New study identifies best agronomic practices to reduce fall armyworm damage

Good weed management, conservation agriculture, and use of manure and compost are recommended to help control fall armyworm in Africa.

CIMMYT and Clinton Foundation launch partnership to improve access to climate-resilient maize seed in eastern and southern Africa

New partnership will help farmers in Malawi, Rwanda and Tanzania have better access to seeds that help maize crops better withstand growing challenges of drought, pests, diseases, and climate change.

NEW YORK and TEXCOCO, Mexico — Working together to improve access to and availability of climate-resilient maize varieties in eastern Africa, the Clinton Foundation and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) are launching a partnership that will not only improve access by smallholder farmers to modern maize varieties but also aim to bolster food security in Malawi, Rwanda and Tanzania. The Clinton Foundation is launching this partnership through the Clinton Development Initiative, which works in the region to improve economic opportunity for farmers through better access to markets, technology, and inputs like seeds and fertilizer.

News from the Stress Tolerant Maize for Africa project

Over 200 million households in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) depend on maize for food security and their well-being, yet maize yields in this region are very low compared to other parts of the world. Maize farmers face drought and other climate stresses, emerging pests and diseases, low soil fertility. The slow adoption of new stress tolerant varieties means farmers are unable to reach their yield potential.

The Stress Tolerant Maize for Africa (STMA) project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) aims to develop in a cost-effective way multiple stress tolerant varieties, and through partnerships with local public and private seed sector, make these improved seeds available at scale in SSA.

2019 screening cycle for deadly MLN virus in Kenya – April Planting

The maize lethal necrosis (MLN) artificial inoculation screening site in Naivasha, Kenya will begin the second interval of its phenotyping (screening/ indexing) cycle of 2019 at the beginning of April 2019. Interested organizations from both the private and public sectors are invited to send maize germplasm for screening.