16 March 2012
No. 1510
State University and College (SUC) presidents and regional agricultural government officials from the Philippines, with ICRISAT DG William Dar and senior staff, during their visit to ICRISAT-Patancheru.
Strengthening ICRISAT-Philippines partnership
Scientific visit of academic and agricultural leaders to boost rainfed agriculture Long neglected in the past, rainfed agriculture is now getting a big boost in the Philippines. ICRISAT and the Philippines’ Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) under the Department of Agriculture (DA) have joined hands to implement a vigorous program that will make rainfed agriculture more productive, which in turn will enhance food, nutrition and energy security, and improve livelihoods of local communities in rainfed areas.
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nder the new initiative called Philippine Rainfed Agriculture Research, Development and Extension Program (PHIRARDEP), a top-level delegation composed of ten State University and College (SUC) presidents and regional agricultural government officials visited ICRISAT on 12-16 March primarily to explore and map out joint agriculture research, development and extension
(RD&E) initiatives to revitalize rainfed agriculture in the Philippines. “ICRISAT’s scientific and technical support to the Philippines is part of the Institute’s global effort to contribute to food security and poverty reduction in countries that have marginalized farmlands,” said Director General William Dar. With proper technical and policy support and programs, rainfed to page 2 ...4
Strengthening ICRISAT-Philippines partnership....from page 1 farms in the Philippines could be an impetus for growth in the rural areas, he added. The primary goal of the visit was to provide the delegation with an important opportunity to interact with ICRISAT scientists and learn from the Institute’s experiences in implementing research for development (R4D) programs and science-based innovations on rainfed agriculture, particularly in the areas of crop improvement (sorghum, chickpea, pigeonpea, and groundnut), participative integrated The Philippine delegation at the ICRISAT sweet sorghum experimental field. watershed management, knowledge sharing and innovation, transgenic towards institutional transformation, capacity research, research station management, and strengthening and communication. The team also agribusiness incubation. visited ICRISAT’s original benchmark community watershed project in Kothapally and the institute’s Deliberations during the visit focused on scientific various field and laboratory facilities. innovations which, if applied, are the best bets in improving productivity of rainfed areas. The need for To further fortify the partnership between ICRISAT R4D projects were also discussed, specifically in and its Philippine partners, Memoranda of linking farmers with markets and in formulating Agreements (MOAs) were signed primarily for the policies that will enhance access to critical support implementation of collaborative rainfed R4D services and empower rainfed farming communities. projects, most especially in the areas of research, capacity strengthening and sharing of innovations A meeting with ICRISAT’s Management Group was and scientific expertise on dryland agriculture. g also held for the delegation to learn approaches
At the RS Paroda Genebank.
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ICRISAT Happenings 16 March 2012/1510
In the soil chemistry laboratory.
AGRA President visits ICRISAT’s Soil Health Project in Malawi
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he President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Dr Namanga Ngongi, visited the Soil Health Project titled “Upscaling of Pigeonpea in Central Region of Malawi” on 1 March, to see first hand how the project is benefiting smallholder farmers affiliated with the National Smallholder Farmers Association of Malawi (NASFAM).
The project is being implemented by NASFAM in collaboration with ICRISAT, the Department of Oswin Madzonga explains to AGRA President Dr Namanga Ngongi (center, Agriculture Research and Technical foreground) the new opportunities that medium-duration pigeonpea Services (DARS) and ICRAF-The represents for farmers in Central Malawi. World Agroforestry Centre. ICRISAT looked forward to more impacts in the near future as technologies being implemented in the project farmers adopted the legumes being promoted by the include pigeonpea-maize intercropping, pigeonpeaproject and began using some of the newly groundnut doubled-up legume system, pigeonpea developed management recommendations. phosphorous microdosing, and pigeonpea Fusarium wilt-resistant variety trials. During the visit, Mr Oswin Madzonga, Senior In his speech, Dr Ngongi said he was pleased to see Scientific Officer (ICRISAT-Malawi), presented a how AGRA’s support is benefiting smallholder poster on spatial arrangement of maize and farmers and ensuring they were growing maize and pigeonpea. He stressed that the development of medium-duration pigeonpea varieties such as ICEAP legumes (including pigeonpea), which would 00557, locally known as Mwaiwathu Alimi, and improve soil fertility and add organic matter to the ICEAP 01514/15, had opened up new opportunities soil. This, he added, would ultimately increase for farmers in the central region of Malawi, a productivity in a sustainable manner and provide non-traditional pigeonpea area. This was not long-term benefits. Expressing satisfaction with the possible with long-duration varieties that require progress made in the project, Dr Ngongi said he prolonged winter rains to reach maturity and are confined to southern Malawi. He felt the time was right for researchers to work with farmers to identify the best spatial arrangement that optimizes both maize and pigeonpea yields when intercropped.
ICRISAT-Malawi Country Representative Moses Siambi (left) clarifies a point on seed system delivery.
