News
Preparing for invasive pests before they arrive
Nutrition, health and food security
Source: Undark Magazine (11 Mar 2019)
CIMMYT, USAID-funded Feed the Future and Plant Protection Society Nepal held a preventative workshop in Nepal on fall armyworm.
Women empowerment vital to achieve food security: Australian envoy
Gender equality, youth and social inclusion
Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (9 Mar 2019)
Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh visited female farmers adopting conservation agriculture for sustainable intensification technologies through CIMMYT project funded by ACIAR.
Workshops, seminars mark Women’s Day in city
Gender equality, youth and social inclusion
Source: Times of India (9 Mar 2019)
CIMMYT and Icar-Atari Ludhiana organized a workshop on the eve of International Women’s Day titled ‘Empowering rural women for addressing agricultural air pollution’.
Growing need for food is reason for more biodiversity
Environmental health and biodiversity
A recent study in Ethiopia has concluded that encouraging biodiversity on and around agricultural land likely increases its productivity.
Scientists say lethal maize disease contained in eastern Africa
Nutrition, health and food security
Source: Xinhua (7 Mar 2019)
Boddupalli Prasanna, director of global maize program at CIMMYT, said the maize lethal necrosis disease is under control in the region but not eradicated.
New publications: Identifying common genetic bases for yield, biomass and radiation use efficiency in spring wheat
Innovations
The study opens the door for a series of important biological questions about the role of RUE in yield potential and in the ability to increase grain biomass.
Farmers key to realizing EAT-Lancet report recommendations in Mexico, CIMMYT highlights
Climate adaptation and mitigation
CIMMYT was invited to discuss the findings of the EAT-Lancet Commission report and its implications for Mexico.
International Women’s Day 2019: Women in seed systems in Africa
Gender equality, youth and social inclusion
These entrepreneurs are breaking social barriers while improving household nutrition and livelihoods.
A new beginning for CIMMYT’s Seed Health Unit
CIMMYT recognizes the work and leadership of Monica Mezzalama.
Drought-tolerant hybrid seed offers farmers reprieve from hunger
Capacity development
Farmers are reaping the benefits of SAWA hybrid, an improved maize seed variety designed to withstand drought conditions.
Machine learning for smarter seed selection to reduce risks for Mexican maize farmers
Innovations
Source: AgroNews (4 Mar 2019)
CIMMYT and BioSense Institute jointly won the CGIAR Platform for Big Data in Agriculture Inspire Challenge in 2018 for machine learning for smarter seed selection.
New publication: Gender and agricultural innovation in Oromia Region, Ethiopia
Gender equality, youth and social inclusion
Source: Addis Standard (1 Mar 2019)
Drawing on GENNOVATE case studies from two wheat-growing communities, the authors examine how women and men smallholders innovate with improved wheat seed, row planting and the broad bed maker.
Fighting the fungi that destroy wheat
Innovations
Source: Dhaka Tribune (2 Mar 2019)
CIMMYT researchers propose long-term solutions to fighting wheat blast, including a diagnostic tool for wheat blast surveillance and a platform for open data and science to combat the fungus.
New publications: Gender and agricultural innovation in Oromia region, Ethiopia
Gender equality, youth and social inclusion
Authors examine how smallholders attempt to innovate with improved wheat seed, row planting, and the broad bed maker, introduced through the Ethiopian agricultural extension system.
Policy forum in Mozambique recommends scaling sustainable agriculture practices
Capacity development
Unsustainable farming practices like monocropping are impacting soil health and reducing the productivity of farms.