the Symposium on Wheats for More Tropical Environments - cimmyt

uToluca, a high-elevation station at2650 m and Ciudad Obregon (CIANO)in <strong>the</strong> Sonora desert at 40 m. CIANO isowned and operated principally by <strong>the</strong>government of Mexico, which hasallocated to CIMMYT 175 hectares ofland in an irrigated valley for acooperative wheat-improvementprogram. Within <strong>the</strong>se stations we cantypify most of <strong>the</strong> agroclimatic zones inwhich wheat and maize are grownaround <strong>the</strong> world.CIMMYT's products are germplasm,research procedures, trained personnel.information and consulting services.We have global testing networks ofwhich you are a part or, at least, now asubpart dealing with <strong>the</strong> tropicalgermplasm of <strong>the</strong> wheat program.International testing is important forgermplasm development, and it isimportant in <strong>the</strong> mechanism ofgermplasm distribution to ourcollaborators around <strong>the</strong> globe. Dealingwith both wheat and maize areapproXimately 125 nationalgovernments in <strong>the</strong> germplasmexchangeprogram.At CIMMYT, we have had in-servicetrainees or visiting scientists fromvirtually every country in <strong>the</strong> worldwhere wheat and maize are importantcrops. In this hemisphere, we haveregional programs in Mexico, CentralAmerica and <strong>the</strong> Caribbean, and <strong>the</strong>Andean Region and Sou<strong>the</strong>rn Cone ofSouth America. We work in West andNorth Mrica, in <strong>the</strong> areas that are nowclassified as East and sou<strong>the</strong>rn Mricaand in <strong>the</strong> ICARDA zone of nor<strong>the</strong>rnMrtca and <strong>the</strong> Middle East. We alsohave programs in South and Sou<strong>the</strong>astAsia. In each of those locations, wehave regional offices and/or regionalstaff posted to serve <strong>the</strong> nationalprograms. They conduct workshops,circulate regional nurseries, exchangeresearch data, expand trainingopportunities, support on-farm researchactivities and, we hope, improveconsulting services.Depending on <strong>the</strong> needs of particularcountries, we now have assigned staffwith special-project funding in Haiti,Peru, Ghana, Bangladesh, Pakistan andTurkey, working in national wheat ormaize improvement programs. Underconsideration are national programswith extra-core special project fundingin Ethiopia and Kenya.How are we doing? When one looks atwheat production on a global basis, <strong>the</strong>answer Is pretty well. Comparing <strong>the</strong>1979-81 period to 1969-71, <strong>the</strong>worldwide annual rate of increase inwheat yield has been 3.4%: <strong>the</strong> annualincrease in total production has been4.8%. Looking at selected individualcountries, <strong>the</strong> growth in wheatproduction and yield has been quitespectacular: here in Mexico <strong>the</strong>re hasbeen a compound growth rateapproaching 5% annually during <strong>the</strong>past 20 years. There have been peaksand valleys, depending on governmentpolicies, availability of water andseasonal variations, but <strong>the</strong> trendcontinues to go up. In 1983-84, it Ispredicted that It will go even higher.In India, an average of 10.5 million tonsof wheat were harvested from 1961 to1965. For 1984, <strong>the</strong> harvest Is reportedto be in <strong>the</strong> neighborhood of 45 m1lliontons. There Is a similar story inPakistan and also in Turkey. In Turkey,<strong>the</strong> increase in production has comeabout as a result of improved farmingpractices and farming systems ra<strong>the</strong>rthan through <strong>the</strong> use of improvedgenetic materials; it has been basedlargely on· better dryland farmingpractices, espec1al1y on <strong>the</strong> Anatolianplateau.