reporting from the icrisat board meeting strategic ... · 05/04/2018 · [malawi] and icf. 2017....

1April 2018 1752

Newsletter April 2018 No 1752

discovery to delivery for the drylands

Reporting from the ICRISAT Board Meeting

Strategic investments and Scientific Award announcements mark ICRISATrsquos 84th Board Meeting

Dr Nigel Kerby ICRISAT Governing Board Chair with farmers and scientists in Malawi groundnut and pigeon pea intercropped fields Photo J Kane-Potaka ICRISAT

The announcement of new strategic investments for research marked the 84th meeting of ICRISATrsquos

Governing Board Held at Lilongwe Malawi from April 16 - 18 2018 the meeting also saw the announcement of ICRISATrsquos highest scientific award

The strategic investments of US$ 200000 each were for an innovative collaboration with Dow-DuPont and for support to socio-economics research The new Systems Biology and partnerships for research as well as the significant Master Alliance Agreement with Dow DuPont were presented by Dr Rajeev Varshney while Dr Michael Hauser emphasized the need for more socio-economic research

For the ICRISAT Science Awards 2017 The Doreen Mashler Award for scientific achievement was awarded to Dr Mamta Sharma and Dr Pooja Bhatnagar-Mathur ICRISAT

Governing Board recognized the scientific achievements of Dr Baloua Nebie as the lsquoPromising Young Scientist Awardee 2017rsquo A presentation on scientific contribution and outputs was made by Dr Nebie Drs Sharma and Bhatnagar-Mathur will make their presentations at the next Board meeting in September 2018

At the Program Committee where ICRISATrsquos ongoing and future research was highlighted the Board applauded the ongoing work in Malawi presented by Dr Patrick Okori on revolving seed funds model citing this as a learning opportunity for other institutions The achievements from the CGIAR Research Program-CCAFS by Dr Robert Zougmore emphasized the importance of partnerships in achieving outcomes for climate change in Africa The suggestion of greater engagement of ICRISAT in integrative

2 April 2018 1752

CRPs ndash WLE PIM and CCAFS in Asia by Dr Anthony Whitbread was agreed to Dr Peter Carberry added that ICRISATrsquos contribution to other CRPs and Platforms ndash A4NH Genebank Excellence in Breeding and Big Data to be presented at the next Board meeting

At the previous Governing Board meeting in September 2017 a Smart Food Endowment Fund was approved with US$ 2M committed from ICRISAT During this meeting the business plan defining the Smart Food Vision and mission as a catalyst for nutrition the environment and in breaking the food system divide was presented by Ms Joanna Kane-Potaka The Board approved the governance structure and the business plan recommending a Business Advisory Committee to be established for this globally acclaimed initiative

Snapshots of CRP GLDC by Ms Neena Jacob modernization of ICRISAT Crop Improvement by Dr Jan Debaene and nutrition research by Drs Gichohi amp Anitha received suggestions from the Board on value chain as well as on diversity of work

A new way of sharing performance indicators using the MEASURE program developed in collaboration with ICRISAT ihub startup Verdantum was presented by Dr Carberry Dr Paco Sereme Chair Program Committee appreciated the MEASURE program and congratulated Dr David Bergvinson and colleagues for this new way of presenting data

The Board took this opportunity to interact with farmers on the field Visiting groundnut fields intercropped with pigeonpea Dr Nigel Kerby Governing Board Chair highlighted the strength of applied science at ICRISAT

which could be witnessed firsthand in Malawi ldquoIt is inspiring to be surrounded by farmers and scientists and see the rapport and respect on all sides and the real change to communities dependent on agriculturerdquo he remarked ldquoYou only need see this to know that all our efforts in governance are worth itrdquo

The Governing Board presented a Plaque of Appreciation to Ms Oluwande Muoyo for her service to ICRISAT as Governing Board Member and Audit and Risk Committee Chair from July 2012 ndash April 2018 Ms Muoyo a former Hon Commissioner for Budget and planning in Ogun State Nigeria is succeeded by Ms Folashade Ogunde also from Nigeria Ms Muoyo has retired from ICRISAT Board and will venture into farming She was inspired by ICRISATrsquos mission in helping smallholder farmers contribute to sustainable agriculture and farming systems ldquoIrsquom passionate about the change I can bring to the community and thank my colleagues for making me understand the importance of a food secure futurerdquo she said

At a dinner with partners during Dr Kerby shared his pleasure at the valuable link between ICRISAT and partners in Malawi especially the government ldquoICRISAT is proud to see the progress and impact of the collective contribution to science and farming systems and we are positive that we will accomplish more to benefit smallholder farmersrdquo he said

Participants at the Board meeting included Dr Kerby Dr Sereme Board members Dr Paul Anderson Dr Wendy Umberger Ms Muoyo Dr Sissel Rogne Dr Laurie Tollefson and Ms Ogunde along with Dr Carberry and senior ICRISAT management and research staff g

3April 2018 1752

The many models of Malawi that help farmers get better incomes

As part of the recently concluded Governing Board Meeting ICRISAT Board members visited several

farmersrsquo fields in Malawi to witness firsthand the impact of different agricultural models to raise productivity and efficiency of smallholder farms in the region A few promising models are shared here

High-standard larger farms used as training groundsDr Peter Carberry Director General (Acting) ICRISAT gave accolades to Manzure noting ldquoYou are an inspiring leader and see the big picture You have also used your networks to bring the farmers on board

Farmer Manzure Beda is a medium size farmer who provides a high quality training ground to smallholder farmers guiding them on producing seeds ICRISAT has been working with Manzure for 17 years to transition many farmers from tobacco to viable food crops

Manzure says he has not mechanized because it better replicates what is possible for the small holder farmers It also provides seasonal employment which he says helps locals pay school and medical fees

Malawi is a small land size with a large population so increasing the arable land for farming is very difficult The focus instead needs to be to maximize returns from the existing land

One of the biggest needs identified by Manzure is for a structured market for farmers to sell their product at a fair price He notes ldquoThere was a collapse in prices last year and consequently we have seen a

decrease in the crop quality this year as the farmers didnrsquot have resources for inputsrdquo

Manzure agreed to be a Smart Food ambassador to take forward the challenge to popularize the more nutritious foods like millets and legumes

Farmer innovation platformsICRISAT scientists and farmers explaining the participatory selection process and benefits in better pigeonpea varieties for intercropping

Another model to assist farmers is an innovation platform where farmers scientists and others meet each month to look for opportunities The innovation platforms are organized by the National Smallholder Farmersrsquo Association of Malawi (NASFAM) There are two committees are set up under the platform ndash a market and a production committee Farmer-to-farmer trainings occur along with sharing information on nutrition and food safety

Farmer Manzure Beda explaining use of his farm for training smallholder farmers

Photos J Kane-Potaka ICRISAT

Dr Peter Carberry Director General (Acting) ICRISAT gave accolades to Manzure noting ldquoYou are an inspiring leader and see the big picture You have also used your networks to bring the farmers on board

ICRISAT scientists and farmers explaining the participatory selection process and benefits in better pigeonpea varieties for intercropping

4 April 2018 1752

Variety selection discussed on these platforms led to ICRISAT releasing improved varieties and ensuring seeds go into the community seed bank making them easily available

Community seedbanksThe county seed bank is a great success story of perseverance It started in 2007 with 10 members Five of these members were able to receive seed and only two were able to pay back with double the quantity lent In

2009 eight people were able to pay back reaching 160 kg of seed in the bank 10 more people joined the club

Farmer Doris Weisman said that after paying back the seed loan she was able to pay the school fees and bought some bricks to build a new home

By 2012 there were 18 new clubs and by 2015 there were 35 clubs in all Now the seed banks have 9000 kg of seed and 1600 farmer members Each seed bank can cover a radius of 15 km The clubs are so large that now they are looking to purchase their own land and build a small warehouse

Pigeonpea was introduced to satisfy export markets The short-duration varieties were most successful to fit in with the seasons of the other crops like maize and beans and more recently with groundnut as a new system

