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Project information
»The problem
Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) and sorghum (Sorghum
bicolor) are the main staple food crops grown by smallholder
farmers in marginal agricultural environments in the semi-arid
to arid regions of West Africa. They are critical food security
crops because some of the world's poorest and most food-insecure
people depend on them. Food shortages occur every year in
this region and only increased agricultural productivity offers
people hope for better, more productive lives.
Pearl millet and sorghum yields in the region are low, rarely
more than 1000 kg/ha and often quite less. Inadequate and/or
erratic rainfall, poor soil fertility, and high temperatures
are among the regions' major production constraints. Earlier
breeding efforts aimed at improving the productivity of these
two crops have resulted in very limited success. The diversity
of production environments and large year to year variation
in climatic conditions worked against a strategy that targeted
varieties for wide adaptation across the region. Similarly,
the green revolution approach of developing photoperiod insensitive,
potentially high yielding varieties with a high harvest index
has been found to be equally inappropriate as a result of
their lack of adaptation to low input conditions and their
generally poor tolerance to the multitude of biotic and abiotic
stresses that are common in farmers' fields.
»The approach
 Project
workplan
This project is designed to develop in a regionally coordinated,
farmer-participatory manner pearl millet and sorghum populations
or cultivars with specific adaptation to different production
environments in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso. It consists
of two sub-projects dealing with specific targets: (1) Dynamic
genepool management and farmer-participatory recurrent population
improvement of sorghum and pearl millet; and (2) development
of improved sorghum cultivars with high phosphorus (P) efficiency
and adaptation to low soil fertility using innovative screening,
hereafter abbreviated as "P efficiency in sorghum".
The dynamic genepool management and farmer-participatory improvement
aims at a simultaneous in situ conservation and improvement
of plant genetic resources to meet farmer's needs and the
challenges of adaptation to climatic variability and site-specific
conditions. The varietal diversity available within each major
agro-ecological zones across West Africa will be used to provide
farmers with a broader range of options in the form of new
broad-based populations. Diverse base populations will be
built through crossing and recombining genetically and/or
geographically diverse genetic materials selected by farmers
and breeders. Representative seed lots of targeted base-populations
will be distributed to farmers in contrasting sites of a target
region. Natural and recurrent selection by farmers and breeders
will act on the distributed material and lead to the development
of new subpopulations that can be excellent sources of variation
for specific adaptation, farmer-preferred traits, and also
new trait combinations (via recombination) not previously
available. The sum of all subpopulations grown in the contrasting
sites can be considered as "mass reservoir of genetic
adaptability". This gene-pool approach provides the best
opportunity to "offer a wide diversity of material to
the wide diversity of farmers" for effective participatory
plant breeding.
P efficiency in sorghum aims at development of cultivars for
adaptation and productivity under poor soil conditions where
phosphorus is usually a limiting factor. Current alternatives
for P fertilization are either not accessible to small farmers
or as with rock phosphate they do not show significant effects
on crop productivity. This subproject involves multidisciplinary
research at the NARS in Niger and Mali, and a CG center (ICRISAT
Mali), all working with local farmers. Landrace cultivars
and breeding lines will be evaluated in the field for performance
under variable P conditions and in laboratory experiments
for Al-tolerance, another constraint for nutrient uptake in
cereals. Selected lines will be also tested for P uptake using
local rock phosphate and for adaptation to intercropping/rotation
with legumes, common farmer practices in West Africa which
may enhance P uptake. This work will benefit from long-term
experience of the Maize and Sorghum Research Center of the
Brazilian Corporation for Agricultural Research (Embrapa MS)
in research on enhancing P-uptake and tolerance to high Aluminium
concentrations in sorghum. It is expected that the dynamics
of these collaborations will lead to successful identification
and release of sorghum lines adapted to prevailing cultural
practices. Such cultivars may be highly productive through
their better use of the natural resource of rock phosphate,
and intercropping with leguminous crops on poor sandy soils.
»The goals
The resulting increased availability, accessibility, cultivation,
and stakeholder's training in the management of specifically
adapted pearl millet and sorghum genetic resources will contribute
to long-term food security in the region.
