5.2 Grassroots breeding of local crops and varieties in support of community biodiversity management and resilience in Nepal

Transcription

1 5.2 Grassroots breeding of local crops and varieties in support of community biodiversity management and resilience in Nepal Bhuwon Sthapit, Kamal Khadka, Pitambar Shrestha, Shreeram Subedi and Indra Prasad Poudel Participatory crop improvement and agrobiodiversity Most of the poor live in rural areas and depend on agriculture for their livelihoods and well-being. A key livelihood asset that they maintain is their agrobiodiversity, which is made up of their crops, varieties and forest species. Improving the use of agrobiodiversity through enhanced understanding and better management offers opportunities to advance the well-being of small-scale farmers by providing more sustainable production systems, better nutrition and enhanced income opportunities (Jarvis et al., 2011). In the past, the world invested many resources in collecting and conserving farmers varieties of the major food crops for future use by plant breeders, rather than developing mechanisms to make local biodiversity accessible to poor and needy people. Many small-scale farmers in marginal areas have not yet benefited from the investments and great successes in modern plant breeding (Bellon, 2006). Various methods that together shape participatory crop improvement (PCI) have been developed in recent decades with the aim of meeting those farmers needs (Sthapit et al., 1996; Witcombe et al., 1996; Ceccarelli et al., 2009). However, most PCI methods do not assess the usefulness of plant genetic resources (PGR) that are easily available to farmers in the form of local varieties or semi-domesticated species before launching conventional breeding schemes with elements of farmer participation. Breeding methods for targeting a wide range of locally important species Farmers varieties are the fruits of many generations of observations, selection, exchange and breeding by farmers and communities. There is a growing recognition of the importance of local varieties as sources of genetic variation for modern plant breeding (Park et al., 2005; Teklu and Hammer, 2006). Based on traditional knowledge concerning factors essential for local crop development, farmers consciously maintain their highly diverse local varieties (Teshome et al., 1999; Jarvis et al., 2011). This local capacity can be further fine-tuned and/or strengthened for the efficient and effective use of genetic resources. This fine-tuning can be achieved through the use of a new method that is part of wider group of PCI methodologies; we call this method grassroots breeding.

2 234 Bhuwon Sthapit et al. There will never be enough scientific plant breeders with sufficient institutional support to carry out plant breeding for all crops in all production environments. Global public resources and, increasingly, private funds are invested in the public breeding of major food security crops. The private sector is responsible for, and successful in, carrying out plant breeding for crops in which investments in breeding can be earned back through the sale of quality seed of improved commercial, and often hybrid, varieties. Besides the major staple crops that are addressed by the public sector, and crops that are addressed by commercial companies (mainly maize and vegetables), the main sources of food, nutrition and livelihoods of many millions of small-scale farmers originate from agrobiodiversity that is extant in their direct farm or surrounding area. Given this scenario, we identified the following strategies to increase food security using this local agrobiodiversity: increasing crop yields through PCI methods; strengthening local seed systems; diversifying sources of food and nutrition by promoting local and wild edible species; enhancing benefits through market incentives for such species; supporting the development of policies for promoting diverse agricultural products. In this chapter we focus on the development of the grassroots breeding method, since it has the potential to incorporate all these strategies. This method strengthens the capabilities of farmers and community-based organizations (CBOs) to apply scientific principles for the selection and maintenance of local PGR. We share a range of examples applying grassroots breeding to a wide range of crops and species in Nepal and draw some lessons on the comparative advantage of applying grassroots breeding in a context of community biodiversity management (CBM). Conceptual framework Definition of grassroots breeding and its principal steps Grassroots breeding is a simple, effective and efficient method of plant breeding that strengthens farmers skills in seed production and marketing (Sthapit and Rao, 2009). It focuses first on pre-breeding through locating, assessing, multiplying and making genetic diversity available with the objective of immediate use; second, it addresses the enhancement of germplasm through simple selection techniques and the production of quality seed. Grassroots breeding is a simple PCI method that enhances the capability of the CBO and farmers to search existing genetic diversity, select nichespecific plant material, multiply and produce sufficient quality seed and distribute it within the community. The method involves more than just crop improvement; it is a selection method, embedded in a much wider approach for associating conservation goals with livelihood development. The method involves the following practices, all of which are carried out by CBOs, with the assistance of an agricultural scientist, especially in the first four practices:

