An integrated molecular and conventional breeding scheme for enhancing genetic gain in maize in Africa

Open Access Journal; Published online: 06 Nov 2019Maize production in West and Central Africa (WCA) is constrained by a wide range of interacting stresses that keep productivity below potential yields. Among the many problems afflicting maize production in WCA, drought, foliar diseases, and parasitic weeds are the most critical. Several decades of efforts devoted to the genetic improvement of maize have resulted in remarkable genetic gain, leading to increased yields of maize on farmers’ fields. The revolution unfolding in the areas of genomics, bioinformatics, and phenomics is generating innovative tools, resources, and technologies for transforming crop breeding programs. It is envisaged that such tools will be integrated within maize breeding programs, thereby advancing these programs and addressing current and future challenges. Accordingly, the maize improvement program within International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is undergoing a process of modernization through the introduction of innovative tools and new schemes that are expected to enhance genetic gains and impact on smallholder farmers in the region. Genomic tools enable genetic dissections of complex traits and promote an understanding of the physiological basis of key agronomic and nutritional quality traits. Marker-aided selection and genome-wide selection schemes are being implemented to accelerate genetic gain relating to yield, resilience, and nutritional quality. Therefore, strategies that effectively combine genotypic information with data from field phenotyping and laboratory-based analysis are currently being optimized. Molecular breeding, guided by methodically defined product profiles tailored to different agroecological zones and conditions of climate change, supported by state-of-the-art decision-making tools, is pivotal for the advancement of modern, genomics-aided maize improvement programs. Accelerated genetic gain, in turn, catalyzes a faster variety replacement rate. It is critical to forge and strengthen partnerships for enhancing the impacts of breeding products on farmers’ livelihood. IITA has well-established channels for delivering its research products/technologies to partner organizations for further testing, multiplication, and dissemination across various countries within the subregion. Capacity building of national agricultural research system (NARS) will facilitate the smooth transfer of technologies and best practices from IITA and its partners

Assessing the impact of participatory research in rice breeding on poor rice farming households with emphasis on women farmers: a case study in eastern Uttar Pradesh, India

For the past years since the Consultative Group of International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) Systemwide Initiative on Participatory Research and Gender Analysis (PRGA) was initiated, guides for impact assessment of PRGA have been developed (Lilja and Ashby 1999; Johnson et.al., 2000; Lilja and Johnson 2001). However, according to Farnworth and Jiggins (2003) while there is rapidly growing literature on the impacts of PPB on farmers, this is not further differentiated by sex. Despite the immense literature on the impacts of production, post production technologies on women farmers, systematic studies on the impacts of PPB on women in any category, either in terms of the effects of being a participant in a participatory plant breeding process (PPB) process, or in terms of the impact of the new materials generated is few. There is practically no literature that examines the effects of PPB – either as process or in terms of the impacts of the emergent materials – on gender relations at the household, community or any other relevant social or geographic scale along the food chain. Even with women’s active involvement in rice production, post harvest and seed management, scientists who are mostly male often talk with the male farmers only. Ignoring women’s knowledge and preference for rice varieties may be an obstacle to adoption of improved varieties, particularly in areas with gender-specific tasks, and in farm activities where women have considerable influence. Feldstein (1996) cited three different ways in which gender analysis can be considered in participatory research. These are: the efficiency argument, equity oriented, and empowerment. This study attempts to fill in these research gaps. The objectives of this paper are to: a) discuss the process used in integrating participatory research and gender analysis in breeding for drought prone and submergence prone environment; b) assess how gender analysis contributed to the design and implementation of the research and development outcomes; c) assess the impacts of PVS on poor women farmers, particularly on women’s empowerment; and d) recommend strategies to further enhance women’s roles in ensuring household food (rice) food security and improving their social status within the household and the community

