NewsletterHappeningsJune 2017, No. 1742

Feature Stories

Case of the Afar region in Ethiopia

The lone green patch on a denuded stretch

On the 130-km drive from Semera, the capital of Afar region in Ethiopia, to the research site in Chifra, the

lone green patch visible along that stretch is the collaborative venture between ICRISAT, GIZ, local universities and partners.

This initiative to rebuild the livelihoods of agro-pastoral communities in the largely drought-prone region, has succeeded in rehabilitating 35 ha of abandoned land and benefited 52 households with about 360 household members, providing food for them and fodder for their livestock. It has also created a huge social movement at village, district and regional scales.

The intervention enhanced the fertility and water holding capacity of the soil in the area, which allowed local lost grasses and trees to spring back to life. The environmental impact has been huge, and the work is ongoing.

Chifra woreda (district), located near the base of the eastern escarpment of the Ethiopian highlands, is largely drought prone. Annual rainfall ranges from 200 to 500 mm per year, spreading from March to September. However, the last decades have seen the rainfall months shrinking,

and the onset of rain inching towards July. The traditional ‘belg’ rains (short rains) have also been dwindling and exposing the pastoral and agro-pastoral systems to recurrent drought and famine, as happened in 2015-16. Most of these rangelands depend on the flood stemming from the highlands of Wollo and Tigray. Drought in the highlands hits this region hard! Besides, in the rainy season, channelling the flood water for agricultural use is a challenge.

ICRISAT in partnership with GIZ-Ethiopia, Woldia University and the Afar regional state started testing various rainwater management strategies. One of the interventions was using water spreading weirs (WSWs) to spread flood water out of the concentrated spillways into the degraded plains. The weirs reduced the velocity of the flood water and distributed it to the wider plains, thereby enhancing soil water infiltration. The captured water was then used for producing food and feed crops.

Following these investments, ICRISAT was tasked to convert this ‘no mans’ land’ into a productive area using dryland technologies. In partnership with local universities and research institutes, it developed WSW-specific cropping

The once bare terrain of the project site at Chifra, now boasts of farms.

Photo: T Amede, ICRISAT

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system approaches that identify, prioritize and integrate best agricultural practices that efficiently use flood water and improve the degraded land in Chifra.

At least 12 different training events were conducted for communities and district officers on topics such as land preparation, choice of crops and varieties, agronomic management, biomass management, crop-livestock integration, postharvest management and so on. But before that, extensive groundwork was done.

Digitization of land useLand use suitability analysis was conducted at the research site. The entire area was tracked using GPS to characterize soil-water distribution and soil fertility gradients created by the physical structure (WSWs), which was effective in capturing sediment emerging from the highlands along

with the flood, enriching the flat plains. The soil moisture regimes of the system were plotted and different parcels were assigned into different land use categories. Information on parameters for each plot, such as crop type, crop performance, soil moisture status and plot owners’ attributes, was generated. The information database was transferred to the GIS platform. The plots were digitized and assigned a unique plot identification number in ArcGIS platform.

Based on the analysis, 19.4 % (6.8 ha) of the total area was classified as good land and 36.3 % (12.8 ha) and 12.5% (4.4 ha) as medium and poor land, respectively. Accordingly, different food crops (maize, sorghum, teff, mung bean, cowpea, pigeonpea and sesame) and forage crops (elephant grass, napier grass and natural grass) have been recommended for the three identified categories (see map).

Changing landscapes due to water spreading weirs at Chifra, Afar National Regional State in Ethiopia. Photos: GIZ-Ethiopia

Chifra experimental site by land use type.

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Project: Rebuilding livelihoods of (Agro-) pastoral communities in Chifra district of Afar National Regional StateFunder: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ)-Strengthening Drought Resilience (SDR), Addis Ababa, EthiopiaPartners: Woldia University, Wollo University, Sirinka Agricultural Research Center of Amhara Regional Agricultural Research Institute (ARARI), Afar Pastoral and Agro-pastoral Research Institute (APARI), the local bureau of agro-pastoral offices and ICRISAT

This work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals

Crop and forage production and productivityAmong the tested crops, sorghum variety – Girana 1 performed very well, but wasn’t able to complete the lifecycle due to bird incidences. Farmers feared the fate of their harvested crops due to the free movement of livestock. Managing isolated sorghum fields too was a concern; which will be discussed with the community leaders in the coming season. Despite the odds, sorghum crops produced about 26 tons of biomass for feed and other multiple uses.

