Press Releases – 2001

Press Releases – 2001

A rainbow painted on the last frontier

1. Union Secretary Opens Forestry Meet, 18 December, 2001

2. MS Swaminathan addresses ICRISAT, December, 2001

3. 'Investment in Agricultural R&D - A Must for Growth and Peace' Says ICRISAT DG, October 2001

4. Maharashtra CM Pushes for Strong Collaboration with ICRISAT, September, 2001

5. Karnataka Agriculture Minister Seeks ICRISAT's Expertise in Watershed, September, 2001

6. Bringing Technology to Farmers' Doorsteps: ANGRAU VC Commends ICRISAT Leadership, September, 2001

7. ICRISAT to Celebrate Farmers' Day, September, 2001

8. ICRISAT Scientist Receives China's Highest National Award, September, 2001

9. Biotechnology Initiative for the Poor Launched: ICRISAT and DBT Join Hands, September, 2001

10. ICRISAT Congratulates the 2001 World Food Prize Laureate, August, 2001

11. ICRISAT and DOR Sign Memorandum of Agreement, August, 2001

12. ICRISAT Develops Early Warning System for Groundnut Farmers, August, 2001

13. "ICRISAT - Peace in Action" Says PeaceBike Founder, August, 2001

14. CHIREC Students Get an Insight into ICRISAT, August, 2001

15. ICRISAT Develops Solar-Powered Sediment Sampler, July, 2001

16. APAARI Sets Asian Research Agenda, July, 2001

17. ICRISAT Bids Farewell to Paroda, July, 2001

18. Top World Technology Award for Balaji, July, 2001

19. Gowda Appointed ICRISAT's Information Director, June, 2001

20. Eritrea Agriculture Minister Visits ICRISAT, June, 2001

21. ICRISAT's First Director, Ralph Cummings, Passes Away, June, 2001

22. ICRISAT Donates Seeds to Quake-Affected Farmers in Bhuj, June, 2001

23. Andhra Pradesh and ICRISAT Join Hands to Fight Groundnut Virus, May, 2001

24. Sorghum Yield Nearly Doubled in India Thanks to ICRISAT-ICAR Partnership, May, 2001

25. Sparking a Grey-to-Green Revolution for Dry Areas, April, 2001

26. Can Agriculture Be an Ally against Global Warming?, April, 2001

27. DFID Funds ICRISAT's Project in Nepal to Promote Integrated Pest Management Technologies, April, 2001

28. ICRISAT Receives Grant from DFID to Reduce Aflatoxin, April, 2001

29. ICRISAT Signs an MOU with NCPGR, April, 2001

30. Ms. Martha B. Stone is the Chair of the ICRISAT Governing Board, effective 13 March 2001

31. ICRISAT and its Partners Make Important Advances in Developing the World's First Molecular Marker Map of Chickpea, March 2001

32. Investing in the Future: ICRISAT and ICBA to Investigate Biosalinity in Agriculture, March 2001

33. International Agricultural Research Centers Move towards Closer Regional Integration to Make South Asia Food Secure, March 2001

34. Private Sector Invests in Public Plant Breeding Research at ICRISAT, February, 2001

35. World Climate Expert Visits ICRISAT, February, 2001

36. Collaboration between Australia and ICRISAT Reinforced, February, 2001

37. World Bank Vice President Commends ICRISAT's Close Working Relationship with Research and Development Partners, February, 2001

38. ICRISAT Gives a Warm Welcome to Ian Johnson, World Bank Vice President and CGIAR Chair, February, 2001

39. Transferring Technology from Lab to Land: Integrated Watershed Management, February, 2001

40. ICRISAT and its Partners Well Set to Revolutionize Pigeonpea Hybrid Seed Industry, January, 2001

41. ICRISAT Gets $ 1.2 Million from ADB for Genomics Research, January, 2001

42. Chickpea Collaborative Research Fruitful: ICRISAT DG, January, 2001

1)  Union Secretary Opens Forestry Meet, 18 December, 2001

Shri PV Jayakrishnan, Union Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests, inaugurated the First International Workshop on Agro-Forestry and Soil Conservation in Arid, Semi-arid and Dry Sub-humid Areas. The workshop is part of the Asian Regional Action Programme of an initiative co-sponsored by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), based in Bonn, Germany, and Global Mechanism, based in Rome, Italy. The workshop is taking place at the campus of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in Patancheru.

Welcoming participants from 12 countries, ICRISAT Assistant Director General Mr S Parthsarathy, IAS, reminded delegates that successful development comes about through “practices and processes, not rules.”

In his inaugural address, Shri Jayakrishnan emphasised the leading role of India in the fight against desertification. A global agenda without India's active collaboration, he said, would be impossible because India contains 16% of the world's population and 20% of its livestock. Underpinning the importance of guarding against land degradation said, “Without forests there can be no water. Without water, there can be no life.” Shri Jayakrishnan lamented the fact that at present 57% of the country's lands are degraded, but pointed out that better management practices could reverse this situation.

The workshop is jointly hosted by the Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI), Jodhpur, the Central Research Institute for the Dry Areas (CRIDA), Hyderabad, as well as the Ministry of Environment and Forests.

2) MS Swaminathan addresses ICRISAT, December, 2001

 

Professor MS Swaminathan, one of the architects of the Green Revolution of the sixties and seventies, and winner of the World Food Prize, was Chief Guest at today's Annual Day function at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).

Swaminathan was one of the founding fathers of ICRISAT in 1972, when as Director General of the Indian Council on Agricultural Research, he joined with the other two legs of the 'ICRISAT Tripod', Dr C Fred Bentley of Canada, who served as the Institutes first Governing Board Chairman, and Dr Ralph W Cummings Senior of the USA, ICRISAT's first Director.

Unfortunately, only two of the Tripod's 'legs' were able to attend the function: Dr Cummings passed away in June of this year. He was represented by his son, Dr Ralph Cummings Junior. Dr Bentley, in his address, applauded the continued excellence of research at ICRISAT, and exhorted the staff to continue their work on behalf of the farmers of the semi-arid tropics.

Dr William D Dar, ICRISAT's Director General, welcomed the visitors and encouraged his staff to live up to the expectations laid down by the Institute's founders. Commenting on the contradictions between scientific advances amongst poverty and civil unrest, he quoted an earlier statement by Professor Swaminathan: “Where hunger rules, peace cannot prevail.”

Reflecting on the Green Revolution, Dr Swaminathan stressed that adequate support was necessary for agricultural research, especially on the so-called 'orphan crops' of the dry tropics. "Otherwise orphans will remain orphans. We need to increase crop productivity sustainably.To import food is to import unemployment."

Echoing the ICRISAT slogan, Dr Swaminathan announced that, "We are entering an exciting phase of science, but it must be Science with a Human Face. India needs science that will increase not only the country's Gross National Product, but also its Gross National Happiness!”

Visit our Worldwide website at http://www.icrisat.org ; ICRISAT is part of the global research network called the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)

3)   ‘Investment in Agricultural R&D – A Must for Growth and Peace' Says ICRISAT DG, October 2001

“Because we all live in an interconnected world, investments in agricultural R&D – to fight hunger and poverty – can protect us from the suffering and strife that command the world's attention today,” said ICRISAT Director General Dr William Dar. Dr Dar made this urgent plea in a Conference organized by FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, on the occasion of the 21st World Food Day in Bangkok, Thailand. He was invited as the Keynote Speaker by Dr R B Singh, FAO Regional Representative. Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn presided over the celebrations. Deeply concerned over the worsening funding situation for research, Dr Dar quoted from a study by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), which reveals that between 1980 and 1990, agricultural development investment as a percentage of total world development assistance fell from 20% to 14%, and has continued to decline since then.

Dr Dar pointed out that the world has immensely benefited from the investments in research that led to the Green Revolution. “The dry tropics, however, were bypassed by the Green Revolution, which favored the better-endowed areas. ICRISAT is spearheading a Grey-to-Green Revolution in these neglected areas, where poverty is concentrated.”

Highlighting one of ICRISAT's impacts on the the poor, he said that by shortening the growth cycle of pigeonpea and chickpea by a third, these protein-rich pulse crops can now be inserted with rice and wheat cultivation in South Asia, enriching farmers' incomes and nutrition.

“Expanding our partnerships has been the key to such achievements,” Dr Dar said, mentioning the innovative partnership that ICRISAT has forged with Indian seed companies. Some of these companies are funding ICRISAT's hybrid research, without hindering ICRISAT's mission to produce public goods. “As wonderful as these investments are, they do not replace the enormously important role of international development assistance.”

Dr Dar concluded that by taking advantage of exciting opportunities such as innovative partnerships, information and biotechnology revolutions, farmer-participatory research, the Grey to Green Revolution can be sparked off in the dry tropics. “We can then look forward to a more just, prosperous, and hunger-free world.” At the end of the Conference, Her Royal Highness presented Dr Dar with a World Food Day medal.

