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Location: Asia

As a fast growing region with increasing challenges for smallholder farmers, Asia is a key target region for CIMMYT. CIMMYT’s work stretches from Central Asia to southern China and incorporates system-wide approaches to improve wheat and maize productivity and deliver quality seed to areas with high rates of child malnutrition. Activities involve national and regional local organizations to facilitate greater adoption of new technologies by farmers and benefit from close partnerships with farmer associations and agricultural extension agents.

Seed summit aims to improve delivery of high-yielding varieties to farmers in eastern India

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By Anuradha Dhar

Strategies to make improved seed varieties more appealing and available to India’s farmers were the focus of the Seed Summit for Enhancing the Seed Supply Chain in Eastern India, held 14-15 May in Patna, Bihar. The summit was organized by the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) and funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development Feed the Future initiative and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

More than 60 seed experts from the government, research institutions and the private sector identified the challenges in the seed value chain and discussed actionable solutions that will improve the delivery of improved wheat and rice varieties to farmers in eastern India.

Takashi Yamano, senior scientist and agricultural economist, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), highlighting the scope and purpose of the event in the first session at the seed summit. Photo: Nabakishore Paridasmall
Takashi Yamano, senior scientist and agricultural economist, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), highlighting the scope and purpose of the event in the first session at the seed summit. Photo: Nabakishore Paridasmall

Seed Scenario

Many varieties of the two key crops have been released in India in recent decades, which could significantly increase agricultural productivity and reduce rural poverty. However, most

small-scale and poor farmers in eastern India do not have access to modern varieties that can tolerate flooding or are more resistant to pests and diseases while generating higher yields.

Seed replacement rates are extremely low in eastern India, for several reasons: farmers are not aware of the potential of new varieties; a lack of proper seed storage infrastructure to maintain good quality; poor linkages among government, private sector and farmers to provide seeds in a timely manner; and gaps in the policy environment.

The event focused on strengthening the financial capacity and marketing skills of rural seed dealers and input retailers, expanding the role of agricultural extension and advisory services, leveraging civil society – farmers’ associations, community groups and nongovernmental organizations – to help promote new varieties and encouraging greater engagement from India’s vibrant private sector in the region’s seed markets.

David Spielman, senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), said India is the fifth-largest seed market in the world, growing at 12 percent annually. “There is a need for better decision-making tools —better data, information and analysis at a strategic level to improve seed systems and markets in Asia. Greater investments in the research systems and improved market surveillance to identify and prosecute fraudulent seed production are also required,” he said.

Vilas Tonapi, principal scientist at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, promoted alternative seed system models – individual farmer as a seed bank, village-based seed banks and group-based small-scale seed enterprise – to provide local platforms where farmers can easily buy improved seeds.

Looking Forward

The last session established four critical priorities for an action plan in the Indian seed sector, especially in the eastern states: the extension system should be restructured and revived; effective seed subsidy programs should be designed that are based on evidence, are cost-effective and are better targeted to reach poor farmers; mechanization of the seed sector should be promoted with the introduction of mobile seed treatment units and seed weighing machines; and demonstration of new varieties and new farm technologies should be promoted through progressive farmers.

To view photos and press coverage of the summit, please visit www.csisa.org.

AIP-maize establishes public-private variety evaluation network in Pakistan

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By AbduRahman Beshir Issa/CIMMYT

The maize component of the recently launched Agricultural Innovation Program (AIP) for Pakistan has created a public-private network to evaluate CIMMYT international trials of white and yellow kernel hybrids and OPVs including conventionally developed bio-fortified maize.

Faisal Hayat, R&D manager of Jullundur Private Ltd. (right), and AbduRahman Beshir Issa during a maize evaluation at JPL. Photos: AbduRahman Beshir

Seven types of maize trials consisting of different maturity groups, various tolerances to water stress and enhanced levels of protein quality were introduced from CIMMYT Colombia, Mexico and Zimbabwe and distributed to five private seed companies, six public research institutes and two universities for evaluation during the spring season (February-June). The preliminary evaluation during seed setting showed good performance of introduced materials, and a number of entries are showing strong selection potential.

The testing will continue in the summer season (July-November) with additional varieties and partners to check seasonal variations on the performance of the varieties. The AIP is funded by the USAID Feed the Future Initiative and collaborators receive grants to conduct variety evaluation and other project activities. This approach will strengthen the public-private partnership and ensure accelerated diffusion of improved maize cultivars to the smallholders at an affordable price. In addition, partners will enrich their gene pool and enhance their breeding program through the acquisition of CIMMYT maize germplasm.

