scholarly journals Translational Pigeonpea Genomics Consortium for Accelerating Genetic Gains in Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L.)

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1289
Author(s):  
Rachit K. Saxena ◽  
Anil Hake ◽  
Anupama J. Hingane ◽  
C. V. Sameer Kumar ◽  
Abhishek Bohra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Uttar Pradesh ◽  
Mosaic Disease ◽  
Genetic Stock ◽  
Participatory Varietal Selection ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Plant Seeds ◽  
Food And Nutritional Security ◽  
Collaborative Efforts ◽  
Cleistogamous Flower

Pigeonpea is one of the important pulse crops grown in many states of India and plays a major role in sustainable food and nutritional security for the smallholder farmers. In order to overcome the productivity barrier the Translational Pigeonpea Genomics Consortium (TPGC) was established, representing research institutes from six different states (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh) of India. To enhance pigeonpea productivity and production the team has been engaged in deploying modern genomics approaches in breeding and popularizing modern varieties in farmers’ fields. For instance, new genetic stock has been developed for trait mapping and molecular breeding initiated for enhancing resistance to fusarium wilt and sterility mosaic disease in 11 mega varieties of pigeonpea. In parallel, genomic segments associated with cleistogamous flower, shriveled seed, pods per plant, seeds per pod, 100 seed weight, and seed protein content have been identified. Furthermore, 100 improved lines were evaluated for yield and desirable traits in multi-location trials in different states. Furthermore, a total of 303 farmers’ participatory varietal selection (FPVS) trials have been conducted in 129 villages from 15 districts of six states with 16 released varieties/hybrids. Additionally, one line (GRG 152 or Bheema) from multi-location trials has been identified by the All India Coordinated Research Project on Pigeonpea (AICRP-Pigeonpea) and released for cultivation by the Central Variety Release Committee (CVRC). In summary, the collaborative efforts of several research groups through TPGC is accelerating genetics gains in breeding plots and is expected to deliver them to pigeonpea farmers to enhance their income and improve livelihood.

scholarly journals Technological Advancement and the Economic Benefit of Indonesian Rain-Fed Farming Development

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
A. A. Sulaiman ◽  
A. Candradijaya ◽  
M. Syakir
Keyword(s):  
Food Production ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Production Capacity ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cropping Pattern ◽  
Technological Advancement ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Drought Tolerant ◽  
Self Sufficiency ◽  
Cultivation Techniques

The contribution of rain-fed farming to national food production in Indonesia has yet to be optimal. The major constraint has been limited water supply, where it relies exclusively on the rainfall, and hence its planting index (PI) is still low, on average only 1.05. The establishment of water management system to support rain-fed fields with the introduction of suitable cultivation techniques (gogo rancah, walik jerami, super jarwo, and ratoon paddy) is known to be effective in rain-fed farming. Further, the use of drought-tolerant paddy variety and changing cropping pattern to focus on paddy, maize, and soybean would potentially improve the food production capacity in Indonesia. This study has shown these interventions, when applied to the existing 4 million ha rain-fed fields, are estimated to increase annual rice production by 16.7 million tons. The production of maize and soybean is also expected to increase by 3.7 million tons and 0.98 million tons per year, respectively. It is beyond the scope of this study, however, to consider the actual benefit felt by rain-fed smallholder farmers. Future research with farmers as its focus and the capacity of Indonesian institutions toward rain-fed farming thus will contribute further to the rain-fed farming development in Indonesia. This article shares a strategy in maximising the contribution of the currently available 4 million hectares of rain-fed land to the national food production, and hence sustainable food self-sufficiency in Indonesia.

scholarly journals Bridging Sustainability and Food Security Ideas Towards Building Sustainable Food Systems

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 22
Author(s):  
Majing Oloko
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Security Assessment ◽  
Assessment Framework ◽  
Sustainable Food Systems ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Nutritional Security ◽  
Food And Nutritional Security ◽  
Health And Well Being

