Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)

 China-CGIAR Partnership
 A Snapshot of Partnership Activities

China-CGIAR Partnership

China has been collaborating with CGIAR Centers since the early 1970s, and became a CGIAR member in 1984. The CGIAR works through the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), the research arm of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Seven CGIAR Centers: International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), International Potato Center (CIP), the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI), International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), and International Water Management Institute (IWMI), maintain regional offices in China.

Over 50 Chinese institutions have collaborated closely with CGIAR Centers. More than 3,400 Chinese scientists have received training at CGIAR Centers, many of whom are now occupying leadership positions throughout the CGIAR and at Chinese organizations. China's partnership with CGIAR Centers focuses on major food crops (maize, potatoes, rice and wheat), land and water management, livestock, forestry, fisheries, and food policy. And as a result of this partnership, China has bred more than 260 crop varieties containing genetic material from CGIAR Centers.

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A Snapshot of Partnership Activities

Fighting hunger through improved maize: More than one million ha of CIMMYT maize varieties have been planted across China. CIMMYT collaborates with the Asian Maize Biotechnology Network (AMBIONET) and CAAS in applying advanced biotechnology for maize improvement throughout China. More than 100 Chinese scientists have participated in CIMMYT knowledge exchange programs on hybrid maize technology and seed production.

Raising rice productivity: High-yielding rice lines and varieties from IRRI (including "IR-8") were being utilized by Chinese researchers well before formal relationships were established in 1984. Today, approximately 20% of China's rice contains IRRI varieties. Since China and IRRI began collaborating, more than 20 IRRI breeding lines have been released to farmers. In the 1980's, over 5 million ha of land were planted annually with IRRI's "Shanyou 63", an indica hybrid rice. From 1993-98, a total of 2,722 samples of IRRI cultivated rice and 636 samples of wild rice were distributed to Chinese scientists.

Pigeonpea planting expands: In 1998, ICRISAT researchers successfully introduced pigeonpea in Guangxi Province. Four years later, the total area planted to pigeonpeas increased to 60,000 ha. Pigeonpea is a hardy, drought-tolerant food legume high in protein and B vitamins, and offers the added benefit of fixing nitrogen and other nutrients in the soil. Pigeonpea is also a valuable source fodder for cattle, goats and rabbits.

Reducing Disease in Roots and Tubers: In 2004, CIP and Chinese scientists began working at the new CIP-China Center for Asia and the Pacific, a platform to upgrade research, development, and training for root and tuber crop researchers in the region. China is one of the largest users of CIP germplasm worldwide.

Sweet potato: In 1987, CIP began collaborating with Chinese scientists to develop new technologies to eliminate viral diseases in sweet potatoes. The techniques included new methods to identify viruses in sweet potato roots, and better systems for multiplying improved virus-free plant varieties. By the early 1990’s, these efforts helped boost sweet potato production by over 30% and expanding cultivated area to over 600,000 ha in Shandong Province.

Potato: In 1978, China and CIP worked together to develop a disease-resistant potato, "CIP-24", which is grown on approximately 70,000 ha, principally in China's drought-prone Northern provinces. CIP collaborates with the Root and Tuber Crop Research Institue of Yunnan Normal University and the Huize Agricultural Extension Center and has developed "Cooperation 88", a high-yielding potato variety currently grown on more than 100,000 ha in Yunnan Province alone.

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Bed planting and water management in the Yellow River: Serious water and soil erosion in the Yellow River has led to frequent basin-wide drought and floods. In 2000, an estimated 110 million Chinese lived in the basin area where food per capita was nearly 20% less than in the rest of China. The CGIAR Challenge Program "Water and Food" is cooperating with the Yellow River Conservancy Commission (YRCC) to develop pilot projects aimed at improving all aspects of water management.

In one example of impact, from 1998 to 2003, CIMMYT extended bed planting in the Yellow River Basin's Shandong Province from a few test plots to more than 26,000 ha. This particular method of water management involves planting crops on raised beds and applying inputs, including irrigation water in furrows. Bed planting improves soil fertility and structure and helps reduce erosion, water usage, herbicide use and facilitates mechanical and manual weeding. The technique has the potential to achieve 30-40% water savings in the river basin.

Winning steps for wheat: Since CIMMYT and China began collaborating, China has provided more than 1,000 commercial wheat lines to CIMMYT. In turn, over the years, China's wheat program has received more than 10,000 experimental wheat strains from CIMMYT. Cross-breeding with CIMMYT wheats has led to the development of leading varieties such as "Jinan 1" and "Jinmai 19", which are sown on more than 1 million ha each year. CIMMYT has worked with CAAS scientists to stop fusarium epidemics which can affect more than 7 million ha of wheat and result in losses of up to 2.5 million tons of grain. New improved wheat varieties developed by the

Partnerships to improve crop-livestock farming systems: Mixed farming systems (where crops and animals are integrated on the same farm) form the backbone of small-scale Asian agriculture. ILRI has partnered with CAAS and with National Agriculture Research Systems (NARS) from four Southeast Asian countries to form the Crop-Livestock System Research Network (CASREN). This network is applying participatory approaches to improve smallholder crop-livestock systems for poor farmers in the Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces, among others.

Regional pesticide use cut: Misuse and overuse of insecticide sprays by Asian rice farmers is dangerous to human health and damaging to the environment. In an attempt to cut pesticide use in the region, IRRI researchers have launched an innovative, basin wide public information campaign in the Mekong River Delta that is reaching 92% of the delta's 2.3 million farm households including in China. Overall, insecticide use has decreased by 72%. Paddy production in the delta increased to 14 million tons (up from 11 million tons). The campaign, which won Scotland's St. Andrew's Environmental Prize, is now being extended to one million rice farmers along the Red River which flows through China and Vietnam, and into the South China Sea.

Updated in March 2005