International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
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Bundling subsurface drip irrigation with no-till provides a window to integrate mung bean with intensive cereal systems for improving resource use efficiency
Get PDFThe future of South Asia’s major production system (rice–wheat rotation) is at stake due to continuously aggravating pressure on groundwater aquifers and other natural resources which will further intensify with climate change. Traditional practices, conventional tillage (CT) residue burning, and indiscriminate use of groundwater with flood irrigation are the major drivers of the non-sustainability of rice–wheat (RW) system in northwest (NW) India. For designing sustainable practices in intensive cereal systems, we conducted a study on bundled practices (zero tillage, residue mulch, precise irrigation, and mung bean integration) based on multi-indicator (system productivity, profitability, and efficiency of water, nitrogen, and energy) analysis in RW system. The study showed that bundling conservation agriculture (CA) practices with subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) saved ~70 and 45% (3-year mean) of irrigation water in rice and wheat, respectively, compared to farmers’ practice/CT practice (pooled data of Sc1 and Sc2; 1,035 and 318 mm ha−1). On a 3-year system basis, CA with SDI scenarios (mean of Sc5–Sc8) saved 35.4% irrigation water under RW systems compared to their respective CA with flood irrigation (FI) scenarios (mean of Sc3 and Sc4) during the investigation irrespective of residue management. CA with FI system increased the water productivity (WPi) and its use efficiency (WUE) by ~52 and 12.3% (3-year mean), whereas SDI improved by 221.2 and 39.2% compared to farmers practice (Sc1; 0.69 kg grain m−3 and 21.39 kg grain ha−1 cm−1), respectively. Based on the 3-year mean, CA with SDI (mean of Sc5–Sc8) recorded −2.5% rice yield, whereas wheat yield was +25% compared to farmers practice (Sc1; 5.44 and 3.79 Mg ha−1) and rice and wheat yield under CA with flood irrigation were increased by +7 and + 11%, compared to their respective CT practices. Mung bean integration in Sc7 and Sc8 contributed to ~26% in crop productivity and profitability compared to farmers’ practice (Sc1) as SDI facilitated advancing the sowing time by 1 week. On a system basis, CA with SDI improved energy use efficiency (EUE) by ~70% and partial factor productivity of N by 18.4% compared to CT practices. In the RW system of NW India, CA with SDI for precise water and N management proved to be a profitable solution to address the problems of groundwater, residue burning, sustainable intensification, and input (water and energy) use with the potential for replication in large areas in NW India
Milestones in Biology, Genetics, and Breeding of Pearl Millet
No full textPearl millet is a fascinating species for conducting basic research in biology and genetics; and for applied research in breeding. With a small number of large somatic chromosomes, pearl millet lends itself to investigation in classical and molecular cytogenetics. Its short life cycle, protogynous flowers and ability to set a large number of seeds per panicle make pearl millet highly suitable for studying flow of genes between cultivated annual species and related wild species. Centre of origin, domestication, primary and secondary gene pools of pearl millet helped in selection of suitable geographical area for collecting unique and diverse germplasm resources. The outcrossing nature of pearl millet provided the basis of exploitation of heterosis at commercial scale. Another important discovery related to pollination of pearl millet was role of pollen in reducing the infection of ovary by pathogens of ergot and smut. Knowledge of photoperiod response helped in extending the crop cultivation in new seasons and geographical regions; in controlling flowering in order to facilitate hybridization; and in selecting suitable sites for offseason nurseries. Outcrossing rate of above 85%, ease of inbred development, discovery of cytoplasmic male sterility and fertility restorer genes, lack of any negative association of cytoplasmic male sterility with growth and development, diseases and insect-pests, expression of positive and high magnitude of heterosis in productivity of hybrids and economic seed production provided a perfect platform for commercial exploitation of heterosis in pearl millet for the benefit of farming community. The genome of a reference genotype Tift 23D2B1-P1-P5 has been reported to contain an estimated 38,579 genes. Thus, a good understanding of biology and genetics of pearl millet has helped tremendously in breeding for higher productivity and stability
