Environmental health and biodiversity
The world needs better management of water, soil, nutrients, and biodiversity in crop, livestock, and fisheries systems, coupled with higher-order landscape considerations as well as circular economy and agroecological approaches.
CIMMYT and CGIAR use modern digital tools to bring together state-of-the-art Earth system observation and big data analysis to inform co-design of global solutions and national policies.
Our maize and wheat genebanks preserve the legacy of biodiversity, while breeders and researchers look at ways to reduce the environmental footprint of agriculture.
Ultimately, our work helps stay within planetary boundaries and limit water use, nutrient use, pollution, undesirable land use change, and biodiversity loss.
Protecting plant health for food and nutritional security
Global networks present unified and transdisciplinary strategy to protect key crops from devastating pests and diseases.
Q&A: Regenerative agriculture for soil health
Farming system harnesses the power of biology to rebuild soil organic matter, diversify crop systems, and improve water retention and nutrient uptake.
Our food system isn’t ready for the climate crisis
Source: The Guardian (14 Apr 2022)
“We’ll never get back all the diversity we had before, but the diversity we need is out there,” says Matthew Reynolds, head of wheat physiology at CIMMYT.
Seed banks: the last line of defense against a threatening global food crisis
Source: The Guardian (15 Apr 2022)
As climate breakdown and worldwide conflict continue to place the food system at risk, seed banks from the Arctic to Lebanon try to safeguard biodiversity.
CIMMYT scientist receives award for weed research
Ram Kanwar Malik named Honorary Member by the Weed Science Society of America for research on herbicide-resistant weed Phalaris minor affecting wheat crops.
Plant breeding innovations
Over millennia, natural selection and humans have systematically adapted the plant species that provide food and other vital products, changing their physical and genetic makeup for enhanced productivity, nutrition and resilience. Plant breeders apply science to continue improving crop varieties, making them more productive and better adapted to climate extremes, insects, drought and diseases.
New publications: Genome-wide breeding to curtail wheat blast
Researchers evaluate the use of genomic selection in wheat breeding against deadly fungal disease.
CIMMYT trains next generation of scientists to tackle soil-borne pathogens
Two new graduates join pool of research leaders focused on finding new sources of resistance against these pathogens.
Creating a better leaf
Source: The New Yorker (6 Dec 2021)
A new article in the New Yorker praises the cutting-edge technology CIMMYT, CGIAR and other scientists are developing to produce a second Green Revolution that doesn’t repeat the mistakes of the first, putting the experiences and challenges of farmers at the heart of it.
Bringing wild wheat’s untapped diversity into elite lines
Researchers hypothesized that many wild wheat accessions in genebanks feature useful traits that can help diversify breeding programs.
Workshop held at BARI
Source: New Age (21 Nov 2021)
CIMMYT-Bangladesh country representative Timothy J. Krupnik was the guest of honor at a workshop organized by Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute on fall armyworm management.
Singh receives lifetime award for wheat breeding successes
Source: World Grain (11 Nov 2021)
Ravi Singh, head of global wheat improvement at CIMMYT, received the 2021 Borlaug Global Rust Initiative Lifetime Achievement Award.
Managing stresses the key to better wheat varieties for all
Source: The Land (1 Nov 2021)
In an interview with The Land, Alison Bentley emphasized the importance of developing drought-tolerant wheat varieties to see better yields in tough seasons.
Ravi Singh earns Lifetime Achievement award from BGRI
Renowned CIMMYT plant breeder recognized for elite wheat varieties that reduced the risk of a global pandemic and now feed hundreds of millions of people around the world.
World Food Day 2021: The future of food is in our hands
Sustainable agri-food systems lead to better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life for all.
