The Innovation Systems for the Drylands (ISD) program at ICRISAT aims to create and share knowledge to support profitable, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems at scale. ISD takes a systems approach and works across several themes including agribusiness, climate-smart agriculture, digital agriculture, markets and institutions, and nutrition. The document outlines the goals and approaches within each theme.

1. Innovation Systems
for the Drylands
(ISD)
RP Director Anthony Whitbread
DAY–Ram Dhulipala
MIND – Michael Hauser
AIP – Aravazhi (Acting)
SACSA – under recruitment

2. What is an Innovation Systems Approach?
The goal: In support of ICRISAT’s vision, ISD creates and uses knowledge, methodologies and tools to
create innovations, understand entry points/tradeoffs and leverage actors towards profitable
resilient and sustainable agri-food systems at scale.
An innovation systems approach harnesses the conditions needed to create demand for
technologies and creates the knowledge that may be used to bring about such changes…innovations
most often emerge from a systems of actors collaborating, communicating and learning.
Agribusiness and
Innovation Platform
Systems Analysis for
CSA
(Incl. GIS/RS)
Digital Agri. & Youth
(incl. M&E)
Markets Institutions
Nutrition & Diversity
(incl. impact
assessment)

3. Agribusiness and
Innovation Platform
Systems Analysis for
CSA
(Incl. GIS/RS)
Digital Agri. & Youth
(incl. M&E)
Markets Institutions
Nutrition & Diversity
(incl. impact
assessment)
IRS: 1 / SMG 3 IRS 3/ SMG 3 /PDF 3/VS 2 SMG 3 IRS 5/SPS 1/SMG3
LRS/NRS 11 LRS 16 LRS 5 LRS/NRS 14
Consultants: 13-20 Consultants 3-5 Consultants 5-7
Students 10+ Students 10+ Students 10+
Honorary Fellows 3 Honorary Fellows 2
CIRAD/IRD CIM Experts 1
Consultants/LRS to
manage Walmart project
Theme Lead/Senior
Scientist (Farming
Systems) (HQ)
PDF (RA) 3 (HQ)
PDF (RA) 1 (HQ) Development Economist
(Nairobi)
CIM Experts - Behavioural
/VC Economist)
(Nairobi and Lilongwe)
PDF Value chain
Economist (HQ)
Strategic Hires
Strategic exchange: Prof. Sieg Snapp MSU/CSIRO/CIRAD/IRD/UniAdelaide

4. ICRISAT Mandate & Regional Programs
WCA ESA SA
Genetic Gains
Innovation Systems
in the Drylands
• Social Sciences
• Nutrition and agri-food systems
• Gender and equity
• Economics (foresight, ag econ,
behavioural, institutional)
• Systems Science
• Modelling (crop, household, value
chain)
• Crop physiology and trait identification
• Innovation
• Digital Ag
• M&E
• Incubation
ISD, as a cross-cutting global program,
aims to build core expertise and be fully
meshed with the regional programs to
support innovation esp. in:
CRP – 40% of income
• CCAFS
• GLDC
• WLE
• PIM
• A4NH

5. Global public goods (not just analysis!)
ISD Research in
Africa and Asia
Better suited technologies, seeds
and ecosystem management
Improved access to mainstream and
alternative markets, agri-business
incubation and trade
Catalyse agri-food
system transitions
Resilient cross-border collaboration
for resource sustainability, prosperity
and peace
Tools
We analyse risks and opportunities
for leverage points to intervene in
complex and dynamic food systems.
Rules
We use scientific evidence to influence
policies affecting producers, retainers
and consumers.
Agency
We build the capacity and skills of
women and men for scaling
beneficial food system outcomes

6. Systems Analysis for CSA
1. Climate Risk Management and adaptation
2. Spatial Analytics (GIS/Remote Sensing)
3. Crop Physiology, crop model development and
high throughput phenotyping
(Dr Sunita Choudhary –HQ Dr Myriam Adam
WCA)

