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Project Record

Objectives:

Promotion of pro-poor strategies to reduce the impact of key pests and diseases, improve yield and reduce pesticide hazards in production systems.

Background:

Chickpeas and other pulse crops are important sources of income and nutrition for the rural poor in Nepal, but losses from grey mould and pod borer have been the main cause for production decline. Adoption of integrated crop management based on sustainable pest control technologies has been validated (R7885), and shown to be of benefit to rural livelihoods. This project aims to promote these benefits.

Intended Outputs:

Lessons from previous promotional phase, and the current phase, identified and documented.

Awareness of policy makers and implementers of the value of chickpea rehabilitation raised in the target institutions and countries, and advice on sourcing of funds.

Strategy for wider promotion of chickpea rehabilitation developed with key policy players in Nepal.

Progress and Impact:

A workshop to raise awareness and define a strategy for countrywide uptake of chickpea ICM technologies was held in Kathmandu in November 2004. This was attended by around 80 participants from South Asian countries, including Bangladesh and India, to help raise awareness beyond Nepal. The participants included key figures in the agricultural planning system, including the Minister of Agriculture, the Honourable Member of National Planning Commission, the Directors of the Department of Agriculture, and the Nepal Agricultural Research Council, and the Deputy Director of ICRISAT. Also participating were the South Asian regional co-ordinator of CYMMIT and the secretary of the Rice Wheat Consortium of Indo Gangetic plain. The meeting was covered by various media including national papers, one of which put the workshop on the front page, but the meeting was also covered by the evening news on 2 Nepal television stations. Presentations on scientific and livelihoods aspects of up-scaling technologies were made by 20 scientists over the course of two days and each resulted in a publication that will be published in proceedings by ICRISAT. One of the principal outputs of the project was to synthesise lessons learned from this and other similar projects and so help devise a strategy for large scale uptake of chickpea ICM in Nepal. This paper has now been accepted for publication in the proceedings of the workshop held in Kathmandu in November 2004. Its salient findings were as follows.
*Chickpea is a crop that can compete with alternatives; it is highly profitable when grown with appropriate technology and improves livelihoods for poor farmers.
*Markets per se are not a limiting step for the nationwide expansion of improved chickpea production in Nepal (most chickpea consumed in Nepal is still imported) but aspects of marketing are, and need addressing.
*The complementarity between research and extension organisations in Nepal needs addressing, to enable joined-up extension services and technology support.
*Seed storage has too low a priority for both farmers and extension services and needs greater focus and investment.
*Pesticide quality and insecticide resistance need monitoring, and infrastructure and policy/legislation to support biological alternatives needs developing.
*Agricultural knowledge dissemination to farmers needs updating and improving.
*There needs to be more farmer self-help involvement in seed multiplication.

In the policy document, much of the information surrounding the production constraints for chickpea has been highlighted, along with the problems associated with its management. The constraints can be classified as research, extension and farmer constraints, and action will need to be taken at each of those levels to ensure an efficient, effective and sustainable technology can be put in place across all potential chickpea growing areas of Nepal.

Project Conclusions:

Lessons from previous promotional phase, and the current phase, identified and documented. Lessons learned from the previous project and those learned from similar projects in Nepal with a goal to achieve broad uptake and impact were synthesised through discussion with policy setters, extension workers and scientists, and this will ensure that up-scaling of chickpea ICM in Nepal is well considered and well planned and thus ensure a positive impact on the rural poor. Awareness of policy makers and implementers of the value of chickpea rehabilitation raised in the target institutions and countries. A major international workshop was used to highlight the value of chickpea rehabilitation to the Ministers, senior civil servants, NGOs, CGIAR programme leaders and the representatives of the donor/aid community. After the meeting, the Minister of Agriculture agreed to give a high priority to chickpea rehabilitation in the forthcoming national plan for agriculture. Successes of previous projects were discussed with stakeholders and partners. Considerable interest was generated (notably at DoA) in incorporating chickpea ICM into national strategies. Awareness of the potential of chickpea to affect rural livelihoods was raised further through mass media processes such as TV and newspapers, as well as directly to key individuals such as the Minister of Agriculture and the national planning commission member. Subsequently, project staff were invited to the bi-annual international Rice Wheat Consortium meeting in Dacca and presentation on the project, its activities, findings and impact was made by a collaborator and key member of the project team. Strategy for wider promotion of chickpea rehabilitation developed with key policy players in Nepal. A strategy was developed through consultation and discussion with participants at a workshop held in Kathmandu in November 2004. This was synthesised into a stand alone policy/strategy document that is a useful and useable tool for a broad client base including donors, key policy setters and extension administrators, scientists, non-government development organisations and small and medium enterprises. Advise target institutions (NARC/DoA) on approaches to sourcing funds to promote chickpea rehabilitation. Stakeholders including NGOs and farmers who attended the November 2004 workshop were made aware of novel funding strategies currently being implemented by Nepal's government under the guidance of the Agricultural Perspective Plan Support Programme for the decentralisation of agricultural development funds to Local Initiative funds and District Extension Funds.

