Our recent stories

The CSISA-COVID Response and Resilience Activity-Objective III is seeking Expressions of Interest (EOI) from private companies engaged in agricultural mechanization (repairing, distributing and manufacturing) to partner with the project. The project anticipates signing agreements with one or more successful partner(s), subject to alignment with […]

CSISA project in partnership with JEEViKA supports an inclusive extension system in Bihar to empower woman farmers COVID 19 has pushed 548 million people below the poverty line, most living in rural areas. The agricultural systems, as a result, have more people depending on them for livelihoods and food security. The role of the extension

The CSISA COVID-19 Response and Resilience Activity has signed an agreement with Mega Bank Nepal Ltd. to facilitate access to finance by promoting digital banking for smallholder farmers. A brief agreement signing ceremony was organized on May 6th, 2022, at the corporate office of Mega Bank Nepal Ltd, Kamaladi, Kathmandu.

The CSISA-COVID Response and Resilience Activity-Objective III is seeking Expressions of Interests (EOI) from private companies engaged in agricultural mechanization (repairing, distributing and manufacturing) to partner with the project. The project anticipates signing agreements with one or more successful partner(s), subject to alignment with […]

Through sustained efforts, the CSISA-KVK network successfully promotes the adoption of Early wheat sowing (EWS) by smallholder farmers in the EIGP (Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains) A Public Harvesting event was jointly organized by the KVK Saraiya and Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) in Sakari Chandpura village, Bandra block of […]

Background “Precision direct seeded rice based diversified systems for transforming labour requirement, yields and profitability of smallholder farmers in Odisha” in short “DSR-Odisha project” funded by Government of Odisha is being implemented by International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) since Rabi 2021-22 in collaboration with […]

Background Late transplanting of paddy is common in the rice-wheat cropping systems of Bihar and its neighboring regions. The delay in paddy transplantation further leads to late sowing of wheat, exposing it to high temperatures during the crucial grain-filling stage resulting in low system productivity. This study will assess factors that […]

Participants from across the country and region at the meeting proposed ideas and committed to actions for scaling innovations supporting smallholder farmers and strengthening project partnerships in-country and in the region. On March (13 – 19), 2022, the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) project convened their regional – […]

A two-day workshop on “Agricultural Mechanization in Bangladesh-The Future” held on 21st and 22nd March 2022 by the USAID funded Feed the Future Bangladesh Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia- Mechanization and Extension Activity (CSISA-MEA), in collaboration with Bangladesh Agriculture University at Pan Pacific Sonargaon, Dhaka, […]

CSISA Agricultural scientist shares experience as the first woman in STEM in her family. In the traditional Indian society Madhulika Singh grew up in, girls choosing to study science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) was as radical as choosing a life partner on their own. “They say women hold up half the sky. I believe

By Dr. Suresh,L.M. (2nd,March, 2022):  The maize lethal necrosis (MLN) artificial inoculation screening site in Naivasha, Kenya will begin its phenotyping (screening/ indexing) cycle of 2022 at the beginning of April 2022 and in other four intervals, interested organizations from both the private and public sectors are invited to send maize […]

By Dr. Suresh, L.M.: The maize lethal necrosis (MLN) artificial inoculation screening site in Naivasha, Kenya will begin its phenotyping (screening/ indexing) cycle of 2022 at the beginning of January 2022 and in other four intervals, interested organizations from both the private and public sectors are invited to send maize germplasm for […]

a). County extension officers and lead farmers visit the regional MLN screening unit at Naivasha: Fourty county extension officers and lead farmers from Uasin Gishu county and Tana River county and 5 KALRO facilitators visited the MLN screening unit at Naivasha on 27th October 2021. They were taken round by Mr. Wilson Njenga and Mr.

Dr. Suresh,L.M. (November, 2021): For a decade, scientists at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) have been at the forefront of a multidisciplinary and multi-institutional effort to contain and effectively manage maize lethal necrosis (MLN) disease in Africa. When the disease was first reported in Kenya 2011 it spread […]

By Dr. Suresh, L.M. (September, 2021) :  The maize lethal necrosis (MLN) artificial inoculation screening site in Naivasha, Kenya will begin the third interval of its phenotyping (screening/ indexing) cycle of 2021 at the beginning of October 2021. Interested organizations from both the private and public sectors are invited to send maize […]

CGIAR webinar examined the technological, sustainability and social implications of integrated approaches.   By Madeline Dahm March 25, 2021   In our hyper-connected world, it should come as no surprise that recent years have shown a major uptick in the spread of transboundary pests and diseases. Integrated approaches have been effective in […]

By Dr. Suresh, L.M.:  The maize lethal necrosis (MLN) artificial inoculation screening site in Naivasha, Kenya will begin the second interval of its phenotyping (screening/ indexing) cycle of 2021 at the beginning of April 2021. Interested organizations from both the private and public sectors are invited to send maize germplasm for screening. […]

By Dr. Suresh, L.M.: The maize lethal necrosis (MLN) artificial inoculation screening site in Naivasha, Kenya will begin its phenotyping (screening/ indexing) cycle of 2021 at the beginning of January 2021 and in other four intervals, interested organizations from both the private and public sectors are invited to send maize germplasm for […]

Highlights Maize lethal necrosis (MLN) emerged as a serious threat to maize production and livelihoods of smallholders in eastern Africa since 2011.        An intensive multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional strategy is being implemented to curb the spread of MLN in sub-Saharan Africa, and mitigate the impact of the disease. Intensive […]

  International Year of Plant Health 2020 Dr. Suresh, L.M. (CIMMYT) September 25: The maize lethal necrosis (MLN) artificial inoculation screening site in Naivasha, Kenya will begin the fifth interval of its phenotyping (screening/ indexing) cycle of 2020 at the beginning of November 2020. Interested organizations from both the private and public […]

Read the latest news from the just concluded Stress Tolerant Maize for Africa (STMA) initiative. This issue highlights the impact the project has had on farmers in sub-Saharan Africa, how it has helped build resilience of Africa’s smallholder farmers and how the improved maize varieties will enable partners to reach farmers on time to plant

Amondo, E., Simtowe, F., Rahut, D.B., Erenstein, O., 2019. Productivity and production risk effects of adopting drought-tolerant maize varieties in Zambia. International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management 11, 570-591. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCCSM-03-2018-0024 Awata, L. A. O., Ifie, B. E., Tongoona, P., Danquah, E., Jumbo, M. B., […]

Joshua Masinde Over 400 farmers from Manyatta in Embu County were on February 7, 2020, invited to a demonstration farm to witness the performance of various high yielding, early to medium maturing, drought tolerant maize varieties. Such occasions aim to encourage them to adopt varieties whose traits they preferred the most. They were invited by

Read the latest news from the Stress Tolerant Maize for Africa (STMA) initiative. This issue highlights stories on how stress tolerant maize is improving the lives of smallholder farmers in northern Uganda, after a two-decade civil war; why stress tolerant maize varieties are good for Africa and how CIMMYT and its partners are making systems

The Stress Tolerant Maize in Africa (STMA) project team in Nigeria used street theater to drum up messages on how to mitigate stresses affecting maize production in the country. The messages targeted mainly the youth, informing them that with the right stress-resilient seed varieties and the application of recommended agronomic practices, they can […]