Focus
   Developing technologies with farmers: ICARDA’s experience in Pakistan
By Akhtar Ali, Mohammad Rashid, Akhter Ali, Mohammed Mushtaq, Abdul Majid and Abdul Bari Salkini
It is tough being a farmer in the northern Punjab region of Pakistan. Poor soils, erosion and lack of irrigation characterize the farms in the area. Farmers grow sorghum, millet and groundnuts in the kharif (summer); and wheat, mustard, gram and lentil in the rabi (winter). Most of the cultivated land is barani (rainfed), so farmers depend on low and erratic rainfall. Working with the farmers and the national agricultural research system, ICARDA scientists are developing technologies that will enhance water-use efficiency for increased crop production.

I
Return flows from streams are pumped during the dry season to establish fruit and fodder trees in the wasteland (gullied area).
n 1999, the Punjab provincial government, with support from the Government of Pakistan and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), began the Barani Village Development Project (BVDP) to identify and solve production problems by working directly with farmers in the region. Operating in four districts of Punjab, BVDP covers an area of about one million hectares, with a population of over two million people. An estimated 80% of this population lives in rural areas and mainly depends on agriculture for its livelihood. The area is characterized by hot summers; rainfall averages 450 to 800 mm annually. Monsoon rains generally fall as heavy showers that cause high runoff and erosion of earthen field ridges. The severe degradation reduces the land value and productivity of crops.

Working closely with six provincial and national research institutions, ICARDA coordinated the project’s applied research component to identify new technologies to integrate crops, rangelands and livestock production and establish pilot on-farm activities for demonstrations. The emphasis was on forging links between researchers, extensionists and farmers through extensive on-farm research.

Applied Research in Integrated Research Sites
Scientists selected three villages to represent the various ecologies and production challenges found in the Barani tract with a view to extrapolate the results of the experiments to other sites in the region with reasonable accuracy. The applied research focused on:
-
 Characterizing project target areas, production systems and communities
-
 Improving crop, fodder, and forage plants and related production practices – improved germplasm and production technologies were collected from national and international sources and then evaluated for their usefulness under local conditions
-
 Increasing livestock productivity through improving fodder and forages, and better management of rangelands
-
 Managing and conserving natural resources such as soil and water
-
 Assessing the adoption and impact of technologies

Researchers and farmers discuss the construction of a dry stone water-harvesting structure at Damal.
Farmers participated in planning and implementing the project and their experiences were incorporated into the research process. To further the dialog between the research interest groups, scientists organized participatory rural appraisals that involved all stakeholders to diagnose problems and set priorities. During these meetings, farmers and researchers finalized the terms of their partnership and details of the experiments. The researchers also planned field days to spread proven technologies to neighboring farms.

Cost-Effective Flow-Regulating Structures
Farmers expressed the need for low-cost structures that could help in regulating the flow of rainwater across the fields. Scientists worked with farmers to develop designs and construct structures that would successfully address the issues of erosion and rainwater management (see box).
Low-Cost Farm Runoff Management Structures: A Stunning Success in Barani Area
For a farmer in Barani areas in Pakistan, rains can be a nightmare. Heavy showers tend to carry with them the good soils, while the much-needed water for agricultural production runs off. The farmers, therefore, need to protect their fields from the destruction caused by the heavy monsoon rains, but at the same time collect some water for use in their fields. Initially, the Barani Village Development Project (BVDP) supported construction of some water and soil conservation structures. One such structure costs US$ 500 to 1000, with elaborate masonary craft. The project could not provide such structures to all the farmers in such a vast area (about 1 million ha), and farmers could not afford to construct the structures themselves. Not even the federal government had the resources to scale up the structures in the area.
ICARDA, working in collaboration with the Soil and Water Conservation Research Institute (SAWCRI), carried out research on possible alternative rainwater-harvesting structures that farmers could afford. Field visits and discussions with farmers in early 2002 led to the development of design criteria for selection and testing of low-cost structures. Topographic survey and design of the structures was carried out, followed by construction of about 25 structures in three selected sites. These structures, built with a combination of dry stone and vegetative cover, cost about US$ 50 each, about one-tenth of the cost of traditional masonary structures.
The structures were tested during the first monsoon rains in 2002. The research site at Khabal received 107 and 100 mm of rainfall on 13 and 14 August 2002 and Damal site received 85 and 75 mm of rainfall on 23 and 28 August 2002, respectively. In spite of the heavy rains, the structures performed very well. This built the confidence of the farmers and scientists in their work.
The structures harvested adequate runoff, so there was improved soil moisture and positive crop response to fertilizer. As a result, crop yields increased by 20-25% on some farms. Furthermore, the fields were saved from destructive effects of heavy rains. The farmers also reiterated that because of the simple and low-cost technology they could replicate these structures on their fields.
It was important, however, to prove to local leaders and BDVP officials that the new technology was effective and worth investing in. To achieve this, a number of activities were conducted:
-
 More than 50 water-harvesting structures were constructed at different locations to demonstrate their benefits to farming communities.
-
 Many senior policy decision makers were invited to the demonstration sites.
-
 Formal discussions with the project management staff were conducted on adoption of the technology.
In December 2003, all the stakeholders agreed that the technology should be adopted and that these structures be constructed in 70% of the BVDP locations. Such success was only possible because of the close collaboration between ICARDA and SAWCRI scientists and all farmers and other stakeholders.