4) Maharashtra CM Pushes for Strong Collaboration with ICRISAT, September, 2001

Describing ICRISAT as “a guide to dryland farmers”, Sri Vilas Rao Deshmukh, Honorable Chief Minister, Government of Maharashtra, emphasized the need for strong partnership between ICRISAT, the four Agricultural Universities in Maharashtra, and the Government of Maharashtra, especially in the area of water conservation.

The CM made a fervent plea for this collaboration during his visit to the Institute on the occasion of the Maharashtra-ICRISAT Farmers' Day on 30 September 2001. The CM was accompanied by the Agriculture Minister Sri Rohidas Patil and several other dignitaries from Maharashtra. The Maharashtra-ICRISAT Farmers' Day is part of a 3-day event dedicated to farmers of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. The Farmers' Day is being organized in partnership with each of these three states.

Delighted with the experiments on the integrated watershed technology at ICRISAT, the CM sought the Institute's help in rainwater harvesting and groundwater conservation in Maharashtra. He urged the farmers to take up the village watershed concept, explaining that water was the major constraint of Maharashtra, and that no amount of money spent on irrigation could solve the problem of dryland farming.

Raising the issue of sorghum grain mold, the CM asked researchers to find alternative uses for moldy grains, since farmers find it difficult to sell such grains. He also showed interest in collaborating with the Institute for developing bold-seeded groundnuts for export. In his reply to the CM, ICRISAT Director General Dr. William Dar, said, “ Maharashtra is one of our key states for strengthening research collaboration.” Dr Dar mentioned that the Institute has signed an MOU with the Maharashtra Seed Corporation.

About 600 farmers from Maharashtra attended the Farmers' Day and had a first-hand view of ICRISAT's technologies on seed improvement and land and water management. Farmers also saw products of partner seed companies who had been invited to put up stalls at ICRISAT. At the end of the program, seeds of improved varieties developed by ICRISAT and its partners were distributed to farmers.

5)Karnataka Agriculture Minister Seeks ICRISAT's Expertise in Watershed, September, 2001

“ICRISAT has a pool of scientific expertise in improved watershed management. We wish to have technical support from it for our Rs 700 crore (US$ 150 million) World Bank Watershed Project,” announced Mr. T. B. Jayachandra, Minister for Agriculture, Government of Karnataka.

Mr. Jayachandra made this announcement during his visit to the Institute's headquarters at Patancheru on the occasion of the Karnataka-ICRISAT Farmers' Day on 29 September 2001.

The Karnataka-ICRISAT Farmers' Day is part of a 3-day event dedicated to farmers of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. The Farmers' Day is being organized in partnership with each of these three states.

The Agriculture Minister showed keen interest in the short-duration groundnut varieties that have been developed by ICRISAT and its partners for drought-prone areas and urged his officials to help multiply the seeds on a massive scale.

He sought ICRISAT's help for developing groundnut varieties that are resistant to stem necrosis so that farmers can avoid the loss caused by this groundnut virus disease.

During the discussio n between ICRISAT management and scientists with the Karnaraka Agriculture Officials, several projects for future collaboration were explored. Welcoming the Minister and the Karnataka farmers, ICRISAT Director General Dr. William Dar, said, “Collaboration is the formula we use for enhancing the application of our technologies.” Dr. Dar added that ICRISAT will use new tools, such as biotechnology and farmer-participatory research to accelerate technology development and adoption. Over 500 farmers from Karnataka attended the Farmers' Day and had a first-hand view of ICRISAT's technologies on seed improvement and land and water management.

Farmers also saw products of partner seed companies who had been invited to put up stalls at ICRISAT. At the end of the program, seeds of improved varieties developed by ICRISAT and its partners were distributed to farmers.

6)  Bringing Technology to Farmers' Doorsteps: ANGRAU VC Commends ICRISAT Leadership, September, 2001

Praising ICRISAT's new leadership's efforts to reach out directly to farmers, Dr. I.V. Subba Rao, Vice Chancellor of the Acharya N G Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU), said, “ICRISAT scientists are taking research to farmers' doorsteps.”

Dr. Rao pointed out this new development to hundreds of farmers from Andhra Pradesh who were visiting ICRISAT on the occasion of the Andhra Pradesh-ICRISAT Farmers' Day on 28 September 2001. The Andhra Pradesh-ICRISAT Farmers' Day is part of a 3-day event dedicated to farmers of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. The Farmers' Day is being organized in partnership with each of these three states. In his address to the farmers, Dr. Rao emphasized that ICRISAT focuses on the semi-arid tropics of the world and not on India alone. He also raised the issue of the seed shortage that farmers are facing and urged all research partners to work together to solve the problem.

Welcoming the farmers, ICRISAT Director General Dr. William Dar, explained ICRISAT's mission to usher in the Green Revolution in the semi-arid tropics, which is home to millions of smallholder farmers. “There is wide margin for improving agriculture through research, so that small farmers can have improved livelihoods,” he stated.

Dr. Dar thanked the Government of Andhra Pradesh as well as partners from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) for their strong support to ICRISAT. Over 700 farmers attended the Andhra Pradesh-ICRISAT Farmers' Day and had a first-hand view of ICRISAT's technologies on seed improvement and land and water management. Farmers also saw products of partner seed companies who had been invited to put up stalls at ICRISAT. At the end of the program, seeds of improved varieties developed by ICRISAT and its partners were distributed to farmers.

7)  ICRISAT to Celebrate Farmers Day, September, 2001

ICRISAT is holding Farmers' Day at the Center's headquarters at Patancheru on the following days. This year, the Farmers' Day will be celebrated jointly by the concerned State and ICRISAT on 3 consecutive days at Patancheru.

• Fri 28 Sep 2001 Andhra Pradesh-ICRISAT Farmers' Day • Sat 29 Sep 2001 Karnataka-ICRISAT Farmers' Day • Sun 30 Sep 2001 Maharashtra-ICRISAT Farmers' Day The Farmers' Day is being held to help farmers learn first-hand about ICRISAT's research activities, improved technologies and the Institute's vision of Science with a Human Face. The program includes a slideshow, field tours, demonstrations, displays, Question-and-Answer sessions, and lunch.

We also plan to distribute seeds of improved varieties developed by ICRISAT and its partners, and have invited a few seed companies to put up stalls on our campus to sell seed to farmers. The day's program will begin at 0830 and close at 1600 and each group of farmers will spend 4 hours on the campus. About 450 farmers, State Minister, Commissioner of Agriculture, Vice Chancellor, Director-Extension, and Director-Research from Agricultural Universities, and non-governmental organizations from each of the 3 states have agreed to participate in this 3-day program.

8)  ICRISAT Scientist Receives China's Highest National Award, September, 2001

Dr. K. B. Saxena (right in the picture), Pigeonpea Breeder at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh, has been selected by the State Council of the People's Republic of China to receive the ‘2001 Friendship Award.'

The Friendship Award, instituted in 1991, is the highest recognition given by China to foreign experts for their outstanding contributions and dedication to the country's social and economic development.

Dr. Saxena has been instrumental in reviving Chinese researchers' and farmers' interests in pigeonpea (redgram) as a source of fodder, fuel, soil conservation, and food. His efforts have helped to introduce in Guangxi and Yunnan provinces, new short-duration, highly productive pigeonpea varieties bred at ICRISAT, especially for fodder and fuelwood production, and for soil conservation.

“This is a great honor for me, my Institute, and my country,” said Dr. Saxena on hearing the news of the award. He and his wife have been invited to attend the award-giving ceremony on 29 September during the celebrations of the 52nd anniversary of the People's Republic of China.

Dr. Saxena had earlier been honored with the Golden Love Ball Award from the Guangxi province of China for his scientific contributions to the development of the province. ICRISAT Director General Dr. William D. Dar was very impressed with the collaborative pigeonpea experiments in Guangxi province during his visit to China earlier this month and has promised the partners full scientific and technical support on behalf of ICRISAT. More on pigeonpea in China

9)Biotechnology Initiative for the Poor Launched: ICRISAT and DBT Join Hands, September, 2001

ICRISAT and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, launched today a joint biotechnology initiative to overcome major problems of sorghum and chickpea - important staples of the poor in the dry tropics. The joint research will focus on intractable problems that have been until now impossible to solve through conventional technology.

Seven collaborative projects and institutional partners responsible for carrying out these projects were identified during an intense brainstorming session at ICRISAT, Patancheru. The priorities areas selected for collaboration include:

· Drought resistance in sorghum and chickpea using genome mapping and molecular marker technology

· Improvement for grain mold resistance and grain quality in sorghum, and for pod borer resistance in chickpea by genetic engineering

· Production of edible vaccine in groundnut

· Bioinformatics

ICRISAT Director General Dr William D Dar set the tone for the workshop by emphasizing the overarching goal of this joint effort, “Biotechnology should be a means that we use to serve the poor. This is the human face of the science and collaborative research that we do.”

Dr Dar added, “In partnership with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), we have had major successes in research on plant improvement using conventional technology. Now, by joining hands with DBT, which brings its expertise in biotechnology, we are strengthening our research. Together we hope to deliver new products in 3-5 years.”

Agreeing whole-heartedly with this objective, Dr Manju Sharma, Secretary, DBT, who is leading this initiative in partnership with ICRISAT, stated, “Since we have to move fast for this, we must work together.” She added that a new national science and technology policy with emphasis on agricultural productivity is soon going to be unveiled in response to the changing world situation.