Speaking about the impacts of the seed systems activity and the recent shortage of legume seed for the program, ICRISAT-Malawi Country Representative Moses Siambi said that the project had made a major contribution with its supply of 45 metric tons of groundnut and pigeonpea seed to the government subsidy program in the current season. He thanked AGRA for the support that made the contribution possible, thereby improving farmers’ access to high quality legume seed. g
ICRISAT Happenings 16 March 2012/1510
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ICRISAT and Auburn University sign MoU on agriculture R4D
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four-member delegation from Auburn University, Alabama, USA, headed by Dr William Batchelor (Dean, College of Agriculture and Director for Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station), visited ICRISATPatancheru on 12 March, and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in agriculture R4D. Others from the university included Dr Joseph Molnar (Coordinator, Office of International Agriculture) and Drs MS Reddy and Mike Williams from the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology.
Drs William Batchelor and William Dar ink the R4D agreement.
The delegation interacted with DG William Dar and DDG-R Dave Hoisington on various subjects such as IMOD, crop modeling, climate change research, and knowledge sharing initiatives for smallholder farmers. Other ICRISAT staff who participated in the discussions include Drs Piara Singh, Dileep Guntuku and Hari Sudini. Elucidating on Auburn University’s new initiative, the “International Hunger Institute”, Dr Batchelor said that 200 universities around the globe had
agreed to work under the university’s leadership to alleviate poverty and hunger in the world. Dr Dar, in response, expressed willingness to be a part of the said initiative. The delegation visited ICRISAT’s fields, the RS Paroda Genebank and the Center of Excellence in Genomics (CEG), and lauded the Institute’s world-class facilities. During the wrap-up session, Dr Dar highlighted the importance of dryland agriculture in reducing poverty and hunger, and suggested the inclusion of “dryland agriculture” as a course curriculum in the university’s undergraduate and graduate programs. g
DG Dar with the delegation from Auburn University.
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ICRISAT Happenings 16 March 2012/1510
ICRISAT-HOPE Project Management Team meets in Zanzibar,Tanzania
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he ICRISAT-HOPE project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), held its 5th Project Management Team (PMT) meeting on 9-10 March in Zanzibar, Tanzania, to review the project’s progress across the six objectives and the recommendation of the Addis Ababa meeting. The meeting (L to R) Drs Said Silim, Alastair Orr, Mary Mgonja, Yilma Kebede and George was chaired and facilitated by Okwach during the meeting. Project Coordinator George Okwach, and attended by Principal Investigator (PI) Dr Yilma Kebede challenged the team to think Said Silim, Dr Yilma Kebede of BMGF, and the six beyond the level of mere achievement of activity project objective leaders (Drs Nareppa Nagaraj, SK milestones, and begin developing a “larger picture” Gupta, Henry Ojulong, Alastair Orr, Mary Mgonja, in terms of the contribution the various objectives and Kirsten Von Brocke). were making towards meeting the main goals and aims of the project. He observed that with close to 3 A significant part of the meeting was spent on years into the project, project reports should be presentations by Objective Leaders (OLs) and highlighting more of the tangible, substantive discussions on the progress made in their respective contributions of each objective to the larger goal of domains. The OLs presented highlights of tangible the project, and how the objectives and activities outputs that have been realized in their respective were cross-linked. objectives, and the status of those outputs that still remain to be achieved. He reminded the participants that the milestones were not an end in themselves, but were stepping On the recommendation of the October 2011 global stones towards realizing certain bigger goals. He review meeting held in Addis Ababa, the PMT noted emphasized the importance of focusing on the that a large number of the resolutions were in overall project goal and ensuring the project outputs various stages of implementation. However, part of and the knowledge generated are turned into results the recommendations involved the preparation of that make a difference in the lives of the farmers. He proposals for activity revisions, as well as few also reminded the team of the importance of additional (new) activities. The PMT reviewed the empowering the national partners and encouraged proposals that had been received from various them to be in constant communication with the projects scientists. The proposals were approved on NARS. In conclusion, he requested the team to give the basis of their congruence with the project goals him feedback on the foundation’s grant management and on-going activities. The PMT recommended that system, saying that the goal is for ICRISAT and the the funds for carrying out the proposed/revised foundation to work together as partners. activities would have to come from the respective objective budgets. Project PI Said Silim urged the leaders of the objectives to visit project locations to ascertain what Joining the meeting briefly via Skype, DDG-R Dave is going on, and learn from each other. Meanwhile, in Hoisington updated the PMT on the progress made his closing remarks, Dr George Okwach encouraged in negotiating with aWhere Inc. of USA in the team to continue focusing on the overall goal of introducing a data management protocol for both the project and emphasized the need to integrate this project and TL II projects. He alerted the project activities across objectives. He assured that regular team of the requirements needed to make the system video conference meetings would be held to ensure work, and urged the cooperation of all concerned. follow-ups on the meeting’s action points. g