Improved Fodder Crops
Without any additional management skills, special equipment or inputs, farmers at some sites reported a 25% increase in barley green biomass yield by using the new varieties introduced by the project. The Egyptian clover yield increased by more than 50% and oats by 20%. Many farmers have begun to produce seed of the new varieties for sale and neighboring farmers have expressed interest in being included in research trials in the future.

Improved summer varieties of maize, sorghum, millet and Sudan grass were introduced at all the research sites of the project. Maize and sorghum yielded much higher biomass than the local varieties at all sites and maize grain yield increased by 10-50%. Selected farmers are being trained to produce quality seed for sale to their neighbors.

Feed Concentrates Popularized
 Researchers tested the use of Urea Mineral Molasses Blocks (UMMBs) in an attempt to improve the nutrition of milk producing livestock, especially during the periods of feed shortage. The blocks improved animal health, and the milk quality and yield. Farmers reported an average increase of two kilograms of milk per day and many have begun to use the blocks regularly. The process of producing the blocks at the village level has been initiated and this could generate income for local agri-business entrepreneurs.

Gypsum for Better Yield
 The project area has alkaline soils. Therefore, the viability of applying gypsum to an improved groundnut variety ‘Chakori,’ and gypsum and green manuring to a wheat variety ‘Inqulab 91’ were tested. The yields of groundnut and wheat were increased by 13 and 34%, respectively. The project farmers were pleased with the results and adopted this practice. Researchers are linking farmers to gypsum dealers to ensure a sustainable supply of this input.

Lessons Learned
ICARDA’s successful experience working in Barani areas confirms the value of following a participatory approach to technology development and dissemination, involving the farmers, extensionists, relevant government departments and scientists. Appropriate technologies were developed on pilot sites and have now been replicated by the farmers and extensionists. The soil conservation department has taken up low-cost structures as a development activity and farmers are constructing them on a cost-sharing basis. Similarly, entrepreneurs in the villages are in the process of producing the UMMBs. These efforts are not only improving their livelihood but also reducing natural resources degradation in the Barani area.
DDr Akhtar Ali (a.ali@CGIAR.ORG) is Water and Soil Engineer, ICARDA; Dr Mohammad Rashid is Director, Soil and Water Conservation Research Institute, Chakwal, Pakistan; Dr Akhter Ali is Director, Fodder Research Institute, Sargodha, Pakistan; Dr Mohammed Mushtaq is Director, Barani Livestock Production Research Institute, Fateh Jang, Pakistan; Dr Abdul Majid is the ICARDA-Pakistan Representative and BVDP Coordinator in Islamabad, Pakistan; Dr Abdul Bari Salkini is BVDP facilitator at ICARDA.
Contents  |  About ICARDA and the CGIAR  |  From the Director General
Table of Issues  |  ICARDA Publications  |  ICARDA Home
-
© 2008 International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA). See copyright and disclaimer information.