The collaborative projects were chosen keeping in mind the priorities of both India and ICRISAT. Both share a common vision of improving the livelihood of farmers, especially those living in the dry tropics and increasing the food security in the region. Dr Manju Sharma led the team of scientists from ICAR, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and Indian Universities.

A follow-up meeting will be held in New Delhi in November this year and the new projects will be initiated in early 2002.

For more information, please contact Dr N Seetharama.

 

10)ICRISAT Congratulates the 2001 World Food Prize Laureate, August, 2001

Dr. Per Pinstrup-Andersen, Director General of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) - a sister institute of ICRISAT - has been selected to receive the 2001 World Food Prize on 18 October 2001 at Des Moines, USA. This award recognizes Dr. Pinstrup-Andersen's pioneering work in food policy research to help poor and malnourished people in developing countries.

The World Food Prize, conceived by Nobel Prize Winner Norman Borlaug, is the foremost international award recognizing those who have made a vital contribution to improving the quality, quantity, and availability of food.

"The prestigious award is a tribute to the vision of Dr. Pinstrup-Andersen in shaping the food policies of several developing countries so that the poor can have better access to food," said ICRISAT Director General Dr. William D. Dar.

Both ICRISAT and IFPRI are Future Harvest Centers that are supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) - the world's largest agricultural research network. All benefits of CGIAR research are kept within the public domain, freely available to everyone.

11) ICRISAT and DOR Sign Memorandum of Agreement, August, 2001

ICRISAT has offered 8 hectares of excess Vertisol (black soil) land on its campus at Patancheru to the Directorate of Oilseeds Research (DOR), Hyderabad, for oilseed multiplication. A Memorandum of Agreement signed between the two institutes allows staff from DOR to multiply their mandate crops - safflower, castor, and sunflower - on the land offered by ICRISAT.

The Agreement, which will remain in effect for 20 years, was jointly signed by Dr. D. M. Hegde, Project Director, DOR, and Dr. William Dar, Director General, ICRISAT.

12)  ICRISAT Develops Early Warning System for Groundnut Farmers, August, 2001

An automatic solar-powered instrument to warn farmers when to spray against leaf spot diseases of groundnut has been developed by ICRISAT and its national partners from India.

Early and late leaf spot diseases cause up to 50% yield losses in groundnut worldwide. Because smallholder farmers are often caught unawares by attacks on their crops, they spray fungicides when it is too late. Sometimes even if the attacks are not severe, some farmers spray too much fungicide, incurring heavy expenses.

The unique feature of this instrument, called the Leaf Wetness Counter, is that it actually determines whether it is necessary to apply fungicides during leaf spot attacks, taking away the pain of decision-making for farmers. And because of its accurate monitoring, farmers don't need to pump excessive amounts of harmful fungicides into the environment.

The counter, made from locally available material, costs about Rs. 11 000. “One counter is enough to provide information to all the farmers of an entire village,” said Mr. Kanaka Reddy, ICRISAT Scientific Officer, who has been closely involved with the project. The counter has been successfully tested in several Indian villages in collaboration with the Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University and two non-governmental organizations – Agriculture Man Ecology (AME) and Mysore Resettlement and Development Agency (MYRADA).

ICRISAT has sold about 30 pieces of the instrument to several Indian Agricultural Universities and AME, among others.

13)  “ICRISAT – Peace in Action” Says PeaceBike Founder, August, 2001

Tad Beckwith, Founder of PeaceBike, who is cycling around the world carrying a message of peace and friendship, made a stopover on 2 Aug 2001 at ICRISAT at Patancheru en route to Bidar.

PeaceBike is an educational non-profit organization. As part of its effort to spread the message of peace, it started a bike trip in 1999 to connect young people around the world so that their friendships can build a peaceful future for us all. The PeaceBike Expedition Team visits schools and meet students, connecting them with pen pals, conducting interviews, sharing visions for peace, and telling tales from their world tour. Tad, who was accompanied by his sister Penny who flew in from their home in Oregon, USA, to join India leg of the tour, started in Oregon, USA over two years ago.

From there, he pedaled to south to Argentina, then flew to New Zealand and on to Australia and Southeast Asia before landing in Chennai. He plans to head south from Bidar to visit Kodaikanal, where he attended high school several years ago. From India, the plan is to carry the peace message to Pakistan, Iran and Africa.

After a brief tour of ICRISAT's research facilities, Tad described the Institute's work as an inspiration and an example of peace in action. He said, "I am impressed by the spirit at ICRISAT and I am thrilled that I can now share information about such partners of peace with schoolchildren around the world."

14)  CHIREC Students Get an Insight into ICRISAT, August, 2001

About 50 Class IX students from CHIREC Public School, Hyderabad, accompanied by their teachers, visited ICRISAT at Patancheru on 1 August as part of an educational trip. Welcoming the group, Mr Eric McGaw, Head, Public Awareness gave them a brief overview of ICRISAT's difficult task of improving agriculture in the semi-arid tropics, especially in view of the current lack of sufficient rainfall in the state. The group had a tour of SatVenture – a museum that showcases the lives of poor farmers in the semi-arid tropics of Asia and Africa and what ICRISAT does to help them. The students were then given a tour of the experimental fields and laboratories by Deepak Pawar, Manager of Visitors Service.

Appreciating the Institute's mission and work, 14-year-old Aparna exclaimed, "Hats off to the staff particularly the scientists and the brains behind this Institute. We have gained a wealth of information about agriculture."

At the end of their tour, each student received a copy of an ICRISAT comic book for children entitled The Hero of the Sahel, which describes some of the hardy crops that grow in the dry tropics of Africa and ICRISAT's efforts to improve them.

15)  ICRISAT Develops Solar-Powered Sediment Sampler, July, 2001

The Natural Resource Management Program (NRMP) of ICRISAT has developed an automatic solar-powered sediment sampler to monitor soil loss from small agricultural watersheds. The new sampler is accurate, economical, and suited to difficult on-farm conditions

A unique feature of the instrument is its microprocessor-based control unit, which ICRISAT developed i n-house. This electronic 'brain' speeds up or slows down the rate at which samples are collected, depending on whether the flow rate is high or low. The design of the mechanical part of the sampler was taken from Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Australia. The units of the sampler were fabricated by ICRISAT Farm and Engineering Services Program.

Last year, ICRISAT received an order for 14 of these units from the Government of Andhra Pradesh. Recently, the Institute supplied 15 of these units to various countries (3 each to Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam; and 2 each to Indonesia, Nepal, and the Philippines). Dr P Pathak, ICRISAT Senior Scientist (Soil and Water Management) says, "On this order alone, we stand to benefit by about US$ 10 000!"

For further information, please contact: Dr P Pathak, Senior Scientist, ICRISAT, Patancheru, AP 502 324 Phone: 3296161 extn 2337 email: P.PATHAK@CGIAR.ORG

16)  APAARI Sets Asian Research Agenda, July, 2001

The Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI) today concluded an important strategy meeting on ‘Agricultural Research Priorities for South and West Asia'. The Executive Secretary of APAARI, a high-level association of agricultural policymakers in the Asia region, is Dr RS Paroda, Secretary to the Government of India, DARE, and Director General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research.

Paroda called for increasing participation of non-governmental organizations, the private sector and farmers' groups in APAARI's deliberations. Mr Peter Rosenegger, the FAO Representative in Delhi, described APAARI as a “shining example of regional collaboration,” and commended Paroda on his ability to line up donor support.

The 3-day meeting took place on the ICRISAT campus at Patancheru. ICRISAT Director General William Dar pointed out that in setting research priorities, it is significant that more poor people live in South Asia than in Sub-Saharan Africa. Dar was the Executive Secretary of APAARI while serving as Minister of Agriculture of the Philippines.

17)  ICRISAT Bids Farewell to Paroda, July, 2001

Dr Rajendra Singh Paroda, Director General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), was given a moving farewell by ICRISAT at a function today at ICRISAT-Patancheru. Padma Bhushan Dr Paroda retires from the ICAR after several decades of sterling service. The well-attended farewell function included former teachers, friends, and colleagues from ICRISAT, other international agricultural research centers, and the ICAR research system.

Speaking on the occasion, ICRISAT Director General Dr William Dar said "Dr Paroda has a clear vision of what is needed to enhance the lives of poor farmers – not just in his own country but throughout Asia, and indeed throughout the whole developing world."

Representing ICAR was Dr J C Katyal, Director, National Academy of Agricultural Research Management, Hyderabad. Dr Katyal dwelt on Dr Paroda's career in the ICAR, giving a rich picture of Dr Paroda's institution-building capacities.

Also speaking on the occasion were Dr I V Subba Rao, Vice-Chancellor, Acharya N G Ranga Agricultural University, Hyderabad), and Dr J S Kanwar, Deputy Director General Emeritus, ICRISAT.

