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Research Notes____________________________________________________________
Short communication of practical oriented research or relevant information
in agriculture or seed technology are presented in this section.
The PREDUZA Approach: Helping Andean Farmers Developing
High Yielding and Disease Resistant Varieties in Saraguro, Ecuador
by
Daniel L. Danial and Pim Lindhout1
Introduction
In Ecuador, barley and wheat are planted on approximately 60,000 and 30,000ha,
respectively. Both crops are planted by small-scale subsistence farmers
and are used mainly for human consumption. Barley is also used to prepare
traditional 'machica', a drink made from grounded barley.
 |
| The Andean Region in South America |
The southern part of Ecuador is poverty stricken, with large migrant
populations, and the rate of migration is estimated at around 43%. Saraguro,
500km from Quito, is situated in the province of Loja in southern Ecuador,
which remains isolated and neglected by the national development plan
because of its remote geographical locations. Farmers have no access to
new agricultural technology including improved varieties, resulting in
more poverty and an increased number of migrants to the USA and Spain.
In addition, biotic stresses such as leaf rust (Puccinia hordei)
of barley and yellow rust (Puccinia striiformis) of wheat are the
most important factors limiting crop production. They affect both crop
yield and grain quality. Such diseases can be controlled chemically, but
farmers cannot afford the cost. Besides, it is hazardous both for human
health and the environment. Therefore, breeding for durable resistance
against these diseases is considered the most desirable and economic approach.
Preduza and its approach
in the Andean region
El Proyecto de Resistencia Duradera en la Zone Andina (PREDUZA) is a project
supported by the Netherlands government, and executed by the Laboratory
of Plant Breeding of the Wageningen University. The PREDUZA project was
initiated in 1997 and its mission is to develop crop varieties with durable
disease resistance in the Andean region.
The PREDUZA approach combines three strategic
components that are logically interconnected: (i) use of local cultivars,
(ii) selection for durable resistance, and (iii) farmer participation
in selection at advanced stages of breeding. Through participatory approach,
PREDUZA makes use of the existing agrobiodiversity and ensures that the
varieties developed fit farmers' preferences, and that local knowledge
on crops and their cultivation are incorporated in the sustainable farming
systems (Danial, 2003).
Results of the Preduza approach
The PREDUZA approach has been successful in increasing the effectiveness
of breeding programs in the Andean region, which is reflected in an increased
availability of promising entries with high level of resistance to the
most important fungal diseases, improved adaptation to local farming conditions
and matching farmers' preferences.
In Ecuador, the use of local cultivars in plant breeding was implemented
by Instituto Nacional Autonomo de Investigacion Agropecuaria (INIAP) together
with the technical support of Preduza. This resulted in releasing two
barley varieties ('Canicapa' and 'Pacha') and one wheat variety (Zhalo).
These varieties are characterized by high level of resistance to leaf
rust and yellow rust and good agronomic traits (INIAP, plegable No 208,
209 and 210). For example, the yield of the new barley variety 'Canicapa'
is 4 tonnes ha-1, compared to the local check variety 'Clipper' with a
yield of 0.8 tonnes ha-1 (Table 1). These new varieties were the results
of collaborative work between INIAP researchers supported by PREDUZA and
the farmer communities in Saraguro, who actively participated in selecting
the varieties according to their preferences. These resulted in reducing
the use of pesticides, protecting farmers' health and improving the income
of farm families.
| Table 1. Yield and protein content of new barley and wheat varieties under farmer condition in Saraguro | |||||
|
New varieties
|
Old varieties
|
||||
| Variety | Yield t/ha | Protein (%) |
Variety
|
Yield t/ha
|
Protein (%)
|
| Canicapa | 4.0 | 13.9 |
Clipper
|
0.8
|
10.2
|
| Pacha | 5.0 | 9.6 |
Clipper
|
0.8
|
10.2
|
| Zhalao | 4.7 | 10.7 |
Cotacachi
|
2.4
|
9.9
|
| Sources: INIAP Plegable No 208, 209 and 210 | |||||
Farmer participation
 |
| Participatory evaluation/selection of harvested barley and wheat grains by farmers and breeders during an international workshop in Quito, Ecuador |
Participatory selection was usually carried out in farmers fields with limited number of advanced lines (20-30 lines of F5-F6); and after three growing cycles, one or two lines are selected. Evaluation was carried out at flowering stage and after harvesting. This proved to be adequate for selection for the desired traits. Breeders came to realize that more frequent evaluation was not necessary. This is an important issue, as most of the national breeding programs have very limited funding. Moreover, plant breeders observed that the last evaluation was the most important for the selection of lines by the farmers.
Gender in participatory evaluation and selection
 |
| Women group evaluating and selecting barley lines in Chimborazo, Ecuador |
It should be noted that participatory selection allowed the breeders to connect with farmers' priorities and preferences. Consequently, breeders had to adapt their ideas about the desired plant types. For instance, barley breeders in Ecuador were unaware that women prefer six-row barley over two-row in the Cotopaxi area.
