A Global Agricultural Research Partnership

CGIAR Research Program on Maize

Led by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), the CGIAR Research Program on Maize (MAIZE) is designed to ensure that publicly-funded international agricultural research helps most effectively to double the productivity of maize-based farming systems, making them more resilient and sustainable and significantly increasing farmers’ incomes and livelihood opportunities, without using more land and as climates change and fertilizer, water, and labor costs rise. This strategy draws upon learning and experiences obtained through decades of extensive partnerships, feedback, successes, and challenges in work with national and international research and development partners, both public and private, and including many farming communities. It will also be enriched through new partnerships with institutions and individuals worldwide who share MAIZE’s commitment to reducing poverty and enhancing global food security and environmental sustainability.

Responding to stakeholders’ expressed needs, MAIZE activities and outputs are developed and shared by way of Strategic Initiatives on socioeconomics and policies for maize, sustainable intensification and income opportunities for the poor, smallholder precision agriculture, stress tolerant maize, research to double productivity, integrated post-harvest management, nutritious maize, mobilizing in breeding the full potential of maize genetic diversity, and new tools and methods for national institutions, entrepreneurs, and farmers.

MAIZE is implemented by traditional and newer partners who developed the strategy:

  • Members of the CGIAR Consortium: CIMMYT, CIAT, ICRISAT, IFPRI, IITA, ILRI, IRRI, World Agroforestry Centre.
  • National agricultural research institutes.
  • Regional and international organizations.
  • Advanced agricultural research institutes.
  • Universities in developing and developed countries.
  • Private sector organizations.
  • Non-government organizations and farmer associations.

News

Two new maize hybrids released in Bolivia

Bolivia’s National Institute for Agricultural, Livestock and Forestry Innovation (INIAF), in collaboration with CIMMYT, released two new maize hybrids, INIAF H1 and INIAF HQ2, targeting drought-prone areas with high production potential. The release …

Publications

Project News

DT Maize Vol. 2 No. 2 June 2013

DT Maize is a quarterly publication of the DTMA (Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa) project, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Its aim is to inform partners and the general public at large about developments related to drought tolerant maize in Sub- Saharan Africa. It publishes short, general

SIMLESA-Kenya: achievements and future goals

The Kenya Annual Review and Planning Meeting (ARPM) was held during 5-6 November 2012 at the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI). The meeting was attended by 33 participants from the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAA…

Videos

How to Fight Tar Spot on Maize

Sometimes you run across news headlines about how Disease X hits Country Y hard. (Food shortages imminent). But who identifies the disease? And how? This video follows CIMMYT pathologist George Mahuku and University of Chapingo agronomist Humberto Cast…

A field interview: Maize in the hills of Nepal

Episode 6 of the series “A field interview” follows maize farmers in Palpa, Nepal, one of the target regions of the CIMMYT’s IFAD-funded project on “Sustainable Intensification of Smallholder Maize-Livestock Farming Systems in H…

Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA)

Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA) Listen to what Tsedeke Abate, leader of the DTMA program, has to say about maize in Africa and the importance of planning ahead for more and more frequent droughts. Maize is ‘life’ for approximately …

A field interview: Maize in the Philippines

A field interview: Maize in the Philippines Episode 4 of the series “A field interview” takes a look at the challenges of promoting maize in a country that economically and culturally supports rice. The Philippines has faced problems with r…

Press Clippings