Pearl Millet Breeding for Enhancing Yield and Stability: Strategies, Achievements, and Perspectives
No full textPearl millet is cultivated under the most adverse agro-climatic conditions challenged by low and erratic rainfall, high mean temperature, high potential evaporation, and infertile and shallow soils with poor water holding capacity resulting in the huge temporal and spatial variation in its productivity and unstable production. The objective of this chapter is to review the strategies for achieving higher productivity and greater stability in India and Africa and to suggest future approaches and necessary interventions in pearl millet breeding meet the forthcoming challenges to provide higher and stable yields. The major strategies for enhancing yield included strategic use of germplasm resources and cultivar development (mostly hybrids) with targeted traits as per the requirement of production ecologies. On the other hand, the approach to augmenting stability has been improving genetic resistance to diseases, increasing tolerance to abiotic stresses, and addressing regional adaptation. Following the adoption of high-yielding, disease-resistant and drought-tolerant cultivars and crop production technology, pearl millet productivity has been consistently increasing in India. In view of increasing demand of pearl millet grain and stover in future, the higher yields are to be targeted. Pearl millet cultivation is likely to become more challenging because of predicted intense drought stress, rise in temperature, and greater disease incidences in sub-Sahara Africa and South Asia; yields must be increased at a much faster rate with greater stability in challenging agro-ecologies. Speed breeding and molecular-marker assisted breeding are going to play a very important role to enhance genetic gains in future. Heterotic grouping of hybrid parental lines would be an important strategy to increase the magnitude of heterosis on a long-term basis. Mainstreaming the bio-fortification is essentially needed to amalgamate higher productivity with nutritional traits to address both energy and micronutrient malnutrition issues
Multi-model genome-wide association studies for appearance quality in rice
Get PDFImproving the quality of the appearance of rice is critical to meet market acceptance. Mining putative quality-related genes has been geared towards the development of effective breeding approaches for rice. In the present study, two SL-GWAS (CMLM and MLM) and three ML-GWAS (FASTmrEMMA, mrMLM, and FASTmrMLM) genome-wide association studies were conducted in a subset of 3K-RGP consisting of 198 rice accessions with 553,831 SNP markers. A total of 594 SNP markers were identified using the mixed linear model method for grain quality traits. Additionally, 70 quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) detected by the ML-GWAS models were strongly associated with grain aroma (AR), head rice recovery (HRR, %), and percentage of grains with chalkiness (PGC, %). Finally, 39 QTNs were identified using single- and multi-locus GWAS methods. Among the 39 reliable QTNs, 20 novel QTNs were identified for the above-mentioned three quality-related traits. Based on annotation and previous studies, four functional candidate genes (LOC_Os01g66110, LOC_Os01g66140, LOC_Os07g44910, and LOC_Os02g14120) were found to influence AR, HRR (%), and PGC (%), which could be utilized in rice breeding to improve grain quality traits
A comprehensive assessment of yield loss in rice due to surface ozone pollution in India during 2005–2020: A great concern for food security
Get PDFCONTEXT: About 60% of the world population relies primarily on rice as their staple food, and India ranks
second in terms of global rice production. Studies have shown the adverse impact of surface ozone pollution on
agriculture, particularly the yield loss (YL) of major staple crops.
OBJECTIVE: (i) To assess the bias associated with ozone data used for YL estimation, (ii) to find the uncertainties
in ozone exposure/crop-response methods applied for computing YL and (iii) to analyse the spatio-temporal
variability of YL in rice due to surface ozone in India for the period 2005–2020 to assess food security of the
country.
METHODS: We use the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer chemical reanalysis (TCR-2) surface ozone data and
the ozone exposure/crop-response functions to compute YL in rice.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: By using the AOT40 crop-response method, we find a crop production loss (CPL)
of about 7.39 million tonnes (Mt) of rice in 2005, which increased to 11.46 Mt. in 2020. The estimated average
CPL for the study period is sufficient to feed about 233 million people per year. It also has incurred an economic
loss of about $2.92 billion in 2020.
