ICRISAT Happenings (30 August 2013)

ICRISAT

Happenings

30 August 2013 No. 1586

In-house Newsletter

Photos: KPC Rao, ICRISAT

The project team monitoring the ‘SenseFly’ mini-drone’s flight path. Top right: The minidrone. Bottom right: A technician programs the mini-drone’s flight path on the computer.

Natural resource management for productivity and sustainability

Drone technology to assess impacts of watershed programs in Eastern Africa In Eastern Africa, traditional, time consuming and labor intensive modes of data collection are slowly giving way to mapping using the drone technology. Mapping through field survey has proven to be cumbersome and is often prone to errors, while currently available satellite images have limitations with resolution, cloud cover (especially during the crop season), and availability in real time. An innovative and creative solution, the drone technology offers a lot more flexibility by making it possible to record the imagery when conditions are optimal and at a time when it is most useful. rone technology, also commonly known as natural resources for productivity and sustainability. It Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology, is builds on ICRISAT’s experiences in Asia and was the use of aircrafts without a human pilot. This initiated in Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Rwanda and technology is now being tested in Eastern Africa to Madagascar in 2011. arrest land degradation and to rehabilitate degraded The drone technology is currently being used by some lands to enhance productivity through sustainable researchers and commercial farmers mostly in developed intensification. Initiated by ICRISAT Eastern and countries as an innovative way to assess and/or forecast Southern Africa (ESA) with funding support from yields. Prior to this project, very little work in terms of ASARECA, this effort is part of a project to test the application in the area of watershed management for adaptability of the watershed-based management of productivity enhancement has been done.

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Drone technology to assess impacts ...from page 1 One of the approaches that the project is testing is the use of high resolution (up to 5X5 cm) maps developed using drone technology. The drone is an aircraft capable of autonomous flight and is an exciting new sensing tool capable of acquiring high-resolution, multi-spectral spatial data. It has the potential to provide imagery of high spatial and temporal resolution over a short period.

The usefulness of this technology was tested in a watershed near the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute’s Dryland Research Center at Katumani, Machakos County on 15 August. Using the ‘SenseFly’ make mini-drone mounted with a Canon Elph camera and GPS system, the drone flew over a height of 160 m recording images with a resolution of 5.65 cm. It undertook three flights over two hours and covered 100 ha. A total of 500 high-resolution multi-spectral images were recorded. By decomposition of this composite image, it is possible to extract blue, green and NIR bands with which it is possible to generate different indices such as Normalized Difference Vegetation Index.

This image was developed by merging the 500 images covering 1 ha. The left-hand top corner shows the area treated with soil and water conservation structures and includes farms which adopted improved management technologies.

The data collected is currently being analyzed to quantify the benefits from watershed interventions.

Efforts are also on to collect ground observations to fully interpret the differences observed in the image and make a quantitative assessment of the impact of the interventions. g

ICRISAT-Unilever project on nutritional profiling of pearl millet reviewed

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review meeting on the ICRISAT-Unilever Project on nutritional profiling of pearl millet was held at Unilever’s R&D Centre in Bangalore, India, on 23 August. The project, funded by Unilever-India, is being jointly undertaken by ICRISAT’s NutriPlus Knowledge (NPK) Program of the Agribusiness and Innovation Platform (AIP) and the Pearl Millet Molecular Breeding Program of the Research Program – Dryland Cereals (RP-DC).

During the meeting, Dr Saikat Datta Mazumdar of NPK highlighted ICRISAT’s vision and mission and its Inclusive Market-Oriented Development (IMOD) approach in the context of the on-going partnership with Unilever. Dr Rakesh Srivastava from RP-DC detailed the importance of pearl millet as a climatechange ready, nutritionally dense crop, and shared information on genetic and genomic resources being used for implementation of specific project activities.

Dr Roopa Banerjee also from NPK presented the progress of the analytical work on nutritional profiling of the select Pearl Millet Inbred Germplasm Association Panel (PMiGAP) entries in order to identify traits to tackle lifestyle diseases.

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Joining the ICRISAT team were Dr Sreeramulu Guttapadu and Dr Manoj Joshi from Unilever R&D Bangalore, along with Dr Mark Berry and Dr Francis Bligh from Unilever, UK (via telepresence). The ICRISAT team also met Dr Vilas P Sinkar, Vice President, Unilever R&D, Bangalore to brief him on the progress of the project. g

Photo: ICRISAT

(L-R) Dr R Banerjee; Dr S Guttapadu, Principal Research Scientist, Unilever R&D; and Drs R Srivastava and SD Mazumdar at Unilever R&D, Bangalore.

