ICARDA

Participatory Plant Breeding, Biodiversity, Genetic Resources, Gender and Climate Changes

s.ceccarelli@cgiar.org

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75% of genetic diversity of agricultural crops

has been lost

Source International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

Reduction of biodiversityBiodiversity

It has been recognized that biodiversity is key to securing global food supply

Source Thrupp LA (2000). Linking agricultural biodiversity and food security. The valuable role of agrobiodiversity for sustainable agriculture. Int. Affairs, 76:

265-281

Biodiversity

Food securityRight to Food

The Right to Food is the Right to Biodiversity

Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right to food

United NationsGeneral Assembly

23 July 2009

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Mais

Wheat

Source:World Conservation Monitoring Center, Global Biodiversity

Reduction of agro-biodiversity

Potato

75%

4 varieties

Rice

4 varieties

65%

Soybean

50%

6 varieties

50%

9 varieties

71%

6 variety

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The world seed market

Seed

4 companies 6 companies others

These are the same

49%

Pesticides

4 companies 6 companies others

11%

36%53%

33%

17%

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Diversity, Food…… and Health

50.000 are edible

There are approximately 250.000 plant species

90% of the calories in the human diet come from 15 crops and 60% from 3 crops (wheat, rice and maize)

The most widely grown varieties of these three crops are closely related and genetically uniform (pure lines and hybrids)

250 are food crops

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How did we do that?

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The Evolution of Plant Breeding

For millennia plant breeding has been done by farmers

With the beginning of Genetics plant breeding was taken away from farmers and started being done by very few people in very few places

……. and then most plant breeding became private and farmers’ breeding (almost) illegal

Many different farmers in very many places selected for specific adaptation landraces

Breeding for specific adaptation was replaced by breeding for wide adaptation displacement of landraces

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Local Knowledge and Diversity

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Not only in developing countries

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Three Levels of Biodiversity

Different Crops

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Three Levels of biodiversity

Different Crops

Different Varieties within the same crop

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Different Crops

Different Varieties within the same crop

Heterogeneous Varieties

Three Levels of biodiversity

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Genetic vulnerability

The Great Potato famine in Ireland (1845-1849)

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Genetic uniformity and vulnerability (UG99)

IRAN 2008

PAKISTAN 2009

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Freezing diversity: from fields to gene banks

Gene Banks are very important

Not all has been conserved

They freeze not only seed but also evolution

Must be complemented by in situ conservation

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Can we reconcile biodiversity and food security?

Return to Diversity through Participatory Plant Breeding

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Decentralization

Participation

Definitions

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Decentralization

Decentralization = direct selection in the target environment

Decentralized selection is not necessarilyselection for specific adaptation

Fully accepted by professional breeders in some countries (for example Australia)

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What is Participatory Plant Breeding?

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What is plant breeding and who is a breeder?

those scientists who have the full responsibility of a breeding program, made up of subsequent cycles, to develop new cultivars and improved germplasm

those scientists who contribute to crop improvement through breeding research

Ransom C, Drake C, Ando K, Olmstead J (2006) Report of breakout group 1: What kind of training do plant breeders need, and how can we most effectively provide that training? HortScience 41, 53–54.

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What is Participatory Plant Breeding?

Is a dynamic collaboration between Breeding Institutions (National or International) and farmers which exploits their comparative advantages

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CrossesSegregating populations

On-station trials

On-farm trials

Stages on stationStages in

farmers’ fields

A Plant Breeding Program

All the decisions are taken by the breeder’s team

New genetic materials

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CrossesSegregating populations

Yield Trials

Stages on stationStages in farmers’

fields

Participatory Plant BreedingParticipatory Variety Selection

Decisions are taken jointly by the breeder’s team and the farmers’ community

……. but there are less choices to be made

New genetic materials

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Conventional Plant Breeding

Production of Certified Seed

Variety Release

Adoption

Selection of new varieties

Supply Driven

Variety Release

Participatory Plant Breeding

Adoption

Production of Certified Seed

Selection of new varieties

Demand Driven

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Centralized

Decentralized

Non participatory Participatory

PPB

PVS

On- farm trials

ConventionalFarmers

selection on station

Participation and Decentralization

Most breeding programs

in Australia

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General Model of PPB

Genetic Variability

Research Institute

L_14 stages of selection

L_24 stages of selection

L_44 stages of selection

L_34 stages of selection

Variety B

Variety C

Variety D

Variety A

Variety A

Different locations may receive different germplasm

Stage 1

Stage 3

Stage 2

Stage4

CrossesPopulationsGermplasm collectionsGMO’s

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The ideal PPB team The ideal partners group

BreederSocial scientistsSocio economistAnthropologistGender scientist

FarmersMarket specialistsSeed companiesConsumersNGOsExtension staff

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Experimental designs and statistical analysis to maximize the precision of the trials

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Experimental designs Type of trial

Experimental designs in PPB trials

Stage 1 (several entries, little seed per entry)

Un replicated with systematic checks or partially replicated in rows and columns or incomplete blocks in two reps

Stage 2 (less entries, more seed per entry)

Incomplete blocks in two replications in rows and columns

Stage 3 (few entries, much more seed per entry)

