Minor millets in South Asia: learnings from IFAD-NUS project in India ...

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promoting nutrious millets in tamil nadu and orissa 27 conducted in Kolli Hills and Jeypore to increase yield of millets and millet-based cropping systems. These demonstrations were laid out with all the three millets, either as pure crop or as intercrop, in accordance with farmers’ choice. In the case of intercrop, the local choice of crop combinations with minor modifications in their row ratios was promoted. For example, finger millet-based intercrop normally followed in Kolli Hills used a crop mixture comprising 6 parts finger Fig. 6. Intercropping with finger millet in Kolli Hills millet, 1 part each of little millet and Italian millet, half part rapeseed mustard and 2 parts pigeonpea. Following this planting ratio, an intercrop system was designed and successfully demonstrated during 2003 and 2004 crop seasons (Fig. 6). Most of these demonstrations, as much as the land area of each farmer permitted, had control planting where farmer followed the traditional practices along with traditional seeds. All demonstrations used quality seeds of farmer selected varieties of nutritious millets with other interventions mentioned above. The plot size of demonstrations varied from 20 cents (0.08 ha) to 50 cents (0.2 ha). 5.4. Quality seed production and management of village seed bank In view of the extreme shortage of millet seeds and poor quality of seeds being used, production and supply of quality seeds were identified as an important project activity for increasing productivity. This activity involved training farm women and men on quality seed production including practical lessons on variety characteristics, rouging in each variety, and handling of seed during harvest, threshing, drying and storage. Farmers from 24 farm families belonging to three villages in Jeypore and Kolli Hills were covered in this training. Subsequent local production and supply of quality seeds of varieties identified by participatory selection were done by these farmers. In 2004, seeds of some of the varieties identified in the farmer participatory variety selection during 2003, comprising 14 varieties of finger millet, three varieties of little millet and one variety of Italian millet were multiplied. These seeds were purified with rigorous rouging to maintain quality equivalent to the certified seed. This generated 359 kg seeds, comprising 329 kg of finger millet, 18 kg of little millet and 12 kg of Italian millet (Table 4). The village seed banks in Balia and in Kolli Hills had built a seed stock of 1,007 kg for all the three millet species during 2004. This included 377 kg seed produced during kharif (rainy) season and 359 kg seed produced during summer season (Table 4). These seeds from the community seed banks were availed by 144 farm families during 2003 and 2004. Some of the farmers returned the seed loaned during 2003. One local NGO, called Agragaamee also received free seed supply from the project for popularization of farmer selected varieties away from project villages.
28 minor millets in south asia Table 4. Seed produced and cycled through the village seed bank during 2003-04 Year Crop Seed Seed Total No. of Area Varieties loaned returned quantity of farm planted (kg) with seed families (ha) interest (kg) availed (kg) the loan 2003 Fm 181 90 271 49 12.15 Bhiravi, local varieties 2004 (Kharif) seed produced 2004 (summer) seed shared* Fm 266 107 373 93 24.30 pVs varieties including local varieties lm 3 1 4 2 0.20 pVs varieties Fm 329 14 pVs varieties lm im 18 12 0.26 3 pVs varieties 1 local variety The 78 demonstrations used 346 kg of quality seeds of three millet crops, which were supplied free of cost to farmers. Additional 269 kg quality seed was also distributed among farmers as loan from local seed bank. The community seed banks also sold some quantity of seeds to farmers. 5.5. Yield enhancement from improved agronomic practices Grain and fodder yield results from all the 78 demonstrations were quite encouraging. Majority of the demonstrations (68%) used intercrops (Fig. 6), while the rest were pure crops of each of the three millets. Out of these, 35 demonstrations were with finger millet as main crop (Fig. 7). The yield from improved practice was consistently and significantly higher than that from the traditional practice of cultivation. The increase in individual trials ranged from 11-77% with mean increase of 39.0%. The finger millet variety GPU 48 performed superior to other varieties consistently across the demonstrations. In other 35 demonstrations, the principal nutritious millet crop was little millet. The grain yield from these demonstrations is plotted in Fig. 8. These results 20 1.62 Few pVs varieties All 470 198 1007 - 38.53 PVS varieties *seed supplied to a local ngo named ‘agragaamee’ Fm - Finger millet; lm - little millet; im - italian millet Fig. 7. Grain yield of finger millet in improved and control plots
Page 2 and 3: Minor Millets in South Asia Learnin
Page 4 and 5: contents iii Contents Foreword v Pr
Page 6 and 7: foreword v Foreword The project,
Page 8 and 9: foreword vii Foreword I extend my c
Page 10 and 11: prefAce ix Preface The small millet
Page 12 and 13: executive suMMAry 1 Executive Summa
Page 14 and 15: executive suMMAry 3 women. Informat
Page 16 and 17: executive suMMAry 5 and seed exchan
Page 18 and 19: executive suMMAry 7 systems. These
Page 20 and 21: executive suMMAry 9 available for s
Page 22 and 23: executive suMMAry 11 dissemination
Page 24 and 25: introduction 13 Introduction Backgr
Page 26 and 27: introduction 15 The project was dev
Page 28 and 29: introduction 17 l Develop value add
Page 30 and 31: promoting nutrious millets in tamil
Page 58 and 59: enhanCing Food seCuritY and inCome
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staFF inVolVed in implementing iFad
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Chennai platForm For aCtion 179 Ann
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Chennai platForm For aCtion 181 i.
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aCronYms 183 Acronyms ABD : Agricul
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aCronYms 185 PDS : Public Distribut
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Minor millets in South Asia: learnings from IFAD-NUS project in India ...

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