The Impact of CIMMYT wheat germplasm on wheat productivity in China
2015
Huang, J. | Cheng Xiang | Yanqing Wang
This study examines the factors that affected wheat total factor productivity (TFP) growth in China, with a focus on China’s collaboration with the wheat breeding program of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and its free use of CIMMYT improved lines and other genetic resources, collectively termed “germplasm,” during 1982-2011. Based on a comprehensive dataset that included planted area, pedigree and agronomic traits by variety for 17 major wheat-growing provinces, both descriptive analyses and quantitative econometric estimates showed that the use of CIMMYT gemplasm had led to an increase in wheat TFP of between 5% to 14% (annual growth of between 0.17% and 0.45%) over that period, depending on the measurement used. This represents from 3.8 million to 10.7 million tons of added grain, worth between US $1.2 billion and US $3.4 billion, based on 2011 prices. Results also showed that China breeders’ use of CIMMYT germplasm had increased — CIMMYT contributions were present in more than 26% of all major wheat varieties in China after 2000 — and had significantly enhanced the varieties’ performance for important traits including yield potential, processing quality, disease resistance, and early maturity.
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