1. No. 1941 •06-10 July 2015
The Gola: Storing Maize to Improve
Livelihoods in Chuadanga, Bangladesh
Elahi Baksh and M. Shahidul Haque Khan
Farmers in Chuadanga District of Bangladesh have been
using a unique local method to store their maize: the gola.
G
olas are large rectangular or
cylindrical containers used to
store seed and animal feed.
In Bangladesh, golas are traditionally
used to store paddy rice. They are
made locally using bamboo for the
sides and tin for the roof, can last
up to 80 years and hold from 2 to 20
tons of grain.
Many Bangladeshi farmers believe
that, unlike rice, maize grain cannot
be stored in golas due to its high
susceptibility to insects and pests. To
keep its quality from deteriorating,
farmers normally sell maize grain
at a minimum price as quickly as
possible after harvest.
Unlike most of the country’s farmers,
Chuadanga farmers use golas to store
maize grain until its market price goes
up, which results in higher profits.
According to a recent CIMMYT-
Bangladesh survey, the longer they
store the seed, the higher the profit.
“The profit earned by the Chuadanga
farmers through maize grain storage
helps to increase the national per
capita income, allowing Bangladesh
to become a middle income country,”
said Prodip Hajong, Senior Officer
in Agricultural Economics at the
Bangladesh Agricultural Research
Institute (BARI).
Eighty percent of all maize grain
produced in Chuadanga is stored
anywhere from 4 to 43 weeks and
sold for a higher price. According to
the survey, golas were the preferred
storage for maize and used by over
60% of respondent households.
Each household earned a profit of
approximately USD $389.68 in 2012,
USD $315.64 in 2013 and USD $130.19
in 2014. During 2014, the overall
market price of maize grain was low
compared to previous years; that
is why farmers’ profit margin was
comparatively small.
“High temperatures inside the gola
help maintain grain quality by killing
insects, their larvae and eggs,” said
Abdul Momin, CIMMYT Cropping
Systems Agronomist. With assistance
from the Cereal Systems Initiative in
South Asia in Bangladesh (CSISA-BD)
project, Chuadanga farmers have been
modifying their golas – for example,
by reinforcing the floors with tin
to prevent post-harvest losses from
rodents and insects – so that they can
store maize for longer periods.
The CIMMYT-Bangladesh survey
was conducted by CIMMYT
researchers Frederick Rossi,
Agricultural Economist; Elahi Baksh,
Applied Agricultural Economist;
Abdul Momin, Cropping System
Agronomist; Thakur P. Tiwari,
Country Representative in Bangladesh
and Prodip Hajong, Senior Officer in
Agricultural Economics at BARI. They
recommended making an action plan
in collaboration with the Department
of Agricultural Extension, BARI and
local NGOs, to demonstrate and
disseminate this low cost technology
throughout the country.
Maize grains can be stored in a modified
gola for several months.
Photo:AbdulMomin-CIMMYT
Farmers in Chuadanga, Bangladesh, modified their traditional golas to be able to store maize
longer and earn higher profits.
Photo:AbdulMomin-CIMMYT

2. 2 CIMMYT Informa
CIMMYT-CCAFS Initiative Develops 500 New Climate-
Smart Villages in Haryana, India
M.L. Jat, H.S. Jat and Tripti Agarwal
A climate-smart farmer in Ludhiana, Punjab, India.
Photo:P.Casier/CGIAR
T
he Department of Agriculture
(DoA) of the Indian state of
Haryana, in collaboration with
CIMMYT-CCAFS, developed an
action plan to mainstream climate-
smart agriculture (CSA) in the state
and develop 500 new climate-smart
villages (CSVs), at a workshop held on
8 June 2015. Over the past three years,
Haryana has successfully adopted CSA
technologies and practices through
a CSV initiative of CIMMYT and the
CGIAR Research Program on Climate
Change, Agriculture and Food Security
(CCAFS). Demand-driven policies and
engagement by local governments are
essential to ensure CSVs continue to
expand throughout the country.
CSVs identify, adapt and evaluate
demand-driven CSA interventions
aimed at improving the capacity
of local farmers to adapt to climate
change. Northwest India, which is
crucial to the country’s food security,
faces diverse challenges to meet
current and future food demands.
Problems such as groundwater
scarcity, soil health deterioration, heat
stress, erratic rainfall due to climate
change and high input costs are
taking a toll on farmers.
In response, India has promoted
a portfolio of successful CSA
interventions, particularly in Haryana,
and has developed over two dozen
CSVs in the last three years. Rice-
wheat systems in these CSVs have
proven more resilient than other areas
to tough climatic challenges, such as
extremely high rainfall during the
2014-2015 winter season. While many
farmers experienced yield losses of
30-50%, those in CSVs only lost 5-10%.
The success of 28 CSVs in Haryana’s
Karnal district over the last three
years has raised the confidence level
of stakeholders, particularly the
state’s DoA, which are now involved
in developing more CSVs in the state
in close collaboration with CIMMYT-
CCAFS and partners.
According to an official letter issued
by the DoA piloting the new 500
CSVs, “The farmers of our state are
facing challenges of natural resource
degradation, high input costs and
frequent weather abrasions due to
climate change. The adoption of
climate-smart agriculture technologies
[and] new innovative practices in
agriculture is essential.”
Farmer-friendly policies that prioritize
CSA have been implemented by the
government of Haryana, but more
has to be done to ensure further
adoption of CSA throughout the
state and the country. During the
workshop, a roadmap was designed
for implementing the 500 CSVs,
that includes devising strategies
to attract rural youth and women
to agribusinesses across the state.
Suresh Gehlawat, Additional Director
Agriculture, government of Haryana,
called this approach a “win-win for all
stakeholders.” Knowledge sharing and
capacity building to promote CSAs
contribute to the continuous expansion
of CSVs across state and country.
CIMMYT-CCAFS climate-smart village site in Haryana, India.
Photo:CIMMYT/CCAF

