agronomic sciences and understood to 250,000 tons in 2012 and national policymakers see it as a the genetic theory behind crop improvement. He’d even strategic crop. had some practical experience. But a modern, large-scale crop breeding program is like an intricate engine where In addition, Makweti also undertook outreach with small- theory must mesh with complex operational logistics. scale farmers. “In Zambia, we only have irrigated wheat,” Supported by his former employer, Seed Co. Limited (the Makweti said, “but we started a rain-fed wheat breeding leading African seed company), Makweti jumped at the program and acquired a set of rain-fed wheat trials from the chance to attend the 2012 CIMMYT course on wheat crop International Wheat Improvement Network (IWIN, led by improvement. CIMMYT), to help smallholder farmers join the wheat sector.” Makweti and his colleagues chose 40 varieties from that One of 23 course participants from wheat-producing seed collection and grew them in participatory trials; farmers countries throughout the developing world, Makweti selected those they considered outstanding. was profoundly impressed by what he learned from the coordinated classroom lectures and field practicums. “My Reflecting on his training experience, Makweti cited as attitude towards work has really changed and even my especially valuable his interactions with the world-renowned fellow breeders dealing with other crops have noticed wheat researchers who served as lecturers – people like that,” he said, in an unsolicited message of gratitude from retired CIMMYT wheat pathologist H. Jesse Dubin, University his home base in Lusaka. “I now speak with confidence on of Missouri Professor Perry Gustafson and retired University wheat issues. I’ll never forget (how this training) made a of Sydney Professor Bob McIntosh. “Scientists were at hand difference in my career.” to help and answer all questions,” Makweti remarked. “They would stop to explain to us what and why we were doing The value of training: the assigned activities.” Knowledge gained and shared He also felt the course and the CIMMYT work ethic embodied Because of the growing demand for wheat-based products important values, including planning and dedication, respect by Zambia’s expanding (and rapidly urbanizing) population, and teamwork among scientists and field workers, use of upon Makweti’s return Seed Co. tasked him to launch a advanced technology and passion. “I have never seen such breeding program targeting domestic markets. “This was dedication to work as that exhibited by CIMMYT staff, be the first time our company ventured into wheat crossings it a driver, a pollinator, scientists or a data collector,” he in Zambia,” Makweti said. “Before, all the breeding and observed. “They take the work as a calling, a special duty for crossing had been done in Zimbabwe and crosses were sent humankind.” 14 Annual Report 2012 Moving up and making a difference The professional fortunes of Makweti took another turn Testimonials like Makweti’s are not infrequent; since its in late 2012 when he met a Zambian research director at beginnings in 1968, the wheat improvement course has a conference on wheat in Africa (see box below) and was evolved to provide more than 1,400 young scientists with invited to join the Zambia Agricultural Research Institute the latest wheat breeding knowledge and skills. These now as a crop breeder; an invitation he has since accepted. In include trial design and management, scoring and selection, addition to wheat, his expanded duties include managing data analysis and use of DNA markers, to name a few a legume breeding program project under the USAID Feed disciplines. As did the cadres of specialists trained during the Future program, in collaboration with the International the mid-20th century by Dr. Borlaug, many course alumni Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). now occupy key positions in their research organizations “Wheat research remains my area of interest,” he said, or companies. They continue to network with CIMMYT and “and I hope to help the national program to increase the with fellow course participants and contribute greatly to the research even amidst financial constraints.” spread of improved crop varieties and farming practices. For more information: Amor Yahyaoui, CIMMYT wheat training officer (ah.yahyaoui@cgiar.org). Recent conference gets wheat back on Africa’s map Wheat is increasingly in demand in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) as a result of income growth and the demand for convenience foods as more women enter the workplace. However, SSA countries and Africa as a whole produce only about 30 percent and 40 percent, respectively, of their domestic requirements, causing a heavy dependence on imports. Therefore the region and the continent are highly vulnerable to global market and supply shocks. This was one conclusion reached by some 250 researchers, policymakers, farmers and seed company representatives who attended the conference “Wheat for food security in Africa: Science and policy dialogue about the future of wheat in Africa,” held in Addis Ababa in October 2012. Organized by the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), CIMMYT, ICARDA, IFPRI, the African Union and WHEAT (a CGIAR Research Program led by CIMMYT), the event was intended to raise awareness about the potential to grow wheat and to reduce imports of the According to Bekele Shiferaw, former director of CIMMYT’s crop. Conference attendees also discussed policy, and socioeconomics program and co-author of a major report institutional and infrastructure constraints. “In 2012, African on wheat farming in Africa,1 an equally important outcome countries spent about $12 billion to import some 40 million was the “Addis Declaration,” formulated by conference tons of wheat,” said Hans Braun, director of CIMMYT’s participants and intended to get wheat onto Africa’s policy global wheat program. “If Africa does not push for wheat map as a strategic product for food security. “Unlocking self-sufficiency, it could face more hunger, instability and the potential of wheat will require changes in attitudes and even political violence, as bread riots in North Africa policy, as well as donor support for adapting farming systems, illustrated in recent years.” empowering African farmers and developing value chains for seeds, input supply and output markets,” Shiferaw said. Attendees came from 23 African nations, as well as from Asia, Europe and the Americas, and included four ministers of agriculture (Burundi, Ethiopia, Sudan and Zimbabwe) and 1 the directors of national agricultural research programs of Negassa, A., B. Shiferaw, Jawoo Koo, K. Sonder, M. Smale, H.J. Braun, S. Gbegbelegbe, Zhe Guo, D. Hodson, S. Wood, T. Payne, 16 African countries. Deemed a great success by participants and B. Abeyo. 