General Notes:

See also the TECA Record Sustainable integrated crop management of chickpeas for poor farmers in Nepal

Publications:

Cherry A C, Rabindra R J, Grzywacz D, Kenneday and Sathiah R (2000) Field evaluation of Helicoverpa armigera NPV formulations for control of the chickpea pod-borer, H. armigera (Hubn.), on chickpea (Cicer arietinum var Shoba) in southern India. Crop Protection 19, 51-60.



D'Cunha R., Stevenson P C., and Grzywacz D., (2003) Differential activity of Helicoverpa armigera nucleopolyhedrovirus on cotton, chickpea and tomato. Proceedings Society of Invertebrate Pathology Annual meeting Burlington USA 25-30th July 2003.



Grzywacz, D., and Warburton, H., (1999) An evaluation of the promotion and uptake of microbial pesticides in developing countries by resource poor farmers: A report on Phase 1 of the CPP project A0805. NRI Report R2440, Natural resources Institute, Chatham.



Harris D Joshi A Khan PA Gothkari P and Sohdi P S (1999) on farm development of seed priming in semi arid agriculture development and evaluation in maize, rice and chickpea in India using participatory methods. Experimental Agriculture 35, 15-29.



Johansen, C. Opportunities for increasing chickpea production in Nepal. Pages 33-47 in On farm IPM of chickpea in Nepal: Proceedings of the International Workshop on Planning implementation of On-Farm Chickpea IPM in Nepal 6-7 September 2000, Kathmandu, Nepal. Pande S Johhansen, C. Stevenson, P.C. and Grzywacz, D ed.s) Patancheru 502 324 Andrha Pradesh, India: International Crops research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics and Chatham ME4 4TB, UK., Natural Resources Institute.



Pande, S., Johansen, C., Stevenson, P.C., and Grzywacz, D. (eds.) 2001. On-farm IPM of chickpea in Nepal: proceedings of the International Workshop on Planning and Implementation of On-farm IPM of Chickpea in Nepal, 6-7 September 2000, Kathmandu, Nepal. Patancheru 502 324, Andhra Pradesh, India: International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics; and Chatham, Maritime, Kent ME4 4TB, UK: Natural Resources Institute. 133 pp. ISBN 92-9066-438-X.



Pande. S, Singh, G., Narayana Rao, J., Bakr, M.A., Chaurasia, P.C.P, Joshi, S., Johansen, C., Singh, S.D., Kumar, J., Rahman, M.M. and Gowda, C.L.L. (2002) Integrated Management of Botrytis Grey Mould of Chickpea. Information Bulletin No. 61. Patancheru 502 324 Andrha Pradesh, India: International Crops research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics. P. 32.



Pande, S., Bourai, V., Neupane, R.K. and Joshi, P.K. (2003a) Chickpea production constraints and promotion of Intergrated pest management in Nepal - 1. Information bulletin no. 64. Patancheru 502324, Andhra Pradesh, India: International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics. 32pp. ISBN 92-9066-462-2



Pande, S., Bourai, V., Stevenson P.C. and Neupane, R.K. (2003b) Empowerment through enrichment - 2. Information bulletin no. 65. Patancheru 502324, Andhra Pradesh, India: International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics. 28pp. ISBN 92-9066-463-0



Pande, S., Bourai, V. and Neupane, R.K. (2003c) Wealth generation through chickpea revolution. IPM of chickpea in Nepal - 3. Information bulletin no. 66. Patancheru 502324, Andhra Pradesh, India: International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics. 36pp. ISBN 92-9066-464-9



Pandey, S.P., Yadav, C.R. Sah, K. Pande, S and Joshi, P.K. (2000) Legumes in Nepal. Pages 71-97 in Legumes in rice wheat cropping systems of the indo gangetic plain - constraints and opportunities (Johansen, C et al., Eds. Patancheru 502 324 Andrha Pradesh, India: International Crops research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics and Ithaca New York, USA, Cornell, University.