Plant breeding for organic farming: current status and problems in Europe

Compendium is a part of Deliverable 4 of 6th FP SSA project “Environmental friendly food production system: requirements for plant breeding and seed production” (ENVIRFOOD) and contains information about current status and problems in EU regarding to organic plant breeding

Proceedings of the COST SUSVAR/ECO-PB Workshop on organic plant breeding strategies and the use of molecular markers

In many countries,national projects are in progress to investigate the sustainable low-input approach.In the present COST network,these projects are coordinated by means of exchange of materials,establishing common methods for assessment and statistical analyses and by combining national experimental results.The common framework is cereal production in low-input sustainable systems with emphasis on crop diversity.The network is organised into six Working Groups,five focusing on specific research areas and one focusing on the practical application of the research results for variety testing:1)plant genetics and plant breeding,2)biostatistics,3)plant nutrition and soil microbiology,4)weed biology and plant competition,5)plant pathology and plant disease resistance biology and 6)variety testing and certification.It is essential that scientists from many disciplines work together to investigate the complex interactions between the crop and its environment,in order to be able to exploit the natural regulatory mechanisms of different agricultural systems for stabilising and increasing yield and quality.The results of this cooperation will contribute to commercial plant breeding as well as official variety testing,when participants from these areas disperse the knowledge achieved through the EU COST Action

Genetic diversity of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) germplasm and hybrid potential under contrasting environments in Mozambique.

Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Breeding. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2017.Abstract available in PDF file

European perspectives of organic plant breeding and seed production in a genomics era.

For further optimisation of organic agricultural systems, more focus is required on organically produced seeds and the development of better adapted varieties. Organic plant breeding and seed production need to comply with the concept of naturalness as applied in organic agriculture, which not only includes the nonchemical and agro-ecological approaches, but also the integrity of life approach. As organic environments are less controllable and are more variable, breeding should aim at improved yield stability and product quality by being adapted to organic soil fertility as well as sustainable weed, pest and disease management. Also the ability to produce economicacceptable seed yield avoiding seed-borne diseases should be included. On the short term, organic plant production can gain better yield stability by increasing within-crop diversity by the use of mixtures of conventionally bred varieties or crop populations. Because of expected genotype by environment interaction more research is needed to define the best selection environment for selecting organic varieties. To arrive at better adapted varieties for organic farming systems the role of practical participatory plant breeding may be crucial. Although organic farming is clear on excluding the use of genetically modified organisms and their derivates, the use of molecular markers is still under debate. Questions arise with respect to their efficiency in selecting the most important organic traits, such as yield stability, and on the compounds and substances to produce and apply them. A major concern for a GM-free organic agriculture is an increasing contamination with genetically modified organisms in organic production and products, i.e., the problems related to co-existence of GM and non- GM agriculture. This paper discusses some important factors with regard to possible impact of co-existence on organic farming. Perspectives to a global scale of organic plant breeding and seed production are given from a European point of view

