TRAINING WORKSHOP

Trees for farmers: improving strategies for germplasm supply

Monday the 29th October to Friday the 2nd of November 2007. Nairobi, Kenya

PARTICPANT INFORMATION FORMTo be completed by all participants and returned by post, email or fax, by 27 August 2007, to:
Mr. Jan Beniest, Principal Training Scientist, The World Agroforestry Centre, PO Box 30677, 00100 Nairobi, Kenya. Email: ; fax: +254 20 722 4023
Please note that all parts of this form must be completed in order to participate in this workshop
PART 1. PERSONAL INFORMATION
A. NAME, ADDRESS, INSTITUTION AND PASSPORT DETAILS
Surname (Mr):GANDHE
First name and other names: RAJESHWAR RAO
Title:
Employing institution and address (include PO Box, city, country, tel. number, fax number and your work email):
Central Research Institute For Dryland Agriculture, Santoshnagar, Saidabad, Hyderabad.
PIN-500059, Andhra Pradesh, INDIA
Tel: +91-040-24531067 Fax:+91-040-24531802
Email: ,
Name and title of your present supervisor: Dr.Y.S.ramakrishna, Director, CRIDA, Santoshnagar, Hyderabad, India
Home address (include your home email, if you have one):
#504, Nutan Ramya Apartments, Gaddiannaram, Dilsukhnagar, Hyderabad, PIN-500060,Andhra Pradesh, INDIA
Tel: +91-040-24068256 Mobile: 09392332004
Date of birth: 19TH November 1962 / Nationality: Indian
Passport number: E5889441 / Place of passport issue: Hyderabad, India
Date of passport issue:25-07-2003 / Date of passport expiry: 24-07-2013
Mother tongue: Telugu / Working language: English
B. EDUCATION
Educational level attained (e.g., Diploma, B.Sc., Ph.D., other) and discipline(s):
University/Institution / Major Field of Study /
Cert. /Diploma/Degree
/ Year
Punjabrao Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola, India
HPKVV, Palampur India
YSPUH&F, Solan, India /
Agriculture
Forestry
Forestry (Silviculture) /
B.Sc Agriculture
M.Sc Forestry
Ph.D, Forestry (Silviculture) / 1980-83
1983-86
1995-98
Year(s) award(s) obtained:
Briefly describe any other training activities that you have participated in that you think are relevant to the current course:
Forest college and Research Institute,TNAU, Mettupalayam / Strategies for improvement and utilization of Tree Borne Oilseeds / 20-9-04 to 30-9-04
Institute of Natural Resources (INR), Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand / Undertook training in Sustainable Nutrient Management of Agroforestry/Forestry Systems / 18-10-04 to 31-10-04
C. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Number of years of professional experience: 18 yrs and 4 months
Number of years with present employer: 18 yrs and 4 months
Briefly give a general description of your present work and current responsibilities in your institution (a detailed description of your work as it relates specifically to this course comes later in this form):
As Principal Investigatlor handling the following R&D projects
i) Development on Tree-Borne oilseeds (Funded by NOVOD)
ii) Survey, collection, evaluation and multiplication of elite germplasm of Pongamia pinnata and Jatropha carcus (AP Cess Project)
iii) National Network on Integrated Development of Jatropha and Karanja
iv) On farm trials of Jatropha curcas and Pongamia pinnata in Rain Shadow Districts of Andhra Pradesh . Funded by RSAD, Government of Andhra Pradesh.
v) Genetic Improvement of Jatropha carcus for Adaptability and Oil Yield (2005-2010) Funded by CSIR
As Offier-in-Charge of 700 acres (280ha) Research Farm of the Institute managing the resources for efficient R&D efforts of the institute
As Officer-in-Charge of All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Agroforestry at CRIDA looking after the institutes responsibilities in the project
Briefly describe your work prior to present employment:
I have been in ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) as Scientist(Forestry) since 06-06-1989. I worked at NRCAF (National Research Centre for Agroforestry), Jhansi, India from 1989 to 1999 concentrating on Tree nusery technology, evaluation of MPTs germplasm and Silvipastoral Sytems.
Mark (X) for your main discipline. If more than one, please indicate a rough percentage (%):
Agriculture / Forestry (X)50% / Agroforestry (40%) / Other (list)
Policy (10%) / Economics / Business studies / Other (list)
Mark (X) the main type of activity you are involved in. If more than one, please indicate a rough percentage (%):
Research (60%) / Development (15%) / Teaching (5%) / Training (10%)
Planning (5%) / Management (5%) / Administration / Other (list)
D. DECLARATION
I, the undersigned, certify that the above information is correct and complete, and agree that the World Agroforestry Centre will not be held responsible in case of accident, illness, theft or death while travelling to and from, or staying at, the venue of the workshop.
Signature:
(G.R.Rao), Principal Scientist(Forestry), DRM Division, CRIDA
Date: 01-10-07
PART 2. AUTHORISATION
(TO BE COMPLETED BY A SUPERVISOR AT EMPLOYING INSTITUTION)
The undersigned approves participation of the above individual to take part in this workshop:
Name and address of institution:
Central Research Institute For Dryland Agriculture, Santoshnagar, Saidabad, Hyderabad. PIN-500059, Andhra Pradesh, INDIA
Tel: +91-040-24530177 Email: Fax:+91-040-24531802
Signature:
(Y.S.Ramakrishna)
Director
Date:01-10-07
PART 3. SPECIFIC INFORMATION REQUIRED FOR THE COURSE
A. NEEDS ASSESSMENT
The purpose of this workshop is to have positive impacts on livelihoods and the environment for smallholder farmers in the tropics through the development of more efficient and more sustainable tree germplasm supply systems. The course has four main objectives and four modules. These will address different elements of germplasm supply systems (please read the course brochure for more information). To determine how much focus to place on each objective and each module of the workshop, please rank these below by your order of priority (1 = highest priority, 4 = lowest), based on your own training needs and the information on the course that is available to you.
Objectives / Priority (rank)
1. Identify how tree germplasm supply systems fit within the wider context of agroforestry practices and development in the tropics. / 1
