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.

CIMMYT supports Pakistan’s agricultural machinery modernization

Written by on February 12, 2013. Posted in News.

On 22 December 2012, two agricultural research organizations in Pakistan — National Agricultural Research Center, Islamabad, and Wheat Research Institute (WRI) Faisalabad, Punjab — received new Wintersteiger combine harvester and seeding machines from the Wheat Production Enhancement Program for Pakistan (WPEP) funded by USDA and implemented by CIMMYT in an effort to upgrade Pakistan’s wheat research infrastructure. Until now, the institutes were relying on old harvesting and planting machines which could no longer satisfy their research needs. Makhdoom Hussain, WRI Faisalabad director, expressed his gratitude regarding the purchase: “The replacement of old irreparable machines was much needed. It will build the Institute’s capacity to precisely design and conduct experiments.”

New project launched: Heat Stress Tolerant Maize for Asia

Written by on February 11, 2013. Posted in News.

South Asian farm lands have been increasingly experiencing climate change related weather extremes. A report from the Asian Development Bank in 2009 warns that if the current trends persist until 2050, major crop yields and food production capacity of South Asia will significantly decrease — by 17% for maize, 12% for wheat, and 10% for rice — due to climate change induced heat and water stress. In response to this situation, USAID’s Feed the Future (FTF) initiative has decided to support the “Heat stress resilient maize for South Asia through a public-private partnership” (Heat Tolerant Maize for Asia, HTMA) project to develop heat resilient maize for South Asia.

Second Class of National Science and Technology Award to Fan Xingming and his team

Written by on February 7, 2013. Posted in News.

The prestigious Second Class of National Science and Technology Awards was presented to the “Tropical and subtropical high-quality, highyield germplasm: innovation research and application” maize project led by Fan Xingming, a CIMMYT partner from the Institute of Food Crops (IFC) at the Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences (YAAS), on 18 January 2013 in Beijing, China.

The project, coordinated by the national maize innovation team, has achieved great results in tropical and subtropical maize germplasm improvement, combining ability analysis and heterosis classification, establishing new methods to classify heterotic groups, and developing and registering 25 high-yielding maize hybrids, including Yunrui 8, Yunrui 1, and Yunyou 19. This has helped to resolve the long-lasting problem with the lack of tropical and subtropical superior maize hybrids in China. The hybrids have been planted on a cumulative area of 11 million hectares in the provinces of Yunnan, Guangxi, and Guizhou in southwestern China, and contributed to the provision of resources for poor farmers in the mountainous areas and among minority groups.

Global Maize Program meeting: The old and the new intersect in Kathmandu

Written by on February 5, 2013. Posted in News.

Lone Badstue (CIMMYT gender and monitoring and evaluation specialist; third from left, bottom) talks with four coordinators of community-based seed production groups in Nepal (top, from right). Also present are Katrine Danielsen, Senior Advisor, Social Development and Gender Equity of the Royal Tropical Institute of Denmark (far left), and Kamala Sapkota, intern working in the Hill Maize Research Project (second from left).

Applying advanced technologies and reconciling dramatic growth in funding, staffing, and complex partnerships with the need to speed farmers’ access to options for better food security and incomes were the themes of discussion among more than 60 specialists in maize breeding, agronomy, socioeconomics, and diverse related disciplines who met in Kathmandu, Nepal, during 28-31 January 2013. “This was a great opportunity for old and new staff to get acquainted and help launch the vibrant evolution of our Program to meet clients and stakeholders’ needs,” said GMP director B.M. Prasanna. “The participation of colleagues from other programs and organizations was crucial, allowing us to identify and address logjams and potential synergies and continue our journey toward being an institution, rather than a mere collection of isolated projects.”

Secretary of Agriculture backs CIMMYT’s initiative for sustainable crop intensification in Bangladesh

Written by on January 29, 2013. Posted in News.

bangladesh15 Bangladesh has a mosaic of distinct agricultural seasons, potentially allowing farmers to cultivate two and sometimes three crops on the same field. However, in the impoverished region of Southern Bangladesh, only 50% of farmers currently grow more than one rainy season rice crop per year, a situation highly problematic for the world’s most densely populated country, where agricultural land is shrinking by 1% per year as urbanization accelerates.