ICRISAT encouraged farmers to consume the crop as well with a variety of products ranging from pigeon pea cake to pigeon pea milk Some challenges to domestic consumption is that there isnrsquot any processing equipment to deshell and split the pigeon pea people donrsquot like to use it whole as this lengthens the cooking time As a result most pigeonpea is eaten as a green vegetable and some as a flour for porridge

Creating demand through new productsMalawi has a high level of stunting at an average of 37 (National Statistical Office (NSO) [Malawi] and ICF 2017 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey 2015-16 Zomba Malawi and Rockville Maryland USA NSO and ICF) This central region is extremely high at 45 To help break this ICRISAT has also started a major effort to increase consumption of these more nutritious crops and add diversity to the maize dominant diets with Malawi recognized as having the second highest consumption of maize in Africa

ICRISAT Nutritionist Dr Wanjiku Gichohi has been undertaking consumer studies to identify recipes that fit all criteria of being tasty while also nutritious and marketable Learnings through farmer to farmer trainings have also been sourced from northern Malawi which has more consumption menu variety and processing especially of pigeonpea Sanitation and hygiene as well as food safety (post-harvest aflatoxin mitigation in maize and groundnuts) are also integrated as key components of nutrition education

Future work will include efforts to understand what children like how to change dietary habits creating recipes to suit the local communities and building commercial interest in urban and rural markets for new processed products g


Dr Wanjiku Gichohi ICRISAT Nutritionist has been undertaking consumer studies to identify recipes that fit all criteria of being tasty while also nutritious and marketable

ldquoIf the farmer is sick everything stopsrdquo notes Edmund a local farmer

5April 2018 1752

Doreen Margaret Mashler Award for Dr Mamta Sharma and Dr Pooja Bhatnagar-Mathur

MALAWI April 17 2018 ICRISATrsquos highest award for research was announced by its Governing Board

today Dr Mamta Sharma and Dr Pooja Bhatnagar-Mathur are joint recipients of the Doreen Margaret Mashler Award for 2018 for significant work in their respective research fields of plant pathology and biotechnology at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)

Dr Mamta Sharma specializes in epidemiology of plant diseases and pathogens focusing on disease-resistant breeding in chickpea and pigeonpea two of ICRISATrsquos mandate crops In 2017 she led the team that developed the Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) method to identify a pathogen affecting chickpea and over 500 crops globally She also established the Center of Excellence on Climate Change Research for Plant Protection to address effects of climate change on insect-pests and diseases

Dr Sharmarsquos work on identifying new multiple disease-resistant sources has helped researchers in breeding programs across the globe understand the mechanism of inheritance of resistance Her climate variability work on diverse patho-systems will have major bearing on developing risk maps models for diseases and insect-pest prediction as well as adaptation and mitigation strategies for sustainable crop production

Speaking on the award Dr Sharma says ldquoThe next few decades will see cutting-edge technologies in science for huge opportunities in India If youngsters pursue a career in science with focus perseverance and planning they can become leaders of innovation and address the unmet needs of the countryrdquo

ldquoWomen whether in science or elsewhere work extra hard to overcome inherent gender biases to prove themselves Rather than special incentives women can be provided an environment to allow effective workingrdquo Dr Sharma encourages young women to take up a career in science

Co-recipient of the award Dr Pooja Bhatnagar-Mathur led an international multi-institutional effort for innovative

biotechnology solutions to combat aflatoxin in groundnut using a lsquodouble-defensersquo approach These include engineering groundnuts to stop Aspergillus flavus ungus by production of small proteins called defensins In the second approach the synthesis of aflatoxin by the fungus was shut down using gene-silencing RNA molecules This breakthrough resulted in resistance to fungal infection as well as remarkably low levels of aflatoxin contamination

Dr Bhatnagar-Mathur also worked towards successful isolation and characterization of the gene responsible for cytoplasmic male sterility in pigeonpea As a result ICRISAT filed its first ever patent in 2016-17 It holds great potential to induce and control male sterility in other crop species thereby providing male sterile lines for developing scalable hybrid systems

Describing the Mashler Award as her motivation to contribute even more to her professional goals Dr Bhatnagar-Mathur said that she intended to build mutually beneficial newer collaborations and partnerships that ultimately benefit smallholder agriculture Over the years her goal-oriented approach interpersonal skills and a lsquocan-dorsquo attitude have helped her overcome many challenges she says

Her advice to aspiring scientists is ldquoBuilding supportive professional and personal networks is critical equally important is to know how research funding flows and works to deliver on your missionrdquo

ldquoAttitudes and beliefs arising due to socio-cultural norms create hurdles for women leading to gender biases at the workplacerdquo says Dr Bhatnagar-Mathus ldquoAs scientists women sometimes get marginalized in collaboration networks and this leads to compromised self-beliefs and fewer women in leadership positions It is time we work together to address issues that women in science face to bring things at par Only when we get there everyone will benefitrdquo

The award includes a plaque and a citation for each awardee It will be presented during the ICRISAT Governing Board meeting in 2018 g

Dr Mamta Sharma (L) and Dr Pooja Bhatnagar-Mathur (R)

Photos PS Rao

6 April 2018 1752

An agreement signed between Corteva Agrisciencetrade (the Agriculture Division of DowDuPont) and ICRISAT will

enable crop scientists access the latest technology ndash including CRISPR-Cas gene editing ndash to improve productivity and quality of crops grown by smallholder farmers The two institutions inked a Master Alliance Agreement (MAA) with a view to strengthen food security for millions through sharing of modern breeding technologies

HYDERABAD India (April 12 2018) ndash The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and Corteva Agrisciencetrade Agriculture Division of DowDuPont today inked a multiyear partnership to strengthen food security by improving crops that feed millions through sharing of high-tech and modern breeding technologies

A Master Alliance Agreement (MAA) was signed between Peter Carberry Director General (Acting) ICRISAT and Tom Greene Senior Research Director Corteva Agrisciencetrade The technology sharing includes CRISPR-Cas gene editing adapting transformation techniques to new crops and applying knowledge of plant biochemical pathways with the goal of productivity and quality improvements for crops that feed millions of people DuPont Pioneer now part of Corteva Agrisciencetrade will provide access to intellectual property material and know-how related to CRISPR-Cas and plant transformation

Carberry who is also the director of Global CGIAR Research Program on Grain Legumes and Dryland Cereals (GLDC) said ldquoICRISAT and Corteva Agrisciencetrade share goals of developing innovative technologies and promoting their translation into next-generation agricultural products to benefit the smallholder agriculture farmers in the drylands Such public-private partnerships are actively sought and are critical to achieve the desired impact and success of the GLDC Programrdquo

Tom Greene Corteva Agrisciencetrade said ldquoWe look forward to applying the cutting-edge technology like CRISPR-Cas to address challenging crop production and consumer-facing quality problems The combination of experience from our scientists and refinement of new technologies offer promising areas of research and development for select crops that donrsquot receive enough attention even though these crops feed millionsrdquo

ldquoWith Corteva Agrisciencetrade and ICRISAT scientists working together we will see rapid improvement in technologies towards developing more productive crops and a more prosperous agriculture for smallholder farmersrdquo said Pooja Bhatnagar-Mathur Principal Investigator ICRISAT and co-developer of the research plan

ldquoCollaboration will bring together expertise and experience that complements each other Once we started discussions on the research plan the collaboration came together quicklyrdquo said Amitabh Mohanty Principal Investigator Corteva Agrisciencetrade and co-developer of the research plan

The plan to work together on crops such as sorghum and millet was solidified at a meeting during the 2017 World Food Prize where ICRISAT Director General David Bergvinson and Tom Greene of Corteva Agrisciencetrade outlined general research concepts targets and available technology that would help drive solutions

Corteva Agrisciencetrade is applying CRISPR-Cas as an advanced plant breeding tool to develop crops with greater environmental resiliency productivity and sustainability It has defined CRISPR-Cas guiding principles which includes enabling others wanting to develop agricultural products using CRISPR-Cas by providing access to its intellectual property technology capabilities infrastructure and scientific expertise g

Dr Peter Carberry Director General (Acting) ICRISAT and Dr Tom Greene Senior Research Director Corteva Agrisciencetrade after signing the Master Alliance Agreement for technology sharing

