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Agro Universities, R&D

The findings highlight substantial yield gaps in regions like Bihar, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh, where the difference between average current yields and attainable yields ranges from 1.7 to 2.4 tons per hectare.

 As the world’s largest rice exporter and a crucial player in global food security, India has made impressive strides in agricultural productivity since the Green Revolution. However, a significant gap remains between the rice yields that farmers currently achieve and what they could potentially produce. A recent study published in Nature Communications titled “Context-dependent agricultural intensification pathways to increase rice production in India” reveals innovative strategies to narrow these gaps using data-driven methods, with a special focus on Eastern India.

The study, conducted by researchers from Cornell University, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), aimed to identify the barriers holding back rice production in seven key rice-producing states. Analysing data from over 15,800 fields, the researchers discovered that rice yields vary significantly across regions, with average yields ranging from 3.3 to 5.5 tons per hectare.

These findings highlight substantial yield gaps in regions like Bihar, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh, where the difference between average current yields and attainable yields ranges from 1.7 to 2.4 tons per hectare. This gap presents a significant opportunity to boost rice production through improved management techniques and sustainable farming practices.

The study pinpointed two critical factors affecting rice yields: nitrogen (N) fertilizer uses and irrigation practices. These elements were found to be the main constraints in several states, including Bihar, Odisha, and Eastern Uttar Pradesh. In other areas, issues such as potassium (K) fertilizer application in West Bengal and rice variety selection in Jharkhand also played significant roles in limiting yields.

“Contrary to the common belief that Indian farmers overuse fertilizers, our findings suggest that in many regions, they are not using enough nitrogen to reach their full potential,” explained Dr. Hari Sankar Nayak from the Cornell School of Integrative Plant Science, Soil and Crop Sciences Section, and the study’s lead author. “Optimizing nitrogen and irrigation could significantly elevate productivity, especially in the most responsive fields.”

The study leveraged advanced machine learning techniques to analyse the impact of various agronomic factors on individual field yield prediction. Using SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) values, researchers were able to assess how each variable influenced rice yields prediction, allowing for more precise recommendations tailored to local conditions.

These analytical models indicated that targeting nitrogen and irrigation improvements in specific fields could yield productivity increases up to three times greater than those achieved by applying general recommendations uniformly across all fields. This precision approach marks a shift from traditional blanket strategies to more nuanced, data-driven interventions. The study’s findings suggest a need for a fundamental shift in agricultural policy towards

The findings highlight substantial yield gaps in

Agro Universities, Climate, Finance, Funding, R&D

Grant will be used to lead an innovation research initiative called CropSustaiN that is designed to reduce the nitrogen footprint of wheat cultivation.

The Novo Nordisk Foundation has awarded a grant of up to USD 21.1 million to CIMMYT for a groundbreaking initiative to mitigate the environmental impact of agriculture, by developing new wheat varieties that are capable of reducing agriculture’s nitrogen footprint. The CropSustaiN initiative could have sweeping implications for global food security and environmental sustainability.

As the global population approaches the 10 billion mark, the reliance on fertilisers to boost agricultural production has become an essential, yet environmentally challenging, practice. A Century-long dependence on these additives has allowed food production to keep pace with the growth in human population. However, the use of fertilisers across various farming systems is now causing severe ecological stress. The leaching of nitrogen into natural ecosystems, coupled with the release of greenhouse gases, is pushing the Earth’s environmental limits to a critical threshold.

To address this, an ambitious new research initiative aims to shrink the nitrogen footprint of agriculture by developing a breakthrough technology based on nature’s own solutions: a natural process called biological nitrification inhibition (BNI). The Novo Nordisk Foundation has awarded CIMMYT a grant of up to USD 21.1 million to lead an innovation research initiative called CropSustaiN that is designed to reduce the nitrogen footprint of wheat cultivation.