Dr Paroda, in his address, said, "Indian agriculture has travelled a great distance in the last few decades. From a 'ship-to-mouth' food insecurity, we achieved food self-sufficiency, and have even moved on to food surpluses." ICAR's achievement, Dr Paroda said, was in transforming National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARI) into a National Agricultural Research System (NARS). "The key component in changing NARI to NARS was partnership," he declared. Finally, Dr Paroda outlined some of the challenges ahead, stressing on the need for increasing involvement of NGOs, the private sector, and farmers' groups. "This is the way of the future," he said. Dr Paroda was showered with many gifts from friends and well-wishers on the occasion.

18)  Top World Technology Award for Balaji, July, 2001

Dr Venkataraman Balaji, Head, Information Systems Unit, ICRISAT, has won the prestigious World Technology Award for his pioneering work in the use of electronic information technologies to better the lives of villagers. Dr Balaji is the first Indian to get this Award.

Dr Balaji received the Award, carrying a plaque (displayed on right by Dr Balaji and Dr Jill Lenne, ICRISAT's Deputy Director General - Research) and a citation, in London, UK, at the end of the just-concluded World Technology Summit – a unique two-day gathering (1-2 July 2001) of over 200 of the world's key players in IT. Scientists, technologist s, entrepreneurs, industrialists, financiers, journalists, and policy-makers had gathered to explore the emerging technologies that will have the greatest impact upon industry and society in the first years of the 21st Century.

Dr Balaji received the award in the category of Education. His work at the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation in Chennai, where he worked until last year, involved putting to use modern information and communication technologies in 10 villages in Pondicherry in South India. Using a hub-and-spoke model of data-cum-voice communication these Information Villages communicated with each other and also accessed the Internet.

For example, wave height predictions were obtained from the Internet and supplied to Veerampattinam, a coastal village in which 98% of the families are involved in fishing. The information was downloaded from a US Navy website and converted to suit the latitude and longitude of the village. This was used by the fishers to decide whether to go in to the sea or not. Similarly, thermal mapping of fish aggregation near the shore (25 km) produced by the National Remote Sensing Agency, Hyderabad, was also provided to this hamlet whenever available.

"We took up a simple challenge," Dr Balaji said at the awards ceremony. "We wanted to see if IT could be meaningful to the poorest 20 per cent of the people of India and not just for professionals."

Other locally specific content included the development of a detailed document on sugarcane cultivation; a guide book on application of biofertilisers in rice cultivation; a how-to style document on herbal remedies for minor disorders among children; and a document on local religious festivals. Also, results and mark sheets of high school and higher secondary school examinations were made available through the Internet.

"It was a surprisingly successful hybrid of technologies," Dr Balaji said. "We used wired with wireless for communication, and solar with mains for power supply."

The hub village provided connectivity to the Internet through dial-up telephone lines, and the staff there created locally useful content. The village centers (the 'spokes') received queries from the local residents and supplied information, collected from the hub, back to the villagers.

An important feature of this project was the strong sense of ownership that the village communities developed towards the village centers. The other key feature was the active participation of rural women in the management of the village center as well as in using it. A system of close consultation between the project staff and the rural users evolved, so that information needs could be realistically assessed.

Other awardees this year of the World Technology Network included Craig Venter for decoding the human genome in the category Biotechnology, Shawn Fanning, founder of Napster in the categories Entrepreneurship and Entertainment, and Gordon Moore of Intel in the category IT-Hardware.

19)  Gowda Appointed ICRISATchr(39)s Information Director, June, 2001

ICRISAT Director General William D Dar has announced that Dr C L Laxmipathi Gowda has been designated Director of Information Resource Management Program (IRMP) effective 1 July 2001. As Director of IRMP, Dr. Gowda will take charge of ICRISAT's Public Awareness Unit, Information Systems Unit, and Learning Systems Unit.

Dr Gowda has been with ICRISAT since 1975. Hitherto, he has been ICRISAT's Technology Exchange Specialist and has headed the Learning Systems Unit. Prior to this, Dr Gowda was Project Coordinator (Genetic Diversification and Enhancement) and Coordinator, Cereals and Legumes Asia Network (CLAN).

Dr Gowda holds PhD degree in Genetics from Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. He joined ICRISAT as Chickpea Breeder. Dr Gowda can be contacted at C.Gowda@CGIAR.ORG .

20)  Eritrea Agriculture Minister Visits ICRISAT, June, 2001

His Excellency Mr Arefaine Berha, the Honourable Minister of Agriculture of Eritrea, visit ed the ICRISAT-Patancheru campus on Thursday 28 June 2001. He was accompanied by the Honourable Ambassador of Eritrea to China and India as well as senior agricultural officials from Eritrea.

Mr Berha was in Hyderabad at the invitation of the Central Research Institute for the Dry Areas (CRIDA), which works in close collaboration with ICRISAT. The visit was coordinated by Sri KRW Yesudas, OSD, Protocol, Government of Andhra Pradesh.

Mr Berha said, “It is indeed an honour and a privilege to come to the centre which has provided Eritrea appropriate sorghum and pearl millet varieties and above all which has trained experts in these crops.”

21)  ICRISAT's First Director, Ralph Cummings, Passes Away, June, 2001

Dr Ralph W. Cummings (1911-2001) "ICRISAT is determined... to become truly a world center of excellence... [to] bring about a revolution in improved levels and dependability of production of major food crops of the semi-arid, seasonally dry, rainfed tropical regions of the world...." This was the manifesto launched by Dr Ralph W. Cummings, ICRISAT's first Director, whose passing away we mark this week.

As Director General Dr William Dar observed, "Dr Cummings' stature in the CG system, in agricultural development in general, and in India in particular, will always be immense." (See Dr Dar's full text here.) Dr Cummings leaves behind his wife Eunice, and three sons and a daughter.

Dr Ralph Cummings (b. 1911 in Reidsville, North Carolina, USA), took over as Director ( the Institute did not then have a Director General) in September 1972 and served in that capacity until March 1977. That period saw the infrastructure development which underpins nearly three decades of ICRISAT's research. The Director's Introduction in the second Annual Report gives factoids such as, "More than 10,000 hours of tractor operation were logged in 1974/75!"

Dr Cummings came well prepared for the task of building up from scratch an Institute such as ICRISAT. With a Ph.D. in Soil Science from Ohio State University in 1938, he worked in a variety of capacities as scientist (Cornell and North Carolina State Universities) and science-administrator (Rockefeller and Ford, among others). Immediately prior to coming here, Dr Cummings was Director at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

His links with international agricultural research for development and with the CGIAR in particular were extensive and extended well before and beyond his Directorship of ICRISAT: as late as 1991 he was a Trustee of the International Livestock Centre for Africa in Ethiopia (now ILRI). Dr Cummings' work took him all over the world, but it was his stay in India that he remembered most. As his daughter, Mary Ann Hardee observes, "His years in India had a profound mark on not only him, but each member of our family."

Dr Cummings' family extended far beyond to include everybody at ICRISAT. And he knew his family well. Mr. Deepak Pawar (IRMP) remembers that when Dr Cummings visited ICRISAT last, "he addressed each and every staff by their names. What great memory he had!" Old-timers will remember the Cummings for their grace and hospitality (his wife Mary died tragically in 1989; the Mary Cummings park at Patancheru is named after her).

Dr Cummings' crucial role in setting up this "center of excellence" was widely noted and honored. He received honorary doctorates from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Punjab Agricultural University, and G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, in India, and from North Carolina State, and Ohio State universities in USA. In fact, as Mr D K Mehta, PSD, reminds us, "a laboratory in the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, is named after Dr Cummings. This shows how closely Dr Cummings interacted with the Indian Agriculture Program." Not surprising then that Dr Y. L. Nene, former Deputy Director General, says, "A truly sincere friend of India is no more."

Numerous people still here at ICRISAT remember Dr Cummings. We have collected these reminiscences – some humorous, all touching – click here to read them.

22)  ICRISAT Donates Seeds to Quake-Affected Farmers in Bhuj, June, 2001

To restore critical seed stocks lost when a severe earthquake struck Gujarat in January 2001, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), donated today 500-kg seeds of a high-yielding ICRISAT pearl millet hybrid to farmers in quake-affected villages around Bhuj. The town of Bhuj was close to the epicenter of the earthquake, which took thousands of lives and razed several villages and cities to the ground.

Mr. Becharbhai Badani, Honourable Minister for Agriculture, Government of Gujarat, distributed the seeds to about 350 farmers in the presence of the ICRISAT Director General Dr. William D. Dar. Mr. Mukeshbhai Javeri, MLA of Bhuj and senior government officials attended.

“Giving the farmers seeds for sowing instead of food will be of greater assistance in the long term. Hopefully, the seed ICRISAT has donated will help the farmers of Bhuj get back on their feet again,” said Dr. Dar during the seed distribution program.

ICRISAT, based near Hyderabad, focuses on the semi-arid tropics (SAT), where erratic rainfall, low soil fertility, and extreme poverty, are formidable constraints to agricultural development. It seeks to improve five crops that are important in the diets of the poor in this region: sorghum, millet, chickpea, pigeonpea, and groundnut.