Forging an alliance to improve crops through latest technology

Feature Stories

Photo S Punna

7April 2018 1752

Looking at nutrition from the view of the microbiome in human and soil systems may provide answers to tackle

malnutrition in Asia and Africa Agricultural and medical researchers and doctors from around the world came together from March 22 ndash 24 2018 at ICRISAT to brainstorm on the connect with between microbiomes of the gut and the soil This workshop on systems biology for human and plant nutrition aimed to elucidate the workings of microorganisms in the human body the microbial connection between gut and brainimmune systemobesity as well as the factors influencing them (diet genetics environment) Experts from Ghana India Senegal Mali and The Gambia presented their respective countriesrsquo nutrition reports highlighting the need for urgent interventions to improve nutrition The role of plantsoil microbiomes ndash especially that of legumes in immune response and other physiological functions ndash was discussed in detail

In the inaugural address Dr David Bergvinson Director General ICRISAT called the workshop a rare integration of health nutrition and soil and challenged participants to connect the varied clusters and distil information that could significantly impact nutrition and agriculture especially in the drylands

Dr Karsten Kristiansen University of Copenhagen and BGI-Shenzhen highlighted the importance of gut microbiome for different diseases In his presentation he showed how the certain human gut microbes such as Prevotella copri are linked to conditions such as insulin resistance and glucose intolerance

Dr Rajeev K Varshney Research Program Director Genetic Gains ICRISAT introduced the newly commissioned Systems Biology initiative as an effort to understand the gut microbiome associated with legume-based diets and the soil microbiome to better understand crop responses

New Seeds Sown for Systems Biology Research at ICRISAT

to soil inputs The Systems Biology initiative at ICRISAT will focus on research on i) Human Gut Microbiome ii) Soil Microbiome and iii) Trait Biology Dr Varshney expressed hope that this approach would create a roadmap to tackle malnutrition in Asia and Africa

Dr Peter Carberry Deputy Director General Research ICRISAT urged workshop participants to link systems biology with socio-economic systems (eg the Village Dynamics Studies in South Asia ndash VDSA) and crop systems modelling research ldquoThis will enable us to exploit ICRISATrsquos

Village Level Studies which have provided profound insights into social and economic changes in the village and household economies in the semi-arid tropics of Asia and Africardquo he said

Why gut bacteria are important

Gut Bacteria contain enzymes that help digest carbohydrates and are involved in protein and lipid metabolism1

They play a critical role in development of the immune system2

They are also responsible for synthesis of certain vitamins such as Vitamin B123

In the workshop speakers from 19 organizations and 12 countries presented updates on ongoing research work and their areas of strength which can be utilized to complement each other and move ahead on systems biology approach to address bigger challenges

The potential research areas highlighted during the workshop included

Gut microbiome for improving human nutrition A multi-institute collaboration to study the effect of legume-based nutritional supplement on the gut microbiome of pregnant women and children in India through government nutrition health and agriculture institutions in India This would be done with BGI-Shenzhen with University of Copenhagen The expertise of BGI-Shenzhen in foxtail millet and the University Hyderabad synergized with ICRISAT could analyze plantsoil microbiome in chickpea Collaborations with CSIRO and Rothamsted Research Institute are also being considered

Dr Karsten Kristiansen BGI-Shenzhen

Photos PS Rao

8 April 2018 1752

ICRISAT will partner the Vienna Metabolomics Center University of Vienna to study drought tolerance in chickpea and analyze the two-line hybrid system and epigenomics for hybrids in pigeonpea This study will use models to predict higher-order relationships between molecular phenotypes interactions among each other and subsequent influence on complex traits

International standards for data collection analysis and storage will be used

For more information about the workshop httpcegsbicrisatorg1-sb

Professor Kwaku Tano-Debrah University of Ghana

Dr Wolfram Weckwerth University of Vienna

References1httpswwwncbinlmnihgovpmcarticlesPMC3144392

2httpswwwncbinlmnihgovpmcarticlesPMC5408367

3httpswwwncbinlmnihgovpubmed22940212 g

9April 2018 1752

Over five million farmers and more Bhoochetana expands in India

Bhoochetana an initiative that has transformed lives of several million farmers in the Indian state of Karnataka

was launched in the state of Odisha in April 2018 The Department of Agriculture Government of Odisha and ICRISAT signed a Memorandum of Agreement that would potentially benefit 435 million farmers in the state The three-year agreement is set to reach 61 million ha of farmland in 30 districts through a science-led development approach

The word Bhoochetana means revival of the land and involves soil health mapping nutrient recommendations and support to farmers Already over 475 million Indian farmers have got a 20-66 crop increase and US$350 million total net benefits

Through this initiative the soil analysis nutrient management recommendations and treatment is shared with farmers This helps increase productivity through improved practices Also improved cultivars local seed banks land and water management practices and capacity building for farmers is implemented The MoA was signed in presence of Mr Pradeep Maharathy Odisharsquos Agriculture Minister and Director Agriculture amp Food Production Government of Odisha and Dr Suhas P Wani Research Program Director Asia and Director ICRISAT Development Center on behalf of the Director General of ICRISAT g

10 April 2018 1752

Millets and Sorghum Forgotten Foods for the Future

Millets and sorghum are grains that are nutrient-rich drought-tolerant crops and can support communities

around the world ICRISAT estimates that more than 90 million people in Africa and Asia depend on millets in their diets and 500 million people in more than 30 countries depend on sorghums as a staple food However in the past 50 years these grains have largely been abandoned in favor of developing more popular crops like maize wheat rice and soybeans

The Smart Food initiative at ICRISAT in partnership with Feed the Futurersquos Accelerated Value Chain Development (AVCD) Program is developing innovative methods to make these grains attractive again in the semi-arid tropics of Africa and India At the same time the project is hoping to educate consumers farmers food processors health workers and government leaders about the various benefits and uses of millets sorghum and grain legumes Building awareness of these grains can support the diet diversity well-being and livelihoods of rural communities and farmers in Africa and India where undernutrition malnutrition obesity and anemia are common

Millets are gluten-free are high in protein and antioxidants and have a low glycemic index which can help prevent or manage diabetes Pearl millet (pictured left) in particular is very high in ironmdashone of the most common micronutrient deficiencies worldwidemdashand has

twice the protein of milk Finger millet has three times more calcium than milk Kodo milletincludes three times the dietary fiber of wheat and maize and ten times that of rice Sorghum (pictured at top) also used as a sweetener syrup is rich in vitamins minerals protein and fiber and is also gluten-free This cereal grain can help reduce the risk of certain cancers as well as aid in diabetes control and prevention

Despite being highly nutritious these crops have suffered a loss of popularity and poorly developed value chains according to Joanna Kane-Potaka the Director of Strategic Marketing and Communication at ICRISAT Millets and

sorghum were the traditional crops across many parts of Africa and India but ldquoare now seen as old fashioned or food for the poorrdquo says Kane-Potaka ldquoThere has been much less investment in these foods The value chain is less developed from the seed system being set up through to modern convenience products being developedrdquo

The current lack of development of millets and sorghum crops allows for substantial potential in growth and innovation ICRISAT hopes to develop the cropsrsquo value chains from farming to food products ldquoWe are working with food processors to incorporate millets in ready-to-eat snacks and foods such as breakfast cereals malt drinks etcrdquo says Dr David Bergvinson the Director General of ICRISAT

Some of ICRISATrsquos other Smart Food projects include healthy cooking demonstrations and training programs for Kenyan women and families a Smart Food reality TV show which challenges contestants to incorporate millets sorghum and grain legumes into meals and a program that adds millets into mid-day school meals in India Restaurants and food companies such as Slurrp Farm in India are beginning to incorporate millets and sorghum into their everyday meals and food products

Millets are multi-purposemdashtheir stalks can be used not only as grains for human consumption but also as animal