Incomplete blocks in two replications in rows and columns

Stage 4 (2-4 entries, large amount of seed per entry)

RBD with farmers as replications

Adoption + Parents for crossing block

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In each stage and in addition to the usual data collected in a breeding program a group of farmers score all the plots

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Statistical analysis Type of trial

Statistical analysis in PPB trials

Stage 1

Stages 2 and 3 Spatial analysis (rows and columns) for replicated trials in incomplete blocks

Stage 4 RBD analysis

Best linear Unbiased Estimators (BLUE’s)Best linear Unbiased Predictors (BLUP’s)

Spatial analysis (rows and columns) for un replicated trials

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GE Interactions

Superior entries in specific locations or farmers’ fields

Farmers’ preferences

Relationships between traits

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At the end of the analysis the final selection for the following stage isdone in a joint meeting with farmers

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Biplot of farmers’ score and grain yieldBiplot of farmers’ score, grain yield and plant height

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Areas of improvement

• AsREML (separable auto-regressive of order one, AR1 AR1) for un replicated trials

• Combine appropriate data across stages

• Use of pedigree information

• DiGGer: A flexible tool for spatial (and block) designs

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Participatory Plant Breeding

The Science of Plant Breeding does not change

The differences between Conventional and Participatory Plant Breeding:

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Trials from Research Station to Farmers’ Fields

Decisions shared between breeder and farmers

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LATAKIA

TARTUS

1000

200

500

600

800

1200

1000

1400

PALMYRA

DEIR EZZOR

HASSAKEH

ALEPPO

HAMA

HOMS

DAMASCUS

RAQQA

PPB in Barley covers 90% of the

production area in Syria

TH

300 300

350400

150

200

250300

350

400

500

500

100

IDLIB

SUWEIDA

Research sites

Research Station of the Ministry of Agriculture

ICARDA headquartersTH

DARA'A

The process is conducted independently in each target environment

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A global decentralized breeding program

Creationof

Variability

N. Africa(Morocco, Algeria,

Tunisia, Libya, Egypt)

Latin America(Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia)

Central Asia,Iran Turkey

NARS

Far East(China, India, Nepal,

Korea)

Ethiopia

Yemen

Eritrea

LebanonJordan

NARS

NARS

NARS

NARS

NARS

NARS

Iraq:IrrigatedRainfed

NARSNARS NARS

A global decentralized-participatory breeding program

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Countries and Crops with PPB programs

barley

wheat

lentil

chickpea faba bean

NEW

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Women participation

Jordan

Syria

Eritrea

Yemen Egypt

Iran

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Often have knowledge of production processes along the whole food value-chain (complementary to that of men)

They usually have distinct needs and priorities of traits and crops

Have a specific interest in food security (they are usually in charge of preparing the food)

In most developing countries are the poorest of the poor

In participatory research (by definition inclusive) women have the priority because

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Participatory trials in Syria (stage 1)

45 m 83 m

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Participatory trials in Syria (stage 1)

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Participatory trials in Syria (stage 2)

22.5 m

1.6 m

First Rep

Second Rep

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Participatory trials in Syria (stage 3)

22.5 m

1st Rep

2nd Rep

3.2 m

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A variety selected and planted by a farmer in stage 4

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PPB trials in Yemen (barley and lentil) at 3000 m asl

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Lentil and faba bean in Eritrea

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Bread wheat in Eritrea

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Lenticchie e fave in Eritrea

Chickpea in Syria

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Barley and Durum Wheat in Jordan

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Rainfed barley in Kermanshah, Iran

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Irrigated barley in Iran

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Barley and Durum Wheat in Algeria

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Maize and Rice in China

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Cassava in Tanzania

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Cassava in East Timor

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Sweet potato in East Timor

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The method is flexible

Type of agriculture (commercial, organic, subsistence, irrigated, rainfed, etc)

Type of crops (self-pollinated, cross-pollinated, vegetatively propagated)

Type of varieties (pure lines, populations, hybrids, clones)

Type of farmers (rich, poor, large, small, literate, illiterate, men, women, etc.)

Role of the partners

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Variety development

Types of impact:

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

Zahra Zanbaka Harmal Arabi_Aswad

Kg/h

a

+71%

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Variety development

Types of impact:

Institutional

The DG of NARI (Eritrea) visiting a wheat PPB trial

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Variety development

Types of impact:

Institutional

Farmers’ skills and empowerment

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Variety development

Types of impact:

Institutional

Farmers’ skills and empowerment

Enhancement of biodiversity

Higher benefit/cost ratio

Samra

Hyat

Hader

Jedaan

BishmishByloun

BylounJoudByloun

Byloun

Sabah

SabahJemelieh 10

+48%+58%+56%+62%

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Variety development

Types of impact:

Institutional

Farmers’ skills and empowerment

Enhancement of biodiversity

Higher benefit/cost ratio

PPB and CPB Costs and Benefits

Item PPB Program CPB Program

Research Expenditure (m US$) 2.8 5

Gross Economic Benefits (m US$) 110.7 77.6

Period of Study 1993-2008 1985-2008

Annual Research Expenditure (m US$)