Strategies for sustainable pearl millet hybrid breeding in West Africa

Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] is grown by >90 million subsistence farmers, mostly in the drylands of Sub-Saharan Africa and India for human consumption and provides additionally fodder and building material. It is commonly grown in regions with 300 500 mm of precipitation, low soil phosphorus levels, and temperatures of >42°C), like its center of origin in West Africa (WA). Pearl millet is a highly heterozygous, diploid (2n = 2x = 14) C4 plant species with outcrossing rates of >70%. Yield levels increased largely in India and the US, while they almost stagnated in WA. Challenging, highly variable environments and a weak seed sector are largely contributing to these differences. To suggest a way forward this thesis was meant to guide heterotic group development for sustainable WA pearl millet breeding. The specific objectives were to (I) facilitate efficient use of pearl millet gene bank accessions, (II) identify diversity patterns, (III) validate the yield superiority and stability of pearl millet population hybrids over OPVs, (IV) derive a more comprehensive picture about combining ability patterns, and (V) develop a unified strategy for heterotic grouping and sustainable hybrid breeding. A total of 81 accessions acquired from the pearl millet reference collection was evaluated for resistance to Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth. in one artificially infested field in Niger. A subset of 74 accessions was characterized in 2009 in multi-environment trials (MET) under low-input and fertilized conditions. The general superiority of local check varieties compared to the genebank accessions highlighted the importance of local adaptation, possibly lost during the ex situ conservation and regeneration. Nevertheless, the development and preservation of germplasm collections are important to maintain the rich genetic diversity. The MET identified several accessions as sources for specific traits of interest and revealed an immense diversity but also strong admixture. This admixture underlines the need to develop heterotic groups. Therefore, 17 WA open-pollinated varieties (OPVs) were crossed in a diallel mating design and tested together with their offspring in nine environments over two years in Niger and Senegal. Results from these MET verified large panmictic better parent heterosis (PBPH) effects with an average of 18% (147%) for panicle yield. A large G × E interaction variance was confirmed and it was not possible to define repeatable mega-environments. Importantly, yield stability was more pronounced in the population hybrids compared to their parental OPVs. Furthermore, a superior combining ability among selected OPVs from Niger vs. Senegal was revealed and the evaluated OPVs were clearly grouped by origin based on genetic information. Nevertheless, there was no significant relationship between genetic distance among OPVs and PBPH. These and earlier studies showed a large diversity, sufficiently large heterosis effects and high yield stability in experimental pearl millet population and topcross hybrids, offering a great opportunity for a regionally coordinated hybrid breeding approach. Therefore, we suggested a unified strategy with a continuous output of different hybrid types, specifically tailored to WA. First, existing diversity and combining ability pattern information on western WA and eastern WA cultivars forming loose groups that combine well with each other should be used. Selected genotypes with high general combining ability (GCA) and per se performance from eastern and western WA, respectively, are promising founder populations. Initiating a reciprocal recurrent selection (RRS) program, possibly supported by modern breeding tools, will diverge the two groups further, while improving the inter-pool per se performance. RRS in combination with continuous diversification of both pools allows distinct female and male pool development, line development and introgression of a cytoplasmic male sterility system. Creating OPVs and population hybrids early and aiming for long-term development of topcross hybrids from improved OPVs and newly derived lines is possible alongside the heterotic pool development. Additionally, the RRS lays the foundation for possible future single-cross hybrid breeding programs. The suggested framework is highly ambitious and requires long-term commitment, vision and financial resources. Considering the flexibility regarding single steps and the possibility to develop different types of varieties at every stage of the pool diversification, it has the potential to enhance gains from selection and, with the continuous output of new high-yielding and stable cultivars, to improve the livelihood of WA subsistence farmers substantially.Perlhirse [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] wird von >90 