11April 2018 1752

fodder as a biofuel and in brewing Other major crops like maize may see reducing yields or reach a yield plateau over the coming decade However ICRISAT reports that some millets and sorghum varieties could increase their yields up to three times their current potential ICRISAT has found that millets and sorghum can be more reliable crops for farmers in spite of dry hot conditions because they are usually the last crops standing in droughts Not only can millets grow in about half the time of wheat using few or no fertilizers and pesticides but they also require 30 percent less water than maize and 70 percent less water than rice

In the face of global climate change water scarcity and longer periods of drought millets and sorghum may be valuable nutritious and hardy alternatives to provide sustainable food security for people living in increasingly dry climates According to Kane-Potaka a return to millets and sorghum means a return to food that is good for you good for the planet and good for the farmer g

Women in blue use smart foods to fight malnutrition in rural IndiaEmpowering women can make a real difference to improving nutrition in rural areas

Despite having the most dynamic food production growth among Indian states in recent years Madhya Pradesh has worrying child malnutrition statistics according to the last National Family Health survey in 2015-2016 More than 40 percent of children under five are still stunted in the ldquoHeart of Indiardquo while almost 70 percent are anemic This is

particularly true for poor rural communities like the Gond and Baiga farmers two indigenous groups recognized among Indiarsquos scheduled tribes

ldquoTo improve the nutrition situation in these rural communities empowering women can make the real differencerdquo states Meera Mishra country coordinator of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in India ldquoMore confident skilled and economically independent women can become change makers within their own household and village to improve family nutrition and

healthrdquo Read more here g

12 April 2018 1752

In an important FAO executive summary on lsquoFuture Smart Foodrsquo ICRISAT scientists Dr Suhas Wani and Dr Gajanan

Sawargaonkar suggest that strategically increasing the use of paddy fallow cultivation can boost incomes and family nutrition

The FAO refers to Neglected and Underutilized Species (NUS) as Future Smart Food (FSF) since they are environment friendly nutrition dense and locally available Pulses (pigeonpea) roots amp tubers (sweet potato) and nutrient-rich cereals (millets amp sorghum) are few FSFs that can contribute to achieve the universal goal of lsquoZero Hungerrsquo The Future Smart Food Initiative was launched by FAOrsquos Asia Regional Office in collaboration with 30 national and international organizations

In his foreword in the Future Smart Food publication Joseacute Graziano da Silva FAO Director-General emphasized that only 103 out of the nearly 30000 edible plant species worldwide provide 90 of the calories in the human diet ldquoOver 60 of the worldrsquos caloric intake comes from just a few staples such as maize rice wheat soybean and potatordquo he adds

The publication aims to demonstrate the benefits of NUS to eradicate global hunger It identifies promising nutrition-dense climate-resilient economically-viable locally available varieties highlights opportunities to harness these and provides an enabling environment for promotion production marketing and consumption of Future Smart Food towards healthy diets

Achieving lsquoZero Hungerrsquo and eradicating all forms of malnutrition is a UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Increasing productivity and addressing poverty is one of the pathways to achieve better access to nutritious food ICRISAT scientists who have authored a chapter in this publication suggest that paddy fallow cultivation in Asia should be promoted in a holistic way because dietary diversification starts with agricultural diversification ldquoWhen combined with specific on-farm practices inter-cropping and better seed varieties the unit productivity and crop yields can increase in the range of 40 to 100rdquo they add

A 2017 policy brief on Future Smart Food suggests that low dietary diversity and dependency on a single staple crop can result in insufficient intake of nutrient-diverse food leading to a significant nutrition gap

On the other hand over-utilization of few crops has attracted steady investments and research strengthening the value chain and market pull of those crops This has marginalized the consumption and market opportunities of other basic food crops giving rise to a food system divide

About 90 million people in Africa and Asia depend on millets in their diets and 500 million people in more than

Call to promote the hidden treasures of lsquoFuture Smart Foodrsquo for Zero Hunger

30 countries depend on sorghum as a staple food Yet these climate-resilient water-efficient culturally significant crops have been neglected in favor of rice wheat soybean and maize

Recently ICRISAT partnered with FAO and several grassroot organizations to address the challenges of malnutrition in India

It was found that poor dietary diversity is the main cause for consistent malnutrition

To contribute to sustainable agricultural development and the larger global movement for nutritious and sustainable foods for better health and wellbeing ICRISAT has been spearheading the award winning lsquoSmart Foodrsquo initiative since 2014

The global lsquoSmart Foodrsquo initiative focuses on food that fulfill 3 criteria good for you the planet and the farmer One major objective is to diversify staples with an initial focus on millets and sorghum The approach will be through a market pull driving consumer demand working with food processors the food service industry and the whole value chain linking in the farmers more closely as well The goal is to generate greater investment and support for research and development of value chains for these less focused upon nutritious crops

Synergy among stakeholders including governments can help mainstream NUS and lsquoSmart Foodrsquo as they are good for the consumer good for the planet and good for the farmer

Read more about ICRISATrsquos work in pearl millet click here

Read more on ICRISATrsquos work in sorghum click here

Read more on the CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health click here g

This work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals

13April 2018 1752

From grass to great Tropical Legumes project transforms agricultural extension in Northern Nigeria

Over a decade of efforts by the Tropical Legumes project towards building and strengthening agricultural extension systems is paying off in Northern Nigeria as smallholder farmers achieve economic independence and prosperity Capacity-building exercises and intensive training of extension agents has encouraged many to take up cowpea seed production

Cowpea remains vital for many smallholders in Nigeria where it is

grown primarily for human consumption Also the fodder market of the crop has encountered a considerable success in the animal feed market in recent years

The Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation has successfully partnered with the Tropical Legumes project to increase the adoption and uptake of improved cowpea varieties by farmers in Northern Nigeria As a result improved and farmer-preferred varieties seed production and supply has seen significant enhancement

Between 2007 and 2013 more than 530000 tons of certified seeds (CS) and quality declared seeds (QDS) were produced in project target zones in Northern Nigeria As result of capacity building of the national breeding system the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) about 4ndash10 tons of breeder seed were annually injected into the groundnut system to meet the national demand against 500ndash1000 kg prior the project interventions

The role of agricultural extension was crucial in the promotion of these improved varieties says Mr Sani Ado Oumar an extension agent working with nine communities in the Local Government Area (LGA) of Tsanyawa Kano State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (KNARDA) He recalled how much the Tropical Legumes project especially in its third phase of implementation (TL III) was key in changing the extension pattern in Northern Nigeria

ldquoBefore TL III our institution used to provide us with pre-season training TL III has strengthened these efforts with more focused trainings and capacity building of extension agents in agronomic practices pest

management safe and effective use of pesticides data collection record keeping post-harvest management including cowpea storage as well business and marketing of agricultural products The impact was tremendousrdquo says Mr Ado

According to Mr Ado the greatest impact was that the large uptake of technologies were achieved because of the step-down trainings offered to all extension agents within the LGA ldquoI have always provided a step-down training to fellows who did not benefit directly from the project trainings It has changed the pattern of extension activities in this areardquo Mr Ado says ldquoThe trainings made a change in me which I was able to translate into 28 other extensions workers back into the nine communities covered by the projectrdquo he adds

The project capacitated extension agents with means of transport thus increasing their mobility and facilitated a closer contact and monitoring of outreach activities ldquoWe started with a few farmers in 2015 now all farmers take interest in cowpea production and a wider acceptance and adoption rate is registered due to our extension work Trust in new varieties has increased and farmers have more confidence in using improved agronomic practicesrdquo explains Mr Ado

On a more personal level Mr Ado says that TLIII was a huge opportunity for development and progress ldquoThis project has enabled me to start my own cowpea production farm Providing training to farmers has motivated me to embrace cowpea seed production The project inspired me to create and register my own seed company Ausye Agro-chemicals and Seed Company Nigeria Ltdrdquo He is now the owner of two hectares where he produces cowpea ldquoTLIII has changed an extension agent like me from grass to greatrdquo he adds Not only was he able to improve his revenues but he was also able to invest in a new car to improve his mobility in the field and reach out to more farmers

With the support of the project several technologies that have consumer-preferred traits were developed and released These improved technologies included newly released cowpea varieties that are high-yielding fast-maturing with resistance to some of the major diseases pests nematodes and parasitic weeds and adapted to sole planting or intercropping They have increased the interest of farmers to convert to cowpea production

