Your search found 5 records
1 Varshney, R. K.; Bansal, K. C.; Aggarwal, Pramod; Datta, S. K.; Craufurd, P. Q. 2011. Agricultural biotechnology for crop improvement in a variable climate: hope or hype?. Review. Trends in Plant Science, 16(7):363-371. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2011.03.004]
Agriculture ; Biotechnology ; Crop improvement ; Crop production ; Food production ; Climate change ; Genetic engineering ; Breeding ; Water use
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H044600)
(0.50 MB)
Developing crops that are better adapted to abiotic stresses is important for food production in many parts of the world today. Anticipated changes in climate and its variability, particularly extreme temperatures and changes in rainfall, are expected to make crop improvement even more crucial for food production. Here, we review two key biotechnology approaches, molecular breeding and genetic engineering, and their integration with conventional breeding to develop crops that are more tolerant of abiotic stresses. In addition to a multidisciplinary approach, we also examine some constraints that need to be overcome to realize the full potential of agricultural biotechnology for sustainable crop production to meet the demands of a projected world population of nine billion in 2050.
2 Walker, T. S.; Alwang, J. (Eds.) 2015. Crop improvement, adoption, and impact of improved varieties in food crops in Sub-Saharan Africa. Montpellier, France: CGIAR; Wallingford, UK: CABI. 450p.
Crop improvement ; Food crops ; Adoption ; Improved varieties ; Genetic improvement ; Performance evaluation ; Diffusion ; Agricultural research ; Research programmes ; Investment ; Technological changes ; Monitoring ; Impact assessment ; Rural poverty ; Food security ; Cassava ; Cowpeas ; Soybeans ; Yams ; Maize ; Rice ; Wheat ; Groundnuts ; Pearl millet ; Pigeon peas ; Sorghum ; Potatoes ; Sweet potatoes ; Barley ; Chickpeas ; Faba beans ; Lentils / Africa South of Sahara / West Africa / Central Africa / Southern Africa / East Africa / South Asia / Ethiopia / Eritrea / Sudan / Uganda / Rwanda / India
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: 338.10967 G110 WAL Record No: H047766)
(6.30 MB) (6.30 MB)
3 Grau, Felix; Drechsel, Nikita; Haering, V.; Trautz, D.; Weerakkody, W. J. S. K.; Drechsel, Pay; Marschner, B.; Dissanayake, D. M. P. S.; Sinnathamby, V. 2017. Impact of fecal sludge and municipal solid waste co-compost on crop growth of Raphanus Sativus L. and Capsicum Anuum L. under stress conditions. Resources, 6(3):1-12. [doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/resources6030026]
Faecal sludge ; Urban wastes ; Solid wastes ; Composting ; Crop improvement ; Raphanus sativus ; Capsicum annuum ; Stress conditions ; Agricultural practices ; Resource recovery ; Organic matter ; Waste management ; Waste treatment ; Inorganic fertilizers ; Drought ; Nutrients ; Cost benefit analysis / Sri Lanka
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048191)
(1.15 MB)
Co-composted dewatered faecal sludge (FS) with organic fractions of municipal solid waste (MSW) has a high potential to be used as an agricultural resource in Sri Lanka. In addition to options for cost recovery in waste management, closing the nutrient and carbon cycles between urban and rural areas, substitution of mineral fertilizers, reduced pollution. and the restoration of degraded arable land are possible with important benefits. Up to now little is known about the usage of FS-MSW as fertilizer and it needs to be studied in order to achieve a better understanding and generate application recommendations. The aim of these experiments has been to evaluate the possibility of substituting mineral fertilization. Two field experiments were conducted on sandy loam to assess the effects of MSW compost and FS-MSW co-compost, its pelletized forms, and mineral-enriched FS-MSW on crop growth. As a short-term crop Raphanus sativus “Beeralu rabu” (radish) was studied for 50 days in a randomized complete block design (RCDB). Results show that, under drought conditions, FS-MSW co-compost increased the yield significantly, while MSW and FS-MSW compost enabled the highest survival rate of the plants. Similarly, the second field trial with a long-term crop, Capsicum anuum “CA-8” (capsicum), was planted as RCBD, using the same treatments, for a cultivation period of 120 days. Results display that during a drought followed by water saturated soil conditions co-compost treatments achieved comparable yields and increased the survival rate significantly compared to the control, fertilized with urea, triple super phosphate, and muriate of potash. Cost-benefit analysis (CBA) revealed that pelletizing decreased the monetary benefits if only fertilizer value is considered. It can be concluded that, under drought and water stress, co-compost ensures comparable yields and enables more resistance, but might not be economical viable as a one-crop fertilizer. These findings need to be validated with further trials under different climate regimes and soils.
