Diversifying vegetable production systems for improving the livelihood of resource poor farmers on the East Indian Plateau

Failure of the rice crop, or low rice yield has dire consequences for rice-dependent households, including food insecurity and malnutrition, for India’s poorest farmers in the East Indian Plateau region. Crop diversification could reduce the risks of rice production from the vagaries of rainfall and provide cash income which is not generated from subsistence rice. Being the primary household laborers women bear the brunt of these difficult conditions in patriarchal societies. For this reason we engaged with the women farmers in Bokaro and West Singhbhum in the State of Jharkhand, and Purulia in West Bengal who participated in experiments conducted with vegetable crops and legumes in the upland and medium uplands where the traditional crop is broadcasted paddy rice. We explored four different vegetable systems, (i) cucurbits (rainy/kharif) (season—June to September), (ii) growing tomatoes in the “off season” (rainy season—July to October), (iii) growing legume crops in rotation with direct sown rice (dry/rabi season—November to January), and (iv) intercropping beans with maize (rainy season—June to September). The results showed that all the above crops proved much better in terms of income to the farmers, return per person day, although the input cost varied it was higher with the new systems explored. The research with the small-holding women farmers enabled them to try new options and make informed decisions about these opportunities. This study showed that farmers can increase crop diversity and expand the area sown to non-paddy crops. The farmers are now looking for new crops where the demand exceeds the supply. Importantly this study has demonstrated that the direct involvement of communities’ in research enables the farmers to sustainability explore solutions to the future problems with limited support from the external agencies

Evaluation of Different Bacterial Wilt Resistant Eggplant Rootstocks for Grafting Tomato

Bacterial wilt (BW) is one of the most economically important diseases of tomato and eggplant in the tropics and subtropics, and grafting onto resistant rootstocks can provide an alternative and effective solution to manage soil-borne bacterial in these crops. This study was conducted to evaluate the BW resistance and agronomic potential of newly identified eggplant accessions as rootstocks for tomato grafting. Five BW resistant eggplant accessions (VI041809A, VI041943, VI041945, VI041979A, and VI041984) from the World Vegetable Center were evaluated as rootstocks for grafting with two different fresh market tomato cultivars (Victoria and TStarE) as scion under open field conditions in Taiwan. Graft compatibility using the tube grafting method as well as BW wilting percentage, disease index, fruit yield and quality parameters were assessed. All the rootstocks showed good graft compatibility (93% and above) and grafted plants showed low wilting percentage (0.0–20.0%) and disease index (0.0–20.8%) following inoculation with BW. Yield for the eggplant rootstock grafted tomato plants was higher compared to the non-grafted tomatoes and self-grafted tomato. Fruit quality was not affected by grafting, although some differences in antioxidant activities were observed. The new eggplant rootstocks can be considered as alternatives to the rootstocks currently used for commercial production of tomatoes during the hot-wet season

Tapping the potential of grafting to improve the performance of vegetable cropping systems in sub-Saharan Africa. A review

Vegetable grafting is developing worldwide to cope with biotic and abiotic stresses. This technique faces strong regional disparities and its potential to improve crop performances is currently underexploited in sub-Saharan Africa. This review explores the potential of grafting to increase and secure vegetable production in challenging production conditions in sub-Saharan Africa and to identify the obstacles to its adoption. The major conclusions that can be drawn from the review are (1) the capacity of vegetable grafting to overcome several agronomic challenges commonly encountered in sub-Saharan Africa particularly for soilborne diseases; (2) grafting does not systematically lead to higher yields since the performance of grafted plants is closely linked with the combination of scion–rootstock chosen; (3) resistant rootstocks to the local soilborne pathogens could be identified through short-term laboratory and field experiments whereas the improvement of the tolerance to abiotic stresses would require deeper knowledge on underlying mechanisms; (4) the significant increase in the cost of using grafted plants are warranted in systems where there are no other technical alternatives to manage biotic and abiotic stresses, where profitability per plant is high, or where the use of grafted plants makes it possible to reach a profitable niche market such as off-season or organic products; and (5) vegetable grafting should therefore be promoted by providing evidence for its profitability in different production systems (open field and greenhouse cultivation) combined with supply-side interventions to build or strengthen the capacity of nursery operators to provide a continuous supply of good-quality grafted plants

The continued effects of COVID-19 on the lives and livelihoods of vegetable farmers in India.

India experienced a rapid rise in COVID-19 infections from March 2021. States imposed varying levels of lockdowns and curfews to curb the spread of the disease. These restrictions severely affected the functioning of food systems. The objective of this study was to analyze how COVID-19 continues to affect agricultural production, food security and household diets of vegetable farmers. A phone-based survey was conducted with 595 vegetable farmers in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Jharkhand, Karnataka and Odisha, 60% of whom had been interviewed a year earlier. Overall, 60% of farmers experienced decreased vegetable production; over 80% reported a reduction in consumption of at least one food group; and 45% reported some level of food insecurity between May 2020 and May 2021. Farmers who reported decreased staples production, difficulty accessing seeds/seedlings, or reduced their household spending were more likely to report decreased vegetable production. Vegetable consumption was positively associated with receipt of COVID-19 relief benefits, borrowing money, or having home gardens. Farmers who received public agricultural assistance, or had reduced expenses, were more likely to have lower vegetable consumption. Greater severity of food insecurity was associated with farmers belonging to underprivileged social groups, non-Hindus, or those who experienced decrease in livestock production, weather related disruptions or received COVID-19 assistance. This is one of few studies that have conducted a longitudinal assessment of the impacts across multiple waves of COVID-19. COVID-19 is seen to be one among several shocks experienced by farm households, and exacerbated existing issues within agriculture and food security. There is a need for public policy support to strengthen both production and consumption of vegetables

Select farm and household characteristics, means with the number of observations in parentheses.

Select farm and household characteristics, means with the number of observations in parentheses.</p

Self-reported experiences along the food insecurity experience (FIES) scale.

Self-reported experiences along the food insecurity experience (FIES) scale.</p

Factors associated with vegetable consumption during COVID-19.

Factors associated with vegetable consumption during COVID-19.</p

Factors associated with decreased vegetable production 2020–2021.

Factors associated with decreased vegetable production 2020–2021.</p

Factors associated with food insecurity among farmers across both survey rounds.

Factors associated with food insecurity among farmers across both survey rounds.</p

Main vegetable crops produced among surveyed farmers, 2020–2021.

Main vegetable crops produced among surveyed farmers, 2020–2021.</p