SIGNIFICANCE: Atmospheric pollution must be reduced to protect crop health and ensure food security, as
evidenced by the two-fold rise of YL in rice due to ozone pollution during the past decade in India. This is also
applicable to all agrarian economies of the world with high atmospheric pollution; reiterating the global significance
of this study
Dynamics of soil quality in a conserved landscape in the highland sub humid ecosystem, Northwestern Ethiopia
Get PDFSeveral studies have assessed the dynamics of soil quality induced by soil and water conservation (SWC), but many showed disagreement over the efficacy of SWC interventions in the Ethiopian highlands. This study used a before and after soil and water conservation practices (SWCP) comparison approach to evaluate the effect of SWCP on soil quality dynamics. Fifty-four composite and 10 undisturbed soil samples were collected in 2012 (before SWCP) and 2022 (after SWCP). Statistical mean, analysis of variance, and principal component analysis were applied to test the significant differences among treatments. The findings demonstrated that SWCP has significantly improved most of the soil quality indicators such as soil organic matter, total nitrogen, available phosphorous, pH, total porosity, field capacity, and available water, and reduced the value of bulk density and coarse fragments. The interaction effect of landscape position and types of structures provided statistically significant results for soil organic matter, total nitrogen, magnesium, calcium, and base saturation. Soil and stone-faced soil bunds treated at lower landscapes were superior in improving soil quality attributes. The soil quality indexing showed, the overall soil quality improvement as a result of SWCP was about 32.15%. The level of improvement for different SWCPs was 32% for stone faced soil bunds and 33% for soil bunds. The findings revealed that SWCP implementation can improve soil quality. Soil organic matter is a key biological quality component that contributed 25% to the soil quality index and highly impacted soil physicochemical properties. We suggest additional assessment of best and integrated land management practices to ensure further improvement in soil quality, crop productivity, and ecosystem services in the subhumid ecosystems
Applying Spatial Analysis to Assess Crop Damage: A Case Study of the Pakistan 2022 Floods
Get PDFPakistan is highly flood-prone and faces a growing risk of water-related disasters due to predicted impacts
of climate change. From 1950 to 2021, each of the major floods claimed more than 400 lives in Pakistan,
except the 1950 flood that claimed at least 2,000 lives. The latest flood in 2022 resulted in 1,678 deaths,
which included 555 children. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates
that 55,000 square kilometers of land were flooded.
This report presents how spatial analysis could be used to assess flood damage to agricultural production
by applying the analysis to the 2022 Pakistan floods. It recommends that spatial analysis capacity should
be established within government agencies to ensure better preparedness for mitigating damages of
future water-related disasters.
Using spatial analysis and a spectral mapping technique, the 2022 flood damage was assessed for four
periods during June–September 2022 in Pakistan. The assessment conducted during the first half
of September 2022 indicated that about 15% of crop areas were modestly or severely damaged. The
accuracy of the technique was verified by cross-checking with data gathered at the actual locations on
the ground. Subsequently, a monthly damage assessment system has been established and is circulating
monthly reports to government agencies to help them prepare for future floods and other crop damage.
Spatial mapping can also be used to assess the impact of crop disease, pest infestations, drought, and
others, and to inform policy makers and decision makers about situations pertinent to the national food
supply, export earnings, and crop insurance. Spatial mapping can provide estimations of crop health for
a wider area and do so faster than ground estimations, which require large amounts of resources, such as
labor and transport, and are difficult to implement after floods or other natural hazards.
Key recommendations to facilitate the use of technology to enhance crop monitoring are as follows:
(i) increase the number of geographic information system and remote sensing specialists in
relevant government agencies such as crop reporting services and statistics offices;
(ii) integrate the use of spatial analysis into statistical reporting systems to improve their
accuracy and timeliness. The spatial analysis can provide preliminary results that can be
verified by field observations;
(iii) familiarize policy makers with and enable them to interpret spatial analysis results to help
them make more effective decisions. Circulate periodic spatial analysis reports among
policy makers to earn their trust in the analysis; and
(iv) plan policy actions for early detection of crop damage, rapid field verifications, mobilization
of adequate financial and material resources, and effective communications with affected
populations. Images from spatial analysis can be released through media or posted on
government websites
Scaling Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) in Niger
Get PDFNiger regards restoring degraded landscapes as a critical issue for achieving its environmental and development goals. Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) is an agroforestry-based low-cost land restoration technique where farmers take an active role in regenerating and managing
the growth of trees and shrubs from existing root systems or stumps. FMNR is increasingly advocated as a nature-based solution to address land degradation. Niger has long history of practicing FMNR, and the government has committed to restoring 3.2 million hectares of land by 2030, primarily
through FMNR, to enhance the living conditions of its population.
