By Rosa Jauregui, Tropical Forage Plant Breeder, Urochloa spp. and Megathyrsus maximus, the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT A major step in the development of resilient guinea grass – a cornerstone in The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT’s (The Alliance) tropical forages breeding program – has been reached with the release of the crop’s reference genome. It was
By Deep Banerjee, Vikram Patil, Arindam Samaddar, Bidhan Mohapatra, Prakashan Chellattan Veettil Odisha, an eastern Indian state, faces a dual challenge of climate variability and low agricultural productivity, primarily due to rice monocropping. Rice dominates over 65% of the cultivated land, yet yields only 2.3 tonnes per hectare—well below the national average of 2.8 tonnes per hectare. This productivity gap
The Crops Research Facility of the Kiboko Research Station, an essential agricultural research station in Makueni County, Kenya, has undergone a significant upgrade. With over $2.5 million in funding from Germany, administered in phases by the Crops to End Hunger (CtEH) program, the facility now features world-class infrastructure and equipment, which will accelerate further crop breeding and strengthen food security
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Breeding team made a significant impression at the 32nd Plant and Animal Genome (PAG) Conference, held recently in San Diego, United States. Recognized as the premier global forum for plant and animal genome research, the conference attracts thousands of scientists each year, facilitating collaboration and knowledge-sharing through technical presentations, poster sessions, workshops, and exhibitions.
January 2025, Montpellier – CGIAR received a grant from the Gates Foundation to develop AgPile, a platform aimed at supporting agricultural research through improved data capabilities and computational infrastructure. AgPile will focus on compiling an AI-ready, regionally relevant data corpus, which can support the development of innovations for smallholder farming systems. What’s AgPile? Imagine you’re a researcher studying wheat diseases
By Godfrey Asea, Lead, Breeder and Seed Systems, National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) For over three decades, Uganda’s National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), has led the way in using modern crop breeding methods to accelerate the development of improved varieties specifically designed to address the current challenges and meet the needs of our country. As climate threats intensify and Uganda’s
By Lloyd Mbulwe (Ph.D), Acting Chief Agriculture Research Officer (CARO)-Crop Improvement and Agronomy (CIA). Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI), Ministry of Agriculture Zambia has tremendous agricultural potential, with over half of its land being classified as prime for agriculture production. Our primary staple crops – maize, sorghum, millet, cassava and groundnuts – are mainly cultivated by smallholder farmers, who form the
A review of Accelerated Breeding’s ReOganize Work Packages achievements, 2022-2024 By Sarah Hearne, Chief Scientist and Innovation Officer, CIMMYT, and former Lead of Accelerated Breeding’s ReOrganize Work Package In agricultural science, success isn’t solely determined by technical prowess—it’s also reliant on effective organizational processes and strategies. Through ReOrganize, a Work Package of CGIAR Accelerated Breeding, process management working groups delved