Maize evaluation at MMRI.

AIP maize trials distributed to public and private partners in Pakistan (Spring 2014)

Partner institution/center No. of trials

  • Maize and Millet Research Institute (MMRI): 4
  • Cereal Crops Research Institute (CCRI): 5
  • National Agricultural Research Institute (NARC): 7
  • Jullundur Private Ltd (JPL): 3
  • Four Brothers Seed company (4B group): 3
  • Ali Akbar Group: 2
  • ICI Pakistan Ltd: 2
  • Petal Seed Company (PSC): 1
  • Agricultural Research Institute – Balochistan/Quetta: 1
  • Agricultural Research Institute- Tandojam (ARIT)-Sindh: 1
  • Agricultural Research Institute- Gilgit Biltistan: 1
  • University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF): 1
  • University of Agriculture Peshawar (UAP): 1

CIMMYT, Pakistan renew host country agreement

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Photo: Awais Yaqub

By Yahya Rauf and Imtiaz Muhammad/CIMMYT

CIMMYT and the government of Pakistan have formally agreed to continue the Host Country Agreement signed in 1984, which allows CIMMYT to host other partners in the country. Thomas Lumpkin, CIMMYT director general, and Iftikhar Ahmad, chairman of the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), signed a memorandum of agreement that will give CIMMYT new avenues to work with the government of Pakistan, PARC, public and private universities, corporations, nongovernmental organizations and farmer associations. In addition, CIMMYT may locate international staff, experts and consultants in the country after getting approval from the government. CIMMYT has already brought international partners like ILRI, AVRDC, UC Davis and IRRI under the umbrella of the Agriculture Innovation Program (AIP).

ICAR-CIMMYT wheat field days at BISA, India

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By Arun Joshi, Ravi Singh, R. Valluru and Uttam Kumar/CIMMYT

Wheat researchers in India learned about CIMMYT’s newest advanced wheat lines during field days this spring at each of the locations of the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) —Jabalpur, Pusa-Bihar and Ladowal-Ludhiana. The events were designed to link Indian wheat breeders and pathologists with a new Feed the Future-USAID project that uses genomic selection to rapidly develop climate-resilient wheat varieties for South Asia.

Demonstration of the use of IRT at BISA Jabalpur. Photos: Arun Joshi

At each event, participants saw the advanced wheat lines planted at the BISA locations as part of the USAID project and learned how they are different from the present CIMMYT lines distributed across India and around the world. In fact, these lines will become part of CIMMYT trials and nurseries in the next crop cycle. The participants selected the best wheat lines according to the requirements of their breeding program, and each participating center will be given enough seed from those lines to develop replicated trials in the coming cycle.

The field days were organized by CIMMYT in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s (ICAR) Directorate of Wheat Research (DWR). More than 70 wheat breeders and pathologists  from 22 wheat research centers in India, including ICAR institutes and universities, attended. Dr. Indu Sharma, DWR director, took a very active role in the events, encouraging wheat centers from India to participate. Four GWP scientists from CIMMYT —Ravi Singh, Arun Joshi, Ravi Valluru and Uttam Kumar— also played important roles. The events were facilitated by CIMMYT colleagues based at BISA locations, notably H.S. Sidhu, Raj Kumar Jat and Nikhil Singh. Other field day activities included:

• Characterizing various lines based on their morpho-physiological traits and resistance to diseases, such as yellow rust at Ladowal-Ludhiana and spot blotch at Pusa-Bihar.

The BISA-Jabalpur field is one site for the genomic selection project.

• Training in the use of infrared thermometers to measure canopy temperature in wheat plots.

• Visits to other trials and facilities at BISA locations.

• An interactive session where participants could ask questions and exchange views on the genomic selection project and other activities in the region.

The USAID project, which is a partnership of Kansas State University, Cornell University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and CIMMYT, will use genomic selection in the new wheat lines to track genetic variances for heat tolerance, with a goal of reducing the breeding cycle in the future. The genomic data collected will be used to manage the genetic diversity and the retention of favorable alleles in the population, safeguarding prospects for long-term genetic gains.