2012. The Potential for Wheat Production in Sub- and organizers, the event and the issues discussed were Saharan Africa: Analysis of Biophysical Suitability and Economic reported widely in regional and global media. Profitability. Mexico, D.F.: CIMMYT. Agricultural Research for Development Improves Food Security 15 The United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) won Best Technological Breakthrough at the 2012 UK Climate Week Awards for its support of the Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA) project. The awards celebrate the UK’s most effective and ambitious organizations, communities and individuals and their efforts to combat climate change. The Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa project: Six years of addressing African smallholder farmers’ needs Launched in 2006, the Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa • Close to 29,000 tons of seed were produced in the (DTMA) project is helping to mitigate drought and other 2011-12 season – enough to sow more than 1.1 constraints to maize production in SSA, increasing maize million ha, benefiting about 2.9 million households yields by at least 1 ton per hectare and with a 20 to 30 (about 20 million people). Production of drought- percent increase over farmers’ current yields, benefiting tolerant maize seed could reach 60,000 tons by 2016. 30 to 40 million people in 13 African countries. The • Engaging government officials in policy dialogue has project brings together men and women farmers, research helped to fast-track varietal releases and fostered institutions, extension specialists, seed producers, farmer competitive seed markets and more widespread organizations and NGOs. DTMA is jointly implemented access to quality seed at affordable prices. by CIMMYT and the International Institute of Tropical • To help ensure farmers’ access to the best possible Agriculture (IITA), in close collaboration with national products and services, DTMA has coordinated agricultural research systems in participating nations. various capacity-building events and activities Millions of farmers in the region are already benefiting for maize breeders, technicians, seed producers, from the outputs of this partnership, which include extension workers, NGOs and farmers. DTMA support and training for African seed producers and scientists have also provided technical and advisory promoting vibrant, competitive seed markets. support to 50 undergraduate and 28 graduate students from across Africa. • Between 2007 and 2012, participants marketed or otherwise made available 60 drought-tolerant hybrids Initial funding for DTMA came from the BMGF, the and 57 open pollinated varieties to smallholder Howard G. Buffett Foundation, USAID and DFID. The farmers. The varieties yield 20 to 30 percent 2012-16 phase of the project is funded by the BMGF and more than other varieties previously available to aims to expand smallholder farmers’ use of drought- and smallholder farmers. In addition to drought tolerance, other stress-tolerant maize seed to benefit 30 to 40 the new varieties and hybrids also possess such million people and provide added grain worth $160-200 desirable traits as resistance to major diseases (e.g. million each year in drought-affected areas of SSA. maize streak virus, turcicum leaf blight and gray leaf spot) and superior milling or cooking quality. 16 Annual Report 2012 The seed chain: Producing better seed for Mexico’s smallholder farmers “As an agronomist I feel a At CIMMYT, breeders are developing ever more productive duty to contribute something, maize to improve global food security and reduce poverty. and this is my contribution Breeding is only the first step in a chain stretching from to Mexico,” said María Esther scientists all the way to farmers and consumers and in Rivas, the director general of which seed companies like Bidasem are vital. “We have Bidasem seed company in the huge untapped opportunities,” observed CIMMYT seed central Mexican plains region systems specialist John MacRobert. “Seed businesses can known as the Bajío. Bidasem transform farmers’ livelihoods and the economies of their produces approximately 10,000 bags of maize seed per countries. Improved seed gives farmers hope.” year, each holding 22.5 kilograms (kg). Despite their small size, Bidasem and similar companies play an important role A big cake in improving farmers’ livelihoods. “Our aim is to provide As in many countries throughout the developing world, farmers with quality seed at accessible prices and adapted most Mexican farmers do not plant the best available seed. to Bajio conditions.” More than three-quarters of the maize planted in Mexico is of traditional varieties with relatively low yields. Lack of At first glance, Rivas seems an unlikely candidate for an improved seed is often a constraint, as seed production is agricultural career. However, agriculture is in her blood. As a complex and challenging business, with long production a child she was fascinated by insects and loved spending lead-times and a perishable product that is vulnerable to time outside with her agronomist father. “For me it was losses both in the field and in storage. Small regional seed normal to be in the field with farmers, trying to understand companies are uniquely placed to reach local markets and how they think, what they need and how we could help smallholder farmers, but also need support. Bidasem’s them.” Any doubts about Rivas’ career choice evaporate offices are surrounded by neat green fields, food processing once you see her in action. She is full of questions for factories, grain silos, machinery vendors and, unusually, her close-knit team and is involved in every part of the several other seed companies of varying sizes. The Bajío business, from examining plants to helping sort seed to was once known as Mexico’s breadbasket, and has stayed visiting distributors. Rivas is a woman on a mission – to true to its roots. Rivas is not intimidated by competition. produce the best seed she can. “The needs are great, and we all have to be more Small- and medium-size seed companies are a crucial link between farmers and the researchers who develop better crops. Agricultural Research for Development Improves Food Security 17 productive because the amount of seed that is sold is very small,” she says. “It’s a big cake, and we’re not going to MasAgro: Better together finish it all – there’s a much larger market.” The Sustainable Modernization of Traditional We could not exist without CIMMYT Agriculture (MasAgro) is a Mexican initiative launched Although the company produces and markets seeds of in 2010 to help smallholder farmers increase their other crops, maize seed is Bidasem’s primary product. crop yields and incomes and reduce the effects of “Without CIMMYT, we couldn’t exist,” Rivas remarked. climate change on Mexico’s agricultural output. She sells four different