For maize, the crop stand and greenness of two early-maturing varieties (Melkassa 2 and 4) was more than what agronomists expected, even though there was lack of water during late flowering. Grain productivity, however, was low. Yield and productivity would be improved in the next season.

Regardless of season and intensity of drought, the two high-value crops teff and mung bean performed very well in the systems. Teff yield was as close as that of the highlanders, with about 1.5 tons per ha, which fetches up to 25 Birr (USD1.08)/kg. Farmers could buy about 5 kg of sorghum or maize by selling 1 kg of teff. Similarly, mung bean is one of the most demanded export crops in the country with amazingly high yield, reaching up to 2 tons per ha. There was a huge demand for seed, and this is likely to grow during the next season. The performance of pigeonpea, cowpea, sesame and lablab were very encouraging. This will be further validated in the next season using niche-specific approaches.

Contributions to food security and productivity gains

Total biomass and grain yield (in tons) of crops produced under the water spreading weir, in Chifra, 2016.Crop Biomass GrainMaize 157.4 15.4Sorghum 25.5 0.9Mung bean 0.8 0.2Pigeonpea 0.5 -Cowpea 0.4 0.08

The way forwardAs mentioned before, the Chifra project created a huge social movement at village, district and regional scales. To identify scaling-up strategies, national level workshops were organized inviting development partners and governmental institutions. Some of the suggestions made by participants were as follows:

▪ Integrate and expand high value horticultural crops for better incomes and enhance farmers’ interest;

▪ Institutionalize the approach to more communities and districts; and

▪ Build local capacity in constructing, managing and using WSW for productive use, addressing local labor and technology challenges.

The project PI, Dr Tilahun Amede, Principal Scientist in Systems Agronomy, ICRISAT-Ethiopia, says, “The huge interest created by this initiative has led to the approach being expanded to two other districts – Yallo and Awra. The Chifra project has become a site of learning for the Regional Government of Afar, NGOs and for development workers in agro-pastoral and pastoral systems.”

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Addressing water scarcity, land degradation and low agricultural productivity in an Indian village through CSR collaboration

Water scarcity, land degradation and the resultant low agricultural productivity that’s making young farmers

averse to taking up agriculture are some of the key issues that will be addressed by a new Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project. Indian automobile manufacturing company, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., is working with ICRISAT to address the above issues in Buchinelli village, Telangana, India.

The launch was attended by 150 farmers, who were briefed on the objectives of the project.

The project activities include – ▪ Integrated water resource management through

ex-situ rainwater harvesting (viz. check dams, farm ponds, revival of tanks and re-establishing drainage connectivity), in-situ moisture conservation practices and groundwater recharge system;

▪ Decentralized wastewater treatment and safe use in agriculture;

▪ Crop diversification from monocropping of sugarcane to other promising cropping systems with high value crops like vegetables, flowers and pulses (currently, the main rainfed crops are pigeonpea and black gram, while sugarcane is grown in the irrigated areas);

▪ Soil health mapping; ▪ Crop and site-specific fertilizer management; ▪ Introduction of high-yielding improved cultivar seeds; ▪ Livestock development with high milk-yielding crossbred

animals; ▪ Feed and fodder development; ▪ Afforestation on hillocks and common land; ▪ Timely and vigorous technical support to farmers; ▪ Women empowerment and skill development.

The NGO, Rural Education and Agriculture Development (READ) will partner with the community to form the watershed committee as well as promote the Self-Help

Groups for collective action to improve the livelihoods through integrated watershed management approach.

Mahindra & Mahindra will also support custom hiring centers for mechanizing farms to address the issues of labor shortage and cost of cultivation. The main purpose of this collaborative initiative is to improve the livelihood of farmers through increased profits and productivity with science-led interventions.

