News Overview

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

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. 

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

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

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

Workers check the quality of potato chips at a factory in Kenya. (Photo by Potatoworld) by Diego Naziri, André Devaux, Pieter Wauters, Guy Hareau, Agnes Mbugua Gitonga Potato is a major staple crop in many Eastern African households, but its role is expanding beyond the dinner table. Across Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, the potato processing industry is experiencing rapid growth,

Sweet sorghum breeding trial at ICRISAT, India. (Photo by ICRISAT) by Swamikannu Nedumaran, Ephrem Habyarimana, Judy Thomas As fuel prices climb and climate goals intensify, the world needs fresh solutions. The latest contender is sweet sorghum, a resilient, high-sugar-content crop poised to power up the biofuel industry without draining food supplies. With its unique ability to grow on degraded soils,

Participants visit the World Vegetable Center gene bank in Arusha, Tanzania, 23 October, 2024. by Mwasilwa Ambali, Herbaud Zohoungbogbo, Mathieu Ayenan, Rachidi Francisco The World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg), in collaboration with the CGIAR Initiative on Market Intelligence, hosted a pivotal workshop on tomato and pepper market segmentation for Central and Southern Africa on 23–24 October in Arusha, Tanzania. The event