The success of Mr Ado is not an exception in Tropical Legumes project intervention zones in Nigeria Mrs Samale Shaibu from Tsanyawa LGA has a fairy tale ldquoWith the improved varieties I produce up to 45 bags per season which I then process into various products including Danwake a local dish well appreciated by the consumers

A scene in Dawanu grain market Kano Northern Nigeria the largest cowpea market in the world

Photos A Diama

14 April 2018 1752

Mr Sani Ado Oumar was able to buy a new car with the benefits of his product

Mr Sanu Musa Cowpea producer

With the benefits of the sale I bought small ruminants two bulls and a commercial bus Now I am building a new house with concrete blocks in my villagerdquo

Mr Sanu Musa from Bagadawa LGA is not new in cowpea production but he started a new experience with the crop in 2017 when he cultivated his first improved variety of cowpea ldquoI harvested 14 bags whereas I could barely get three bags with the local variety I sold 13 bags and used the earnings to build a house pay for school fees of my

children and improve the clothing of my children as well other enjoyment for my family members Many fellows have witnessed my success and are willing to start cowpea production in 2018rdquo Musa says He is very appreciative of the improved varieties of cowpea adding ldquoI hope that the project will continue to support the farmers as it has in the pastrdquo

ldquoIn 2017 I built a house but in the coming year I hope I wish and I am willing to construct three additional houses for the comfort of my familyrdquo Mr Sanu Musa concludes g

15April 2018 1752

A simple innovation can go a long way to help lives and livelihood of farmers in the drylands A team of ICRISAT scientists in Mali have found that lsquocontour bundingrsquo a technique that helps retain moisture and nutrients while preventing soil erosion also brings as much as 20 increase in net income The study in Kani watershed about 450 km from Bamako was carried out between 2014 and 2016 The research also looked at land use data between 1986 and 2014 to show the impact of Soil and Water Conservation (SWC) practices

Contour bunding technique reduces water runoff and controls soil erosion through ridges covered with perennial grasses such as Andropogon and Vetiver Farmers use the ridges for crop production

Says Dr Birhanu Zemadim Birhanu Senior Scientist ICRISAT who led the study ldquoWe need to balance natural resource use Areas that were natural forests have been converted into agricultural land without increase in crop yields per unit area Contour bunding a low-cost technique has dual benefits of soil conservation and sustainable agricultural intensification It helps increase crop yield without actually expanding farmlandsrdquo

The region under study is an area of 5780 ha that receives just about 800 ndash 1100 mm average annual rainfall between July to September struggling to retain even this A constructed dam here dries up after two months During rainfall flooding caused loss of topsoil and nutrients Due to low productivity land under natural vegetation gives way for farming to increase production This is a matter of concern both from the environmental as well as economic perspective

This is why a comprehensive watershed approach is important During the study participatory watershed management helped identify challenges in land and water practices An evaluation of historical changes in land use

lsquoContour bundingrsquo preserves soils and boosts farmersrsquo incomes by 20 in Mali ndash new study

Farmers planting Andropogon grass on contour bunds

and water consumption for major crops was carried out The benefits of SWC practices were also evaluated through field experiments By leaving upland areas in a watershed forested natural resources degradation can be greatly reduced The contour bunding practice now could be scaled up at watershed landscape or basin level through collective action of researchers agricultural extension workers NGOs and local community based organizations

Results showed that erosion through rainfall reduced considerably due to contour

bunding Also farmers reaped as much as 20 net benefit increase from sorghum production with this technique

Farmer Mr Sekou Berthe of Kani village who used contour bunding says ldquoI have been contacted by other farmers now who also wish to have this in their fields An NGO AMEDD put this together for us at a cost of $US 10 per hectare of land I am more than willing to pay this cost since we have seen the benefitrdquo he says More than 250 farmers implemented contour bunds in their farmlands echo Mr Berthe that they were willing to pay for this making it a sustainable model

Malian Association of Awakening to Sustainable Development (AMEDD) is an NGO working with research institutes and farmers in Mali to promote technologies among smallholder farmers Says Mr Bougouna Sogoba Director AMEDD ldquoOur technicians are well trained to demarcate contour lines in farmersrsquo fields at a minimum affordable price which is US$10 per hectare of land Our market-driven approach and increased benefits from farm fields treated with contour bunds were key factors that influenced the success of this application in many farm fieldsrdquo

In the context of crop land expansion and low productivity in Mali use of SWC practices is crucial to ensure that land degradation is curbed and productivity increased The study recommends scaling up contour bunding to help bring large scale benefits to farmers in the region

The full paper may be accessed here oaricrisatorg10512

This work was supported by the CGIAR program on Water Land and Ecosystem (WLE) and the Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation (Africa RISING) program in Mali Financial support was provided by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the US Agency for Development (USAID) through the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) g

16 April 2018 1752

April 2018 Stakeholders of legume and cereal value chains in Nigeria identified recent successes and set

goals for the next cropping season at the recent review and planning workshop of Tropical Legumes III (TL III) and Harnessing Opportunities for Productivity Enhancement of Sorghum and Millets II (HOPE II) projects

TL III aims to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in the drought-prone drylands through enhanced productivity and production of grain legumes the HOPE project focuses on developing improved varieties and crop management practices for higher agricultural productivity for sorghum and millet farmers in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia

Scientists farmers seed producers grain merchants and others discussed challenges of increasing production and productivity of two legumes (cowpea and groundnut) and two cereals (sorghum and pearl millet) as also to enhance seed systems of both crops

The discussions identified key areas of synergy to leverage the resources of both projects for more efficient and effective seed delivery Participants also deliberated on ways to align seed sector development activities (supported by the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation) with national priorities

Review of TL III and HOPE II projects highlights the role of synergy

Training and workshops

The brainstorming and discussions also threw up some interesting suggestions Need for farmer-friendly varieties

improving upon current farmer favorites Management practices specific for

improved seeds essential to realize full genetic potential of seed

DNA finger-printing more reliable than names to ascertain exact varieties cultivated by farmers

More in-depth analysis of adoption studies needed to show different components of adoption eg the level of exposure in research areas The three-day Review-and-Planning workshop at Kano Nigeria during 7-9 March 2018 was attended by 78 participants in the

background of the forthcoming cropping season to plan for the 2018

Click here to know more about ICRISATrsquos work in NigeriaMore about ICRISATrsquos work in sorghum hereRead about ICRISATrsquos remarkable work on groundnut hereThe dryland cereals and grain legumes are recognized as Smart Food g


Participants at the meeting in Kano Nigeria

Photo L Omoigui

Projects Tropical Legumes III Harnessing Opportunities for Productivity Enhancement for Sorghum and Millets (HOPE) IIFunder Bill amp Melinda Gates FoundationPartners International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Institute for Agricultural Research Ahmadu Bello University (IARABU) Centre for Dryland Agriculture Bayero University Kano University of Agriculture Makurdi and ICRISAT

17April 2018 1752

lsquoExcellence in Breeding Platformrsquo for greater crop genetic gains

Partners of the EiB Africa rice CIAT CIMMYT CIP IITA ICARDA ICRAF ILRI IRRI World Fish ICRISAT and 4-5 pilot NARS Contributors CGIAR centers Cornell University Corteva Monsanto and Queensland University Funders CGIAR and Bill amp Melinda Gates FoundationThe Excellence in Breeding Platform is led by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT)

April 2018 In an effort to take stock of the achievements and capacity of existing breeding programs and to

optimize genetic gains the lsquoExcellence in Breedingrsquo (EiB) platform organized a workshop at ICRISAT during 19 ndash 21 March 2018 The EiB platform set up in 2017 by the CGIAR and led by CIMMYT is a step towards modernizing and empowering crop breeding programs in Asia Africa and Latin America where less than 5 of breeding investment is made

During the workshop there were 21 parallel sessions with thematic groups on lsquoNon-ricersquo lsquoRicersquo and lsquoHybridsrsquo The groups came up with recommendations an optimization plan and potential areas where EiB could offer support for improvement Key aspects from the working group sessions included recommendations to devise an analytical tool for parental lines selection for a cost effective way of trait selection and work closely with seed system specialists

