FFS for PGRFA

conservation and
sustainable use
FFS for Participatory Plant Breeding
 On-Farm
Conservation
 Continuous cultivation and management of a
diverse set of populations by farmers in the
agro-ecosystems, where a crop has evolved
 Conservation not of specific varieties or
germplasm but the conditions/agro-ecosystem
that allow for development of germplasm
 Conservation of ‘farmers’ system’ as developers
of germplasm/plant breeders
 Loss of traditional varieties due to non-usage
or inaccessible germplasm: Address by re-
introduction of traditional materials
(appropriate to needs and conditions)
 Loss of varieties due to deterioration of seed
quality: Improve seed quality through selection
techniques
 Sustainable Use through
Participatory Plant Breeding
 Concern: narrow genetic base
 Introduction of diversity: participatory
varietal selection
 Get materials from community seeds
banks/national rice gene banks
 Crop improvement/plant breeding:
conserve not specific varieties but the
genes of traditional varieties
 Create new diversity from which
farmers can select from

 Concern: improve production

(increase yield, improved pest
resistance, good eating quality)
Complementary
Work
 Community based seed bank: for supply of seeds
each season or back-up storage (difficult to
maintain: has to be built around farmers’
traditional system of seed storage)

 Link with genebanks for back-up storage of seeds

 Link with research institutions/plant breeding

institutions for sources of materials
 Do not expect FFS trainers to do (crossing) for
farmers
 Tap existing expertise (e.g. within Bayawan
rather than set-up within City Agriculture Office,
you may not be able to handle the amount of
materials later)

 Monitor status of Philippine PGRFA (what is there

 FFS for PGRFA
Conservation and
Sustainable Use
As Follow-Up to FFS
IPM
 FFS for PPB (FFS for PGR
CDU/ FFS for PGRFA CSU)
 Developed in 1999 with  From 1 season experience,
IPM trainers from Quang we sat together to define
Nam, Vietnam the field guide (Vietnamese
 SEARICE took FFS-IPM trainers, FAO-IPM,
module for plant SEARICE)
breeding and on-farm  Have evolved since
conservation
 Within SEARICE
 FAO-IPM Vietnam
supported in defining  Bohol and Mindanao
systematic field studies, teams have different
exercises and special modules based on
topics perceived needs
 Vietnamese trainers  Different from modules
innovated on topics in Lao PDR, Bhutan and
Vietnam
1st Season FFS
Activities

Community Protocols
Baseline Establishment
 BASELINE
Establishment
 Establish what is there in terms of rice or corn PGR
diversity (even over-all diversity and later focus on
rice and corn)
 Where, what, when available and why?
 Use of maps

 Establish if there is loss of diversity of PGRFA

 What was it like before? And now?

 Determine if there are farmers with skills in

selection
 What do farmers know? Who decides what?

 Establish preferences and breeding objectives of

farmers
 What characteristics to they want
 Will assist in sourcing materials for FFS

 REPORT: useful for impact monitoring and as a

report on status of diversity of PGRFA (part of
Philippine commitment to international agreements)
At the minimum…
Baseline will set
field studies
Selection of pax
 Usually from community meeting, pax are
identified
 Able to observe participation of pax during
PRA exercises
 Usually identify FFS graduates, those with
experience in selection (community usually
knows ‘local plant breeders’ and frequent
sources of seeds)
 With ‘covenant’ with the rest of the community
members
 Need to report back and account for the
training
 Site Selection
 Ideal: visible, central to community, good
drainage, good size, etc
 BUT most of the time, FFS trials in 1st season
are set-up in the most difficult or
undesirable field by farmers/community
 TIP: make the necessary adjustment with the
materials you have
 Poor drainage: look for some materials that
can withstand water logged conditions
Field Lay-out with pax
Validate results of PRA/baseline with pax
Decide on lay-out
REMINDER: Use single plant per
hill
Farmers tend
Field Studies (Rice)
to select VARIETAL EVALUATION STUDY
varieties for Farmers identify their preferred varieties
own use which they will then multiply, distribute and
plant in their fields

