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12. Foundation seed production units in cooperation with NARSs and SMEs in Latin America, sub‐
Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia for a consistent local source for breeding lines.
Research and development partners
Research collaboration will be formalized with partners that are able and willing to engage in highquality
collaborative phenotyping and open‐source breeding. CIMMYT and IITA have collaborative
germplasm development with diverse national research systems and private sector partners in Africa,
Latin America, and Asia. Using a competitive approach, this network will be strengthened and
performance contracts developed with public and private organizations that can provide rapid return of
high‐quality data or contribute to open‐source breeding and have effective germplasm import/export
approaches.
Development partners will include formalized members of an International Maize Improvement
Consortium (IMIC) from national research systems, the private sector, and non‐governmental
organizations. Members will influence breeding priorities and get rapid and (in some instances)
preferential access to resulting germplasm, training, and outputs from other MAIZE initiatives, in
particular crop management innovations. Membership will imply a distinct set of obligations, including
return of information on germplasm performance and use. Non‐members will get access to a more
limited set of germplasm as international public goods.
Outcomes
The public and private sector seed industries will provide low‐cost seed of diverse and highlyproductive
maize hybrids to farmers who are in transition from subsistence or semi‐commercial
footing to commercial production.
Smallholder farmers will increase their production, improve their livelihoods, and will have less need
to encroach into forests or use hill slopes for maize production.
A diversifying seed industry in developing countries will provide employment opportunities and give
rise to innovations.
National research systems and seed companies will participate in research consortia that empower
them to establish and implement an effective collaborative research agenda, including use of new
research tools and information.
Key milestones
2010: Collaborative development of business plans, terms of interaction with research for development
partners, and refined specification of germplasm requirements.
2011: International Maize Improvement Consortium (IMIC) established in Asia, Africa, and Latin America
and web platform established.
2011: Geographic information systems and client feedback used to better define undersupplied markets
and relative priorities.
2011: Impediments to the establishment and operation of viable seed companies in West Africa
identified and results published and disseminated.
2012: Screening sites chosen for the IMIC phenotyping consortium; performance contracts formalized
with reliable research partners for the 20 most important traits worldwide, selected from among:
Abiotic stress tolerance traits: Drought, low nitrogen, low pH, aluminum toxicity, heat and
waterlogging.
Biotic stress resistance traits: Distinct traits for resistance to diseases, parasitic weeds and insect
pests.
Mega‐environment adaptation: Maturity and yield potential in six mega‐environments.
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