2. List and describe the different sources of tree germplasm commonly available for smallholder agroforestry practice, the advantages and disadvantages of each source, the similarities and differences between the tree and crop supply sectors, and the elements of crop systems where lessons can be learnt for trees. / 2
3. Undertake an analysis to characterise existing tree germplasm supply systems and identify gaps where interventions are most important and most likely to succeed. / 1
4. Undertake an analysis of supply chain actors in order to develop and efficiently facilitate strategies for implementing change. / 2
Modules (refer to course brochure for further description) / Priority (rank)
1. Introduction: tree germplasm supply systems in context. / 1
2. Characteristics of current supply systems. / 2
3. Determining priority interventions in supply systems. / 1
4. Implementing change in supply systems. / 1
A. NEEDS ASSESSMENT (continued)
Do you consider that the above objectives and modules adequately address the purpose of this workshop (as given above)? If not, what do you see as major gaps?
Yes with inclusion of the following
Objectives: Including role of Self Help Groups in mass multiplication and supply of germplasm and protection of stake holder rights
Module: Biodiversity aspects and Government policies
Based on your experiences and knowledge, what do you think is the single most important constraint to delivering suitable tree germplasm to smallholder farmers?
Supply in time of quality planting material to the farmers’ which is true to type
What are your main expectations from this workshop and how do you think it will be useful for your future work?
The workshop will help me to sharpen my professional knowledge and skills in efficient and latest technologies in tree germplasm supply to the farmers. Further, it will help me to meet, discuss and to share experiences with the luminaries who have been doing credible and exemplary work in the field of tree germplasm.
I have been handling research projects on bio fuel plantations (Jatropha curcas, Pongamia pinnata) with objectives of germplasm collection & evaluation, development of agrotechniques, onfarm trials and conducting trainings for trainers and farmers on biodiesel plantations. Since the workshop is concentrating on germplasm supply strategies in trees which is very much related to the R&D work being handled by me.The knowlede gained in this workshop helps in planning future line of work in meeting the demand of quality planting material of trees to the farmers.
How do you think the training given in this workshop will strengthen your employing institution? Can you give specific examples where lack of training in this area has limited institutional impact in the past?
It helps in evolving efficient strategies in meeting the stake holder demands of quality planting material of trees in time. It may also gives me opportunities to work out collaborations with interested institutes/firms as per Central Research Institute For Dryland Agriculture research mandate subject to the approval by parent organisation i.e Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Capability of the institute has to be augmented to supply on a large scale the quality planting material of important MPTs to the farmers.
B. SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON YOUR CURRENT WORK
This course will be highly interactive and will draw widely on participants’ own experiences. Different participants will be asked by the course organisers to present case studies, sit on participant panels and present posters. All participants will be expected to be able to discuss their work in the context of the different objectives and modules of the course. In order to ensure that participation can be organised most productively, the course organisers require a summary of your current work under specific areas of activity. Please therefore provide careful and specific responses to the below points, attaching additional sheets, if necessary. For participants from the crop sector, please consider the same questions in the context of crops rather than trees.
Please note that all of this section must be completed in order to participate in the workshop.
What is the main goal of your organisation?
Increasing the production and productivity of the farming systems in rainfed areas by sustainable management of Natural Resources for securing the rural livelihoods.
Why does your organisation support tree planting?
In rainfed areas, the uncertainity of rains both in intensity and duration makes reliance on only crop based systems is a risky proposition. Growing of trees on bunds and boundaries, as hedge rows and as block plantations provides multiple benefits like fuel, fodder, fruit, small timber apart from conserving natural resources. Tree growing acts as insurance against risk in the event of crop failure in drylands. Looking at the multifarious role of trees in day to day life of dryland farmers’ our institute encourages tree planting to secure rural livelihoods.
B. SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON YOUR CURRENT WORK (continued)
How does your organisation support tree planting (this could include through research, training, information provision, facilitating networking, business support, policy support, seed supply, nursery development, market development, etc.)?
We conduct various R&D trials on fodder trees, Tree Borne Oilseeds, industrial wood and other economically viable shrubs as pure block plantations as well as in agroforestry mode. We supply seed, nursery stock of important MPTs suitable to drylands farmers. We impart training to the stake holders in raising tree nurseries, tending trees and integrating trees into farming systems for sustainable dryland farming.
What are the main problems your organisation faces in supporting tree planting?
  • Reluctance of small & marginal farmers to include trees in the farming systems as they want to grow food crops
  • Absence of support system for mass multiplication and supply of the quality planting material in time to the stake holders
  • Absence of buy back guarantee to the tree produce near the vicinity of the farms
  • Forest laws make it necessary to take permission from forest department before felling the trees, in some cases (Species), grown by farmers’ on their own fields