Despite many years of experience in implementing FMNR in Niger, there have been significant challenges concerning the sustainability of the environmental and socio-economic benefits derived from it.1 One of the critical issues lies in the lack of a mechanistic understanding of how contextual factors influence FMNR and its subsequent impact on sustainability.2 Among these gaps is the need for a deeper comprehension of how various biophysical, social, economic, and political conditions at the local level affect the sustainability of FMNR. To scale up FMNR and achieve the desired land restoration objectives, it is crucial to establish a systematic approach that can assist and guide
the process of determining where and for whom FMNR is an appropriate restoration technique and where it might be necessary to complement it with other soil and water management technologies to enhance FMNR adoption and achieve its desired outcomes.
This technical brief provides governments, NGOs, local communities, and international partners with actionable insights on implementing and scaling FMNR for sustainable land management in Niger.
The brief presents a holistic conceptual framework for the assessment of local agricultural governance and socio-economic systems, and the requisite biophysical conditions for scaling FMNR. The framework can serve as a tool to guide FMNR suitability assessing where, when, and for whom FMNR might be appropriate. Moreover, this holistic approach helps in understanding the barriers that hinder its uptake.
For FMNR to be scaled up in Niger and elsewhere, such assessments are crucial so that initiatives will be informed by evidence demonstrating how and why farmers might practice a restoration activity as well as how context influences their choices.
Furthermore, the brief presents result from integrated management options that are designed to test different soil and water management technology options that can be combined with FMNR and help improve crop yield at farm-level in the short term. Our findings reveal that farmers shape their
perspectives on the value of FMNR through nuanced insights into local farming practices and livelihood benefits, as well as the systems governing land and tree tenure
Transforming Drylands: ICRISAT's Five Decades of Innovation in Chickpea and Pigeonpea Research
Get PDFDrylands hold immense potential for sustainable food production, providing a viable opportunity to combat desertification, expand arable land and meet the evergrowing
global demand for food. Essential to this transformative journey are dryland food legumes, like chickpea and pigeonpea. These resilient pulses breathe life into barren landscapes, fostering fertile grounds and ensuring not only the nutritional well-being but also the economic stability of dryland communities
Genome-wide analysis of the calmodulin-binding transcription activator (CAMTA) gene family in Sesamum indicum L., and its role in abiotic stress tolerance traits
Get PDFCalmodulin-binding transcription activator (CAMTA) is one of the key transcription factor families possessing calcium receptors (calmodulins, CaM). It modulates the expression levels of genes associated with ontogeny and various biotic and abiotic stress factors. The CAMTA family genes were known to be involved in different abiotic stress in several crop species. However, their functional relevance in sesame remains unexplored. To understand the role of CAMTA in stress tolerance in sesame, we performed a genome-wide analysis to identify the members of the SiCAMTA gene family. We have identified and reported here the five SiCAMTA genes localized on four chromosomes within the sesame genome. In silico analysis of the putative 2-kilobase (kb) promoter regions for these five SiCAMTA genes showed that phytohormone and stress response-related cis-elements were predominated in SiCAMTA2 and SiCAMTA5. Also, we studied its modulated expression levels, with special reference to drought and waterlogging stress. It revealed that the SiCAMTA5 and SiCAMTA2 genes were the most responsive to the studied stress factors. The target prediction and network analysis suggested that SiCAMTAs could bind the CGCG cis element in the target gene promoters and predicted 1202 SiCAMTA target genes in the sesame genome, including abiotic stress-responsive genes viz. LEA, PIP1–2, PPO1, SAP, ARF17, and GA3OX1. These findings were validated using qPCR analysis for five CAMTA and 10 CAMTA target genes and establish a foundation for future functional research of SiCAMTA genes towards sesame stress tolerance