Innovations
Working with smallholders to understand their needs and build on their knowledge, CIMMYT brings the right seeds and inputs to local markets, raises awareness of more productive cropping practices, and works to bring local mechanization and irrigation services based on conservation agriculture practices. CIMMYT helps scale up farmers’ own innovations, and embraces remote sensing, mobile phones and other information technology. These interventions are gender-inclusive, to ensure equitable impacts for all.
African leaders rely on science and technology to improve food security
Innovations
At the Africa Food Security Leadership Dialogue in Rwanda, experts and policymakers analyzed ways to address the continent’s food security crisis in the face of climate change.
Scientists use DNA fingerprinting to gauge the spread of modern wheat in Afghanistan
Innovations
New study finds that wheat farmers often do not accurately identify their varieties.
Breaking Ground: Anani Bruce guards Africa’s maize harvest from insect pests
Innovations
CIMMYT entomologist strengthens native resistance in maize against fall armyworm and equips farmers with pest control measures.
From tinkering mechanic to manufacturing genius
Capacity development
Source: Dhaka Tribune (17 Aug 2019)
USAID-funded CIMMYT and iDE project helped young mechanic develop the market for his locally-manufactured machines.
New platform rapidly diagnoses wheat rust
Innovations
Source: World Grain (13 Aug 2019)
MARPLE diagnostic platform significantly reduces the time to identify strains, which previously took months.
Using the MARPLE kit to diagnose wheat rust in Ethiopia
Innovations
The mobile kit will allow Ethiopia to quickly identify wheat rust strains in 48 hours, instead of sending samples to labs abroad.
New drought monitoring system will reduce climate risks for South Asian farmers
Climate adaptation and mitigation
After Afghanistan, Nepal, and Pakistan, the Regional Drought Monitoring and Outlook System extends its coverage to Bangladesh.
Happy Seeder can reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions while making profits for farmers
Innovations
The average farmer who uses the Happy Seeder can generate up to 20% more profits than those who burn their fields, according to a new study published in Science.
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.
New publications: A study of water markets in Bangladesh
Innovations
Researchers analyze irrigation service providers to understand how different business models and pump types affect pricing and water conservation.
New manual provides quantitative approach to drought stress phenotyping
Innovations
The manual covers field site selection, effects of weather, crop management and other factors to standardize the required intensity, timing and uniformity of imposed drought stress during field trials.
Precision spreader for fertilizer set to change the agriculture scene in Nepal
Gender equality, youth and social inclusion
The small hand-operated device, which ensures the even distribution of fertilizer, could support food production, nutrition, and even the incorporation of women to farming.
What farmers want
Innovations
In demonstration plots in Kenya, smallholder farmers evaluate and rank maize varieties according to their preferred traits — a feedback that is crucial to CIMMYT’s maize breeding work.
More with less: Research for intensified food production with scarcer resources and heating climates
Climate adaptation and mitigation
How plant breeding helps to feed the world.
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.