7. 7

8. Climate Analysis – Exposure Index
Mandal wise climate exposure
index for baseline climate
Mandal wise climate exposure
index for Mid-century RCP 8.5

9. Tracking adoption of Chickpea: Andhra Pradesh
Gumma et al., 2016. Int’l Journal of Remote Sensing. 37(8):1955-1972.
Districts
2012-13
2000-01 2005-06 2012-13
Anantapur 34,777 51,304 84,493
YSR (Kadapa) 30,343 69,258 117,903
Kurnool 68,113 140,511 196,793
Prakasam 35,129 128,288 159,524
1,62,362 ha
3,89361 ha
5,58,713 ha

10. Tracking legume crops: Malawi
Gumma et al., 2019. Monitoring changes in the cultivation of
pigeonpea and groundnut in Malawi using time series
satellite imagery and its relationship to export and import
dynamics. (Prep).

11. Sorghum modelling in West Africa
Data needs and recent applications
to set priorities for guiding agronomic
and genetic interventions
Myriam ADAM- GPM ICRISAT 5 Feb 2019

12. High-throughput phenotyping for crop improvement
LeasyScan
o 32 trials in 4 years =255 experiments
o 10 different crops
o Several collaborations: public & private;
national & international partners
LeasyField
2800 tubes of 1.2 m × 20 cm diameter
1700 tubes of 2.0 m × 25 cm diameter
4800 Micro-plots
4500 Cylinders

13. Component Traits of Adaptations
Key traits we explore:
• Canopy dynamics
• Early vigor
• Water-saving traits (transpiration
rate under high/low VPD
environments; critical for SAT
crops)
• Water uptake across crop cycle,
TE, biomass, grain yield
Hi-throughput phenotyping
platform (LeasyScan)
Lysimetric facility
(LeasyField)
Grain Yield
Grain Number
 Biomass
RADN
TE T RUE Rint
vpd
kl LAISLNRoots k

A >A
Grain Size & N

14. IIT-H & University of
Tokyo team
Crop-imaging by Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) to accelerate
high-throughput phenotyping for crop improvement
UAV equipped with multispectral/
hyperspectral RGB sensors
Images captured are processed and
analysed for various agronomic
traits: phenology, plant count,
canopy coverage
Entered in the scope of EiB across CG
centres for ensuring quality imaging
and robust data processing by
experts
Aerial view of sorghum density trial
UAV capturing images over sorghum field
Work in collaboration with IIT, Hyderabad

15. Digital Agriculture and Youth
Agri-Tech is already driving innovation in India
• Information delivery (downscaled market, weather, farming system, soil
management) as specific advisories direct to farmers on smart phones
or tablets
• Risk management intelligence on markets, weather, banking or
insurance
• Business intelligence through harnessing dashboards to monitor
implementation

16. Agri-entrepreneurship can :
Attract youth to agriculture
Foster entrepreneurial spirit and accelerate increases
in rural incomes
Our Innovation - Incubation and research in Digital Ag
ICRISAT ihub launched on February 13, 2017 to accelerate
opportunities for agri-preneurs in India and beyond
ICRISAT’s digital agriculture
innovation platform

17. KALGUDI
Intello Labs
TITSC

18. Plantix
Keansa
KheytiNext
Smallholder Farmer
FPOs
Constellation of FPOs
Formal and informal
network of
agriculture
Plantix Plant protection app for farmers
Keansa FPO management solutions
KheytiNext Network of FPOs solution
Kalgudi Linkedin for farmers, FPOs,
traders, input companies
Kalgudi
ihub Startups
 USAID case study and BDP commissioned Accenture review: ‘a radical new way of
provisioning and researching Digital Agriculture’