Millionen Subsistenzbauern, vor allem in Subsahara-Afrika und Indien, für Nahrung angebaut und liefert Futter und Baumaterial. Es wird häufig in Regionen mit 300 - 500 mm Niederschlag, niedrigem Bodenphosphorgehalt und Temperaturen von >42°C angebaut, wie z.B. seiner Ursprungsregion Westafrika (WA). Perlhirse ist eine sehr heterozygote, diploide (2n = 2x = 14) C4-Pflanze mit Auskreuzungsraten von >70%. Die Erträge stiegen in Indien und den USA, während sie in WA fast stagnierten. Herausfordernde, sehr variable Umwelten und ein schwacher Saatgutsektor tragen weitgehend zu diesen Unterschieden bei. Daher soll diese Thesis die Entwicklung heterotischer Gruppen für eine nachhaltige WA Perlhirsezüchtung anleiten. Die spezifischen Ziele waren (I) effiziente Nutzung von Perlhirsesorten aus Genbanken zu erleichtern, (II) Diversitätsmuster zu identifizieren, (III) Ertragsüberlegenheit und Stabilität von Perlhirse-Populationshybriden gegenüber OPVs zu validieren, (IV) ein umfassenderes Bild über Kombinierfähigkeitsmuster zu erstellen und (V) eine einheitliche Strategie für die heterotische Gruppierung und nachhaltige Hybridzüchtung zu entwickeln. Perlhirsesorten aus der Referenzsammlung wurden auf Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth. Resistenz in einem künstlich infizierten Feld im Niger untersucht. Davon wurden 74 Genotypen in mehrortigen Versuchen (MET) in 2009 unter gering und regulär gedüngten Bedingungen charakterisiert. Die generelle Überlegenheit der lokalen Standards gegenüber den Genbank-Genotypen zeigt die Bedeutung der lokalen Anpassung, die möglicherweise durch die ex situ Erhaltung und Regeneration verloren ging. Dennoch sind die Entwicklung und Erhaltung von Keimplasma-Sammlungen wichtig, um die reiche genetische Vielfalt zu erhalten. Die MET identifizierten mehrere Genotypen als Quellen für bestimmte, relevante Merkmale und zeigten eine immense Vielfalt, aber auch starke Vermischung. Diese Vermischung zeigt das Erfordernis, heterotische Gruppen zu entwickeln. Daher wurden 17 WA offen bestäubte Sorten (OPVs) in einem Diallel-Paarungsschema gekreuzt und mit ihren Nachkommen in neun Umwelten über zwei Jahre im Niger und Senegal getestet. Diese Ergebnisse verifizierten große panmiktische Heterosiseffekte relativ zum besseren Elter (PBPH) von durchschnittlichen 18% (1 47 %) beim Rispenertrag. Eine große G × E Interaktionsvarianz wurde bestätigt und es war nicht möglich wiederholbare Mega-Umwelten zu definieren. Wichtig ist, dass die Erträge der Populationshybriden im Vergleich zu ihren elterlichen OPVs stabiler waren. Darüber hinaus zeigte sich eine überlegene Kombinationsfähigkeit bestimmter OPVs aus Niger vs. Senegal und die evaluierten OPVs wurden auf Grundlage genetischer Informationen klar nach Herkunft gruppiert. Dennoch gab es keinen signifikanten Zusammenhang der genetischen Distanz zwischen den OPVs und PBPH. Diese und frühere Studien zeigten eine große Diversität, ausreichend große Heterosis Effekte und eine hohe Ertragsstabilität in experimentellen Perlhirse Populations- und Topcross-Hybriden, was eine große Chance für einen regionalen Hybridzüchtungsansatz bietet. Daher schlugen wir eine einheitliche, speziell auf WA zugeschnittene Strategie mit kontinuierlicher Produktion verschiedener Hybridtypen vor. Zunächst sollten Informationen über die bestehende Vielfalt und die Kombinationsfähigkeitsmuster bei westlichen WA- und östlichen WA-Sorten, die lose Gruppen bilden und sich gut miteinander kombinieren lassen, genutzt werden. Ausgewählte Genotypen mit hoher allgemeiner Kombinationsfähigkeit (GCA) und Eigenleistungen aus Ost- und West-WA sind vielversprechende Gründerpopulationen. Die Initiierung eines Programms zur reziproken rekursiven Selektion (RRS), eventuell unterstützt durch moderne Züchtungsmethoden, wird die beiden Gruppen weiter divergieren und gleichzeitig die Eigenleistung je Genpools verbessern. RRS in Kombination mit einer kontinuierlichen Diversifizierung beider Pools ermöglicht die Entwicklung eines jeweils eindeutig weiblichen und männlichen Pools, Linienentwicklung und Introgression eines zytoplasmatischen männlichen Sterilitätssystems. Außerdem ist es möglich, OPVs und Populationshybride frühzeitig zu erzeugen und auf eine langfristige Entwicklung von Topcross-Hybriden aus verbesserten OPVs und neu entwickelten Linien hinzuarbeiten. Darüber hinaus legt das RRS den Grundstein für mögliche zukünftige Zweiweghybridzüchtungsprogramme. Der vorgeschlagene Rahmen ist sehr ehrgeizig und erfordert langfristiges Engagement, Voraussicht und finanzielle Ressourcen. In Anbetracht der Flexibilität der einzelnen Schritte und der Möglichkeit, in jeder Phase der Pooldiversifizierung verschiedene Sortentypen zu entwickeln, hat es das Potenzial, die Selektionserfolge zu steigern und mit der kontinuierlichen Produktion neuer ertragreicher und stabiler Sorten die Lebensgrundlage der Subsistenzlandwirte in WA erheblich zu verbessern

