Americas
CIMMYT has several offices in the Americas, including global headquarters in Mexico and a regional office in Colombia. Activities are supported by an additional 140 hectares of stations in diverse agro-ecological zones of Mexico. CIMMYT’s genebank in Mexico stores 27,000 maize and 170,000 wheat seed collections – key to preserving the crop genetic diversity of the region. CIMMYT projects range from developing nutritionally enhanced maize to mapping regional climate change hot spots in Central America. The comprehensive MasAgro project aims to increase wheat production in Mexico by 9 million tons and maize production by 350,000 tons by 2030. CIMMYT promotes regional collaboration and facilitates capacity building for scientists, researchers and technicians.
A fresh look at the genes behind grain weight in spring bread wheat
Innovations
New study provides an extensive field-test validation of existing genetic markers for thousand grain weight; finds both surprises and promising results.
Winners of 2019 MAIZE Youth Innovators Awards – Latin America announced
Capacity development
Seven young farmers, researchers and activists are advancing change, innovation and research in their communities.
Saving the giant
Nutrition, health and food security
CIMMYT scientists engage to preserve the Jala maize landrace, famous for producing the longest maize ears in the world.
October is World Food Prize month at William Penn University
Climate adaptation and mitigation
Source: Oskaloosa Herald (30 Sep 2019)
This year’s speaker is Bram Govaerts, the global Director Innovative Business Strategies at CIMMYT.
UN-sponsored report acknowledges CIMMYT’s use of data and technologies to promote sustainable farming in Latin America
Innovations
CIMMYT’s work featured on the Counting on the World to Act report, produced by SDSN and TReNDS.
Back from the brink of extinction
Nutrition, health and food security
Visiting scientist Roi Ben-David discusses Israel’s exotic germplasm gap and ongoing efforts to restore the country’s lost wheat landrace collections.
Remembering Max Alcalá, who led CIMMYT’s wheat international nurseries
Nutrition, health and food security
He was instrumental in preparing and distributing nursery results, which are still used by breeders.
Global group of journalists find wheat research, comradery in Canada
Capacity development
WHEAT media sponsorship connects scientists and reporters at International Wheat Congress.
Warmer night temperatures reduce wheat yields in Mexico, scientists say
Climate adaptation and mitigation
International gathering highlights cutting edge efforts to improve yields, nutrition, and climate change resilience of a globally vital staple food.
‘Truly novel’: ProMaíz Nativo creates on-pack logo for native Mexican corn
Source: FoodNavigator-LATAM (5 Aug 2019)
CIMMYT played a key role in facilitating the formation of this association promoting maize biodiversity.
The new challenges of wheat improvement
Climate adaptation and mitigation
In an interview for BBC Newsday, CIMMYT senior scientist Velu Govindan spoke of today’s challenges for wheat breeders.
Top scientists from CGIAR to present latest research at International Wheat Congress in Canada
Innovations
More than 800 global experts will gather in Saskatoon to strategize on ways to meet projected nutritional needs of 60% more people by 2050.
Cornell University appoints Bram Govaerts as Andrew D. White Professor-at-Large
Capacity development
This distinction acknowledges work that has had great international impact in the sciences and other fields.
New association formed to support smallholder native maize farmers in Mexico
Capacity development
ProMaíz Nativo will promote small-scale landrace maize farmers through certification and fair market access.