BEIJING: Scientists, experts and senior officials have called for higher-level international cooperation to advance scientific and technological innovation in Asia’s maize sector, as climate change poses a growing threat to regional food security.
They made the remarks at the ongoing 14th Asian Maize Conference, which kicked off in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, on Saturday. The five-day event has brought together more than 750 participants from 31 countries, including heads of research institutes, breeding experts and industry practitioners, to address the challenges facing maize production across Asia.
“Maize is more than a crop — it is the biological feedstock for food security, nutrition security, industrial growth and a sustainable future for Asia,” said Boddupalli M. Prasanna, distinguished scientist and regional director for Asia at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center.
Asia accounts for 29 percent of global maize production, Prasanna said, citing data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. However, extreme weather, transboundary pests and diseases, resource constraints and market volatility are placing higher demands on stable maize supply and sustainable development in Asia.
“Without proper adaptation measures, climate change could reduce Asia’s rain-fed maize yields by 15 to 25 percent on average, with some subregions exceeding 25 percent yield losses,” he added.
Prasanna called for efforts to conserve and unlock maize genetic diversity through improved germplasm and data sharing, accelerate breeding for climate resilience and nutrition with gene editing, genomic selection and artificial intelligence, and move innovation to fields via better seed systems and public-private partnerships.
Yang Zhenhai, secretary of the leading Party group of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, said China — as Asia’s largest maize producer and consumer — places vital importance on the crop’s role in food security.
“No country can tackle these growing global challenges alone,” Yang said, stressing that Asian countries should work together to closely integrate germplasm conservation with cutting-edge technological innovation, promote climate-resilient and sustainable production systems, and build an open and inclusive community for maize cooperation.
Zhang Zhenhua, deputy director-general of the science and technology department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, proposed that countries should strengthen joint research on frontier and key common technologies in maize production, as well as practical cooperation in academic exchanges, technology transfer, personnel visits and standards alignment.
Noting that Asian countries have different strengths in maize production, Zhang called for mutual learning of advanced technologies and models to build a resilient, high-yield, resource-efficient and environmentally friendly farming system and jointly safeguard regional food security against climate and industrial risks. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