Having stable access to nutritious and culturally preferred food to maintain health and well-being is still a challenge for many people across the globe. Food insecurity and environmental degradation is rising across the world with interrelated drivers. There has been increasing advocacy for the creation of sustainable food systems to support food and nutritional security without degrading the environment. Bridging sustainability and food security ideas is a step towards building such food systems. However, how to apply ideas of sustainability and food security into building sustainable food systems remains a challenge, given the connection between the two concepts is not well appreciated. I introduce a sustainability and food security assessment framework as a first step for bridging sustainability and food security concepts, towards building sustainable food systems.

scholarly journals Production Diversity and Constraints in Smallholder Farms in the Bamboutos Mountain

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 269-277
Author(s):  
Louis Nkembi ◽  
Njukeng Jetro Nkengafac ◽  
Tankou Christopher Mubeteneh
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Smallholder Farms ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Mountain Landscape ◽  
Small Holder Farmers ◽  
Household Heads ◽  
Production Diversity ◽  
Small Holder

Smallholder farmer agricultural productivity in developing countries is more often diverse and limited by diverse constraints. For optimal agricultural production and income crops for diversification must be carefully selected and the constraints properly addressed. The objective of this study was to establish a list of the major crops planted in the Bamboutos mountain landscape and the constraints faced by the smallholder farmers. During a survey, 261 household heads responded were randomly selected and the questions administered to them. A majority of the household heads were men and were literate and most of them were younger than 55 years. Crop and livestock production were the main income generating activities of the respondents. Most of the farmers` land sizes were less than 5a and land ownership was through inheritance, purchase or rent. The small holder farmers in the study area planted a variety of both annual and perennial crops. These crops were sold, consumed or had ornamental/cultural values. The farmers faced a number of problems in animal and crop production with the most cited constraints being lack of inputs, lack of capital, bad roads and climate change. The results of this study suggest that crop diversification should be encouraged within the study area, policy and stakeholder intervention should concentrate on solving the cited constraints for sustainable food production and conservation of biodiversity. Keywords: Crops, Constraints, Diversification, Smallholders.

scholarly journals Smallholder Farmer Engagement in Citizen Science for Varietal Diversification Enhances Adaptive Capacity and Productivity in Bihar, India

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabetta Gotor ◽  
Tiziana Pagnani ◽  
Ambica Paliwal ◽  
Flavia Scafetti ◽  
Jacob van Etten ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Disease Incidence ◽  
Rural Livelihoods ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Varietal Diversity ◽  
Participatory Varietal Selection ◽  
Survey Tool ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
Agricultural Shocks

There is evidence that in many situations the use of a diverse set of two or more crop varieties in the field has benefits for production. The benefits of varietal diversification include lower crop disease incidence, higher productivity, and lower yield variability. Targeted interventions could increase varietal diversity where smallholder farmers lack the knowledge and access to seeds needed to diversify their varieties. Innovations based on crowdsourced citizen science make it possible to involve a large number of households in farmer participatory varietal selection. This study analyses varietal diversification in Bihar, India, focusing on the effects of the largest citizen science-based intervention to date, involving 25,000 farmers and 47,000 plots * seasons. The study examines if an increase in the varietal diversity of major staple crops, namely wheat and rice, under real farming conditions contributed to: (1) crop productivity and (2) the ability of households to recover from agricultural production shocks. We used the Rural Household Multi-Indicator Survey (RHoMIS) as a survey tool for rapid characterization of households and the sustainable rural livelihoods framework to understand the potential multiple interactions that are activated within the system by the intervention. We found that an increase in varietal diversification produced livelihood benefits in terms of crop productivity and the ability of households to recover from the occurrence agricultural shocks. Finally, outcomes highlight the effectiveness of development programmes aimed at strengthening rural livelihoods through participatory approaches and use of local crop varietal diversity.

scholarly journals Poverty eradication and food security through agriculture in Africa: Rethinking objectives and entry points

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 309-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Gassner ◽  
D Harris ◽  
K Mausch ◽  
A Terheggen ◽  
C Lopes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Poverty Line ◽  
Investment Incentives ◽  
Farm Productivity ◽  
Entry Points ◽  
African Agriculture ◽  
Food And Nutritional Security ◽  
Dual Objectives

