Improved Seeds Of Change In Dryland Agriculture: Promise And Implications For Economics Research

One of the main sources of productivity growth in dryland agriculture in India in the 1980s and 1990s will be varietal change. We take stock of some promising types of varietal change in four ICRISAT mandate crops-sorghum, pearl millet, pigeonpea, and groundnut. We discuss the role of economists in integrating information systematically from several sources to assess researchable problems and alternative solutions in crop improvement research in the third section. We conclude with an evaluation of the ability of the economist to respond to the challenge of interdisciplinary research