Capacity development
CIMMYT training courses play a critical role in helping international researchers meet national food security and resource conservation goals. By sharing knowledge to build communities of agricultural knowledge in less developed countries, CIMMYT empowers researchers to aid farmers. In turn, these farmers help ensure sustainable food security. In contrast to formal academic training in plant breeding and agronomy, CIMMYT training activities are hands-on and highly specialized. Trainees from Africa, Asia and Latin America benefit from the data assembled and handled in a global research program. Alumni of CIMMYT courses often become a significant force for agricultural change in their countries.
B.M. Prasanna appointed as MAIZE CRP Director
Capacity development
The CGIAR Research Program on MAIZE, CIMMYT and IITA are pleased to announce that as of 1 June 2015, the MAIZE CRP has been led by the former Director of CIMMYT’s Global Maize Program, who will now spearhead the CGIAR’s international maize research agenda. The CIMMYT Board, upon endorsement by the MAIZE Stakeholder Advisory Committee (StAC), has agreed to the CIMMYT Director General appointing Dr. B.M. Prasanna as MAIZE CRP Director.
First international training workshop on farming systems analysis in India
Capacity development
The international training workshop “Approaches for integrated analysis of agricultural systems in South Asia: Field, to farm, to landscape scale,” jointly organized by CIMMYT and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute (CSSRI), was held at Karnal, Haryana, India, during 18-23 May. The workshop targeted farming systems and agricultural development researchers in South Asia and provided an overview of the approaches and tools used to assess agricultural systems.
WPEP strengthens farmer knowledge of wheat seed production in Pakistan
Capacity development
The Wheat Productivity Enhancement Program (WPEP), led by CIMMYT and funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), held technical training sessions on wheat seed production from March to May 2015 for farmer enterprise groups (FEGs) in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Province. The training was held in collaboration with the Outreach Programme of the Agriculture Research System in KP Province, which formed the FEGs, each comprising 30-35 persons including farmers, seed dealers and seed company representatives.
UAVs provide researchers in NW China with a new view of agriculture
Capacity development
We have come a long way when it comes to obtaining aerial images of our research sites. My colleagues and I once used helium-filled balloons and twin cameras to obtain infrared and color images in an all-day operation; now we use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) fitted with high-resolution lenses and multispectral cameras to take dozens of images over large areas in a matter of minutes.
HTMA offers stress-resilient maize hybrids to meet Bangladesh’s growing demand
Capacity development
CIMMYT’s Heat Stress Tolerant Maize for Asia (HTMA) project held a hybrid maize field day during 21-22 April at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute’s (BARI) Regional Agricultural Research Stations (RARS) in Khoirtola, Jessore and Gazipur. The event was attended by over 60 participants, including local maize farmers, Bangladeshi seed company representatives, agricultural input dealers, Bangladesh government seed system officers and BARI maize researchers.
New technologies to increase coffee-maize system profitability
Capacity development
To demostrate the advances of the project “Increasing the profitability of maize-coffee systems” conducted by CIMMYT in Colombia over the past 10 years in collaboration with the National Federation of Colombian Coffee Producers (FEDERECAFE, Spanish acronym), two field days were held at the Paraguaycito–QuindĂo (29 April) and La Catalina–Risaralda (7 May) Experiment Stations belonging to CENICAFE, FEDERECAFE’s research unit. At these events, attended by 158 representatives of the Local Coffee Growers’ Committees and the National Federation of Cereal Growers (FENALCE, Spanish acronym), the latest advances in the areas of climate change, agronomy and genetic improvement were presented.*
Australian visit to CIMMYT-Turkey strengthens decades-long collaboration
Capacity development
The CIMMYT Australia ICARDA Germplasm Evaluation Project (CAIGE) organized a visit for Australian breeders to Turkey during 19 April-3 May. Participants learned about the germplasm evaluation and selection activities by the International Winter Wheat Improvement Program (IWWIP, a joint enterprise of CIMMYT and the Government of Turkey), the CIMMYT-Turkey Soil Borne Pathogen (SBP) program and the Regional Rust Research Center.
CSISA mechanization meets farmers’ needs in Bihar, India
Capacity development
The CSISA project team is improving existing designs of harvest and post-harvest machinery to meet local needs.
AIP-CIMMYT Conducts the Largest Evaluation of Maize Germplasm in Pakistan’s History
Capacity development
Pakistan’s Agricultural Innovation Program (AIP) tested more than 700 diverse maize lines in an effort to develop more affordable, well-adapted maize varieties.
Maize workshop sets stage for doubling production in India by 2025
Capacity development
The 58th All India Coordinated Annual Maize Workshop was held at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) in Ludhiana, India during 4-6 April. The workshop brought together nearly 200 scientists in India working on maize research and development, as well as representatives from seed companies. The All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Maize was the first crop research project established in India in 1957 and served as a model for all following crop projects in the country.
Two-wheeled tractors key to smallholder mechanization in Africa
Capacity development
The Farm Mechanization and Conservation Agriculture for Sustainable Intensification (FACASI) project held its second review and planning meeting, as well as mid-term review, during a five-day event in Hawassa, Ethiopia. This was followed by country site visits by the review team.
