progress, lessons & challenges ahead-anthony whitbread

Photo : Amare Haileslassie ICRISAT/ILRI

Science and implementation of the SA Dryland System: Progress, Lessons &

Challenges AheadHaileslassie, Whitbread, Krishna, Wani

Science & implementation workshop/Amman (30/06-4/07/14)

Topics of Presentation

—Location and characteristics of the action sites

—What do we want to achieve ?

—Key research questions, methods, scales and partners

—Synopsis of activities implemented and emerging issues

—Lessons and Challenges

Location and characteristics of the action sites

— Agro pastoral systems

— Irrigation systems

— Tree based systems

— Intensive rainfed systems


—Rainfall gradients ~600-150mm

—Diversity in soil and thus the soil-water dynamics influencing agricultural practices (sand- clay texture)

—Extensive & intensive and farming systems

—Systems undergoing rapid changes (e.g. migration, non-farm employment)




—Yield instability (Anantapur) and high CV (Rajastahn)

—Changes in the structures of farming systems (e.g. livestock species, land holding size)

—Production systems and livelihoods in transition: how can we support?

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What we want to achieve & research questions

— Generating knowledge on the present performances of production systems.

— What are structural components of the system and their interactions;

— What are the functional components of the system ( e.g. input levels and types and output level achieved over time); and status of the system (e.g. stability, risk ).

— Improving system performances & associated livelihoods.

— What are farmers livelihood objectives and how it matches with the current level of livelihood outcomes.

— What are the options and scenarios to achieve higher level of performances.

— Trade-off analysis.

— Recommendation domain and out and up scaling.

High Level Activities to address the RQ—Baseline characterization of systems function and structure and ex-ante

impact assessment of selected technologies ( DP, PC)

— Identification, demonstration and validation of promising technologies and diversification options for enhanced productivity & livelihood security (PC, Piloting)

—Gender inclusive capacity strengthening of individuals, community and institutions on knowledge gaps and promising technologies (PC)

—Enabling institutional and policy options for enhanced adoption, resilience and market access for improved livelihoods ( PC)

— Monitoring and evaluation of project interventions and trade offs (DP)

— Effective convergence for out-scaling and larger impacts (SUP)

How we want to do this: partners

—Regional coordinator: ICRISAT

—CGIAR partners: Bioversity, CIP, ICARDA, ICRAF, ILRI, IWMI…. Level of collaboration and integration

—NARS partners: Indian Council Agricultural Research (ICAR), Indian Agricultural Ministries, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), Ministry of Agriculture (Afghanistan)

—Agricultural Universities: University of Agricultural Sciences, Karnataka; Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University, Andhra Pradesh

—National & State-based NGOs: BAIF, GRAVIS, AF-Ecology Center

Scales: 6 Districts, 15 villages, Nested approach

How we want to do this: scales and tools/methods

Tools and methods: Geospatial; Participatory; Empirical, Simulation, Optimization

Activities and Outputs

Emerging issues: a) Livestock holding

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Emerging issues: b) Feed seasonality-Rajasthan

Activities and OutputsEmerging issues: c) Gross income as calculated by expert

Activities and OutputsEmerging issues : d) Sources of livelihoods and trends over the last five years-Rajasthan

Activities and OutputsEmerging issues : e) Relation between different income sources and implications

Key message : how can the different livelihood sources complement each other?


Emerging issues : f) Household vulnerability-Andhra Pradesh (income at Rs. 15,472 and Rs.36,500 per year) plotted against ln (income)


Emerging issues : g) Adaptation strategies


Emerging issues : g) Adaptation strategies… one does not fit all !