maize hybrids all formed from It is a partnership among the Mexican Ministry of freely available CIMMYT parent lines. “Really, the most Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries important thing is to produce your own hybrids, and for us and Food (SAGARPA), CIMMYT and numerous public, it wouldn’t be possible if we didn’t have germplasm from private and farmer organizations, with funding from CIMMYT. What we’re currently producing is 100 percent the government of Mexico. CIMMYT.” The relationship between Bidasem and CIMMYT is now deepening through the company’s participation in Bidasem is just one of many companies participating MasAgro (see box). in regional field trials of hybrid varieties under rain- fed conditions. Seed companies are invited to enter Companies like Bidasem provide varieties that excel their own hybrids to determine how they perform in non-irrigated, rain-fed areas and under adverse at different locations as well as compare them with conditions. “We look for different niches,” Rivas said. “Our the latest seed from CIMMYT and other research materials may not be very pretty, they’re not as uniform as organizations. “Our goal is to increase total maize others, but they’re really tough. They withstand drought production in Mexico by 85 percent in 10 years,” well, and when excessive rains are a problem they can still explained Marc Rojas, coordinator of the Maize generate a good yield.” Improvement Consortium for Latin America (IMIC-LA), one of four MasAgro components. “I don’t care where Farmers’ traditional varieties feature similar hardiness and the product comes from, as long as the farmer gets suitability to local conditions, but produce lower yields. more productive seed.” Climate change also means that many varieties which used to be perfectly adapted are now struggling. Small- As part of this, MasAgro offers training courses on and medium-sized seed companies can reach small-scale seed production and seed company administration. farmers with varieties that can give higher, reliable yields “Administration is not my area, so my new knowledge and, thus, improved food security and incomes. is really helping me,” Bidasem’s Rivas said. The resources and information provided by CIMMYT Bidasem works closely with distributors and farmers, and MasAgro increase my knowledge and help to providing carefully targeted recommendations, and holds strengthen my company, giving me confidence to frequent field days and tours to demonstrate company move forward.” materials and provide technical support. Thinking of the future, Rivas’ thoughts turn to climate change and the need for new varieties to face it. “In agriculture the major limiting factor is climate. Our hybrids have to respond to the adverse conditions we’re facing – principally water stress and temperature.” For more information: Felix San Vicente, Leader, International Maize Improvement Consortium for Latin America (f.sanvicente@cgiar.org) 18 Annual Report 2012 When a devastating maize disease hit Bhutan in 2007, the Bhutanese National Maize Program and CIMMYT collaborated to contain the disease and offer farmers new, disease-resistant, quality protein High-quality seeds on display. As one of the major cereals of Bhutan, maize is an important source of maize varieties. protein and carbohydrates in the Bhutanese diet. “The Bhutan NMP is aiming at improving the nutrition of thousands of small children and women living in the hilly rural areas of the country. Shafangma Ashom is a quality protein maize which is more nutritious than the traditional maize varieties. This is the first quality protein maize variety released in Bhutan, and it is expected to contribute immensely to the nutritional requirements of the local population,” said Tirtha Katwal, principal research officer at the Renewable Natural Resources (RNR) program of Bhutan’s Research and Development Centre. Bhutan maize provides quality protein and defies fungus A meal without maize? Unthinkable! from joint CIMMYT breeding programs with Colombia, A 2007 outbreak of gray leaf spot (GLS), a highly destructive Mexico, Nepal and Zimbabwe. The treasure trove of fungal disease, was a dramatic setback for Bhutanese maize breeding materials was screened at a site where GLS farmers, many of whom lost nearly all of their harvests. occurs naturally and in abundance. “CIMMYT’s technical “When GLS was reported for the first time in Bhutan, it support and provision of disease-resistant seeds have posed a colossal challenge to the national maize program,” been immensely valuable to the small Bhutanese NMP,” confirmed Tirtha Katwal, principal research officer at Katwal said. the Renewable Natural Resources (RNR) program of the Research and Development Centre in Wengkhar, Mongar, Farmers call the shots Bhutan. A major staple in Bhutan, maize is grown by about To start, an RNR maize research team selected the 15 70 percent of the nation’s households. Resource-poor most disease-resistant varieties at a highland location. This families eat the grain, put it in animal feed and process it was followed by several years of multi-location, nationally for sale. To foil the fungus, the National Maize Program coordinated evaluations with farmers. The final decision (NMP) tried applying a pesticide, but the steep, muddy came down to two entries from CIMMYT-Colombia, fields, lack of sprayers and high product costs posed too provisionally released under the names Shafangma great a challenge. Ashom (a quality protein maize, or QPM) and Chaskarpa. During 2011 more than 2.6 tons of seeds were supplied New seed sourced from around the world in small packets to farmers in disease-affected areas for Therefore, Katwal sought a “global” solution for this local demonstrations and to replace the seed of susceptible crisis. “To contain the disease and as a quick response, varieties. The large-scale demonstrations succeeded the NMP collaborated with CIMMYT’s South Asia Regional and the two varieties were endorsed by the Technology Office in Nepal to develop or identify new disease-resistant Release Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture and maize adapted to the high-altitude, rain-fed maize-growing Forests in June 2012. highlands of Bhutan,” he explained. According to Katwal, over 100 GLS-resistant maize varieties were introduced Agricultural Research for Development Improves Food Security 19 Disease out, nutrition in The new varieties have been considered a great success so far – they yield 10 percent more than available highland varieties and are much more resistant to GLS. They are recommended particularly for GLS-affected areas higher than 1,500 meters above sea level and for subtropical maize production zones at 600-700 meters. Both varieties have the farmer-preferred yellow flint grains and are open-pollinated, which means farmers can save seed from their harvests to sow the following