CIMMYT-Pakistan supports training on physiological breeding

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By Noor Muhammad and Imtiaz Muhammad/CIMMYT

CIMMYT-Pakistan, in collaboration with the Wheat Research Institute (WRI), Faisalabad, conducted a hands-on training workshop on the use of sensor-based technologies for physiological breeding at the Ayub Agriculture Research Institute, Faisalabad, and the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), Islamabad. Nearly 40 agronomists, breeders and physiologists representing 11 national research institutes participated in the training.

A field demonstration shows the correct use of the GreenSeeker™ at NARC, Islamabad. Photo: Awais Yaqub

The workshop was planned to train professionals on the use of sensor-based equipments to improve physiological breeding efforts at Pakistan’s national breeding programs. Sensor-based technologies are useful in understanding plant response to various climate clues. Alistair Pask, from CIMMYT’s wheat physiology group, shared his knowledge of and experiences with wheat physiology and its implementation in plant breeding, especially under stress conditions. Lectures included information on wheat physiology, data recording, data handling and data interpretation in breeding approaches. Equipment including infrared thermometers for measuring canopy temperature, chlorophyll meters for measuring chlorophyll content and the GreenSeeker™ sensor used for normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) measurements were demonstrated. CIMMYT also provided small pocket-sized GreenSeeker™ sensors to the WRI and the NARC Wheat Program.

 

CIMMYT-Pakistan: modernizing national wheat breeding programs

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By Yahya Rauf and Imtiaz Muhammad/CIMMYT

In collaboration with the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), CIMMYT organized a ceremony at the National Agricultural Research Center (NARC), Islamabad, to present wheat planters to various research institutions and universities under the Wheat Productivity Enhancement Project (WPEP).

CIMMYT Country Representative Imtiaz Muhammad highlighted the importance of these newly imported small-plot planters, which will replace the traditional hand-sowing crop systems and antiquated machinery currently used by many of the Pakistan national programs. The planters will bring precision and efficiency to research trials.

Planters will be used in the coming wheat season by all WPEP partner institutes and will be tested at small farms for wheat cultivation. The technology will be transferred to farmers to improve crop productivity once it is successful.

Imtiaz Muhammad, CIMMYT country representative, explains the wheat planter to MNFS&R, PARC and USDA officials. Photos: Awais Yaqub

Clay Hamilton, USDA agriculture counselor in Pakistan, said the machinery handover ceremony was an example of the successful scientific collaboration between the United States and Pakistan and institutes like CIMMYT, which is critical in order to achieve better results in agriculture production. This year, CIMMYT, PARC and USDA are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Dr. Norman Borlaug beginning his work in Pakistan to improve wheat productivity.

Seerat Asghar, the secretary of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFS&R), acknowledged the ongoing technology transfer to Pakistan from the U.S. and CIMMYT. PARC Chairman Iftikhar Ahmad said WPEP achieved its goal of increased productivity by introducing disease-resistant wheat varieties, building research capacity, improving disease surveillance systems, developing seed distribution systems and modernizing national crop development programs through upgrading infrastructure and equipment. Moreover, Pakistan is now prepared to cope with the challenges of Ug99 while also developing new wheat varieties to help meet increasing food demand.

Indian official visits Borlaug Institute for South Asia

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By Pankaj Singh, H.S. Sidhu and Parvinder Singh/CIMMYT

It was a memorable day for Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) staff when Alok Sikka, deputy director general of natural resource management for the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, visited the BISA research station at Ludhiana.

Visitors at the long-term conservation agriculture trials. Photo: Mandeep Singh

H.S. Sidhu, senior research engineer, and Pankaj Singh, BISA farm manager, welcomed Sikka and described farm development activities. The guests visited the genomic selection trial, a five-year project started in November 2013 that is funded by USAID-Feed the Future, Cornell University and Kansas State University. CIMMYT’s Ravi Valluru described efforts to rapidly develop climate-resilient wheat varieties for South Asia using genomic selection. Through this approach, researchers can predict the best wheat lines, even at the early seedling stages.

The early prediction of important traits and wheat lines can be used to accelerate breeding, leading to the rapid identification and release of high-yielding, heat-tolerant candidate wheat varieties for South Asia with annual genetic gains superior to those obtained through conventional breeding. Later, the visitors saw international nurseries, wheat hybrid trials and the long term conservation agriculture (CA) trial being conducted on the farm. M.L. Jat emphasized that depleted freshwater resources due to rising demand from an increasing population is a serious concern. There is a need for alternative cropping systems with high yields, low irrigation water requirements and high water productivity compared to rice-wheat systems.