19. Plan for 2019 – 21 (Asia)
• ICTs for managing climate risk
• Drones for Agriculture (surveying and crop health monitoring)
• MEASURE for IDC projects and Walmart
• Digital Learning platforms/tools for farmers MOOCs courses for farmers
• ICT based market linkages and platforms - digitization and linkages of FPOs in AP
(SERP, WALMART)
• Crop Insurance
• AI, ML, Big Data and strategic initiatives in Agriculture
• Scaling up the plantix app in collaboration with PEAT Gmbh
• Blockchain in agriculture –pilots with ELEVEN01 and KhethiNext
• IOT based smart farm at ICRISAT

20. Plan for 2019 – 21 (Africa)
• Continuing support of MEASURE for M&E and Digital
Seed Catalogue and Roadmap tools
• Accelerated Value Chain Development (AVCD)
• MEASURE platform deployment and usage for
M&E
• Digital interventions across AVCD value chains
• Accelerated Varietal Improvement and Seed Systems
for Africa (AVISSA)
• MEASURE platform deployment and usage for
M&E
• Digital Seed Catalog and Roadmap improvements
• Work on new proposals in WCA (MANOBI etc)
• ESA Hub on the lines of ihub

21. Agribusiness and Innovation Platform (AIP)
• Launched in 2003, AIP works towards technology
commercialization and agri-entrepreneurship
development through PPP models
• 100+ agribusiness start-ups incubated/facilitated
investment
• Handholding of >35 research institutions in India and
African NARS for setting up ABIs in those institutions
• Facilitated commercialization
• 331 agro-technologies/1218 agribusiness ventures
• Developed expertise in food product development, food
safety, processing targeting SAT crops.
Vision: Enhancing agricultural development through
entrepreneurship, innovation and partnerships

22. Increasing Incubation of Start-ups in India
Focus more towards technology-enabled start-up solutions
• Farm service/Food processing/Agri-biotech
Major capacity building programs & activities
• Agribusiness Start-up Programs
• Domain linked training programs
• Expansion of incubator ecosystem
• CSR partnerships for scaling-up
Major events
• Annual Hackathon and Accelerator programs
• B2B events with industry, FPOs
• Mentoring and Investor camps
Current start-up portfolio of ABI-ICRISAT

23. Increasing Nutrition Work to Support New
Healthy Products around our Mandate
1. Development of nutritious food products and creating “demand pull”
2. Implementing analytical methods to substantiate health/functional
claims
3. Establish and promote standards for millet based food products
4. Capacity building of entrepreneurs/SHGs - local production, marketing
of affordable, safe and nutritious foods
5. Undertake nutritional intervention studies among rural and tribal
communities
Energy Dense
Peanut Spread
Jowar meal
Multigrain meal

24. Increasing Focus on Incubation in SSA
1. Strengthen local food processing sector through FPBIC and FTL platforms supported
by AIP-ICRISAT
2. Capacity building programs under IAFS series:
• Entrepreneurship and business incubation
• Food product development, food processing business, food safety and standards etc.
3. Incubation
• Target SME opportunities for local youth and women
• Value-chain specific ABIs to promote technology-enabled agtech start-ups
4. Facilitate scaling-up of Indian agtech start-ups to Africa

25. Documenting Incubation Process & Impact
• Papers on ICRISAT’s agribusiness entrepreneurship promotion from 2016
• Best practices in agribusiness incubation domain
• Benchmarking performance reports (ex: UBI Global Survey 2019)
• Case studies on scaling-up strategies adopted by incubated agtech start-ups

26. The MIND theme houses the social sciences at
ICRISAT.
With a specific emphasis on collective
behaviour, the group analyses changes of agri-
food system and their effects on environmental
sustainability, social resilience, human nutrition
and health.