3 Grassroots breeding of local crops and varieties in Nepal 235 participatory rural appraisal of local PGR; assessment of farmer-preferred traits to assess available variability; selection of preferred traits by farmer-breeders and scientific-breeders; selection of varieties or species samples from the target environment; community-based seed multiplication of selected varieties/plants; distribution of the seed/planting material; monitoring the use in terms of households, communities and area. Grassroots breeding and other PCI methods Grassroots breeding can be applied in situations where the production systems are rich in genetic diversity but many individual farmers have problems in terms of its access, availability and quality. In those areas where modern varieties have already replaced local varieties, grassroots breeding is not an option, since its basis is to work with local and existing diversity in crops and varieties. In such cases, participatory varietal selection (PVS) and participatory plant breeding (PPB) might then be more appropriate to enhance access to varietal diversity. It is relatively easy to out-scale grassroots breeding as it requires fewer resources than other PCI methods. The grassroots breeding model is developed expressly to focus on the constraints of accessing and using local genetic materials, and on enhancing the knowledge and capacities of CBOs to improve those materials through selection. As such, the role of breeders or scientists is much more limited than in PPB. Grassroots breeding experiences in Nepal We have been involved in the development of grassroots breeding of major food crops and neglected, underutilized species in particular in Nepal for many years. Here, we outline six case studies. Basaune ghiraula variety of sponge gourd 1n 1998, a diversity fair was organized in Begnas district, one of the sites in the agrobiodiversity project described by Subedi et al. (Chapter 1.2). Mrs Durga Maya Lama, a farmer from Jaman Kuna, displayed the unique and rare sponge gourd variety (Luffa cylindrical) called Basaune ghiraula. This variety is appreciated because of its aroma and sweet taste, and because the texture of the fruit does not become fibrous as quickly as with other varieties. Fellow farmers who participated in the fair were not familiar with this local variety. Local Initiatives for Biodiversity, Research and Development (LI-BIRD) assisted a local women s group in its multiplication in a diversity block; the group distributed 70 diversity kit packets with seed of the variety to farmers. In 2005, more than 200 households cultivated the variety. The Horticulture Research Station in Malepatan, Pokhara, is now maintaining breeder seed to ensure wider access to this variety, and because of the growing market for this variety agro-dealers have started to sell the seed they collected from the women s group. This experience illustrates the initial stage of grassroots breeding, where local diversity is identified and, through a series of CBM practices (as described by Shrestha et al.

4 236 Bhuwon Sthapit et al. in Chapter 2.2), turns into a valuable resource within the community and beyond (Sthapit et al., 2006). Panchamukhe pidalu variety of taro Also in Begnas, Mr Khim Bahadur Gurung maintained a special variety of taro (Colocasia esculenta) known as Panchamukhe pidalu. Compared with other local varieties of this crop, the corm of this variety is appreciated for its low acridity, and excellent cooking quality and taste; when cooked, its corms combine very well with fish and meat. It is also used for the production of masura, which are nuggets made of dried taro petioles and black gram flour. Five members from the Majhthar women s group multiplied seed of this variety in 2003 as a part of a collective income generation activity. In 2005, six out of 25 households in Bhangara village cultivated this variety; while in 2010, more than 12 households were cultivating it. In addition, the variety spread to many other villages in Begnas. The identification of this unique variety and recognition of its traits, followed by simple multiplication by a group of women in the initial steps of grassroots breeding resulted in this rare variety becoming abundant. Kalokauli variety of cauliflower This variety of perennial Brassica spp., found in Gulmi, produces a dark green-coloured cauliflower. A favourable trait of this variety is its continued production during the dry season, which is impossible with the improved varieties. While carrying out a participatory rural appraisal for a home garden project, we found that only a small number of households (about 10% per village) were cultivating Kalokauli plants, with fewer than ten plants per household. One major reason why this variety became rare was the limited access to good planting materials. As part of our project, we carried out simple selection among the accessions available in the district and found that farmers maintained white and green Kalokauli types. Since the taste of the green type was preferred, we started to promote its vegetative propagation through the selection of suckers from plants with compact curds. Within a few years, more than 70% of the farming households in Gulmi were cultivating at least 20 Kalokauli plants in their home gardens. This case illustrates how, through grassroots breeding, a simple procedure can be used to select and promote a vegetatively reproduced crop that would never be addressed by larger participatory or conventional plant breeding programmes. Rice bean: simple selection among local varieties Rice bean (Vigna umbellate) is a legume that is grown by intercropping with maize, or as a sole crop under rain-fed conditions. Floral morphology suggests rice bean to be a self-pollinated crop but some level of out-crossing has been reported. In 2006, LI- BIRD targeted this particular crop in a project, collecting 156 rice bean accessions that we tested in observation nurseries. Subsequently, we evaluated them in mother trials for different agro-morphological and quality traits, selecting four accessions based on yield, seed size and seed colour. In 2010, LI-BIRD staff created uniform

