October 2002
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| SATrends Issue 23 | October 2002
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NEWS FROM THE DRY TROPICS:
1. King Baudouin Award – Yet Again!
ICRISAT has won the King Baudouin Award yet again! That makes it three times in four attempts, something that no other CG Center has achieved. This time we did it in true partnership style – the award was shared by ICRISAT and ICARDA. The announcement was made earlier this week by CGIAR Director Francisco Reifschneider; the award will be conferred at a special ceremony in Manila on 30 October, during the CGIAR’s Annual General Meeting. The joint submission by the two Centers was titled Changing lives in marginal environments: a winning partnership in chickpea research.
The King Baudouin
Award, given every 2 years, is the CGIAR’s highest accolade for science. We’ve
won it for pearl millet in 1996, for pigeonpea in 1998, and now chickpea. Research teams
from ICARDA and ICRISAT have worked with a range of partners to develop a stream of
improved varieties, promote chickpea cultivation in traditional and new areas, and help
smallholder farmers improve land quality and their incomes.
Says Dr William
Dar, ICRISAT’s Director General, “This is good recognition for the quality of
our work. But equally, it is a challenge – we must continue to be outstanding, to
maintain the high quality of our science, and build even stronger partnerships. We must
continue to generate technologies that will contribute to the alleviation of hunger and
poverty. I have full confidence in Team ICRISAT. No matter how formidable the challenge, I
am sure we will rise to the occasion.”
Congratulatory
messages are pouring in from Members and Ex-members of ICRISAT’s Governing Board,
Ex-Staff members, and other well-wishers.
YL Nene former DDG
of ICRISAT, and himself a Pulse Pathologist says “This is a long awaited and well
deserved recognition for the chickpea workers of the past and present, scientists and
others. I share the happiness with all concerned.”
Dr Jagdish Kumar, ICRISAT’s Chickpea Breeder who led much of the research, says “It is indeed a tribute to the team effort at the Institute that a crop of marginal lands is competing with cash crops. The best is yet to come! The food value of chickpea leaves, green seeds and products is largely unknown to the developed world. It is the best food for diabetics and has anti-aging factors. ICRISAT input into basic chickpea research will make much more impact in the future.”
For more information contact aercjk@on.aibn.com or p.gaur@cgiar.org
Ill-health is a
fact of life. According to WHO, 50000 people die from infectious diseases every day, half
the world’s population is at risk from various endemic diseases, and millions of
people are developing diseases as a direct result of preventable infections by bacteria
and viruses. Economic development in many
countries is being crippled by the burden of these diseases, which takes its toll in lost
income from the food trade and tourism.
Vaccination is the
most effective means of controlling many infectious diseases. A number of effective
vaccines are available in the developed world, but in the developing world health budgets
are too small, immunization programs are non-existent, unreliable, or too costly. Currently available vaccines cannot be used for
large segments of the population because of the cost, lack of staff and infrastructure,
and because the vaccines are simply not available in the required quantities.
The production
costs of conventionally produced vaccines are very high due to low output. There is an
urgent need not only for new vaccines, but also for cheaper versions of existing vaccines. The solution? Lower production costs, eliminate
associated costs (eg refrigeration), or develop oral vaccines that do not require a needle
and syringe.
A proposed
ICRISAT research project aims to use groundnut and chickpea as delivery vehicles. Why
these particular crops? Both are widely grown by small-scale farmers in developing
countries, ICRISAT has developed excellent transformation protocols, and, most important,
the seeds can be eaten raw or after briefly soaking in water. Both crops can be grown
using normal agronomic practices, harvested and stored at normal temperatures. The
technology can be deployed through NGOs, schools and rural health services, thus cutting
down the cost of vaccine production, storage, and administration.
ICRISAT’s
partnerships with advanced research institutes in the USA and national agricultural
research institutes in developing countries will greatly facilitate the production of
edible vaccines for poor people in the developing world.
For more
information contact k.sharma@cgiar.org
3.The "Earthworms" of the Sahel
The normal reaction
to the word “termite” is one of revulsion, sending shudders down the back of any
property owner.
