ICRISAT Annual Report 2019 In Focus: Special lift out on Modernizing Breeding ICRISAT Annual 2019 In Focus: Special lift out on Modernizing Breeding ICRISAT appreciates the support of CGIAR investors to help overcome poverty, malnutrition and environmental degradation in the harshest dryland regions of the world. See www.icrisat.org/funders/ for full list of funders. We think of them as visionary funders — far-sighted governments, development banks, foundations, charitable organizations, private sector companies, and individuals. who recognize that the elimination of poverty is the key to a peaceful world with food security and prosperity for all. Citation: ICRISAT Annual Report 2019. 2020. International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics. Patancheru 502 324, Telangana, India. 32 pp. Photo credit: Front Cover: Photo: S Punna, ICRISAT © International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), 2020. All rights reserved. ICRISAT holds the copyright to its publications, but these can be shared and duplicated for non-commercial purposes. Permission to make digital or hard copies of part(s) or all of any publication for non-commercial use is hereby granted as long as ICRISAT is properly cited. For any clarification, please contact the Director of Communication at [email protected]. ICRISAT’s name and logo are registered trademarks and may not be used without permission. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice. Photo: Liam Wright, ICRISAT Message from the Board Chair Message from the Contents Given our ever-changing global needs, ICRISAT continues to work along value chains of its mandate crops. Team Director General Research Highlights - Quick Stats iv ICRISAT and its partners are ever eager to constantly improve in breeding climate-proof nutritious crops that Sustainable, productive In West and Central Africa 2 contributes to wellbeing in the drylands. and impactful – that In Eastern and Southern Africa 4 I am pleased to see that our valuable partnerships in is what I would want the various sectors accomplished many a milestone ICRISAT’s work to be In Asia 6 in the year. We have launched the world’s first fully automated system over the next years for plot monitoring called agCelerant that provides climate solutions and to be able to Modernizing breeding 9 for Nigerian Agriculture. In Asia, crop cycle was reduced by half in semi- achieve the Sustainable controlled greenhouse conditions through rapid generation advancement Development Goals in the semi-arid tropics Vision, Mission and Approach 17 of chickpea. In Eastern and Southern Africa, the Malawi Seed Industry by 2030. It is going to be a tough challenge Development Project recorded significant impacts through nutrition- but I think we can contribute in a big way Genetic Gains 18 towards achieving them. Leadership, vision sensitive multi-sectoral interventions. We have set up advanced regional Innovation Systems for the Drylands 20 breeding hubs in India, Mali and Zimbabwe. We are focused on operating and commitment are vital. In order to succeed, we need a good strategy to allow efficient and agile breeding programs with the use of modern technology. Grain Legumes and Dryland Cereals 22 Thanks to all our partners for making this happen. ICRISAT to position itself in this changing world with One CGIAR and the COVID-19 Smart Food 24 Positively looking at the future of ICRISAT and the CGIAR, we are hopeful and taking precedence over other issues. enthusiastic about the aspiration of the system to enhance the focus and re-liven the impact of research. We are keen to contribute and collaborate I have been looking through the Annual Communications at a glance 25 with our stakeholders to make consistent greater impact in the drylands. Report 2019 and I am sure you are all proud of the Research for Development Our staff 27 The Governing Board of ICRISAT reiterates its commitment to responsible impacts in there – reaching millions of governance from policy making to implementation to deliver our mission. farmers, millions of hectares, new varieties, Projects 28 Dr Paco Sereme numerous countries, thousands of tons of ICRISAT Governing Board Chair certified seed and production of millions of tons of grain. The impacts in genomics, watersheds, agronomy, digital agriculture, Message from the Former Director General genebank, nutrition and food systems are impressive. Breeding is a huge part of our I have faith in investment in agriculture research work and we need to build and improve leading to some optimism as we look forward to the the current rate of modernization. We st next part of the 21 century. ICRISAT for 48 years has need to bring in all those modern tools delivered varieties and hybrids to farmers and seed out there in all areas – mechanization, companies with great success, but we cannot continue digitalization and data management. to operate as we have. ICRISAT is doing a wonderful job and we In 2019, we launched our modernization program and crop improvement need to keep building on that. As we move supported by key donors. Product profiles are key to all our