SEED ‘REHABILITATION’ PLANT BREEDING STUDY (F1 PPB

(PURIFICATION) STUDY
If the preferred variety from the
varietal evaluation study has
deteriorated (with mixtures,
impurities), farmers may opt to
rehabilitate them before using
them as parent materials
Linked with seed
production
Immediate adoption by
farmers
production)
Farmers use their preferred varieties
from the varietal evaluation study as
parent material for crosses
LINE SELECTION STUDY (segregating
population study) PPB
After planting F1 seeds from the plant
breeding study, the F2 seeds are
evaluated to select lines until a stable
material (F7, F8 and up) is developed
 Field Studies (Corn)

Open Pollinated (Corn) 10 varieties as female for

Male for purification crossing/composite development

Field Study 1: Seed

Rehabilitation linked
To seed production
Field Study 2: Corn Varietal Evaluation

Field Study 3: Corn Breeding

 Main challenge:
Finding materials to
use
 From breeding objectives and preferred characteristics
 Match with varieties for varietal selection
 Ensure quality seeds (pre-germinate, clean the seed lot to
remove off-types etc)
 E.g. Bayawan experience on off-types

 Usually, trainer handles the sourcing of materials

 Check with the genebanks, research institutions, communities
 Also has the passport data (name, basic characteristics)

 SEARICE sources materials from other farmers in other countries

 Especially segregating lines (F2, F4, F6 at the minimum)
 Breeding objectives of segregating lines must match that of
farmers + objective to broaden genetic base
Field Exercises and
Special Topics
Link of Field Studies with Field
Exercises and Special Topic
• Field Study (physical lay-out):
provides the material for the field
exercise
• Field Exercise: designed to
optimize observation and learning
process
•Special Topic: for emphasis

Usually, we do not include POLICY

discussions in 1st season FFS as there is
no field study set-up for that
• BUT under special topic on
comparison of formal and informal
 More Than Extension; It’s
about Education

Extension
aims to transfer
Education
technologies and
increase production
efficiencies
aims to empower
farmers with access
to information,
participation,
advocacy and local
organizational
 Weekly Meeting
8:00 – 10:00 10:00-10:30