Actually termites
are very important fauna of the Semi-Arid Tropic (SAT) soils. In the SAT termites can be
divided into mound building ones, and soil nesting termites. Among the mound building
termites one can distinguish (according to eating habits) between the fungus termites
(Macrotermes), the decomposers (Cubitermes), and the foragers (Trinervitermes).
The fungus termites
(usually red in color) that build mounds up to 6 meter high, are the “bad guys”
because they can attack crops and green material, and cause serious damage. The
soil-nesting termites (the white ones) are the “good guys”. They consume every scrap of dead and dry organic
matter, digest and excrete it, and thus drastically improve the physical properties of the
soil.
The excretion is
rich in soluble plant nutrients. Termites recycle dead plant matter the same way
earthworms do in humid regions. They are therefore "the earthworms of the SAT".
In the SAT of
Africa and elsewhere one can fine huge stretches of totally degraded soils. These soils
are crusted and are practically impermeable to water. Mulch over this soil will result in
increased termite activity. The termites dig a network of channels in the crust and make
the crust permeable to rainwater.
Farmers in central
Burkina Faso know their termites. Before planting their crops they spread mulch over the
crusted soils, encouraging termite activity. Some farmers have gone a step further and
invented a technology they call zai. The zais are large holes cut into the crusted
lateritic layers into which they introduce dry plant material a few months before sowing
their crops. The termites turn it into readily available plant nutrients, at the same time
digging channels in the crust that increase rainwater infiltration.
Scientists at the
ICRISAT Sahelian Center are now investigating the effect of Australian Acacia mulch on
soil fertility and permeability. Led by Dr Dougbedji Fatondji, the team includes Drs
Keiichi Hayashi, Prof Dov Pasternak and M. Abdoulaye M. Saley. Two Acacia species, A.
colei and A. torulosa were found to be particularly suitable for Sahelian conditions. They
produce a large biomass and can be pruned annually to produce mulch that is not eaten by
animals. The group intends to use these Acacias to reclaim the lateritic soils of the
Sahel.
For more
information contact d.pasternak@cgiar.org
4. Grow Pearl Millet, Fulfill Your Dreams<
After years of struggle and poor harvests, Malam Adamu is finally discovering the good life. Adamu, a smallholder farmer in northern Nigeria, has just moved into a brand new house, built with profits from the sale of ICRISAT’s pearl millet variety SOSAT-C88. Appropriately, he has named it SOSAT House. Adamu used to share a house with his brothers, and dreamt of a day when he would have his own house and be able to bring up his children the way he wanted. "ICRISAT has helped me to fulfill my dream,” says Malam Adamu. (Right, "Sosat" smiles).
In anticipation of
another bumper harvest this year, he plans to purchase a dairy cow and set up his wife in
business, producing and selling a semi-liquid drink called Fura-denunnu. Fura is made from
pearl millet while nunnu is fresh cow’s milk. Farmers, particularly women, in the
Gummel region of Jigawa state, where Malam Adamu lives, say that fura made from SOSAT is
more attractive in color, and tastes better than fura made from local millet. It also
fetches higher prices. Adamu’s wife mixes SOSAT with groundnut cake to prepare infant
food for their children, who look healthier than the other children in the village. Malam
Adamu makes an average of 300,000 Naira ($3000) per year, considerably more than before.
He proudly says he can now feed his family well, send his children to good schools, and
take care of his aged mother who lives with him.
Adamu has become an
unofficial extension agent, freely sharing his knowledge about the new variety, and
providing seed to his neighbors. He has obviously been effective – other farmers want
to follow his example, and seed demand (and prices) have increased, not only for SOSAT but
also for other improved sorghum and pearl millet varieties developed by ICRISAT and its
NARS partners.
According to Dr Joshua of the Premier Seed Company, Nigeria, sales of SOSAT quintupled from Naira 2 million in 2000 to 10.5 million in 2001. Similarly, sales of sorghum variety ICSV 400 rose from Naira 400,000 to 4.5 million in 2001, because the variety is used for production of non-alcoholic beverages as well as livestock feed. He agrees with Adamu that ICRISAT is improving the livelihoods and incomes of smallholder farmers whose lives hinge on these staple crops. Says Dr Joshua, "ICRISAT-Nigeria is a small team with big impact."
