breeding
New CIMMYT maize hybrids available from Eastern Africa breeding program
Innovations
CIMMYT is offering a new set of improved maize hybrids to partners, to scale up production for farmers in these areas.
Improved metrics for better decisions
Capacity development
National breeding programs prepped to measure – and boost – genetic gains.
Building networks and capacity
Capacity development
AGG partners meet to launch regional networks for eastern and southern Africa and assess capacity development needs.
Webinar explores continuous improvement approach to plant breeding
Innovations
Approach can save breeders to time and money, cut waste and improve client-focused results.
‘Seeds for Needs’ approach to develop climate resilient crop varieties
Climate adaptation and mitigation
Source: India Science Wire (22 Sep 2020)
Approach combines farmers’ knowledge of resilient crops with ‘elite’ varieties identified by scientists.
CGIAR breeding programs need more than just tech upgrades — they need change management
Innovations
The status quo anchors our minds to the past. Good change management can shake this up. Here are four ways plant breeding programs can ready themselves for the big changes we need to make.
East Africa partners welcome “new era” in wheat breeding collaboration
Gender equality, youth and social inclusion
Experts from Ethiopia and Kenya join CIMMYT and other partners to renew a long-standing collaboration under the auspices of the new AGG project.
Massive-scale genomic study reveals wheat diversity for crop improvement
Environmental health and biodiversity
A team of scientists has completed one of the largest genetic analyses ever done of any agricultural crop to find desirable traits in wheat’s extensive and unexplored diversity.
New analysis to help in creating yellow rust resistant wheat
Innovations
Source: World Grain (15 Jul 2020)
CIMMYT scientists perform large genome-wide association study in India, Kenya and Mexico to understand yellow rust resistance in wheat.
Turn annuals into perennials. Does the farmer want that?
Innovations
Source: Trouw (28 Jun 2020)
Opinions differ on if world food production could be improved if annual crops, such as maize, rice, wheat and vegetables, could be turned into perennials.
Breaking Ground: Yoseph Beyene breeds desirable maize varieties for smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa
Innovations
CIMMYT breeder applies new tools and technologies to accelerate genetic gains, make breeding more efficient, and keep up with the changing dynamics of biotic and abiotic stresses.
In the best possible taste
Nutrition, health and food security
Researchers in Kenya and Uganda are incorporating sensory preferences like taste, smell or texture into maize breeding.
Breaking Ground: Aparna Das leads efficient and demand-driven maize research
Nutrition, health and food security
Technical coordination between research and development partners is key to breed maize varieties that respond to the diverse needs of small farmers.
New publications: Breeders can benefit much more from phenotyping tools
Innovations
Researchers discuss how phenotyping can assist breeding and make the case for investing in new methodologies.