Please describe a specific project where your organisation has been involved in facilitating tree germplasm supply to smallholder farmers or other clients. Please include information on points (i) to (v) below (continue on next page). (Note: if your organisation is not directly involved in germplasm supply chain development, but, e.g., carries out business support or has a regulatory or policy function, please simply give a description of one of your projects as it is relevant to the development of tree germplasm supply chains.)
(i) The goal of the germplasm supply project.
Germplasm exploration, selection of Plus Trees, collect germplasm, evaluate them in progeny trial with ultimate objective of evolving high yielding lines in Jatropha and Pongamia (Biodiesel plants), mass multiplication and supply to the stake holders
(ii) A description of the pathway(s), from initial sourcing to final distribution, through which germplasm passes in the project. Illustrate by mention of a few of the tree species that the project deals with.
The projects are taken on Network mode involving prestigious R&D institutes spread over length and breadth of the country. These institutes collect the germplasm from their targeted provinances and exchange with network partners for multilocational trial. Once the high yielding lines are identified they will be mass multiplied and supplied to the stake holders with help of NGOs and or line departments (extension services). The main species targeted are Pongamia and Jatropha.
(iii) The other actors (in addition to your own institution) that are involved in tree germplasm supply in the project (e.g. NGOs, national tree seed centres, commercial businesses, government extension services). What is the role of each of these actors? Do any of them, in your opinion, inhibit the effectiveness of the project?
As mentioned above (ii), it is on network mode several reputed R&D institutes are involved in it and the relationship is of symbiotic nature. NGOs and government extention services will be involved at later stages.
(iv) Whether, outside this project, there are other organisations involved in supplying the same types of tree germplasm to a similar client group in the same geographic region. If so, what linkages exist between the project and these actors? Do you see any element of conflict/competition between the project and these other actors?
As the Biodiesel in India is a topical issue private entrpreneurs are verymuch involved in supplying the nursery stock and some are supplying inferior material also. As on today there are no linkages between partners ouside the project network.
(iv) In your opinion, the key strengths and weaknesses of the project in reaching smallholder farmers and/or other clients with germplasm.
The strength of the project is that R&D efforts are being done by governement sponsored research institutes and universities where the purity of germplasm is maintained but once it reaches the stage of mass multiplication the support of NGOs or extension services would be necessary and that stage there won’t be any guarantee for quality germplasm supplied to farmers’.
(specific project information, continued)
A workshop of the SII/World Agroforestry Centre project ‘Advancing Agroforestry Research and Development through Training and Education’ 25 July 2007

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