The project launch was flagged off with the ground-breaking ceremony for a check dam, in the presence of Ms A Madhavi Srilatha, District Agricultural Officer, Sangareddy district, Government of Telangana. Mahindra & Mahindra officials, Mr Suhas Kumbhar, Plant Head - Farms Division and Mr KPN Rao, Head HR & ER, along with Dr Suhas P Wani, Research Program Director – Asia and Theme Leader - ICRISAT Development Center, addressed the participants who attended the launch on 31 May.

Ms Srilatha (second from left) hands over a soil test card to a woman farmer at the launch.

Project: Improving Livelihoods and Agricultural Productivity through Integrated Watershed Management Funder: Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., Zaheerabad Mandal, Sangareddy District

The check dam site in the village. Photos: PS Rao, ICRISAT

This work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals

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Congratulations Dr Manish K Pandey, Scientist, Groundnut Genomics, Genetic Gains Program, ICRISAT, was awarded Associateship of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS), India, on 5 June in New Delhi. The award recognizes serving young scientists below 40 years of age, working in agriculture-related disciplines in Research/Academic Systems in India.

This year, Dr Pandey was also selected as member of the National Academy of Sciences (NASI), India, the oldest science academy in India.

My wish for the drylandsOn the occasion of our 45th anniversary, watch ICRISAT’s vision for smallholder farmers living in the drylands unfold through these videos.

New Blog Posts

Dr Eric ManyasaDr Rajeev K Varshney Dr S Anitha Seetha

Dr Pandey receiving the Associateship certificate from Prof. Dr Panjab Singh (2nd from right), President of NAAS. Also seen in the picture are Prof. Dr CD Mayee (extreme right) and Prof. Dr Anupam Varma (3rd from right), both Vice Presidents of the academy.

ICRISAT’s definitive steps towards a greener Africa

With a view to countering the looming threat of drought and desertification, ICRISAT has been working with partners in several countries to increase productivity of farmers in the drylands, while protecting the land from degradation. It has introduced technologies, processes and agricultural inputs that can help dryland farmers cope with the challenges of climate change, and achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals of No Poverty, Zero Hunger and Life on Land.

Nitrogen-efficient crops on the horizon: Can we grow more with fewer emissions?

A group of scientists from the Biological nitrification inhibition (BNI) Research Consortium, of which ICRISAT is an active member, believe that science now offers an option to boost crop productivity, dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide an affordable alternative to farmers’ heavy use of nitrogen fertilizers, highlights the author of a report that appeared this week in the journal Plant Science.

New video

Combating Desertification and Drought through AgMIP

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New PublicationsLegume genomics: A perspectiveAuthors: Thudi M, Saxena RK, Pandey MK and Varshney RKPublished: 2017. In: Insights on Global Challenges and Opportunities for the Century Ahead, BS Publications, Hyderabad: 321-326. ISBN 978-93-5230-186-7Abstract: Legumes such as chickpea, pigeonpea and groundnut are among the most important crops grown in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. India is the major grower as well as consumer of all these legume crops. In fact, India is also the biggest importer of chickpea and pigeonpea. The productivity of these three legumes has been stagnant and unacceptably low for decades as they are grown in marginal environments. Cereals have been the major beneficiary of utilizing genomics approaches in breeding and the above mentioned legumes have started to catch up very recently. By integrating genomics in breeding, better seeds can be developed and the seeds coupled with appropriate agronomy and management practices can provide better produce in the farmer’s fields.http://oar.icrisat.org/9984/

Evaluation of Brown Midrib Sorghum Mutants as a Potential Biomass Feedstock for 2, 3-Butanediol BiosynthesisAuthors: Guragain YN, Rao PS, Vara Prasad PV and Vadlani PVPublished: 2017. Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 1-18. ISSN 0273-2289Abstract: Three sorghum backgrounds [Atlas, Early Hegari (EH), and Kansas Collier (KC)] and two bmr mutants (bmr6 and bmr12) of each line were evaluated and compared for grain and biomass yield, biomass composition, and 2,3-butanediol production from biomass. The bmr6 mutation in KC background produced the most promising feedstock, among the evaluated bmr mutants, for 2,3-butanediol production without affecting grain yield, followed by KC bmr12 and Atlas bmr6, but the bmr mutation had an adverse effect in EH background. This indicated that the genetic background of the parent line and type of bmr mutation significantly affect the biomass quality as a feedstock for biochemical production.http://oar.icrisat.org/9986/

