1. Community Based On-farm Conservation of
Crop And Varietal Diversity for Sustaining
Small Millets Cropping Systems in India
KARTHIKEYAN, M, PATIL, C. S.
P, PALANISAMY, M, SEETHARAM, A, NANJA
REDDY, NIRMALAKUMARI, A, BIJAY, K.N., VEDIAPPAN, V. &
NADHIYA, M.
Sponsored By: Hosted By:
Presented at the International Food Security Dialogue
2014
“Enhancing Food Production, Gender Equity and Nutritional
Security in a Changing World.”

2. Topics covered
1. Need for the study
2. Methodology
3. Results and discussion
4. Conclusion and next steps
5. Policy support needed

3. Need for the study…
 Rich crop and varietal diversity of
SM, which has been one of the key elements in
sustaining them has been declining very
fast
 Lack of site specific improved
varieties and lack of timely supply of
quality seeds has led to low productivity and
so replacement by other crops

4. Need for the study…
 On-farm conservation and varietal selection can
be an effective means for enhancing the
resilience of SMCS and sustaining them
 With this objective on-farm conservation and
varietal selection of SMs is being attempted
since 2011 in India under an action research
project -'Revalorising Small millets in Rainfed
Regions South Asia (RESMISA)‘

5. Methodology
 Farmer-led research-for-development that
builds on indigenous knowledge systems and
complemented by gender sensitive scientific
and participatory methods
 Embed in the contextually relevant community
organisations and public institutions

6. Conceptual framework

7. Study area covering Tamil Nadu
(3), Jharkhand (1) and Odisha (1) in India

8. Results and discussion
Existing status of varietal diversity
 In all the sites CBR indicated that many SM
crops/varieties have vanished in the last two
decades (Eg: FM-21& LM-10 in Odisha site)
 Less varietal diversity at farm level (90 %
farmers use one variety), at hamlet level and
at location level
 Some of the existing local varieties may
disappear soon
 Many of the local varieties show impurity

9. Status of varietal diversity at
location level
Site
Finger millet Little millet Kodo millet Barnyard millet
Present Popular Present Popular Present Popular Present Popular
LV RV LV RV LV RV LV RV LV RV LV RV LV RV LV RV
SG 19 2 4 8 2 1
Be 4 2
Ac 2 2 2
JH 2 1 9 3
Pe 3 2 2 1
LV- Local variety; RV- Released variety

10. Status of varietal diversity at hamlet
level
Site Crop
Hamlet
s
studie
d
Share of hamlets with different
number of varieties (%)
1 2 3 4 5
Semili
Guda
FM 40 40 28 20 10 3
LM 20 95 5 0 0 0
Bero FM 32 69 31 0 0 0
Jawadhu
Hills
LM 36 31 47 14 8 0
FM 33 45 45 9 0 0
Anchetty FM 29 62 24 14 0 0
Peraiyur BM 10 70 30 0 0 0

11. Creating awareness on local
varieties and facilitating
conservation in sites
 Biodiversity blocks established in the sites
and local farmers are systematically
exposed to them
 Interested farmers are being identified for
conserving local varieties on-farm
 Biodiversity fund was created in the women/
farmer federation/ associations for
supporting conservation efforts, even
beyond the project period

12. Biodiversity block in Semiliguda

13. Conservation through relevant
institutions
 The collected germplasm was shared
to gene bank of All India Coordinated
Small Millets Project of ICAR and
TNAU for
purification, characterization and
nutrient analysis
Morphological characterisation
completed and publication is in progress
Nutrient-rich varieties identified

14. Conservation through Participatory
Varietal Selection (PVS)
 Promising varieties included in PVS for
evaluation along with released/ pre-release
varieties
 In the three cycles of PVS trials 130 varieties
were tested with the involvement of 1435
men and 773 women farmers were involved

15. Participatory Varietal Selection-
Mother trial

16. Participatory Varietal Selection-
Preference analysis

17. Participatory Varietal Selection-
Baby trial

18. Results of PVS trials- 2011-2013
Site Crop
No. of varieties
included
No. of varieties selected
Local Rele Pre-R Local Rele Pre-R Total
SG F. Millet 18 6 1 1 1 2
L. Millet 10 6
Be Finger
millet
4 6 1 3 1 4
JH L. Millet 8 5 2 2 4
F. Millet 5 6 1 1 1 1 3
An F.Millet 7 14 1 1 2 1 4
Pe BY. Millet 12 3 5 2 1 3
K.Millet 5 2 4 1 1
Total 69 48 13 6 10 5

19. Conservation through Participatory
Varietal Selection (PVS)…
 Identified 1 to 4 additional varieties for each
crop in each of the five sites based on many
site specific parameters
 15 to 20% increased productivity observed
 Increase choices to farmers
 Two local varieties have entered IVT in AICSIMP

20. Reintroduction of small millet crops/
varieties
 Proso and foxtail millets were reintroduced in
three sites and little and kodo millets were
reintroduced in one site based on demand.
 In 3 sites, 2 declining traditional local varieties
of finger millet were promoted and in one site 4
rare varieties of little millet were promoted.
 About 320 farmers involved
 Foxtail millet was introduced both as mixed crop
and as sole crop
 Proso and foxtail millets were well received in two
sites

21. Community based seed production
 RESMISA Research Coordination Committee
formed
 Interested farmers from the local community
organisations were identified for seed
production and training was given
 About 7000 kg of seed of identified farmer
preferred varieties was procured from these
farmers for dissemination through group
network.


22. Conclusion and next steps
The integrated approach is effective and can be
attempted to any NUS
Next steps:
1. Conservation of vanishing local varieties by
supporting custodian farmers
2. On-site purification of potential local varieties
3. Strengthening community-based seed systems
for promotion of the identified potential varieties
as well as the existing popular ones at each
site
1. Promotion of nutrient-rich varieties
2. Linking with the Govt. Schemes for seed
production

23. Policy support needed
 Support for establishing community-based
integrated conservation initiatives
 Recognising and supporting custodian
farmers
 Inclusion of potential local varieties in the
State formal seed system and other
production support schemes- Presently it is
not the case (ASA-PB case in Brazil,
Peterson et al, 2014)
 Recognition of farmers’ rights and secure

24. Policy support needed…
NARS :
1. Make PVS mandatory for regional research
stations (RRS)
2. Exploit the potential local varieties in the
breeding efforts in RRS

25. Thank you