Considerations for determining research priorities: learning cycles and impact pathways

Agricultural researchers identify and apply new science, novel approaches and innovations that could generate research breakthroughs and improve impacts to support the development of the agricultural sector. During the past few decades, there has been an expansion of the research agenda along the entire research-fordevelopment continuum, with farm- and policy-level implications. The goals and objectives of research have broadened from primarily food production to include sustainable resource management, equity, gender, health, and environmental concern

Role of Pulses in Enhancing Nutritional Status of Rural Poor: Micro-Level Evidence from Semi-Arid Tropics of India

This paper has presented evidence on the role of pulses in enhancing the nutritional status of the rural communities in the semi-arid tropics (SAT) of India. The paper has used primary data from the ICRISAT VLS nutrition surveys (8 villages from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra) and the longitudinal panel micro-level data (for 6 villages of Telangana and Maharashtra) from 2009 to 2014. The study has revealed that there has been a decline in the area and production of pulses in the SAT villages of India, even though at the macro-level, pulses production has shown an increase. Pulses do contribute to the diversity in diets but the adequacy of protein from the pulses in the diet has not been analyzed in this paper. The regression analysis has indicated the importance and role of pulses in improving the nutritional status of the rural communities. The paper has concluded that there has to be a concerted policy and program action to reintroduce pulses into the cropping pattern in SAT-India and improve the consumption of pulses to the level that has a positive impact on human nutrition. Empowering women along the entire pulse value chain has been observed as one approach to enhance pulse productivity and consumption. Nutrition education, awareness generation and nutrition-sensitive agricultural interventions for pulses are the ways forward to reduce malnutrition in India

Potential Welfare Benefit of Millets Improvement Research to Inform Decision Making: Multi country- Economic Surplus model approach

In this paper a multi-regional international trade model using concepts of economic surplus and spillover effects is used to estimate the ex-ante measures of the relative economic benefits (accounting both direct and spillover benefits) to provide evidence for the research managers and policy makers in making judgment for prioritizing production domains for millets research focus and research resource allocation among regions and countries. The empirical results indicate that the highest expected benefits to millet research could be generated when research is focused on production domain of warm tropics dryland, 120-149 days but the high payoff production domains are different among regions. The contribution of spillover benefits to the total international benefits varies between 45 to 97% depending upon the research focus in different production domains. The analysis clearly brought out the insights to focus ICRISAT’s millet research to achieve maximum benefits to generate greater impacts and research investment decisions

Technological and Institutional Interventions in Enhancing Livelihood of Farmers in Semi-Arid Tropics (SAT) Areas: Experience of ICRISAT-HOPE Project

The semi-arid tropics (SAT) are characterised by their poor natural resource base, high day temperatures, high evapo-transpiration, poor market linkages, low returns, risk bearing ability and repayment capacities. These areas shelter 75 per cent of the poor and accordingly deserve prime attention from the technologists and policy makers. This paper highlights the impacts of the innovative HOPE (Harnessing Opportunities for Productivity Enhancement of Dry Land Cereals) project of ICRISAT in addressing the poverty and related issues in the SAT states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana and Maharashtra. With key technological and institutional interventions the project has provided fillip to the integrated farming system characterised by the time tested crop-livestock combination in Maharashtra, and pearl millet-buffaloes combination in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Haryana. Thus, with diffusion of innovations, provision of quality seeds, efficient input delivery and market linkage, more than 75 per cent of the farmers benefitted through bridging the productivity gaps and thereby enhanced incomes in both crop and livestock sectors. The welfare gains accrued to the farming community are evident due to cost effective technologies in harsh agro climatic conditions. These have nullified the vicious circle of poverty through effective and appropriate institutional interventions and infrastructure tailor made for semi-arid areas. It is crucial that the sorghum and pearl millet sector be supported by strong governmental policies and programmes, for food, fodder and better nutrition through value addition and demand creation, as they are the prime crops supporting food and fodder in dry land areas