The main limitations to increased cropping intensity are the procurement of irrigation during the dry season, the high cost of agricultural labor, and delays in rice harvesting that set back timely planting of the subsequent dry season wheat, maize, or legume crop. As population, and thus future cereals demand, grows, overcoming these constraints is becoming an increasingly pressing issue. For these reasons, CIMMYT works closely with public and private sector partners, local agricultural service providers, and farmers to encourage efficient agricultural mechanization, irrigation, and conservation agriculture (CA).

To raise awareness of CIMMYT’s work on sustainable crop intensification in Southern Bangladesh, CIMMYT-Bangladesh, in association with International Development Enterprises (iDE), hosted a field day in Kramji Char, Barisal, on 17 January 2013. The visit showcased activities of the EU-funded Agriculture, Nutrition and Extension Project (ANEP), as well as the USAID-funded Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia in Bangladesh (CSISA). CIMMYT was honored by the presence of a number of high-level public and private sector dignitaries, including Monzur Hossain (Ministry of Agriculture Secretary), Paul Sabatine (USAID-Bangladesh deputy mission director), Nazmul Islam (Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation chairman), Wais Kabir (Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council executive chairman), Krishibid Mukul Chandra Roy (Department of Agricultural Extension director general), Ahsan Khan Chowdhury (PRAN-RFL Group deputy managing director), and Anar Khalilov (USAID-Bangladesh senior food security advisor).

CIMMYT’s work in Kramji Char and much of Southern Bangladesh focuses on the sustainable provision of low-cost, fuel-efficient surface water irrigation using Axial Flow Pump (AFP) technologies, which can provide up to 46% more water per drop of diesel fuel consumed by diesel pumping. CIMMYT also popularizes the use of agricultural machineries with CA such as seeder-fertilizer drills, bed planters, and reapers that can be attached to two-wheel hand tractors. These implements enable more efficient planting and irrigation water use, while reducing labor requirements and saving farmers costs. Working with iDE, CIMMYT is developing business models for private sector and local machinery service provider partners to ensure farmers’ access to CA services at low-cost. At the completion of the field day, the Secretary of Agriculture concluded that “the demonstration of these machineries opens the door to increased crop productivity and farmers’ income.”

The field day was jointly organized by CIMMYT’s Timothy J. Krupnik, Yusuf Ali, Samina Yasmin, TP Tiwari, and Andrew McDonald. The event’s success would not have been possible without the valuable coordination and contribution of CIMMYT’s iDE partners, notably Rajiv Pardhan (Bangladesh country director), Nurul Amin (operations manager), Afzal Hossain Bhuiyan (business development specialist), and Richard Rose (ANEP Project Manager).

Identifying wheat landraces in Turkey

Written by on January 23, 2013. Posted in News.

The International Winter Wheat Improvement Program (IWWIP) in cooperation with FAO Central Asia held a workshop to summarize the results of wheat landraces inventory in Turkey and develop recommendations and a work plan for future activities. The workshop was held in Ankara, Turkey, on 09 January 2013, and was attended by 80 participants from research, academic, and farming communities, as well as local and central administration. While national in focus, its participant pool was truly international, as attendees included Hans-Joachim Braun (Global Wheat Program director), Kakoli Gosh (FAO), Calvin Qualset (UC Davis), and Nigel Maxted (University of Bristol).

The landrace inventory discussed at the workshop began in 2009 and identified around 160 landraces still grown in 41 provinces of Turkey. Although the total area where they are grown is small, these landraces are very important to small farmers in remote mountainous regions. Even the farmers who have access to modern cultivars still grow these landraces because of their unique adaptation and suitability for homemade products. Furthermore, the landraces represent a huge reservoir of genetic diversity that can be utilized in breeding. As a result of the workshop, several recommendations were developed addressing in-situ conservation of landraces and their improvement and utilization in development of modern varieties.

