FARMER'S SELECTION OF LOCAL AND IMPROVED PEARL MILLET VARIETIES IN OVAMBOLAND, NORTHERN NAMIBIA

Abstract

A new and improved cultivar of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum), Okashana-1, was released in Namibia in 1990 and was rapidly adopted in Ovamboland. However, as most farmers do not buy new seeds each year, any genetic trials of the cultivar on actual farms would be affected by cross-pollination. The present study clarified the characteristics of Okashana-1, as found on actual farms. In addition, this research also examined the interrela- tionships between the environmental status, traditions, livelihood, and subsistence activities in the study area and the cultivar characteristics