Highlights around the world

1. In October, at its headquarters in Mexico, CIMMYT hosted government officials from Sichuan Province, China, for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, which will increase collaboration with the province. “CIMMYT’s support and collaboration is very important for us,” explained vice governor Yao Sidan. Collaboration with the Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences has contributed to a significant improvement in standards of living within the province over the last 30 years, but there is scope for widening the partnership to continue improving maize and wheat production in the region.
2. Barley shortages from extreme weather events could unleash significant beer price spikes, according to a 2018 study, which coupled leading crop production and economic models. “Barley, the primary cereal grain from which beer is brewed, is very heat-sensitive, so even short periods of high temperatures can affect grain quality and yields,” said Wei Xiong, a CIMMYT scientist and key contributor to the research.
3. The inaugural Maize-Asia Youth Innovators Awards recognized the contributions of young women and men who can inspire other young people to get involved with maize-based research, change agency and farming. The awards celebrate youth participation in maize-based agri-food systems. Four winners were given an opportunity to present their work at the 13th Asian Maize Conference and will join a platform for young innovators from around the world to network and share their experiences.
4. In March, 14 young researchers from South Asia attended a screening and surveillance course to address wheat blast at the Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS), in Bangladesh. As part of the facility’s precision phenotyping platform to develop resistant wheat varieties, the course emphasized hands-on practice for crucial and challenging aspects of disease control and resistance breeding, including scoring infections on plants and achieving optimal development of the disease on experimental wheat plots.
5. CIMMYT researchers called for closer consideration of how soils and forests contribute to improved nutrition. A study in Ethiopia by CIMMYT scientist Frederic Baudron and Stephen Wood with the Nature Conservancy found that wheat grown in areas closer to the forest had more nutrients, like zinc and protein. Soils in these areas are rich in organic matter – about 1 percent higher– due to decomposing trees and plants, as well as manure of livestock that graze in the forest.
6. In response to the spread of the fall armyworm across Africa, CIMMYT and its partners published a technical guide for integrated pest management. Produced by international experts, it offers details on the best management practices to help smallholder farmers control the pest while protecting people, animals and the environment. CIMMYT and IITA are co-leading the new Fall Armyworm R4D International Consortium composed of 40 partners.
7. CIMMYT’s genebank coolant system was retrofitted to use a more climate-friendly, recommended refrigerant, R-404A. The new system will reduce annual electrical energy consumption by about 25 percent and will complement the GIZ-funded solar voltaic system installed in 2014. “The lifespan of this equipment is expected to exceed 20 years,” said Tom Payne, head of wheat genetic resources at CIMMYT.
8. In March, more than 200 wheat science and food specialists from 34 countries gathered in northwestern Mexico to address threats to global nutrition and food security. Among them were the winners of the Jeanie Borlaug Laube Women in Triticum (WIT) Early Career Award, who also participated in an ongoing wheat training course organized by CIMMYT. Established in 2010, the WIT program has provided professional development opportunities for 44 young women researchers in wheat from more than 20 countries.