SUDAN. COUNTRY STATEMENT OF SUDAN TO THE 72nd PLENARY MEETING OF THE ICAC Cartagena, Colombia 29 September 4 October 2013

Transcription

1 SUDAN COUNTRY STATEMENT OF SUDAN TO THE 72nd PLENARY MEETING OF THE ICAC Cartagena, Colombia 29 September 4 October 2013 THE SUDAN COTTON COMPANY PLANNING AND RESEARCH September2013

2 COUNTRY STATEMENT OF SUDAN TO THE 72nd PLENARY MEETING OF THE ICAC Cartagena, Colombia 29 September 4 October Introduction: The output of the agricultural sector in Sudan was disappointingly low. Potentially the country has huge and diversified agricultural resources for sustainable agricultural development. The great-untapped agricultural potentialities qualify the country to be self-sufficient and a net exporter for most agricultural commodities. The low output of the sector has been attributed to inadequate inputs, untimely field operations, and inefficient crop production technologies. The Government of Sudan and as part of its strategic orientation to accelerate agricultural development, issued so many programs, the Green Mobilization Program and the Executive Program for Agricultural Revival in (EPAR). The execution of those programs is now trying to guide and facilitate the agricultural development. To some extend this succeeded in making small progress in the issue of the agricultural potentials use. Although at a slow pace, the agricultural sector is now growing and continuing domination of Sudan economy, providing the livelihood for most of the people in the country and availing a big share of inputs for the country s agro-industries. Main agricultural products are sugar cane, cotton, cereals, oil seeds, gum Arabic, livestock and food products. 2 - Cotton sub-sector: Cotton is one of the most important crops produced in Sudan. It was the main foreign exchange earner contributing considerably to foreign exchange proceeds. More than three hundred thousand families in the Sudan are still depending on cotton for earning their livelihood. Several other thousands are engaged in Cotton related activities. Cotton is grown in Sudan under various topographical and environmental conditions, utilizing various methods of irrigation, and using different applications of chemical inputs. It is cultivated in clay soil in Gezira,Rahad, New Halfa, Suki, Blue Nile, White Nile, schemes.in silt soil in Tokar of Eastern Sudan and in heavy clay soil in Nuba Mountains area of Western Sudan. Categorized by system of irrigation it is grown by gravity and pumps in Gezira, Rahad, New Halfa (Girba), White Nile, Blue Nile, and Suki Schemes.By flood in Tokar Delta and Khor Abohabil. By rain in Kurdofan,Darfour, Blue Nile,Senar and Gdarif. 2

3 Chemical inputs applications vary from moderate in some places to non in others. 3- Production in 2012/2013 Season 2012/2013 witnessed a remarkable decline in Sudan cotton area and production. The total area under cotton was 48.5 thousand hectares compared to 123 thousand hectares grown in 2011/2012.Accordingly Sudan cotton production declines from 42.3 thousand tons to 14.6 thousand tons. To some extend the (EPAR) tried to create a suitable way for mobilizing the whole community and encouraging its participation in the agricultural activities. Although the program gave some support to the private,sector by empowering it to play a greater role in the cotton programs, the results were disappointing.private sector Companies which were strongly encouraged to invest in cotton production responsed weekly. The Sudan Cotton Company Limited and some Companies like the Arab authority for investment and agricultural development, A Brazilian company and some Chinese companies are stepping slowly in Sudan cotton growing and ginning.individual farmers have financed and managed cotton production in small areas in Sudan. 4- Outlook for 2013/2014 crop 4-1- The adopted agricultural policies: The agricultural policies adopted for 2013/2014 season :- Major landmarks :- 1- Orientation towards the rain fed sector: This orientation stems from the huge prospective potentials existing in the sector. Which are all suitable for the cotton production. Those are the vast land areas, the great-untapped water resources and the availability of a great manual labor force. In this regard studies were prepared with recommendations of making structural changes in methods of agriculture by introducing: A-Agricultural mechanization at all stages. Starting by modernizing the agricultural infra structure, land preparation,planting by planters and picking with machine harvesters. B-Using of fertilizers and chemicals: In this aspect, the track is to follow the recommendation of the Sudan agricultural research corporation in using recommended technical packages for plant protection and fertilizers at the optimal times C-Capacity building and training: The government has given High concerns to the issue of Capacity building and training for farmers and their families.technology transfer centers establishment is strongly in progress. 3

