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Title Tropical lowland maize subprogram: annual research report 2005
 
Names Córdova Orellana, H.
Krivanek, A.F.
Date Issued 2005 (iso8601)
Abstract 2005 Brought back our real name "Maize Program" and left aside Tropical Ecosystems (TES) program. Our research activities in the tropical lowland subprogram were highly oriented to QPM research supported by the CIDA funded Agrosalud Project that provided resources to fund 100% of the maize breeding operational field activities in the tropical lowland and supported partially the highland, subtropical, physiology, entomology and pathology units. In the CIMMYT research strategy we are devoted to focus more of our investment on the small farmers with limited resources to alleviate hunger and malnutrition in the developing world, this is what we have being accomplishing in the past 10 years or more and certainly we have succeeded. Dedication of the staff always striving for excellence, allowed us to develop new products that will help national programs and private seed companies to put new maize cultivars into the hands of all types of maize farmers in the tropical megaenvironment. Cultivars that possess yield stability and buffer capacity to absorb the many constraints of maize production resulting from the changing climate and environment. Our contribution to increase food security and alleviate malnutrition in the developing world, received tremendous support when India informed us that 4000 metric tons of QPM hybrids were produced to plant to 200,000 hectares of QPM maize in 2005. In 2005 we planted 29 different types of trials, hybrids and synthetics in 312 sets of trials, 16 QPM and 13 normal endosperm, including 1632 hybrids indifferent stages of breeding in seven locations: two in Mexico (Cotaxtla Veracruz, Agua Fria Puebla, three in Guatemala (Las Vegas, Cuyuta, and Monjas), one in India (Hyderabad), one in Colombia (Turipana) and Ejido in Panama. Trial 01-05TTWLWQ was planted in 44 locations on farmer's fields in Central America, Mexico and Colombia under the Project Agrosalud funded by CIDA. In addition, four international trials were shipped to more than 40 countries. The network of Latin American QPM breeders was initiated and we hosted the first meeting of this important network, 24 maize breeders from 14 countries met at CIMMYT El Batan, Agua Fria and Tlaltizapan August 15 to 19 2005, and discussed progress and future breeding strategies for QPM. Results are very exciting with yields up to 13.7 t/ha at Monjas, Guatemala in single cross hybrids. Our hybrids also performed well under stressed and non-stressed environments. 10 new TWC tropical white hybrids QPM out-yielded seed industry with 30 to 50% more yield. Normal and QPM synthetic varieties were extensively tested in marginal environments in Latin America and Asia. In this report we made a recommendation focused on how the new products developed can effectively be used to contribute to increase maize productivity in the developing world once the germplasm is adopted by farmers. Mid 2005 Gilberto Avila left CIMMYT and moved to Monsanto and we lost a very important support in field activities. The tropical lowland maize subprogram staff appreciates all the support received from other sub programs and units and GMP Direction. We are grateful to CIMMYT Maize Outreach in Eastern and Southern Africa, South America and India for conducting our trials. We are also grateful to Cristiani Burkard and PROSEMILLAS in Guatemala, Messina Beej Company in India and in Mexico for their support in conducting trials at their experimental sites. yve also are grateful to Mario Fuentes, Carlos Perez, Sergio Mejia, Felix, Mauro Sierra, Artemio Palafox, Roman Gordon, Hector Deras, Alberto Espinoza, Daisy Ortega, Eduardo Narro, Edgardo Noldin, Ismael Camargo, Veronica Machado, Pura Paz and for the assistance in conducting trials at their respective stations. We encourage maize scientists in outreach to read this report carefully because it contains information that can be useful for your region and to test the superior germplasm under the production system of farmers planting maize in the developing world.
Genre Annual Report
Access Condition Open Access
Identifier http://hdl.handle.net/10883/3750