“Success in this initiative could lead to a major shift in agricultural practices globally, benefiting both the planet and farmers’ livelihoods. In addition to using less fertiliser, cost for the farmer will be minimal because all the components are already in the seed. This initiative could, potentially, be extended from wheat cultivation to include other staple crops like maize and rice,” says Claus Felby, Senior Vice President, Biotech, Novo Nordisk Foundation.

“BNI could be a part of how we revolutionise nitrogen management in agriculture. It represents a genetic mitigation strategy that not only complement existing methods but also has the potential to decrease the need for synthetic fertilisers substantially. The mitigation potential of better nitrogen fertiliser management could be as impactful for the Global South as the Green Revolution,” explains Bram Govaerts, Director General, CIMMYT.

Revolutionary mitigation approach

Rooted in a seed-based genetic strategy, BNI leverages a plant’s innate ability to suppress soil nitrification through the release of natural compounds. This approach potentially promises to curb the use and leaching of synthetic nitrogen fertilisers—a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution—without compromising wheat yield or soil vitality. The BNI-method contrasts with synthetic nitrification inhibitors and could offer a more scalable and cost-effective solution, potentially reducing nitrogen fertiliser usage by 20%, depending on regional farming conditions.

The Novo Nordisk Foundation has already laid the groundwork for CropSustaiN by funding related BNI research at CIMMYT, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Aarhus University, the University of Aberdeen, and the University of Copenhagen -thus fostering an ecosystem for research innovation.

Grant will be used to lead an

Agro Universities, Environment, Soil Health, World

The joint Partnership will play a pivotal role leading effort to coordinate, grow, and strengthen the VACS movement across a wide range of public and private stakeholders.

An initiative to build resilient agrifood systems grounded in diverse, nutritious, and climate-adapted crops grown in healthy soils, today marked another milestone through a new partnership between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and CIMMYT, a CGIAR Research Center.

FAO and CIMMYT signed a Memorandum of Understanding establishing a Partnership for the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) initiative.  The joint Partnership will play a pivotal role leading effort to coordinate, grow, and strengthen the VACS movement across a wide range of public and private stakeholders.

“By joining forces with the CGIAR and CIMMYT, we bring together our collective capacities to build a strong momentum and platform to advance the VACS,” said FAO’s Director-General QU Dongyu. “VACS effectively brings together the Four Betters set out in the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31: better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life – leaving no one behind.”

“Our 2030 Strategy focuses on strengthening agrifood systems to increase nutritional value and climate resilience,” said CIMMYT’s Director General, Bram Govaerts. “We are proud to stand united, through VACS, with FAO, whose excellent track record on policy work and networking with national governments will help equip farmers with resilient seed and climate-smart cropping systems that regenerate, rather than degrade, the soils on which their diets and livelihoods depend.”

Launched in 2023 by the U.S. Department of State in partnership with the African Union and FAO, the VACS movement aims to build sustainable and resilient agrifood systems by leveraging opportunity crops and building healthy soils to enhance agricultural resilience to climate change and improve diets. Nutrient-rich and traditional crops like sorghum, millet, cowpea, and mung bean are vital for food security and nutrition under climate change but have seen little attention so far. VACS recognizes the interdependence of crops and soils: Crops need good soil to be productive, and different crops can only be sustainably grown on some types of land. 

Since its launch the VACS initiative has supported many activities including the Quick Wins Seed Systems Project in Africa, which promotes the adoption of climate-resilient dryland grains and legumes and helps smallholders access seeds of local nutritious crops like pearl millet, finger millet, and mung bean, and connects them with markets and agri-services. Meanwhile, the VACS Fellows programme trains African breeding professionals, strengthening regional agrifood systems. In Central America, InnovaHubs partner with CGIAR, Mexico, and Norway to connect farmers with markets, technologies, and high-quality seeds. FAO, through its work, including as part of the International Network on Soil Fertility and Fertilizers (INSOILFER) and the Soil mapping for resilient agrifood systems (SoilFER) project, assists members with the implementation of sustainable and balanced soil fertility management for food security and to promote actions to enhance the link between nourished healthy soils and opportunity crops.

