Summary

Food security, which is when all its people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life (FAO, 1996), is challenged by a growing complex of highly connected environmental problems including the impact of climate change. Even though many other growing challenges would have threatened the humanity, global food and nutritional security is the major regional as well as global concern as the world prepares to face the growing challenge of over population. Ensuring food security is the core endeavor behind development of the food crop sector in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has attained self-sufficiency in rice and near self-sufficiency in many food crops such as Vegetables and Maize. The demand for food however, is increasing steadily at both global and local scale. It is predicted that the share of agriculture to the Sri Lankan GDP would decrease to 8% while the per capita income would increase to well over US $ 4000 (Central bank of Sri Lanka) in 2016. This trend will continue and would certainly change the food habits. Even though Sri Lanka gained self-sufficiency in rice in 2010, in the last two years, the rice production fell below the requirement owing to severe droughts and floods demonstrating the vulnerability of this sector to changes in environmental fluctuations. Further, Sri Lanka produced about 99%, 60%, 30%, 37% of the maize, green gram and dry chilli and onion requirements, respectively leading to importation of these food items (Agstat, 2013).

With the change in food habits, increased consumption of meat and dairy products would create an additional pressure on feed supply, which will have a heavy burden on grain production systems with increased competition for land, water and energy. Exploiting new lands for increased food production would be an unlikely, costly solution, as biodiversity and public goods provided by the natural ecosystems need to be protected. Therefore, farm productivity should be increased by reducing the yield gap with management options and by further increasing the realizable potential of varieties.

Changes in both global and local scale climates have a profound impact on local agriculture production, which has potentially serious consequences for food security as food production systems interact very closely with water, climate and land resources. In 2013, the current population breathed air containing more than 400 ppm of CO2 and would further increase in the fore-seeable future with the current extent of human-induced environmental destruction. Those crops with the C3 photosynthetic mechanism would be largely benefited with ultimate increase in productivity. However, along with the increase in atmospheric CO2, many abiotic and biotic constraints would have a profound negative impact on the food production systems, irrespective of the productive mechanisms of crops. Increasing temperature and variation of rainfall have been observed in Sri Lanka. Increased air temperatures above thresholds and reduction of the quality and quantity of irrigation water while changes in the population dynamics of weeds, insects and pathogens and their virulence would certainly have a negative impact. Thus, options lie on identifying vulnerable ecosystems and minimizing the impacts through changing agricultural practices. Novel short season cultivars, which can withstand abiotic stresses such as water and high temperature stress etc. are needed. Climate smart cultivation techniques, irrigation and water conservation and storage systems and cropping systems with modified cropping calendars have proved an increased resilience to climate change, which would ultimately decrease negative impacts of climate change on food security in Sri Lanka. Preserving the environment with less agro chemicals using varieties resistant/tolerant to major biotic stresses and weed competitiveness is a timely need. Further accurate predictions on productivity and production under different weather scenarios are needed.

Objectives

• Crop varieties to overcome biotic and abiotic stresses a. Introduce / Identify / develop high yielding pest and disease resistant varieties of Rice, Chili, Green gram and Maize with tolerance to high temperature and water stress using conventional and molecular techniques.
• Introduce / Identify / Develop crops and climate smart crop husbandry techniques and cropping systems for different land systems in major agro-ecological zones (Dry and Intermediate zone) for sustainable farming.
• To identify rice varieties for their competitive performance and to develop an agronomic package to minimize the threat of weed rice
• Identify and map the most drought prone areas on severity, time and duration of drought using soil moisture indices and develop suitable land and water management options.
• Access the impact of future climate change on rice and maize production in different AEZ’s in Sri Lanka using crop modeling approach.
• Develop and introduce sustainable management options using conservation agriculture techniques for efficient use of available natural resources in most vulnerable AEZ’s
• Train Sri Lankan young scientists on different disciplines

Major Equipment Facilitated by Grant

• PH meter
• Grain moisture meter
• Digital top loading balance (Two)
• SPAD meter
• Phase contrast Microscope
• Gel Doc PAGE
• Refrigerator
• Autoclave
• Seed moisture meter
• Infra-Red thermometer
• Vortex mixture with accessories
• Digital maximum minimum thermometer (two)
• Micro pipettes
• Tensiometer (twenty four)
• Centrifuge

Designation

Principal Investigator (PI)

Deputy Principal Investigator (DPI)

Co- investigator

Co- investigator

Co- investigator

Co- investigator

Co- investigator

Co- investigator

Co- investigator

Co- investigator

Co- investigator

Co- investigator

Co- investigator

Institute

Field Crops Research and Development Institute

Field Crops Research and Development Institute

Natural Resources and Development Centre

University of Peradeniya

Field Crops Research and Development Institute

Rice Research Development Institute

University of Colombo

Field Crops Research and Development Institute

University of Peradeniya

University of Peradeniya

Field Crops Research and Development Institute

Rice Research Development Institute

University of Peradeniya

Ensuring food security through developing climate smart crop varieties and cultivation techniques in Sri Lanka (NRC Grant To 14-24)

Major objectives of the project were; Developing high yielding, pest and disease tolerant/resistant, short duration varieties of Chilli, Maize, Mungbean and Rice for both non stressed and high temperature and water stressed ecosystems, Developing climate smart agricultural practices with suitable agronomic and cultural management options and conservation farming systems for identified stressed ecosystems, Identification of vulnerable ecosystems and propose possible adaptation strategies, and Identification of vulnerable ecosystems and propose possible adaptation strategies.

