Seeds

Evaluating new rice varieties that better sustain floodings

Submitted by Cecilia on 22nd October 2012
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Preparing for floods through evaluation of new rice varieties

By Parvin Sultana

Floods are more or less a recurring phenomenon in Bangladesh and mainly are within tolerable limits with which farming systems are well adapted. However, occasionally they become devastating. Each year in Bangladesh about 18% of the country is flooded, but during severe floods, the affected area may exceed 55% of the total area of the country. Besides flood, the changes in the timing and duration of rainfall, temperature; and duration and intensity of fog are indicators of climate change. The changed timing and duration of the flood “flash” has been observed as now it comes late in August or September and stays only for 10-15 days whereas in the past, normal flood used to occur in June-July and stayed for 1-1.5 months. Read more »

La capacité des variétés : les systèmes semenciers au cœur des futurs climats

Submitted by Sonja on 1st September 2011
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Divers variétés de semences de maïs seront essentiels pour l'adaptation. Xochiq

Un des paradoxes du changement climatique réside dans le fait que tandis que le tiers de la superficie totale en terres vivra certainement sous des climats nouveaux, le climat mondial en général sera probablement plus homogène (PDF). Par conséquent, il est nécessaire d’accélérer à la fois les expériences (pour l’innovation) et les échanges entre des environnements éloignés mais bénéficiant de conditions similaires) afin d’aider nos variétés de cultures, bétail et poissons à s’adapter.

Les petits agriculteurs sont désireux d’expérimenter de nouvelles variétés et ils en cultivent souvent plusieurs d’une même espèce. Pourtant, alors que les « variétés améliorées » sont devenues largement populaires, de nombreux cultivateurs préfèrent planter des variétés autochtones, conservées dans leurs propres fermes ou échangées avec des voisins. La principale préoccupation est donc de savoir si ces systèmes semenciers très localisés ont une portée génétique et géographique suffisamment grande pour subsister au sein des climats agricoles en mutation. Read more »

Strength through variety? Seed systems in future climates

Submitted by Sonja on 1st September 2011
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Improved varieties, such as these maize seeds, can help farmers adapt to changin

One paradox of climate change is that while as much as a third of global land surface might experience entirely novel climates, overall the world’s climate is likely to be more homogenous (PDF).  The implication is that we need to accelerate both experimentation (for novelty) and exchange (across distant but similar environments) to help our crop, livestock and fish varieties adapt.   

Small-scale farmers are very willing to experiment with new varieties, and often grow more than one variety of the same crop.  But while “improved varieties” have become widely popular, many farmers still prefer to plant local landraces, conserved on their own farms or exchanged with neighbours.  A major concern, then, is whether these highly localised seed systems have sufficient genetic and geographic scope to keep up with changing agricultural climates.  Read more »

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