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29 May 2015 No. 1677 |
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New sorghum and finger millet cultivars ready to take off in Malawi
Photo: E Manyasa, ICRISAT
Three early-maturing sorghum cultivars are in the
process of getting released in Malawi, while the
introduction of three finger millet varieties selected by
farmers are expected to resurrect a crop that has
‘disappeared’ in the southern region of the country.
The three sorghum varieties earmarked for on-farm testing
and release – KARI Mtama 1, R8602 and IESV 23006 DL
– are suitable for food and for brewing beer. In the case of
finger millet, farmers wanted access to seeds of Gulu E,
ACC 32 and KNE 1124 varieties, so that they can start
growing the crop again.
Farmer-preferred traits and potential for sorghum
Field days were held at four Participatory Varietal Selection
(PVS) sites – Salima in central Malawi, Supuni and Magoti in
southern Malawi, and Nyanje near the Mozambique border.
The farmers at all the sites expressed their desire for
early-maturing varieties. Drought tolerance, early and high
yield, sweet taste (especially green grain) and good grain
size and color (white for food and brown for beer) were the
key traits considered in sorghum variety selection.
The potential also exists to increase brown grain sorghum
production for brewing through high-yielding varieties. The
current sorghum grain production for brewing stands at
200 metric tons against a demand of 800 metric tons.
Farmer-preferred traits and potential for finger millet
High yield, light brown color and short duration were the
traits preferred by farmers for finger millet. Demonstration
of fertilizer use (both organic and inorganic) was appreciated
as it showed visible significant yield advantage over nonusage
of fertilizer. The high nutritive value of finger millet
was highlighted and the demonstration of improved
agronomic practices for increased production especially in
view of the deteriorating soil and changing climatic
conditions was appreciated by farmers.
Demand for other drought-tolerant crops:
The farmers requested for more PVS sites and inclusion of
other drought-tolerant crops like pearl millet, groundnut
and pigeonpea. The village chief at Magoti site, who is a
woman farmer said, “We want to end hunger in this village.
The rainfall we receive is not enough to raise a maize crop.
We therefore depend on drought-tolerant crops for food.’’
Sorghum seed access & multiplication:
The releases are based on initial work by Mr Joseph
Kamwaza, National Research Officer at ICRISAT’s Chitala Station. The current evaluators, Dr Henry Ojulong and
Dr Eric Manyasa – Scientists, Breeding (Dryland Cereals),
ICRISAT-Nairobi, held discussions with Dr Patrick Okori,
ICRISAT Country Representative in Malawi and the
following points emerged.
- Dr Okori stressed on the Malawi Government’s request for making available seed of improved sorghum varieties and the release of the varieties in the pipeline. For the purpose, a team comprising ICRISAT scientists and a national sorghum team will come together to compile relevant data to enable release of the sorghum varieties identified between 2007 and 2009 from the collaborative trials.
- Two white-seeded varieties that were released – Pirira 1 and 2 – are still popular with farmers but seed is not available. Therefore a site for off-season seed multiplication of the two varieties is to be identified in the southern region.
- The technical capacity of the research staff of the National Agricultural Research System working on sorghum and millets, especially in field breeding techniques and seed production, needs to be improved through short hands-on training, preferably at ICRISAT-Nairobi.
- The evaluators were in Malawi from 23 April to 2 May to report on the sorghum and finger millet regional onstation trials and PVS trials.
Partners: Department Agricultural Research Services (DARS-Malawi), Ministry of Agriculture, Malawi; ICRISAT
Investor: CRP Dryland Cereals
CGIAR Research Program: Dryland Cereals
For more information on dryland cereals: http://exploreit.icrisat.org/profile/Dryland%20Cereals/170
Dry season groundnut seed production catches up in Nigeria
Local leaders are role models
Farming communities in northern Nigeria,
led by their local leaders, showed keen
interest in dry season groundnut seed
production. Besides being an additional source
of income, the prestige that farmers derive by
being recognized as reliable producers of
improved seed is a strong driving force.
A recent field day organized in Kafin Zaki villageof Ningi Local Government Area (LGA) had over
350 farmers in attendance including the
Honorable Alhaji Abba Saleh, Chair, Ningi LGA,
and Mr Alhaji Mohammad Kilishi Musa, District
Head, Ningi. In his opening remarks, the
Honorable Alhaji Abba Saleh stated that he and
29 other farmers from his village are
beneficiaries of improved seed provided by
ICRISAT in collaboration with West Africa Agricultural
Productivity Programme for dry season cultivation, and
described the performance of the crop in his locality as
encouraging. He appreciated the zeal of the farmers in
adopting dry season groundnut production. Joining him,
the District Head commended the farmers and added that
he too cultivated groundnut in the dry season and has
started harvesting this year’s produce.
Mr Bako Abdullahi, village head of Kafin Zaki, welcomed
the introduction of dry season groundnut production in his
community and pledged his continued support.