ICRISAT's vision is ‘Science with a Human Face', tailoring research to reduce poverty, hunger, and environmental degradation. The Institute helps the rural poor of these regions get the most from their natural resources, rather than homogenizing their environment with costly imported technologies and ideas.

The seeds donated today by ICRISAT were multiplied at the Institute's headquarters and packaged and transported to Bhuj with the help of Gujarat Seed Producers' Association. A local NGO - Vivekananda Research and Training Institute (VRTI), Mandvi, Kutch - is assisting ICRISAT to identify the farmers who will sow the millet seeds in the next cropping season.

For immediate relief of the affected people, ICRISAT staff had generously donated clothes, blankets, and money (Rs. 260, 138) in February, soon after the earthquake. As part of a long-term effort to reduce the vulnerability of poor farmers to natural disasters in the future, ICRISAT is collaborating with the Gujarat Agricultural University (GAU) and VRTI to multiply and provide seeds of improved groundnut, sorghum, and pigeonpea varieties to farmers. ICRISAT is also planning to help in the proposed Fodder Bank for Kutch, which will help meet the high demand for quality fodder in this largely cattle-centered region.

In 1993, ICRISAT had mounted a similar effort, donating two truckloads of chickpea seed to the bereft farmers of Nandura village, Latur District, in the heart of earthquake-stricken Maharashtra.

23)  Andhra Pradesh and ICRISAT Join Hands to Fight Groundnut Virus, May, 2001

Released on 11 May 2001

ICRISAT Director General Dr. William D. Dar submitted today an Action Plan to the Honorable Chief Minister Shri Chandrababu Naidu of Andhra Pradesh for containing the spread of the peanut stem necrosis disease (PSND) that ravaged about 2.5 lakh hectares under groundnut in the Ananthapur and Kurnool districts of Andhra Pradesh, during Kharif season last year.

The Action Plan has been formulated on the basis of the breakthrough made by scientists from ICRISAT, the National Bureau for Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), Hyderabad and Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU) in finding the cause of the epidemic.

The scientists found that the virus causing PSND is a strain of tobacco streak virus (TSV), which is well-known to attack many other crop plants and weeds, but has never before been seen on groundnut. TSV causes massive damage on sunflower and many farmers in India are abandoning sunflower as a result.

Based on these studies, the Action Plan proposes the following measures for containing the spread of PSND in Andhra Pradesh:

1. The causal virus is seed-transmitted in many other host plants. Seed transmission in groundnut is yet to be ascertained. As a precautionary measure however, farmers should avoid seed from areas affected by the disease during Kharif, 2000.

2. Many weeds are infected with the virus and can be a source of inoculum. Therefore, farmers should remove weeds, especially those that flower during the early stages of groundnut crop growth.

3. Intercropping is likely to be beneficial. It should be done only with quick growing cereal crops, which include pearl millet (sajja) and sorghum (jonna). At least one row of cereal should be planted for every three rows of groundnut. Five or six rows of the same cereal crop planted along field borders can act as a barrier against vector insects. 4. Sunflower and marigold are highly susceptible to this virus. Therefore, farmers should not grow these crops near the groundnut crop.

5. From our surveys it is apparent that the virus is widely distributed in Ananthapur and Kurnool districts. Therefore, it is essential to monitor groundnut crops for the presence of the virus. Diagnostic tools have been developed at ICRISAT for precise virus identification.

6. We now know the mechanism of virus transmission, and at least one of the thrips species involved has been identified. Spraying with contact or systemic insecticides (including monocrotophos) is extremely unlikely to help in containing the spread of the disease.

Dr. Dar presented this Action Plan to the Chief Minister during the Seminar organized by the Government of Andhra Pradesh on 'World Trade Agreements and their implications on agriculture and allied sectors and small and medium enterprises', in which both participated.

24)  Sorghum Yield Nearly Doubled in India Thanks to ICRISAT-ICAR Partnership, May, 2001

Released on 10 May 2001

"In India, sorghum yield increased from about 0.46 to 0.8 tons per hectare during the last 28 years, helping to release over 4 million hectares, which were previously under sorghum, for growing other crops" said ICRISAT Director General Dr. William D. Dar in his address as Guest of Honor at the 31st Annual Group Meeting of the All India Coordinated Sorghum Improvement Project on 5 May 2001 in Hyderabad.

Dr. Dar cited this as the result of "a successful partnership built on mutual trust" between the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Indian Agricultural Universities, and ICRISAT. "Although the area under sorghum decreased from about 15 to 11 million hectares during the same period, the total sorghum grain production in the country has remained constant," he added.

Sorghum is the world's fifth most important cereal, grown mostly in the dry tropics - which is the focus of ICRISAT's research. One of the main staples of the poor, sorghum is genetically suited to hot and dry agroecologies where it is difficult to grow other food grains.

The participants of the meeting - which was organized by ICAR and Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University - included top Indian scientists and research administrators. The ICAR-ICRISAT collaborative program on sorghum, research on sorghum hybrids, and seed production were some of the issues discussed during the meeting.

Thanking the private sector seed companies who are collaborating with ICRISAT, funding research on specific topics, Dr. Dar said that ICRISAT is also working with sorghum scientists in India in new areas, such as molecular markers. In his conclusion, Dr. Dar posed four major challenges before the participants:

• how to get additional resources for research to meet the increasing demand for sorghum as fodder and feed • the need to increase productivity in post-rainy season sorghum • integration of new and traditional methods - biotechnology and conventional breeding • the need to address the problems of "hidden hunger" caused by imbalanced nutrition

25)  Sparking a Grey-to-Green Revolution for Dry Areas, April, 2001

28 Years of ICRISAT's Partnership-Based Research across the Semi-Arid Tropics Released on 28 Apr 2001

The dry tropics represent one of the harshest ecological zones of the world, where food production is an unpredictable enterprise. The region is home to hundreds of millions of desperately poor Africans and Asians. Most of the poor are in South Asia, where the population is expected to increase by about 1.4 billion over 1990-2020. Sometimes they are called the grey areas, because their thirsty soils look are dry and dusty, leaving their peoples grey with despair.

ICRISAT's research is targeted at the smallholders who scratch out a living from these dry areas. They have been mostly bypassed by the Green Revolution of the 1960s/70s that depended on reliable irrigation and high fertilizer applications to double or triple production.

To help the poor of the dry areas from being left behind, ICRISAT adopted a different strategy, explains Dr. William D. Dar, Director General. “Rather than adapting the environment to the crops, which would be beyond the means of the resource-poor farmers of the dry tropics, ICRISAT and its partners are helping them adapt the crop to their environments. By making more efficient use of what they have, they can turn these grey areas green. They can conserve and use water more efficiently, plant crops that make their own fertilizer, use modern varieties of crops that mature quickly before the drought sets in, add new high-value crops or varieties into their farming systems, and use varieties that resist insects and diseases so they don't have to spend so much of their small household incomes on dangerous pesticides”, he said. And by reducing farming costs, these methods make farmers more economically competitive in this day and age of free trade.

At a time when there is increasing concern about water scarcity and loss of arable land, ICRISAT's research has shown that with improved watershed management technology, soil loss can be reduced by 60-75%, and rainwater loss through runoff by 50-60% - while quadrupling food production. By managing these watersheds well, farmers can diversify the types of crops they grow, stretching out their income-earning activity to cover a larger part of the year and getting more cash from higher-value crops. Similarly, by breeding crops that mature more quickly, ICRISAT and partners have given farmers new options to more fully utilize the moisture left in the soil after the main crop – putting two crops where once there was one. Extra-quick maturing chickpea (chana) varieties were introduced as a second crop planted immediately after rice in the Barind zone of Bangladesh. They grow during the nearly rainless season after their rice has been harvested. And village women are happy to be able to pluck the chickpea leaflets - consumed locally as a green vegetable and yielding hard cash. The potential for growing chickpea in fallows after rice in this manner across Asia is vast: about 14 million hectares are potentially suitable.

Soil fertility need not equate to costly fertilizer investments. In Vietnam, farmers are amazed that they can now obtain groundnut or peanut (mungphali) yields up to 1.5 tons per hectare, compared to 10 years ago when they were getting only about 700-800 kilograms. A new substitute fertilizer developed through scientific partnership is one of the key factors. And in Niger, Africa, farmers have found that they can increase millet production by 50 to 100 percent using tiny micro-doses of fertilizer – measured out with bottle caps! – working out to application rates less than a tenth of those used in developed countries.

Research is also finding local resources and indigenous knowledge that can empower farmers to be able to control pests and diseases with greatly reduced or no pesticide applications, saving large amounts of money and protecting their health. For example, the Ashta village in Maharashtra has become a role model for IPM, because the entire village has adopted integrated pest management (IPM) technology to eliminate their use of toxic, costly insecticides and have not used even a single spray of chemical insecticide for the past three years.

Just yesterday, ICRISAT announced a major breakthrough that can help farmers reduce pesticide costs and risks over time. With the National Bureau of Plant and Genetic Resources (NBPGR) and Acharya N G Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU), ICRISAT researchers have discovered the cause of a major new disease that ravaged the world's largest groundnut-growing region last year, the Ananthapur and Kurnool Districts of Andhra Pradesh. They have now proven that the new disease, called ‘Peanut Stem Necrosis Disease' or PSND, is caused by the ‘Tobacco Streak Virus' (TSV). This will pave the way for the creation of resistant varieties.

