Africa
CIMMYT’s work in Africa helps farmers access new maize and wheat systems-based technologies, information and markets, raising incomes and enhancing crop resilience to drought and climate change. CIMMYT sets priorities in consultation with ministries of agriculture, seed companies, farming communities and other stakeholders in the maize and wheat value chains. Our activities in Africa are wide ranging and include: breeding maize for drought tolerance and low-fertility soils, and for resistance to insect pests, foliar diseases and parasitic weeds; sustainably intensifying production in maize- and wheat-based systems; and investigating opportunities to reduce micronutrient and protein malnutrition among women and young children.
Bill Gates highlights CIMMYT’s innovation in latest climate book
Climate adaptation and mitigation
One of CIMMYT and CGIAR’s biggest supporters, he sets out on a virtual book tour to spark collaborative action toward avoiding a climate disaster and calls for innovations in almost everything that we do.
Out with the old, in with the new
Innovations
CIMMYT’s tried and tested approaches in varietal turnover and decades of experience in strengthening maize and wheat seed systems have a lot to contribute to CGIAR’s plan of building robust food systems by 2030.
Drought-tolerant maize project pioneers a winning strategy for a world facing climate change
Climate adaptation and mitigation
As partners come together as One CGIAR to enact a bold climate-centered strategy, projects like CIMMYT and IITA’s decades-long work on climate-smart maize can help show the way forward.
Q&A: A decade of improved and climate-smart maize through collaborative research and innovation
Climate adaptation and mitigation
A ten-year partnership led by CIMMYT and IITA tackles climate-induced risks in maize production, developing and deploying new climate-adaptive varieties benefiting over 8 million households in sub-Saharan Africa.
Successful Crop Innovation Is Mitigating Climate Crisis Impact in Africa
Climate adaptation and mitigation
Source: IPS News (17 Feb 2021)
In an op-ed, Martin Kropff, Director General of CIMMYT, discusses how higher-yielding, stress-tolerant maize varieties can not only help smallholders combat climatic variabilities and diseases, but also effectively diversify their farms.
Lightbulb moments
Gender equality, youth and social inclusion
On International Day of Women and Girls in Science, CGIAR and CIMMYT scientists share their career journeys.
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.
MAIZE delivers “valuable solutions” for critical needs, according to an external review
Climate adaptation and mitigation
A report commissioned by the CGIAR Advisory Services assesses the program’s achievements from 2017-2019.
Fast-tracked adoption of second-generation resistant maize varieties key to managing maize lethal necrosis in Africa
Nutrition, health and food security
Source: Africa.com (20 Jan 2021)
In combination with recommended integrated pest management practices, adopting these new varieties is an important step towards safeguarding smallholder farmers against this devastating viral disease.
Fast-tracked adoption of second-generation resistant maize varieties key to managing maize lethal necrosis in Africa
Innovations
New lines of CIMMYT-derived maize show increased resistance to maize lethal necrosis (MLN) disease. Their rapid adoption, along with sustained monitoring and prevention efforts, are crucial to preventing another outbreak, argues a new report.
Zimbabwe: Centre Develops New Hybrid Maize Resistant to Armyworm
Environmental health and biodiversity
Source: All Africa (13 Jan 2022)
CIMMYT has developed new maize hybrid varieties showing promising resistance to the destructive fall armyworm pest, which has been causing huge crop losses ever since the pest was first reported in Africa in 2016.
Announcing CIMMYT-derived fall armyworm tolerant elite maize hybrids for eastern and southern Africa
Environmental health and biodiversity
Breakthrough comes after three years of intensive research and trials conducted in Kenya — and during the United Nations International Year of Plant Health — and represents a significant advance in the global fight against fall armyworm.
Delivering improved maize seed against all odds
Climate adaptation and mitigation
Ugandan seed enterprise showcases the performance of stress-resilient maize varieties and engages agro-dealers as last mile seed merchants.
How hybrid maize helps farmers get through dry spells
Innovations
Source: MIT Technology Review (18 Dec 2020)
A new seed developed by CIMMYT is boosting maize production in sub-Saharan Africa, where yields are less than a third of what they are in the US—in large part because of drought.