crops, defining into the future, our key drivers would be what the market wants and that defines the priorities of the breeding productivity, teamwork, partnerships, programs in three regional crop improvement hubs in Hyderabad, excellence, resources and opportunities. Bulawayo and Bamako. The hubs will have improved facilities, improved Our world is never going to be the same seed processing and grading systems. We will have rapid generation again with two imperatives that shape advancement so that breeding cycles are much shorter. We are digitalizing our future work environment. These are all data collections. We want to measure the genetic gains in our crops and new situations; nonetheless they are great make sure there is varietal turnover in farmers’ fields that shows significant opportunities to bring about change. We impact from the upstream research we do through the breeding programs need to be adaptable and we need to have and seed system delivery into farmers’ fields. resilience in this new normal that we are We have achieved much in 2019 – this Annual Report has the details – and going to encounter as we move forwards. I look to 2020 as a year of continued delivery of impacts and achievements for ICRISAT and its many stakeholders. Dr Jacqueline d'Arros Hughes A wild species of pearl millet shot at Dr Peter Carberry Director General, ICRISAT ICRISAT glasshouse in Hyderabad. Former Director General, ICRISAT Photo: S Punna, ICRISAT ICRISAT ICRISAT ii Annual Report 2019 Annual Report 2019 v Research Highlights - Quick Stats CROP IMPROVEMENT * SEED PRODUCTION* Variety releases Seed shared with farmer groups, NARS# and NGOs WORK ACROSS THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS* world without hunger is what 19 Varieties 6 Countries 6 Crops 64 tons breeder seed 8,729 tons certified seed A ICRISAT envisions. With an ever- In 2019, we worked with over 163 partners from 27 countries increasing population, the year 2019 to contribute to 16 SDGs 5,996 tons 1,397 tons Tanzania saw us pursue this vision with greater 1 foundation seed QDS/truthfully labelled 11 14 vigor. Mainstreaming nutrition and Kenya 2 2 6 * modernizing the breeding program 9 DIGITAL AGRICULTURE 7 15 Mozambique 3 were top priorities even as we roped farmers reached in the best of genomic and digital 4 Zambia 1 110,362,150 through 22 digital initiatives 13 12 technologies to increase efficiencies 10 Ethiopia 3 * and deliver improved farmer-preferred AGRI-FOOD SYSTEMS varieties in half the time. Landscape 8 5 17 India Soil management reach restoration adopting a holistic approach 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 Direct area that spans the entire agriculture ~6,099,448 ha (9 countries in Asia and Africa) value chain has shown great impact 3 in improving food security, incomes Varieties in National Performance Trials 1 Watershed coverage (India, Ethiopia, Mali) and climate resilience of farmers. Our ZERO germplasm/breeding 2 HUNGER 336 Direct area Spillover partnerships with governments, the lines/experimental hybrids public and private sectors, NGOs, NARS ~117,955 ha ~193,524 ha and CGIAR partners have helped reap GENEBANK the impacts showcased in this report. GENOME SEQUENCED accessions prepared in seed Decoded genome sequences Dr Kiran K Sharma 2,840 15,000 2019 were deposited at Svalbard samples distributed for two subspecies of Deputy Director General-Research, Global Seed Vault in early 2020 in 15 countries cultivated groundnut ICRISAT # National Agricultural Research Systems; * Figures sourced from MEASURE Growing incomes, nutrition, resilience and gender equality Livelihoods Nutrition Environment & Climate Gender Doubled yields, doubled incomes Agronomy and market traits Biofortification and culinary traits Digital technologies: Launched the world’s first fully What women farmers want** for released varieties High iron and zinc • Pilot watershed projects in India automated system for plot monitoring called agCelerant that • Insights were generated on gendered seed 1. High grain yield High iron and zinc and Ethiopia show how farmers’ provides climate solutions for Nigerian Agriculture. knowledge, access and use in Uganda. incomes can be doubled with 2. Early maturity Calcium, iron and zinc The Meghdoot App, an ICT-enabled climate tool developed landscape restoration and the use 3. Abiotic stress tolerance • GENDER Platform focuses on transforming food Protein for the Indian government had >50,000 downloads. of improved varieties. 4. Biotic stress tolerance systems for gender equality in a climate crisis. Digestibility, protein 5. Nutrition Fewer hunger months: Reliance on food aid halves in a • Gender-responsive Plant Participatory Breeding • High-yielding and machine- Ghanaian climate-smart village and Ethiopian watersheds. harvestable chickpea variety tested 6. Grain/pod size High oleic, protein Programs initiated in Africa. on Indian farms results in tripled 7. Ethanol, biomass, others Smart Food study shows significant Scaling up technologies: Watersheds in Africa and India • South-South collaborations in agribusiness: yields and savings on labor costs.