Products of innovative partnership between ICRISAT, ICAR, and the private sector have greatly benefited farmers of Nizamabad District in Andhra Pradesh, the national hub for pearl millet (bajra) hybrid seed production of India, accounting for about 80% of the total pearl millet hybrid seed requirement in the country. At least 80% of the hybrid seed produced in Nizamabad is based on breeding lines that derive directly or indirectly from ICRISAT's breeding research. A recent survey reported that about 40 000 acres, spread over 80 villages in the Nizamabad District are devoted to hybrid pearl millet seed production, with annual profits estimated at about US$ 8 million. Farmers in Ankapur village, which is today a thriving center for production of hybrid pearl millet seeds in the District had little hope of a bright future 10 years ago. Now they are earning net profits of Rs 9000-10 000 (about US$ 200) per acre by producing seeds of pearl millet hybrids. Building on the past 28 years of partnership-based effort, ICRISAT has been quietly making such a difference to the lives of rural poor in the dry tropics and a continuous stream of proven technologies is flowing from the Institute to farms in Asia and Africa. Dr. Dar said, “So far, more than 400 improved varieties have been released by developing countries in the dry tropics based on ICRISAT germplasm. These varieties are a result of intensive multi-year, multi-location selection for combinations of higher yield, earlier maturity, good environmental adaptation, pest and disease resistance, and good product quality. They are a vital component of the engine of rural development, helping farmers feed their families, enhance and stabilize their incomes, and contribute to national development.”

One of the most popular traits of these improved varieties for the farmers of the dry tropics has been early maturity, because the early-maturing varieties stabilize yields by avoiding drought, and enhance income by capturing peak prices before the main crop hits the market. ICRISAT breeders, working jointly with partners, have been able to greatly compress the life cycle of all five of the Institute's mandate crops. Early maturity allows crops, especially legumes, to be able to be inserted into rotation patterns previously dominated by a single cereal crop each year - magnifying land and labor use efficiency.

ICRISAT's work also helps build the global knowledge base and find solutions for major environmental worries such as global warming. A recent U.N. report on global warming highlighted that its consequences would especially hurt the poor of the developing world, who have little means to cope. Long-term experiments by ICRISAT revealed that improved soil management practices can increase carbon sequestration by an average of 335 kilograms of carbon per hectare per year, cleaning the atmosphere of this warming agent. Excited by these findings, the Government of India is now funding a 3-year project on 'Identifying systems for carbon sequestration and increased productivity in semi-arid tropical environments', engaging ICRISAT and three member institutions of the Indian Council on Agricultural Research - the Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), the Indian Institute of Soil Science (IISS), and the National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning (NBSS&LUP).

With its new vision of Science with a Human Face, ICRISAT is tailoring its research to address and resolve real human needs: reduce poverty, hunger, and environmental degradation across the dry tropics of the world.

In Asia, ICRISAT's research impacts have spread through the Cereals and Legumes Asia Network (CLAN) – coordinated from ICRISAT – which facilitates collaborative research and technology exchange across the CLAN member countries. Major Impacts from ICRISAT's Partnership-based Research in Asia Improved management of natural resources

• With improved watershed management technology, up to 4 tons of grain per hectare can be harvested from drylands, soil loss can be reduced by 60-75%, and rainwater loss through runoff by 50-60%. The recharge of groundwater increases by more than 40%. Supported by ADB, ICRISAT in partnership with NARS is demonstrating this package to the farmers of India, Thailand, and Vietnam.

• A groundnut production technology package developed by the Vietnamese National Program with technical assistance from ICRISAT has helped to double groundnut production in the country over the last 10 years. • In the Barind region of Bangladesh, ICRISAT assisted in magnifying resource use to grow a second crop of chickpea where once there was only one, saving over US$ 3 million annually for pulse imports.

Development of improved varieties

• Out of 405 cultivars released, 112 have been released in India, and about 100 in other Asian countries.

• In Andhra Pradesh, chickpea production registered a sevenfold increase following the introduction of improved chickpea varieties. The additional produce adds US$ 48 million annually to the state's gross domestic product.

• Hybrid pigeonpea - the world's first hybrid of any food legume crop – was developed. • Sorghum inbred lines widely used by hybrid industry across India.

Crop diversification

• To promote pigeonpea use in Sri Lanka, ICRISAT and the Farm Mechanisation Research Centre with support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) developed a small and cheap pigeonpea processing machine.

Environment-friendly pest management techniques

• Adopting integrated pest management (IPM) techniques, farmers in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Vietnam have greatly reduced the use of insecticide in pilot test areas, up to 100% on some farmer's fields such as in Ashta village in Nanded District of Maharashtra.

National capacity enhancement

ICRISAT has trained 2042 Asian scientists from 28 Asian countries over the past 28 years, in a wide range of agricultural skills and technologies.

Helping out in crises

• When downy mildew epidemics struck the millet crop across India, resistant varieties developed by ICRISAT and ICAR saved the crop.

• Maruthi, a pigeonpea variety that could resist the devastating Fusarium wilt, revived the crop in south-central India. The total net present value of benefits from this research is approximately US$ 62 million.

• In Nepal, chickpea cultivation in over 75% of the rice fallows was affected by the Botrytis gray mold (BGM) epidemic. Using an integrated disease management package developed by ICRISAT, 2 to 6 times higher yields were obtained.

• ICRISAT, the National Bureau of Plant and Genetic Resources (NBPGR), and Acharya N G Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU) have discovered the cause of a new disease that ravaged the world's largest groundnut-growing area in Ananthapur district in Andhra Pradesh in 2000.

Considering that these are the impacts of only a few of the results of ICRISAT's partnership-based research, it is no wonder that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) - a development investor who has actively supported the Institute's research - stated in its recent report of an Evaluation Study:

“Research at ICRISAT has made significant advances in breeding high-yielding, early-maturing varieties of its mandated crops and has identified solutions to many production management problems. It has developed many improved technologies that have been adapted to fit the needs of poor farmers in Asian countries. This is shown by the significant increases (10-100%) in yields of major cereals and grain legumes.”

Acknowledging that such success was only possible because of steadfast long-term support from ICRISAT's development investors, ICRISAT Director General Dr. William D. Dar, said, “Benefits from this research reach millions of poor households in terms of better nutrition, more cash for children's education, extra income to reinvest in the farm, and lower food prices for consumers.” He added that these payoffs did not take into account the other benefits gained from increased scientific knowledge and the development of networks and partnerships.

26)Can Agriculture Be an Ally against Global Warming?, April, 2001

Long-Term Experiments by ICRISAT Reveal that Improved Soil Management Practices Help to Increase Carbon Sequestration

Released on 23 Apr 2001

Global warming is likely to induce devastating cyclones, floods, and droughts worldwide over the coming decades, according to the recent U.N. report on Climate Change. These events will especially hurt the poor of the developing world, who will have little means to cope.

Fossil fuel combustion, generating massive carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere, is thought to be a major cause of global warming. Many suggest that polluting industries should pay the cost of cleaning the carbon back out of the atmosphere again.

Plants can help clean the atmosphere by 'sequestering' carbon as plant tissue through photosynthesis. A new agricultural enterprise can be envisioned in which farmers accept payments from urban industries to scrub their pollutants back out of the atmosphere - so-called 'carbon markets' that balance industrial needs against environmental concerns. But would these gains be real? The only way to confirm net carbon sequestration is to track soil carbon patterns over long periods of time in particular agro-ecosystems. Experiments ongoing since 1976 on Vertisols (heavy black clay soils) at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), based at Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh – recently revealed that improved management practices have indeed sequestered an average of 335 extra kilograms of carbon per hectare per year over the 24-year period, compared to traditional practices. “Over a 10-year period, it may be possible to sequester about 0.5 gigatons of atmospheric carbon from 1.49 million km2 Vertisols in the semi-arid tropics," said ICRISAT Soil Scientist Dr. S. P. Wani. “In an eventual carbon market, this might have a value somewhere between US$ 10-15 billion - funds that could be used to address food security and environmental quality.”

The management practices that helped increase carbon sequestration included multiple cropping, fertilizer application, and the addition of legume crops to complement the traditional cereals. These practices also increased farm productivity and farmer income, creating a win-win situation for both the environment, and for the poor farmer.

Excited by these findings, the Government of India is now funding a 3-year project on 'Identifying systems for carbon sequestration and increased productivity in semi-arid tropical environments', engaging ICRISAT and three member institutions of the Indian Council on Agricultural Research - the Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), the Indian Institute of Soil Science (IISS), and the National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning (NBSS&LUP). The project will study carbon stocks in soil profiles at 26 selected locations across the semi-arid tropics of India, seeking a better understanding of why some systems sequester more carbon than others. For more information, contact: s.wani@cgiar.org .