Leveraging on the expertise and mandates of both CIMMYT and FAO, the new joint VACS Partnership will support, coordinate and amplify the impact of all stakeholders of the VACS movement, public and private, through the following functions:

  • Strategy: The Partnership will develop and maintain a VACS strategy, including by defining its mission, objectives, and approach.
  • Resource Mobilization: The Partnership will work with public and private sector donors to increase investments in VACS-aligned work.
  • Donor and Implementer Coordination: The Partnership will coordinate work among major VACS donors and implementers, including by coordinating the VACS Implementers’ Group.
  • Stakeholder Engagement: The Partnership will strengthen ties across public and private stakeholders to catalyse action in support of VACS, including by coordinating the VACS Community of Practice and the VACS Champions program.
  • Shaping the Policy Environment: The Partnership will coordinate the development of a VACS policy agenda and work to advance it at the local, national, and multinational levels.
  • Communications: The Partnership will elevate the importance of diverse crops and healthy soils as a fundamental means of advancing a range of sustainable development goals.
  • Results Management: The Partnership will develop and maintain a results management framework to track progress in achieving VACS objectives.

The joint Partnership will play a pivotal

Agro chems – Fertilizers, India

Will allow farmers to get the best crop yields while saving money and reducing harmful nitrous oxide emissions

New research by an international team of scientists, including International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) agricultural systems and climate change scientist Tek Sapkota, has identified the optimum rates of nitrogen fertiliser application for rice and wheat crops in the Indo-Gangetic Plains of India.

By measuring crop yield and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes over two years, Sapkota and his colleagues reported that the optimum rate of N fertiliser for rice is between 120 and 200 kg per hectare, and between 50 and 185 kg per hectare for wheat. The results of the study have the potential to save farmer’s money and minimise dangerous greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining crop productivity.

Nitrous oxide, one of the most important greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere, is responsible for ozone depletion and global climate change, and has a global warming potential 265 times that of carbon dioxide (CO2).

Research has shown that agricultural soils account for around 60% of global nitrous oxide emissions. These emissions are directly related to the application of nitrogen fertilisers to croplands. While these fertilisers help crop yields, studies show that only about one third of the applied nitrogen is actually used by crops. The rest is released as nitrous oxide or seeps into waterways, causing harmful algal blooms.

In India, the total consumption of nitrogen fertiliser is about 17 million tonne — expected to rise to 24 million tonne by 2030 to feed a growing population. Nitrous oxide emissions will rise along with it if farmers do not minimise their fertiliser use and manage application more efficiently. What’s more, farmers receive a higher subsidy for nitrogen fertiliser — a policy that leads farmers to apply more fertiliser than the recommended dose.

Measured methods

The study, led by Sapkota, estimated the rate of nitrogen fertiliser application with the most economically optimum yield and minimum environmental footprint. Applying more fertiliser than this would be a waste of farmer’s money and cause unnecessary harm to the environment.

Researchers measured crop yield and nitrous oxide fluxes for two wheat seasons and one rice season from 2014 to 2016.  The scientists found that nitrogen fertilisation rate clearly influenced daily and cumulative soil nitrous oxide emissions in wheat and rice for both years. Nitrous oxide emissions were higher in both wheat and rice in the nitrogen-fertilised plots than in the control plots.

Using statistical methods, the researchers were able to measure the relationship between crop productivity, nitrogen rate and emissions intensity, in both rice and wheat. This gave them the optimum rate of nitrogen fertiliser application.

This work was carried out by International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) and implemented as part of the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), with support from the CGIAR Trust Fund and through bilateral funding agreements.

Will allow farmers to get the best

Environment, Latin America, North America, R&D

A study on the physical disturbance of soil shows that it drives changes in soil properties and affects soil microbial activity

Higher levels of potential carbon mineralisation (Cmin) in soil indicate that the soil is healthier. Many reports indicate that Cmin in agricultural soils increases with reductions in soil disturbance through tillage, but the mechanisms driving these increases are not well understood.