The Asian Maize Biotechnology Network (AMBIONET): A Model for Strengthening National Agricultural Research Systems

Crop Production/Industries, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Stirring up sorghum hybrid breeding targeting West African smallholder farmers low input environments

Food supply and income in rural areas of West Africa (WA) depend strongly on the local production, and mostly on farmers field production of root and tuber crops, and cereals. To feed an ever-increasing population in a context of climate-change and low-input cultural conditions, breeding for resilient crops can guarantee smallholder farmers food security and cash income for a sustainable rural development. Sorghum hybrids for WA were first explored in the early 1970s and hybrid crosses of Malian landraces with introduced Caudatum-race seed parents were evaluated in the early 80s. Although those hybrids exhibited good heterosis for grain yield, their lack of grain quality made them commercially unsustainable. Efforts by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and its partners resulted in the first series of Guinea-race based hybrids. The short statured hybrids were evaluated in several on-farm farmer-managed yield trials, and showed satisfactory grain yield and quality under farmers cultivation conditions. Although taller- relative to shorter- height sorghum can help reduce risks of panicle loss by grazing transhumant cattle, no indication on the yield potential of the tall statured hybrids is available. The advances achieved by ICRISAT and its partners in hybrid development justified establishing a long-term hybrid breeding program to provide farmers with hybrids with sufficient grain yield and good grain quality under low input conditions. However, the lack of quantitative genetic information about the genetic value of new experimental hybrids and their parents (Guinea-Caudatum to complete Guinea background, from different WA origins), or about the efficiency of alternative selection methods for targeting yield performance in the predominantly low-input and phosphorous-deficient sorghum production conditions hinders sorghum hybrid development for this region. Sorghum hybrid breeding was commercially feasible only after the identification of a heritable and stable cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) mechanism. Hybrid breeding in WA can benefit from molecular marker, especially for the fertility restoration/sterility maintenance of the predominant A1-type of CMS. The major outcomes of this thesis are presented as follow: Mean yields of tall hybrids were 3 to 17% (ranging from 6 to 28 g m−2) higher than that of the local check across all 37 on-farm farmer-managed environments and were highest (1447%) averaged across the seven trials with the lowest mean yields. The yields of the new set of experimental hybrids were substantially superior to farmers local Guinea-race varieties, with 20 to 80% higher means over all hybrids in both low phosphorus (LP) and high phosphorus (HP) environments. Average mid-parent and better-parent heterosis estimates were respectively 78 and 48% under HP, and 75 and 42% under LP. Direct selection under LP was predicted to be 20 to 60% more effective than indirect selection under HP conditions, for hybrid performance under LP. The combining ability estimates provide initial insights into the potential benefit of germplasm from further east in West and Central Africa for developing a male parental pool that is distinct and complimentary to the Malian female pool. On chromosome SBI-05, we found a major A1 CMS fertility restorer locus (Rf5) explaining 19 and 14% of the phenotypic variation in either population. Minor quantitative trait loci (QTL) were detected in these two populations on chromosomes SBI-02, SBI-03, SBI-04 and SBI-10. In the third population, we identified