Harnessing Genetic Diversity of Wild Species for Genetic Enhancement of Cultivated PeanutAuthors: Sharma S, Pandey MK, Sudini HK, Upadhyaya HD and Varshney RKPublished: 2017. Crop Science, 57: 1-11. ISSN 0011-183XAbstract: Enormous genetic variability is present in the genus Arachis containing 79 wild species and cultivated peanut. Wild species can be used to develop cultivars with enhanced levels of resistance to key biotic and abiotic stresses. This requires use of ploidy manipulations, bridge crosses, and embryo or ovule rescue. Evaluation of two populations derived from ICGV 91114 × ISATGR 121250 (a synthetic derived from A. duranensis Krapov. & W.C. Greg. × A. ipaensis Krapov. & W.C. Greg.) and ICGV 87846 × ISATGR 265-5 (A. kempf-mercadoi W.C. Greg. & C.E.

Simpson × A. hoehnei Krapov. & W.C. Greg.) resulted in the identification of Introgression Lines (ILs) with high levels of late leaf spot (LLS) and rust resistance and significant genetic variability for morphoagronomic traits. Genotyping of these ILs with markers linked to rust and LLS resistance provided evidence that introgression of possible novel alleles and resistance sources from different wild species other than the commonly used A. cardenasii Krapov. & W.C. Greg. will be beneficial for peanut improvement.

http://oar.icrisat.org/9987/

The potential economic impact of Guinea-race sorghum hybrids in Mali: A comparison of research and development paradigmsAuthors: Kergna A, Smale M, Assima A, Diallo A, Weltzien E and Rattunde F Published: 2017. African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 12 (1): 17-34Abstract: Rural Malians depend on sorghum as a staple food. Despite long-term investment in sorghum improvement, achieving major gains in sorghum yields has posed challenges. We assessed the potential economic impact of the first Guinea-race sorghum hybrids developed and diffused using participatory plant breeding with decentralized, farmer-based seed systems. We compared this approach to formal plant breeding with a centralized, state-managed seed system – the sole approach pursued in Mali prior to 2000. To incorporate risk, we augmented the economic surplus model by applying Monte Carlo sampling to simulate distributions of model parameters. A census of sorghum varieties in 58 villages of the Sudanese Savanna served as the adoption baseline. Our findings indicate that research on sorghum hybrids with the new approach is a sound investment. Public and private actors need to continue investing in innovative ways to expand the sorghum seed system. The sensitivity of results to the price elasticity of supply suggests commercialization opportunities.http://oar.icrisat.org/9988/

Efficient Partitioning of Assimilates in Stress-Tolerant Groundnut Genotypes under High-Temperature StressAuthors: Akbar A, Manohar SS, Variath MT, Sadaiah K and Janila PPublished: 2017. Agronomy, 7(2) (30): 1-12. ISSN 2073-4395Abstract: Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) genotypes were assessed for pod yield and physiological parameters under heat-stress and non-stress environments. The air temperatures under heat-stress environments were 35 °C and above during flowering, and below 35 °C in non-stress environments. Variability was significant for pod yield and physiological parameters among the genotypes under heat stress. Based on stress tolerance indices and pod yield performance, ICGVs 07246, 07012, 06039, 06040, 03042, 07038 and 06424 were identified as heat-tolerant genotypes.http://oar.icrisat.org/9991/

Genetic Resources of Pearl Millet: Status and UtilizationAuthors: Yadav OP, Upadhyaya HD, Reddy KN, Jukanti AK, Pandey S and Tyagi RKPublished: 2017. Indian Journal of Plant Genetic Resources, 30 (1): 31-47. ISSN 0976-1926Abstract: Pearl millet is the basis of food security for millions of people in the arid and semi-arid regions of Asia and Africa. Genetic resources of pearl millet including landraces, improved elite material, traditional cultivars, genetic stocks and wild relatives are very rich and, therefore, their characterization, documentation, conservation and distribution is essential to ensure utilization in breeding programs. This review assesses the status of pearl millet genetic resources, and identifies the gaps in their collection, conservation and utilization. A total of 56,580 accessions (including possible duplicates) of pearl millet in 70 gene banks of 46 countries are available and play a critical role in crop improvement programs across the world. Formation of trait-specific gene pools, core and mini core collections can enhance the utilization of genetic resources. Strategies for further enriching the germplasm and increasing its use are discussed.http://oar.icrisat.org/9992/