Visitors listen to discussion on mechanization.

Sidhu pointed out that relay cropping of wheat in standing cotton is beneficial for farmers. Some progressive farmers are ready to start the relay cropping of wheat in standing cotton, after visiting the long-term CA trial. Jat and Parvinder Singh described trials started in 2013 to test different cultivars with different establishment environments and in different ecologies.

The same trial is being conducted at the three BISA farms, located in different ecologies with six common and four regional varieties. Early results show the need to focus on site-specific recommendations, instead of blanket recommendations for an entire region. Sidhu and Jat described the objectives of the precision water management trial supported by the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia project (CSISA) that started in spring 2013. The trials showed impressive results and continued with a maize-maize-pea rotation. Jat said farmers are interested in spring maize due to its high yield potential, but the crop requires more water.

Technology is needed to save water while retaining yields. Finally, Sidhu described second generation CA machinery and emphasized that it can be useful for small landholders.

Precision conservation agriculture highlighted during India visits

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By Pankaj Singh, Parvinder Singh, H.S. Sidhu and M.L. Jat/CIMMYT

A delegation from Colorado State University, United States, and the University of Adelaide, Australia, visited the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) in Ludhiana, Punjab, on 10 March. The visit focused on advances in precision agriculture as well as conservation agriculture (CA) and climate change. Etienne Duveiller, BISA director of research, gave an overview of the institute as well as its research and development activities.

BISA research focuses on wheat and maize germplasm and precision and conservation agriculture to address degradation of land and water resources, high labor costs, low labor availability, increasing input costs and climate variability. He emphasized that BISA works closely with the regional public and private sectors. H.S. Sidhu, senior research engineer at BISA, explained that most BISA land is farmed using CA practices and is successfully producing maize, wheat, soybeans, mustard, pigeon peas, cotton and rice under zero tillage and without burning residue, using second generation machines. This showcases the uses of CA for different cropping systems and its benefits to the farming and scientific community. Uttam Kumar and Ravi Valluru explained the development of high-yielding varieties of wheat for South Asia using a genomic selection approach for tolerance to heat stress and drought. They also showed advanced international breeding lines and hybrid wheat screening.

Representatives from two universities visited BISA in March. Photo: CIMMYT

M.L. Jat, senior cropping systems agronomist and South Asia leader for CIMMYT and the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), explained that CA-based crop management technologies have been developed and deployed in several production systems and ecologies. With the recent focus on the importance of CA, more strategic research on precision agriculture such as nutrient placement, water usage, cultivars and weed management has been initiated. Jat also explained how climate change and water scarcity are causing adverse impacts on productivity, mainly due to terminal heat stress.

A field trial on wheat genotype and management interactions to adapt cultivars to contrasting management systems and planting time was also discussed to enhance crop and water productivity. Sidhu, Jat and the CIMMYT-BISA team working on the farm coordinated visits to various research trials and demonstrations of the latest CA machinery while Parvinder Singh and Pankaj Singh also shared their experiences.

To demonstrate small-scale CA mechanization, the two-wheel tractor-operated turbo “happy seeder” and laser leveller were also displayed. The visitors were impressed with the ability of the high clearance seeder and tractor to seed relay wheat into standing cotton.

Agriculture extension and research promote conservation agriculture in Pakistan

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By Imtiaz Hussain/CIMMYT

CIMMYT and the Department of Agriculture Research, Punjab, held a one-day training for agriculture extension workers in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, to share information, promote collaboration and encourage the dissemination of technologies from the USAID-Feed the Future funded Agriculture Innovation Program (AIP).

Held at the Regional Agriculture Research Institute (RARI) on 10 March, the training was attended by 28 workers from the Department of Agriculture Extension, Punjab, and 22 students from the University College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB). Ghulam Hussain, director of RARI, lauded CIMMYT and USAID efforts in strengthening agriculture research in the country, especially in southern Punjab.

