127
© The Author(s) 2019
T. S. Rosenstock et al. (eds.), The Climate-Smart Agriculture Papers,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92798-5_11
Chapter 11
Generating Farm-Validated Variety
Recommendations for Climate Adaptation
Carlo Fadda and Jacob van Etten
11.1 Introduction
Choice of crop varieties plays an important role in climate adaptation (Ceccarelli
et al. 2010). One of the most important options farmers have to adapt arable farming
to future climates is adjusting the crop varieties they use to new climates as they
emerge (IPCC 2014). Also, a portfolio of two or more varieties can substantially
buffer the impact of climate variation between seasons (Nalley and Barkley 2010;
Di Falco et al. 2007).
Several barriers, however, stand in the way of a more effective use of intraspecific crop diversity for climate adaptation. Variety recommendations are often
based on station trial data—hardly reflecting variety performance in low-input agriculture—and are seldom based on climate analysis (Abay and Bjørnstad 2009). This
means farmers often reject the new varieties they try because of poor performance
(Ceccarelli and Grando 2007). In addition, many varieties are released based on
their potential for broad adaptation. This approach offers a good average potential
yield over many localities but will not maximise yield at any given place (Ceccarelli
and Grando 2007). In addition, breeding rarely relies on genebank material, focusing instead on elite varieties with limited allelic diversity. Genebanks hold thousands of varieties of major crops that have (co-)evolved under natural and human
selection for thousands of years and have the potential to host alleles for adaptation
to various biotic and abiotic stresses (Vavilov and Dorofeev 1992). Yet, these promising, diverse materials are rarely used. Introducing sets of diverse materials into
areas where modern varieties have not yet made an impact is a possible first step in
C. Fadda (*)
Bioversity International, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
e-mail: c.fadda@cgiar.org
J. van Etten
Bioversity International, Turrialba, Costa Rica
e-mail: j.vanetten@cgiar.org
© The Author(s) 2019
T. S. Rosenstock et al. (eds.), The Climate-Smart Agriculture Papers,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92798-5_11
Chapter 11
Generating Farm-Validated Variety
Recommendations for Climate Adaptation
Carlo Fadda and Jacob van Etten
11.1 Introduction
Choice of crop varieties plays an important role in climate adaptation (Ceccarelli
et al. 2010). One of the most important options farmers have to adapt arable farming
to future climates is adjusting the crop varieties they use to new climates as they
emerge (IPCC 2014). Also, a portfolio of two or more varieties can substantially
buffer the impact of climate variation between seasons (Nalley and Barkley 2010;
Di Falco et al. 2007).
Several barriers, however, stand in the way of a more effective use of intraspecific crop diversity for climate adaptation. Variety recommendations are often
based on station trial data—hardly reflecting variety performance in low-input agriculture—and are seldom based on climate analysis (Abay and Bjørnstad 2009). This
means farmers often reject the new varieties they try because of poor performance
(Ceccarelli and Grando 2007). In addition, many varieties are released based on
their potential for broad adaptation. This approach offers a good average potential
yield over many localities but will not maximise yield at any given place (Ceccarelli
and Grando 2007). In addition, breeding rarely relies on genebank material, focusing instead on elite varieties with limited allelic diversity. Genebanks hold thousands of varieties of major crops that have (co-)evolved under natural and human
selection for thousands of years and have the potential to host alleles for adaptation
to various biotic and abiotic stresses (Vavilov and Dorofeev 1992). Yet, these promising, diverse materials are rarely used. Introducing sets of diverse materials into
areas where modern varieties have not yet made an impact is a possible first step in
C. Fadda (*)
Bioversity International, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
e-mail: c.fadda@cgiar.org
J. van Etten
Bioversity International, Turrialba, Costa Rica
e-mail: j.vanetten@cgiar.org