The aim of the field day was to sensitize farmers on the
profitability, income generation and system sustainability
that can be achieved through dry season groundnut seed
production. A total of 200 farmers were trained and given
improved groundnut seeds for production in the 2015 dry
season, 60 of them were from Kafin Zaki village where the
field day was organized. Dr Iliyasu Gital, manager, Bauchi
State Agricultural Development Program, was also part of
the proceedings.
Dr Babu Motagi, Senior Scientist - Groundnut Breeding
(Grain Legumes) and Mr Ayuba Kunihya, Scientific Officer,
ICRISAT-Nigeria, emphasized on the suitability of
Samnut-24 – an early-maturing, high-yielding groundnut
variety. They noted that in addition to the high price the
farmers obtain from sale of seed, grain and fodder from dry
season cultivation, groundnut fixes nitrogen contributing to
soil fertility maintenance.
The field day had interactive sessions and a progressive
farmer, Mr Yahaya Saleh, shared his experiences on dry
season groundnut seed production.
Partners: National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison
Services Ahmadu Bello Univerisity, Zaria, FMARD; ICRISAT
Investor: West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme
CGIAR Research Program: Grain Legumes
For more information on groundnut visit http://exploreit.icrisat.org/profile/seed%20systems/136
Key changes in rural dynamics identified in Karnataka, India
Farmers in the state of Karnataka
are increasingly devoting areas
for cultivating high-value food and
non-food crops as a result of market
demand, supportive government
policies and groundwater
availability. Evidence of this shift is
shown in a recent analysis of panel
data from surveys of 160 households
across four villages in two districts of
Karnataka in 2000 and 2013.
As a result of irrigation through
groundwater extraction, a
groundnut-based farming system
with dairying has risen to
prominence in Belladamadugu,
floriculture in Tharati, grapes in Kapanimbargi, and
pigeonpea and cotton in Markabbinahalli.
Policy driven
“The policy of agricultural credit for drilling irrigation wells
and free electricity to pump groundwater for agriculture
has both enabled a boom in groundwater extraction,
causing a rapid transformation of Indian agriculture from
subsistence food to commercial crops,” said Dr Nagaraj,
former Principal Scientist (Economics), Markets,
Institutions and Policies, ICRISAT. “Similarly, some of the
programs such as National Horticulture Mission, watershed
development, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Act have had a profound impact
on changes in cropping patterns and agricultural
diversification.”
Enterprise changes
Other changes as seen through VDSA surveys of the four
villages was a 10-54% drop in the area of food crops, such
as postrainy (rabi) sorghum and finger millet, paving the
way for a 35-85% rise in non-food crops such as
floricultural and cotton as well as horticultural crops.
There has also been increased mechanization and shift fromdraught to milk animals, with a substantial rise in small
ruminants. For example, milk production in Belladamadugu
grew from 180 liters in 2000 to 500 liters in 2010.
These shifts have contributed to increased incomes in the villages, particularly those with good access to markets. The horticultural crops grown in Kapanimbargi and Tharati generated an 80-90% increase in incomes compared to agricultural crops, and also offered a 60-90% boost in farm employment.
The VDSA surveys also reveal a substantial increase in
non-farm income in the four villages, which grew from 40
to 60% from 2009-2013. As a result there has been a steep
fall in the proportion of men working in agriculture and
10-20% growth in females taking up these roles.
Dr Nagaraj said the heavy use of groundwater in Karnataka has resulted in over-exploitation, leading to low yield of water from irrigation wells. Hence farmers are drilling deep bore wells, adopting drip irrigation and sprinkler systems, investing in storage structures, shifting cropping patterns, and also trading water.
References
Pattern of agricultural transformations in VDSA villages of
Karnataka
Policy induced transformation in dryland agriculture: The
case of Tharati village in Karnataka.
This is very good news (the article – Pearl millet helps fight iron deficiency, evidence from three bioavailability studies – published in 22 May issue of Happenings). We have been waiting for this evidence for quite some time. For those of us who believe in bio-fortification, especially in our staple crops – sorghum, millet, etc., this news is heartwarming.
It is important that at most workshops and conferences, participants are interested to know the bio-availability and retention of the nutrients after processing. This study has now onfirmed that our belief in the work of HarvestPlus and ICRISAT as far as millet and sorghum is concerned, is the right way to go.
For us in Nigeria, millet and sorghum is a lifeline. Therefore, the evidence from this study
can go a long way in reducing malnutrition in children and in women of childbearing age.
Dr Omozoje Ohiokpehai, Nutritionist and Agro-processor team leader, Sorghum Transformation Value Chain, Office of the Honorable Minister Federal Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development, Abuja, Nigeria
Excellent information on biovailability and crop insurance! Crop insurance is also needed in coastal Andhra Pradesh where recurring floods occur at the time of paddy harvest (prior or after). The bounty crop is lost due to excess rains or storms.
Dr SS Rao, Principal Scientist (Crop Physiology), Principal Investigator (AICSIP-Physiology & Agronomy I/c) ICAR- Indian Institute of Millets Research