season. “The Bhutan NMP aims to replace at least 80 percent of seeds in areas affected by GLS in the country,” Katwal stated. Seed supplies have been topped up through community- based seed production. In 2011 and 2012, over eight tons of seed were supplied to GLS-affected farmers in 10 districts. Production of basic and foundation seed has started at research farms and will be used by community- based seed producers. The NMP cooperates with the National Seed Center and those producers. Farmers are saving the seed varieties and selling them for a profit. “Our maize production has increased due to the supply of good seeds, and we are also able to earn cash at our doorstep by selling the maize seed,” said a farmer from Broksar in the Tawang District. “We are able to replace our old seeds and varieties.” The evaluation of GLS-tolerant maize varieties in Bhutan was funded by the SDC and the European Union, with technical support from CIMMYT. “The rapid response to Bhutan’s request for assistance shows the collaboration, interest and support that CIMMYT gives to national A farmer receives cash for seed. Farmers and seed producers of agricultural research systems,” explained Guillermo Ortiz- Shafangma in the Mongar District confirmed the positive effect Ferrara, team leader of CIMMYT’s Hill Maize Research of the new maize varieties on their livelihoods: “We started seed Project, who is based in Kathmandu, Nepal. Ortiz-Ferrara production of the new maize variety Shafangma Ashom in 2011 and made an income of BTN 18,000 (approximately $9,720) coordinated CIMMYT’s work with Bhutan. The NMP is in the first year. We will scale up seed production in the next currently funded through the World Bank Decentralized season as we can earn cash income.” Rural Development Project. For more information: Guillermo Ortiz-Ferrara, cereal breeder (g.ortiz-ferrara@cgiar.org) 20 Annual Report 2012 Catalyzing the force of maize and wheat farmers: Reports from CGIAR Research Programs The ever more complex issues facing agriculture require innovative answers. No single research institution working alone can address the critically important issues of global climate change, increased agricultural production, food security and rural poverty. The ambitious CGIAR Research Programs (CRPs) tackle cross-cutting issues in agricultural development across the globe. CIMMYT leads two major programs (MAIZE and WHEAT) and contributes appreciably to work on climate change in the Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security CRP (CCAFS). Agricultural Research for Development Improves Food Security 21 MAIZE Global alliance to improve the food security and livelihoods of the resource-poor in the developing world Launched in 2011, the CGIAR Research Program on Maize leading commercial varieties under drought conditions – (MAIZE) is a global strategy led by CIMMYT and IITA. MAIZE and outstanding harvests when rains are good – the DTMA is designed to ensure that publicly funded international varieties improve food security and the incomes of farmers agricultural research helps to double the productivity of in 13 countries. maize-based farming systems. MAIZE also seeks to make these farming systems more resilient and sustainable, while The release of the first publicly available inducer line for significantly increasing farmers’ income and livelihood doubled haploids in collaboration with the University opportunities. All this is being done without using more of Hohenheim was met with great enthusiasm and land and as climates change and fertilizer, water and labor engagement among MAIZE partners. Already in high costs rise. The MAIZE strategy draws upon knowledge demand among maize breeders from national agricultural and experiences obtained through decades of extensive research systems and small- and medium-size seed partnerships with national and international research and companies, this technology reduces costs and speeds development partners (both public and private) and many breeding significantly. farming communities. MAIZE also initiated a gender audit to find new avenues 2012 was a productive year for MAIZE. Over 860,000 for increasing women’s participation in maize value chains. farmers benefited from CIMMYT and IITA research outputs, and many more are benefiting from improved maize Use of the innovation called “Aflasafe,” a non-toxic, varieties released in countries such as Bangladesh, El affordable and natural product that can reduce aflatoxin Salvador, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Malawi and Mozambique. contamination in crops, began in 2012. Caused by the fungus Aspergillus flavus, which infects maize both in the The work of researchers and partners has generated results field and in storage, aflatoxins are one of Africa’s most and impact in Africa, Asia and Latin America. For example, serious food safety threats. Aflasafe was developed and is the rapid response of MAIZE and the Kenya Agricultural being promoted by IITA. Research Institute (KARI) to the outbreak of the deadly maize lethal necrotic virus (MLN) in eastern Africa in 2012 MAIZE experts joined forces with the Royal Tropical resulted in the quick identification of promising CIMMYT Institute (KIT) of the Netherlands in support of farming inbred lines and pre-commercial hybrids with resistance or systems-focused innovation platforms helping researchers moderate resistance to MLN, offering considerable hope to and local partners understand farmers’ needs and realities combat the disease through breeding. from a ‘systems’ perspective. The goal? Better mechanisms for multi-stakeholder interaction to share beyond the Two million smallholder farmers across SSA are using MAIZE program. varieties developed by the DTMA project (see p. 16), involving CIMMYT and IITA in collaboration with national agricultural research systems. With better yields than For more information: Dave Watson, MAIZE CRP manager (d.watson@cgiar.org) 22 Annual Report 2012 WHEAT Enhanced productivity to serve 2.5 billion resource-poor consumers The CGIAR Research Program on Wheat (WHEAT) is an In advanced research, an initiative known as Seeds of international, collaborative effort to raise the productivity Discovery started the largest genetic diversity analyses and resilience of wheat farming systems, including fighting ever, in search of heat-tolerant wheat. the global threat of stem rust disease. WHEAT helps wheat farmers in developing countries to grow their crops Across the globe, wheat research is funded mostly by in hotter and drier conditions with less water, fertilizer public sources. WHEAT made strides to better leverage and pesticides. Led by CIMMYT, with ICARDA as its main and coordinate national, regional and global investments. CGIAR Consortium partner, WHEAT aims to increase wheat Researchers from 36 institutions jointly developed the production for the 2.5 billion poor