Nutrition is a high priority for ICRISAT and the international development agenda. ICRISAT received around $6.4 million from 2012-2016 for its nutrition CRP projects. It is now working on the new CRP called A4NH, which has four flagship programs: 1) biofortification of crops like pearl millet and sorghum to increase micronutrients, 2) ensuring food safety by reducing aflatoxin contamination, 3) supporting policies and programs to promote nutritious crops, and 4) improving human health by studying links between gut microbiomes, nutrition, and crop diets. ICRISAT aims to leverage its research to enhance crop productivity, combat malnutrition, and

1. Nutrition is high on
International Development Agenda
and for ICRISAT too!

2. ICRISAT
& Nutrition

7. (2012-16)CRP-PHASE- 1
ca. USD 1,273/year
Year W1&2 with PPA W1&2 without PPA Total
2012 909 - 909
2013 972 1,278 2,250
2014 1,056 582 1,638
2015 420 457 877
2016 212 481 693
Total 3,569 2,798 6,367
CRP Phase2: A4NH
2017 0 0 0
2018 0 0 0
*PPP = Program Participating Agreement
*

9. Impact of ICRISAT crop diet on gut
microbiome for curbing malnutrition
Anemia &
malnutrition in
pregnant woman
Malnutrition in
babies
Transmission of
gut microbiome
Poor nutrition
Vicious cycle
of
malnutrition
Does ICRISAT mandate crops play an important role in altering gut microbiota
for enhanced nutrient absorption and alleviate malnutrition?
Pearl Millet
Breeding
Asia Program,
ICRISAT
Anemia in
adolescent
girls

10.  Linking soil microbiome structure to function
 Association of microbiome structure/function with crop performance
 Defining the ‘functional’ microbiome
Employing soil microbiome for enhanced crop
productivity & environmental sustainability

14. Flagship 2: Biofortification
• Identification of nutrition-rich genotypes in diverse
cultivated gene pool of groundnut (RP GG)
• Pearl millet biofortification (RP WCA/ Asia)
• Sorghum micronutrient biofortification (RP WCA/ Asia)
• Understanding the role of the soil microbiome in enhancing
nutrient content in crops (RP GG/Systems Biology)
• Breeding biofortified beans (CIAT), pearl millet (ICRISAT),
Groundnut (Oleic/linoleic acid; aflatoxin reduction) and
sorghum (flour and malt quality) (RP GG/ESA/WCA/AVISA)

15. Flagship 3: Food Safety
• System-wide assessment of mycotoxin contamination in rural India
(RP Asia)
• Assessing the potential of atoxigenic Aspergillus flavus strains in
controlling the pre-harvest aflatoxin contamination of groundnut
(RP Asia)
• Integrated pre- and post-harvest management strategies to mitigate
aflatoxin contamination (RP WCA/Asia)
• Identification of hypoaflatoxin peanut lines with stable expression and
genomic control/candidate genes for aflatoxin resistance (RP GG)
• Identification of hypoallergenic lines and discovery of genes/alleles for
five major peanut allergens (RP GG)
• Advocacy for nutritional issues e.g. the recent legislation for blending maize
with 20% of sorghum for ‘ugali’ flour in Kenya (RP GG/ESA/WCA/AVISA)

16. Flagship 4: Supporting Policies Programs &
Enabling Action through Research
• Development of a data base of aflatoxin prevalence along the groundnut value
chain and capacity building of stakeholders (RP WCA)
• Quantitative and qualitative analysis of gender gaps in adoption of nutritious/biofortified
grain legumes and dryland cereals, their production, market access and welfare
outcomes (nutrition and poverty) and their trends over time vis-a-vis different
interventions (RP GG/ESA/WCA/AVISA)
• Market research data collected and utilized to define gender and nutrition-responsive
product and customer profiles and guide crop improvement priorities
(RP GG/ESA/WCA/AVISA)
• Quality seed production, business skills and access to resources of seed entrepreneurs
improved in order to shore up commercialization and subsequent adoption of
nutritious/biofortified grain legumes and dryland cereals (RP GG/ESA/WCA/AVISA)
• Client-oriented channels leveraged to create awareness and generate demand for grain
of nutritious/biofortified grain legumes and dryland cereals and subsequently increase
demand for good quality seed (RP GG/ESA/WCA/AVISA)

17. Flagship 4: Supporting Policies Programs &
enabling action through Research cont..
• New models of early generation seed (breeder and foundation) and
certified/quality declared seed production of nutritious/biofortified grain
legumes and dryland cereals tested through demand-led public and private
partnerships (RP GG/ESA/WCA/AVISA)
• Innovative and transformative models for accessing, multiplying and
disseminating public-bred varieties of nutritious/biofortified grain legumes
and dryland cereals developed and promoted by scaling up seed enterprises
(RP GG/ESA/WCA/AVISA)
• Development and promotion of postharvest technologies for processing of
sorghum, millet and groundnut-based products for income generation and
household nutrition in WCA (RP WCA)
• Evaluation, design and promotion of Small and medium scale production
and post-harvest mechanization (RP WCA)
• Postharvest and aflatoxin management (RP WCA/ Asia)

18. Flagship 5: Improving Human Health
• Employing soil microbiome for enhanced crop productivity & environmental
sustainability in India and Africa (RP GG/Systems Biology)
• Deciphering gut microbiome structure in response to dietary intervention in
undernourished children under 5 for enhanced nutrient uptake (RP GG/Systems
Biology)
• Assessing the role of diet to improve gut microbiome function in aiding iron
absorption in anaemic adolescent girls (RP GG/Systems Biology)
• Studying the role of millets in gut microbial composition of patients with
Inflammatory bowel disease (RP GG/Systems Biology)
• Evaluating the effect of dietary fiber from ICRISAT crops on gut microbiome in
intra-uterine growth retardation and chronic undernutrition in susceptible mothers
and their newborns in Africa and India (RP GG/Systems Biology)
• Understanding alterations in nutritional status and gut microbiome health in
aflatoxin endemic regions of ESA and WCA with aflatoxin free groundnut
(RP GG/Systems Biology)

19. Action plan
• Request all colleagues to send the info, if missing
• Participate in the meeting on Thursday, 7 February 2018, 12:30 - 13:30 (working
lunch), PTTC
• ICRISAT’s offer to A4NH
• ICRISAT’s anticipated returns
• Coordination and leadership (within ICRISAT, across CRPs, with A4NH)
• Follow up with CRP A4NH
Hope for the best!!!

20. Thank You