Impacts in Asia
Impacts in Asia
Impacts in Asia
After establishing its headquarters near Hyderabad in southern India, ICRISAT was quick to initiate partnerships with the National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) and with universities in India, the host country. Therefore, India has understandably been the biggest recipient of ICRISAT's impact in Asia. In more recent years, ICRISAT has expanded its activities and impact in other Asian countries, and has formed lasting and rewarding relationships with the agricultural systems of these countries.
Crop Improvement
  1. ICRISAT-related chickpea varieties form 37% of India's chickpea breeder seed. Between 1993 and 2002, chickpea area increased 5-fold, and production 13-fold.
  2. Farmers who adopted ICRISAT variety chickpeas in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh obtained an additional new income of Rs 2658 ($60) per hectare over those growing the local variety.
  3. In the Indian state of Maharashtra adoption of these varieties yielded an additional net benefit in income of 89%. In Gujarat the net income increased by 84%, including a reduction of 23% in unit cost of production.
  4. In Bangladesh, chickpea varieties developed by ICRISAT and its partner the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, occupy 85% of the chickpea growing area. Improved varieties give 55% higher yield than local varieties, and three times higher rate of return compared to other post-rainy season crops.
  5. In the 2003-04 season, 93% of the chickpea area in Myanmar was under ICRISAT-bred varieties. This led to an increase in chickpea area from 101,000 ha to 207,000 ha, and productivity from 670 kg ha -1 to 1152 kg ha -1 since 1998-99.
  6. The high level of adoption of six ICRISAT varieties of pigeonpea in southern China is conserving the environment, producing quality fodder, and has generated interest among farmers, scientists, extension workers, and policy makers. From almost nothing in 1997, the area under pigeonpea was around 50,000 ha in 2004.
  7. ICRISAT created ICPH 8, the worlds first food legume hybrid, which is now under commercial production demonstrating a 25% grain yield increase, additional stem and leaf biomass for fuel and forage, as well as improved tolerance for drought, disease and waterlogging.
  8. A breakthrough in pigeonpea research was made in 2000 when ICRISAT scientists identified the cause of the dreaded sterility mosaic disease, which is responsible for annual production losses worth more than $300 million.
  9. Since 1995, thirty-four ICRISAT groundnut varieties have been released in eleven Asian countries. In Vietnam an ICRISAT-IFAD project is responsible for 17 to 100% yield advantage, and an additional net income of $ 193 to 575 per ha -1 .
  10. In China ICRISAT's high yielding groundnut varieties gave 5-37% higher yield than local varieties, and combined with other management practices yields were 6-48% higher. These technologies resulted in an estimated 15 million Yuan benefit to farmers of the region (1US$ =8.25 Yuan). More, the project had a positive influence on the local government who are now paying more attention to capacity building of farmers.
  11. In the Ananthapur district of Andhra Pradesh, the local groundnut variety of 60 years was replaced by ICRISAT's dual-purpose variety ICGV 91114, which is more resistant to disease and drought than local varieties. In addition to the higher pod and fodder yields and larger seeds, the fodder quality is also better than local varieties. Milk yields of dairy animals fed with these haulms are 10% higher. Seed multiplication of this variety is taking place in 48 ha in the 2004-05 post-rainy season.
  12. The ICRISAT-Haryana Agricultural University bred pearl millet hybrid HHB 67 was planted in 90% of the millet growing area of Haryana and in a small area of Rajasthan in 2001. In 2003 the extra early maturity and good fodder quality were reasons cited by farmers for its popularity. In 2004, HHB 67 was the most common hybrid as a sole crop in 73% of the fields surveyed in Haryana.
Partnering with the Private Sector
  1. Private seed companies cultivate hybrids of sorghum and pearl millet in India. They have planted more than 70 hybrids, of which 50-60 hybrids in each crop are based on ICRISAT-bred material. In the year 2000, ten companies supported ICRISAT to develop a Hybrid Parents Research Consortia. The membership grew to 30 by 2004. Funding for three such consortia (pearl millet, sorghum, and pigeonpea) over a 5-year time frame generates about US$ 400,000 annually.
  2. The poultry industry is growing at 15-20% a year, but maize feed production is only growing at 3-4%. The gap can be filled by sorghum. An intense study by ICRISAT, the agricultural university, and a private seed company confirmed that sorghum is just as good in nutrients as maize, yet costs less. Additionally, the need for sorghum feed is increasing the incomes of sorghum farmers, who also sell the fodder of improved cultivars.
  3. A private seed company that adopted ICRISAT's diagnostic technique for aflatoxin detection, ELISA, improved its annual turnover to more than $4 million.
  4. The Agri-Science Park@ICRISAT, ICRISAT's commercial arm, is generating funds by promoting the Agri-Business Incubator for upcoming businesses.
Village Level Studies
  1. ICRISAT's Village Level Studies were characterized by the World Bank as an 'International Public Good'. The datasets have attracted researchers and PhD students from the UK, USA and France, who have begun funding for a second generation of Village Level Studies.
Watersheds
The integrated watershed development model is enhancing rainfed agriculture, minimizing land degradation, and improving livelihoods in India, Thailand and Vietnam. The Government of the Philippines has established a learning site for the subject with backstopping from ICRISAT, and successful technologies of these models have been included in the "Employment Guarantee Scheme" of India by the farmer's commission.
VASAT
  1. ICRISAT's Virtual Academy for the Semi-Arid Tropics (VASAT) started in India in late 2003. In the last year the membership at a hub in Addakal, Andhra Pradesh comprised 4900 women from 19 villages. Twenty-three rural volunteers were trained in basic information leadership and in essential ICT literacy. Two hub managers were trained with supplementary modules, which has helped reduce time for obtaining satisfactory answers from 120 hours to 20 hours.
  2. The VASAT group and the Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Limited set up a winter course on drought-preparedness among youth, which was delivered in 40 different sites and covered 30,000 learners.
    Using ICT-mediated hubs set up by the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation, VASAT facilitated videoconferences in February 2005 with groundnut farmers, and in June 2005 for dairy farmers.
    VASAT is involved in capacity building of ICICI Bank filed functionaries involved in micro-financing for livestock health and fodder management, and is actively collaborating with the Azim Premji Foundation to generate need-based e-content on NRM in the curriculum of secondary schools of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
  3. The VASAT model is being replicated by NARS in the Philippines and in Afghanistan