Wheat and maize productivity improvement in Afghanistan

• International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, Afghanistan

Afghanistan is unable to produce sufficient wheat and maize to achieve self-sufficiency in its most important and third most important cereal crops. Two decades of conflict have eroded the country's wheat and maize cropping industries. During this time international advances in agriculture largely bypassed Afghan farmers, particularly smallholders. The main constraints to increased production are lack of improved, well adapted varieties, poor availability of quality seed, lack of quality inputs, such as fertiliser, inadequate production technologies and agronomic practices, and damaged irrigation, road and market infrastructure.
International efforts over the past two years addressed many of these issues. ACIAR has managed a project to address varietal improvements of wheat and maize - funded by AusAID and implemented by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT). Appropriate germplasm (ranging from segregating populations to advanced lines and varieties) is available from CIMMYT, and from the region (e.g. Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan and India). This project built on work to date by identifying promising new wheat and maize lines through testing of introduced germplasm.

Identification of promising new wheat and maize lines through testing of introduced germplasm.
Release of new improved varieties after verification in farmers' fields and confirmation of consumer acceptability.
Production and dissemination of sufficient high quality breeder seed of current and new varieties of wheat and maize.
Adaptation of improved management practices for wheat and maize, including the new varieties, under local conditions.
Promotion of new varieties and improved management practices.
Building of Afghan capacity in wheat and maize improvement.

Objective 1 involved multi-location testing of potential advanced materials, continuation of international trials and nurseries, multi-location testing of elite varieties and genetic/environment (GxE) analysis. Objective 2 involved on-farm testing of promising and new varieties and demonstration of new varieties. Objective 3 led to the production of promising breeder seed and new varieties, in collaboration with the national agricultural research services. In the other three objectives the project team conducted agronomic experiments, organised NGO/farmer field days and travelling seminars in local languages (Dari and Pashto), conducted training at in-country workshops and technical meetings, arranged travelling seminars, provided field manuals and relevant information in English and Dari, and sent promising young scientists to training in CIMMYT Turkey and/or Mexico.

This project delivered outcomes in an environment with both logistical and security challenges, largely through the efforts of Dr Mahmood Osmanzai and his ability to develop networks with all organisations operating in Afghanistan. He was strongly supported by CIMMYT and all partnerships focused on developing in-country capability. In a number of cases, the success of this project's activities have enabled significant leverage and focusing of other aid resources in Afghanistan.
The project conducted and analysed 85 sets of trials or nurseries across Afghanistan on research stations and in farmers' fields. Direct outputs of this include:
the release of two wheat varieties, Solh-02 and Parva-2 (durum)
the development of a seed supply chain to support production and distribution
two further bread wheat candidates for consideration and approval for release by the national variety release committee
six bread wheat and durum identified in trials that have been multiplied for further testing and potential release
maize work focused on establishing a seed supply to permit more extensive testing; this includes the important step of providing local language instruction material on the multiplication of open-pollinated maize.
The project has contributed to building of research capability, provided farmers with access to information and trials, linked with and supported NGO activities, and contributed to new national regulatory frameworks especially in relation to management of plant varieties and seed. All of these activities give confidence that the project is making its contribution to the future capacity of Afghanistan.