The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and the Government of Uzbekistan have signed an award agreement to begin the bridge phase of the Advancing Wheat Innovation and Capacity in Uzbekistan (AWIC-UZ) initiative, a program designed to modernize the country's wheat sector and strengthen long-term food security.

The agreement advances a letter of intent signed in March 2026 and establishes the foundation for a broader AWIC-UZ program planned for the future. The initiative follows a wheat cropping and productivity assessment conducted in 2025 by CIMMYT scientists in collaboration with Uzbekistan's Ministry of Agriculture.

Wheat plays a central role in Uzbekistan's food security and rural economy, but the crop faces increasing challenges from climate change, disease pressures and production constraints. Shortened growing seasons, yellow rust, soil-borne pathogens and the emergence of Fusarium head blight have raised concerns about both yield and grain quality in key production regions.

The 18 month bridge phase is intended to generate immediate technical outcomes while creating a roadmap for the larger program. Activities will include the introduction of selected CIMMYT germplasm, multi-location phenotypic evaluations, expansion of speed-breeding capacity and systematic surveys for yellow rust, soil-borne pathogens and Fusarium head blight.

The project will also connect Uzbekistan to a global wheat disease surveillance and advisory network to strengthen early warning and monitoring capabilities.

A major focus of the initiative is building scientific and institutional capacity within the country's wheat sector. The agreement supports placements for postdoctoral researchers and graduate students at CIMMYT's headquarters in Mexico and its office in Türkiye. Training programs will focus on breeding methodologies and root disease management.

A national technical workshop will be held in Uzbekistan to coordinate research activities, review progress and support long-term institutional development.

The bridge phase also aims to strengthen and unify the country's wheat breeding efforts through a coordinated national program using advanced breeding methods and genomic selection tools. Participating institutions will collaborate on breeding, pathology, phenotyping, training, field operations and data management.

Beyond research and training, the initiative seeks to improve collaboration across the wheat value chain. CIMMYT and Uzbekistan plan to work with farmers, private companies, farmer cooperatives, nongovernmental organizations and international partners on areas including seed systems, breeding, disease management, agronomy and market access.

Officials said the effort is expected to strengthen domestic wheat production while positioning Uzbekistan as a regional leader in wheat research and disease surveillance. The modernization of breeding infrastructure and research capabilities is intended to support food and nutrition security across Central Asia as agricultural systems face increasing environmental and production challenges.

Source: CIMMYT, "CIMMYT and Uzbekistan Join Efforts to Transform the Country’s Wheat Sector"