27) DFID Funds ICRISATchr(39)s Project in Nepal to Promote Integrated Pest Management Technologies, April, 2001

Released on 5 Apr 2001

The Department for International Development (DFID), through the Natural Resources Institute (NRI), UK, is providing financial support of US$ 68,500 to the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) from April 2000 to March 2001 for collaborative research on "Promoting the adoption of improved disease and pest management technologies in chickpea by poor farmers in mid-hills and hillside cropping systems in Nepal."

This project is promoting the on-farm adoption of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) system centered on the use of safe control technologies, disease tolerance, and insect biocontrol, through the Nepal Agricultural Research Council and non-governmental organizations.

Drs. J.M. Lenné, ICRISAT Deputy Director General and Suresh Pande, Chickpea Scientist steered this collaborative project proposal.

28)  ICRISAT Receives Grant from DFID to Reduce Aflatoxin, April, 2001

Released on 5 Apr 2001

The Department for International Development, UK (DFID), is funding ICRISAT's collaborative research project on "Strategies for reducing aflatoxin levels in groundnut-based foods and feeds in India: a step towards improving health of humans and livestock".

Aflatoxin in food and feed has been found to cause liver cancer, and is, therefore, a big health risk to both human beings and animals. The problem has badly affected groundnut exports, especially from developing countries, because most developed countries have strict laws on permissible limits of aflatoxin levels in food and feed products. Smallholder farmers, groundnut oil, and livestock industries are particularly affected by the problem.

"The successful completion of the project will contribute to the development of a set of farmer validated management strategies/technologies for reducing aflatoxin contamination, suitable for adoption by small-scale farmers," said Dr. D.V.R. Reddy, ICRISAT Virologist. "It will lead to the availability of groundnut-based food and groundnut cake, with permissible levels of aflatoxin contamination." This will mean reduced health hazards for poor people and livestock, a major step forward in improving their general health.

ICRISAT's principal partners in this collaborative project are the University of Reading, UK; The Queens University of Belfast, UK; Natural Resources Institute, UK; Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University, Hyderabad, India; Society for Transformation, Agriculture and Alternatives in Development, Hyderabad, India; Agriculture, Man, Ecology, Bangalore, India.

The financial support of DFID for this project is US$ 400,500, of which ICRISAT will get US$ 161,500 over a 2-year period from July 2000 to June 2002.

29) ICRISAT Signs an MOU with NCPGR, April, 2001 Released on 4 Apr 2001

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) based in Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh, and India's National Centre for Plant Genome Research (NCPGR), located at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Campus, New Delhi, recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) to implement a collaborative project on "Molecular marker development, tagging of chickpea genotypes against abiotic stresses and cloning of R gene against fusarium wilt."

Chickpea is an important source of calories and protein for the poor across Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. The goal of ICRISAT researchers is to find useful genetic markers that can accelerate the progress in chickpea breeding for difficult traits like drought and disease resistance.

These traits will help smallholder farmers cope with the natural stresses that they can't afford to overcome through irrigation and chemical sprays – while protecting the environment from the risks of these external inputs.

The 3-year (2001 to 2003) collaborative project will be funded by the NCPGR with a proposed budget of US$ 32,000 for ICRISAT's research activities.

As part of the project, a PhD student from JNU has already begun his studies at ICRISAT under the guidance of Dr. Jagdish Kumar, ICRISAT Chickpea Breeder. ICRISAT's key collaborator in this effort is Prof. Asis Datta, Vice Chancellor, JNU, who is renowned in the field of biotechnology in India.

30)  Ms. Martha B. Stone is the Chair of the ICRISAT Governing Board, effective 13 March 2001

She takes over from Dr. Ragnhild Sohlberg. Ms. Stone, a Canadian national, has been on the ICRISAT Board since 1996. Hitherto, she has headed the Technology Exchange Committee and the Finance and Audit Committees of the Board.

Since 1997, Ms. Stone has been Senior Partner in Moenston Associates, a management consultancy based in Quebec, Canada. Prior to this she was with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada, as an information and communication sciences specialist. Welcome, Martha Stone!

31)  ICRISAT and its Partners Make Important Advances in Developing the Worldchr(39)s First Molecular Marker Map of Chickpea, March 2001

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), based at Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh, in partnership with Washington State University, USA, has made important advances in developing the world's first useful molecular marker-based linkage map for chickpea, using morphological and DNA markers.

Chickpea is an important source of calories and protein for the poor across Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. "Our goal is to find useful genetic markers that can accelerate the progress in chickpea breeding for difficult traits like drought, insect, and disease resistance," said Dr Jagdish Kumar, ICRISAT Chickpea Breeder. These traits will help resource-poor farmers cope with the types of natural stresses that they can't afford to overcome through irrigation and chemical sprays - at the same time, helping protect the environment from the risks of these external inputs.

An example is drought tolerance. About 90% of chickpea is grown under rainfed conditions and almost always suffers drought stress. If researchers can reduce the drought problem in chickpea, it will be a great contribution to the productivity of this crop. "Deep and numerous roots are a genetic trait that has been proven to increase drought resistance," Dr Jagdish Kumar said. "Selection for drought resistance will be much easier if markers linked to the root traits can be identified."

Rather than digging up thousands of plants in the field to measure their root systems - a costly, and tedious process - markers in the laboratory could quickly indicate the plants most likely to contain the deep-rooting genes. Jointly with the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, ICRISAT is trying to identify such markers - a discovery that could deliver major benefits to millions of poor farmers and consumers.

So far, the map boasts about 100 markers, and has been used to locate 12 genes that govern important traits. The marker mapping system for chickpea became possible thanks to the development of the specific sequence tagged microsatellite site (STMS) marker system by Guenter Kahl's team at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University (Germany) and ICRISAT's sister center - the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) based in Syria.

32)  Investing in the Future: ICRISAT and ICBA to Investigate Biosalinity in Agriculture, March 2001

The International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), based in Dubai, UAE, and ICRISAT signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today to initiate collaborative research on problems of biosalinity in agriculture. Observing that biosalinity is becoming an ever greater problem in agriculture, especially in the developing world, and particularly in the semi-arid tropics, Dr. William D. Dar, Director General, ICRISAT, declared, "With this MoU, we are investing in the future".

Dr. Mohammed Al-Attar, Director General and Chairman of the Board, ICBA, expressed great satisfaction that his young, 1.5-year-old Institute was entering into partnership with ICRISAT, "a center of excellence, widely known for its impact on the lives of the poor of the world". Dr. Al-Attar said, "Together we will have a greater impact".

The MoU identifies the common objective of both Institutes "of contributing to agriculture research and development for appropriate utilization and management of natural resources in a sustainable manner".

Representing ICBA were Dr. Al-Attar, Professor Dr. Faisal K. Taha, Director of Technical Programs, and Mr. Jugu Abraham, Donor Relations Specialist. Besides Dr. Dar, ICRISAT was represented by Mr. S. Parthasarathy, ADG; Dr. Jonathan H. Crouch, Acting Director, Genetic Resources and Enhancement Program; and Dr. C.L.L. Gowda, Principal Scientist (Technology Exchange).

33)  International Agricultural Research Centers Move towards Closer Regional Integration to Make South Asia Food Secure, March 2001

Representatives of 16 international agricultural research institutes are participating in a Meeting on South Asia Regional Integration at ICRISAT, Patancheru, 1-3 March 2001, to brainstorm on a unified and focused research strategy to fight two of the biggest challenges facing South Asia today - poverty and environmental degradation. Welcoming the participants, ICRISAT Director General, said, "Many world leaders do not realize that South Asia alone is home to half the developing world's poor. Together Bangladesh and eastern India have as many poor as all of sub-Saharan Africa."

Dr. Dar said that the Worldwatch Institute's recent report on the State of the World 2001 states that 522 million people live on less than $1 a day. The report has also described the Indian subcontinent as "the hungriest region on Earth." Pointing out that the world's attention has been mostly focused on poverty and hunger in Ethiopia and Somalia, "the longstanding suffering, hunger, and hopelessness of South Asia's desperately poor have been somehow overlooked," Dr. Dar said.

He said that the idea for closer regional integration was inspired by the new CGIAR Vision and Strategy. "To streamline and enhance partnerships and impact, Directors General of CGIAR Centers have agreed to move towards closer regional integration, including research, research support, and administrative functions."

As part of South Asia regional integration development, the Center Directors asked ICRISAT to convene the South Asia process. The participants include representatives of 13 Centers supported by CGIAR (CIMMYT, IRRI, ICRISAT, IWMI, ILRI, IPGRI, CIP, ICARDA, ICLARM, ICRAF, IFPRI, CIFOR, ISNAR) in addition to three affiliated centers of the CGIAR (AVRDC, ICIMOD, ICBA). National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) partners and their regional forum APAARI, as well as NGOs, the private sector and development organizations, will also be actively involved in the regional integration process at a later date. ICRISAT Deputy Director General, Dr. Jill Lenne, who has coordinated this meeting presented an overview of ICRISAT's vision and mission as well as the research projects.