Varieties and technologies released under this project replaced 35% and 50% adapted existing cultivation extent for Mungbean and chilli, respectively. This is a big value to the food crop sector in the country.

High yielding hybrid chilli variety MICHHY2 was released and a seed production program of MICHHY1 was conducted under this project. Both these varieties have made a significant impact on green and dry chilli production in the country. The achievable green chilli yield level of these varieties under farmer management is greater than 35 t/ha which is comparable or higher than the yields of imported hybrid chilli varieties. One kilogram of hybrid chilli seeds are sold at prices between Rs 120,000 to Rs 180,000 in the local market. Due to this increased chilli production, annual dry chilli importation could be reduced to a considerable amount (nearly 52,000 t). In addition, three promising chilli lines MICHPL 04, MICHPL 22 and MICHPL 38 were identified as drought tolerant lines. Hybrid chilli seed production package developed by the project is adopted in the government seed farms and by the private sector (7 companies) in their local hybrid chilli seed production programs. Further, six promising chilli hybrids and three chilli  open pollinated lines (OPV) are at NCVT while three chilli hybrids and two chilli OPVs are at VAT. 

Micro irrigation based agronomic management packages were developed by this project further increasing the productivity of green chilli up to 45 t/ha. In some of the farmers’ fields, the variety MICHHY 1 has recorded more than 50 t/ha with the drip irrigation-based agronomic management package. These drip and sprinkler-based packages could save irrigation water by 70 % and 30 % respectively. These water saving packages are viable options to achieve higher yields with limiting water resulted from climate change impacts. Moreover, labour and energy savings can be achieved due to the lower weeding requirement and lesser pumping time resulting more economic benefits in chilli cultivation.

Three Maize varieties (MIMZHY3, MIMZHY4 and MIMZHY5) with an average yield of 6.5 t/ha (potential yield is 8 t/ha) were released under this project. The per plant yield of MIMZHY 5 is higher than that of Pacific 339 under moisture stress condition Pacific 339 gives an average yield of 7 t/ha. The lowest yield reduction percentage was showed by MIMZ03 among other tested varieties (MIMZHY4, MIMZHY5 and Pacific 339) under drought stress condition. An agronomic package was developed for maize hybrid seed production. Around 1105 ha has already been cultivated for F1 seed production from these maize varieties in this year. Five Quality Protein incorporated Maize lines (yield>5 t /ha) developed using molecular markers are now at NCVT level. The five QPM maize lines developed through the research supported by this project are rich in two essential Amino Acids, Tryptophan and Lysine and therefore, they are specifically useful in animal feed manufacturing and human consumption too.

Short duration (50-55 days) Yellow mosaic virus resistant mungbean variety MIMB07 (2t/ha) released under this project was recommended for cultivation in between two main cropping season cultivation to assure the farmer an additional income. Additional benefit of this short duration is its capability to avoid drought, improve soil nutrient content and energy saving due to short duration for cooking. Presently, seed production of MIMB07 is carried out in an extent of 60 ha in government seed farms expecting seeds for the next season. Further, seven drought tolerant /escaping mungbean lines were identified in a drought screening trial. Climate smart micro irrigation package introduced by this project has increased the productivity up to 2.5-3 t/ha while saving irrigation water by 30% compared to  surface irrigation water.

Drought tolerant rice variety Bg 314 (8.06 t/ ha ) matured within 95-100 days was released under this project and recommend for dry and intermediate zones under rain fed farming. AERON 9-3 identified under this project matured within 101-110 days selected for VAT under rainfed condition. Further Bg 14- 2448, a drought tolerant line was tested under rainfed condition at VAT. Major rice growing ecosystems are vulnerable to heat and drought stress and 8 different crosses for drought resistance, and 10 promising heat tolerant rice lines are in the pipe line and will be released for framer cultivation soon.

The varieties and the technologies developed in this project supported to increase the production and productivity of chilli, maize mungbean and rice in the country. This has significantly contributed to increase farmers’ income and to save a significant amount of foreign exchange through reduction of seed imports both for consumption and as seed materials.

The project also generated one M.Phil. Degree, one Ph.D. Degree and 48 research papers. The project provided a number of major and minor equipment to the Field Crops Research and Development institute and the Rice Research and Development Institute, which would be very useful for their future research work.