Researchers, extension workers and students learn in the field. Photos: Ahsan Irshad

RARI’s Manzoor Hussain highlighted the institute’s efforts to develop wheat varieties for southern Punjab. He also emphasized the collaboration between research and agriculture extension. Imtiaz Hussain, CIMMYT cropping system agronomist, briefed the participants about AIP activities and shared conservation agronomy experience in Pakistan’s different cropping systems. Muhammad Akhter, from the Agronomic Research Station (ARS), Bahawalpur, presented on relay cropping of wheat in standing cotton. This technique allows farmers to plant wheat on time without land preparation and save on cultivation costs. Liaqat Ali explained the method of ridge planting for wheat, which involves land preparation, shallow tillage with cultivators and the use of ridgers to make ridges and furrows. Ridge planting can help farmers achieve 10 percent higher wheat grain yields and 30 to 40 percent savings in water over traditional techniques.

Tanveer Ahmed, executive director of Agriculture Extension, Bahawalpur, praised the collaboration between agriculture extension and research for technology transfer to farmers. After the seminar, participants visited field trials and demonstrations at RARI and ARS, Bahawalpur. Field demonstrations included information about salient characteristics of wheat varieties including Fareed-06, Maraj-08 and Aas-11, performance of wheat varieties in early and late planting, the balanced use of nutrients for wheat crops, relay cropping of wheat in standing cotton on flat and beds and ridge planting of wheat. During the field visit, researchers explained the methodologies of field technologies and answered questions. Participants from the extension department said these activities should be continued in the future to improve links between research and extension.

Increasing local adoption of conservation agriculture: new bulletin released in Hindi

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By H.S. Jat, R.S. Dadarwal, Love K. Singh and J.M. Sutaliya/CIMMYT

The Central Soil Salinity Research Institute (CSSRI), one of India’s leading agricultural research institutes, has partnered with CIMMYT to develop a technical bulletin in Hindi on conservation agriculture practices as part of the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA).

The bulletin was recently released at the spring farmers’ fair “Rabi Kisan Mela” organized by CSSRI in Karnal, Haryana. The bulletin aims to increase awareness among farmers about sustainable intensification and the latest conservation agriculture technologies. R.S. Paroda, former director general of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and chairman of the Haryana Farmers Commission, launched the bulletin at the fair’s inauguration and advised farmers to adopt sustainable agricultural practices to combat shrinking land and declining water resources. He praised the conservation agriculture research-for-development efforts in Haryana by ICAR, CIMMYT, the Department of Agriculture and other institutions and advocated for faster adoption of conservation agriculture to address the emerging challenges of climate change.

Progressive farmers were recognized for using conservation agriculture practices. Photo: CIMMYT

The fair provided a platform for more than 3,000 farmers from the states of Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh to participate and interact with researchers, extension agents and policymakers on the issues of salt-affected soils management, conservation agriculture, precision agriculture, farm mechanization and options for climate-resilient farming under diverse production systems. During the fair, 25 progressive farmers were congratulated for their efforts. The CIMMYT-Haryana team also used an exhibition to disseminate resource-conserving and climate-smart agricultural technologies.

India maize summit focuses on partnerships

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By Christian BĂśeber and Subash S.P./CIMMYT

A recent summit in India provided a platform for various stakeholders along the maize value chain to discuss maize trade, technological gaps, industrial utilization, post-harvest management, risk management, marketing and scaling up of maize value chains through public-private partnerships (PPP).

“Road Map for Sustainable Growth and Developing Value Chain” was the title of the India Maize 2014 Summit held on 20-21 March in New Delhi. The summit was organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX). Participants included representatives from private input companies, millers, the poultry industry, the starch industry, service providers, national and international research institutions, policy makers, embassies and farmers from across India. A. Didar Singh, secretary general of FICCI, said there has been a “quiet revolution” happening in Indian agriculture with the emergence of the export market and an evolving private sector, particularly in maize, during the last several years.

The diversification of cropping patterns in Punjab and Haryana to promote maize in these states was reviewed by Ashok Gulati, chair professor for agriculture at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, during his keynote address. He said the maize sector in India currently depends on the poultry and export sector and is therefore vulnerable if demand from those sectors weakens. He emphasized policy should support quality protein maize (QPM) as an ingredient for poultry feed but also for human consumption. Adel Yusupov, regional director for the U.S. Grain Council in South and Southeast Asia, highlighted Southeast Asia’s prospects for becoming a major importer of maize. India’s advantage in targeting those emerging markets due to its proximity and lower pricing was highlighted by Rajiv Yadav, vice president of the Nobel Group. He noted nonetheless that Indian maize exports are constrained by unreliable production, lack of quality produce, high levels of moisture and aflatoxins, logistics and warehousing facilities.

