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Land degradation in the drylands - Models to help smallholder farmers cope

  1. Land degradation in the drylands Models to help smallholder farmers cope Dr William D Dar Director General ICRISAT
  2. Drylands: Calling urgent attention • Home for > 2 m people • Prone to severe land degradation – 12 m ha-1 y-1 lost • Water scarcity and low crop yields • Huge untapped potential • Increasing human pressure to produce more
  3. Drylands: Huge untapped potential  Current farmers’ yields are lower by 2 to 5 folds than the achievable yields  Vast potential of rainfed agriculture needs to be harnessed 0 2 4 6 8 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 Yield(tha-1) Year BW1 BW4 Rate of growth Rate of growth 20 kg ha-1 y-1 Carrying Capacity 27.2 personsha-1 Carrying Capacity 4.8 persons ha-1 Observed potential yield
  4. Large yield gaps to be bridged Examples of observed yield gap (for major grains) between farmers’ yields and achievable yields (100% denotes achievable yield level, and columns actual observed yield levels). (after Rockström et al., 2007).
  5. Drylands: Calling urgent action on humanitarian grounds • Harness the untapped potential • Science-led climate smart agriculture • Holistic and participatory local solutions for global problems • Actions are needed at all levels
  6. Diversifying systems with climate smart crops • Climate smart crops like nutritious cereals • High temperature tolerant short-duration cultivars – Pearl millet – Sorghum – Finger millet
  7. Legumes as soil health and human nutrition builders • Legumes fix nitrogen biologically • Build organic carbon • Provide nutritious protein for people and animals • Legumes can revolutionize drylands
  8. Promoting dryland crops • Source of micronutrients like Fe • Low glycemic index • Low water requiring climate smart crop • Dryland – dinner with millet-based food – Join us and be a change agent
  9. Smartfood: Good for you, good for the planet • Dryland cereals and legumes are healthy, with low water footprint • Millet is a major dryland cereal and consumed as flat breads, noodles, steamed grains, healthy snacks, cakes and biscuits • A billion people consume these in different forms • Nutrient dense e.g., finger millet –a rich source of Ca (344 mg Ca per 100 g) – 3x more than milk • Investing in millet and improving their value will help dryland farmers and the planet
  10. Integrated watershed management: Entry point for sustainable development • Improved productivity livelihoods and sustainability • Diversified sources of livelihoods • Built resilience of the community and systems
  11. Scaling-up for impacts Bhoochetana (Land Rejuvenation) Despite poor rains in 2011, 3 million farmers saw their yields increase by up to 66%, bringing extra profits of $130 million. Dr Suhas Wani who is in-charge of these two programmes will discuss this in more detail tomorrow. • Soil health diagnosis as an entry point • Holistic approach from diagnosis – delivery system inputs availability • Regular and rigoruous monitoring and evaluation • Minimized land degradation
  12. Bhoochetana
  13. Sustainable land management on global agenda • Enhance awareness amongst different stakeholders (farmers – policymakers and local to global levels • Scaling-up for impacts? • Campaign to rejuvenate degraded lands: Bhoochetana • The Economics of Land Degradation Initiative is crucial • Improved and sustained ecosystems
  14. ICRISAT is a member of the CGIAR Consortium We can and we must make the difference. Thank you!
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