Strengthening management of pearl millet downy mildew in sub-Saharan Africa

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ICRISAT is investing about USD 1.2 million this year on capacity building activities for the benefit of the NARS partners in Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Under this capacity building initiative, this is the first in a series of training Photos: PS Rao, ICRISAT Dr Stefania Grando, Research Program Director – Dryland Cereals addressing programs undertaken through participants from the African NARS. the CGIAR Research Program on Dryland Cereals,” said Director course and how this will help the participants to General William D Dar. He was addressing mitigate the losses caused by downy mildew in pearl participants from African NARS during the opening millet. She likewise requested the participants to ceremony of the training on “Strengthening share the knowledge acquired during this training Management of Pearl Millet Downy Mildew in with colleagues at their host institutes. sub-Saharan Africa” held at the ICRISAT headquarters Dr Rajan Sharma, Senior Scientist (Cereals and on 19-23 August.

Pathology), briefed the participants about the As most of the food-insecure population lives in five-day course which included both theoretical and developing countries – largely as small-scale and practical aspects of management of downy mildew. subsistence farmers – mitigating the losses from The course was envisioned to ensure that national pearl millet downy mildew is a major challenge in partners are exposed to the full complexity of the South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Working with facilities currently available at the ICRISAT national partners in India, ICRISAT has built an headquarters and to make use of related accumulated experience and developed the needed technologies for enhancing pearl millet breeding capacity to enhance the management of downy programs. Hands-on training in greenhouse and field mildew at its headquarters. screening of pearl millet lines for downy mildew resistance was provided to the participants. They However, there remains a need to strengthen were also trained on proper identification of downy national capacity in West and Central Africa (WCA) mildew symptoms, maintenance of different isolates for screening for resistance and overall management of the pathogen under controlled conditions, and of pearl millet downy mildew. The training course data recording and analysis. was conducted to build the needed capacity among African NARS, particularly in the use of advanced tools and state-of-the-art laboratories.

Welcoming the participants, Deputy Director General for Research, Dr CLL Gowda said, “Training is a two-way process.

I therefore request all participants to learn as much as you can during this week, and to share the knowledge you have gained with your fellow researchers.”

Dr Stefania Grando, Research Program Director – Dryland Cereals, highlighted the importance of the training

The course was attended by 13 participants from 6 countries namely, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal, and was supported by the CGIAR Research Program on Dryland Cereals. g

Photo: PS Rao, ICRISAT

Participants of the training.

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Dryland Cereals undertakes sorghum scoping study in Mozambique

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sorghum scoping study was recently conducted in Mozambique primarily to align the strategies of the CGIAR Research Program on Dryland Cereals (Dryland Cereals) with the country’s national R&D strategies, towards identifying entry points for collaboration. ICRISAT Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) partnered with the Mozambique Institute of Agricultural Research (IIAM) in the conduct of the activity which also sought to draw a work Photo: Tilahun Amede, ICRISAT plan for the 2013-14 cropping season Members of the sorghum scoping study. and specific recommendations for sorghum R&D in Mozambique. undertake verification or adaptability/suitability trials To start off the rapid assessment of the sorghum through participatory variety selection (PVS). Linking sub-sector, key presentations were made: an the production segment of the value chain with overview of the Dryland Cereals by Mary Mgonja other most efficient segments of the sorghum value (ICRISAT-ESA); an overview of the sorghum sub-sector chain would be critical in upgrading the sorghum in Mozambique by Joaquim Mutaliano (Sorghum sub-sector in Mozambique.

Breeder, IIAM); and the purpose of the sorghum All the three components of formal (certified), scoping study by Alastair Orr (Assistant Director, semi-formal (community-based seed production) and ICRISAT-ESA). These presentations were followed by two focus group discussions on the status of sorghum informal (farmers’ own-saved seed) sorghum seed systems operate in Mozambique in a complementary technology development and delivery and on manner although the informal component is the sorghum product and input marketing. most dominant – supplying over 95% of sorghum Subsequent follow-up meetings were held with seed in the country. Generally, government representatives from Mozambique’s Department of intervention in the distribution and marketing of Agriculture and Natural Resource Management for sorghum seed through direct free seed distribution detailed information on agro-ecological zonation for and provision of subsidies has had negative impacts R&D, National Seed Services (NSS) for information on on the growth of seed markets. variety certification procedures, and Oruera Seeds About 12 private seed companies are in operation in and Morais Commercial (private seed companies in the country although only four are currently engaged Nampula province, Mozambique) for information on in sorghum seed production. The demand for the mechanisms for sorghum seed certification, certified/formal seed is low because of high poverty production and marketing. levels among the smallholder farmers and high prices The development and dissemination of earlyfor commercial certified seed estimated at 45 maturing, pest-resistant sorghum varieties with hard meticais (USD 1.5) per kg, while the government’s grain and other end-user preferences was identified subsidized seed sells at 25 meticais (USD 0.8) per kg. as one of the objectives of the Dryland Cereals for Furthermore, agro-dealers which serve as certified Mozambique. Additionally, one possible intervention sorghum seed retail outlets for commercial seed by the program is an audit of all promising and companies are located mainly in urban centers – far released improved sorghum varieties detailing their from the villages where sorghum farming is done. descriptors (including end-use qualities) and to Farmers’ own-saved seed of improved varieties is to page 5 ...4 4 ICRISAT HAPPENINGS 30 AUGUST 2013 1586