Emerging issues : h) Scenarios and their ex-ante impacts

Scenario 2:PL= Rs.42.4/day for Andhra Pradesh, Rs.179.3/day for Karnataka and Rs. 54.9/day for Rajasthan.HI: increased income of the household(21% for Andhra Pradesh, 24% for Karnataka and 19% for Rajasthan due to adaption of improved strategies)

Scenario 4:PL=Rs.100/dayHI: increased income of the household (21% for Andhra Pradesh, 24% for Karnataka and 19% for Rajasthan due to adaption of improved strategies)

Scenario 6:PL=Rs.200/day.HI: increased income of the household (21% for Andhra Pradesh, 24% for Karnataka and 19% for Rajasthan due to adaption of improved strategies)


Emerging issues : j) Land use land cover mapsLand use / Land cover

01. Irrigated-mixedcrops02. Rainfed-mixedcrops03. Rangelands/fallow04. Rangelands/shrublands05. Shrublands/wastelands/trees06. Water bodies07. Builtup landsWatersheds


Emerging issues : k) Composite sustainability index


Emerging issues : l) Composite sustainability index-farm typologies

Sustainability pillars

Farm typologies

1( N=247) 2(N=131) 3(N=84) 4(N=20) 5(N=11)

Economy0.11±0.06a 0.13±0.07b 0.15±0.09c 0.13±0.09ab 0.19±0.16c

Environment0.20±0.06a 0.31±0.05b 0.27±0.08c 0.30±0.05cb 0.27±0.07cb

Social

0.40±0.10a 0.39±0.11a 0.47±0.13b 0.42±0.12a 0.45±0.12a


Emerging issues : l) Composite sustainability index

Activities and OutputsEmerging issues : m) Relation between sustainability index

a) Farm typology 1 Composite indices of sustainability pillarsEconomy Social Environment

Economy 1.00 Social 0.35** 1.00 Environment 0.24** 0.44** 1.00b) Farm typology 2 Economy 1.00 Social 0.136 1.00 Environment -0.25** 0.06 1.00c) Farm typology 3 Economy 1.00 Social 0.43** 1.00 Environment 0.07 0.40** 1.00d) Farm typology 4 Economy 1.00 Social 0.49* 1.00 Environment 0.38* 0.05 1.00e) Farm typology 5 Economy 1.00 Social 0.20 1.00 Environment -0.03 0.01 1.00Overall Economy 1.00 Social 0.34** 1.00 Environment 0.15** 0.284** 1.00


Emerging issues : n) Three dimensional approaches to agricultural biodiversity survey

Activities and OutputsEmerging issues : o) Impacts of improved seed (millet) on grain and biomass yields (>250 farmers system impact?)


Emerging issues : o) Impacts of improved seed (Chickpea) on biomass yields (system impact?)

VarietyGross return

(Rs./ha)

Cost of cultivation

(Rs./ha)

Net return

(Rs./ha)

Benefit: cost ratio

CSJK 6 77120 29430 47690 1.62

CSJK 21 72210 29430 42780 1.45

Local 66976 28680 38296 1.33


Emerging issues : p) widespread deficiencies of plant nutrient ( Ananatapur)

District Village

% of sampled fields deficient in

available nutrients

P K Ca Mg S B Zn Cu Fe Mn

Anantapur Kurlapalli 20 3 43 0 83 77 73 27 3 0

Mallapuram 3 7 60 0 87 87 83 73 3 0

Kurnool V. Bonthiralla 40 7 27 0 100 90 93 27 0 0

Yerraguntla 73 0 3 0 100 40 87 3 0 0


Emerging issues : q) Up scaling

— Partnership building, baseline establishment, piloting…

— Coherent framework for research and development continuum….

— Integration across regions and partners is

needed- ( activities in Pak, India…

— Conceptual framework for regional and global synthesis – regional partners must work but within the global framework

— Common/ understanding on what farm system/farming system/integration are- position paper

Successes and what did not work well



There is no short cut to bring impacts on system related research. It is the result of component integration and interaction: i.e. it is a process and needs enough time to mature.. Differences between impact on components and system needs to be differentiated

— We need to focus

— Finance and man power

Biggest implementation challenges



Thanks for your attention