the Symposium on Wheats for More Tropical Environments - cimmyt

33requires more than technical solutions.The general aspects of introducing anew technology are thoroughlydiscussed in chapters 7 and 8 of Wheatin <strong>the</strong> Third World (5). There is atremendous task of education andinstitutional change which must beaccomplished. Technical personnelmust be trained for experimentstations. and researchers often have tobecome familiar with a crop <strong>the</strong>y havenever worked with before. Problemorientedresearch must be initiated for<strong>the</strong> specific needs of <strong>the</strong> tropics and <strong>the</strong>tropical farmer. Research findings needto be disseminated to farmers andhousewives through extension andagricultural schools.It wUl not always be easy to create aresearch budget for a new crop whosepotential has not yet been proven.Credit and marketing face <strong>the</strong> sameproblem. However. a technology cannever be developed unless <strong>the</strong>re is aresearch budget. The importance of<strong>the</strong>se nontechnical problems should notbe underrated. Lack of leadership. teameffort. training and institutionalstructure can hinder or completely stopevery technical innovation achievedthrough research.SummaryThe combination of strong nationalprograms and international cooperationhas demonstrated that wheat can begrown in <strong>the</strong> tropics. and that what isbeing attempted is not impossible.Efforts are being made to push back <strong>the</strong>limits of possible wheat-growing areas.Results to date have shown thatclimatic limitations are not impossibleto resolve. For <strong>the</strong> research objectivesfor wheat in <strong>the</strong> tropics. and with <strong>the</strong>limited funds available. care must betaken to consider all aspects which canlead to <strong>the</strong> overall goal.To gUide our thinking. let us use <strong>the</strong>symbol of a net hauling in a big harvestof wheat for <strong>the</strong> benefit of all. If onethread is broken or weak. some wheatmay be lost. but <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r threads in<strong>the</strong> mesh can compensate for it to someextent. The whole catch may be lost.however. if <strong>the</strong>re are too many holes in<strong>the</strong> net. It is <strong>the</strong> task of everyoneinvolved in tropical wheat to identify<strong>the</strong> weak spots and get <strong>the</strong> holes closed;<strong>the</strong>se may be different for each country.The following country reports shouldpoint out what is currently being donein each of <strong>the</strong> national programs andwhat <strong>the</strong>ir strengths and weaknessesare.References1. CIMMYT. 1982. Results of <strong>the</strong>Eighteenth International SpringWheat Yield Nursery (lSWYN).1981-82. Mexico.2. CIMMYT. 1983 World Wheat Factsand Trends. Report Two: Ananalysis of rapidly rising ThirdWorld consumption and imports ofwheat. Mexico.3. Ootto. S.R.. C.A.B. Medieros.J.M.V. de Andrade and E.J.Iorczeski. 1984. A new wheatagricultural frontier at centralregion of Brazil. In Annual WheatNewsletter. vol. 30. P. 48.4; FAO. 1981. Production Yearbook.vol. 35. Rome. Italy.5. Hanson. H.. N.E. Borlaug and R.G.Anderson. 1982. Wheat in <strong>the</strong>Third World. Westview Press.Boulder. Colorado. USA. Pp. 83­118.