Strengthening collaborative
maize breeding networks in
Latin America
CIMMYT has a long history of collaborative maize breeding in Latin America. A new effort, the International Maize Improvement Consortium—Latin America (IMIC-LatAm) strengthens maize breeding programs of the national agricultural research systems (NARS), universities, and seed companies. CIMMYT provides elite maize inbred lines, which partners use in their own breeding programs.
Nurturing collaborative breeding networks allows CIMMYT and a diverse range of partners to test advanced maize germplasm. Breeding becomes faster, so new and more productive hybrids reach the farming communities sooner.
Since 2011, CIMMYT has partnered with national agricultural research systems (NARS), universities, and small and medium-sized enterprises that make up the Collaborative Evaluation Network in Mexico (CEN-Mexico). The network has evaluated hybrids developed from CIMMYT maize germplasm. Forty of these hybrids were released in the Mexican seed market by the partner institutions.
Up to 7,630 tons of hybrid maize seed developed with CIMMYT germplasm are sold annually in Mexico. At least three field days are held every year where partners evaluate elite maize germplasm from CIMMYT. In 2022, the CEN-Mexico network planted 71 pre-commercial (Stage 5) hybrid maize trials at 65 sites in Mexico.
Seed companies manage these trials with their own resources, allowing CIMMYT to collect performance data, advance best-bet hybrids and deploy the new hybrids through partners more efficiently. In October 2022, four new hybrids were made available to the partners (CIM20LAPP1C-9, CIM20LAPP1C-10, CIM20LAPP1A-12, CIM20LAPP1A-11). These hybrids are high-yielding, drought-tolerant, and resistant to ear rots and to fungal leaf diseases.
In 2021 CIMMYT and over 25 partners started a new network, the International Maize Improvement Consortium—Latin America (IMIC-LatAm). Partners include NARS institutions, universities, and seed companies in Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala and Brazil. Evaluating hybrids is the main purpose of CEN-Mexico, but IMIC-LatAm goes a step further, as partners choose elite inbred lines from CIMMYT and use them to breed their own lines and hybrids.
IMIC-LatAm is similar to consortia established by CIMMYT in Asia (IMIC-Asia) and Africa (IMIC-Africa).
In 2022, CIMMYT held two field days in Mexico: at the Ernest W. Sprague Experimental Station in Agua Fría, Puebla, and at the El Batán Station in Texcoco (CIMMYT headquarters) where IMIC-LatAm and CEN-Mexico members reviewed 718 early generation (Stage 2) and advanced inbred lines (Stage 3). Members from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala and Brazil selected 272 of these lines, which are now being used in the partners’ own breeding programs. The traits preferred by the partners included high yield, good plant height, and low ear position for easier mechanical harvesting.
“We have had an encouraging response from the partners, who have enthusiastically attended the IMIC-LatAm and CEN-Mexico field days. Now they are testing the inbred lines in their own markets, and multiplying seed to sell new, publicly-announced CIMMYT hybrids. This helps us to move quickly to breed more hybrids with good yield potential and with disease resistance and climate adaptation. Some of these new hybrids will be ready for release by 2025,” says CIMMYT maize breeder, Félix San Vicente.
CMMYT´s current catalog for Latin America has 35 elite maize hybrids: https://maizecatalog.cimmyt.org/.
Félix San Vicente
CIMMYT Maize breeder
We have had an encouraging response from the partners, who have enthusiastically attended the IMIC-LatAm and CEN-Mexico field days. Now they are testing the inbred lines in their own markets, and multiplying seed to sell new, publicly-announced CIMMYT hybrids. This helps us to move quickly to breed more hybrids with good yield potential and with disease resistance and climate adaptation. Some of these new hybrids will be ready for release by 2025.
With the right tools, smallholders can trade on voluntary carbon markets and keep carbon in the soil. ©CIMMYT.
Breeding becomes faster, so new and more productive hybrids reach the farming communities sooner.
In 2021 CIMMYT and over 25 partners started a new network, the International Maize Improvement Consortium—Latin America (IMIC-LatAm).