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VDSA annual review and management meeting held in Dhaka
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he 2nd Regional Annual Review and Management Meeting of the “Village Dynamics in South Asia” (VDSA) project supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and jointly implemented by ICRISAT, IRRI and NCAP with national institutes in Bangladesh and India, was held on 10-11 March at the BRAC Centre Inn, Dhaka, Bangladesh. The meeting discussed progress and achievements in data collection, processing, analysis, dissemination and web hosting of VDSA data and research findings. It also reviewed papers prepared under the project and developed detailed work plans for 2012 for three regions – SAT India, east India and Bangladesh. The meeting was attended by VDSA Project Advisors Mahabub Hossain (Executive Director, BRAC), Mruthyunjaya (former Director, NAIP, ICAR); Project Leaders MCS Bantilan (Research Director, RP-MIP, ICRISAT), Samarendu Mohanty (Head of IRRI Social Sciences Division); project coordinators of three regions, Uttam Deb and P Parthasarathy Rao (ICRISAT), Humnath Bhandari (IRRI) and Anjani Kumar (NCAP). VDSA team members Alamgir
Chowdhury, Anisatul Fatema Yousuf, Joseph Balagtas, Padmaja Ravula, Kamala Gurung, Usha Rani Ahuja, VR Kiresur, Taznoor S Khanam, and Lalmani Pandey presented papers and work plans in this meeting. Project team members from IRRI, ICRISAT, Socioconsult, NCAP, and UAS Dharwad participated in the deliberations and discussions. Among others, the meeting was enriched through the comments of distinguished experts Randolph Barker (Emeritus Scientist, IRRI), Sattar Mandal (Member, Bangladesh Planning Commission), Zainul Abedin (IRRI representative in Bangladesh) and Ashwani Kumar (Director, Directorate of Water Management, ICAR, Bhubaneswar). As part of capacity building efforts of the VDSA project, a training session on Nutritional Anthropometry and Rain Gauge was also conducted for 18 field investigators and field supervisors working in Bangladesh villages. VK Chopde and Kavitha Kasala served as resource persons during the training while John Marandy, Liakut Al Mahmud, and Golam Mindia Chowdhury facilitated and organized the event. g
Participants of the 2nd Regional Annual Review and Management Meeting of the “Village Dynamics in South Asia” project held in Bangladesh.
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ICRISAT Happenings 16 March 2012/1510
ICRISAT-WASA training workshop held for seed lab technicians
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s part of the West Africa Seed Alliance - Seed Project’s (WASASP) effort to develop manpower for enhanced quality seed production and laboratory evaluation, a two-day training workshop was organized on 27–28 February at the Central Seed Testing Laboratory, National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC), Sheda, Abuja. The training was organized for seed Participants of the ICRISAT-WASA workshop for laboratory technicians. laboratory technicians of NASC, commercial seed companies, seed Hakeem Ajeigbe, ICRISAT’s country representative technologists from research institutes, and state in Nigeria. agricultural development projects in Nigeria. The workshop was attended by over 55 trainees, including 20 women, with resource persons drawn The opening remark was given by Mr Segun from universities, NASC, and the Nigeria Plant Olatokun, Director of NASC, representing Nigeria’s Quarantine Services. The training included Minister for Agriculture and Natural Resources. classroom and practical sessions on laboratory Remarks were also given by the representative of the record keeping, seed physiology and dormancy, Executive Secretary, Agricultural Research Council seed quality assurance and certification, and seed of Nigeria, Coordinating Director of NASC and Dr testing, health, processing and storage. g
ICRISAT inks MoU with Ministry of Agriculture,Tamil Nadu
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CRISAT and the Ministry of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the promotion of highyielding varieties of pigeonpea and groundnut. Director General William Dar and Dr K Manivasan (Commissioner of Agriculture) signed the MoU for the implementation of an R&D project in 2012. g
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Visitors log 12 March: Thirty eight farmers from Gadag district, Karnataka. 13 March: Fifty eight students from the College of Agriculture, Padannakkad, Kerala; 60 farmers from Raichur; and Dr Radha Prasanna, Senior Scientist (Microbiology) from IARI, New Delhi. 14 March: Drs John Makoni and Estrela Alberto from Mozfoods, Mozambique; Mr RK Goyal, Director, SEALAC Agro Ventures, New Delhi; 30 MBA students from Rajendra Mane College of Engineering and Technology, Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra; and 15 trainees through NIRD. 15 March: Forty eight farmers from Raichur, Karnataka.
16 March: Thirty two MSc students from Ahmednagar College, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra.
ISRC news Volleyball tournaments begin on campus next week. Interested players may gather at the Volleyball ground for team selection at 1700 hrs on 20 March.
Thought for the week In the practice of tolerance, one’s enemy is the best teacher
– The Dalai Lama