# CIMMYT

Biofortified Maize/Wheat — Conventional breeding for Zinc.

Source: https://en.bioecon.ru/companies/cimmyt/
Updated: 2026-06-24

- Country: MX

## Verifiable facts

| Fact | Value | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Affiliation | CGIAR Research Center | https://repository.cimmyt.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/fcc569a1-ffe6-4a55-a59c-68f1e8f09370/content |
| Research focus | Conventional breeding of maize and wheat for increased zinc and iron content | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30201978/, https://www.cimmyt.org/news/biofortified-maize-and-wheat-can-improve-diets-and-health-new-study-shows/, https://www.cimmyt.org/projects/biofortified-maize-for-improved-human-nutrition/, https://www.cimmyt.org/work/wheat-research/ |
| Facility | CIMMYT headquarters in Texcoco, Mexico | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30201978/, https://www.cimmyt.org/ |
| Facility | Norman E. Borlaug Experiment Station (CENEB) in Ciudad Obregon, Mexico | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30201978/ |
| Grant | Wheat breeding program funded at approximately $15 million per annum as of 2017; seeking $1.2 billion for 2023-2027 strategy | https://www.cimmyt.org/content/uploads/2023/01/CIMMYT-Nourishing-the-World-Sustainably-2023-2027.pdf, https://www.cimmyt.org/news/moving-zinc-enriched-wheat-into-the-mainstream/ |
| Publications | Extensive research publications on genetic gain, zinc concentration dissection, and biofortification breeding progress | https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.20759, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30201978/ |
| Principal staff | Velu Govindan (Breeder/Lead for biofortified wheat), Ravi P. Singh, Natalia Palacios (Maize nutrition quality specialist) | https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.20759, https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003307938-16, https://www.cimmyt.org/news/biofortified-maize-and-wheat-can-improve-diets-and-health-new-study-shows/, https://www.cimmyt.org/work/wheat-research/ |
| Headcount | 1,837 staff as of 2026 | https://www.cimmyt.org/, https://www.cimmyt.org/content/uploads/2023/01/CIMMYT-Nourishing-the-World-Sustainably-2023-2027.pdf |
| Headcount | 1,250 staff mentioned as of 2023-2027 documentation | https://www.cimmyt.org/content/uploads/2023/01/CIMMYT-Nourishing-the-World-Sustainably-2023-2027.pdf |

Independent sources: doi.org, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

## Technologies

- [Biofortification of crops](https://en.bioecon.ru/technology/biofortification-of-crops/)
- [Biological nitrification inhibitors](https://en.bioecon.ru/technology/biological-nitrification-inhibitors/)
- [Nitrogen-fixing cereals & biological nitrification inhibition](https://en.bioecon.ru/technology/nitrogen-fixing-cereals/)