Natural Resources Management in Sub-Sahara Africa and the Contribution of JIRCAS to CARD Satoshi Tobita Crop Production & Environment Div. JIRCAS

Outlines JIRCAS and its mission Importance of R&D on natural resources management in SSA Current R&D activities of JIRCAS in Africa Contribution of JIRCAS to CARD

Structure of National Agricultural R&D Activities in Japan AFFRC Secretariat National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (NIAS) National Institute for Agro- Environmental Sciences (NIAES) Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) Forestry Agency Fisheries Agency Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (FFPRI) Fisheries Research Agency (FRA) Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Research Council (AFFRC)

JIRCAS Mission: To contribute to the improvement of agriculture, forestry and fisheries technologies in developing regions by conducting collaborative researches. Annual budget 39 million US$ (2008) No. of researchers 106 (2008) HQ in Tsukuba (60 km N of Tokyo) Research Front in Ishigaki (a sub-tropical island) Research area (1) Information and Economy (2) Biological Resources (3) Environ. Management (4) Animal and Forages (5) Forestry (6) Fisheries in long-term basis Only Institute dispatching researchers in long-term basis. More than 20 researchers stay and work 2-3 yrs.

Results Reports Materials 2-5 years Identify theme Research plan JIRCAS Counterpart Research Field/laboratory experiments Equipment Researchers Goods & travel cost Capacity building Facility Researchers Administration service Invitation & visits Our Method of Collaboration

CIAT Anti-drought upland rice Africa Rice Center (WARDA) (Nigeria) Development of Nerica CIP ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ICARDA Anti-drought wheat IITA ICRISAT (Niger) Soil fertility improvement ILRI IWMI ● CIFOR World Fish Center IRRI Water-saving cultivation Anti-drought rice World Agroforestry Center Bioversity International ● ● ● ● IFPRI JIRCAS Ongoing collaboration Collaboration in the past CIMMYT Anti-drought wheat JIRCAS is a key partner of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)

JIRCAS’s Collaboration in Africa (1) Initial collaboration with IARCs in Kenya with ILRI ( ) Tripanosomasis in Nigeria with IITA ( ) Drought tolerance (cowpea) in Kenya with ICIPE ( ) Locusts management in Cote d’Ivoire & Mali with WARDA (1997-now,) Rice Ongoing projects NERICA related project with WARDA in Nigeria, with IRAG (Guinea) Fertility improvement of sandy soils with ICRISAT and INRAN (Niger)

JIRCAS’s Collaboration in Africa (2) Projects newly assigned to JIRCAS with the inclusion of J-Green (from April 2008) Toward the improvement of natural resources management systems in Japan and developing countries in Ethiopia ( ) Prevention of desertification in Ethiopia ( ) Water harvesting in Niger ( ) Cyclic use of water (funded by MAFF) in Niger ( ) Sahel Oasis (funded by JICA) in Ghana & Ethiopia, ( ) Rice water control in Mali & Niger ( ) Natural resources management (counterparts are all national organizations)

 Mid-term plan ( ): 4 pillars  Utilize biological resources for stable production and multi-purpose applications under adverse environments  Develop technologies for the management of natural environmental resources for sustainable agriculture  Elucidate the impact of global environmental changes on agriculture  Collect, analyze, and disseminate information related to international food and agriculture JIRCAS R&D Priorities

Technology development for sustainable soil management systems in the tropics 1. Asian monsoon area: Soil with high organic matter input 2. African Sahel area: Soil with low organic matter input  Develop technologies for the management of natural environmental resources for sustainable agriculture (Pillar 2) JIRCAS R&D Priorities Two targets toward the goal under the Pillar 2

Bellagio Statements in 2002  Soil fertility degradation has been the single most important constraint to food security in Sub-Sahara Africa.  An international alliance for tackling these soil fertility issues was proposed with long-term perspective and holistic approach in the concept of Integrated Natural Resources Management (INRM). Importance of NRM in SSA JIRCAS has recognized them with actions:  Proposed a broader alliance comprised of research institutes from developed countries.  Started a new research project in the Sahel.

