Blogs
Agricultural scientist Balwinder Singh awarded ‘Alumnus of the Year’ by a prestigious Australian university
Capacity development
Source: SBS Punjabi (8 Sep 2021)
The Indian researcher leads CIMMYT’s environmental analytics work in South Asia, where he addresses the region’s productivity and sustainability challenges in cereal systems.
Building resilient and sustainable irrigation for food security in Nepal
Climate adaptation and mitigation
A new initiative will monitor groundwater and will provide a framework for sustainable irrigation practices.
Nitrogen-efficient wheats provide more food with fewer greenhouse gas emissions
Climate adaptation and mitigation
Source: Phys.org (3 Sep 2021)
An international collaboration has discovered a biological nitrification inhibition trait that, when transferred to growing wheat varieties, can reduce the use of fertilizers and boost yields.
The science behind the perfect bread and pasta flour
Nutrition, health and food security
Every year, thousands of wheat lines are analyzed in detail in the CIMMYT Wheat Quality laboratory to determine the nutritional, processing and end-use quality of the grain.
Tracing the evolution of 50 years of maize research in CGIAR
Innovations
Publication reviews the history of CGIAR maize research from 1970 to 2020.
Nitrogen-efficient wheats can provide more food with fewer greenhouse gas emissions, new study shows
Climate adaptation and mitigation
Scientists used a wild grass trait that inhibits soil microbes from producing environmentally-harmful nitrogen compounds. Widespread use of the new technology could lower global use of fertilizers for wheat crops.
Greenhouse technologies used to develop resilient maize and wheat varieties
Innovations
Source: Horti Daily (26 Aug 2021)
At CIMMYT’s experimental station in Toluca, Mexico, scientists use greenhouse technologies to develop improved varieties that boost production, prevent crop disease and improve smallholder farmers’ livelihood.
How scientists are preparing wheat for climate change
Climate adaptation and mitigation
Source: Mashable (13 Aug 2021)
Matthew Reynolds talked to Mashable about the importance of developing drought-resistant crops through breeding programs to protect future wheat supplies.
Can Uganda attain zero-hunger?
Nutrition, health and food security
New study projects food demand in 2030 and considers the implications for meeting the Sustainable Development Goals.
New CIMMYT maize hybrids available from Latin America breeding program
Innovations
CIMMYT is offering a new set of improved maize hybrids to partners, to scale up production for farmers in these areas.
Seed giants must collaborate or be dwarfed by threat of climate change
Climate adaptation and mitigation
New funding models, such as public-private partnerships, can collectively address knowledge gaps to avoid potential catastrophes for society at large.
When it comes to maize variety choices, can farmers have it all?
Varietal trait prioritization is important for balancing commercial realities and farmers’ diverse interests.
India’s Groundwater Is In Trouble. And It Could Cause a Food Shortage for Millions By 2025, Study Finds
Environmental health and biodiversity
Source: Green Queen (11 Aug 2021)
A recent study of the groundwater in India revealed that, by 2025, large areas of the north-western and southern parts of the country will have “critically low groundwater availability”.
Preventing and protecting against wheat blast
Environmental health and biodiversity
Cross-regional collaboration brings wheat blast protection to farmers in Bangladesh and Brazil.
11 Women You Didn’t Know Revolutionized the World of Science
Nutrition, health and food security
Source: HelloGiggles (9 Aug 2021)
A list of women leaders in STEM features Evangelina Villegas—a plant chemist at CIMMYT during its early days whose ground-breaking work on quality protein maize helped combat malnutrition among developing communities.