Haryana Chief Minister: conservation agriculture is the way of future farming

Written by on January 22, 2013. Posted in News.

Chief-Minister-discussing-CA-in-field Thanks to high-yielding cultivars of wheat and rice, development of irrigation infrastructure, the work of innovative farmers, and the state’s support for improved technologies, the Indian state of Haryana has been a major contributor to the national food basket. However, the unsustainable monotonous rice-wheat cropping system increasingly threatens food security in the country. On 22 December 2012, a seminar on “Prosperity through diversification in agriculture” was jointly organized by the Haryana Farmers Commission, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Government of Haryana’s (GoH) Department of Agriculture, CIMMYT, Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Right Authority (PPV&FRA), and Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (LLRUVAS) in Karnal, India, to discuss the challenges presented by ground water resources depletion, soil health deterioration, energy and labor cost volatility, and climate change, as well as options for sustainable farming.

The seminar was inaugurated by Haryana Farmers Commission chairman RS Paroda, and the inaugural function was attended by Roshan Lal (GoH Secretary of Agriculture), AK Singh (GoH director general for agriculture), KD Kokate (ICAR Agricultural Extension deputy director general), AK Srivastava (NDRI director), Indu Sharma (Directorate of Wheat Research director), and DK Sharma (Central Soil Salinity Research Institute director, Karnal). The seminar was chaired by ICAR Agricultural Extension deputy director general KML Pathak.

ML Jat, CIMMYT’s senior cropping systems agronomist, presented on the current farming issues of Haryana and potential solutions with special emphasis on crop diversification through crop systems management practices based on conservation agriculture (CA) principles. “The results of a large number of participatory field experimentations across the state suggest that CA-based cropping system management practices do not only help to produce more with less water, energy, labor, and cost,” highlighted Jat, “but also restore natural resources and adapt and mitigate climate change effects.” He added that in many rice-wheat areas of Haryana, where water table depletion is a serious concern, maize-wheat-mungbean rotation with CA-based management saves 75-80% of irrigation water. AK Srivastava (NDRI) and AK Saini (horticulture additional director), respectively, discussed potential livestock and horticultural diversification options. After the presentations, nearly 20 farmers shared their experiences on crop, livestock, and horticultural diversification using new technologies and approaches. RS Paroda summarized the deliberations made during the seminar and highlighted the need for diversification in crops and cropping systems, as well as production and management technologies, horticultural crops, and livestock. While reiterating the issues of water, labor, and energy shortages, and emerging climate change challenges, he outlined the possible technological options and necessary policy support for scaling up and scaling out these technologies. Real time access to information at farmers’ doorsteps and connecting farmers to markets is a key to success, Paroda added. He also mentioned that Haryana is the only state in the country with its own agricultural policy for convergence and synergy of programs, schemes, and investments aiming to achieve farmers’ prosperity while conserving the natural resources and rich biodiversity through complementarity and value added services.

On 23 December 2012, the seminar participants joined over 7,000 farmers, extension agents, and government and ICAR officials to celebrate the National Farmers Day. The attendees were addressed by Bhoopendra Singh Hooda, Chief Minister of Haryana. Prior to the event, Hooda, S Ayyappan (ICAR director general), and RS Paroda visited a CA field trial managed by NDRI and CIMMYT, where Jat explained the benefits of CA-based management practices and CA machinery. S Ayyappan emphasized the need for location specific diversification options including all components of farming, such as field crops, horticultural crops, livestock, and fisheries, in a holistic manner. He also stressed shrinking farm profitability as an issue of concern which should be addressed by developing technologies and strategies to increase productivity and reduce cost of production. To adopt modern farm technologies, Ayyappan concluded, it is necessary to bring youth to agriculture.

In his address, the Chief Minister emphasized replacement of rice with maize and soybean in some areas, direct seeding of rice, zero tillage, ending residue burning, usage of Happy Seeder, introduction of short-duration legumes like mungbean, bed planting and intercropping in sugarcane system, laser leveling, micro-irrigation, balanced plant-nutrient management, adoption of high value crops, and protected cultivation in the peri-urban interface. To promote these technologies, he announced doubling of subsidies on laser leveler, zero till planter, happy seeder, multi-crop planter, raised bed planter, and reaper. Hooda appreciated the progress of the CA action plan in the state and awarded 19 Haryana farmers, including 5 CA and climate smart farmers in Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) villages, for their innovative efforts in technology adaptation and scaling-out.

