United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
AIP-CIMMYT holds national meeting on conservation agriculture in Pakistan
Innovations“Cereal system productivity cannot be improved without improving agronomic practices,” declared Shahid Masood, Member of the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) at a two-day AIP-Agronomy national meeting on conservation agriculture held in Islamabad, Pakistan, on 26-27 May 2015. He lauded CIMMYT’s efforts to strengthen conservation agriculture (CA) research and disseminate CA to Pakistan’s farming community and mentioned the importance of public and private partnerships for promoting CA technologies. The meeting was jointly organized by CIMMYT and PARC under USAID’s Agricultural Innovation Program (AIP) for Pakistan.
Strengthening seed production capacity in Malawi
Capacity developmentCIMMYT designed and gave an integrated maize seed systems training course for 32 seed technicians from the public and private sectors on 18-22 May at Chitedze Agricultural Research Station. The course is part of CIMMYT’s capacity building initiative to enhance maize seed production in Malawi, established after the successful launch of USAID Feed the Future’s Malawi Improved Seed Systems and Technologies project on 6 May 2015 in Liwonde, Machinga District.
Bangladeshi scientists learn to develop stress-resilient maize
Capacity developmentThe Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) and CIMMYT organized a training course on developing stress tolerant maize at BARI facilities in Gazipur, Joydebpur, Bangladesh, on 21 April 2015. The course, part of CIMMYT’s Heat Tolerant Maize for Asia (HTMA) project supported by the United States Agency for International Development under its Feed the Future initiative, gave maize scientists the opportunity to learn the principles, tools and techniques involved in developing high yielding maize hybrids with enhanced tolerance to major abiotic stresses such as drought and heat, as well as how to effectively deploy them.
HTMA offers stress-resilient maize hybrids to meet Bangladesh’s growing demand
Capacity developmentCIMMYT’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.
Well-positioned for next phase, CSISA India plans for monsoon cropping season
Climate adaptation and mitigationProject team gathers in Kathmandu to plan for the 2015 monsoon cropping season.
Seeds for needs in Malawi
Climate adaptation and mitigationThe United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Government of Malawi launched five projects on food security, fisheries and environment.
AIP-CIMMYT Conducts the Largest Evaluation of Maize Germplasm in Pakistan’s History
Capacity developmentPakistan’s Agricultural Innovation Program (AIP) tested more than 700 diverse maize lines in an effort to develop more affordable, well-adapted maize varieties.
Mother-baby trials promote conservation agriculture in Manica, Mozambique
Climate adaptation and mitigationA testament to increased climate variability and risk for farming systems already operating on the razor’s edge, the 2014-15 cropping season will be recognized as a sad write-off by most farmers in Central Mozambique. The rains started six weeks late and most of the rainfall fell in only two months (normally it’s distributed over four), followed by a long drought and some few showers at the end.
Seed improvement to prevent rust disease key to boosting wheat productivity
Capacity developmentA new project in Ethiopia aims to improve the livelihoods of wheat farmers by encouraging the development and multiplication of high-yielding, rust-resistant bread and durum wheat varieties.
Malawi Principal Secretary praises CIMMYT contributions to climate change adaptation
Climate adaptation and mitigationMalawi’s Principal Secretary for Agriculture, Erica Maganga, led a delegation of Government Principle Secretaries and seed company representatives to Mpilisi and Ulongue in Balaka District on 11 March to observe progress in conservation agriculture (CA) adoption, as part of the country’s Agriculture Sector Wide Approach Program (ASWAP).