4 2-Changes in the irrigated sector: In this sector so many structural changes are going on, in the agricultural practices on one hand and in the varieties grown on the other hand. 1 -Modernization of irrigation systems through raising the efficiency and optimization of irrigation waters together with perfection of other production practices. 2-As from this season and depending on the latest technologies,genetically modified crops were planted to solve the problems of the low productivity and the high cost of production. Seeds were brought from countries like Brazil and China. 3-modernization of agricultural operations specially in the process of fertilizers and pesticides application, and in using the machine planters and harvesters Investment area : Categorization of export oriented agricultural investments as strategic schemes and should enjoy all the benefits contained in the national investment act. This means that all cotton investment initiatives will draw from the investment act concessions. c - completion and adoption of agricultural institutional reform :- Here efforts are now underway to revise the gezira act for 2005 and to issue the essential and long awaited by laws interpreting the act. It is also now Believed the gezira act may be generalized to govern all other producing schemes. d - Marketing policies :- The general principle is to give agricultural products, which have export oriented potentials, priorities in obtaining finance and other facilities which enhance their competitive advantages. The aim is to help in restoring the lost traditional markets for these products - the package for pushing these exports contains measures like tax exemption for all export oriented agricultural products. The exemptions include taxes and levies on imports and on finished products along all value chains. 4-3 Area and production estimates :Area under cotton this season will increase slightly to 52.5 hectares and the total production is estimated at 20 thousand tons. 5-Exports Exports during the year 2012 decreased to about 2428 tons compared to tons exported in the year 2011.As for the year 2013 up to August about tons have been exported. Details of exports by variety during the last five years are shown on table (3). 4

5 6- Local mills consumption: Last three years witnessed a sizeable improvement in Sudan spinning and textile sector. The total amount consumed locally in 2011/2012 was 3673 tons. In 2013, and as from January 2013 up to September about 4000 tons were consumed locally. 7- Marketing policy: The main features of Sudan Cotton Marketing Policy remained intact for the last 20 years. These incorporate the following: - Adoption of tender system as the main method of sale, being the most flexible and fair system. Complete restriction of all forms of preferential treatment or any other transaction that may affect the principle of equal treatment and fair competitiveness. Efficient and timely execution of contracts to the best satisfaction of buyers. 5

6 Cotton Research Project Introduction: The major changes brought about by cotton breeding have been as follows: 1. Synthesis of eleven gene combinations for bacterial blight resistance in 42 cotton strains of upland (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and Egyptian (Gossypium barbadense L.) cotton: (B2B6B12), (B2B3B7B9), (B2B3B6B7), (B2B3B6B7B9), (B2B3B4B7B9), (B2B3B4B6B7), (B2B3B6B7B12), (B2B3B7B9B12), (B2B3B4B7B12), (B2B3B6B7B9B12) and (B2B3B4B7B9B12) 2. Release of nine cotton varieties for commercial production: 1. Abdin long staple 2. Wagar medium staple 3. Burhan short staple 4. Khalifa short staple 5. Hamid medium staple 6. Knight medium staple 7. Kheiralla medium staple 8. Siddig long staple 9. Hadi long staple For the first time in Sudan the program has developed, evaluated and released the two cotton varieties (Burhan and Khalifa) for the rain-fed sector. Being early maturing varieties (two weeks earlier) than the traditional variety (Albar (57) 12) they are considered of great importance in shortening the growing season and making use of available water and hence proper natural resources utilization. 3. Enhancement of the Sudan cotton germplasm: The program has tremendously contributed in the creation of a variable cotton germplasm, enriching Sudan cotton genetic pool through incorporation of new traits from the MAR system: yield components, frego-bracts, earliness of maturity, bacterial blight resistance, ginning-out turn and lint quality etc. Also, through mutation breeding (gama rays) and inter-specific crosses new traits have been created in the extra-fine cotton; earliness of maturity, bacterial blight resistance, high yield, fiber length, strength and fineness. Attained characters should be useful to breeders as well as a nucleus for a new genetic pool for upland and Egyptian cotton improvement in the Sudan. 6

7 Considering funding limitations and the urgency to deploy BB resistant cotton varieties, we recommend that the BB resistance variety breeding approach is the highest priority followed by efforts to optimize insecticide and fertilizers use in ICM system and development of organic cotton yield enhancing technologies. The project components: 1. Variety Improvement 1. Disease resistance Project Breeding for bacterial blight (BB) resistance in extra fine count cotton (G.barbadense). Breeding for fusarium wilt (FW) resistance in G.barbdense. Inheritance of resistance to FW in extra fine count cotton. 2. Mutation Breeding Project The aim of the project is to select for Barakat-90 and Shambat-B mutants with desirable traits suitable for the on going research program to improve yield quantitatively as well as qualitatively. Three Barakat mutants were bred for Fusarium Wilt and BB Resistance. Shambat B mutants will be bred for low seed to fiber attachment force (fuzziless). Genotypes with miscellaneous desirable traits are in advanced selections at M4 generations. Breeding for BB resistance and improved yield in EFC cotton now at M3 and M4 generations of spontaneous and induced mutation. 3. Extra Fine Count Cotton Improvement Project Inter- specific hybridization intra-specific hybridization. 4. Improvement of long staple ( fine count G.hirsutium) Project Objective: To avail varieties of fiber length (29-33cm) and with low fiber to seed attachment force through intra-specific hybridization. 5. Medium Count (MC) Cotton Improvement Project Inter- specific hybridization Intra-specific hybridization. Objective: To improve yield, quality, resistance to BB disease and tolerance to major cotton insects. Some of this material is now in advanced generation and other materials in segregating and selection stages. 7

