New durable rust resistant wheat varieties: What they mean for small farmers in Ethiopia

Bedada Girma, Firdissa Etich1, Solomon Gelalcha, Ayele Badebo, Getaneh Woldeab, Fekadu Fufa, Bekele Abeyo, Ravi Singh,

Sridhar Bhavani, Osman Abdala, and Gordon Cisar

Introduction

Wheat production in Ethiopia Major food-security crop produced on about 1.5 ml ha

Wheat is faced with serious periodical threats from rusts

Yellow & stem rusts are major threats in East Africa

The 2010 yellow rust epidemic in Ethiopia caused considerable yield losses

Introduction

Wheat producers 95% of wheat producers in Ethiopia are small farmers

Small farmers suffer from limited use of improved technologies and low productivity

Small farmers are not fully protected from the rusts

The cheapest means to protect farmers: Rust resistant/ tolerant varieties

Development of rust resistant wheat varieties: Approaches

Crossing, introduct’n,

screening, selection, testing

Two cycles per season

Joint evaluation & advancing

PVS, VVT, release, seed increase

Int’l & Nat'l wheat scientists at Kulumsa station, Oct 2011

Development of rust resistant wheat varieties: Approaches

Regular & seasonal visits from Int’l scientists facilitate sharing of experiences and information

ICARDA and Ethiopian breeders happy with performance of advanced lines at Kulumsa, Ethiopia

Participatory variety selection: Approaches

PVS Groups: Women farmers,

Young farmers,

Elder farmers

PVS at Kulumsa station (L) and on-farmer at Huluko village (R), Munessa district, 2010

Superior lines: Candidates for further testing or release

Participatory variety selection Women PVS group in Burkitu village Selection criteria

Yield potential

Spike length

Number of seeds/spike

Plant height- straw factor

Seed color- market value

Baking quality

Disease resistance- stay green

Frost resistance

Earliness for low moisture stress area

Tech. promotion approaches Demonstration on station Demonstration on-farm

Training and promotion of rust resistant wheat varieties: Approaches

Training : Gimbichu district Training: Digelutijo district

60-130 farmers/district

1-2 DA/village + supervisor

Gender sensitive

Training of farmers, development agents, and supervisors is key to success of new technology promotion

Training areas Variety development and

selection

Agronomic practices

Crop management

Post harvest care

Gender issues

Marketing & saving

Farmer-preferred rust resistant wheat varieties

Highland types Mid to lowland types Digalu

Danda’a

ET-13

Madawalabu

Huluka

Hidasse

Kakaba

Pavon-76

Shorima

Ogolcho

Promotion of rust resistant wheat varieties: Approaches Seed multiplication: Digalu Seed multiplication: Danda’a

Promotion of rust resistant wheat varieties: Approaches

Household head farmer in her field- Gimbichu district

Well managed Digalu variety near Inawari town

Farmers come from far places to attend field days

Technology promotion: Farmers’ field days

Outputs and impacts

Training produced cadre of small farmers ready for change

PVS, based on peer discussion, enhanced integration and community togetherness

Farmer preferred new varieties

Many copy farmers- neighbors and beyond

Improved yield and quality from new varieties; seed access at village level

Well managed fields; high yields & market focused production

Outputs and impacts Yield performance of Danda’a Yield performance of Kakaba

Farmer, Plot, ha

Yield/plot, ton

t/ha

Malasa A. 0.25 2.6 10.4

Getu W. 0.25 2.4 9.6

Dabale S. 0.25 1.8 7.2

Sisay T. 0.25 1.6 6.4

Batrii E. 0.25 1.5 6.0

Farmer Plot, ha

Yield/plot, t

t/ha

Kabada G. 0.25 1.6 6.4

Kabada J. 0.25 1.2 4.8

Gamada D. 0.25 1.15 4.6

Worknesh A. 0.25 1.1 4.4

Amino U. 0.25 1.1 4.4

Seed yield data from farmers’ fields in 2011

District Variety #farmers Total area, ha

Yield range, ton

Mean yield, t/ha

Seed for 2012, ton

Arsirobe Danda’a 10 2.5 1.05-2.6 6.38 16

Digelutijo Danda’a 10 2.5 1.2-1.6 5.96 15

Gimbichu Danda’a 10 2.5 1.32-1.52 5.73 14

Arsirobe Kakaba 5 1.25 1.0-1.6 4.76 6

Total 35 8.75 51

Certificate of appreciation

Conclusions International research collaboration has effectively

slowed down the spread of Ug99 across the globe and avoided catastrophic damage to wheat production.

Free access to int’l wheat germplasm, testing network across regional countries, and enhancing national wheat breeding programs will contribute to generation of wheat technologies for the small farmers.

Small farmers can make a difference in ensuring food security for the households and the community if given the minimum support they need.

Conclusions “Our farmers are easily getting 6-7 t/ha after you

introduced Digalu variety to our district in 2009”. Mr. Getu, Head, Arsirobe District Bureau of Agriculture

“We have more than tripled our yields after we started using the new rust resistant varieties, thank you for the training and support; 2-3 t/ha is now history”. Small farmers of Arsirobe district, 2011 Field Day

“Investing in small farmers is the most powerful way to fight hunger and poverty”. Bill Gates

So for the small farmers, the NEW VARIETES mean:

Rust protection

High yield

High income

Food security

Improved livelihood

Special meal for special guests

acknowledgements EIAR Mgmt / KARC for administrative support

BMGF/ Cornell/ DRRW

CIMMYT/ICARDA/

USAID/FAO/AGRA/EAAPP

Farmers & wheat researchers

Extension staff of 9 districts

Seed producers- private and public

Mr. Asefa W/Michael (pensioner, now deceased):- disseminated resistant wheat varieties into Munessa district & saved thousands of small farmers from the 2010 yellow rust epidemic.

Technical experts & advisors to small farmers

THANK YOU