Wheat
ACTIVITIES
EXPLORE
ON-FARM for wheat-based
cropping systems
EXPLORE
ON-FARM is a methodology developed by AGPC for improving
sustainable productivity of wheat-based systems through: i) increasing
understanding of the crop and local environment and how they interact;
ii) improving management of cropping systems and thus, sustainable
yield; and iii) increasing diversification. It proposes on-farm
trials and training for facilitators and farmers working as equal
partners. It is a dynamic process in which local reference values
(checkmarks) are obtained through on-farm research and are used
to detect potential areas for improvement. The trials are not
fixed recipes with fixed ingredients but conceptual recipes that
encourage understanding and modifications in order to address
local needs and circumstances.
EXPLORE
ON-FARM requires full participation and interaction of
farmers and facilitators (researchers, extensionists, farmers,
NGOs) to carry out the experiments. It proposes, when possible,
to work with communities or groups of farmers. Apart from the
trials, training of farmers and facilitators according to local
needs is also required.
A
first draft of specific guidelines for on-farm adaptation trials
in rainfed systems is available. The guidelines are a set of pamphlets
each addressing an agronomic aspect:
• Why do any of your research on-farm?
HM Rawson
http://www.ecoport.org/EP.exe$PassCheckStart?ID=E165
• Constraints to cereal-based rainfed cropping in
Mediterranean environments and methods to measure and minimize
their effects
H Gómez Macpherson, AF van Herwaarden, HM Rawson
http://www.ecoport.org/EP.exe$PassCheckStart?ID=E164
• Designing and doing wheat trials to get the best
combinations of variety and sowing date on a farm
HM Rawson
http://www.ecoport.org/EP.exe$PassCheckStart?ID=E157
• Optimizing plant population, seedling emergence
and crop establishment on the farm
WK Anderson
http://www.ecoport.org/EP.exe$PassCheckStart?ID=E163
• Optimizing nitrogen use on the farm
AF van Herwaarden
http://www.ecoport.org/EP.exe$PassCheckStart?ID=E161
• What is the best cropping sequence for the farm?
JA Kirkegaard
http://www.ecoport.org/EP.exe$PassCheckStart?ID=E160
• Suitable methods of tillage for the farm
KJ Bligh
http://www.ecoport.org/EP.exe$PassCheckStart?ID=E159
In
collaboration with CIMMYT
and local wheat agronomists, EXPLORE ON-FARM
is being adapted to conditions in Central Asia. Guidelines for
on-farm trials are available in English and Russian.
EXPLORE ON-FARM is being used in the FAO TCP project
“Intensification of sustainable production of wheat and
rice-wheat systems in Bangladesh” (September 2003 - May
2005).
Rice-wheat
Systems in South Asia
The rice-wheat
production system of South Asia is one of the world's principal
agricultural production systems. It provides food, income, and
employment to over 200 million rural and urban producers and consumers
in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan, about 50 million of
who are the very poor and rely on rice-wheat systems for their
subsistence.
The development
and dissemination of solutions to problems is crucial for the
improvement of the rice-wheat systems. Recently, the Rice-Wheat
Consortium for the Indo-Gangetic Plains
(RWC) has looked after the development of technologies that can
help to alleviate major limitations to the system. The elements
of these technologies include the direct sowing of wheat, permanent
bed planting, wheat surface seeding, appropriate varieties for
each system, rice seedling broadcast techniques, dry seeded rice
establishment and crop residue management. The FFCG is collaborating
with the RWC in defining how to accelerate the adoption of these
technologies in other zones of the Plains.
In Bangladesh,
the FAO TCP project “Intensification of sustainable production
of wheat and rice-wheat systems in Bangladesh”, starting
in September 2003, has three main pillars:
• “training of trainers”: tools and knowledge
will be provided to trainers to facilitate communication with
farmers and the examination of different RWC technologies;
• these alternatives are explored through a simplified version
of a Farmers Field School in which knowledge about the crop and
its interaction with technologies (e.g. 0-tillage) and environment
is built up;
• farmers, local manufacturers, extension agents and researchers
and NGO staff are expected to participate.
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In collaboration
with AGPP and Haryana University, a Regional Workshop on
"Rice-wheat Cropping Systems, emerging weed problems”
was organized during 14 to 17 March 2003 at the Haryana University,
Hisar, India.
The workshop focused on present problems in South Asia and the new
achievements of Indian scientists in the implementation of weed-control
measures, which have significantly reduced the proliferation of
troublesome weeds, such as Phalaris minor. Two documents have been
prepared during the meeting: i) "Rice-Wheat Systems: Weed-Related
Problems", which will cover existing and emerging problems
in rice-wheat systems; and ii) "Guidelines for Minimizing Weed-Related
Problems in Rice-Wheat Systems", which will describe how to
confront these problems.
Organic wheat
production
The report “Considerations
for conversion to organic production for wheat based farming systems”
(J Emmens, April 2003) is now available. The report gives a general
overview on the knowledge and information available on organic
wheat production in terms of major producers; size of production
and trade; and, main supporting structures in terms of research,
extension and marketing is now available. The second chapter of
this report discusses the information available on production,
trade and marketing of organic wheat. The third chapter discusses
general information on organic production, relevant when considering
organic wheat production combined with an overview on and links
to technical/cropping information available on organic wheat production.
Sustainability of wheat based organic farming systems is discussed
and found to be dependent balance between environmentally sound
farm management practices on the one side and farm economics on
the other.
The report includes
also:
• Resources on organic (grain) markets and marketing
• Links to international certification standards
• An extensive literature review on organic cultivation
and organic wheat cultivation including links to internet sites.
Breeding in
difficult environments
The FFC group
is supporting some activities related to Participatory Breeding/Research
where breeders, extensionists and farmers work closely and taking
into consideration the local material and knowledge. It is expected
that descentralized and participatory breeding/research will result
in improved local crops, increased genetic base-broadening, increased
crop diversification and the development of under-utilized crops.
The monograph
on “Genotype x environment interactions:
challenges and opportunities for plant breeding and cultivar recommendations”
has been published recently. Genotype x environment interactions,
leading to inconsistency of best-yielding material across cropping
environments, challenges plant breeders and complicates cultivar
recommendation. However, it may also offer opportunities, e.g.
raising yields through material specifically adapted to a given
area or crop management practice, or limiting yield reduction
in unfavourable years through the cultivation of stable-yielding
material. Besides providing general background information, this
publication shows how to exploit multi-environment yield trial
data for the definition of adaptation strategies and yield stability
targets in breeding programmes and in order to optimize cultivar
recommendations. The monograph presents a case study on
“Durum Wheat in Algeria”. Information on
useful software for data analysis is provided throughout the book,
with special emphasis on IRRISTAT, a programme developed by the
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI),
provided on the accompanying CD-ROM.
