Multidimensional crop improvement by ILRI and partners: Drivers, approaches, achievements, and impact

Blümmel, M., Samireddypalle, A., Zaidi, P., Vadez, V., Ramana R.Y. and Janila, P. 2020. Multidimensional crop improvement by ILRI and partners: Drivers, approaches, achievements, and impact. IN: McIntire, J. and Grace, D. (eds.). The impact of the International Livestock Research Institute. Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI and Wallingford, UK: CABI: 480-506

This chapter reviews the findings, outputs and outcomes of research on multidimensional crops in the tropics, focusing mainly on cereals and grain legumes. Specifically, the chapter addresses the: (i) establishment of crop residues (CRs) as traded commodities and their changing valuation as the impetus for multidimensional crop improvement; (ii) trait identification and development of infrastructure for quick and affordable phenotyping for CR fodder quality; (iii) exploitation of existing cultivar-dependent variations in CR fodder quality; (iv) targeted genetic enhancement for multitrait food-feed-fodder cultivars; (v) trade-offs between CR fodder traits and primary traits, notably grain and pod or straw yields; and (vi) outcomes of multidimensional crop improvement and future work.