Integrated crop-rangeland-livestock management to improve system productivity and to build resilience of agro-pastoral systems in semi-arid North Kordofan in Sudan – ARC Scientists visit

Abstract

ICRISAT and ARC El Obeid, Sudan under the “Increased effectiveness of agro-pastoral management, watershed management and sustainable intensification of wheat - legume systems” initiative tested a number of sorghum, pearl millet, pigeonpea and groundnut varieties sourced from ICRISAT Nairobi, Malawi and India. Trials under rainfed conditions were planted late and were destroyed by livestock. However, trials planted under irrigation at Gezira, Eldal and Wadmedani were successful and data were obtained. The varieties had good grain yields and forage. In the dual-purpose pearl millet trial, lines HSD 1618 and 1642 with high grain yields (852 and 696 kg/ha respectively) also had high forage yield (4040 and 4928 kg/ha respectively). In the determinate short duration Pigeonpea trial, genotype ICEAP 01107/10 attained grain yield of 1658 kg/ha against 637 kg/ha attained by check genotype Taiba. In the indeterminate short duration Pigeonpea trial the best genotype ICEAP 01130 out yielded the checks Baladi and Taiba by 4% and 211% respectively. The varieties will be evaluated further in 2018. Repeat planting will also be done in 2018 for rainfed trials. Technical capacity building of 4 technicians was done at ICRISAT Kiboko field station for 2 weeks. The training covered sorghum, pearl millet and groundnut breeding techniques theory and practice, experimental design, field layout, planting and trial management, trait ontologies, digital data capture and data management. Three scientists from ARC-El Obeid visited the ICRISAT breeding program at Kiboko and one scientist visited the groundnut breeding program in Malawi not only to exchange ideas with the ICRISAT scientists but also to select sorghum, pearl millet and groundnut lines for testing in Sudan. A training course in enhancing efficiency of irrigation was held for one week in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia and was attended by six scientists from ARC Sudan. The training covered understanding soil-plant-water relationships, crop water requirements, irrigation scheduling, irrigation water quality, irrigation scheme management, with case studies, watershed management and soil fertility management in irrigation schemes and irrigation agronomy for enhanced irrigation efficiency. One of the trainees was also facilitated to visit te Melkassa sorghum research program.