one major A1 CMS fertility restorer locus on chromosome SBI-02, Rf2, explaining 31% of the phenotypic variation in the F2 mapping population. Pentatricopeptide repeat genes in the Rf2 QTL region were sequenced, and we detected in Sobic.002G057050 a missense mutation in the first exon, explaining 81% of the phenotypic variation in an F2:3 validation population and clearly separating B- from R-lines. The Guinea-race hybrids substantial yield superiorities over well adapted local Guinea-race varieties suggests that a strategy of breeding hybrids based on Guinea-germplasm can contribute to improving the livelihood of many smallholder farmers in WA. Although the usefulness of direct selection under LP for hybrid performance in the predominantly P-limited target environments was proven, companion evaluations of hybrids under HP would be desirable to identify also new hybrids that can respond to improved fertility conditions for sustainable intensification. The developed KASP marker stands as a promising tool for routine use in WA breeding programs.Die Nahrungsmittelversorgung und das Einkommen in den ländlichen Gebieten Westafrikas (WA) hängen stark von der lokalen Produktion, vor allem von der Wurzel- und Knollenpflanzen sowie der Getreideproduktion der Landwirte ab. Um eine ständig wachsende Bevölkerung in Anbetracht des Klimawandels und unter Anbaubedingungen mit geringem Produktionsmitteleinsatz zu ernähren, kann die Züchtung widerstandsfähiger Nutzpflanzen den Kleinbauern Ernährungssicherheit und Einkommen für eine nachhaltige ländliche Entwicklung garantieren. Die kleinwüchsigen Hybriden wurden in mehreren, von Landwirten geführten Ertragsversuchen auf landwirtschaftlichen Betrieben evaluiert und zeigten unter den Anbaubedingungen der Landwirte zufriedenstellende Getreideerträge und -qualität. Obwohl größeres, im Vergleich zu kürzerem Sorghum - dazu beitragen kann, das Risiko eines Rispenverlustes durch die Beweidung in Wanderweidewirtschaft gehaltenem Vieh zu verringern, gibt es keine Hinweise auf das Ertragspotenzial der hochwüchsigen Hybriden. Die Fortschritte, die ICRISAT und seine Partner bei der Hybridentwicklung erzielt haben, rechtfertigten den Aufbau eines langfristigen Hybridzuchtprogramms, um den Landwirten Hybriden mit ausreichenden Getreideerträgen und guter Getreidequalität bei geringem Produktionsmitteleinsatz zur Verfügung zu stellen. Der Mangel an quantitativen genetischen Informationen über den genetischen Wert neuer experimenteller Hybriden und ihrer Eltern (Guinea-Caudatum bis vollständiger Guinea Hintergrund, aus unterschiedlicher WA Herkunft) oder über die Effizienz alternativer Selektionsmethoden zur Ausrichtung der Ertragsleistung unter den überwiegend phosphorarmen Bedingungen mit geringem Produktionsmitteleinsatz behindert jedoch die Hybridentwicklung von Sorghum für diese Region. Die Sorghum-Hybridzüchtung war erst nach der Identifizierung eines vererbbaren und stabilen zytoplasmatischen männlichen Sterilisationsmechanismus (CMS) kommerziell möglich. Die Hybridzüchtung in WA kann von molekularen Markern, vor allem für die Fruchtbarkeitswiederherstellung/Sterilitätserhaltung des vorherrschenden A1 CMS Typs, profitieren. Die wichtigsten Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit werden wie folgt dargestellt: Die mittleren Erträge hoher Hybriden waren 3 bis 17% (im Bereich von 6 bis 28 g m-2) höher als die der lokalen Kontrollsorte in allen 37 von Landwirten verwalteten Umwelten und waren am höchsten (14-47%), gemittelt über die sieben Versuche mit den niedrigsten Durchschnittserträgen. Die Erträge der neuen, experimentellen Hybriden waren mit 20 bis 80% höheren Mittelwerten über alle Hybriden, wesentlich höher als die der lokalen Guinea-Rasse Sorten der Bauern. Sowohl in Umwelten mit niedrigem Phosphorgehalt (LP) als auch mit hohem Phosphorgehalt (HP). Die durchschnittlichen