Prestigious INSA fellowship to Arun Joshi

Written by on January 16, 2013. Posted in News.

Arun-Joshi Arun Joshi, CIMMYT senior wheat breeder for South Asia, has been named Fellow of the prestigious Indian National Science Academy (INSA) at its annual meeting in Pune, India, during 27-29 December 2012. Joshi has received this award for his contribution in development of popular wheat varieties and for research in management of losses caused by spot blotch pathogen (Bipolaris sorokiniana) and heat stress. He is one of the few scientists who have not only contributed to basic and applied research in wheat, but also carried research to the field, thus directly contributing to food security and improvement of farmers’ livelihoods. “It has been a very satisfying journey for an agricultural scientist,” Joshi stated.

INSA, the leading science academy in India, plays crucial role in promoting, recognizing, and rewarding excellence in science. It was established in 1935 with the objective of promoting science in the country and harnessing scientific knowledge for the cause of humanity and national welfare. This fellowship is a great honor not only for Joshi, but also for CIMMYT and the Institute of Agricultural Sciences at the Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi, India, of which Joshi is the first faculty to receive this award. Congratulations!

Honoring the memory of former maize director, Rip Paliwal

Written by on January 14, 2013. Posted in News.

We are sad to inform readers that on 05 January 2013, at the age of 84, Ripusudan L. Paliwal, a CIMMYT employee for 17 years who served as director of the maize program, passed away in the presence of his family near New Delhi, India. Rip, as he was respectfully and affectionately known by colleagues, came to CIMMYT as associate director of the maize program in 1976, after serving as dean of the college of agriculture of GP Pant University, Pantnagar, India. Former colleague and retired CIMMYT maize director Ron Cantrell called Paliwal a major factor in the success of the maize program. “I have nothing but fond memories of my time at CIMMYT and one of the principal reasons was the support and friendship of Rip,” says Cantrell. “He was an invaluable source of information about tropical maize and the national programs throughout the world.” His activities after retirement from CIMMYT in 1993 included authoring books such as the 2000 FAO publication “Tropical maize: Improvement and production.” The CIMMYT family extends its sincere sympathy and prayers to the Paliwal family, including children Nirupama, Nivedita, Muktesh, and Sarvesh, who worked as a CIMMYT maize scientist in the early 2000s.

The best photo of 2012

Written by on January 14, 2013. Posted in News.

Since the beginning of our weekly photo contest, we have received many pictures of maize and wheat from staff and friends around the world. Every week, we chose a winner, but we asked you to choose the best photo of 2012. After three weeks of online voting, the winner is Vadim Ganeyev, one of our friends and partners in Kazakhstan, with his photo of a grasshopper on a wheat spike. Congratulations to Vadim and many thanks for everyone’s participation!

Innovative public-private partnership to scale up conservation agriculture in Bangladesh

Written by on December 13, 2012. Posted in News.

Infroma-photo-BD Developing public-private partnerships (PPPs) to expand conservation agriculture (CA) is one of the main goals of the USAID-funded Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia in Bangladesh (CSISA-BD). A key stakeholder in CSISA-BD, CIMMYT has partnered with International Development Enterprises (iDE) to develop business models to support Solar International, a leader in the agricultural machinery sector in Bangladesh. To kick-start the PPP, Solar International recently imported 54 seeder-fertilizer drills that can be attached to the ubiquitous two-wheel hand tractors found in Bangladesh, and used for the CA strip tillage technique. Using such machinery allows for rapid precision planting of wheat, reduces the turn-around time before the rice harvest, and responds to the problem of growing labor scarcity for planting in Bangladesh. The PPP prioritizes farmer and service provider training in better-bet agronomic practices, optimum use of the seeder-fertilizer drills, and the marketing of agricultural services to small and marginal farmers at reasonable prices.