Christian BĂśeber presents at the India Maize Summit 2014. Photo: Subash S.P./CIMMYT

Maize production and productivity are stagnant because farmers have been slow to adopt new technologies such as hybrids, said Sain Dass, president of the Indian Maize Development Association, adding that the main hurdle in the adoption of hybrids is the lack of seed. Christian Böeber, CIMMYT agricultural and market economist, presented information about CIMMYT’s maize research activities in India, including the Abiotic Stress Tolerant Maize for Asia project (ATMA) and the Heat Stress Tolerant Maize for Asia project (HTMA). He also reflected on the diverse uses of maize and the challenges faced by maize production systems in the country, including the commercial seed supply gap. Success stories in India involving PPPs were discussed.

O.P. Yadav, director of the Directorate of Maize Research of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, highlighted the need to improve maize productivity in India through PPPs and by working through the proper national channels for seed development and deployment. Shipla Divekar Nirula, director of corporate affairs and strategy for Monsanto, presented her perspective on scaling up maize value chains through PPPs and referred to the Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) project as an example for successful PPPs in developing and deploying improved maize varieties. She emphasized that for a partnership to be effective, it is important to clearly define the purpose, platforms and principles of working together. A viable platform should include crop diversification, infrastructure provision, knowledge sharing, a viable extension network and growth policies.

Organization takes technology to farmers in India

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By Meenakshi Singh, Raj Kumar Jat and Raj Gupta/CIMMYT

A recent field day in Bihar, India, showed farmers have confidence in conservation agriculture and don’t need agri-input subsidies but rather easy access to quality inputs and fair compensation for their produce.

During a field day on 12 March, about 100 farmers shared their experiences regarding zero tillage and its benefits and travelled through seven villages to see the performance of zero-till crops. The non-governmental organization (NGO) GUVVS is developing alternate options for rural improvement and has been working in several areas of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal since 2011. India’s Eastern Gangetic Plains are characterized by fragmented land holdings and resource-poor farmers who consistently face drought or floods. These conditions and the suboptimal crop management practices make agriculture risky.

Farmers in Bhagalpur, a district in Bihar near the Ganges River, face a variety of challenges. Low areas flood during the rainy season while rice in the uplands and midlands suffer from a lack of surface and ground water. Winter crops are sown late, resulting in low productivity. Excess soil moisture during winter crop seeding, terminal heat stresses in late-planting wheat, weeds and low-quality seed are some of the main issues hindering agriculture in the region.

Raj Kumar Jat explains weed management in maize to farmers. Photo: CIMMYT

With maize and wheat seed and other support from CIMMYT, Meenakshi Singh, GUVVS coordinator, has introduced new rice, wheat and pigeon pea cultivars with heat tolerance, water-logging tolerance and other adaptations. GUVVS also introduced resourceconserving zero till technology and new seeds through the seed production chain. Seed is provided to farmers in seven villages. Farmers get 20 to 30 kilograms of free seed from the NGO. They then repay the same amount of seed at harvest and sell what remains to fellow farmers. The NGO redistributes the collected seed to other farmers. GUVVS also provides new certified planting material for fruit tree crops at one-third of the cost for use by resource-poor farmers.

During the field day, farmer Bhola Yadav said zero-till technology has taken root in his village and is being practiced on more than 1,000 acres. The farmer-to-farmer distribution of quality seed has reached 500 farmers in the seven villages of Bhagalpur. Along with new seeds, they are promoting zero till for rice, wheat, maize, pigeon pea, pearl millet, chickpea and lentils. Zero tillage helped them in the early planting of the crops.

Raj Gupta, team leader for the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) Research Station Development, praised the farmers’ efforts and answered questions about conservation agriculture. Raj Kumar Jat, BISA cropping systems agronomist, responded to questions related to weed management and fertilizer use.

Maize germplasm displayed at Asia field day

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By Kartikeya Krothapalli/CIMMYT

The International Maize Improvement Consortium-Asia (IMIC-Asia) held a maize field day on 15 March in conjunction with CIMMYT-Asia on the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) campus in Hyderabad, India.

The 900 germplasm entries on display included inbred lines of early and advanced generations along with some breeding populations and hybrids. This germplasm was bred for IMIC priority traits such as high seed yield, good standability, yellow and orange color, resistance to common foliar diseases and tolerance to drought and heat. Some promising hybrid combinations, along with their component inbred lines, were part of this demonstration. The field day was attended by IMIC partners from both the public and private sectors.