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Investigators
ICRISAT (Niger):
Bettina I.G. Haussmann (Pearl Millet Breeder), Tahirou Boye
(Technician), Temporary contributions also from Siaka Boureima
and Harouna Dodo (both Research Assistants) Amadou Adamou
(Technician) and Amadou Boubacar (Trainee)
ICRISAT (Mali):
Eva Weltzien (Sorghum Breeder), Fred Rattunde (Sorghum Breeder),
Arouna Sangare (Assistant), Sidy Dembele (Assistant), Moussa
Kanoute (Student from University of Bamako)
INRAN (Niger):
Issoufou Kapran (Sorghum Breeder), Magagi Abdou (Assistant
Sorghum Breeder), Nouri Maman (Agronomist), Kiari Maman (Agronomist),
Aissata Mamadou (Breeder Trainee), Soumana Souley (Sorghum
Breeder Trainee), Jada Gonda (Pearl Millet Breeder), Abarchi
Amani (Research Assistant), Ousmane Seyni (Research Assistant)
INERA (Burkina Faso):
Clarisse Barro-Kondombo (Sorghum Breeder, Saria research station),
Kirsten vom Brocke (Sorghum Breeder, CIRAD-INERA)
IER (Mali):
Aboubacar Toure (Sorghum Breeder), Moussa Sanogo (Pearl Millet
Breeder), Bocar Diallo (Assistant)
FUMA GASKIYA (Niger), Union of SerkinHoussa:
Ali Maman Aminou (Director), Moutari Ibrahim, Ibbo Abdou (Animators),
Kandala, Abdou Wakasso (Presidents of the woman's and men's
group, respectively)
MOORIBEN (Niger), Union Haryben, Tera:
Boubacar Ousseini, Boukari Harouna ("André")
and Hassane Soumaila (Animators); Yaye Ali Begorou Tondo,
Larabou Albeidou Guenobon, Ali Yacouba Sirfikoira (village
group presidents)
MOORIBEN (Niger), Union Falwel:
Yacouba Tanda, Hima Siddo, Issa Koko, Hadjo Alfari (Animators);
Zakari Issoufou (extension agent); Noma Siddo (village group
president)
UGCPA (Burkina Faso), Dedougou (Boucle du Mouhoun):
Soumabéré Dioma (secretary-general), Noyéza
Bonzi (act. President, farmer), Lamoussa Tamini (farmer/breeder),
Marie-Joseph Faho (farmer/breeder), Mamani Coulibaly (farmer/breeder)
ADRK (Burkina Faso), Kaya (Sanmatenga):
Yacouba Traoré (Technical Director), Omarou Ouédraogo
(farmer/breeder), Saïdou Sawadogo (farmer/breeder), Omarou
Sawadogo (farmer/breeder), Marcel Bamogo (farmer/breeder)
ULPC (Mali), Dioila:
Mamoutou Diarra
AOPP (Siby, Mali), Siby :
Abdoullaye Sangare, Mamadou Coulibaly
Agro Action Allemande (AAA, Mali), Dioura:
Cissouma Souleymane (Coordinator); Aboubacrine Ag Hamana
Other farmer representatives or farmers (Mali) :
Abdoullaye Sangare (ACOD, Siby), Ibrahim Camara (OHVN, Bancoumana),
Ibrahim Keita (Farmer, Gonsolo), Diakaridia Dembele (Farmer,
Wobugu), Tamba Keita (Farmer, Gonsolo), Moussa Ble (Farmer,
Gonsolo), Seydou Traore (Farmer, Kaka), Moussa Fomba (Farmer,
Wobugu),Bainu Dembele (Farmer, Wobugu), Abdoulaye Kane, (Farmer,
Magnambugu), Daouda Traore (Farmer, Wakoro), Seydou Coulibaly
(Farmer, Wakoro), Amadou Diarra (Farmer, Seyla)
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Annual progress reports
Click the links below for annual progress reports.
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»Original grant
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Year 1 (3/2006-2/2007)
English |
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Year 2 (3/2007-2/2008)
English |
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Year 3 (3/2008-2/2009)
Due 3/31/2009 |
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Year 4 (3/2009-2/2010)
Due 3/31/2010 |
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Publications
None listed as of
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