Agriculture in Africa is expected to meet the dual objectives of providing food and helping people to escape poverty. African agriculture is dominated by smallholdings and donors generally target their agricultural support at the smallholder sector. The expectation is that if the gap between actual and potential yields can be closed, smallholders will grow sufficient crops to feed their families, with a surplus to sell, thus meeting food security needs and bringing in an income to move them out of poverty. In practice, this is often not possible. While technologies already exist that can raise smallholder farmers’ yields 3 or 4 times, even under rainfed conditions, the small size of land available to them limits how much can be grown and the per capita income from agriculture is insufficient to allow people to move above the current World Bank-defined poverty line of US$1.90 per day. We link this finding with farmer typologies to further explain that there are large differences between individual farming households themselves in terms of their investment incentives and capability to benefit from field-level technologies that are aimed at increasing farm productivity. We argue for more differentiated policies for agricultural development in Africa and suggest that policymakers should be much more aware of the heterogeneity of farms and target interventions accordingly. It is important to understand where and for whom agriculture will have the main purpose of ensuring food and nutritional security and where and for whom there is the potential for significant increases in incomes and a contribution to wider economic growth. Let us recognize the distinctiveness of these targets and underlying target groups and work towards solutions that address the underlying needs.

ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH IN RICE BREEDING ON WOMEN FARMERS: A CASE STUDY IN EASTERN UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA

2008 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
THELMA R. PARIS ◽  
ABHA SINGH ◽  
AMELIA D. CUENO ◽  
V. N. SINGH
Keyword(s):  
Participatory Research ◽  
Uttar Pradesh ◽  
Women Farmers ◽  
Rice Varieties ◽  
Participatory Varietal Selection ◽  
Farmer Adoption ◽  
New Varieties ◽  
Eastern Uttar Pradesh ◽  
On Farm ◽  
The Impact

SUMMARYThis paper assesses farmer adoption of rice varieties and new genotypes introduced through participatory varietal selection (PVS) in villages which represent submergence- and drought/submergence-prone villages in eastern Uttar Pradesh, India. It focuses on the involvement of women farmers in participatory research for screening improved varieties for areas which suffer from abiotic stresses. It further assesses the impact on the decision-making authority (or women's empowerment) on rice varietal choice, seed acquisition and disposal, and crop management after participating in PVS trials. It suggests strategies to empower women farmers in making sound and timely decisions on farm-related matters and to enhance their roles in accelerating the adoption of new varieties.

scholarly journals Local Solutions for Sustainable Food Systems: The Contribution of Orphan Crops and Wild Edible Species

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Borelli ◽  
Danny Hunter ◽  
Stefano Padulosi ◽  
Nadezda Amaya ◽  
Gennifer Meldrum ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
System Transformation ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Local Food System ◽  
Orphan Crops ◽  
Edible Species ◽  
Market Opportunities

Calls for a global food system transformation and finding more sustainable ways of producing healthier, safe and nutritious food for all have spurred production approaches such as sustainable intensification and biofortification with limited consideration of the copious amounts of orphan crops, traditional varieties and wild edible species readily available in many countries, mostly in and around smallholder farmers’ fields. This paper explores the potential role of locally available; affordable and climate-resilient orphan crops, traditional varieties and wild edible species to support local food system transformation. Evidence from Brazil, Kenya, Guatemala, India, Mali, Sri Lanka and Turkey is used to showcase a three-pronged approach that aims to: (i) increase evidence of the nutritional value and biocultural importance of these foods, (ii) better link research to policy to ensure these foods are considered in national food and nutrition security strategies and actions, and (iii) improve consumer awareness of the desirability of these alternative foods so that they may more easily be incorporated in diets, food systems and markets. In the seven countries, this approach has brought about positive changes around increasing community dietary diversity and increasing market opportunities for smallholder growers, as well as increased attention to biodiversity conservation.

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