In November 2012, supported by CIMMYT, Solar International and iDE completed in-depth training and certification of 108 leading agricultural service providers and their machine operators, who had purchased the seeder-fertilizer drill. To make this approach scalable and sustainable, Solar International embedded the cost of training in the market price of the equipment; emphasizing program sustainability by securing a training and funding source after CSISA-BD withdraws. In turn, CSISA-BD supplied a 50% cost-rebate to purchasing service providers upon successful completion of the training course. This PPP was brokered by CIMMYT’s Timothy J. Krupnik, Cropping Systems Agronomist in Bangladesh, Rajiv Pradhan (iDE), and Sohel Khan (Solar International). Trainings were facilitated by representatives of Solar International, Farhad Hossain (CIMMYT Agricultural Development Officer), Scott Justice (CIMMYT Machinery Consultant), and Shafiq Islam (CIMMYT-CSISA Training and Outreach Officer).

HarvestPlus wheat varieties fight zinc and iron deficiency in India

Written by on December 10, 2012. Posted in News.

A series of farmer-scientist interaction meetings to create awareness of HarvestPlus and new biofortified wheat varieties with high zinc and iron content, involve farmers in participatory varietal selection (PVS) of biofortified varieties in the next crop cycle, train farmers on soil sampling for iron and zinc analysis, and discuss seed and wheat production technology, took place in eastern Uttar Pradesh, India, in November 2012. The meetings were held in Bhurkura, Mirzapur district, on 4 November, Sota, Chandouli district, on 10 November, and Pidkhir, Mirzapur district, on 18 November, and were attended by 25, 38, and 30 farmers, respectively. They were jointly organized by the Banaras Hindu University, Mahamana Krishak Samiti farmers’ cooperative, Mirzapur district, and CIMMYT, and supported by a private seed company M/s. Shyam Seed.

Balasubramaniam Arun, Ramesh Chand, and Vinod Kumar Mishra, wheat scientists from the Banaras Hindu University, introduced the HarvestPlus project’s objectives and the importance of biofortified wheat varieties. Chandra Prakash Srivastava explained the role of zinc and iron for human health, while soil scientist Satish Kumar Singh focused on their role and importance in crop production, as well as zinc level distribution in different soil types in the ricewheat growing areas of the region. Each meeting included a hands-on training on HarvestPlus trials sowing, during which farmers learned about experimental design with focus on plot area, number of lines, and amount of seed to be sown, and which included soil samples collection demonstrations. This was followed by a discussion on the use of conventional and zero-till drill for experiment planting, and the farmers’ experience with biofortified varieties, seed purity maintenance, and the use of the progeny row method. Balanced use of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, sulfur, and boron based on soil analysis was also covered.

CIMMYT wheat breeder Arun Joshi described the steps involved in quality seed production and the importance of seed producers’ organizations for small-scale farmers. He also highlighted advantages of the PVS approach, including the increased adoption rate of new varieties within a shorter period of time. Joshi appreciated the keen interest and active participation of farmers in PVS programs and encouraged them to continue their work and facilitate varietal selection to identify and promote agronomically superior biofortified varieties. The participating farmers showed their interest in HarvestPlus experiments and their continuing support for the wheat biofortification program. They expressed their full satisfaction with the interaction meetings, as these help them to build confidence and enhance their knowledge and capacity for understanding new wheat research processes and results. According to the participants, smallholder farmers have achieved significant gains through the participatory research program, an easier access to new varieties being one of them. Sri Hari Kirtan Singh of M/s. Shyam Seed agreed to multiply all lead varieties seeds identified for high zinc and iron content to allow easy access to an even larger number of farmers.

Conservation agriculture and spatial variability analysis of soils using EM 38 course in India

Written by on November 14, 2012. Posted in News.

