1. Principal Scientist and Country Representative
ICRISAT and Ethiopia:
Working with partners for prosperous semi-arid tropics
K.P.C. Rao
Principal Scientist and Country Representative

2. ICRISAT Presence and Mandate

3. SAT and SAT crops in Ethiopia
47% of the country’s 113 m ha is semi-arid and dry sub-humid
Total area under ICRISAT mandate crops 2.65 m ha
Average yields are about 1.7 t/ha
Area and yields increased by about 46% during the decade

4. Ethiopia program
Chickpea crop improvement (CRP on grain legumes and TLII project)
Sorghum crop improvement (CRP on dryland cereals and HOPE project)
Sustainable intensification (CRP on dryland systems and Africa raising)
Adapting to climate variability and change (CRP on CCAFS and AgMIP)
Integrated watershed management (CRP on WLE)

5. Activities in Ethiopia

6. Chickpea 24 varieties released in Ethiopia, 16 from ICRISAT selections
Production increased by 150% from 160K (1963) to 400K t (2012)
Productivity increased by 150% from 0.7t/ha to 1.73 t/ha
Area increased by 50% from 154K in 2003 to 231 K ha in 2012
Ethiopian annual exports now valued at $21m

7. Chickpea Breeding Objectives
Enhanced yield potential
Tolerance to terminal drought
Tolerance to reproductive stage heat stress
Resistance to root (fusarium wilt)
Resistance to foliar diseases (ascochyta blight)
Improved seed quality (size, shape and color)
25-28 g 100 seed-1 (low yield)
34-40 g 100 seed-1 (Optimal yields)
>55 g 100 seed-1 (Low yields)

8. Groundnut and Pigeonpea
Groundnut is getting increased attention
Area increased three fold over the past decade
Pigeonpea is not a crop of significance now
Good scope for improving it especially as intercrop

9. Sorghum
Two sorghum hybrids (ESH-1 and ESH-2) are taken up for on-farm demonstration and promotion in Ethiopia
Growing demand (>300,000 t/yr) from brewing industry
Industry preferred varieties identified and promoted in partnership with brewers (business incubator)
Back crosses (BC3) from MAS for striga resistance under field evaluation

10. Sorghum breeding objectives
Integration of genomic tools to overcome production constraints and improve nutrition in sorghum
Generation of improved populations through introgression for drought and Striga, nutrient uptake
High Zn & Fe and high lysine sorghum
Diversification of sorghum products
Evaluating dual purpose sweet sorghum for;
Characterization for nutritional and industrial technological properties (Beer, Bread etc.)

11. Making the best of climate
Climate Resilient Livelihoods
Better Planning
Strategic and tactical planning of farm operations based on historical and current climatic conditions
Better Management
In-season management of farm operations in response to progressive seasonal climatic conditions
Better Recovery
Preparing for impacts of occasional shocks and options for faster recovery from the same

12. Assessing climate change impacts
Generating downscaled climate change scenarios
Assessing trends and changes
Quantifying impacts using crop simulation models
Identifying adaptation options
Evaluating economic impacts

13. Sustainable Intensification
Arresting degradation
Installing conservation structures
Strengthening structures with PP
Tree planting in closed area
Improving productivity
Promotion of improved varieties
Testing of intercropping
Soil test based fertilizer use
Improving income
Better use of pond water
Promoting high value crops
Introduction of fruits and vegetables
Apiculture
15 Nov 2014

14. Key areas
Crop improvement, product diversification, seed systems and promotion of all mandate crops
Integrated watershed management as a model for sustainable intensification
Assessing impacts of current and future climatic conditions and options to make best use of the same
South-south collaboration (India-Africa)

15. Thank you very much for your attention