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.
