Afghanistan Research Newsletter No. 28

This is the January/February 2011 edition of the Afghanistan Research Newsletter. The purpose of the Newsletter is to alert readers to new research being undertaken on Afghanistan and to help disseminate research findings and analysis. This edition features an article by members of the International Wheat and Maize Improvement Centre in Kabul on the history and current status of wheat cultivation in Afghanistan. The piece details how the productivity of Afghanistan’s staple crop—once competitive with the country’s neighbours—has largely stagnated since the late 1970s. It argues that more research is needed to identify the breeds of wheat best suited to Afghanistan’s diverse array of climatic and geographical conditions. If successful, this could provide a critical boost to food security in the country.