5 Grassroots breeding of local crops and varieties in Nepal 237 populations for the four varieties. We produced more than 70 kg of seed of each variety, which was distributed to farmers. The experience with rice bean illustrates that in grassroots breeding we conduct only selection within existing variation and disseminate the results of such selections through informal seed systems. Bhathi rice variety During a diversity assessment conducted in Kachorwa (one of the villages of the agrobiodiversity project), we found that one farmer was maintaining a local rice variety known as Bhathi, which he cultivates in deep-water rice fields in association with fish farming. Only this particular variety is adapted to this type of production system, which is locally referred to as ghol, meaning deep, waterlogged area. Other ghol areas were identified in neighbouring districts and far distant villages, where farmers were suffering because the modern varieties that had been recommended to them by extension services did not survive. We identified similar micro-niches in different project sites, in collaboration with a local non-governmental organization (NGO). With the help of our partner, farmers produced small packets or kits of Bhathi rice seed (1 2 kg) that were distributed among farmers in ghol areas. Following the initial promotion of the variety, farmers and the community seed bank in Bara became involved in its commercial seed production and marketing. This example shows that grassroots breeding can be a very simple process of identifying unique diversity and promoting its dissemination or marketing through the use of the CBM practice of the diversity kit. Akabare khursani chilli In the eastern mid-hills of Nepal farmers cultivate the native chilli variety they refer to as Akabare khursani. It fetches a high price in domestic and international markets. We found that in the market Akabare chilli show a wide variation in shape and size, as well as in taste and pungency. Because of this variability, consumers have lost their trust in this chilli. The key reason behind the variation in quality is its partial out-crossing nature. LI-BIRD, together with the Nepal Agricultural Research Council and Anmolbiu Seed Company, were able to improve Akabare chilli with simple population improvement that was followed by the establishment of a proper system of seed production and marketing. Our work with Akabare chilli shows that grassroots breeding is not only valid for dealing with subsistence food or neglected crops; it can also be used within a commercial setting and in response to market demands. Synthesis: the major potential and comparative advantages of grassroots breeding In grassroots breeding, each variation in method can deal with a specific situation, thereby providing an opportunity to work with neglected and underutilized species, for which there are usually no resources available to run fully fledged conventional or PCI programmes. As has been illustrated for several cases from Nepal, grassroots breeding is a PCI method that can be embedded in CBM processes to support the

6 238 Bhuwon Sthapit et al. management and use of local varieties. It is a simple methodology for breeding and dissemination, which addresses crops and varieties adapted to rather specific agroecologies that will never be addressed by larger programmes. Applying grassroots breeding in the context of CBM has a series of advantages over other methods of PCI and conventional plant breeding. It contributes to the empowerment of individual farmers, CBOs and communities in PGR conservation and use, as was illustrated in the cases of the sponge guard and taro. It is an effective PCI tool for encouraging farmers and their CBOs to assert their farmers rights over their PGR, as highlighted by the engagement of the CSB in Bara, in the commercial seed production and marketing of the Bhathi deep-water rice variety. In all the cases we can see that grassroots breeding generates immediate benefits to communities by increasing access to rare and unique germplasm and associated traditional knowledge, and by contributing to the on-farm management of PGR. In most cases described in this chapter, the grassroots breeding process started with a participatory rural appraisal to identify whether a variety or crop found in a community was abundant or rare. With grassroots breeding we were able to lift varieties and crops from scarcity to abundance. Grassroots breeding addresses the weaknesses of local varieties or their production system, as shown in the cases of rice bean and chilli. Moreover, it generates a better understanding of PGR for local and specific adaptation, along with a preference for culturally valued traits, as we saw with the local varieties of cauliflower. At institutional level, grassroots breeding enhances the understanding of formal breeders and other scientists about the needs of small-scale farmers. Through simple identification of locally valued genetic resources, as used in all the cases, or simple selection, as applied in the cases of rice bean and chilli, significant advances can be made without the use of complex conventional or participatory selection procedures. However, CBOs and their partners need to carefully monitor the changes in use of local PGR, and be aware of the genetic erosion that may logically result when valuable varieties are identified, selected and disseminated through grassroots breeding. But this risk also applies to all other PCI or conventional breeding methods. Grassroots breeding and the enhancement of community resilience Millions of small-scale farmers who live in regions of uncertain rainfall with marginal production potential have yet to benefit from grassroots breeding as a simple and community-oriented crop improvement method. Local varieties are unable to cope with evolving and adapting to climate change at the currently reported speed. Farmers may not have the ability and facilities to predict seasonal climatic variability. However, they can use a set of crop varieties or select traits from local PGR through grassroots breeding to increase the options to protect against unpredictable changes. In this context, grassroots breeding has a potential to enhance community resilience because of its focus on the use of local PGR, and strengthen the capabilities of communities themselves to use such resources in a more strategic manner. Through grassroots breeding, farmers and researchers may seek to understand the value of local PGR before resorting to the use of improved germplasm in the form of modern varie-

7 Grassroots breeding of local crops and varieties in Nepal 239 ties. In a context of enhancing community resilience, grassroots breeding may be a rather successful strategy when compared with PVS and PPB, which primarily focus on selection and dissemination of improved germplasm. Challenges for the further development of the grassroots breeding method The idea of grassroots breeding has merits that should be evaluated in a wider geographical, institutional and socio-economic setting. In order for grassroots breeding to work, formal breeding and research institutions must enhance the capabilities of interested farmers and CBOs, and as such they should be encouraged to allocate resources to strengthen innovations at community levels. As illustrated by the variation of rather simple examples from Nepal, a range of initial experiences has been gained, but much remains to be learned from using grassroots breeding in a context of CBM and the enhancement of community resilience. Such a synthesis of experiences could guide global investments in crop research to be better targeted towards poor, small-scale farmers in marginal production environments. The work of both international and national public breeding programmes in using variations of grassroots breeding within larger PCI frameworks has the potential to increase their efficiency in responding to the changing demands of those farmers.