3. 3 CIMMYT Informa
“No Burning in Chiapas”
GCAP Campaign
“To increase my production, I don’t
burn residues; I use them. I practice
conservation agriculture.” This
slogan was promoted by CIMMYT’s
Global Conservation Agriculture
Program (GCAP) from March to
May 2015 through a communications
campaign in the state of Chiapas,
Mexico. The campaign aimed to
inform farmers and agronomists of
the devastating effects of residue
burning and its potential risks. It also
focused on topics such as the benefits
of residue retention, sustainable
alternatives to conventional practices,
and how burning contributes to
global warming.
According to Mexico’s National
Forestry Commission, 40% of forest
fires start in farm plots, due mainly to
residue burning and burning to clear
land for farming. Forest fires release
large amounts of carbon dioxide and
other pollutants that contribute to
global warming and climate change.
Global warming has already affected
several agricultural areas in Mexico.
For example, in 2014, there was a
severe drought in Chiapas that lasted
45 days and caused all agricultural
production to be lost, reinforcing the
importance of MasAgro’s mission to
promote environmentally friendly
agronomic practices.
MasAgro was able to interact with its
users through its mobile information
service, MasAgro Movil, to carry
out a scoping exercise. The exercise
helped MasAgro identify farmers’
problems concerning residue and
agricultural burning. With input from
several farmers, MasAgro crafted key
messages directed at solving issues
such as reducing weed incidence,
fertilizer use and soil erosion and
conserving soil moisture.
The campaign also dealt with topics
such as the perceived benefits
of burning versus sustainable
alternatives that generate long-term
benefits; the benefits of retaining
residues in farm plots; residue
burning and its contribution to
global warming, and technical
tips for handling residues. Finally,
testimonials were gathered from
farmers who have already experienced
the benefits of retaining residues in
their plots.
These key messages were transmitted
through MasAgro’s communication
outlets, such as using the hashtag
#ChiapasNoQuema and MasAgro
Movil in social media. In addition,
four farmer interviews were broadcast
on the regional radio station of
the National Commission for the
Development of Indigenous Peoples,
and a series of articles were published
in MasAgro’s online magazine EnlACe.
The campaign reached farmers in
all corners of the state of Chiapas
thanks to the strong support of many
institutions, organizations, regional
offices and service providers. Through
the No Burning in Chiapas campaign,
CIMMYT spearheaded the drive to
promote sustainable practices while
providing relevant information and
technical assistance.
Residue burning contributes to global
warming by increasing the greenhouse
gases released into the atmosphere.
Crop residues burning in a farmer’s field, Chiapas.
Photo:RodolfoVilchis
Abraham Menaldo and Paola López Amezcua

4. 4 CIMMYT Informa
Training on Developing Stress-resilient Maize at
CIMMYT-Hyderabad, India
K. Seetharam and P.H. Zaidi
A
training course on developing
stress-resilient maize for
early-/mid-career maize
breeders from national programs,
agricultural universities and seed
companies, especially small and
medium enterprises (SMEs), was
held at CIMMYT-Hyderabad, India,
on 15 May 2015. The course was
open to partners in the Heat Tolerant
Maize for Asia (HTMA) project
and members of the International
Maize Improvement Consortium
(IMIC-Asia). It covered key aspects
of precision phenotyping, including
enhancing precision of field trials,
managing adequate levels of stress
to express available genotypic
variability, using advanced tools
to capture data efficiently and
precision in recording various traits
in phenotyping trials.
At the outset, B.S. Vivek, Maize
Breeder at CIMMYT-Hyderabad,
introduced the course agenda and
objectives and mentioned that
participants would learn various
aspects of stress phenotyping. C.
Aditya, System Developer, and M.T.
Vinayan, Maize Stress Breeder at
CIMMYT-Hyderabad, discussed
FIELD-LOG, the new android-based
data-capturing software developed
by CIMMYT. They explained the
details of its software applications
and the method used for recording
data in the field and transferring
them to a computer.
FIELD-LOG is an excellent user-
friendly system that increases the
efficiency of data capturing and
processing, and at the same time
significantly reduces the chances of
human error. Participants received
hands-on training on using FIELD-
LOG to install, operate and record
data in the field, and then transfer
them to a computer. This was
followed by a series of presentations
by P.H. Zaidi, Senior Maize
Physiologist, CIMMYT-Hyderabad,
on various aspects of field-based
precision phenotyping for abiotic
stress, including site selection and
characterization.
K. Seetharam, Project Scientist at
CIMMYT-Hyderabad, discussed
various plant traits and the proper
way of capturing data in field
phenotyping trials. Participants
practiced recording data on various
traits in heat stress phenotyping
trials using the FIELD-LOG system.
M.T. Vinayan explained the do’s
and don’t’s in field phenotyping at
various stages.
At the end, participants provided
feedback on the course and thanked
CIMMYT for organizing it. They also
suggested adding other features to
further enhance the usefulness of the
FIELD-LOG system.
Training course participants.
Participants record phenotyping data using
FIELD-LOG.
Photo:HMalateshKumar/CIMMYT-Hyderabad