34)  Private Sector Invests in Public Plant Breeding Research at ICRISAT, February, 2001

Alarmed by continuing declines in Western assistance to the developing countries for agricultural research, a coalition of small and large seed enterprises in India is helping to fill the breach. Fourteen companies have pledged $109,000 annually to help support applied plant breeding research at ICRISAT for five years. All materials developed through this research will remain as international public goods, freely available to all. The confidence shown by the private sector in ICRISAT stems from a proven track record. To quote M. Prabhakar Rao, President of the Seedsmen Association, "Over the years the Indian farming community in general and the seed industry in particular have derived enormous benefit from ICRISAT's research. Most of the germplasm being used in our research and development programs has some of its origin in ICRISAT. ICRISAT has been very generous and liberal in providing germplasm and other forms of assistance in crop research."

ICRISAT's research with ICAR, the Indian Council for Agricultural Research, stimulated the take-off of the pearl millet seed industry in India in the 1980s and early '90s, by developing resistant varieties that controlled the downy mildew fungus - a scourge that had farmers on the brink of abandoning the crop. An estimated 75% of pearl millet hybrids in India, as well as 60-80% of private-sector sorghum hybrids, have been derived from ICRISAT parent lines.

Pigeonpea research by ICRISAT and its partners led to the control of the devastating wilt fungus, shaved months off plant duration, and resulted in the world's first-ever hybrid of any food legume crop. And a project partly funded by India's largest indigenous seed company, MAHYCO, has painstakingly developed a new and easier system for producing the hybrids, known as the cytoplasmic male-sterility (CMS). It is poised for major impact in the coming years.

Companies committed to the coalition include global enterprises, along with a large number of home-grown seed companies: Advanta India, Cosmo, Ganga Kaveri Seeds, Hindustan Lever, J K Agri-Genetics, Mahendra Hybrid Seeds Co., MAHYCO, New Nandi Seeds Corporation, Plantgene, Proagro Seed Co., Prabhat Agri Biotech, and Shriram Bioseed Genetics India.

The research focuses on key issues like diversifying the genetic base of these crops to reduce vulnerability to diseases and pests and fit them into a wider range of cropping systems; seed quality; pest resistance; improved suitability for hybrid seed production; and field testing of promising hybrids.

"As wonderful as these investments are, they do not replace the enormously important role of international development assistance. Rather, they complement it," said Dr. William D. Dar, Director General of ICRISAT. Targeted investments by the private sector deliver quick impacts in poverty reduction and increased productivity. Public-sector investment ensures that long-term issues on matters such as environmental protection and poverty reduction remain at the heart of ICRISAT's agenda. Combined, they underpin a balanced research program for sustainable rural development. For more information, please contact r.ortiz@cgiar.org .

35)  World Climate Expert Visits ICRISAT, February, 2001

Presenting a report on Climate Change to ICRISAT staff on 12 February, Dr. D. James Baker, the author of the thought-provoking book "Planet Earth - The View from Space" said that in the last 100 years, global average surface temperatures have risen by 0.4 to 0.8 °C.

Dr. Baker, who is at present the Administrator at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), USA, and Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere at the U.S. Department of Commerce, raised several issues that are being discussed by experts on the greenhouse effect, especially in relation to human-induced factors, including agriculture.

Bringing out clearly the current thinking on the Climate Change and its implications, Dr. Baker said that it was a difficult issue for mankind to deal with.

Dr. Baker has written and spoken extensively about climate, oceanography, sustainable development, and satellite technology issues.

ICRISAT Director General Dr. William D. Dar welcomed warmly Dr. and Mrs. Baker to the Institute, giving them an overview of ICRISAT's research and development thrusts.

36)  Collaboration between Australia and ICRISAT Reinforced, February, 2001

The long-standing collaboration between Australia and ICRISAT to reduce poverty in the semi-arid tropics through agricultural research was reinforced by the visit of Dr. John Skerritt, Deputy Director (Research and Development), Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) on 12 February.

ICRISAT researchers discussed with Dr. Skerritt the status of projects supported by ACIAR. In India, ICRISAT has been conducting several ACIAR-funded projects mainly in partnership with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

For example, ICRISAT and ICAR have been participating in the ACIAR-supported project on the development of drought-resistant groundnuts. They have also been collaborating with the NGO – Agriculture Man Ecology - in the project on environment-friendly management of white grubs, a major pest of groundnut.

ACIAR is also supporting an ICRISAT partnership-based project on crop modeling. Recently, several Centers of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), including ICRISAT, have joined the ACIAR initiative to restore agriculture in war-torn East Timor

37)  World Bank Vice President Commends ICRISAT's Close Working Relationship with Research and Development Partners, February, 2001

After a very busy schedule of visits to facilities at the Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), ICRISAT, and the Kothapally watersheds on 10 and 11 February 2001, Mr. Ian Johnson, World Bank Vice President and Chairman of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) said, “What I saw at ICRISAT was really very encouraging. More than any CGIAR Center I have seen, ICRISAT has developed a very close relationship with its partners.”

During his interactions with the various stakeholders, Mr. Johnson commended the fine quality of research carried out at ICRISAT, highlighting the strong partnerships that ICRISAT has developed with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the NGOs, the private sector, the village community, and the local government.

Describing his visit to ICRISAT as “wonderful”, he said that it demonstrated “the value of partnerships, research and action in the field as well as the dedication of ICRISAT staff to small and poor farmers."

“I was really impressed with the degree of ownership that the State Government has exhibited towards ICRISAT. I think this is a very promising way of building the kind of alliance that the CGIAR has to develop in the future,” Mr. Johnson said, after he had an audience with the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Mr. Chandrababu Naidu. The Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh, Mr. P V Rao, had earlier welcomed Mr. Ian Johnson on behalf of the Chief Minister to visit various facilities in Hyderabad. He reaffirmed the State Government's appreciation to ICRISAT for dealing in a proactive manner with a virus epidemic on groundnut cultivation and with drought in the State.

38) ICRISAT Gives a Warm Welcome to Ian Johnson, World Bank Vice President and CGIAR Chair, February, 2001

 

Befitting his portfolio as the World Bank Vice President for  Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development, Mr. Ian Johnson began his visit to the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) on 10 February with the planting of a tree on the ICRISAT Campus.

ICRISAT is one of the 16 Future Harvest Centers supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), which is led by Mr. Johnson. CGIAR is the world's largest agricultural research network, dedicated to improving food crops, reducing hunger, and promoting the sound management of natural resources throughout the developing world.

After welcoming warmly Mr. Johnson as well as Dr. B. Padmanabham, World Bank representative from New Delhi who was accompanying him, ICRISAT Director General Dr. William D. Dar and senior ICRISAT staff, gave a comprehensive overview of ICRISAT's partnership-based research and development thrusts, which focus on the Institute's corporate motto, 'Science with a Human Face'.

An elaborate program has been organized for Mr. Johnson's 2-day visit to ICRISAT, including laboratory and field tours.

As part of the laboratory visit, he was shown the new Applied Genomics Laboratory, genetic transformation work, the genebank, and the current research activities on aflatoxins and on the groundnut virus disease that had recently caused terrible losses in Andhra Pradesh.

In the field visit, ICRISAT researchers presented the exciting results of their partnership-based work on the important staples of the poor of the semi-arid tropics (SAT) and on the management of soil and water resources, through the integrated watershed approach.

The visit was also a unique opportunity for Mr. Johnson to see collaborative work between ICRISAT and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), another CGIAR Institute, on the improvement of ruminant nutritional quality of SAT crop residues.

To see ICRISAT's collaborative work with national programs, nongovernmental organizations, and farmers' associations, Mr. Johnson is visiting the Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA) and the community watershed at Kothapally, where ICRISAT is conducting on-farm research based on the integrated watershed management approach in participation with farmers.

39)  Transferring Technology from Lab to Land: Integrated Watershed Management, February, 2001

"For managing water effectively, the most appropriate land unit is the watershed." This is ho w Dr William Dar, DG ICRISAT, summed up the raison d'etre for the 2-day Farmers Training Program on Integrated Watershed Management held 7-8 Feb 2001 at Adarsha Watershed in Kothapally village in Ranga Reddy (RR) district, Andhra Pradesh. One hundred and five farmers from five watersheds in Nawabpet Mandal of RR district participated enthusiastically in this workshop, the first of its kind. The workshop was organized by Dr S P Wani and his team in NRMP, in close collaboration with the district authorities and the Drought-Prone Area Project (DPAP).

In his inaugural remarks, Dr Dar briefly explained to the visiting farmers the mission of the Institute; the critical role of water management in SAT agriculture; and ICRISAT's achievements and on-going research in Kothapally, and elsewhere in the world, in the management of this critical resource.

Farmers received training in various areas of watershed management such as improved land management, water harvesting and storage structures, improved agricultural equipments, integrated nutrient management, vermicomposting, nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV) production, improved cropping systems, and soil conservation measures.

Farmers from Nawabpet Mandal were curious and eager to learn new crop and land management options. They showed keen interest in the use of the tropicultor to cultivate land; and in the broad bed and furrow (BBF) system as a solution to waterl ogging in Vertisols. They also collected information on cultivating soybean, pigeonpea and chickpea.

Mr Ajay Jain, District Collector, RR District, complimented ICRISAT on adopting the Kothapally watershed and demonstrating the benefits