From local farming outputs to global breeding developments, a trip to CIMMYT has opened the eyes of one Bayer employee, to a more sustainable future.
When Lizzie Carr-Archer, a Bayer key account manager responsible for the DEKALB portfolio, arrived at the airport, little did she know what an incredible trip awaited her. Having received a Nuffield Farming Scholarship for research into seed breeding and future farm inputs, she embarked on a trip to CIMMYT, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre, in Mexico, a journey of both professional and personal development.
Lizzie was completely absorbed by CIMMYT from the moment she arrived. After four hours sleep she was already out in the field looking at spring wheat crops.
The Research Centre is based in Ciudad Obregon, a rich area in terms of yield output and farmer wealth. With good water access via an impressive irrigation system and climate conditions that rarely dip below 20 degrees in the day, farmers push their crops to their limits with sky high 10t/ha spring wheat yields in just 5 months. While the soil and crop outputs are currently very good, water usage is badly managed in the region and slash and burn practices are common. Through trials CIMMYT are educating farmers on how their practices will impact the sustainability of their farms in the future.
The breeding team at CIMMYT send seeds to breeders and researchers all over the world for free. They are constantly developing area specific traits, for example bread quality seeds for Mexico, drought resistant ones for Northern Africa and rust resistant ones for Ethiopia.
They are also currently working on a solution to the fungal disease Karnal Bunt, which blights bread wheat in Mexico, as well as something to combat a virulent strain of stem rust ug99, which is devastating crops in Eastern Africa.
Photo of Stem Rust by Lizzie Carr-Archer
When you consider that CIMMYT is a charitable organisation, run purely to support developing world farmers, their work is extremely impressive.
CIMMYT works in 50 locations in Mexico alone, sharing data and educating farmers about sustainable future farming processes. They also collaborate globally and Lizzie met researchers from around the world, who through their breeding efforts impact pre-commercial breeding lines in every country of the world, even the UK.
Lizzie’s trip to Mexico was certainly out of her comfort zone, yet through openness and a willingness to make this trip a success she came away full of knowledge and adventures. It goes without saying that she’s excited about what her next trip to Australia will bring and how it will impact her research.
Read more about Lizzie’s research project here.