News
Pests and diseases and climate change: Is there a connection?
Climate adaptation and mitigation
Although farmers have been battling pests and diseases since the dawn of agriculture, experts warn that climate change could accelerate or expand their spread.
New publication: Scaling agricultural mechanization services in smallholder farming systems
Innovations
Study shows service provider models in Africa, Latin America and South Asia increase smallholder access to agricultural machinery, but can remain dependent on projects to tackle major bottlenecks for scaling.
Biofortified Crop Project Reaches Refugees in Zambia
Capacity development
Source: Inter Press Service (27 Feb 2020)
Refugees receive technical assistance, nutrition education and training on growing biofortified maize.
Advancing Nutritious Food Crops: The Role of the Public Sector
Nutrition, health and food security
Source: Outlook India (25 Feb 2020)
Harvest Plus supports cross-sector alliances to advance biofortified crops in India.
Smartphones drive data collection revolution, boost climate-smart agriculture in Bangladesh
Climate adaptation and mitigation
For the first time widespread monitoring examines how farmers are coping with climate stresses.
Global climate frameworks miss the ‘big picture’ on food
Climate adaptation and mitigation
Source: Thomson Reuters (18 Feb 2020)
Schemes may fall short of ambitions by dealing separately with food production, supply and consumption.
New year, new beginnings
Capacity development
Women in West Bengal form farmer groups and cooperatives drawing on sustainable agricultural practices from CIMMYT’s SRFSI project.
New mobile app helping Latin American farmers increase crop yields by 12%
Innovations
Source: Real Wire (11 Feb 2020)
Mexican farmers in Yaqui Valley use smartphone app with satellite data to make decisions about irrigation and crop management.
Another Green Revolution needed for wheat, says report
Climate adaptation and mitigation
Source: Dawn (9 Feb 2020)
Climate change threatens wheat yields in South Asia.
Growers issued yellow rust warning
Environmental health and biodiversity
Source: Dawn (6 Feb 2020)
CIMMYT warns wheat-growing farmers in Pakistan to watch for yellow rust disease.
Ten new CIMMYT-developed maize varieties released in Pakistan
Innovations
New maize varieties to bolster seed sector and enhance farm productivity.
Include small indigenous production systems to improve rural livelihoods
Nutrition, health and food security
New research recommends targeted assistance and engagement with small farmers in rural Guatemala to improve livelihoods and reduce migration pressures.
All weather maize seed will reach farmers shortly: Dr Prasanna
Nutrition, health and food security
Source: Times of India (31 Jan 2020)
New seed will withstand drought conditions and natural calamities.
New publications: Optimum nitrogen fertilizer rates for rice and wheat in the Indo-Gangetic Plains of India
Climate adaptation and mitigation
The results of the study will allow farmers to get the best crop yields while saving money and reducing harmful nitrous oxide emissions.
Development of the Enterprise Breeding System well underway
Innovations
Piloting the system in will begin in 2020, with more advanced functions to follow in the next three years.