Silent revolution sweeps across semi-arid regions
CHIRANTAN CHATTERJEE / ETIG
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ SATURDAY, DECEMBER 06, 2003 06:38:41 AM ]

According to official data, out of the 495 farmers who ended their lives during the last two years, 385 were from Andhra Pradesh as on January 2003.

While severe conditions in the semi arid tropical regions (SAT) of South India had ruined their lives an international research facility with its headquarters at Patancheru, some 30 kms from Hyderabad , is bringing back smiles to their faces yet again.

The International Crop Research Institute for Semi Arid Tropics(SAT) a part of the global consortium CGIAR (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research) has managed to add another global first to its kitty of improved crops thus bringing about a silent revolution in these regions.

Some three weeks back, a team of scientists led by KK Sharma at the Genetic Transformation Laboratory of ICRISAT developed a genetically modified transgenic pigeon pea resistant to the insect pest pod borer or the Helicoverpa armigera, one of the most lethal crop destroyers across the world. Field trials were also done with permission from the department of biotechnology, government of India .

According to ICRISAT director general William Dar, This is an important step that addresses the specific needs of the resource-poor farmers of the semi-arid tropics through an effective biotechnological intervention. Pigeonpea is an important crop that supports the livelihoods of the farm families living in these rains fed areas. The pod borer caused 50% of pest-induced losses for all crops in India during 1997/98 cropping season. It attacks more than 200 kinds of crops accounting for losses to the extent of $ 2 billion every year worldwide.

Besides improved varieties of pigeon pea, ICRISAT has also embarked on developing biopesticides like NPV to combat the pod borer. With costs of $3.40 per hectare for NPV compared to costs of traditional insecticide at $17 per hectare, NPV is a very effective economic alternative, more so because it doesn’t affect human health. It is estimated that the crop losses cost the country $475 million, despite the use of insecticides worth $211 million.

Besides pigeon pea ICRISAT has also introduced an improved chickpea that can be harvested over a short duration and are fusarium wilt-resistant. With the introduction of high yield varieties like ICCV 2, ICCC 10 and ICCC 37 chickpea cultivation in AP has spread to an area of 146000 ha in 1999 from 60000 ha in 1990 a rise of almost 140% with production rising by 120% to 130 000 t from 57 000 t during the same period (the latest available data made available by ICRISAT).

Traditionally chickpea is not a very important pulse crop in this region. Yet ICRISAT has managed to convince farmers to convert into chick-pea cultivation which we view as a Silent Revolution, says M M Sharma, media officer at ICRISAT. And this not only because of the drought resistant varieties it has introduced but also because of the intercropping that improved crops allow as shown by ICRISAT’s research and field trials. Across other states in Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat and Maharashtra too ICRISAT’s improved pearl millets and work on its other mandate crops of sorghum and groundnuts have seen impressive adoption rates and its genetically modified crops have had impressive internal rates of returns.