Presentacion de 11th Asian Maize Conference which took place in Beijing, China from November 7 – 11, 2011.

1. Farmers’ roles in biodiversity conservation and
crop improvement: Insights from participatory breeding in SW
China
By
Yiching Song, Jingsong Li, Shihuang Zhang, Weidong Chen,
Kaijian Huang, Lanqiu Qing and etc
Centre for Chinese Agricultural Policy, Chinese Academy of Science
Institute of Crop Science (ICS, CAAS)
Guangxi Maize Research Institute, (GMRI)

2. Outline
I. Challenges:
• Flattening yield increases of maize,
• farmers’ low adoption of high yielding
technologies
II. PPB Initiative and action process in SW
China
III. Consideration and suggestions
2

3. Challenge
Flattening yield increases of maize in China
• 1960-1970:double cross,89 kg/ha/year
• 1971-1995:single cross,126kg/ha/year
6000
• 1996-2010:~ 35kg/ha/year Maize yield since 1950
5000
4000
单交种
b=126 b=23
3000
OPVs 抗逆性
2000 b=14
1000 双交种
b=89
0 3
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

4. Yield of major crops during 1990-2010
1990-2010主要作物单产
• Aim: Linking formal and farmers’ systems and enhancing
1990-2010主要作物单产
their complementary roles
7000.0
7000.0
Formal breeders: 1) M collection, pre-breeding, knowing farmers’
6000.0 6000.0
单产（公斤、公顷）
单产（公斤、公顷）
小麦
5000.0
5000.0 needs, 水稻
小麦
4000.0 玉米 水稻
4000.0 3000.0
2) field experiment, lab analysis, 大豆 玉米
油菜
3000.0 2000.0 3) Strategic crossing 棉花
大豆
油菜
2000.0
1000.0 4, Ex-situ conservation
0.0 棉花
Farmers: a) participate in evaluation, selection and experiment
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
1000.0
0.0 b) improvement of OPV supported by breeders
年份
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
c) direct adoption of appropriate impr OPVs & hybrids
d) in-situ conservation 年份

5. Gap and Potential for actual yield
25
increasing
19.5
20
15
11
10 8.85
7.6 7.9
6.1 5.2
4.9
5 3
0
1980 1995 2005
potential yield experiment yield actual yield
227/120/127 860/95/30 Dr. RF Hu

6. Why? Input:
fertilizer/hybrid seeds etc
• We used 2.4 times of fertilizer than USA,
our yield is only 51%
• Almost 100% hybrid coverage in
Northern China and more than 70% in
SW China
• Are they right technologies for right
people and in right place, time and
right way?
6

7. China’s fertilizer consumption and grain production
(1980=100) – results suggest that we need a new approach
350
309
300 Grain production
Fertilizer consumption 240
250
204
200
159
139 144
150
100 100
100
50
0
1980 1990 2000 2008

8. Why: Policy Review
我国农业产业政策变化大
• Rural reform in 1980:联产承包责任制
• No agricultural Tax:取消农业税
• Increased subsidies 增加农业补贴
• Increased E&D investment 科技投入成
倍增加
• …….? 8

9. Why? one of the main reasons is…
Lower concern and effort in genetic exploration
and pre-breeding by both public research and
domestic seed companies, due to
• Low interest and role conflicts of public
breeding
• low interest and capacity of private seed
companies
9

10. Missing linkage: Genetics exploration and Pre-breeding
中国玉米育种的技术缺环
• Quick jump and limited foundation in
breeding research （从原始OPV跨入双交种阶
段，又用了很短时间，跃入单交种时期）
• Use USA and CIMMYT germplasms,
and ignored local genetic resource
exploration for local specific adaption
breeding, and stressful locations （得益
于无偿获得国外先进技术和种质资源（忽略了地方种
质和资源)

11. Number of hybrids V used in production
yet with few dominant 60% of the area and
500
with narrow genetic base
400
300
200
100
1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002
11
玉米 胡瑞法

12. Disappearance of landraces…
Coverage of landraces of 3 major crops in SW china
95% 95% 93% soybean
69% rice
maize
46%
37%
30%
25%
25%
1998 2003 2008
Source: Survey in SW China, CCAP
2009-2010