Schätzungen der Heterosis über das Elternmittel sowie über den besseren Elter lagen bei 78 bzw. 48% unter HP und 75 bzw. 42% unter LP. Es wurde berechnet, dass die direkte Selektion unter LP 20 bis 60% effektiver ist als die indirekte Selektion unter HP-Bedingungen für die Hybridleistung unter LP. Die Schätzung der Kombinationsfähigkeit liefern erste Erkenntnisse über den potenziellen Nutzen von Genmaterial aus weiter östlich gelegenen Gegenden West- und Zentralafrikas für die Entwicklung eines männlichen Elternpools, der sich vom malischen weiblichen Pool unterscheidet und ihn ergänzt. Auf dem Chromosom SBI-05 fanden wir einen großen A1 CMS Fertilitätswiederherstellungs-Locus (Rf5), der 19 und 14% der phänotypischen Variation in beiden Populationen erklärt. Regionen eines quantitativen Merkmals (QTL) mit geringem Effekt wurden in diesen beiden Populationen auf den Chromosomen SBI-02, SBI-03, SBI-04 und SBI-10 nachgewiesen. In der dritten Population identifizierten wir einen großen A1 CMS Fertilitätswiederherstellungs-Locus auf dem Chromosom SBI-02, Rf2, der 31% der phänotypischen Variation in der F2-Kartierungspopulation erklärt. Pentatricopeptid repeat Gene in der Rf2-QTL-Region wurden sequenziert, und wir entdeckten in Sobic.002G057050 eine sinnverändernde Punktmutation im ersten Exon, die 81% der phänotypischen Variation in einer F2:3-Validierungspopulation erklärt und B- von R-Linien klar trennt. Die erheblichen Ertragsüberlegenheiten der Guinea-Rasse Hybriden gegenüber gut angepassten lokalen Guinea-Rasse Arten deuten darauf hin, dass eine strategische Hybridzüchtung auf der Grundlage von Guinea-Keimmaterial zur Verbesserung der Lebensgrundlage vieler Kleinbauern in WA beitragen kann. Obwohl die Nützlichkeit der direkten Selektion unter LP für die Hybridleistung in den überwiegend P-begrenzten Zielumwelten etabliert wurde, wären Begleitbewertungen von Hybriden unter HP wünschenswert, um auch neue Hybride zu identifizieren, die auf verbesserte Fertilitätsbedingungen für eine nachhaltige Intensivierung reagieren können. Der entwickelte KASP-Marker steht als vielversprechendes Werkzeug für den routinemäßigen Einsatz in WA-Zuchtprogrammen bereit

Sharing science, building bridges, and enhancing impact: Public-Private Partnerships in the CGIAR

"This study, which examines the role of public–private partnerships in international agricultural research, is intended to provide policymakers, research managers, and business decisionmakers with an understanding of how such partnerships operate and how they potentially contribute to food security and poverty reduction in developing countries. The study examines public–private partnerships in light of persistent market failure, institutional constraints, and systemic weaknesses, which impede the exchange of potentially pro-poor knowledge and technology. The study focuses on three key issues: whether public–private partnerships contribute to reducing the cost of research, whether they add value to research by facilitating innovation, and whether they enhance the impact of research on smallholders and other marginalized groups in developing-country agriculture. The study examines 75 projects undertaken by the research centers and programs of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) in partnership with various types of private firms. Data and information were obtained through document analysis, semi-structured interviews with key informants, and an email survey of CGIAR centers. The resulting analysis provides a characterization of public–private partnerships in the CGIAR and describes the factors that contribute to their success. These finding are important to improving both public policy and organizational practices in the international agricultural research system." - from authors' abstract.Agricultural R&D, CGIAR, Innovation, Public-private partnerships,