Genetic improvement of pearl millet for the arid zone of northwestern India: lessons from two decades of collaborative ICRISAT-ICAR research

The arid zone of northwestern India is a unique adaptation zone for crop plants because of its pervasive severe moisture stress and high temperatures. Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) is a major cereal in this zone as it represents approximately 25% of the total acreage of the crop in the country. Pearl millet hybrid cultivars, which have gained widespread acceptance from farmers elsewhere in the country, have not been adopted in the arid zone. Farmers continue to sow their traditional landraces because the yield advantage of current hybrids is not expressed in this zone, and the risk of failure in poor years with the hybrids is unacceptably high. The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research have been collaborating to understand the unique nature of pearl millet in the arid zone since the late 1980s. This collaboration has produced a better understanding of how arid zone farmers manage their germplasm, of the unique features of this invaluable resource and of a range of ways of using this germplasm to produce well-adapted new varieties and hybrids that will meet the requirements of the farmers of the arid zone. It has been shown that new cultivars for the arid zone need to be based on parental materials, including traditional landraces that are specifically adapted to the arid zone. This paper summarizes the main lessons of nearly 20 years of this collaborative research

“An Be Jigi”: Collective cooking, whole grains, and technology transfer in Mali

This paper addresses how available resources, food security, technology, and culture are shaping the choices rural Malian women are making to ensure the health, energy, and well-being of their families. This research contributed to evaluating an eight-year research project (An Be Jigi) targeting improved nutrition. The study, performed over four months, used semi-structured interviews of 120 women in six villages in Mali to assess the identified issues with qualitative and quantitative approaches. This paper describes the history of the An Be Jigi project, whole-grain processing techniques, and group cooking for knowledge sharing with rural women for improved nutrition. Interviews revealed substantial adoption of whole-grain processing techniques and women’s appreciation of the nutritional benefits of those techniques. The women engaged in group cooking (cuisines collectives) appreciated the activities and mentioned multiple benefits from using them. Women identified access to mills, and to some extent the social stigma of laziness and poverty associated with whole-grain food, as limiting factors of adoption. This study of women’s practices and perceptions regarding use of whole grain tells a story of changing consumption habits being shaped by culture, technology, knowledge, and available resources. Malian women are agents of change and care in their adoption of new techniques and recipes for the improved nutrition of young children and households

Combining ability of pearl millet landraces originating from arid areas of Rajasthan

The combining ability of sixteen landraces of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) originating from the arid area of western Rajasthan was determined for four traits by evaluating their crosses in 12 environments grouped into three zones. Three varieties (as pollinator controls) and their hybrids were also included. The results indicated that general combining ability (GCA) effects were more important in the genetic control of grain yield and stover yield, while both GCA and specific combining ability (SCA) effects were important for time to flower and 100-seed weight. The GCA effects were influenced by environments. IP 3333 was identified as best general combiner for grain yield for north dry (ND) zone, IP 3228 for north wet (NW) zone and IP 3188 for terminal stress (TS) zone. GCA effects of most pollinators varied substantially across three production zones. However, a few good combiners across all environments were identified. None of the pollinators exhibited desirable GCA effects for all traits simultaneously. The landraces established their superiority as pollinators over high yielding controls under dry conditions of north India. GCA estimates of pollinators with respect to grain yield for ND zone could not be predicted from evaluation of crosses in NW and TS zone

The potential economic impact of guinea-race sorghum hybrids in Mali: Comparing research paradigms

Rural Malians who grow dryland crops depend on sorghum as a primary food staple. Despite steady advances in sorghum research, in this risk-prone environment, achieving major gains in national sorghum yields has posed a challenge. We assess the potential economic impact of the first, Guinea-race sorghum hybrids produced and diffused using participatory plant breeding with decentralized, farmer-managed seed systems. We compare this approach to formal plant breeding with a centralized, state-managed seed system, which was the approach pursued prior to 2000. To incorporate risk, we augment the economic surplus model by applying Monte Carlo sampling to simulate distributions of model parameters. A census of sorghum varieties in 58 villages in the high-potential sorghum production zone serves as the adoption baseline. Our findings indicate that research on sorghum hybrids is a sound investment, but particularly when combined with locally-based mechanisms for disseminating seed. In part, this finding reflects the fact that despite many years of efforts aimed at liberalizing the seed sector in Mali, the sorghum seed system remains largely farmer-based

Grain yield components of pearl millet under optimum conditions can be used to identify germplasm with adaptation to arid zones

