Pulses strategy for sustainable food and nutritional security in SAARC region Mohan C. Saxena
Outline Importance of pulses Availability of pulses in SAARC region & its nutritional implications Challenges facing pulses production Strategy for increasing pulses production Enhancing productivity with current area & technology Bringing new area under pulses Science & technology for sustainable productivity increases in the years to come Role of regional cooperation & concluding remarks
Role of food legumes in human diet Use in Africa impacting use in SA
Role of food legumes in human diet Use in South Asia A Bangladeshi mother is feeding rice and lentil dal to her children
Use diversity
Role of food legumes in human diet Nutritional contribution of pulses in the developing world (2005-07) Average Calorie intake 3.0% Protein intake 7.5% Maximum >10% in some SSA countries >50% in some Asian, SSA & LA countries Poor man s meat
Complementary protein nutrition Pulses protein rich in lysine but deficient in S-containing amino acids Cereals protein deficient in lysine but rich in other AA Over all nutritional efficiency of cereal rich diet thus enhanced when mixed in the ratio of 1 part of pulses to 8 parts of cereals Meat replacement, lower C & H 2 0 footprint
Other nutritional benefits of pulses Rich in mineral nutrients (Mg, K, P, Zn, Fe) Rich in dietary fiber Rich in bioactive compounds that reduce risk of chronic diseases Positive effect on prevention of noncommunicable diseases such as obesity, diabetes, coronary conditions and cancer Pulses are future of food
Multiple uses of pulse crops in different production systems and gender dimension Seeds consumed as green or dry grains; also leaves sometimes used as vegetable. In many systems, considered as women s crops, providing important source of income & family s nutritional needs.
Food legume byproducts as animal feed Important in integrated farming system
Role in cereal-based cropping systems BNF and Nutrient recycling BNF yield: 40 to 160 kg N per ha Residual effect on following cereals equivalent to 40 to 80 kg directly applied N
Pulses key for sustainable Reducing poverty & hunger Improving health & nutrition Enhancing ecosystem resilience & CC mitigation development
Major pulses in different SA countries Afghanistan: MB, Rajmash, Chickpea Bangladesh: Lentil, MB, Chp, UB, Khe, Cowp Bhutan: MB, Rajmash, UB India: Chp, PP, Lentil, UB, MB, Cowp, Moth, Dolichos, fieldpea, Rajmash Pakistan: Chp,Lentil, MB, UB, Moth Sri Lanka: MB, Cowp, UB
Pulses production in SA region Area: 32.63 m ha (38% of global) Production: 21.68 m mt (28% of global) Yield: 664 kg/ha (906 kg/ha global av.) SAARC countries standing in area & production: Maldives < Bhutan < Sri Lanka < Afghanistan < Bangladesh < Nepal < Pakistan < India Region - largest producer in the World
Production vs. demand & per capita availability of pulses in SA region Domestic production lagging behind the demand because of population growth Per capita availability falling well below the WHO recommended consumption level with serious nutritional consequences Regional deficit being partially made up by imports from outside the region Some intra-regional trade helpful in meeting local deficit Major cause of deficit is low yield
Pulses strategy for sustainable food and nutritional security in SA region SA region largest consumer of pulses in the world Growing demand can not be met by imports, also because of specialty of types of pulses needed Therefore, sustainable increase in domestic production within the region is the only course
Pulses strategy for sustainable food and nutritional security in SA region How to increase production in the short run? Increase the productivity by identifying and bridging the current yield gap Increase the area under pulse crops through diversification and intensification of dominant cropping systems and identifying new niches for growing pulses
Pulses strategy for sustainable food and nutritional security in SA region How to increase production in sustainable manner in the long run? All those steps needed to be taken for the short run Improving intrinsic yield potential and developing management practices to harness fully that potential
Marginalization of pulses Vicious cycle of ever decreasing productivity? Low yield Low economic competitiveness Relegation to less endowed areas Further reduction in productivity Lower yield Relegation to marginal areas Further lowering of economic competitiveness
The challenge Enhancing economic competitiveness of pulses
How to enhance economic competitiveness of pulses in the short run? Maximizing realization of yield potential and bridging the yield gap on farmers fields Enhancing end-use quality, diversifying use and value addition Reducing cost of production Policy and institutional support for fair prices to farmers and crop insurance
