The CGIAR Research Program on Dryland Cereals aims to improve livelihoods of smallholder farmers in dryland regions of Africa and Asia through crop improvement, management, and market access solutions for dryland cereals like barley, finger millet, pearl millet, and sorghum. The program develops improved varieties and agricultural practices, increases access to information, and addresses policy constraints to promote increased and stable access to dryland cereals, reduced rural poverty and improved nutrition. Research outcomes to date include higher yielding and more nutritious varieties, as well as increased incomes and food security for thousands of farmers.

1. CGIAR is a global research partnership for a food secure future
Dryland Cereals
Value for Money Proposition
Theory of change
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Increased and
stable access to
dryland cereals
Behavioral Change
Improved/diverse varieties grown
Good agronomic practices used
Increased produce marketed
Quality seed produced and made available
Advanced research technologies used
Up-to-date data used in policy decisions
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Reduced
Rural Poverty
Increased
consumption and
nutrition from
dryland cereals
Enhanced
Environmental
Sustainability
Increased
resilience to
environmental
variability
Increased and
more equitable
income
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RESEARCH
OUTCOMES
Improved varieties
Management packages
Publicly available datasets and information
Phenotyping protocols
Trained people
Improved infrastructure
Seed production and delivery practices
Post-harvest processing technologies
Training modules
=
+
Nutrition
Enhanced
Environmental
Sustainability
The high-iron pearl millet variety, ICTP 8203Fe,
with 71 ppm of Fe density and 2.21 t/ha of
grain yield, was released as Dhanshakti in
Maharashtra, India, early this year.
Fertilizer micro-dosing in finger millet was recommended to
farmers in East and Southern Africa, based on the results that
micro-dosing at a rate of 20 kg nitrogen per hectare, increases
grain yields by 20-40%.
Lessons
Opportunities
The CGIAR Research Program on Dryland Cereals contributes to the improvement
of livelihoods of smallholder farmers in the dryland regions of Africa and Asia,
through the development and deployment of solutions for crop improvement, crop
management, post-harvest technologies and market access for dryland cereal crops,
including barley, finger millet, pearl millet and sorghum.
IMPACT
ON SLOs
in TARGET
COUNTRIES
Income
Capacity Change
Location/enduse-specific varieties/hybrids
Increased access to information
Improved marketing skills
Improved research efficiency
Increased awareness of nutrition/health
Better preparedness for climate change
Research proposition
DRYLAND
CEREALS
VALUE FOR
MONEY
Food Security
Average grain yields of 33,000 farmers growing postrainy season
sorghum in Maharashtra, India, increased by 40% and fodder
yields by 20% since 2010. Net farm income increased by US$78
per hectare of sorghum grown.
RESEARCH OUTPUTS
Improved
Nutrition &
Health
Improved
Food Security
Improved
productivity of
dryland cereal
farming systems
Results
SPILL-OVER
POTENTIAL to
NON-TARGET
COUNTRIES
+
Sorghum
IMPACT on
NEW and
EMERGING
END USES
Feed & Fodder
1. The absence of good seed systems in the target regions is the most severe limitation
to adoption of improved varieties.
2. Policy-induced constraints in seed exchange between countries (some, not all) limits
research progress and the ability to test varieties under multiple environments.
1. New end uses including
feed, health food,
nutraceuticals, biofuel.
2. New genomic technologies
+ significant genetic
diversity = significant
and accelerated crop
improvement opportunities
Partners and stakeholders
• Partner Involvement
in Management and Oversight of CRP
• Steering Committee membership
• Research Management Team Membership
• Flagship Project (Product Line) Coordinators
>70
Programs in
Africa & Asia
Millets
Barley
15
Advanced
Research Institutes
20
NGOs, CSOs
& Farmer
Organizations
30
Private Sector
Companies
Health Food &
Nutraceuticals
Gender
Objectives:
(1) improving gender balance in accessing inputs and resources
(2) crop improvement for increased whole-plant value and nutrition
(3) increased benefit from new end uses and business opportunities
Kouli Djibo, a millet producer in Falwel, Niger says: “Before,
I could barely get 50 sheaves of millet. But thanks to the
knowledge I acquired during field schools and testing
trials, I am now able to harvest 100-120 millet sheaves per
hectare.”
LED BY
Science with a human face
Key contacts
Shoba Sivasankar, Director
Chanda Goodrich, Principal Scientist – Empower Women
Satish Nagaraji, Communication Manager
IN
PARTNERSHIP
WITH
and public and private
institutes and organizations,
governments, and farmers
worldwide
(s.sivasankar@cgiar.org)
(c.goodrich@cgiar.org)
(n.satish@cgiar.org)
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October 2013