13. Why? another reason….
No right Vs for right location and right farmers…
Limited understanding of the differentiation and changes of
the context, farmers’ farming system and their livelihood
 Socio-economic change and climate change
- urbanization/migration, market and income driven, low interest in
agriculture, extreme weather, more drought,
 Income structure change: less % of farming come
 labor change: farming labors are women and the old now
 farming system change:-more easy cash crop, less food
crop, less labor input

14. –Shandong: Av farm/HH 0.6 ha,
vegetable and maize.100% hybrid
maize, part time farmers, mainly
women and old
Montain
Areas in
Southwest
Plain
China
Areas
西南山区玉米
•SW China karst mountain area dwelling by 33 ethnic groups, 0,4
ha farm/HH size, maize, rice, potato, maize hybrid about 25-35%
•Farming labors: more than 70% is women and 85% is older than
50 years

15. How we started our PPB?
CIMMYT Impact Study in SW China 1998:
Separation of the two systems
Formal System 正规系统
Farmers System Breeders
农民系统
Seed Company
Farmers farmers
Extension
Farmers farmers Farmers farmers
Farmers farmers farmers farmers farmers
poor and remote area better off green revolution area
OPVs and landraces, several high yielding hybrids
seed selection and maintenance hybrid breeding,
Farmer to farmer seed exchange top-down formal seed system 15
Technology transfer,

16. Participatory Plant Breeding (PPB) Definition
PPB:
close collaboration between researchers and
farmers and other stakeholders, covers the
whole cycle of activities associated with plant
genetic improvement. (Identify objectives,
materials, fields, selection, evaluation, and
improvement, small scale seed production,
distribution etc)
PVS: Participatory Varietal election (PVS)….is
just involve farmers in part/s of the cycle…

17. Why participatory plant
breeding?
为什麽参与式育种
• Marginal, stress prone regions farmers’
needs
• Biodiversity + productivity increase are
twin goals for sustanable yield increase
• Diversity maintenance + exploration is a
base for both farmer and formal systems

18. Major PPB steps/activities in two systems
• Aim: Linking formal and farmers’ systems and enhancing
their complementary supporting roles
Formal breeders: 1) M collection, documentation, farmers’ needs
2) field experiment, lab analysis,
3) Strategic crossing
4, Ex-situ conservation
Farmers: a) participate in evaluation, selection and experiment
b) improvement of OPV supported by breeders
c) direct adoption of appropriate impr OPVs & hybrids
d) in-situ conservation
e) small scale seed production and value adding

19. PPB action research in SW Chin （2000-2011）
Phases site crop Focuses 重点关注 Institutes/villages
2000-2003 GX maize PPB capacity building for formal -women and groups in 4
institutes and farmers v
-Interested breeders
from CAAS and GAAS,
2004-2007 GX Maize PPB, Extension Reform, -8 villages
and conservation agriculture State and Provincial
cassava public breeding and
Extension, MOA
2008-2011 GX Maize, -PPB for pre-breeding and joint -Community, Orgs
GZ rice, experiment, conservation 3+2 Prov public breeding
YN bean, -- livelihood, value adding and CAAS and MOA maize
cassava, farmer cooperatives program
SC etc
CQ

20. What have been done in recent years?
Genetic resource exploration and analysis (1)
• （1）170 landraces collected in field, documented in 3
provinces (Gunagxi, Yunan, Guizhou) in 2009-2010
• (2) Lab analysis of landraces’ biodiversity, grouping of the
170 landraces in ICS, CAAS, 2010
• (3) experiment for comparison of 34 landraces collected 20-
30 years ago with same lines in cultivation now (2009-2010)
品种名称 株高 穗位高 茎粗 穗长 秃尖长 穗粗 行粒数 锈病级别 出籽率 千粒重 粒长
20年前收集种质 219.2 99.3 1.4 12.3 1.2 3.6 24 8.2 84.07 183 0.8
20年后收集种质 240.6 109.3 1.6 13.7 1.4 4.0 27 7.3 83.45 215 0.9

21. In Genetic resource exploration (2)
4）170+31 landraces for joint experiments
(evaluation and screening) 3 sites, two repeats
in 3 provinces in 2011,
(5) Strategic grouping and crossing of their own
landraces by the 5 breeding groups from the 3
provinces in different sites for specifically local
adaption
(6) Lab analysis of landraces’ biodiversity, grouping
etc (201 landraces in 2011)

