ADILABAD SORGHUM PROJECT

Traditional Seeds for the Future

The project

The Adilabad Sorghum Project is a collaborative initiative involving tribal farming communities, an NGO, and several scientific partners worldwide. Together, we aim to support and enhance sorghum cultivation in the Adilabad district of Telangana, India. Through a participatory approach, the project introduces innovative methods to advance the growth of this remarkable crop, valued for its role in preserving agro-biodiversity, promoting healthy nutrition, and safeguarding cultural heritage.

Adilabad farmers

A core value of the Adilabad Sorghum Project is to highlight the expertise and central role of farmers. Recognizing that the project’s success relies heavily on their engagement, we developed an approach that extends beyond a purely agronomic perspective to incorporate farmers’ insights and aspirations. By studying farmer culture and conducting interviews and portraits, we built the essential trust to integrate their perspectives, making this project a true co-construction.

Participatory variety selection

Participatory approaches and citizen science are effective strategies for engaging a variety of stakeholders in complex, multidisciplinary projects like ours. To actively involve farmers in selecting sorghum varieties that meet their needs, we organised numerous farmer-led field trials. These trials provided a valuable opportunity to document local cultivation practices and gain deeper insights into the challenges farmers face.

Seed multiplication

Ensuring a reliable supply of high-quality seeds is a critical challenge for farmers. When conventional varieties fall short of farmers’ needs and landrace seeds become scarce, it is essential to envision innovative solutions for renewing the seed system. Driven by farmers’ preferences for specific varieties and their desire to participate actively in seed multiplication, we established a large-scale training and supervision program to create a decentralised, farmer-managed seed system.

Who are we?

The Adilabad Project is fueled by the commitment, goodwill, and strong community spirit of Adilabad’s tribal farmers. They are supported by a dedicated team of field officers, scientists, and technical staff, who essentially contribute to the project on a voluntary basis. Through years of collaboration, we have fostered a joyful partnership and an inspiring atmosphere that have become hallmarks of this project.