CIMMYT and the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA), in collaboration with Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), organized an advanced course on “Conservation agriculture and spatial variability analysis of soils using EM 38” in Ludhiana, India, during 5-13 October 2012. The course was attended by 15 scientists from 3 state agricultural universities (Jawahar Lal Nehru Krishi Viswa Vidyalaya, Rajendra Agricultural University, and PAU), Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, BISA (Jabalpur, Ludhiana, and Pusa), and CIMMYTIndia. It was inaugurated by Jaskarn Singh Mahal (PAU Additional Director of Research; Farm Mechanization and Bio Energy) and organized by Jill Cairns (CIMMYT-Zimbabwe), Raj Gupta and HS Sidhu (BISA), ML Jat (CIMMYT-India), and Yadvinder Singh and Ken Syare (CIMMYT). The course was supported by WHEAT Strategic Initiatives 2 and 3 (Sustainable wheat-based systems: Improving livelihoods while safeguarding the environment, and Nutrientand water-use efficiency).

The training was preceded by a brainstorming session to deliberate the design of the Long-term Research on Conservation Agriculture (CA) at three BISA sites. The session covered critical issues in major production systems, soil types, and agro-ecologies, and identified and prioritized future production systems for long-term CA trials. Component technologies and design protocols of long-term trials were discussed and finalized.

During the actual training, Cairns introduced the EM 38, the non-invasive, nondestructive, quick, and inexpensive sampling method using electromagnetic induction to measure salinity, moisture, and other characteristics of soil. Cairns then described the steps in EM 38 calibration, and the team worked on EM 38 surveys at a BISA farm in Ladowal. Participants were exposed to application of EM 38 in mapping spatial variation in fields with long-term and other trials and learned to generate maps from collected data. At the end of the session, maps generated by participants were presented and described, which was followed by a Q&A session.

As part of the course, HS Sidhu and the BISA Ladowal team provided a hands-on training on operation, calibration, and maintenance of CA-based planting machinery, including multi-crop zero till planter, raised bed planter, Turbo Happy Seeder, New Easy Seeder, relay crop planter, and high clearance tractor.

Australia and CIMMYT continue support for wheat and maize research in Afghanistan

Written by on November 12, 2012. Posted in News.

After a decade of successful work in Afghanistan, CIMMYT has begun a new phase of a project supported by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). The four-year phase entitled “Sustainable Wheat & Maize Production in Afghanistan” began in October 2012 and builds upon research and development and capacity building activities of the previous phases with a greater emphasis on rainfed wheat and hybrid maize.

The livelihoods of approximately 80% of the Afghan population depend on agriculture and related activities. The central crop in Afghanistan is wheat, providing about 60% of daily calorie intake for an average Afghan. Afghanistan’s annual per capita wheat consumption of 180 kilograms places the country among the top wheat consumers worldwide. While wheat constitutes the most important grain crop in Afghanistan, occupying about 80% of all cereals area, maize is a grossly underutilized food and feed option in the country. It ranks third in importance as far as area and production are concerned, but the current production levels are low at about 0.3 million tons (a considerable decrease from about 0.7 million tons in the 1960s and 1970s). This is expected to change with the Government of Afghanistan’s recently renewed emphasis on maize. CIMMYT, with support from AusAID and ACIAR, has been working towards sustainable growth in wheat and maize production and productivity in the war-torn country.

Agriculture in Afghanistan generally faces various constraints and challenges, including severe droughts and great agro-climatic diversity. However, following a decade of concerted efforts on part of researchers, seed producers, and the farming community, wheat production and productivity is now showing a positive trend. Furthermore, the 10 wheat and 4 maize CIMMYT genotypes that were released in Afghanistan in the past 10 years have contributed to the growth of a public-private partnership within the seed industry, which is expected to produce up to 12% of Afghanistan’s wheat certified demand. Nevertheless, serious issues remain, including the absence of an in-country wheat breeding program and the stark fact that more than 80% of certified seed produced in the country is still Ug99 susceptible. There is also a need to initiate agro-climatic zonespecific varietal testing and to reach out to farmers with zone-specific crop management knowledge.