4 Byerlee, D.; Lynam, J. K. 2020. The development of the international center model for agricultural research: a prehistory of the CGIAR. World Development, 135:105080. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105080]
Agricultural research for development ; CGIAR ; International organizations ; Research networks ; Research systems ; Natural resources management ; Farming systems research ; Agricultural sciences ; Crop improvement ; Green revolution ; Funding ; International cooperation ; Political aspects ; Sustainability
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049900)
(0.82 MB)
On the eve of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the CGIAR, this paper revisits the genesis of the international center model for agricultural research (IARC). This model became fashionable in the 1960s and was arguably the major institutional innovation of the 20th century for foreign assistance to agriculture. While the founding of the first IARCs is universally attributed to the Rockefeller and Ford Foundations, we argue that based on new evidence, the creation of the IARCs was a logical conclusion of a process involving many actors that began immediately after World War I. First, we review FAO efforts to build regional and global research networks for the major cereals in the immediate post-WWII period. These networks linked closely to USDA and its legacy of scientific collaboration across US states that together with the Foundations, strongly influenced the design of the first two international centers for the major cereals. In Latin America, the various efforts by the US National Academy of Sciences, the US government and the countries of the region resulted in the creation of three centers for tropical agriculture, (only two of which exist today) with a broader research focus on farming systems and natural resources. Finally, we show how the establishment of four IARCs in Africa in different ways drew on a colonial legacy that had moved toward centralization of research across colonial territories since before WWII. All of these efforts over many decades involved a good deal of experimentation in organization, funding and governance to arrive at the standard IARC model that emerged. By the late 1960s, the genesis of another six IARCs was already in place stimulating the creation of the CGIAR to fund and coordinate the IARCs. The review concludes with a brief reflection on the successes and challenges of the IARC model over 50 years, and its relevance today.
5 Sikora, R. A.; Terry, E. R.; Vlek, P. L. G.; Chitja, J. (Eds.) 2020. Transforming agriculture in southern Africa: constraints, technologies, policies and processes. Abingdon, Oxon, UK: Routledge. 323p. (Earthscan Food and Agriculture Series) [doi: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429401701]
Climate-smart agriculture ; Agricultural mechanization ; Transformation ; Constraints ; Digital technology ; Policies ; Strategies ; Intensification ; Diversification ; Crop improvement ; Postharvest control ; Integrated Pest Management ; Renewable energy ; Soil management ; Climate change ; Food production ; Food safety ; Food security ; Land use ; Soil fertility ; Genetic techniques ; Seeds ; Land reform ; Land tenure ; Farming systems ; Cropping systems ; Small scale systems ; Smallholders ; Ecosystem services ; Nutrition ; Livestock production ; Animal health ; Forests ; Urban areas ; Markets ; Rural development ; Entrepreneurship ; Economic development ; Labour ; Gender ; Capacity building ; Farmers ; SADC countries / Africa South of Sahara / Southern Africa / Eswatini / Lesotho / Malawi / Mozambique / Namibia / South Africa / United Republic of Tanzania / Zambia / Zimbabwe
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049917)
(7.33 MB) (7.33 MB)
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