22. 资源收集与分布
Fig. Geographical distribution of the landraces collected from 3 provinces
in southwest China. 总计：170个+31

23. Initial results of Lab result： of 170 landraces,
Field and Lab analysis analysis enhancing recognition of
landraces, TK and farmers’ roles
2009-2010
 The same germplasm (20-30 years ago and now) are different, in field ones are more
diversity rich and adaptive to changes ….. Adaptation, evolution… process
 170 landraces had been assigned into 2 groups clearly with remarkable diversity,
two maize agro-ecosystems
 The genetic structure of the landraces was well compatible with geographical pattern.
Gene flow occurred in the SW
 Characteristic diversification due to the bio-ecological environments, farmers’
selection based on their rich culture, TK and diversified livelihood needs

24. PPB in farmers’ field
• Landraces screenning, in population and fixed
line selection提纯复壮：对优良的地方资源，提
倡用提纯复壮的方法加以繁殖、留种。
• farmer interest group in OPV improvement
and varietal and top crosses根据试验的初步
结果尝试组配顶交种加以利
• Small scale seed production of prefer
Improved OPVs and hybrid and PPB

25. Knowledge Exchange Pre-breeding;
-Landraces collection and
screening
-selected OPV/population
improvement
-in-bred line selection
-crossing…
•-Conservation, seed fair,
seed bank, register,
•-PPB and PVS, improved
landraces and OPVs
•-community based Seed
production
•Value adding to GRs and TK

26. 参与式育种培训/PPB training

27. Landraces from Guangxi
广西地方玉米品种

28. Yunan

29. Guizhou

30. Landraces in Comparison with
a popular hybrid in Gunagxi

31. Landraces in Comparison with
a popular hybrid in Guangxi

32. Community Based Seed Production

33. With climate changes farmers in remote areas more likeSpring
Farmer improved landraces survived 2010, Big self-
saved improved OPV varieties
Draught in SW China
Farmer improved
Landraces,
Tolerant to drought
and low nitrogen
with little fertilizer
and labor
Hybrid Variety
was not able
to survive the
big drought ,

34. Conclusions –
A lot to do urgently
Short and longer term solutions
Increase density
– exploit some existing science for sustainable intensification Soil testing and compound
fertilizer
Germination hastening and
y = 85.8x + 436.9 bed-irrigating sowing
2 NPK fertilizers and trace Rainwater collection and
R = 0.95** elements, increased input irrigation
Increase density Reduced tillage
Increase density Seed coating Straw return
N fertilizer, irrigation N and P fertilizers Seedling transplanting Deep ploughing
7000 and pesticides Plastic mulch Water-saving irrigation Direct seeding
Capital construction of Leaf age regulation Mechanical operations Late harvest
farmland and Herbside for seeding and weed Mechanized sowing &
6000 Drought-resistant control
Intensive management improvement of saline - harvest
alkali soil cultivation
5000 Land leveling
Intercropping and
Yield (kg ha-1 )
Soil improvement
Increase density double/triple cropping
4000 Increase density Single- cross hybrids
Irrigation
Farmyard and green Stress resistant planting Single- cross hybrids (Close-planting, multi -
3000 manure (Disease-resistant, resistant and highly
Single- cross hybrids compact, stay green, adaptable)
2000 (Disease-resistant, high-stalk and later
compact, stay green, maturing)
Single- cross hybrids
1000 (Breed high -yield, dwarf high-stalk and later
Double- cross hybrids and early - maturing maturing)
0 Single- cross hybrids varieties and disease -
resistance varieties)
1961 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
How about people, institutions, policy, lows?, …..If farmer not use
it, it’s zero……we need to broaden our heart, view and working
areas, need integrated approach and collaboration …..

35. Some recommendations
Linking science research with farmers’ needs
1. More efforts in GR exploration and pre-breeding with
more involvement of farmers, to ensure genetic gains
keep pace with climate change and demand
2. Experimenting with farmers, understand farmers’ needs
and interests, match breeding priority with farmers’ needs
3. Decentralized and regional specific technology
development and extension strategies
4. Extension and farmer training: public extension (farmer
field school, in field advices etc), farmer cooperatives,
enterprise contracting farming,
5. linking different disciplines, stakeholders (inc farmers),
sectors, levels via Integrated and collaborative approach

36. Thank You !
Q&A?