27. Production economics
Value chain
development
Behavioural
economics
Institutional
psychology
Governance Public health
Nutrition Transitions
Gender relations
Markets DiversityInstitutions Nutrition
Food baskets, balance
sheets
Ethnicity, women and
youth
Trajectories, foresight
analysis New social contracts
 Ex ante/ex post impact
assessments
 Dietary behaviour change
analysis
 Social network and food flow
analysis
 Bio-economic modelling and
scenario planning
 Designs for multi-stakeholder
engagements
 Institutional analysis and policy
formulation
Methods
In-house
Services
Social science data
management
VDSA Panel Data
*CRP Focal points
Nutrition/Gender
Coordination
Academy
Science training
Capacity
building
Outreach
MIND organises research under the four sub-themes and
two academic service functions.
* Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM), Agriculture for Nutrition and Health
(A4NH), and the and the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture
and Food Security (CCAFS) , and Grain Legumes and Dryland Cereals (GLDC)

28. o this category, projects must be both sustainable, in
ent of natural resources in the region, and engaged in
to increase agricultural productivity and economic
ch system when and where it is best suited.
, pilot projects will be selected which currently support
lture in the region. ICRISAT, working in close
ganisations and a wide range of partners in the EAC
elp to identify scalable agricultural water management
Figure: 1 Study area.
Scaling water-efficient agriculture in the
Lake Victoria Basin (2019 – 2022)
Project Document
Advancing WFaS East Africa:
Aim: Improve the resilience of land and water
resources, and in turn the health of ecosystems and
human wellbeing in the Lake Victoria Basin (45
million concerned people).
How: Foresight water security in rained / irrigated
ecologies + identify scalable water management
approaches + model impact + provide advise to
Council of Ministers of East African Community.

29. Dietary behaviour change in high-density
settlements in urban areas in East and Southern
Africa (2018 – 2019)
Aim: Develop nutrition-sensitive value
chains through dietary behaviour change of
consumers in urban high-density
settlements (Kenya, Malawi, Zimbabwe)
How (first phase): Identify determinants
of dietary behaviour + develop affordable
food baskets + scale dietary shifts among
low-income producers.

30. Integration of diversity and nutrition issues
Examples include:
• Nutri-Food Basket study with AIP
• Research on tribal issues with AIP
• Nutrition messaging with Digital Agriculture
• Dynamics of urban sprawl - Hyderabad
With other research programs:
• Peanut value chain study in Bangladesh
• Understanding gender norms in watershed

32. Cereal – Legume - Livestock
Intensification and Market Integration
Nkayi Baseline Fertilize Crops
& feed residues
to livestock
…………
Cereal Legume
Livestock &
Markets
Crop GM $ 22 $ 225 $ 263
Livestock GM $ 188 $ 462 $ 1,051
Net Cash
Income
$ 88 $ 362 $ 930
CVof HEI 25% 18% 14%
Efficiency
metrics
HEI/mm Rain $0.62/mm $1.15/mm $2.05
HEI/Labor $1/day $1.86/day $5.67/day
HEI/ha $113/ha $208/ha $317/ha

33. Capacity
Building
https://www.icrisat.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/July-Month-Happenings-1760.pdf
https://www.icrisat.org/boosting-confidence-in-farm-innovations-simulating-impact-with-systems-modelling-tools/
• Training Workshops for 20
Enumerators from 10 KVKs
• Data collection-20 FGDs,
500 Households in 4 states
Data
Collection
Integrating systems modelling tools enabling informed decisions for
upscaling climate smart agriculture
Further Research Outputs-
Identifying Low Emissions
Development Pathways –
Synergies and Trade-offs
Trade-
offs
Synergies
Trade-
offs
Mitigatio
n
Mitigatio
n
Profitabilit
y
Profitabilit
y
https://www.scienceforum2018.org/sites/default/files
/2018-09/SF18_low_emissions_pathways_india_0.pdf

34. Innovation Systems for the Drylands
Agribusiness and
Innovation Platform
Systems Analysis for
CSA
(Incl. GIS/RS)
Digital Agri. & Youth
(incl. M&E)
Markets Institutions
Nutrition & Diversity
(incl. impact
assessment)