Emphasizing the importance of adhering to standard operating procedures for genotyping activities Michael Quinn EiB Leader said ldquoThe approach is to work with breeders geneticists bioinformatics and biometric specialists to define best practices tools and services This would help increase the rate of genetic gains and enable implementationrdquo

In his introductory speech Dr Rajeev Varshney Research Program Director - Genetic Gains highlighted the role of ICRISAT scientists in two EiB modules the High Throughput Genotyping Project - HTPG and the Genomic and Open-source Breeding Informatics Initiative - GOBii ldquoScientists are linking the projects to optimize outputs On behalf of the Director General and Deputy Director General - Research ICRISAT I would like to emphasize ICRISATrsquos commitment towards the deployment of EiB at ICRISAT and at NARS programsrdquo he said

The EiB is important for the CGIAR to enhance development and delivery of resilient productive nutritious and market-oriented varieties This is particularly useful as many farmers in emerging economies lack access to seed varieties adapted to their location and needs

The platform works through four regional hubs in South Asia (Hyderabad) Eastern and Southern Africa (Nairobi) West Africa and Latin America The EiB platform is available to all CGIAR breeding programs and four selected National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS)

To know more about the EiB platform click here

To know more about ICRISATrsquos work in crop improvement click here g


18 April 2018 1752

Global meet repositions sorghum as vital 21st century cereal

Srikanth B at the conference


April 2018 After a gap of over two decades more than 400 researchers from the global sorghum research

community including Dr Gebisa Ejeta World Food Prize Winner 2009 converged at the lsquoSorghum in the 21st Centuryrsquo conference held during 9-12 April 2018 at Cape Town Republic of South Africa (RSA)

The event touched upon various aspects of sorghum research development processing marketing and policy

ICRISAT co-sponsored a special session on Improvement of Post-rainy Sorghum on 11 April During this the multi-disciplinary project (physiology breeding crop modelling socio-economics etc) to improve the foddergrain quality

and productivity of post-rainy sorghum in India was discussed at length

Scientists from ICRISAT shared their work and perspectives during the meet

Dr Kizito Mazvimavi ICRISAT Country Representative Zimbabwe talked about how farm-level demonstrations and food tasting fairs have boosted sorghum utilization and production in Zimbabwe While Dr Jana Kholova Senior Scientist ndash Crops Physiology amp Modelling presented the latest technological advances for in situ screening for crop nutritional qualities Dr Damaris Odeny Theme Leader-Biotechnology Eastern and Central Africa spoke about the genomic studies being done to decipher crop resistance to multiple diseases

Dr Ashok Kumar Principal Sorghum Breeder described RampD efforts related to sorghum especially in the semi-arid tropics and emphasized its role in biofuels Dr Hari Upadhyaya talked about the sorghum mini-core collection Dr Saikat Datta Mazumdar COO NPK-AIP chaired a session on empowerment of smallholder sorghum farmers linking agriculture nutrition and entrepreneurship

ICRISATrsquos role in sharing improved seeds technologies and enhancing the capacities of African researchers was noted as a major boost to sorghum improvement research in Africa

Click here to know more about ICRISATrsquos work on sorghum

CGIAR Research Program Grain Legumes and Dryland Cereals g

Photo S Dattamazumdar

19April 2018 1752

A lsquotrashrsquo course on Ag Plastics

The last time I attended a talk on trash was at the ICRISAT headquarters based in India where a group had come

together to work towards making the campus plastic-free While I did know of the many dangers of polythene use on the environment I had never thought of its effect on soil health which is of prime importance in the field of agriculture research

Early this week in view of Earth Day there has been a media drive on ending plastic usage However the reportage tilted heavily towards plastic pollution in the oceans and I couldnrsquot find much about its impact on soil

So what does plastic left on the soil do to it We know that it can turn oceans into plastic soup and make a mess of the climate so imagine what it does to our farms where the use of plastic is growing by the day

Ironically plasticulture was introduced in agriculture to mitigate extreme fluctuations in weather especially temperature rainfall and wind ndash to help grow crops in hot desert-like conditions and even in cold regions by providing the needed protection against frost

When you read through the many benefits of plastic film mulch the feeling you get is akin to somebody waving a magic wand on a farm to fix all problems Weeds suppressed water conserved soil temperature and moisture controlled and near-zero soil erosion and fertilizer wastage

This technology that seems like a boon comes with loads of pollution risks A study shows that large amounts of

residual plastic film negatively impact soil structure water and nutrient transport and crop growth disrupting the agricultural environment and reducing crop production Even the soil fauna such as bacteria fungi and earthworms that help nourish the earth are in serious trouble

What if the only soil you had was made of plastic bitshellipThe growing use of plastics in agriculture ie lsquoag plasticsrsquo is a big cause for concern ndash from irrigation drip tubes nursery pots silage bags plastic mulch film and row coverings to plastic greenhouses its uses are manifold Right now they are life-savers for farmers but we urgently need to continue with research to find alternatives

The global agricultural plastic films market alone was estimated to be US$ 792 billion in 2017 and is projected to reach US$ 1057 billion by 2022 (Business Wire) The highest growth is predicted in the Asia Pacific region

Seems like a plastic epidemic is in the making An article in Bloomsberg shows how plastic mulch has ruined the soil on Chinese farms Yields grew by 30 but the long-term damage was massive Plastic residue known locally as lsquowhite pollutionrsquo is present at levels of 60-300 kg per hectare in some provinces In China about a fifth of arable land contains levels of toxins exceeding national standards (2014 government estimate)

Plastic in your spinachMost Hyderabadis like me often worry over our vegetables we know they are grown on polluted lake beds (read dried up drainage canals) All along I was worried about the

20 April 2018 1752

heavy metals in my spinach now I am wondering is there plastic too Are our wastewater treatment plants even equipped to deal with it And I find an article that gives me more cause for worry

The Norwegian Institute for Water Research says that the consequences of transfers of microplastics from urban wastewater to agricultural soil barely have been considered by researchers and authorities particularly in view of the extended attention directed at microplastics in the ocean Thatrsquos a surprising knowledge gap

Is bioplastic a better alternative to petroleum-based plasticsAll news need not be bad There are some that bring a ray of hope like my first encounter with bioplastic It was at a Womenrsquos Day event on campus ndash millet kichadi served in a biodegradable sugarcane bagasse bowl Impressive but I did recall my brief chats and mails with ICRISAT scientist Dr Ashok Kumar and I knew that something even more eco-friendly was in the making

When I first heard of high biomass sorghum and pearl millet varieties with potential for ethanol production for use in biofuels it was great news And that the bagasse from ethanol production is perfect raw material for bioplastics is even better news ICRISATrsquos lsquopower plantsrsquo unlike the water-guzzling sugarcane thrive with less irrigation and do not compromise on food security as the grain is used for human consumption

While innovations like these are promising there are many issues that are open to debate For starters how biodegradable is bioplastic Does it need special equipment or does it decompose in your regular compost pile

And then therersquos the debate on ndash should we go in for biodegradable bioplastics to abet our use-and-throw culture or is the fully reusablerecyclable lsquoplantbottlersquo partially made from plants a greener option Questions alwayshellip g

Author Jemima Mandapati Senior Communication Officer Strategic Marketing and Communication ICRISAT

21April 2018 1752

In the Global Media

How to feed 9 billion people within planetary boundariesWhat are the challenges and what do we need to change to be able to feed 9 billion people by 2050 Ms Joanna Kane-Potaka Director Strategic Marketing and Communication discusses these issues and more Listen to the podcast here

A diet that moves away from white polished rice to include coarse grains and wheat could help Indians tackle micronutrient deficiencies affordably and cut down greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with agriculture by up to 25 percent says a new study Read more here

Shift to coarse grains from rice for healthy environment-friendly diet Study (Mongabay India)

A direct release from the ICRISAT genebank helped revitalize the pigeonpea industry in Karnataka India