5. 5 CIMMYT Informa
CIMMYT Advances in Fight against MLN
Jennifer Johnson
S
cientists have made progress
in identifying maize varieties
that could combat maize lethal
necrosis (MLN) disease, reported
SciDev.Net Sub-Saharan Africa last
month in the article “Experts on track
to create maize varieties to tame
virus” by Robin Hammond.
The scientific news website reported
from the International Conference
on Diagnostics and Management
of Maize Lethal Necrosis in Africa
held in Nairobi, Kenya, 12-14 May.
The conference discussed issues on
diagnostics and management of the
disease, which has wreaked havoc
in East Africa since first reported in
Kenya in 2011. Curbing the disease
is imperative for improving food
security in the region, making the
development and deployment of new
MLN-resistant maize varieties of the
utmost importance.
“We have now identified promising
lines with resistance to MLN,”
announced CIMMYT maize breeder
Yoseph Beyene.
B.M. Prasanna, Director of
CIMMYT’s Global Maize Program
(GMP), discussed the importance
of improving MLN surveillance
and diagnostic capacity throughout
Africa in order to keep the virus from
spreading through contaminated
seeds. “Farmers also need to be
sensitized on appropriate agronomic
practices that reduce disease
incidence and severity,” he added.
To learn more about CIMMYT’s
comprehensive efforts to combat
MLN both in the lab and the field,
and the search for resistance, view
the recently published article here on
MAIZE.org.
Photo:FlorenceSipalla/CIMMYT
Monica Mezzalama, Head of the CIMMYT’s
Seed Health Unit, searches for MLN
resistance in the Biosafety Lab at El Batán.
Photo:SamStorr/CIMMYT
Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA) Project
Leader Tsedeke Abate examines the impact of MLN
on a seed production farm in Babati, Tanzania.
Editors: AlmaMcNab,GenevieveRenard,KatelynRoett
TranslatorandEditor:MaríaConcepciónCastro-Aragón • GraphicDesigner:MarceloOrtiz-Sánchez

6. 6 CIMMYT Informa
iButtons Offer Low-cost,
Durable Field Monitoring
Carissa Wodehouse and Kai Sonder
C
IMMYT’s GIS unit recently acquired an iButton
(Hygrochron), a small environmental sensor that
records temperature and relative humidity in
increments starting from 1 second, and then holds the data
until retrieval. About the size of a coin, it is encased in a
stainless steel can, which makes it appropriate for field use
and temperatures from -20°C to +85°C.​​
Bioversity calls it “especially useful for investigating
microclimates in hilly areas, where local weather data can
flucturate drastically over short distances.” An iButton
costs about USD $100, and has a battery that lasts around
two years.
At CIMMYT, iButtons can be used for monitoring:
postharvest, on-farm trials in need of low-cost climate
data monitoring; the temperature in biotech freezers; and
the humidity under the crop canopy in the field. A free
field manual on using iButtons for weather observation is
available from Bioversity​.
iButtons and information on their use are available from
the GIS Unit upon request.
Photo:KaiSonder/CIMMYT
Several iButtons with the USB data retrieval device they plug
into, and a data downloader kit.
Close-up of an iButton.
Photocourtesyofmaximintegrated.
Social Media
Corner
CIMMYT’s top mention this week came from the MAIZE
CRP Facebook page. On a weekly basis, MAIZE
updates its followers on the milpa crop system that is
currently flourishing behind the main building at CIMMYT
Headquarters, El Batán, Mexico.
Traditional to Central America, milpa is an inter-cropping
system in which maize, beans and squash are grown
together. The crops provide benefits to each other as
they grow; maize serves as a stalk for beans to climb,
beans compensate for the nutrients that maize extracts
from the soil and squash helps to control weeds
and retain moisture within the soil. When consumed
together, the crops provide a healthy balance of protein,
carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.
Follow the MAIZE CRP Facebook page here for weekly
#MilpaMonday posts and other maize news.
Keep up with CIMMYT’s online presence at the Social
Media Corner. Each week, we will select and feature the
top posts, mentions and followers from CIMMYT’s social
media platforms. Be sure to follow us on our accounts,
listed below:
CIMMYT 63Followers
this week
+
12, 201 total followers
Top Mention
30 June- 7 July, 2015