Perception of new barley and wheat varieties
In 1995, initial evaluation of new promising lines of wheat and barley began with several communities by local INIAP researchers and agronomists. Later on PREDUZA initiated the selection program targeting local communities.
In 2004, the Regional Coordinator of PREDUZA (Daniel Danial) and the INIAP agronomist (Jorge Coronel), visited Saraguro to evaluate the new wheat and barley varieties and to assess their acceptance by the collaborating farmers in the Cochabamba community. Community members indicated that 30 years ago farmers were planting large areas of barley in Cochabama but later the barley became diseased and stunted with declining yields (seed to yield ratio of 1:1). Farmers said they were only harvesting the seed. However, with the introduction of new PREDUZA-INIAP varieties the situation changed and yields have increased many folds both in barley and wheat.
Moreover, a new barley variety 'Canicapa' has 14.9% protein content (the first barley ever produced in the Andean zone), compared to an old variety 'Clipper' (9.6%). This drastic increase in nutritional quality is expected to improve the nutritional status and health of farm families. When most farmers started adopting the new varieties they began having higher yields, saving money and investing in cash crops especially fruit trees such as babaco (Carica sp) and tree tomato (Cyphomandra betacea) for the local market.
Constraints to adopting improved technologies
With the development of new varieties through participatory approach, the availability of seed remained a constraint to wide-scale adoption and diffusion of the new varieties by farmers because of lack of funds. The national agricultural research system prefers to produce and sell certified seed of improved varieties to local farmers at higher prices. However, in low input agriculture such as Saraguro, farmers are not able to purchase certified seed of improved varieties at a higher price. Moreover, lack of knowledge and technology in quality seed production remain a constraint to maintaining and multiplying varietally pure seed. Consequently, the improved varieties are genetically contaminated and mixed with local varieties and tend to accumulate seed-borne diseases where the full genetic potential of the new varieties decline within a short period of time and finally with no advantage over the local varieties.
The national agricultural research system (INIAP) does not have the resources to maintain and produce seed of many varieties. Therefore, farmers in the Andes are required to build on the resources they already have i.e. improving the informal seed system, which meet their seed demand for locally adapted varieties.
To improve the local seed supply, PREDUZA recommends strengthening both formal and informal seed sectors and suggests the following key research areas:
|
•
|
Investigating the local seed system, focusing on indigenous knowledge of how farmers maintain, produce or source their seed for the next cropping season, which may differ by farmers, communities and crops. Detailed constraints to seed multiplication, distribution, and sourcing should be identified and examined with farmers at the local levels |
|
•
|
Investigating and testing different local seed production approaches with farmers or communities. This should include both technical and economic aspects, where different approaches are evaluated with farmers and their advantages and disadvantages are demonstrated to the communities |
|
•
|
Providing training programs for and by the farmers to implement the most suitable informal seed production systems. So far 15 seed producers have been trained for each crop |
|
•
|
Linking formal breeding program with informal seed system to ensure the supply of sufficient quantity of seed of cultivars that are preferred by farmers by multiplying seed with farmers or communities |
 |
| A farmer from Saraguro (Mr Toalango) observing a new barley cv. Canicapa |
Conclusion
The success that was achieved by PREDUZA within a short period, together with national agricultural researchers in the Andes, is the result of a well coordinated and implemented project by the Laboratory of Plant Breeding of the Wageningen University and Research Center. This success was also achieved for other crops, as PREDUZA was able to release new varieties of maize and quinoa in Bolivia (Danial, 2003; Danial et al., 2005). PREDUZA also expects to release more varieties in the near future but requires more time and financial support to continue its activities in the region. According to PREDUZA estimates, about 15 million indigenous people in Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru could benefit from such regional activities (Bentley and Hogenboom, 2003).
References
| Bentley, J and N. Hogenboom, 2003. Working with native varieties and farmer communities to create durable Andean food crops. Revision Mission of the PREDUZA Project in Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru. 52 pp |
| Danial, D.L., Almekinders, C., Thiele, G and Jan Parlevliet. 2005. Farmers' participation and breeding for durable disease resistance in the Andean region (Submitted to Euphytica) |
| Danial, D.L., 2003. Aprendiendo de la Investigacion participativa con agricultores: caso preduza, 86-96pp. En: Agro biodiversidad y producción de semilla con el sector informal a treves del mejoramiento participativo en la Zona Andina. 26 De septiembre del 21003, Lima, Perú . (Ed. Daniel L.Danial) 217 pp. |
| INIAP Plegable No 208, 2003. INIAP Canaicapa 2003, La primera variedad de cebada con alto contenido de proteína, INIAP |
| INIAP, Plegable No 209, 2003. INIAP Pacha 2003, Nueva variedad de Cebada de dos hilieras para el austro Ecuatoriano |
| INIAP, Plegable No 210, 2003. INIAP Zhalao 2003. Nueva variedad de trigo harinero para el sur del Ecuador. |
Note1: D. L. Danial and P. Lindhout, Laboratory of Plant Breeding, Wageningen UR, P.O. Box 386, 6700 AJ Wageningen, The Netherlands; E-mail: daniel.danial@wur.nl; Website: http://www.preduza.org