Maruti ndash the pigeonpea savior (Genebanks CGIAR)Sharanappa Pujarirsquos face started to glow when I asked him how the pigeonpea variety Maruti had helped him to prosper He spoke quickly in Kannada the predominant language of the Indian state of Karnataka ldquoAchchhee cheeirdquo he kept saying A farmer next to me interrupted Sharanappa and started shouting out in excitement I eagerly awaited a translation to see how such a simple question could generate such emotion Read more here

22 April 2018 1752

Dr Rajeev Varshney awarded Faculty Research Award 2018Honrsquoble Shri Prakash Javadekar Union Minister of Human Resource Development Government of India felicitating Dr Rajeev Varshney Research Program Director Genetic Gains ICRISAT with Faculty Research Awards 2018 as a lsquotop researcherrsquo under the Agricultural and Biological Sciences category at New Delhi on 20 March 2018 The award is presented to academic researchers in India across 24 disciplines and carries a cash prize of Rs 50000 and a citation g

Photo AK Padhee

In Memoriam

We are saddened to report that Dr Belum Venkata Subba Reddy leading sorghum breeder at ICRISAT

passed away on 1 March 2018 at Hyderabad He was 70

Dr Reddy completed his post-graduation IARI and obtained a PhD in Genetics from the University of Minnesota USA in 1974 He joined ICRISAT in October 1974 as a pigeonpea breeder and made the fascinating discovery of a genetic male sterility system in pigeonpea Three years later he moved to sorghum as the crop of his research

Dr Reddy made remarkable achievements in developing high-yielding and bold grain cytoplasmic-nuclear male sterile (CMS) lines and restorer parents His efforts to improve sweet sorghum cultivars for high stalk sugar high biomass (for biofuel-ethanol use) and low lignin (for second-generation ligno-cellulose-based ethanol production use) are receiving worldwide attention Nearly 50 private sector sorghum hybrids occupying over 28 million ha in India are based on parental lines bred by him Having developed several sweet sorghum cultivars he had earned the nickname lsquoFather of Sweet Sorghum Researchrsquo at ICRISAT

Dr Reddy helped ICRISAT formulate its research policy on biofuels He has published over 275 papers in Research Journals

reports and conference papers and 14 book chapters He was a consultant at the Instituto Agronocircmico de Pernambuco Brazil from 1984 to 1985 and led a Latin American sorghum project at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) Colombia from 1996 to 2000

ICRISAT will fondly remember Dr Reddy as a mentor father figure philosopher guide and a great human being Through his untiring efforts he brought laurels to the institute scientific fraternity and his entire team g

We offer our deepest condolences to his family

Award

Sad news

23April 2018 1752

Compatibility of Streptomyces sp Metarhizium anisopliae and Neem Seed Powder against Pigeon Pea Pod Borer Complex

Authors Agale SV Gopalakrishnan S Gupta R Rangarao GV Srinivas V and Wani SP

Published 2018 International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences 7 (2) pp 390-397 ISSN 2319-7706

Abstract Biopesticides such as Streptomyces sp SAI-25 Metarhizium anisopliae and neem seed powder were previously demonstrated to have biocontrol potential against Helicoverpa armigera the polyphagous insect pest of many crops In the present investigation the biopesticides Streptomyces sp SAI-25 Metarhizium anisopliae and neem seed powder were evaluated for their compatibility so that these can be used as consortia to manage pod borer complex The results reveal that all the three biopesticides were compatible with each other and hence can be used in consortia to manage H armigerahttpoaricrisatorg10444

Mass Production of Entomopathogenic Fungi (Metarhizium anisopliae) using Different Grains as a Substrate

Authors Agale SV Gopalakrishnan S Ambhure KG Chandravanshi H Gupta R and Wani SP

Published 2018 International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences 7 (1) pp 2227-2232 ISSN 23197692

Title Enhancing Agricultural Productivity and Rural Livelihoods through Scaling-up of Science-led Development in Odisha ndash BhoochetanaFunder Agriculture and Farmersrsquo Empowerment Department Government of OdishaDuration 8 Apr 2018 ndash 7 Apr 2021Principal Investigator SP WaniResearch Program Asia

Title Doubling Farmer Incomes through Grafted Vegetable SeedlingsFunder Department of Horticulture Government of Andhra PradeshDuration 1 Feb 2018 ndash 31 Mar 2019Principal Investigator SP WaniResearch Program Asia

New Projects

Title Update of meso level database for India and development of interactive tool for public access and useFunder Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture amp Nutrition USADuration 20 Apr 2018 ndash 19 Apr 2019Principal Investigator S NedumaranResearch Program Innovation Systems for the Drylands

New PublicationsAbstract Investigations were carried out towards the ldquoMass production of entomopathogenic fungi (Metarhizium anisopliae) using different grains as a substraterdquo at ICRISAT Patancheru Hyderabad during 2016-17 For accomplishment of microbial control of insect pests and successful mass production of the microbial agents in the laboratory significant availability of the pathogen is a primary requirement in the biocontrol program Metarhizium anisopliae is an entomopathogenic fungus which is used against a number of insect pestsrsquo management and in very successful biopesticides in integrated pest management practices to reduces the cost of production and minimize the environment and public health hazard To develop a proficient method for the deployment of this fungus as a bio control agent various grains and liquid media such as Potato Dextrose Broth and Sabouraudrsquos Dextrose Broth were screened httpoaricrisatorg10445

Hari Deo Upadhyaya Plant Breeder Geneticist and Genetic Resources Specialist

Authors Dwivedi SL

Published 2018 In Plant Breeding Reviews John Wiley amp Sons USA pp 1-53 ISBN 9781119414278

Abstract This chapter discusses Hari Deo Upadhyaya a plant breeder geneticist and genetic resources specialist and his contributions in management and utilization of genetic resources molecular biology and biometrics and in groundnut breeding Harirsquos contributions in genetic resources include enriching germplasm collections forming representative subsets in the form of core andor mini-core

24 April 2018 1752

collections in chickpea groundnut pigeonpea pearl millet sorghum and six small millets unlocking population structures diversity and association genetics and identifying genetically diverse and agronomically desirable germplasm accessions for use in crop breedinghttpoaricrisatorg10446

Utilizing Process-Based Modeling to Assess the Impact of Climate Change on Crop Yields and Adaptation Options in the Niger River Basin West Africa

Authors Akumaga U Tarhule A Piani C Traore B and Yusuf A

Published 2018 Agronomy 8(2) (11) pp 1-23 ISSN 2073-4395

Abstract Climate change is estimated to substantially reduce crop yields in Sub-Saharan West Africa by 2050 Yet a limited number of studies also suggest that several adaptation measures may mitigate the effects of climate change induced yield loss In this paper we used AquaCrop a process-based model developed by the FAO (The Food and Agriculture Organization Rome Italy) to quantify the risk of climate change on several key cereal crops in the Niger Basin The crops analyzed include maize millet and sorghum under rain fed cultivation systems in various agro-ecological zones within the Niger Basin We also investigated several adaptation strategies including changes in the sowing dates soil nutrient status and cultivar

httpoaricrisatorg10447

Key and Smart Actions to Alleviate Hunger and Poverty Through Irrigation and Drainage

Authors Unver O Wahaj R Lorenzon E Mohammadi K Osias JR Reinders F Wani SP Chuchra J Lee P and Sangjun IM

Published 2018 Irrigation and Drainage 67 (1) pp 60-71 ISSN 15310353

Abstract In the pursuit of information to support policies and actions to alleviate hunger and poverty through irrigation and drainage this paper attempts to provide correlations between water scarcity communities and poverty Many reviews have found strong direct and indirect relationships between irrigation and poverty One of the main goals of the international community is to eliminate hunger and poverty and in this perspective through the Millennium Development Goals much progress has been achieved and evidence obtained Sustainable Development Goals and various other United Nations initiatives intend to move forward this agenda by making it a part of broader development frameworks In this paper the important elements of irrigation and drainage that affect the alleviation of hunger and poverty are discussed


The climate-smart village approach framework of an integrative strategy for scaling up adaptation options in agriculture