Pearl Millet Technology Adoption and Impact Study in MaharashtraAuthors: Kumara Charyulu D, Moses Shyam D, Bantilan C, Borikar ST, Gupta SK and Rai KNPublished: 2017. Research Report No 71. Technical Report, ICRISAT, Patancheru, Telangana, IndiaAbstract: The area under pearl millet cultivation in Maharashtra is concentrated in nine districts, and together they have more than 90% share in area and production of pearl millet. The coverage of pearl millet area in Maharashtra by improved cultivars was near total. In this background, the present study was taken up to assess the adoption of hybrids and improved varieties and their impact on the incomes and living standards of farmers through a detailed survey of 360 sample households drawn from 60 villages belonging to 20 tehsils (counties) from nine districts. http://oar.icrisat.org/9993/

Characterization and Classification of Soils from Three Agro-climatic Zones of Belgavi District, KarnatakaAuthors: Prabhavati K, Dasog GS, Sahrawat KL, Patil PL and Wani SPPublished: 2017. Journal of the Indian Society of Soil Science, 65 (1): 1-9. ISSN 0974-0228Abstract: Belgavi district in Karnataka is characterized by three contrasting agro-climatic zones viz., a relatively dry semi-arid northern dry zone (Zone-3) with low rainfall, a somewhat higher rainfall area termed transitional zone (Zone-8) nestling between the Western Ghats and Eastern

Plains, and a heavy rainfall area comprising part of Western Ghats called hilly zone (Zone-9). This situation provided an opportunity to compare the properties of pedons occurring in these agro-climatic zones. Nine pedons, three each from the three micro watersheds viz., Yadawad (Zone-3), Hukkeri (Zone-8) and Khanapur (Zone-9) were characterized for their morphological, physical and chemical properties with an objective of comparing their properties which have an implication on their use and behavior. http://oar.icrisat.org/9995/

Accumulation of stem sugar and its remobilisation in response to drought stress in a sweet sorghum genotype and its near-isogenic lines carrying different stay-green lociAuthors: Ghate T, Deshpande S and Bhargava SPublished: 2017. Plant Biology, 19 (3): 396-405. ISSN 14358603Abstract: Near isogenic lines (NILs) of sweet sorghum genotype S35 into which individual stay-green loci were introgressed, were used to understand the contribution of stay-green loci to stem sugar accumulation and its remobilization under drought stress exposure. Sugar and starch content, activities of sugar metabolism enzymes and levels of their expression were studied in the 3rd (source) leaf from panicle and the 5th (sugar storing) internode of the three lines, in irrigated plants and in plants exposed to a brief drought exposure at the panicle emergence stage. Annotation of genes in the respective stay-green loci introgressed in the NILs was carried out using bioinformatics tools. Several genes related to carbohydrate metabolism were located in the stay-green loci, which probably contributed to variation in the parameters studied.http://oar.icrisat.org/9996/

Exploring genetic variation for salinity tolerance in chickpea using image-based phenotypingAuthors: Atieno J, Li Y, Langridge P, Dowling K, Brien C, Berger B, Varshney RK and Sutton TPublished: 2017. Scientific Reports, 7 (1300): 1-11. ISSN 2045-2322Abstract: Soil salinity results in reduced productivity in chickpea. However, breeding for salinity tolerance is challenging because of limited knowledge of the key traits affecting performance under elevated salt and the difficulty of high-throughput phenotyping for large, diverse germplasm collections. This study utilized image-based phenotyping to study genetic variation in chickpea for salinity tolerance in 245 diverse accessions. Broad genetic variation for salinity tolerance was observed in the diversity panel with seed number being the major determinant for salinity tolerance measured as yield. This study proposes seed number as a selection trait in breeding salt tolerant chickpea cultivars.http://oar.icrisat.org/10003/

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