1.2 Contact details of resource persons and institutions involved in the assessment and documentation of the Approach

Name of project which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Approach (if relevant)

ICARDA Institutional Knowledge Management Initiative

Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Approach (if relevant)

International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) - Lebanon

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

When were the data compiled (in the field)?

2022

The compiler and key resource person(s) accept the conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT:

Ja

2.1 Short description of the Approach

Improving crop varieties is crucial for food security and climate resilience, but traditional methods are slow and expensive. The Speed Breeding Platform shortens breeding time substantially, enhances quality, and relies on strong partnerships between NARES and CGIAR centers.

2.2 Detailed description of the Approach

Detailed description of the Approach:

Climate change presents significant challenges for agriculture and crop production. One possible solution to enhance climate resilience is the development and adoption of improved, better adapted crop varieties. These varieties are specifically engineered to withstand specific threats, offering farmers a more reliable means of ensuring successful harvests despite the challenges posed by a changing climate. Improved varieties are thus crucial for achieving food security.
However, a major limitation of this solution is that researching and producing new crop varieties is a complex process that demands considerable time and resources. It involves cross design, segregating generation advancement and rigorous field testing to identify traits. The development of new varieties often spans several years, if not decades, before they are ready for widespread adoption by farmers. Sustained investment and collaboration across scientific organizations are thus crucial.

To accelerate the development of improved crop varieties, the International Center of Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA), together with partners is implementing Speed Breeding as its main generation advancement method. Through the support of the Arab Fund for Economic and Social development (AFESD), the Templeton World Charity Foundation, Inc and the Crop Trust, protocols to accelerate the generation advancement of the main crops (wheat, barley, faba bean, lentil, grasspea and chickpea) have been developed and are available to NARES. ICARDA has also established the Speed Breeding Platform in Rabat, Morocco. Covering approximately 500 square meters, this facility comprises four buildings, including two greenhouses of 175 m2 and 185 m2 respectively, each housing five independently controlled growth chamber.i

The Speed Breeding method utilises LED lighting - originally invented by NASA to sustain astronauts during prolonged space missions to compensate for the absence of sunlight in space. By providing plants with approximately 22 hours of light per day, this accelerates their growth significantly. Cultivating crops in a controlled environment shields them from the unpredictable impacts of adverse weather conditions. The major advantage is thus its ability to accelerate the breeding process for improved crop varieties. For instance, while traditional methods may take between 6 and 12 years to breed a new grass pea (Lathyrus sativus) variety, utilizing the Speed Breeding Platform reduces this timeframe to approximately 5 years. The Speed Breeding Platform thus enhances efficiency and responsiveness in addressing agricultural challenges.

The Speed Breeding Platform has a capacity for advancing over 50,000 cereal and legume plants. This is done in close collaborations with fellow scientists from other CGIAR centers and National Agricultural Research and Extensions Services (NARES) centers. NARES centers play an indispensable role in determining the traits and varieties to prioritize for advancement, using their direct engagement with farmers in field settings to assess their specific needs and challenges. The main advantages are:
- Varieties reach farmers faster by reducing the time from crossing to field testing;
- Testing during advancement increases the resilience of new varieties to pests and diseases i.e., higher quality of improved varieties;
- It can help coordinating breeding action between CGIAR and NARES by co-designing crosses and centralizing advancement i.e., higher resource efficiency.

The main disadvantage is the high costs associated with building and operating the facilities of the Platform. In addition, it requires expertise to operate. However, NARES personnel are currently being trained and educated in breeding and using the Speed Breeding Platform.

In conclusion, while improved crop varieties hold immense potential for climate resilience in agriculture and ensuring food security, their development remains a complex, time-consuming and resource-intensive process. The approach of the Speed Breeding Platform represents a promising step forward, by faster and more efficient crop breeding, facilitating a prompter solution.

Acknowledgement: the pilot facilities used to set up the ICARDA Speed Breeding Platform were funded by a project from the Third Call for Proposals under the Benefit-sharing Fund of the International Plant Treat for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture entitled “Addressing the challenges of climate change for sustainable food security in Turkey, Iran and Morocco, through the creation and dissemination of an international database to promote the use of wheat genetic resources and increase genetic gains.” CFP 2014/2015-W3B-PR-18-Turkey. The final facilities were funded by a project from the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD) entitled “Modernization of ICARDA Breeding Programs".

2.3 Photos of the Approach

2.5 Country/ region/ locations where the Approach has been applied

2.6 Dates of initiation and termination of the Approach

2.7 Type of Approach

• project/ programme based

2.8 Main aims/ objectives of the Approach

The objective of the new Speed Breeding Platform is to provide the tools to CGIAR and NARES breeding programs to develop better varieties faster and shorten the time needed to reach farmer’s fields. The access to this technology also helps responding to new threats hindering productivity in a faster and more effective way.

