ICRISAT helps farmers deal with crisis

The global food crisis followed by the current financial crisis has inflicted further hardships to poor farmers of the semi-arid tropics of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. However, scientific innovations developed by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) are empowering these farmers to cope with the crisis.

The global financial crisis coming closely on the heels of the global food crisis has hit dryland farmers hard. These poor dryland farmers have very little margin for risks, and when two shocks come one behind the other, their ability to recover is quite diminished.

ICRISAT’s scientific innovations strengthen farmers to deal with situations such as this. Even when events happen that are far beyond the control of the dryland farmer, ICRISAT’s interventions give him the resistance to tide over the crisis with less damage.

Although food prices have fallen from their peaks in early 2008, they are still higher than what the prices were before they soared in 2007. This can affect poor dryland farmers, who are usually net food buyers. Due to the financial crisis, there is also a shortfall in credit available to farmers and prices of inputs are also high. This could have an adverse impact on poor farmers, both in terms of reduced investments in agriculture and lesser food for their families.

In addition to contributing to the national food basket, agriculture in the semi-arid regions of developing countries supports the livelihoods of a large bulk of these countries’ population. In India, for instance, two-thirds of cultivated lands are semi-arid. Hence, an adverse impact on dryland farming can result in decreased livelihood options for a substantial percentage of the population.

Drought tolerant crops

The crops that ICRISAT works on, namely pearl millet, sorghum, chickpea, pigeonpea and ground-nut are drought resistant and can grow in semi-arid conditions. ICRISAT’s research focuses on improving the productivity of these crops, developing early maturing varieties and hybrids, and developing drought and disease tolerance.

Advanced technology to deal with farmers’ needs

To hasten the speed of crop improvement and overcome limi-tations inherent to conventional crop breeding, ICRISAT harnesses crop biotechnology. Using molecular marker assisted selection and breeding, ICRISAT developed a pearl millet hybrid – HHB 67 Improved – that is resistant to downy mildew disease. Using the same technology, ICRISAT scien-tists in Nairobi identified and transferred genes that confer Striga resistance to sorghum. Striga is among the deadliest weed in Africa.

When the genes for resistance is not available within the same plant, then ICRISAT scientists have successfully identified and introduced genes from different organisms. Through this trans-genic research, ICRISAT has de-veloped groundnut resistant to the Indian peanut clump virus and the rosette disease, and chickpea and pigeonpea resistant to the pod borer (Helicoverpa armigera).

Providing options to farmers

Through community watershed management, ICRISAT provides options to the dryland farmer. Through this approach, ICRISAT and its partners provide technological options through natural resource management, soil and water conservation, improved cropping patterns, better crops and diversified livelihoods.

ICRISAT’s model on integrated community watershed management is being replicated in India, China, Thailand and Vietnam. The model is also being adapted for a few pilot studies in eastern and southern Africa.

Diversifying the bread basket

For the farmers living in the Sahel at the edge of the Sahara desert, it is important to diversify the bread basket, to increase the income from multiple sources. Through its African Market Garden and Sahelian Eco Farm, ICRISAT promotes crop diversification through the cultivation of vegetable and fruit trees along with food crops. These are then irrigated with low-pressure drip irrigation systems.

More bang for the buck

The fertilizer microdosing technique introduced by ICRISAT in different parts of sub-Saharan Africa allows poor farmers to apply small, affordable and effective amounts of fertilizer for improved soil health and crop production. Farmers who use microdosing apply 6 gram doses of fertilizer - about a full bottle cap or a three-finger pinch - in the hole where the plant is placed at the time of planting. Crops in some parts of Africa are so starved of nutrients such as phosphorous, potassium and nitrogen that addition of even this micro amount often doubles crop yields.

The poor farmers of the dry-lands have no control over global developments. At most of the times they do not understand the cause and effect of these changes. When ICRISAT’s scientific innovations helps them overcome their day-to-day problems, their resilience to global challenges gets strengthened.