Pathic, D.S., Constraints and Opportunities for sustainable chickpea production in nepal. Pages 48-50. in On farm IPM of chickpea in Nepal: Proceedings of the International Workshop on Planning implementation of ON-Farm Chickpea IPM in Nepal 6-7 September 2000, Kathmandu, Nepal. Pande S Johhansen, C. Stevenson, P.C. and Grzywacz, D ed.s) Patancheru 502 324 Andrha Pradesh, India: International Crops research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics and Chatham ME4 4TB, UK., Natural Resources Institute.



PANDE, S., STEVENSON, P.C., GRZYWACZ, D and RAO. (Eds.) (in press) Proceedings of the International Workshop Policy and Strategy for Increasing Income and Food Security for Poor Farmers in Nepal and South Asia Through Improved Crop Management of High Yielding Chickpea in Rice Fallows, 17-18 November 2004, Kathmandu, Nepal. International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh, India.



STEVENSON, P.C. (in press) Opening remarks from NRI on upscaling of ICM of chickpea in Nepal. Proceedings of the International Workshop Policy and Strategy for Increasing Income and Food Security for Poor Farmers in Nepal and South Asia Through Improved Crop Management of High Yielding Chickpea in Rice Fallows, 17-18 November 2004, Kathmandu, Nepal. International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh, India.



STEVENSON, P.C., PANDE, S., NEUPANE, R.K., CHAUDARY, C.N., NARAYANA RAO, J. and GRZYWACZ, D. (in press) The promotion of improved crop management technologies in chickpea to poor farmers in Nepal. Proceedings of the International Workshop Policy and Strategy for Increasing Income and Food Security for Poor Farmers in Nepal and South Asia Through Improved Crop Management of High Yielding Chickpea in Rice Fallows, 17-18 November 2004, Kathmandu, Nepal. International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh, India.



GRZYWACZ, D., KHANAL, N.P. and MARHAJAN, R. (in press) Alternative pest control approaches: problems and solutions to nucleopolyhedrovirus (NPV) uptake in Nepal. Proceedings of the International Workshop Policy and Strategy for Increasing Income and Food Security for Poor Farmers in Nepal and South Asia Through Improved Crop Management of High Yielding Chickpea in Rice Fallows, 17-18 November 2004, Kathmandu, Nepal. International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh, India.



STEVENSON, P.C. (2004) Opening Remarks from NRI on upscaling of ICM of chickpea in Nepal. Presentation at: International Workshop on Policy and Strategy for Increasing Income and Food Security for Poor Farmers in Nepal and South Asia through Improved Crop Management of High Yielding Chickpea in Rice Fallows, 17-18 November 2004, Kathmandu, Nepal. International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh, India.



STEVENSON, P.C., PANDE, S., NEUPANE, R.K., CHAUDARY, C.N., NARAYANA RAO, J. and GRZYWACZ, D. (2004) The promotion of improved crop management technologies in chickpea to poor farmers in Nepal. Paper presented at: International Workshop on Policy and Strategy for Increasing Income and Food Security for Poor Farmers in Nepal and South Asia through Improved Crop Management of High Yielding Chickpea in Rice Fallows, 17-18 November 2004, Kathmandu, Nepal. International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh, India.



GRZYWACZ, D., KHANAL, N.P. and MARHAJAN, R. (2004) Alternative pest control approaches: problems and solutions to nucleopolyhedrovirus (NPV) uptake in Nepal. Paper presented at: International Workshop on Policy and Strategy for Increasing Income and Food Security for Poor Farmers in Nepal and South Asia through Improved Crop Management of High Yielding Chickpea in Rice Fallows, 17-18 November 2004, Kathmandu, Nepal. International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh, India.



STEVENSON, P.C., POUND, B. and PANDE, S. Country-wide scaling up of Integrated Crop Management of chickpea in rainfed rice cropping systems of Nepal: lessons learned and future approaches.

Associated References:

R7885