For more information contact j.adugyamfi@cgiar.org
5.Highlights of Previous Issues:
September 2002: "Donkey Work" for Peanuts • Wealth from Weeds • Andhra Pradesh Farmers go High-Tech
August 2002: Breaking New Ground with Groundnuts • A Custard Apple a Day... • Gerrymandering the Gene Pool Part 4 • Mineral and Manure: A Winning Combination
July 2002: Gerrymandering the Gene Pool Part 3 • Peanut Paternity Suit? • The Winds of Change in West Africa • Insect Problems? Try a Little Wax and Hair
June 2002: Gerrymandering the Gene Pool Part 2 • Tribal Treasure Troves • The Return of the Native • Poverty and the Perch
May 2002: Gerrymandering the Gene Pool • Snap, Crackle, and Pop • Checking Africa's Pulse • High Tech for an Old Problem
April 2002: Disaster Relief with a Difference • From Crop to Tabletop • Golden Millet, Naturally! • The "Green" to "Blue" Water Continuum
March 2002: On the Wild Side • A Handful of Seed • Here's to Fungus - hic!
February 2002: 36 Percent -- and Rising • Of Stalk and Livestock • Stalking the Enemy • Sorghum Scoop from Mali
January 2002: Back to the Drawing Board • Weed Better, Weed Faster • With Minds of their Own! • Closing Ranks against the Pod Borer
December 2001: It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's a Super scientist! • Viva Sorgo! • Small is Big! • Abortion Leads to Rebirth
November 2001: Sorghum Products: Poised to Take Off • Cash from Cattle Food • Empowerment Through Technology • Outwitting an Unfair Bug
October 2001: Backing a Winner • More than a Thousand Words • Sowing a New Future for Eritrea • A Casting Coup: Farmers' Day 2001
September: 2001 Don’t Get Left on the Shelf • Nigeria Targets ‘Groundnut Leprosy’ • Two Heads Are Better than One • Desperately Seeking Seeds
August 2001: Finding Chinks in the Armour • Brazilian Farmers get a Boost from the Sahel • Sahelian Partners Smash the Ivory Tower • What You See is What You Get - Simulation Modeling for Successful Farming
July 2001: Balaji Makes IT Waves • A Hot Date in the Sahel • It All Adds Up • More from Less • That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles
June 2001: Space-Age Partnership in West Africa • Bad Taste is Good • Out of Africa • Seed Priming: Rhapsody in Simplicity
May 2001: Dodging Drought in Kenya • Vietnam and ICRISAT Save Watersheds • Farmers Enrich Malawi's Soils • Groundnut Mystery Disease Identified
April 2001:Women Farmers Guide Scientists in Namibia • Ashta Puts it Faith in IPM • Sahelian Farmers Place Their Bets • China and Pigeonpea: Love at Second Sight
March 2001: Agriculture: an Ally Against Global Warming? • Breaking the Spell of Witchweed • Groundnut Taking Root in Central Asia and the Caucasus • Zimbabwean Smallholders Drive the Research Agenda
February 2001: Somalia: Seeds Deliver Hope Amidst Chaos • The CGIAR Fights Desertification in Africa • Creating the World's First Molecular Marker Map of Chickpea • Aflatoxin and Cancer: Cracking a Hard Nut in Developing Countries
January 2001: Things Grow Better with CokeŽ: Micro-fertilizer System Sparks 50-100 Percent Millet Yield Increases in the Sahel • Groundnut (Peanut) Production Accelerates in Vietnam • Pigeonpea Broadens Farmer's Options in Sudan • Private Sector Invests in Public Plant Breeding Research at ICRISAT.
December 2000: International Symposium on SAT Futures • Centers Team Up to Help East Timor • Spatial Variability in Watersheds • World's First Cytoplasmic Male-Sterile Hybrid Pigeonpea • Groundnut (Peanut) Variety Boosts Malawian Agriculture • National Researchers Persevere in El Salvador • ICRISAT Celebrates India-ICRISAT Day • ICRISAT and World Vision International Work Together in Southern Africa.