Promoting climate resilient seeds for stable yields: Swati Nayak, recipient of food security award, shares experience

Photo: Swati Nayak / LinkedIn

Indian scientist Swati Nayak, the South Asia Lead for Seed System and Product Management at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), New Delhi, has been named the 2023 recipient of the Norman Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application. 

She became the third Indian to receive the award. Nayak’s work focused on rice seed systems and ensuring that the advancements in agriculture-related science and technology benefit farmers, especially women farmers, at scale. 

Nayak, fondly called Bihana Didi (seed lady) in Odisha, has organised more than 10,000 on-farm and comparative testings and participatory evaluations for more than 500 rice varieties and disseminated more than 20 critical varieties that are climate resilient, high-yielding, bio-fortified and healthier through seed systems. These 20 varieties are today grown in smallholder belts in Odisha, Assam and eastern Uttar Pradesh, as well as parts of Bangladesh. 

She spoke to Down To Earth about her work, the science of scaling, the importance of climate resilient seeds and practical, real-world applications in agriculture. 

Shagun: What has been the prime focus area of your work in rice seed systems in the last few years? 

Swati Nayak: The core principle I believe in is that all the rigorous research invested in agriculture-related scientific domains must translate into tangible benefits for farmers. Whether it’s new farming methods, equipment, machinery or crop varieties, these innovations should be accessible to farmers and adopted on a large scale. 

Otherwise, the investments in research won’t lead to the broader impact we aim for, including climate change, gender equity and livelihood issues, which can be measured through the scale of adoption. 

If an innovation is only tested in a controlled setting or remains confined to research papers, it won't lead to the systemic changes we desire. We need the expertise of field scientists and technology transfer specialists who understand the ‘science of scaling’. It  requires qualified experts who can develop agriculture extension pathways and models that facilitate the widespread adoption of new technologies and practices.

S: An increase in the number of days with extreme temperatures or rain has caused a decline in the quality and size of seeds across India. What are the solutions in today’s scenario to build resilient seed systems?

SN: Currently, we are concentrating on multi-stress tolerant rice varieties which are designed to withstand multiple stresses of drought, flood, salinity, extreme temperatures and diseases that farmers often face within a single cropping cycle. 

As climate change leads to more unpredictable weather patterns, these varieties become essential for ensuring stable crop yields. In addition to this, we have also been involved in the development of nutrient-rich rice varieties. These include varieties with higher levels of nutrients like zinc and protein. 

Moreover, rigorous evaluation and adaptive trials need to be conducted to determine which varieties work best in different areas. The conditions at the farmer level can be very different from the conditions assumed by breeders. 

Farmers may lack essential resources like water and inputs. Climate change also makes it necessary to consider micro-environments rather than assuming a one-size-fits-all approach based on a state or province.

S: What is the status of development and use of multi-stress-tolerant varieties, and how many of these are currently available? 

SN: Currently, there are a few promising multi-stress-tolerant rice varieties, although their numbers are limited. Some have been released by national institutions and have shown success in eastern India. However, we look forward to more options as ongoing research efforts aim to develop and scale these varieties in response to climate change challenges.

S: Small and marginal farmers are 80 per cent of our total farmer population. And working with them has to be a solution if anything has to be adopted at a larger scale. How did you achieve that and what are the challenges?

SN: My main goal has been to focus on multiple technologies and tailor them to benefit smallholder farmers who need them the most. I aim to customise these technologies so that they are affordable and accessible to these farmers. 

Ensuring access to these high-quality seeds is crucial. We work to make these varieties available in sufficient quantities and at the right time so that smallholder farmers can easily adopt them and benefit from the advancements in agriculture technology. 

The main challenge is that although there are good varieties available, often the information and awareness about these varieties are lacking. It's crucial to involve various stakeholders, not just farmers, in the decision-making process. 

The extension functionaries, such as community dispersers, dealers and retailers, who work closely with farmers, often lack knowledge about the existence of these varieties. They are not aware that these options are available. 

When extension workers and suppliers don't know about the demand for these varieties, they might be hesitant to stock them. This leads to a situation where farmers don't get the varieties they need, and suppliers are afraid of carrying them due to perceived low demand. It's a bit of a chicken and egg problem.

We organise participatory selection methods involving market actors to ensure that the new varieties align with market demands and supply capabilities.

S: You disseminated Sahabhgfbagi Dhan in Odisha and it is popular even after eight years of its first pilot. Can you share that experience to understand how to bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and its practical application for farmers?

SN: Farmers often have their favourite, time-tested varieties that they are content with. They prioritise factors like yield over other traits, such as nutrient content. So, it's essential to demonstrate the added value of new varieties through on-farm testing. 

We organise massive adaptive trials and on-farm testing to evaluate the new varieties in terms of productivity, resistance to various stresses and specific grain quality traits. We involve the farmers themselves in this process, to evaluate and compare the new varieties with their existing favourites. We encourage them to observe and note the comparative traits and characteristics throughout the season. 

Sahabhagi Dhan variety in Odisha also started as a small-scale intervention and gradually spread to various districts, especially in drought-prone upland areas. The system took up this variety because it addressed specific challenges in those regions. 

S: How has promoting gender inclusivity in agriculture been an important link to your work?

SN: I, along with other scientists, established women-led seed enterprises. In the early days of my career, I was involved in a government programme called Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana, which aimed to empower women farmers. Through initiatives like these, we worked to create opportunities for women in agriculture, including in the seed sector. 

Gender mainstreaming in agriculture is crucial because women make up half of the agricultural workforce, yet they often face challenges, including lack of recognition in land ownership. To address this, we engage women strongly in our seed system interventions, encouraging them to participate in informal quality seed production and sharing. 

We also train and develop them as entrepreneurs in the seed sector.

S: How many women-led seed enterprises have you worked with? 

SN: Over the past few years, we’ve intensified our efforts in promoting women-led seed enterprises. We’ve worked with approximately 10 to 12 robust women-led collectives across different states in India and regions in Bangladesh. 

These collectives have circulated or disseminated around 8.5 tonnes of quality seeds over the last two years. Approximately 50 per cent of them are now running their seed enterprises as formal businesses, creating significant economic value for themselves.

S: You are also involved with ‘Seeds Without Borders’ international seed policy, expediting modern rice variety distribution in South and Southeast Asia. Today newer areas are facing droughts globally and even domestically. Do you see seed production decentralisation gaining traction?

SN: Seeds Without Borders is a unique policy concept aimed at breaching geographic boundaries to share agricultural science and resources. It addresses the issue of farmers in adjoining countries not having access to valuable varieties, despite sharing similar environmental conditions. 

Through this policy, we aim to formalise the sharing of seeds and varieties among neighbouring countries, making agricultural progress more inclusive.

It has expanded beyond rice to include other crops like potato and jute. The goal is to ensure that valuable agricultural resources are accessible across borders, benefiting farmers in different regions.

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