Authors Aggarwal PK Jarvis A Campbell BM Zougmore RB Khatri-Chhetri A Vermeulen SJ Loboguerrero AM Sebastian LS Kinyangi J Bonilla-Findji O Radeny M Recha J Martinez-Baron D Ramirez-Villegas J Huyer S Thornton P Wollenberg E Hansen J Alvarez-Toro P Aguilar-Ariza A Arango-Londontildeo D Patintildeo-Bravo V Rivera O Ouedraogo M and Yen BT

Published 2018 Ecology and Society 23 (1) (14) pp 1-15 ISSN 1708-3087

Abstract Increasing weather risks threaten agricultural production systems and food security across the world Maintaining agricultural growth while minimizing climate shocks is crucial to building a resilient food production system and meeting developmental goals in vulnerable countries Experts have proposed several technological institutional and policy interventions to help farmers adapt to current and future weather variability and to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions This paper presents the climate-smart village (CSV) approach as a means of performing agricultural research for development that robustly tests technological and institutional options for dealing with climatic variability and climate change in agriculture using participatory methods It aims to scale up and scale out the appropriate options and draw out lessons for policy makers from local to global levels


Proteome analysis of Aspergillus flavus isolate-specific responses to oxidative stress in relationship to aflatoxin production capability

Authors Fountain JC Koh J Yang L Pandey MK Nayak SN Bajaj P Zhuang WJ Chen ZY Kemerait RC Lee RD Chen S Varshney RK and Guo B

Published 2018 Scientific Reports 8 (1) (3430) pp 1-14 ISSN 2045-2322

Abstract Aspergillus flavus is an opportunistic pathogen of plants such as maize and peanut under conducive conditions such as drought stress resulting in significant aflatoxin production Drought-associated oxidative stress also exacerbates aflatoxin production by A flavus The objectives of this study were to use proteomics to provide insights into the pathogen responses to H2O2-derived oxidative stress and to identify potential biomarkers and targets for host resistance breedinghttpoaricrisatorg10455

Mixed-species allometric equations and estimation of aboveground biomass and carbon stocks in restoring degraded landscape in northern Ethiopia

Authors Mokria M Mekuria W Gebrekirstos A Aynekulu E Belay B Gashaw T and Brauning A

Published 2018 Environmental Research Letters 13 (2) pp 1-15 ISSN 1748-9326

Abstract Accurate biomass estimation is critical to quantify the changes in biomass and carbon stocks following the restoration of degraded landscapes However there is lack of site-specific allometric equations for the estimation of aboveground biomass (AGB) which consequently limits our understanding of the contributions of restoration efforts in mitigating climate change This study was conducted in northwestern Ethiopia to develop a multi-species allometric equation and investigate the spatial and temporal variation of C-stocks following the restoration of degraded landscapes We harvested and weighed 84 trees from eleven dominant species from six grazing exclosures and adjacent communal grazing landhttpoaricrisatorg10457

Investigation of gene action for resistance to early leaf spot of groundnut

Authors Tembo E Charlie H and Tembo L

Published 2018 International Journal of Agriculture Environment and Bioresearch 3 (1) pp 21-29 ISSN 2456-8643

Abstract Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L) is an important global oilseed crop and a major source of protein and vitamins in many rural areas of Africa In Zambia the production of groundnut is limited by several factors among which Early Leaf Spot (ELS) caused by Cercospora arachidicola Hori is a major destructive disease Development of resistant varieties to ELS remains the most

viable disease management strategy The objective of this study was to investigate the type of gene action conditioning resistance to C arachidicola in order to generate information for breeding of ELS resistant groundnut varieties in Zambia The field work was conducted at Chitedze Research Station in Malawi which is a known hot spot for groundnut foliar diseases


Expression of Tolerance to Pod Borer Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera Noctuidae) in Relation to Biochemical Content of Chickpea Leaves

Authors Bangar SS Bangar HA Dudhare MS Gahukar SJ Wadaskar RM Akhare AA and Sharma HC

Published 2018 International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences 6 pp 223-229 ISSN 2319-7

Abstract The pod borer (Helicoverpa armigera) is one of the most serious pest of chickpea and plant resistance is an important component for managing this pest To develop cultivars with resistance to insects it is important to understand the role of different components associated with resistance to insects Therefore in this study we characterized RILrsquos (recombinant inbred lines) population for total phenol content leaves and organic acid profiles in the leaf exudates which are associated with tolerance to H armigerahttpoaricrisatorg10462

NewsfeedGovernment of India and the World Bank Sign a New Project to Benefit Over 25 Million Small and Marginal Farmers in Maharashtra

AfDB signs $100 million loan agreement with Export Trading Group to promote agriculture in Africa

Homecoming of forgotten foods

Millets to be procured at MSP for public distribution system Union Agriculture Minister

World Food Waste An Infographic Guide to Global Food Waste

Government renames millets as Nutri Cereals

Earth Day 2018 Eating as if the planet mattered

Leveraging innovation to transform agriculture and energy in Africa

Farm income rises crop output shows recovery

Millet farmers need more post-harvest technologies

Connect with us ICRISAT is a member of the CGIAR System OrganizationAbout ICRISAT wwwicrisatorgICRISATrsquos scientific information EXPLOREiticrisatorg

2 April 2018 1752

CRPs ndash WLE PIM and CCAFS in Asia by Dr Anthony Whitbread was agreed to Dr Peter Carberry added that ICRISATrsquos contribution to other CRPs and Platforms ndash A4NH Genebank Excellence in Breeding and Big Data to be presented at the next Board meeting

At the previous Governing Board meeting in September 2017 a Smart Food Endowment Fund was approved with US$ 2M committed from ICRISAT During this meeting the business plan defining the Smart Food Vision and mission as a catalyst for nutrition the environment and in breaking the food system divide was presented by Ms Joanna Kane-Potaka The Board approved the governance structure and the business plan recommending a Business Advisory Committee to be established for this globally acclaimed initiative

Snapshots of CRP GLDC by Ms Neena Jacob modernization of ICRISAT Crop Improvement by Dr Jan Debaene and nutrition research by Drs Gichohi amp Anitha received suggestions from the Board on value chain as well as on diversity of work

A new way of sharing performance indicators using the MEASURE program developed in collaboration with ICRISAT ihub startup Verdantum was presented by Dr Carberry Dr Paco Sereme Chair Program Committee appreciated the MEASURE program and congratulated Dr David Bergvinson and colleagues for this new way of presenting data

The Board took this opportunity to interact with farmers on the field Visiting groundnut fields intercropped with pigeonpea Dr Nigel Kerby Governing Board Chair highlighted the strength of applied science at ICRISAT

which could be witnessed firsthand in Malawi ldquoIt is inspiring to be surrounded by farmers and scientists and see the rapport and respect on all sides and the real change to communities dependent on agriculturerdquo he remarked ldquoYou only need see this to know that all our efforts in governance are worth itrdquo

The Governing Board presented a Plaque of Appreciation to Ms Oluwande Muoyo for her service to ICRISAT as Governing Board Member and Audit and Risk Committee Chair from July 2012 ndash April 2018 Ms Muoyo a former Hon Commissioner for Budget and planning in Ogun State Nigeria is succeeded by Ms Folashade Ogunde also from Nigeria Ms Muoyo has retired from ICRISAT Board and will venture into farming She was inspired by ICRISATrsquos mission in helping smallholder farmers contribute to sustainable agriculture and farming systems ldquoIrsquom passionate about the change I can bring to the community and thank my colleagues for making me understand the importance of a food secure futurerdquo she said

At a dinner with partners during Dr Kerby shared his pleasure at the valuable link between ICRISAT and partners in Malawi especially the government ldquoICRISAT is proud to see the progress and impact of the collective contribution to science and farming systems and we are positive that we will accomplish more to benefit smallholder farmersrdquo he said

Participants at the Board meeting included Dr Kerby Dr Sereme Board members Dr Paul Anderson Dr Wendy Umberger Ms Muoyo Dr Sissel Rogne Dr Laurie Tollefson and Ms Ogunde along with Dr Carberry and senior ICRISAT management and research staff g

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reporting from the icrisat board meeting strategic ... · 05/04/2018 · [malawi] and icf. 2017....

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