The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) has established a network of research platforms in Mexico, where collaborating scientists evaluate conservation agriculture and other sustainable technologies to generate data on how to improve local production systems. This network of research trials, many of which have over five years in operation, allowed us to participate with Mexican sites in the North American Project to Evaluate Soil Health Measurements (NAPESHM). This project aimed to identify widely applicable soil health indicators and evaluate the effects of sustainable practices on soil health in 124 long-term experiments across Canada, the United States of America, and Mexico.

Experienced field teams from CIMMYT sampled the soils from 16 experiments in Mexico, which were then analysed by the Soil Health Institute for this study. Potential carbon mineralization, 16S rRNA sequences, and soil characterisation data were collected, with results demonstrating that microbial (archaeal and bacterial) sensitivity to physical disturbance is influenced by cropping system, the intensity of the disturbance, and soil pH.

A subset of 28 percent of amplicon sequence variants were enriched in soils managed with minimal disturbance. These enriched sequences, which were important in modeling Cmin, were connected to organisms that produce extracellular polymeric substances and contain metabolic strategies suited for tolerating environmental stressors.

The unique sampling design of this study – analysing across a variety of agricultural soils and climate – allows to evaluate management impacts on standardised measures of soil microbial activity. Additionally, understanding the microbial drivers of soil health indicators like Cmin can help with the interpretation of those indicators and ultimately the understanding of how to better manage soils.

A study on the physical disturbance of

India

ICAR-IIWBR Karnal has initiated a specific research project ‘Breeding high yielding wheat genotypes for stress conditions of warmer regions of India’ on heat-tolerant varieties.

The government aims to promote the use of heat-resistant varieties amongst the farmers through public and private partnership and providing seed directly to the farmers. To promote the use of these varieties, the Indian Institute of Wheat and Barely Research (IIWBR), Karnal under ICAR has signed 250 Memorandum of Agreements (MoAs) for DBW 187 and 191 MoAs for DBW 222 with private companies for seed production. The institute has distributed more than 2500 quintal seeds of DBW 187 and 1,250 quintal seeds of DBW 222 during the crop season, 2021-22.

The ICAR-IIWBR Karnal has initiated a specific research project entitled “Breeding high yielding wheat genotypes for stress conditions of warmer regions of India” on heat tolerant varieties. Besides, ICAR-IIWBR Karnal is also collaborating with International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), Mexico on development of climate resilient wheat varieties.

The wheat varieties DBW187 and DBW222 have been found superior over HD-3086 as far as heat tolerance is concerned. During the crop season 2021-22, the varieties namely DBW187 and DBW222 have shown heat tolerance with yield gain of 3.6 per cent and 5.4 per cent, respectively as compared to HD-3086. The variety PBW 803 developed by the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana is suitable for irrigated timely sown condition and resistant to brown rust as well as moderately resistant to stripe rust. This variety is not recommended as heat-tolerant variety.

This information was given by the Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar in a written reply in Rajya Sabha. 

ICAR-IIWBR Karnal has initiated a specific research

Europe

The Seed Vault currently holds 1,165,041 seed varieties, with capacity for millions more

The Ambassador of Mexico to Norway, Ulises Canchola Gutiérrez, delivers a deposit from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. CIMMYT is the ninth depositor in the Seed Vault in 2022, with a contribution of 263 accessions of maize and 3,548 accession of wheat.

“Professionally, I am pleased to carry out this activity that contributes to the conservation of genetic resources and guarantees food security of two of the major crops that feed the world,” said Rocio Quiroz, assistant research associate at CIMMYT. “When we prepare a shipment as a team, it is extraordinary because we contribute to the perpetuity of each accession deposited in the vault. Very few people have the privilege of doing so.” In 2020, CIMMYT was the largest contributor, providing 173,779 maize and wheat accessions from 131 countries.

Owned by Norway and managed in partnership between the Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food, NordGen and the Crop Trust, the Seed Vault currently holds 1,165,041 seed varieties, with capacity for millions more.

The Seed Vault currently holds 1,165,041 seed