CGIAR Research Program on Maize (MAIZE)
The CGIAR Research Program on Maize (MAIZE) is an international collaboration between more than 300 partners that seeks to mobilize global resources in maize research and development to achieve a greater strategic impact on maize-based farming systems in Africa, Latin America and South Asia.
Led by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) as its main CGIAR partner, MAIZE focuses on increasing maize production for the 900 million poor consumers for whom maize is a staple food in Africa, Latin America and South Asia. MAIZE’s overarching goal is to double maize productivity and increase incomes and livelihood opportunities from sustainable maize-based farming systems.
MAIZE receives funding support from CGIAR Trust Fund contributors.
MAIZE Flagship Projects (FPs) and Cluster of Activities
FP1: Enhancing MAIZE’s R4D strategy for impact
• Foresight and targeting of R4D strategies
• Learning from M&E, adoption and impacts
• Enhancing gender and social inclusiveness
• Value chain analysis
FP2: Novel diversity and tools for improving genetic gains
• Informatics, database management and decision support tools
• Development of enabling tools for germplasm improvement
• Unlocking genetic diversity through trait exploration and gene discovery
• Pre-breeding: development of germplasm resources
FP3: Stress-tolerant and nutritious maize
• Climate resilient maize with abiotic and biotic stress tolerance
• Tackling emerging trans-boundary disease/pest challenges
• Nutritional quality and end-use traits in elite genetic backgrounds
• Precision phenotyping and mechanization of breeding operations
• Seed production research and recommendations
• Stronger maize seed systems
FP4: Sustainable intensification of maize-based systems
• Multi-scale farming system framework to better integrate and enhance adoption of sustainable intensification options
• Participatory adoption and integration of technological components
• Development and field-testing of crop management technologies
• Partnership and collaborations models for scaling
Harnessing new high-resolution satellite imagery to plant breeding
Innovations
New study by CIMMYT researchers shows how multi-temporal, high-resolution satellite images can be used effectively to monitor breeding maize and wheat breeding plots in diverse environments.
Seven new CIMMYT maize hybrids available from Southern Africa Breeding Program
Innovations
CIMMYT is happy to announce seven new, improved tropical maize hybrids that are now available for uptake by public and private sector partners.
Partnership approach to maize development praised in new study
Capacity development
Maize varieties with connections to CGIAR germplasm account for 34% of the total maize area in 2015 in 18 sub-Saharan African countries, discover researchers.
Analyzing 25 years of maize supply and demand in the Global South
Nutrition, health and food security
After first being cultivated more than 9,000 years ago, research shows that maize not only plays an essential role in global agrifood systems today but has a strongly increasing demand.
Achieving sufficiency and sustainability in maize production
Environmental health and biodiversity
At the International Maize Congress, Bram Govaerts emphasized the importance of collaborative research to work towards healthy diets and sustainable systems.
New CIMMYT maize hybrids available from Latin America Breeding Program
Innovations
CIMMYT is offering a new improved maize hybrid to partners, to scale up production for farmers in the region.
New CIMMYT maize hybrid available from South Asian Tropical Breeding Program
Innovations
CIMMYT is offering a new improved maize hybrid to partners, to scale up production for farmers in the region.
New CIMMYT maize hybrid available from the Latin America Breeding Program
Innovations
CIMMYT is offering a new improved maize hybrid to partners, to scale up production for farmers in the region.
Getting to win-win: Can people and nature flourish on an increasingly cultivated planet?
Climate adaptation and mitigation
Faced with dramatic biodiversity loss and a growing population, should farmers “share” or “spare” land? Agricultural scientists weigh in, yielding a new perspective.
MAIZE partners announce a new manual for effectively managing maize lethal necrosis (MLN) disease
Environmental health and biodiversity
The manual builds on the lessons of a decade of work on MLN management in sub-Saharan Africa by CIMMYT and its partners.
BNI-enhanced wheat research wins 2021 Cozzarelli Prize
Climate adaptation and mitigation
Study describing development of wheat with biological nitrogen inhibition ability from wild relative receives award for outstanding papers published in PNAS.
New CIMMYT maize hybrid available from Eastern Africa highland breeding program
Innovations
CIMMYT is offering a new improved maize hybrid to partners, to scale up production for farmers in the region.
CRP Maize Annual Report 2021
Innovations
The legacy of this international collaboration in maize research sealed in the program’s final report.
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 the region.
State-of-the-art maize doubled haploid facility inaugurated in India
Innovations
The facility will offer maize doubled haploid production services to public and private sector partners in South Asia.