Especially low in Sub-Sahara Africa & Middle East After TERRASTAT (FAO)

Especially low in Sub-Sahara Africa & Middle East

The Sahel was selected as the project site because the soil fertility has been most threatened

Objectives: Development of technology options for affordable and sustainable soil fertility management systems targeting the sandy soils in the Sahel, by the elucidation of the function of soil organic matters from kinds of indigenous origins, and by the evaluation of plant genetic resources for their role in soil fertility maintenance/restoration. ICRISAT-JIRCAS Collaborative Project Improvement of fertility of sandy soils in the semi-arid zone of West Africa through organic matter management

ICRISAT-JIRCAS Collaborative Project Improvement of fertility of sandy soils in the semi-arid zone of West Africa through organic matter management  Improvement in nutrient cycles by enhancing integrated crop-livestock system.  Introduction of improved multiple-purpose legumes and plant resources enhancing soil fertility into the production systems.  Enhancement of the soil organic carbon pool as an integrator of various biochemical functions in the soil.  Application of organic matters together with mineral fertilizers, and  Soil conservation to control soil loss and improve water capture and use efficiency. Under the ISFM (Integrated Soil Fertility Management) principles:

ICRISAT-JIRCAS Collaborative Project  Dual-purpose semi-erect type cowpea cultivars and their intercropping Soil chemical properties and pearl millet yield  Use of indigenous organic matters, i.e., transfer manure, crop residues, household wastes etc. C and N cycles and quantification in the farming system Decomposition and termite activity  Synergy of organic and inorganic fertilizers Modeling for long-term and wide-scale  Biological and physical properties of fallow vegetation  Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF)  Reduction of wind erosion and capture of wind-blown materials  Prevention of desertification Technology options being verified in farmers’ field

Contribution of JIRCAS to CARD  Coalition for African Rice Development (CARD) is the initiative led by JICA and AGRA, to double rice production in Africa in ten years ( ).  JIRCAS is a member of the Steering Committee of CARD together with WARDA and IRRI to support research components of the initiative.

Development of new rice varieties with tolerances to biotic and abiotic stresses in Africa Contribution to next generation NERICA Drought tolerance Possibility of Expanding Rice Producing Area QTL of rooting depth DREB transformation × Asian RiceAfrican Rice ● Nerica (New Rice for Africa) ○ Advantages of Nerica ・ Early Maturing ・ High Yield New Traits Blast resistancePhosphorus deficiency tolerance Sets of differential varieties developed by JIRCAS and IRRI Nipponbare NIL-Pup1 Locus of low-P tolerance identified by JIRCAS and IRRI

 Higher potential yield: >3 Mt/ha  Large (190 mil. ha) but unused area (<15% utilized) in SSA Contribution of JIRCAS to CARD Rain-fed lowland is the most to contribute to the goal of CARD

JIRCAS starts two new activities on the rice system in rain-fed lowland  Development of small-scale inland valleys  Collaboration with “Sawah Project” and “JICA Technical Cooperation Project”  Power tiller utilization  Research on the natural resources management technologies for sustainable rice production in the rain-fed lowland (new project starting from 2009) Contribution of JIRCAS to CARD

 Duration: 6 years (Apr Mar. 2015)  Budget: 150 million JPY in 6 years (JIRCAS core)  Target: rain-fed lowland rice ecology in inland valley swamps  Goal: Low input and sustainable rice production system  Study site: around Kumasi, Ghana  Implementing agencies:  Japan: JIRCAS (leading), Kinki Univ., etc.  Ghana: Crop Res. Inst., Soil Res. Inst., Water Resources Res. Inst. A new project ： “Development of low-input rice cultivation system in wetland in Africa” Outlines

Contribution of JIRCAS to CARD 1.Development of soil fertility management technologies with use of locally available resources  nutrients, organic matters, rotating crops, phosphate rocks 2.Development of crop management technologies to increase productivity of rain-fed rice  weed control, light and water utilization 3.Evaluation and selection of superb rice genotypes adapted to rain-fed lowland conditions  higher resource use efficiency, G x E 4.Establishment and verification of rice cultivation models adapted to low-input system A new project ： “Development of low-input rice cultivation system in wetland in Africa” Activities (Project components)

Contribution of JIRCAS to CARD  Characterization of natural resources for rice production in the rain-fed lowland system  Guideline (manual) for soil fertility management  Guideline (manual) for crop management  Suitable rice varieties for rain-fed lowland conditions  Guideline for integrated cropping-system models for low-input rice production A new project ： “Development of low-input rice cultivation system in wetland in Africa” Outputs (Expected results)

JIRCAS major activities in Africa since 2009 Cyclic Water Use in Niger Soil Fertility Improvement in the Sahel with ICRISAT Inland Valley Development in Ghana & Ethiopia Low-input Rice System in the Rain-fed Ecology in Ghana Natural Resource Management Contribution of JIRCAS to CARD Crop Improvement Yam Production System with IITA New Generation of NERICA with WARDA JIRCAS Liaison Office in Ghana with FARA Research Strategy JIRCAS can contribute to CARD!

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