Land degradation in the drylandsModels to help smallholder farmers cope

Dr William D DarDirector General ICRISAT

Drylands: Calling urgent attention

• Home for > 2 m people• Prone to severe land degradation – 12 m ha-1 y-1 lost• Water scarcity and low crop yields• Huge untapped potential• Increasing human pressure to produce more

Drylands: Huge untapped potential

Current farmers’ yields are lower by 2 to 5 folds than the achievable yields

Vast potential of rainfed agriculture needs to be harnessed

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1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012

Yie

ld (

t h

a-1)

Year

BW1

BW4

Rate of growth

Rate of growth20 kg ha-1 y-1

Carrying Capacity27.2 persons ha-1

Carrying Capacity4.8 persons ha-1

Observed potential yield

Large yield gaps to be bridgedExamples of observed yield gap (for major grains) between farmers’ yields and achievable yields (100% denotes achievable yield level, and columns actual observed yield levels).

(after Rockström et al., 2007).

Drylands: Calling urgent action on humanitarian grounds

• Harness the untapped potential • Science-led climate smart agriculture• Holistic and participatory local

solutions for global problems• Actions are needed at all levels

Diversifying systems with climate smart crops

• Climate smart crops like nutritious cereals

• High temperature tolerant short-duration cultivars– Pearl millet– Sorghum– Finger millet

Legumes as soil health and human nutrition builders

• Legumes fix nitrogen biologically• Build organic carbon• Provide nutritious protein for

people and animals• Legumes can revolutionize

drylands

Promoting dryland crops• Source of micronutrients like Fe• Low glycemic index• Low water requiring climate smart crop• Dryland – dinner with millet-based food – Join us

and be a change agent

Smartfood:Good for you, good for the planet

• Dryland cereals and legumes are healthy, with low water footprint

• Millet is a major dryland cereal and consumed as flat breads, noodles, steamed grains, healthy snacks, cakes and biscuits

• A billion people consume these in different forms

• Nutrient dense e.g., finger millet –a rich source of Ca (344 mg Ca per 100 g) – 3x more than milk

• Investing in millet and improving their value will help dryland farmers and the planet

Integrated watershed management: Entry point for sustainable development

• Improved productivity livelihoods and sustainability• Diversified sources of livelihoods• Built resilience of the community and systems

Scaling-up for impactsBhoochetana (Land Rejuvenation)

Despite poor rains in 2011, 3 million farmers saw their yields increase by up to 66%, bringing extra profits of $130 million. Dr Suhas Wani who is in-charge of these two programmes will discuss this in more detail tomorrow.

• Soil health diagnosis as an entry point

• Holistic approach from diagnosis – delivery system inputs availability

• Regular and rigoruous monitoring and evaluation

• Minimized land degradation

Bhoochetana

Sustainable land management on global agenda • Enhance awareness amongst

different stakeholders (farmers – policymakers and local to global levels

• Scaling-up for impacts?• Campaign to rejuvenate

degraded lands: Bhoochetana• The Economics of Land

Degradation Initiative is crucial • Improved and sustained

ecosystems

ICRISAT is a member of the CGIAR Consortium

We can and we must make the difference.

Thank you!