Developing and deploying climate-resilient maize varieties in the developing world

In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and Asia maize yields remain variable due to climate shocks. Over the past decade extensive progress has been made on the development and delivery of climate-resilient maize. In 2016 over 70 000 metric tonnes of drought-tolerant maize seed was commercialized in 13 countri...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Cairns, J.E., Prasanna, B.M.
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2018
Country:México
Institution:Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maíz y Trigo
Repository:Repositorio Institucional de Publicaciones Multimedia del CIMMYT
OAI Identifier:oai:repository.cimmyt.org:10883/19523
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10883/19523
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
Grain Yield
Resilient Varieties
MAIZE
CROP YIELD
RESILIENCE
GENETIC GAIN
DROUGHT
Description
Summary:In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and Asia maize yields remain variable due to climate shocks. Over the past decade extensive progress has been made on the development and delivery of climate-resilient maize. In 2016 over 70 000 metric tonnes of drought-tolerant maize seed was commercialized in 13 countries in SSA, benefiting an estimated 53 million people. Significant progress is also being made with regard to the development and deployment of elite heat-tolerant maize varieties in South Asia. Increased genetic gain in grain yield under stress-prone environments, coupled with faster replacement of old/obsolete varieties, through intensive engagement with seed companies is essential to protect maize crops grown by smallholders from the changing climates in SSA and Asia.