There is evidence that high-tillering, small-panicled pearl millet landraces are better adapted to the severe, unpredictable drought stress of the arid zones of northwestern (NW) India than low-tillering, large-panicled modern varieties, which significantly outyield the landraces under favourable conditions. In an experiment conducted in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India, during the rainy seasons of 1988 and 1989, we analysed the relationship of arid zone adaptation with the expression, under optimum conditions, of yield components that determine either the potential sink size or the ability to realize this potential. The objective was to test whether selection under optimum conditions for yield components can identify germplasm with adaptation to arid zones in NW India, as this could potentially improve the efficiency of pearl millet improvement programmes targeting arid zones. We used data from an evaluation of more than 100 landraces from NW India (Rajasthan, Punjab and Gujarat), conducted under both severe drought stress and favourable conditions. The average grain yields ranged from 14 to 182 g m-2. The landraces were grouped into clusters based on their phenology and yield components, as measured under well-watered conditions in south India. In environments without pre-flowering drought stress, the tillering type had no effect on potential sink size, but low-tillering, large-panicled landraces had higher grain yields, as they were better able to realize their potential sink size. In 2 low-yielding arid zone environments which experienced pre-anthesis drought stress, low-tillering, large-panicled landraces had lower grain yields than high-tillering ones with comparable phenology, because of both a reduced potential sink size and a reduced ability to realize this potential. The results indicated that the high grain yield of low-tillering, large-panicled landraces under favourable conditions is due to improved partitioning rather than resource capture. However, under severe stress with restricted assimilate supply, high-tillering, small-panicled landraces are better able to produce a reproductive sink than are large-panicled ones. Selection under optimum conditions for yield components representing a resource allocation pattern favouring high yield under severe drought stress, combined with a capability to increase grain yield if assimilates are available, was more effective than direct selection for grain yield in identifying germplasm adapted to arid zones. Incorporating such selection in early generations of variety testing could reduce the reliance on random stress environments. This should improve the efficiency of millet breeding programmes targeting arid zones

Revue et tendances pour la recherche en sélection participative en Afrique de l’Ouest

During the past 7-10 years experiments with participatory breeding in West-Africa have diversified considerably. Initially, most programs were focused on involving farmers in evaluating finished varieties, often already released, but not diffused. Based on these largely positive experiences, breeding programs have started to experiment with participatory approaches in the other stages of a plant breeding program as well. Most of these programs have not reached a stage where genetic gains can be evaluated. In most cases indications are strong that gains from farmers’ mass selection are at least similar to those of breeders. Thus the success of participatory plant breeding programs depends largely on appropriate divisions of tasks and responsibilities between producers and researchers according to everyone’s comparative advantage. In addition to achieving genetic gains in new farmer-preferred varieties, participatory breeding programs tend to address a range of other diverse goals, such as strengthening farmers’ capacities, conserving biodiversity or addressing poverty-related issues directly. The review shows that participatory selection programs have the capacity to address this multitude of goals while creating varietal improvements

The potential economic impact of Guinea-race sorghum hybrids in Mali: A comparison of research and development paradigms

Rural Malians depend on sorghum as a staple food. Despite long-term investment in sorghum improvement, achieving major gains in sorghum yields has posed challenges. We assessed the potential economic impact of the first Guinea-race sorghum hybrids developed and diffused using participatory plant breeding with decentralised, farmer-based seed systems. We compared this approach to formal plant breeding with a centralised, state-managed seed system – the sole approach pursued in Mali prior to 2000. To incorporate risk, we augmented the economic surplus model by applying Monte Carlo sampling to simulate distributions of model parameters. A census of sorghum varieties in 58 villages of the Sudanese Savanna served as the adoption baseline. Our findings indicate that research on sorghum hybrids with the new approach is a sound investment. Public and private actors need to continue investing in innovative ways to expand the sorghum seed system. The sensitivity of results to the price elasticity of supply suggests commercialisation opportunities

Phosphorus uptake and use efficiency of diverse West and Central African sorghum genotypes under field conditions in Mali

Aims Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], a staple crop in West and Central Africa (WCA), is mostly cultivated on soils with low phosphorus (P) availability and thus adaptation to those conditions is vital for food security. Assessment of genotypic variation of WCA sorghum for P uptake and P use efficiency is undertaken to understand the diversity available and opportunities for its use. Method We assessed mature plant yield, P uptake and P use efficiency traits of 70 diverse WCA sorghum genotypes under –P (no P fertilization) and + P field conditions in Mali in 2010, to discover differences among all genotypes tested and between and within specific genotype groups. Results Large significant genotypic variation for P uptake and P use efficiency traits were observed for all genotypes among and within landrace and researcher bred pools under –P conditions. P uptake traits had a larger genotypic variation than P use efficiency traits. Landrace genotypes showed generally higher P uptake and grain P concentration while formally bred genotypes exhibited a higher P use efficiency. Photoperiod sensitivity was related to higher P uptake. Conclusion Genotypic selection for P uptake and P use efficiency traits to improve adaptation to low P soils is possible in sorghum. Use and further study of WCA sorghums for adaptation to low P availability is appropriate as this germplasm shows large variation for P uptake and use efficiency and higher levels of P use efficiency than other important cereals