Yield gaps identified on farmers fields (FF) through frontline demonstrations (FLD ) in India (2008-9) Yield (kg/ha) Crop FLD FF Gap Pigeonpea 1475 1185 290 Moong 727 594 133 Urd 853 725 128 Lentil 1126 919 207 Chickpea 1459 1241 218 Field pea 1203 963 240 Lathyrus 884 673 211
Bridging the yield gap Identify magnitude of yield gap in different agro-ecological regions Identify causes of the gap Identify solutions Arrange implementation of these solutions Role of socio-economists crucial
Enhancing adaptation to niches in diverse cropping systems Identify & characterize more competitive niches Match crop phenology with the prevailing macro- and microclimatic conditions Select genotypes in situ for various cropping systems/niches
New niches for pulses Rice fallows in Bengal: Lentil, Lathyrus, Moong Catch crops in Rice-Wheat, Maize-Wheat, Rice-Rice, Fallow-Wheat Intercropping: In Sugarcane, Pigeonpea, Cotton, Castor, Coconut grooves Replacement of some well endowed areas under wheat and rice by pulses in the countries which have excessive production of these cereals
Improving intrinsic yield potential Major efforts in crop physiology and biochemistry to analyze limitations and design more efficient plant types for various niches Lessons from better yielding legumes Multi-disciplinary approach involving plant physiology and biochemistry, breeding, molecular biology and microbiology Attention to both macro- and micro-symbiont
Reducing cost of production Developing energy-saving equipment Minimizing field operations, e.g., single pass planter Mechanizing harvest
Enhancing end-use quality and Improving nutritional quality Enriching essential micronutrient and aminoacid content Reducing antinutritional factors Improving functional properties for various end-use products Developing new highvalue products use-diversification
Maximizing realization of yield potential Appropriate agronomic management Cropping sequence; conservation agriculture Sowing date, density, etc. Management of nutrients and moisture Biological nitrogen fixation; mycorrhizal association Reducing yield loss due to: Abiotic stresses Biotic stresses
Managing abiotic stresses Abiotic stresses Drought Temperature extremes Salinity Nutrient deficiency Nutrient toxicity Best managed through genetic manipulation
Fungal, bacterial, viral and nematode pathogens Insect pests Weeds including parasitic plants Biotic stresses
Managing biotic stresses New pests & pathogens; severity and spectrum of damage likely to change with global climatic change Best managed by IPM approach, using: host-plant resistance agronomic management soft/botanical pesticides, and biological control
Progress in research Collection and characterization of germplasm Reliable screening techniques for both biotic and abiotic stresses Introgression of genes from wild relatives Improved breeding methods (including exploitation of hybrid vigor) and biometrical tools Increasing use of molecular biology and biotechnolgy in crop improvement.
New opportunities Advances in genomics and gene management Applied genomics: Mapping populations for QTL analysis, linkage maps More maarkers becoming available for specific traits, marker-assisted breeding Genome mapping: Sequences becoming available for peas,chickpea, lentil, pigeon pea and model legume Medicago truncatula Syntany being harnessed to devise new markers for species based on co-linearity of related species. Gene manipulation: Isolation and study function of important genes, also from alien species. DNA chips for genome-wide high throughput expression screening of stress-responsive genes Gene transfer for GM products
Meeting future challenges for sustained research and effective technology transfer & making pulses a profitable crop to farmers Ensure sustained public-sector funding Encourage private sector investment and partnership with public sector particularly for propriety technologies Target research for both commercial and subsistence farmers adopting specific methodologies Develop effective information and decision support systems and technology delivery systems Ensure policy and institutional support including linkage to markets and crop insurance to assist sustained development of pulses production
Regional cooperation Promote R&D partnership to harness full potential of pulses to contribute to sustainable food and nutritional security Identify comparative advantage of different countries in producing different pulses Arrange preferential trade of these pulses Identify new crops and substitutes of traditionally used pulses to meet shortages
Thank you