8 6. Biotechnology Project Production of doubled haploid cotton. Molecular tagging of useful trait for marker-assisted selection. Fusarium wilt resistance (Barakat-90 mutants). Low fiber to seed attachment force ( Shambat-B mutants). 7. Improvement of GOT and fiber properties in upland and extra fine cotton 8. Evaluation of parents in Gossypium hirsutum for heterotic potential and development of Hybrid Cotton 9. Development of Bt Cotton varieties and hybrids in hirsutum and only hybrids in Egyptian cotton 10. Improvement of rain-fed cotton Breeding work on earliness of maturity of new rain-fed conditions is being carried out. preliminary yield trials of intra- specific lines and introduced genotypes have been executed under rain-fed conditions. Two promising lines ( BB 155A and BB 155B) are awaiting for official release. Demonstration trials at Agadi, large scale production for the newly released varieties. 12. Crop Production Development of technologies for organic cotton production New extra fine cotton lines for organic cotton production have been tested in the NVT. Spacing and plant population in flooded cotton Intercropping, crops on yield and quality of organic cotton Quality parameters of organic cotton 13. Cultural practices Project Effect of sowing date on growth and yield of the newly released varieties at Rahad and seeni1 at Gezira research station Response of the newly released varieties to varying intra-raw spacing at Gezira Res. station. Effect of plant population and their interaction on growth and yield of some cotton varieties under rain-fed condition (Damazin) 14. Crop Protection Genetic variability of resistance in host plants and virulence in Xanthomonas compestris malvacearum. 8

9 Objective: Verify genetic variability of the causal organism and the host plants to determine races present in the local population of the pathogen. Output: Ultimately, a proper race differentiation system is established for a proper planning and execution of breeding programs for developing resistant varieties. Studies on evolution of races of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. malvacearum (Xam) Evaluation of cotton germplasm against Alternaria leaf spot diseases Studies on population dynamics of cotton pests and their enemies in the cotton ecosystem Studies on the host plant relationship and development of resistant\tolerant varieties to insect pests of cotton Identification of tolerant, resistant and immune lines to major insect pests and diseases in local germplasm for successful insect disease resistance breeding programs 15. Mechanization Importation and, evaluation of cotton picker and cleaning system under Sudan conditions. Importation, evaluation of cotton planter under Sudan conditions. Deep ploughing and its interval effects in increasing the yield of irrigated cotton. Importation of high clearance tractors for spraying herbicides or fertilizers 16. Precision management Project for optimizing insecticide and nitrogen use in ICM based variety Hamid. Out put: 1- Resource efficiently used. 2- Yield economically maximized. 3- Stickiness eliminated. 17. Fertilizer management Project Response of the newly released variety Hamid and Seeni 1 to the method of phosphorus application. Response of the newly released Upland cotton varieties (Hamid, Abdin and Seeni 1) to nitrogen fertilizers (1N,2N,3N) at Rahad and Gezira. Optimizing nutrient supply in relation to moisture availability for enhanced productivity and stability of rain fed cotton based production Compound fertilizers experiments.. 9

10 18. National Variety Trial (irrigated and rain-fed) Justification: Multi-location testing of advanced breeding lines is a prerequisite for their release.. Objective: To evaluate promising genotypes for yield, quality and other desirable traits over locations and seasons. Locations: Irrigated : Wad medani, Hagabdalla, Rahad, Halfa and Suki Rain-fed: Kadugli and Damazin Number of tested genotypes Irrigated and Rain-fed Water management 20. Fiber testing and quality 10

11 Table (1) Sudan Cotton Area during the last five seasons And est. for 2013/2014 Season 2008/ / / / / /2014* Variety Extra long staple Barakat In Thousand Hectares Medium Staple Acala Total Share of ELS % Share of MS % Table (2) % 71% % 60% % 75% % 65% % 75% % 94% Sudan Cotton Production during the last five Seas seasons Season 2008/ / / / /2013 Variety Extra long staple Barakat Medium Staple Acala In Metric Tons Total Table (3) EXPORTS Season * Variety Extra long staple Barakat Medium Staple Acala In Metric Tons Total

12 *Up to August 12