These are some of the issues to be addressed by the new phase of the project. Additionally, the project will create information management hubs in the provinces of Nangarhar, Herat, Balkh, and Kabul. These hubs, led by the Agricultural Research Institute of Afghanistan (ARIA) and engaging all stakeholders and partners, will undertake baseline and subsequent annual surveys to assess levels of technology adoption. They will also study factors affecting adoption, including the role of children and women in wheat- and maize-based cropping systems, and engage in technology assessment, demonstration, and dissemination.

The current phase aims to empower ARIA to assume a leadership role in all the spheres of technology development and dissemination. To realize this plan, annual workshops will be held to eventually hand over the leadership and coordination role to ARIA and national partners. Implementation of this project in Afghanistan will draw support from in-country partners including, but not limited to, ICARDA-Afghanistan, FAO, the French Agricultural Cooperation, Japan International Cooperation Agency in Kabul, NGOs, seed organizations, farmers, and private sector to ensure sustainable gains.

Climate smart practices and conservation agriculture in India

Written by on November 8, 2012. Posted in News.

Under the aegis of Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), CIMMYT, Rajendra Agricultural University (RAU), and Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) organized a travelling seminar on Climate Smart Practices. The seminar was attended by nearly 100 participants, including 60 farmers from village clusters in the CCAFS grid in Vaishali district of Bihar, scientists and officers from RAU, IARI, IFFCO Foundation, CIMMYT, Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA), Cereal System Initiative South Asia (CSISA), and several private organizations. The aim was to discuss opportunities for climate-smart practices.

ML Jat (CIMMYT senior cropping systems agronomist) started the seminar with a summary of CCAFS activities, target regions, and priorities for Bihar. He stressed the importance of conservation agriculture (CA) for adaptation, mitigation, and risk management in farming practices in the context of emerging climatic extremes and projected effects of global climate change. In locations like Bihar, with typically uncertain weather, cropping system optimization is crucial for climate change adaptation; this optimization can be facilitated through CA-based management practices.

Jat also discussed the involvement of women farmers in decision making, which is critical not only for risk management but also for women’s empowerment, as it allows them to harness their full potential. Women are generally not involved in the decision making process and they often lack access to information, which prevents them from efficient decision making and full involvement in the farm system. Jat then explained some new nutrient management tools and techniques, such as the Nutrient Expert decision support systems for maize and wheat and the hand-held GreenSeeker sensors. Following the presentation, some farmers expressed their interest to learn about the Nutrient Expert tool in order to provide services to other farmers in their villages.

Raj Kumar Jat (CIMMYT cropping system agronomist) and Mukesh Kumar (RAU professor) discussed the key benefits of CA in terms of productivity enhancement, soil health improvement, water efficiency, production cost, and mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. IS Solanki (head of IARI-Pusa) and S Chowdhury (BISA seed specialist) then demonstrated seed production of single-cross maize hybrids with CA-based management practices (permanent beds). Solanki and his team also showed hybrid seed production of rice with complete seed chain (production to processing) and discussed opportunities for horticultural diversification. Solanki emphasized the importance of hybrid seed production directly by farmers to ensure timely availability of quality seed and to generate employment opportunities for farmers. RK Malik (CSISA coordinator for eastern India) shared CSISA experiences on alternate tillage, including direct dry seeded rice, mechanical transplanted rice, zero tillage, and raised bed planting. The farmers then visited a seed processing plant at an IARI station and observed the long-term CA experiment on rice-wheat and rice-maize systems established jointly by CIMMYT and RAU in 2006.

VP Singh (RAU director of research) highlighted the importance of this experiment: “CA-based crop management technologies are the way forward not only for reducing production cost and improving income but also for enhancing climate resilience and long-term sustainability of farming in Bihar.”

The Government of Bihar reflects Singh’s sentiment, as it has given high priority to CA and promised to provide over 5,000 zero-till planters to the farmers in 2012. Singh urged the farmers to adopt other best management practices as well, including timely planting, improved varieties, nutrient, water, and weed management practices for higher productivity and profitability, and efficient use of input to help mitigate GHG emissions.

In the end of the seminar, an interaction session was organized at a BISA farm where participants discussed key lessons and critical issues. The session included a demonstration of mechanized harvesting of maize using small multi-crop combine harvester.