Agro-Ecosystem Group
analysis and dynamic
presentation activity

10:30 – 11:30

11:30 – 12:00
Special
Review and topic
planning
 Weekly Sessions
 Preparatory Processes
 Community Protocols
 Baseline
 Identification of Pax
 Site Selection
 Session 1: FFS for PPB
 Orientation on objectives
of the program
 Review of PRA results
 Field lay-out
 Transplanting
 Philippines: Launching:
with community
 Session 2 (vegetative
stage): Biodiversity and
plant genetic resources
 Review of AESA
 Discussion with IPM
farmers on how they will
use AESA for varietal
evaluation and PPB set-
up + criteria for
selection of varieties
 Special topic: what is
biodiversity and
importance of PGRFA
 Philippines: Policy
Discussion or
 Weekly Sessions
 Session 3 (vegetative stage):  Comparison of ex situ
Understanding the loss of
agricultural biodiversity and in situ and on-farm
 Link with AESA (conservation thru use)
 Farmers observe the approaches to
field studies conservation
 Review result of baseline  Philippines: usually
exercise: historical converted into lectures
timeline with historical
timeline of pax (cross
check results)
 Session 4 (vegetative stage):
conservation of plant genetic
resources
 Organise field visit to local
genebank, forest reserve,
research station or
community
 Weekly Sessions
 Session 5 (tillering stage):
Varietal rehabilitation
 Go to field: observe off-
types
 Discussion: causes of
seed deterioration
 Techniques in seed
rehabilitation/purificatio
n (with field exercises)
 Weekly Sessions
 Session 6 (Booting/panicle  Philippines: Overview of
initiation): The Plant growth stages and
Breeding Cycle
morphology of rice plants
 Important exercise to
explain the segregation
 Modification in Vietnam:
that they are observing linked with AESA
 Note the differences exercises + observation
and similarities within of differences with single
the same plot and plant/hill, thus no longer
between plots a special topic
 Comparison between
farmer and government
breeding system
 can be linked to session
4 visit
 Weekly Session
 Session 7 (Flowering) :  Session 8 (Flowering) :
Genetic and phenotypic
segregation
 Observe seeds and
plants of different
varieties (go to the
field): observe
differences and
similarities
 Input: concept of genes
 Some modification: use
of microscope to see
plant cells
Reproductive
characteristics of rice
 Collect rice panicles at
flowering to dissect and
examine parts of flower
 Philippines: moved as
part of discussions in
handling segregating
lines
 Weekly Session
 Session 9 (Flowering):  Session 10 (maturity):
Setting the criteria for Plant Breeding Techniques
parentals and actual  Mass Selection, Bulk
crossing exercises Selection, Pedigree
 Often moved selection
depending on  May include session on
availability of breeding for resistance
materials
 Actual crossing can be
repeated as another
exercise
 Weekly Sessions
 Session 11 (maturity):  Session 12 (maturity):
Selection techniques for Varietal Evaluation
segregating materials  Theories and practise
 Compilation of  Compilation of results of
observations through selection of varieties
the seasons
 Theories and practise
 Weekly Sessions
 Session 13 (Farmers’ Field  Session 14 (Harvesting)
Day)
 One week before
harvesting
 Invite the community
back + community
leaders
 Report to the community
the results of the studies
(refer back to baseline
exercises)
 Eating quality evaluation
 Identification of selected
materials
 Top varieties
 Segregating population
(plants) to advance to
next generation
 Results of plant breeding
 Discussions on seed
distribution
 Weekly Sessions
 Session 15: community  Session 16: Graduation
evaluation and planning for
the next season
 Discuss follow-up
activities
 Summing Up Meetings
 At provincial level

 At national level

 National Assessment and

Planning workshop for next
season implementation
 2nd and 3rd
Season Field
Study
Follow-up Field Studies
 Handling of segregating lines
 Varietal selection studies
 Observe top varieties selected
 Possible to introduce new set of materials

 Seed Rehabilitation
 With deepening discussions/special topics
 Seed certification and other seed policies are
discussed (policy issues)
 Other Activities
 Famers’ Technical Conferences
 Provincial
 Farmers present the results of the years of their
work on seed development before policy makers to
lobby for support
 Time for policy discussion (provincial policies)
 National
 Representatives from provinces
 Hosted by one province
 Lobby national policy makers
 Usually invite other SEARICE partners (farmers)
 International
 Part of international negotiation processes
After 3 season FFS/FS
Years Philippine Rice Farmer developed Farmer developed
Research Institute varieties in North varieties in Bohol (from
national releases Cotabato 7 villages)

1994-2004 55 inbred rice

(10 years) varieties
1998 – 2004 56 farmer developed
(6 years) varieties thru own cross
and selection
64 distinct population
thru off-Type selection
Total: 120 farmer
developed varieties of
local adaptation and
preference
1996 – 2004 - 43 farmer developed
(8 years) varieties from own cross
and selection
- 46 new population from
off-type selection
- Total: 89 farmer
developed varieties
(mostly red rice) from 10
female and 17 male
farmers
Mr Tinh from Ken Giang,
Vietnam, farmer plant breeder
•From F4 lines from
researchers (MTL156 x AS 996
= F1 x Nang Nhuan/TRV
• 8-10 t/ha yield in acid sulphate
soil
•HD 1 with provisional national
certification
•Only variety that survived
yellow dwarf disease and BPH
attack in 2008 in the Mekong
Delta