PARTICIPATIVE ASSESSEMENT OF MAIZE LOCAL VARIETIES USED BY FARMERS TO COPE WITH BRAZILIAN SEMIARID

#SDGAction42704

Description

Intro

The existing water deficit in the Brazilian semi-arid region (SAB) is a limiting factor in food production, especially maize. The main challenge of agriculture is the production of food under the changes that may be sensitive to long periods of drought. FAO (2015) indicates that climate change will affect the distribution of cropping areas of several species. The strategic reserves of genetic patrimony are already under threat; especially those found in areas subject to recurrent droughts. Thus, the management of agrobiodiversity must be carried out in a timely manner, so as to contain the genetic erosion of crops

Objective of the practice

resources. However, the low-value of these genetic resources, especially in the Brazilian semiarid suggests that the simple continuation to this process is not enough to ensure the conservation of these resources, given as market integration trends and consequent simplification of production systems, climate changes and genetic erosion. Due to these challenges, an interested scientific community in agrobiodiversity recognize the need to participate with the farmers community in training farmers in breeding techniques genetic and assessment of local varieties over adverse environments.<br />
Currently the interest of including farmers is partially associated with the perception that the impact of agricultural research, including plant breeding, is below expectations especially in adverse and marginal environments and when associated with subsistence agriculture. Thus, the adoption of modern varieties has been very low or almost nonexistent; especially due to the fact that "adoption" is always associated with the use of external inputs that are necessary for them to demonstrate the full potential of agricultural production. Obviously, these farmers do not have the purchasing power to purchase fertilizers, pesticides, small mechanization, etc.<br />
Information on the representativeness, discriminating ability, and repeatability of the testing sites at Ceará State, located in the Brazilian semiarid is lacking therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the representativeness, discriminating ability and the repeatability of the test locations in order to identify core testing sites as well difference among maize genotypes.<br />
Ten local maize varieties along with three comercial varieties are being evaluated from 2017-2019 in 04 location: Sítio Areias, Sobral- CE (Latitude 3¬¬ o 38‘ 55.12‘’ S Longitude 40o 25 ‘ 28.33‘’ ); Casinhas, Sobral- CE (Latitude 3 o 41‘ 48.82‘’ S Longitude 40 o 5 ‘ 10.83‘’ O, Cajazeiras-Caiçaras, Forquilha- CE (Latitude 3 o 43‘ 46.67‘’ S Longitude 40 o 12 0.35‘’ O), Embrapa Experimental Station, Sobral- CE (Latitude 3 o 44‘ 59.44‘’ S Longitude 40 o 21’ 29.3‘’ O).

Partners

• Subsistence and family farmers are the main beneficiaries
• Ceará Local Seed Exchange Network, Caritas Ceará and farmer are the main partners
• The experiments network is evaluated and conducted by the farmers with the Embrapa help therefore the results are validated by the beneficiaries.

Implementation of the Project/Activity

Multi Environmental Trials (MET) has been organized since 2017 by Embrapa in collaboration with the RIS (Farmer’s Exchange Network) and Caritas Diocesan of Ceará State, Brazil. Ten maize varieties are been evaluated between 2017 and 2019, in four experimental sites: Sitio Areias, Casinhas, Embrapa located at Sobral municipality and Cajazeiras located at Forquilha municipality (Figure 1). All trials were carried out during the rainy season. The trials consisted of 10 genotypes (Table 1) evaluated in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Plots were four rows, 6 m in length. Spacing was 100 cm between rows, and 50 cm within row. Number of plants per row were 18. The centers rows were harvested for yield. The evaluations were conducted during the growing seasons (February to July). The soil in the experiments were Luvissols Litolic These soils are characterized by low fertility rates, suffering from erosive processes caused by chemical weathering. The soils are equal to or less than 50 cm deep, presenting stony rocky on surface often they are covered by rocky outcrops. They are prone to the greatest erosion, they are stony, shallow, with little water retention capacity.
Observations were recorded on days to silking (DS) as the number of days from planting to when 50% of the plants had shed pollen and had emerged silks; plant height was measured as the distance from the base of the plant to the height of the first tassel branch; number of plants and number of cobs (ears) and grain yield per hectare. Data were recorded on each plot and for grain yield per hectare is based on 80% shelling percentage (800 g grain kg-1 ear weight) and adjusted to 150 g kg-1 moisture content

Results/Outputs/Impacts

Impact of the Results:
• The farmers will have varieties that can be licensed by the agriculture ministry and sold by the farmers commercial enterprise.
• The farmers will be able to produce the local varieties and have his own seeds to plant the next growing season, without waiting for commercial seeds.
• The seeds produced by the farmers will have resilience to drought, tolerance to Spodoptera furgiperda, with grain yield superior to the commercial varieties used actually.

Enabling factors and constraints

It is important to note that the families of the SAB region, for decades, have developed the practice of producing, selecting and storing their own genetic resources and storing them in Community Seed Houses. These seeds are called creole seeds, local or traditional variety. These varieties, because of their high genetic diversity, are more heterogeneous than commercial varieties and thus can adapt more easily to environmental changes. Furthermore, they are not static and are always in the process of evolution and adaptation to the specific environmental conditions from which phenomena and cultivation systems occur. In previous circumstances the accentuation of the climatic problems currently experienced in SAB the farmers were already developing their activities in marginal areas. It was imagined that these farmers would be assimilated by the agribusiness sector, however, due mainly to the adverse conditions of the SAB, this assimilation did not occur.

Sustainability and replicability

The pattern revealed by the study reveals that most farmers select seeds produced by them, planting them as varieties, and modify this criterion only when they observe large differences between their varieties. This selection parameter is characterized by the fact that the varieties have the capacity to produce in several environments maintaining the temporal conditions, that is, they are able to produce the same with the same intensity through the years under stress conditions, such as: stony soils with low fertility, erratic rainfall (short winters, summer, for example). Thus, even if the farmer has at some point adopted / planted the commercial variety, they are discarded because they cannot produce with the same temporal stability as the creole varieties

Conclusions

Access to food is a universal right of humanity, creating a preponderant role for sustainable rural development in the Brazilian semi-arid. It is concluded that the evaluation of the creole varieties carried out in the different rural regions is a demonstration of the ability of the farmers to manage the germplasm of cultivated species, not only the question of the cultural tradition, but also the ability to incorporate complex characteristics, which in many cases are not positively correlated with each other. <br />
Traditional cultivars (creole varieties), as well as locally adapted or creole livestock breeds, are often neglected in efforts to improve animal and agricultural production levels. However, in most cases they have been cultivated and managed under adverse environmental conditions and therefore have characteristics that allow them to express themselves under severe environmental conditions or at least under varying ambient conditions. Considering the need for farmers to market their seeds, as well as the need for genetic improvement of their creole seeds, it is essential that these varieties be evaluated by assembling a network of agricultural experimentation that show the advantages and qualities of the seeds managed and conserved by the farmers in relation to the commercial seeds of the same species.

SDGS & Targets