consumers who depend Wheat Yield Consortium Business Plan and took it to 21 on high-quality, nutritious wheat as their main source donors and research councils from 17 countries. WHEAT of calories and proteins. Farmers want higher yields, so is a founding member of the G-20 Wheat Initiative, which WHEAT research focuses on yield, with built-in heat or seeks to better coordinate G-20 countries’ large national drought tolerance to face the growing impact of climate research programs. But better research and development change, and resistance to pests and diseases. The aim is coordination across organizations and institutions is not to grow more with less, not using more land and enabling enough. Greater long-term investments in wheat research wheat to be grown in more marginal areas. for development are needed to avoid “pricing out” 1.2 billion wheat-dependent poor, who need access to a Building on the strength of over 200 public and private healthy and diverse wheat-based diet. partnerships, WHEAT applies developments from crop genomics, genetics, pathology, physiology and agronomy Wheat is grown in many male-dominated societies, so and directs emerging technologies into varieties and WHEAT initiated a gender audit to improve participation by production systems adapted for countries that struggle women in wheat value chains. with poverty and hunger. Partners test and adapt WHEAT lines and release them as new varieties; they co-develop With increasing populations and urbanization and more and spread improved agronomy practices and precision women entering the workforce, CIMMYT and ICARDA agriculture solutions. are acting to sustainably improve food security in Africa. Wheat is a no longer a minor crop for consumers in SSA: In 2012, some 1.6 million farmers made use of the results the region’s 2012 wheat imports totaled $6 billion. African of 145 projects operating under WHEAT. Millions more agriculture ministers have recognized this and the African have benefited from input-saving agronomy and precision Development Bank began investing in wheat research agriculture tools and other research results, generated and development. Building on their interest, WHEAT is through past CGIAR funding for wheat research. Indeed, developing a “Wheat for Africa” strategy to encourage CGIAR-derived improved varieties are grown on over 60 national and international actors to join forces. percent of the developing world’s farmland dedicated to wheat, where two-thirds of global production is located. Today, people consume 2.8 times more wheat than in In 2012, WHEAT funding ensured that the demand for 1961. Wheat-based products are staple foods for which improved experimental varieties from 620 collaborators in substitutions cannot easily be found. The potential for 120 countries was met by CIMMYT and ICARDA. improvement is enormous and so is the potential This year, six countries on two continents ensured their for wheat. ability to confront an outbreak of Ug99, a devastating stem rust race that is spreading across the world. In India, For more information: Victor Kommerell, WHEAT CRP enough seed of two new Ug99-resistant wheat varieties manager (v.kommerell@cgiar.org) was sold to sow 50,000 ha. Agricultural Research for Development Improves Food Security 23 Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security The Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security CRP global climate models (published in Food Security). (CCAFS) brings together the world’s best researchers in Changes in rainfall patterns were found to be highly agricultural, climatic, environmental and social sciences variable; in many areas the total rainfall did not change to identify and address the most important interactions, but rainfall distribution did. By 2050, air temperatures synergies and trade-offs between climate change and are expected to increase throughout SSA by an average agriculture. of 2.1 °C. Parallel research for South Asia provides evidence that temperatures will rise in food crop CIMMYT’s 2012 activities focused on refining model production areas. outputs for high temperature impacts on crop production, in collaboration with the University of Florida and Stanford Numerous past studies have highlighted drought as a University. The initial analysis concentrated on a few well- significant constraint to maize yields. Recent research calibrated locations (for example, irrigated wheat in India suggests that higher temperatures — both alone and in and Sudan) to “train” a statistical model which can then be combination with drought — will increasingly limit maize applied more quickly for many regions. A statistical model production more than drought alone. In 2012, CIMMYT of spring wheat yield responses to temperature, based and IITA led a comprehensive analysis and synthesis of on data from historical trials conducted by CIMMYT, has data from tests of 300 experimental maize hybrids across been completed. The statistical model was then used to different water and temperature regimes. Published predict impacts of 1°C and 2°C warming at all locations. The in Crop Science, the results confirm for the first time in sites within each country that were among the worst 20 maize that the genetic basis of combined tolerance to percent of impacts were then identified as “hotspots.” This drought and heat stress is distinct from the genetic bases process was repeated with 500 different iterations of the of tolerance to either factor alone. Importantly for maize statistical model to identify sites that are robust hotspots. breeders, this means that selection under drought or heat The model has also begun to be applied to irrigated wheat alone will not confer tolerance to the combined effect of sites around the world. Parallel simulations of fully irrigated drought and heat. wheat were performed using the APSIM-N, SALUS and DSSAT wheat models for the same locations and climate Based on these findings, CIMMYT, IITA and other partners files. The next steps will be to compare the statistical and are developing a network to identify and improve process-based model estimates and then incorporate combined drought and heat stress tolerance in current actual climate projections. The methodology developed maize varieties of Africa and South Asia. Actions have in these projects will be shared with the Agricultural included setting up screening sites in Bangladesh, Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP) Ethiopia, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Zimbabwe, as well as and will become the foundation for temperature impact installing weather stations throughout those regions and assessments in other climate vulnerable regions and holding training courses on phenotyping — the precise hotspots and for future studies in rain-fed regions. assessment and analysis of the field performance of individual varieties across