2.9 Conditions enabling or hindering implementation of the Technology/ Technologies applied under the Approach

3.1 Stakeholders involved in the Approach and their roles

3.2 Involvement of local land users/ local communities in the different phases of the Approach

	Involvement of local land users/ local communities	Specify who was involved and describe activities
initiation/ motivation	passive
planning	passive
implementation	passive
monitoring/ evaluation	passive

3.3 Flow chart (if available)

3.4 Decision-making on the selection of SLM Technology/ Technologies

Specify who decided on the selection of the Technology/ Technologies to be implemented:

• SLM specialists alone

Specify on what basis decisions were made:

• research findings

4.1 Capacity building/ training

Was training provided to land users/ other stakeholders?

Ja

• Researchers and breeders

Form of training:

• on-the-job
• courses

Subjects covered:

Breeding

4.2 Advisory service

Do land users have access to an advisory service?

Ja

Specify whether advisory service is provided:

• on land users' fields
• at permanent centres

4.3 Institution strengthening (organizational development)

Have institutions been established or strengthened through the Approach?

• yes, a little

Specify the level(s) at which institutions have been strengthened or established:

• national

Specify type of support:

• capacity building/ training

Give further details:

National scientists are trained in breeding and using the Speed Breeding Platform

4.4 Monitoring and evaluation

Is monitoring and evaluation part of the Approach?

Nee

4.5 Research

Was research part of the Approach?

Ja

• Genetics / Breeding

Give further details and indicate who did the research:

Research in breeding is done by ICARDA, CGIAR centers and NARES centers

5.1 Annual budget for the SLM component of the Approach

If precise annual budget is not known, indicate range:

• 100,000-1,000,000

Comments (e.g. main sources of funding/ major donors):

The main donors were the Benefit Sharing Fund of the ITPGR (FAO) that provided the funding that resulted in the first Speed Breeding pilot facility with capacity for 3,000 plants and the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD) who provided the funds for the expansion of this initial pilot facility and develop the ICARDA Speed Breeding Platform, a fully automatic facility that allows advancing more than 50,000 cereal and legume plants

5.2 Financial/ material support provided to land users

Did land users receive financial/ material support for implementing the Technology/ Technologies?

Nee

5.3 Subsidies for specific inputs (including labour)

• none

5.4 Credit

Was credit provided under the Approach for SLM activities?

Nee

5.5 Other incentives or instruments

Were other incentives or instruments used to promote implementation of SLM Technologies?

Nee

6.1 Impacts of the Approach

6.2 Main motivation of land users to implement SLM

6.3 Sustainability of Approach activities

Can the land users sustain what has been implemented through the Approach (without external support)?

• uncertain

6.4 Strengths/ advantages of the Approach

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the land user’s view
Varieties reach farmers faster by reducing the time from crossing to field testing
Allows testing during advancement increasing the resilience of new varieties to pests and diseases
Can help coordinating breeding action between CGIAR and NARES by co-designing crosses and centralizing advancement

6.5 Weaknesses/ disadvantages of the Approach and ways of overcoming them

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the land user’s view	How can they be overcome?
Relatively high initial investment to develop the facilities	ICARDA platform is open to NARES and other collaborators hence costs can be shared.
Expertise is needed to achieve results	Code of conducts and protocols of the facilities has been published and trainings of NARES staff are being done.

7.1 Methods/ sources of information

7.3 Links to relevant information which is available online

Title/ description:

ICARDA Cereals and Legumes Speed Breeding Platform.

URL:

https://mel.cgiar.org/reporting/downloadmelspace/hash/186eb1d94780ca956e9b86227305761a/v/7ec567b72097f21057ea41b0124cf1a7

Title/ description:

Laura Becker, Enrico Bonaiuti, Miguel Sanchez-Garcia, Zakaria Kehel, Andrea Visioni, Ajit Govind. (1/12/2020). Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan for Modernization of Crop Breeding Programs in Arab Countries.

URL:

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11766/12212

Title/ description:

Miguel Sanchez-Garcia, Zewdie Bishaw, Abdoul Aziz Niane. (31/12/2021). 2022 ICARDA global barley breeding program International Nurseries. Beirut, Lebanon: International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA).

URL:

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11766/66860

Title/ description:

Samira El-Hanafi, Souad Cherkaoui, Zakaria Kehel, Miguel Sanchez-Garcia, Jean-Benoit Sarazin, P. Stephen Baenziger, Wuletaw Tadesse. (14/2/2022). Hybrid Seed Set in Relation with Male Floral Traits, Estimation of Heterosis and Combining Abilities for Yield and Its Components in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L. ). Plants, 11 (4).

URL:

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11766/67050