0.122 0.251

Annual Economic Benefits (m US$) 4.8 2.5

Discount Rate (%) 3 3

Internal Rate of Returns (%) 46 19

Benefit-Cost Ratio 39 15

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Farmers’ interest in landraces

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Iran160 accessions of wheat and 160 accessions of barley in 3 locations and two years

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Jordan160 accessions of wheat and 160 accessions of barley

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65 wheat, 100 barley, 47 lentil, 22 pea

Yemen

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Combining Participation and Evolution

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Per complementare la conservazione ex situe in situ si puó pensare ad un tipo dimiglioramento genetico evoluzionistico –popolazioni molto grandi (milioni di piante) derivate da migliaia di incroci che sievolvono in localitá caratterizzate da altetemperature o da siccitá sotto l’ azionecongiunta della selezione naturale e artificiale (degli agricoltori) – come un modo dinamico di rispondere aicambiamenti climatici

Evolutionary Plant BreedingSuneson, 1956

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Populations obtained from thousand of crosses or from mixing new and old varieties

left evolving in the target environments

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Iraq

Kazakhstan

Tajikistan

Uzbekistan

Iran

UAE

Turkey

Syria

Jordan

EgyptLibya

Tunisia

Algeria

Morocco

Mauritania

Sudan

Ethiopia

Somalia

Oman

Yemen

Qatar

Bahrain

Kuwait

SaudiArabia

CyprusLebanon

Eritrea

GeorgiaArmenia Azerbaijan

Afghanistan

Kyrgyzstan

Turkmenistan

Evolutionary Plant Breeding

One mega population of barley(1600 F2’s)

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Participatory-Evolutionary Plant Breeding

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Evolutionary Participatory Plant Breeding

PPB program

PPB program

PPB programPPB program

PPB program

Original Population

Dry and Hot sites

Salt Affected

High Input

Cold Pest and Diseases

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Iraq

Kazakhstan

Tajikistan

Uzbekistan

Iran

UAE

Turkey

Syria

Jordan

EgyptLibya

Tunisia

Algeria

Morocco

Mauritania

Sudan

Ethiopia

Somalia

Oman

Yemen

Qatar

Bahrain

Kuwait

SaudiArabia

CyprusLebanon

Eritrea

GeorgiaArmenia Azerbaijan

Afghanistan

Kyrgyzstan

Turkmenistan

Evolutionary Plant Breeding

One mega population of durum wheat(700 F2’s)

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Experimental Evolution

Mutation load and rapid adaptation favor out crossing over self-fertilization

LT Morran, MD Parmenter & PC PhillipsNature, November 2009

Caenorhabditis elegans

Wild type (<5 % out crossing)

mutation

100 % out crossing

mutation

100 % selfing

virulent bacterial pathogen

Rapid adaptation Adaptation and increase in out crossing rate

No adaptation

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Institutionalization of PPB

Variety release systems and seed laws are the main problems

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Local seed production

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Seed Production of Adopted PPB Varieties

Seed Multiplication of Shishai in EritreaSeed Multiplication of 3 PPB varieties in Syria

Seed Multiplication of Ramtha in Jordan

Harmal in Syria

Barley and Durum Wheat in Algeria

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ConclusionsThe International framework

The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

The Special Report on the Right to Food

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The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

As of November 2008, 120 countries and the European Community are Contracting Parties to the Treaty

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Article 6 – Sustainable Useof Plant Genetic Resources

6.2 The sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture may include such measures as:

a) promoting, as appropriate, plant breeding efforts which, with the participation of farmers, particularly in developing countries, strengthen the capacity to develop varieties particularly adapted to social, economic and ecological conditions, including in marginal areas;

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(a) protection of traditional knowledge relevant to plant genetic resources for food and agriculture;

(b) the right to equitably participate in sharing benefits arising from the utilization of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture;

(c) the right to participate in making decisions, at the national level, on matters related to the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.

9.3 Nothing in this Article shall be interpreted to limit any rights that farmers have to save, use, exchange and sell farm-saved seed/propagating material, subject to national law and as appropriate.

Article 9 – Farmers’ Rights

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http://www.srfood.org/

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to respect existing access to adequate food

to protect the right to food to fulfill the right to food

Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights imposes on States three levels of obligations in the realization of the right to food

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Recommendations to fulfill these

obligations

Allow farmers to rely on informal seed systems Include landraces in the variety lists Support and scale up local seed exchange systems Develop incentives to the wider use of food products

made out of farmers’ varieties Ensure the active participation of farmers in decisions

related to the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources

Increase the resources allocated to public agricultural research

Put farmers at the centre of research through participatory research schemes such as participatory plant breeding

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Conclusions

Participatory Research in general and Participatory

Plant Breeding in particular can be considered as

international

public goods:

Food security

Climatic changes

Biodiversity

Seed

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Being a highly decentralized process participatory plant breeding produces varieties which are:

Different from country to

country

Different from village to village

within a country

Different within the same

village

Conclusions

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Fits crops to the environment rather than

modifying the environment, and therefore is ideal

for organic conditions

Conclusions

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Thank you