Knowledge Management Portal

Any breeding program undergoes numerous stages of improvement and adjustment and is never completely flawless from the beginning. Initial selection in the community-based breeding programs (CBBPs) were made only based on phenotypic performance, disregarding the relationships between individuals. Following the accumulation of pedigree and performance data, the BLUP animal model has now been employed. Significant genetic gain for selection qualities were achieved in Ethiopian sheep CBBPs. However, there are still ways to maximize genetic advancement and overall advantages of the breeding programs. A method to maximize the current CBBPs was studied, which included increasing selection intensity and sire use strategy, index-based selection, enhancing breeding females' reproductive productivity, and connecting CBBPs with the production unit. The researchers attended planning and training sessions regarding CBBP optimization. The researchers later returned to their respective villages and implemented CBBP optimization as appropriate.

Over the last six decades in India, there has been an unsatisfactory gain in pulse productivity, which is a severe threat to the creation of resilient livelihoods and the overall food and nutritional security of the country. To specifically enhance lentil productivity under rice-based cropping systems in West Bengal, the International Centre for Agriculture Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) began a multi-disciplinary project in 2012/13 providing improved technologies, including 29 improved lentil varieties, and a package of agronomic practices to farmers.

Since 2009, the International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) in partnership with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) and Ethiopian NARS has been implementing community-based breeding program (CBBP) in Ethiopia, to support the livelihood of smallholder farmers by improving the productivity of small ruminants through selective breeding. Since then, a remarkable progress has been made in improving the livelihood of small holders in different parts of the country. Currently, the CBBP initiative has been expanded to cover more than 10,000 households in Ethiopia. Generally, improved productivity, higher offtake, and higher annual income were recorded in those households participating in CBBPs. For example, an average genetic gain of 0.20kg per year for six-months weight and, and increased mutton consumption (from 1 sheep to 3 slaughtered/year/HH) were achieved in CBBP intervention areas. ICARDA has been working on Menz sheep and Abergelle goat CBBPs improvement closely with the Amhara Regional Agricultural Research Institute (ARARI) and Amhara Region Bureau of Agriculture to transform small ruminant value chains in Amhara region and beyond. CBBPs is adapted by different institutions in the region and being expanded in many parts of the region. As an example, Washera sheep CBBPs and Wollo sheep improvement has been implemented by various institutions (different universities, research centers and the Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute). However, there is no a harmonized breeding objective, CBPP implementation modality and a clear roles and responsibility shared among stakeholders working in the region. Hence, bringing all institutions together and harmonizing the scattered efforts in Washera and Wollo sheep improvement is crucial to bring impact at scale. As part of the joint effort, it has been recalled that ICARDA in collaboration with ARARI organized a two-day consultation and planning workshop in Bahir Dar at Unison Hotel from 14-15 April 2022. Since then, as per the agreements of implementation modality during the first consultative workshop, various activities were performed by the respective stakeholders. To evaluate such progresses made so far, the second consultative workshop was organized by ICARDA and ARARI on October 04, 2022 in BenMas Hotel, Bahir Dar. A total of 27 participants from different partnering institutes attended the consultative workshop.

In this report the Scaling Readiness of the ICARDA innovation: micro-water harvesting and native seedlings outplanting, is assessed.

Linking data management systems to analytics is an important step in breeding digitalization. Breeders can use this R package to Query the Breeding Management System(s) like BMS, BreedBase, and GIGWA (using BrAPI calls) and help them to retrieve phenotypic and genotypic data directly into their analyzing pipelines developed in R statistical environment.

This report summarizes the proceedings of the workshop “Identification and selection of value chains with characteristics eligible for agroecology upgrading in the governorate of Kef” held in Kef, Tunisia on December 15th, 2022. The workshop brought together 35 stakeholders from different backgrounds including farmer’s associations and representatives from public institutions. The objective of the workshop was to identify the value chains present in the region, choosing among them the two that are the most profitable in a participatory approach. Then, in a parallel session, mapping and assessing all relevant actors, diagnosis of the value chains through SWOT analysis and finally a value chain assessment according to agroecological principles.

Sustainable soil management practices (SSMP) render multifaceted benefits to meet the SDG goals, whereas its implication for climate change mitigation is significant. Sustainable soil management combines technologies, policies, and activities aiming at improving productivity, reducing the level of production risk (security), protecting the potential of natural resources and preventing soil degradation and water quality (protection), economic viability, and socially acceptable. The world's climate continues to change at rates that are projected to be unprecedented in recent human history. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment reports suggest a global increase in average surface temperature between 1.4 and 5.8°C from 2000 to 2100. Sustainable soil management practices can minimize the negative effect of climate change. Depending on soil types, cropping practices and the climate, soil can contribute to or slow down climate change. Knowing about good conservation management practices and focusing on other innovative farming practices used in conservation agriculture or agroforestry is important. This is to make the best use of the soil's regulatory capacity. On the other hand, good soil management practices can be adopted as part of the new ecological services policies and thus promote agricultural strategies for adaptation to climate change.

Sulla (Hedysarum coronarium L.): A Sustainable Legume Specie Used for Forage in the Agroecological Living Landscape of Tunisia.