Participants in the IMIC-Asia Field Day. (Photo: CIMMYT)

Swapan Datta, deputy director general of crop science for the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, was the chief guest. Other dignitaries included O.P. Yadav, director, Directorate of Maize Research; B.M. Prasanna, director, CIMMYT Global Maize Program; Etienne Duveiller, CIMMYT regional representative and director for South Asia; and Vibha Dhawan, deputy director of research partnership and coordination, Borlaug Institute for South Asia. After hearing a brief introduction to the demonstration by the CIMMYT team, including B.S. Vivek, P.H. Zaidi and A.R. Sadananda, participants spent the rest of the morning making selections.

Of the 90 participants, 55 were from private companies and 35 from public institutions. In total, 20 public institutions participating in the All India Coordinated Research Project on Maize and 31 private companies were represented. Participants also attended the IMIC-Asia general body meeting with discussions on a proposed centralized doubled haploid facility for Asia, public sector perspective on public-private partnerships (PPP), private sector outlook on maize in Asia, germplasm enhancement of maize (GEM —which is a model of germplasm enhancement, evaluation and exchange through PPP) and strengthening IMIC activities and functioning through multi-location testing, better trait prioritization and site selection. The meeting concluded with the election of a new steering committee.

Indian farmers reach policy makers and researchers

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By Raj Gupta and Raj Kumar Jat/CIMMYT

J.S. Sandhu (center) and M.C. Diwakar (left) discuss the merits of the mid-October planting of wheat genotype CSW-18 (in foreground) with Raj Gupta, Raj Kumar Jat and I.S. Solanki. (Photo: CIMMYT)

A three-day agricultural festival held in India allowed farmers to articulate their production technology needs in the presence of policymakers, researchers and extensionists. The Rajendra Agricultural University (RAU) organized FarmFest from 8-11 March in Pusa, India, and a field day in Mathlupur. The theme of the FarmFest was “Making Agriculture Profitable under Changing Scenarios.”

FarmFest interactive sessions were attended by Gurubachan Singh, chairman, Agricultural Scientists’ Recruitment Board (ASRB); Mangla Rai, agriculture advisor to the chief minister, Government of Bihar; J.S. Sandhu, agriculture commissioner, Government of India; N.N. Singh, former vice-chancellor, Birsa Agriculture University, Ranchi; M.C. Diwaker, director, Directorate of Rice Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India; R.K. Mittal, vice chancellor, RAU; Gopalji Trivedi, former horticulture commissioner, RAU; and H.P. Singh former vice chancellor, RAU.

Raj Gupta, team leader for the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) Research Station Development and Raj Kumar Jat, cropping systems agronomist, gave a tour of the conservation agriculture hub and briefed the visitors about agricultural research for development activities at BISA, Pusa. Participants collected information on innovative soil-water-crop management practices being developed for smallholder and resourcepoor farmers. Interactions between policymakers and farmers on the BISA farm helped the officials understand the farmers’ needs and how to make agriculture profitable under changing socioeconomic and climatic scenarios and the competing end-use of natural resources.

Mangala Rai talks with farmers and researchers about the importance of cultivar choices in different agro-ecologies for improving wheat productivity. (Photo: CIMMYT)

Discussions focused on the contributions Bihar farmers can make to sustainable ecosystem intensification by shifting from conventional agriculture to conservation agriculture, replacing low-value crops with high-value commodities and further intensifying existing cropping systems practiced in irrigated and rainfed upland and lowland ecologies with appropriate crop cultivar choices. Sandhu’s speech focused on crop diversification and conservation agriculture, especially the permanent raised bed system of crop planting. He also asked the farmers to plant long-duration, water-logging tolerant pigeon pea and to develop intercropping systems. He told farmers to visit the BISA farm and take advantage of the innovative crop production technologies evolving there.

Gubachan Singh was concerned about declining farm holding size and factor productivity. He asked scientists to reorient their research to focus on the needs of smallholder farmers. Rai reminded farmers of the power of cooperative efforts in procuring farm inputs and marketing their produce. Without policy corrections such as buying in retail and selling in bulk, it is difficult to make agriculture profitable, but collective efforts can help.

Snapshot: Borlaug celebrated

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Malwinder Malhi/Syngenta

 

More than 80 farmers in Punjab, India, celebrated the 100th anniversary of Dr. Norman Borlaug’s birth on 25-26 March by reflecting on his achievements and legacy.