environments. In the case of maize, climate projections for both temperature and rainfall at the maize mega-environment level were developed for SSA, using the outputs of 19 For more information: Clare Stirling, CCAFS Project Coordinator (c.stirling@cgiar.org) 24 Annual Report 2012 CIMMYT financial overview 2012 and 2011 financial statements 2012 and 2011 funding overview A summary of the combined statements of activities and Total funding for 2011 was $81.0 million and $123.5 million changes in net assets and combined statements of financial in 2012. This included other income of $1.1 million in 2011 position for CIMMYT, Int., and CIMMYT, A.C., is set out in Table and of $1.1 million in 2012. Grant income amounted to $79.9 1. Total revenues for 2011 amounted to $81.0 million and million in 2011, comprising $6.2 million in unrestricted grants $123.5 million in 2012. and $73.7 million in restricted grants (Table 2). For 2012, grant income amounted to $122.4 million, comprising $0.88 million Total net assets increased by $8.9 million in 2011, to $47.2 in unrestricted grants and $122.3 million in restricted grants. million, and by $5.9 million in 2012, to $53.1 million. Unappropriated, unrestricted net assets increased to $29.2 million in 2011 and decreased to $11.7 million in 2012. Table 1. Statement of financial position, 2012 and 2011. Combined statements of activities, 2012 and 2011. As of 31 December 2012 and 2011 As of 31 December 2012 and 2011 (Thousands of U.S. dollars) (Thousands of U.S. dollars) A S S E T S 2012 2011 Total Total 2011 Current assets 2012 Audited Cash and cash equivalents 63,618 63,629 Revenue and gains Cash set aside due to Generation Challenge Program 8,852 7,927 Grant revenue 122,407 79,918 Accounts receivable Other revenue and gains 1,117 1,051 Donors - Net 13,317 10,114 Total revenue and gains 123,524 80,969 CGIAR centers 2,436 808 Other 3,068 730 Expenses and losses Research expenses 110,477 68,147 Allowance for doubtful accounts (4,655) (3,809) General and administration expenses 7,105 3,934 Inventory and supplies 1,024 837 Other losses 14 31 Less allowance for obsolescence (53) (107) Sub-total 117,595 72,112 Total current assets 87,608 80,128 Indirect cost recovery (0) - Non-current assets Total expenses and losses 117,595 72,112 Property and equipment, net 41,409 17,977 Total non-current assets 41,409 17,977 Surplus (deficit) 5,928 8,857 TOTAL ASSETS 129,017 98,105 Expenses by natural classification LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS Personnel 33,340 26,194 Current liabilities Supplies and services 27,855 22,691 Current portion of labor obligation 376 504 Collaborators - CGIAR centers 7,534 - Accounts payable Collaborators - partners 28,716 14,354 Donors 46,445 28,668 Travel 5,356 3,813 CGIAR centers 1,085 3,344 Depreciation 14,464 4,825 Generation Challenge Program employees 8,852 7,927 System cost (CSP) 330 235 Other 8,611 2,315 Sub-total 117,595 72,112 Accruals and provisions 715 648 Indirect cost recovery (0) - Total current liabilities 66,085 43,405 Total 117,595 72,112 Non-current liabilities Labor obligation 8,605 7,529 Accrual and provisions 1,228 - Total non-current liabilities 9,833 7,529 Total liabilities 75,918 50,934 Net assets Unrestricted Designated 41,409 17,977 Undesignated 11,690 29,194 Total unrestricted net assets 53,099 47,171 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS 129,017 98,105 Agricultural Research for Development Improves Food Security 25 Table 2. Schedule of grant revenue, 2012 and 2011. For the years ended 31 December, 2012 and 2011 (Thousands of U.S. dollars) Donors 2012 2011 Donors 2012 2011 Unrestricted Challenge Programs Australia - 1,909 Generation 729 1,051 China 130 HarvestPlus 2,267 2,091 Japan - 253 Sub-Saharan Africa - 26 Mexico - 430 China 284 50 Philippines 8 7 Colombia 4 64 South Africa (50) - Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia 32 72 United Kingdom - 466 Cornell University 4,211 2,857 CGIAR - 3,145 European Commission 43 1,407 Subtotal - unrestricted 88 6,210 Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 140 277 Restricted Fontagro 6 51 CRP Germany 1,087 946 CRP on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security 3,169 4,220 Global Crop Diversity Trust 345 1,116 CRP for Genebanks 894 752 GRM International Limited 204 372 CRP on Wheat 12,012 - Howard G. Buffett Foundation 4 429 CRP on Maize 13,365 2,742 IDE-UK 176 - African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) 1,889 1,520 India 342 441 Agrovegetal, S.A. 135 195 International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) 1,419 65 AgroBio, Mexico 68 130 Iran, Islamic Republic of 175 440 Australia IWMI 20 - Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research 7,817 4,106 Japan Grains Research and Development Corporation 1,355 1,412 Economic Cooperation Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs 303 600 Bayer Crop Science 90 92 Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences 220 371 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation 15,222 12,630 Kazaksthan, Republic of 55 47 Brazil 4 47 Korea, Republic of 46 125 Canada Mexico Canadian International Development Agency 873 107 Instituto Carlos Slim de la Salud 3,052 - Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development 91 90 Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agricolas y Pecuarias (INIFAP) 228 66 CGIAR Patronato para la Investigación y Experimentación Agrícola del Estado de Sonora 83 186 Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT) 28 - Secretaria de Agricultura, Ganaderia, Desarrollo Rural y Pesca (SAGARPA) 30,932 15,395 International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) 51 41 Fundacion Sonora 47 125 World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF) 34 - Seed companies 220 91 International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) 161 271 Nippon Foundation - 120 International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) 140 116 National University of Lesotho 40 28 Bioversity International (formerly IPGRI) 137 191 OPEC Fund for International Development 130 20 International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) 4,312 4,147 Peru 98 51 International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) 492 206 Pioneer Hi-Bred International 42 125 Spain - 315 Switzerland 2,967 1,885 Syngenta Foundation For Sustainable Agriculture 1,694 2,241 Turkey, Republic of (MARA) 269 384 United States of America United States Agency for International Development 4,977 5,141 United States Department of Agriculture 2,591 752 United Nations University 13 - Vilmorin 166 - World Bank 125 265 Miscellaneous research grants 194 605 Subtotal 122,319 73,708 Total grants - donors unrestricted and restricted 122,407 79,918 26 Annual Report 2012 Trustees and Management Committee (As of September 2013) (As of December 2012) Board of