Nineteenth Annual Report Centre for Research on Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development, Chennai
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2008-2009 NINETEENTH ANNUAL REPORT CENTRE FOR RESEARCH ON SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT, CHENNAI Address: M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation III Cross Road Institutional Area Taramani Chennai 600 113, India Front Cover Back Cover Nineteenth Annual Report 2008-2009 M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation Centre for Research on Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development Chennai, India M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation Centre for Research on Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development Third Cross Road, Institutional Area Taramani, Chennai 600 113 India Telephone : +91 (44) 22541229 +91 (44) 22541698 Fax : +91 (44) 22541319 Email : [email protected]; [email protected] Visit us at http://www.mssrf.org Printed at : AMM Screens Citation : Nineteenth Annual Report: 2008-2009 M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai 600 113 Contents Chairman’s Introduction ............................................................. 004 Programme Area 100 Coastal Systems Research ......................................................... 009 Programme Area 200 Biodiversity .................................................................................. 034 Programme Area 300 Biotechnology .............................................................................. 078 Programme Area 400 Ecotechnology ............................................................................. 102 Programme Area 500 Food Security ............................................................................... 139 Programme Area 600 Information, Education and Communication ............................ 160 Publications ................................................................................. 182 About the Foundation ................................................................. 200 The Foundation Staff ................................................................... 206 List of Donors .............................................................................. 219 Sources of Project Support ......................................................... 221 List of Acronyms .......................................................................... 225 Financial Statement...................................................................... 230 Chairman’s Introduction MSSRF completed 20 years of institutional life creation of multiple livelihood opportunities in 2008. This occasion was utilised to launch through biovillages have all yielded results thorough programme and management reviews of considerable applied and theoretical designed to assess how far the original mission significance. of imparting a pro-nature, pro-poor, pro-woman and pro-sustainable livelihood orientation to The Programme Review Team concluded as technology development and dissemination below: has been converted into accomplishments at “MSSRF is a unique non-governmental the field level. The Management Review was organisation, combining modern science and undertaken by Krysalis Consultancy Private action research, working with society using Limited, involving a team headed by Mr. C community organisations and individuals Venugopal, Managing Director and Chief while also using their traditional knowledge. Executive Officer. The Programme Review was Thus MSSRF has no parallels in its entirety. Its carried out by Professor Uma Lele, Development activity and influence have a broad reach and the Economist and formerly Senior Advisor, the Institution has established substantial credibility World Bank, and Ms. Kavita Gandhi, Regional in specific areas ranging from the global to the Manager, Oxfam, India. The reviews were local levels.” carried out in a participatory manner with the active involvement of MSSRF management, The Management Review team pointed out that scientists and scholars. The following are a few “MSSRF had won several accolades over the highlights of these reports. years for its meritorious work and is perhaps one of the very few non-government science Both reviews have underlined the need for and society institutions in the country which strengthening the financial foundation of the has linked science and society in a symbiotic institution, in order to ensure the sustainability manner. Having said this, the team felt that there of the programmes in the years to come. They appears to a be a feeling among the leadership have reaffirmed the contemporary relevance team and others that MSSRF, while having of MSSRF’s research and outreach strategies, delivered path-breaking solutions on the one particularly in the context of potential adverse hand, has not performed to its full potential changes in temperature, precipitation and sea taking into account the tremendous brand level arising from climate change. Anticipatory equity of its Chairman and the competence research for adapting to climate change has of its scientific team. While there have been resulted in the development of novel genetic examples of very good work at the individual combinations possessing tolerance to salinity level, collectively the Foundation could have and drought, as well as in the conservation of performed much better.” underutilised crops and mangrove wetlands. Participatory research involving scientist-farm/ Both reviews have made valuable suggestions tribal family partnerships in the conservation for maximising the scientific and social strengths of biodiversity, promotion of community of MSSRF, and for minimising its weaknesses, food, seed and water security systems, and particularly in the field of team work. The 4 CH air M A N’ S I N tr O D U cti ON recommendations were considered in detail by Saviour and Breed Saviour Awards for the MSSRF Trustees and Staff in February 2009 recognising and rewarding the invaluable and steps have been taken to take MSSRF to new contributions of tribal and rural women and heights of excellence, both in the fields of science men in the area of genetic resources conservation and in taking science to society. Our sincere and enhancement in plants and animals. gratitude goes to Professor Uma Lele and Ms. Technical support was given to the Ministry Kavita Gandhi as well as to Mr. C. Venugopal of Water Resources, Government of India, and his colleagues for their in-depth study of the in initiating a Farmer Participatory Action programmes and management culture of MSSRF Research Programme to test and promote water and for showing us the way forward. conservation and management technologies leading to more crop and income per drop A Committee of the Board of Trustees consisting of water. Assistance was also given to the of Dr. Vijay Mahajan, Chair, Dr. Tushaar Shah Government of India on the steps needed to and Mr. K. Rajiv examined the reports of the alleviate agrarian distress in the Allapuzha and Management and Programme Review Teams Idukki districts of Kerala. and developed an implementation plan. This was later approved by the Board of Trustees of Partnership with the private sector led to MSSRF. My gratitude goes to all Trustees for the installation of solar street lamps in the the time they so generously spared for getting tribal villages of Koraput district, Orissa, and the review process organised in a meaningful in the establishment of a Capacity Building manner and for spelling out the way to prompt Centre for tribal families at the Biju Patnaik follow-up action. Medicinal Plant Garden and Research Centre at Jeypore, Koraput district. The partner in this From the beginning, MSSRF has been working at adventure in taking science to tribal areas is the two levels: at the grass-root level to test the social Mitsubishi Corporation, which has extended acceptability and sustainability of technological generous assistance under its Corporate Social interventions, and at the policy makers’ level Responsibility programme. for scaling up desirable technological and management innovations. The grass-root level A major initiative in the field of education for partnerships have shown how to create an sustainable development is the partnership with economic stake in conservation, how to develop the Indira Gandhi National Open University in participatory watershed management, and organising courses in the field of sustainability how to promote sustainable self-help groups science. The first course was initiated on of both women and men small farmers through 19 November 2008 and three courses have backward linkages with technology and credit so far been held. Under this series, there and forward linkage with markets. will be courses on topics like Nutrition and Sustainable Development, Biodiversity and Partnership with policy makers has led to the Sustainable Development, Population and development of the Protection of Plant Varieties Sustainable Development, and Water Security and Farmers’ Rights Act, the Biodiversity and Sustainable Development. In addition, Act, the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority there will be courses based on the principle Act, Integrated Coastal Zone Management of Action Education, i.e., education based on procedures, and the institution of Genome field level action and experience. Courses on 5 A NNU A L R E P O RT 2008 - 2009 the sustainable management of the Kuttanad over India by the Department of Biotechnology, Wetlands in Kerala which is a Ramsar site, and Government of India. The Concept of Ever- water security in Meghalaya (particularly in green Revolution developed by MSSRF (ie, the Sohra or Cherrapunji area) will be based increase in productivity in perpetuity without on field level action