Sharing of results for tracking the successes and failures of crop improvement investments in South Asia

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artners of the Tracking Varietal Change for Future Assessment of the Impact of Crop Genetic Improvement Research in South Asia (TRIVSA), a two-year project supported by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, met in New Delhi on 26-27 August for the project’s final completion workshop.

TRIVSA primarily aimed to lay Photo: ICRISAT the groundwork for tracking Participants of the TRIVSA project completion workshop. the successes and failures of crop improvement investments presented the key synthesis results on rice crop in and for understanding the impact of those South Asia. This was followed-up by the country-wise investments on poverty, nutrition, and food security rice presentations by NARS partners from Sri Lanka, in South Asia. Six major crops (rice, sorghum, pearl Bangladesh, Nepal, and the states of Chhattisgarh, millet, chickpea, pigeonpea and groundnut) are West Bengal and Odisha of India. The ICRISAT team covered in the project from five South Asian led by Dr MCS Bantilan together with Dr D Kumara countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Charyulu also made a comprehensive presentation Lanka). This joint project between ICRISAT and the on the five ICRISAT mandate crops in India and International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) shared key findings of the project. collaborates with numerous national program partners working on rice and on all five ICRISAT Detailed discussions were likewise held on project mandate crops. findings and further completion of project milestones among the partnering institutions. Drs Moses Shyam Around 25 representatives from IRRI, ICRISAT, and Naveen P Singh also represented ICRISAT in the International Centre for Maize and Wheat Improvement (CIMMYT), International Potato Centre workshop. The SPIA represented by Drs Sushil Pandey and Mywish Maredia conducted a brainstorming (CIP), MIT and NARS participated in the workshop. discussion during the last day on possible Dr Sam Mohanty, Head of Social Science Division, collaborations for strengthening impact assessment IRRI delivered the opening remarks and highlighted the significant accomplishments and contributions of at CGIAR Centers and in sustaining these activities in the project. Dr Takashi Yamano, Principal Investigator, the future. g

Dryland Cereals undertakes sorghum scoping study in Mozambique ...from page 4 usually of low quality due to admixtures and genetic impurity caused by non-renewal of seed of improved varieties.

Promoting semi-formal or community-based seed production, market-friendly relief seed distribution methods and training of farmers on better seed production techniques for own-saved seed are critical in improving accessibility of quality sorghum seed to smallholder farmers in

Mozambique, as identified during the sorghum scoping study.

In attendance during the activity at the Maputo meeting were Anabela Tecarias (Technical Director, Department of Agriculture and Natural Resource Management, IIAM), Tilahun Amede (ICRISAT Country Representative in Mozambique), Takuji Tsusaka (ICRISAT- Malawi), Patrick Audi (ICRISATNairobi), and six IIAM researchers and two participants from extension services. g ICRISAT HAPPENINGS 30 AUGUST 2013 1586 5

General management training program held

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five-day training program on General Management Program for Executives was organized by the faculty of the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), Manila, Philippines at the ICRISAT headquarters on 24-28 August to sensitize senior scientists and managers on leadership and management.

Director General William D Dar, in his opening remarks, emphasized the Photo: PS Rao, ICRISAT importance of working as a team and Director General Dr WD Dar delivering the opening remarks. the need to have a synergy at the workplace. The training session exposed 42 participants to experiential learning with a mix of lectures, presentations, demonstrations and case studies.

The AIM team consisting of Professors Mila Lagrosa, Nani Roxas and Guli Go provided the participants with a broad overview and understanding on contemporary issues in management and leadership keeping the motto “Science with a Human Face” as the central theme. This helped the participants in viewing ICRISAT’s mission and vision from a new perspective.