Trustees Board of Trustees Andrew Barr (Australia), Chair, Board of Trustees; University of Sara Boettiger (USA) Chair, Board of Trustees (USA) Adelaide, Australia. Andrew Barr (Australia), Chair, Program Committee; University of Isher Ahluwalia (India), Chairperson, Indian Council for Research Adelaide, Australia. on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), Member, Pedro Brajcich Gallegos (Mexico), Vice-Chair, Board of Trustees, National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council, India. Director General, Agricultural Research, National Institute Pedro Brajcich Gallegos (Mexico), ex officio member, Vice-Chair, of Forestry, Agriculture, and Livestock Research (INIFAP- Board of Trustees; Director General, Agricultural Research, SAGARPA), Mexico. National Institute of Forestry, Agriculture, and Livestock Cornelis F. Broekhuijse (The Netherlands), Financial Management, Research (INIFAP-SAGARPA), Mexico. USA. Cornelis F. Broekhuijse (The Netherlands), Financial Management, Alfonso Cebreros Murillo (Mexico), Director of Government USA. Relations, Maseca Group, Mexico. Alfonso Cebreros Murillo (Mexico), Director of Government Salvador Fernández Rivera (Mexico), ex officio member, Relations, Maseca Group, Mexico. Coordinator for Research, Innovation and Partnerships, Salvador Fernández Rivera (Mexico), ex officio member, Agricultural Research, National Institute of Forestry, Coordinator for Research, Innovation and Partnerships, Agriculture, and Livestock Research (INIFAP), Mexico. Agricultural Research, National Institute of Forestry, Mutsuo Iwamoto (Japan), Society of Techno-Innovation for Agriculture, and Livestock Research (INIFAP), Mexico. Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Japan. Neal Gutterson (USA), President and Chief Executive Officer, Thomas A. Lumpkin (USA), ex officio member, Director General, Mendel Biotechnology Inc., USA. CIMMYT. Mutsuo Iwamoto (Japan), Society of Techno-innovation for Francisco Javier Mayorga Castañeda (Mexico), ex officio member, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (STAFF), Japan. Secretary of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Thomas A. Lumpkin (USA), ex officio member, Director General, Rural Development, Fisheries, and Food (SAGARPA), Mexico. CIMMYT. Tom McKay (Canada), Chair, Finance and Administration Enrique Martínez y Martínez (Mexico), ex officio member, Committee; Financial Management, Canada. Secretary of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Matin Qaim (Germany), Department of Agricultural Economics Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA), Mexico. and Rural Development, Georg-August-University of Göttingen, Tom McKay (Canada), Chair, Audit Committee; Financial Germany. Management, Canada. Lindiwe Majele Sibanda (Zimbabwe), Chief Executive Officer and Matin Qaim (Germany), Department of Agricultural Economics Head of Diplomatic Mission. Food, Agriculture and Natural and Rural Development, Georg-August-University of Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN), South Africa. Goettingen, Germany. John Snape (UK), John Innes Foundation Emeritus Fellow, United Lindiwe Majele Sibanda (Zimbabwe), Chief Executive Officer and Kingdom. Head of Diplomatic Mission. Food, Agriculture and Natural Usha Barwale Zehr (India/USA), Vice-Chair, Board of Trustees, Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN), South Africa. Chair, IRRI-CIMMYT Committee, Joint Director, Research John Snape (UK), Chair, Program Committee; John Innes Deputy Director of Biotechnology, Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Foundation Emeritus Fellow, United Kingdom. Co. Ltd., India. Management Committee Management Committee Thomas A. Lumpkin, Director General (t.lumpkin@cgiar.org). Thomas A. Lumpkin, Director General (t.lumpkin@cgiar.org). Marianne Bänziger, Deputy Director General for Research and Marianne Bänziger, Deputy Director General for Research and Partnerships (m.banziger@cgiar.org). Partnerships (m.banziger@cgiar.org). Thomas W. Short, Deputy Director General for Support Services Thomas W. Short, Deputy Director General for Support Services (t.short@cgiar.org). (t.short@cgiar.org). Andrés Álvarez Cordero, General Counsel (a.a.cordero@cgiar.org) Hans-Joachim Braun, Director, Global Wheat Program Hans-Joachim Braun, Director, Global Wheat Program (h.j.braun@cgiar.org). (h.j.braun@cgiar.org). Bruno Gerard, Director, Conservation Agriculture Program Etienne Duveiller, Director, South Asia Research (b.gerard@cgiar.org). (e.duveiller@cgiar.org). Kevin Pixley, Director, Genetic Resources Program Olaf Erenstein, Director, Socioeconomics Program (k.pixley@cgiar.org). (o.erenstein@cgiar.org). B.M. Prasanna, Director, Global Maize Program Bruno Gerard, Director, Conservation Agriculture Program (b.m.prasanna@cgiar.org). (B.gerard@cgiar.org). Bekele Shiferaw, Director, Socioeconomics Program Anna Herremans, Director, International Finance (b.shiferaw@cgiar.org). (a.herremans@cgiar.org) Scott Mall, Director, International Communications and Donor Relations (s.mall@cgiar.org) Kevin Pixley, Director, Genetic Resources Program (k.pixley@cgiar.org). B.M. Prasanna, Director, Global Maize Program (b.m.prasanna@cgiar.org). Nellooli Rajasekharan, Director, International Human Resources (N.Rajasekharan@cgiar.org) Agricultural Research for Development Improves Food Security 27 Almaty, Kazakhstan Islamabad, UK Pakistan Kab Beijing, China Ankara, ul, Afghanistan Kathmandu, Turkey Nepal Ningxia, China Cd. Obregón Sonora, Mexico Karaj, Iran Chengdu, Sichuan, China Agua fría, Mexico Toluca, Mexico Dhaka, Kunming, nan, China El Batán, Mexico Ladhowal, Bangladesh Yun India Tlaltizapán, Addis Ababa, Pusa, India Mexico Ethiopia New Delhi, India Hyderabad, India Cali, Colombia Ibadan, Nigeria (office opening 2014) Nairobi/Njoro, Jabalpur, India Kenya Maros, Indonesia (office opening 2014) Harare, Zimbabwe CIMMYT offices worldwide CIMMYT contact information Mexico • (Headquarters) • CIMMYT, Apdo. Postal 6-641, 06600 Mexico, D.F., Mexico • Tel: +52(55) 5804-2004 • Fax: +52(55) 5804-7558 • Main contact: Dr. Thomas Lumpkin, Director General Afghanistan • CIMMYT P.O. Box 5291, Kabul, Afghanistan • Phone: 93 (0) 75202 2335, 93 (0) 705716876, 93 (0) 783143550 • Main contact: Rajiv Sharma (rk.sharma@cgiar.org) Bangladesh • CIMMYT Bangladesh Office, House No.9, Road No. 2/2, Banani (Chairmanbari), Dhaka 1213, Bangladesh • Tel cum Fax: +88-02-9896676 • Mobile +880-1730426384 • CIMMYT Bangladesh Office, P. O. No. 6057, Gulshan, Dhaka 1212 Bangladesh • Main contact: Thakur P. Tiwari (t.tiwari@cgiar.org) China • CIMMYT, c/o Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 12 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing 100081, P.R. China • Tel/Fax: +86 (10) 821 08547 • Main contact: Zhonghu He (zhhecaas@163.com) Colombia • CIMMYT c/o CIAT Km. 17 Recta Cali-Palmira, A.A. 6713 • Palmira, Valle del Cauca, Colombia • Tel/Fax: +57 2 4450025, +57 2 445 00 00, Ext 3025 • Main contact: Luis Narro (l.narro@cgiar.org) Ethiopia • CIMMYT, P.O. Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia • Tels: Tel: +251 11 617 2310, +251 (11) 646 2324/5/6 Fax: +251 (11) 617 2001 • Main contact: Bekele Abeyo (b.abeyo@cgiar.org) India • CIMMYT, CG Block, National Agricultural Science Center (NASC), Complex DPS Marg, New Delhi, 110012, India • Tel: +91 (11) 6544 1940, +91 (11) 2584 2940 • Fax: +91 (11) 2584 2938 • Main contact: Etienne Duveiller (e.duveiller@cgiar.org) India Patancheru • CIMMYT-India c/o ICRISAT, Patancheru, Hyderabad - 502 324; India • Phone/Fax: +91-40-30713779 (Direct) • Main contact: Bindiganaville Vivek (b.vivek@cgiar.org) Iran • CIMMYT, Seed and Plant Improvement Institute (SPII) Campus • Mahdasht Ave., P.O. Box 1119 Karaj 31535 • Islamic Republic of Iran • Tel: +982 612 716 804 • Fax: +982 612 716 919. Main contact: Mohammad Reza Jalal Kamali (cimmyt-iran@cgiar.org) Kazakhstan • CIMMYT, Office 7, House 34, Mikroregion 3, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan • Tel/Fax: +7 (7172) 343713 • Main contact: Muratbek Karabayev (m.karabayev@cgiar.org) Kenya • CIMMYT, ICRAF House, United Nations Avenue Gigiri PO Box 1041 Village Market-00621, Nairobi, Kenya, • Tel: +254 (20) 722 4600 • Fax: +254 (20) 722 4601 • Main contact: Wilfred Mwangi (w.mwangi@cgiar.org) Nepal • CIMMYT, South Asia Regional Office, P.O. Box 5186, Singha Durbar Plaza Marg Bhadrakali, Kathmandu, Nepal • Tels: +977 (1) 4219 262/4219 639, 00977-98510 30647 • Fax: +977 (1) 4229 804 • Main contact: Guillermo Ortiz-Ferrara (g.ortizz-ferrara@cgiar.org) Pakistan • CIMMYT, National Agriculture Research Center (NARC) Park Road, HRI Building, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan • Tels: +92 (51) 925 5524 • Main contact: Muhammad Imtiaz (M.Imtiaz@cgiar.org) Turkey • CIMMYT, P.K. 39 06511, Emek/Ankara, Turkey • Office location: Sehit Cem Ersever Caddesi 9/11 Tarla Bitkileri Arastirma Enstitusu 06170, Yenimahalle, Ankara, Turkey • Tels: +90 (312) 344 8777/327 1631/327 1657 • Fax: +90 (312) 327 0798 • Mobile +90 530 406 2822 • Main contact: Alexei Morgounov (a.morgounov@cgiar.org) or (cimmyt-turkey@cgiar.org) Zimbabwe • CIMMYT, P.O. Box MP 163, 12.5 KM Peg, Mazowe Road, Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe • Main contact: Mulugetta Mekuria (m.mekuria@cgiar.org) 28 Annual Report 2012 Acronyms The International Maize and Wheat ACIAR Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research Improvement Center, known by its Spanish acronym, CIMMYT® (www.cimmyt.org), is a ACP Agriculture Competitiveness Project (World Bank) not-for-profit research and training organization AgMIP Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project with partners in over 100 countries. The center BISA Borlaug Institute for South Asia works to sustainably increase the productivity of maize and wheat systems and thus ensure BMGF Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation global food security and reduce poverty. The BMZ/GIZ Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development center’s outputs and services include improved (Germany) maize and wheat varieties and cropping systems, the conservation of maize and wheat CA Conservation agriculture genetic resources, and capacity building. CCAFS Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security CIMMYT belongs to and is partially funded CO2 Carbon dioxide by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) (www.cgiar. CRP CGIAR Research Program org) and also receives support from national CSISA Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia governments, foundations, development banks, DFID Department for International Development (United Kingdom) and other public and private agencies. CIMMYT is particularly grateful for the generous, DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid unrestricted funding that has kept the Center DTMA Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa strong and effective over many years. EIAR Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research © International Maize and Wheat Improvement FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Center (CIMMYT) 2013. All rights reserved. The GLS Gray leaf spot designations employed in the presentation of ha Hectare (about 2.5 acres) materials in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the ICAR Indian Council of Agricultural Research part of CIMMYT or its contributory organizations ICARDA International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas concerning the legal status of any country, IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development territory, city, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or IFPRI International Food Policy Research Institute boundaries. CIMMYT encourages fair use of this IITA International Institute of Tropical Agriculture material. Proper citation is requested. ILRI International Livestock Research Institute Correct citation: CIMMYT. 2013. Agricultural IMIC-LA Maize Improvement Consortium for Latin America Research for Development Improves Food IRRC Irrigated Rice Research Consortium Security. CIMMYT Annual Report 2012. Mexico, IRRI International Rice Research Institute D.F.: CIMMYT KARI Kenya Agricultural Research Institute ISSN: 0188-9214 KIT Royal Tropical Institute AGROVOC Descriptors: Maize; Wheat; Plant MasAgro Sustainable Modernization of Traditional Agriculture breeding; Genetic resources; Innovation adoption; Plant biotechnology; Seed production; MLN maize lethal necrosis virus Food security; Sustainability; Research NGO non-governmental organization policies; Economic analysis; Cropping systems; NMP National Maize Program (Bhutan) Agricultural research; Organization of research; Developing countries. RNR Renewable Natural Resources (Bhutan) Additional Keywords: CIMMYT. RWC Rice-Wheat Consortium AGRIS category codes: A50 Agricultural SAGARPA Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries Research; A01 Agriculture—General Aspects. Dewey decimal classification: 630. and Food (Mexico) SDC Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation CREDITS SIMLESA Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Legume Systems for Food Writing/editing: Michelle Defreese, Mike Listman, Scott Mall, Security in Eastern and Southern Africa Wandera Ojanji, Emma Quilligan, Barbora SSA Sub-Saharan Africa Nemcova, Geneviève Renard and Florence TLC Total LandCare Sipalla. UKP Upper Krishna Project Photography: USAID U.S. Agency for International Development Julia Cumes, Michelle Defreese, Xochiquetzal W4A Wheat for Africa Fonseca, Trevor Samson, Zarrena Vazquez. Front and back cover photos: Julia Cumes. WFP World Food Prize Design/production/creative direction: Miguel Mellado, Marcelo Ortiz and Eliot Sánchez. Printed in Mexico. www.cimmyt.org