During the five-day course, participants were exposed to issues such as Principles of Management, People Dynamics, Leadership, Social Return on Investment (SROI), Social Innovations, and Blue Ocean Strategy. g

Photo: MM Sharma, ICRISAT

Participants presenting their workshop outputs.

Photo: PS Rao, ICRISAT

Participants of the training course.

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ICRISAT: Knowledge partner for FOOD 360°

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CRISAT shall be participating as a knowledge partner in the third FOOD 360° (International conference-cum-exhibition on Agribusiness and Food Processing). This event is scheduled to be held on 6-7 November in Hyderabad, in parallel with the World Agriculture Forum (WAF) Congress 2013.

The conference aims to bring out new business opportunities for agribusiness start-ups, explore ways for financing, and assess the potential of food processing in India. It will also showcase various products and services related to agribusiness and food processing technologies, playing a central role in connecting business opportunities in agriculture, food processing and allied areas.

Photo:PV Sivakumar, FICCI

Dr SD Mazumdar (far left) with dignitaries at the curtain raiser event.

The event is in line with ICRISAT’s Inclusive MarketOriented Development (IMOD) approach, which focuses on linking smallholder farmers to the markets. As part of FOOD 360°, ICRISAT will be preparing a knowledge report and sharing its learning in the area of agribusiness incubation.

farmers. The next wave of opportunities lies in the agricultural services and food processing sector,” said Dr Saikat Datta Mazumdar, Chief Operating Officer, NPK-AIP, at the curtain raiser event held at Hotel Marigold, Begumpet, Hyderabad on 19 August.

“We will bring in all the expertise of ICRISAT in the area of agribusiness and food processing along with our expertise in agriculture, in order to enable the harnessing of markets to benefit the smallholder

The event will also host FOOD 360° Awards 2013 that will recognize significant contributions made by individuals and institutions in the field of agriculture and food processing. g

Happy retirement!

The following staff members are retiring on 31 August 2013: Mr K Chandrasekhara Rao, Senior Executive Associate (Graphic Art), Strategic Marketing & Communication (SMC), after serving the Institute for over 33 years.

Mr N Malla Reddy, Scientific Associate, Research Program – Grain Legumes, after serving the Institute for over 27 years.

Mr Ch Ramakrishna Reddy, Senior Scientific Associate, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), after serving the Institute for over 34 years.

Mr T David, Senior Associate (Reprography), KSI-LIS, after serving the Institute for over 16 years.

Mr B Rama Rao, Senior Farm & Engineering Associate (Survey), FETS – Farm Services, after serving the Institute for over 32 years.

On their retirement, Team ICRISAT wishes them a very happy retired life.

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Visitors’ log

26 August: Thirty (30) farmers from Raichur, Karnataka.

27 August: Sixty one (61) biotechnology students from PC Jabin Science College, Hubli, Karnataka.

28 August: India’s ambassador to Niger, Mr Kunal Roy (see picture); 20 farmers from Medak district, Andhra Pradesh.

29 August: Eighty five (85) students from TNAU, Tamil Nadu; Mr Atul Trivedi and colleagues from Power Grid Corporation, New Delhi.

30 August: Fifty two (52) students from Lotus International School, Hyderabad; and 61 officers through MANAGE (National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management), Rajendranagar.

Welcome

Photo: MM Sharma, ICRISAT

Dr Mathieu Ouedraogo, a Burkina Faso national, has joined CCAFS in Mali in July 2013 as Visiting Scientist based in ICRISAT-Bamako, Mali. Dr Ouedraogo holds a bachelor’s degree in Agronomy and an Engineer degree in Agricultural Economics from the lnstitut Agronomique et Veterinaire (IAV) Hassan II in Morocco; a master’s degree in Development, Environment and Societies from the Université de Liège (ULg) in (Belgium); and a PhD in Economics from the Université de Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso. Before joining ICRISAT, he was a Researcher in Agricultural Economics at the Institute for Environmental and agricultural research (INERA) in Burkina Faso.

Sad demise We are saddened to announce that Mr Sory Haidara, Technician, ICRISAT-Mali passed away on 25 August. Mr Haidara worked at ICRISAT for about 22 years from 1991 to 2013. We pray to the Almighty to give Mr Haidara’s bereaved family the strength and courage to face this loss.

Thought of the week I still have a dream...... We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal. I have a dream….

Part of the speech by Martin Luther King made 50 years ago and which has inspired our Board Chair Nigel Poole ever since.

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