grm 2011: plant breeding at the west africa centre for crop improvement (wacci)
TRANSCRIPT
Training Plant Breeders at WACCI to accelerate the Green Revolution in
West and Central Africa
Eric. Y. Danquah Director, WACCI
GCP 2011 General Research Meeting , 21-26 September 2011, Hyderabad, India
(GCP Project Number: G40008.37)
The University of Ghana
Ghana’s Premier University
Founded 1948
Outline
• Context
–The challenge to a Green Revolution in SSA
• The Promise
WACCI
–Conception & Establishment
–Programme Structure
–Our Students & Facilities
• Looking Ahead
–Linkages, Networking & Sustainability
The Challenge to a Green Revolution in SSA
• No. of breeders below critical level
• Poor Institutional Structures • Brain Drain
• Low Yielding Varieties • High Cost of Production • Biotic & Abiotic stresses • Climate Change • Land & Cultural Issues
Low Productivity
Food Insecurity
Low Breeding Capacity
Food Crops Development Project (2001-2007) Root and Tuber Improvement Programme (1999-2003)
t/h
a
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Start of project
End of project
Yield increases in some food crops in Ghana following investments
Sorghum Hybrid Quadruple Yields in Mali
Sorghum hybrids developed in Mali to quadruple harvests following support from AGRA
0.8454 0.8392 0.8262 1.0365
1.3433
3.5
Local Variety (2005)
Local Variety (2006)
Local Variety (2007)
Local Variety (2008)
Local Variety (2009)
Hybrid Variety
Source: http://www.agra-alliance.org/section/people/stories
Average Yields of Sorghum in Mali (t/ha)
4
15
4
30
12 13 17
5 3
50
17 12
22 17
6
58
11 13
Ghana Burkina Faso Niger Nigeria Mali Cameroon
BSc MSc PhD
Number of Plant Breeders in selected countries in West Africa
Source: GIPB (http://km.fao.org)
0.7 0.93 0.79 0.71 0.79 0.59 0.53
0.75 0.587 1.024
0.494 0.437
2.995
0.734 0.456 0.46
Sorghum Maize Millet Rice Yam Groundnut Cowpea Soyabean
Farm Size (Ha) Average Yield (t/ha)
Average farm size and yields of eight major crops in northern Ghana (Quaye, 2008)
3
6
4
8
BSc MSc MPhil PhD
Highest Degree
Number of plant breeders at CSIR, Ghana
Source: MIS, CSIR, 2011
A new generation of plant breeders
trained in West & Central Africa
Plant Breeder
Well-trained
Strategic Thinker
Result Driven
Team Player
Focus On WA Crops
New varieties
The Genesis of the Promise
Rockefeller Foundation - Scoping Study, Dr. Eugene Terry, August 2006
-to identify universities in West and Central Africa with potentials to become the nucleus of an Africa-wide plant breeding capacity program at the MSc. and PhD levels
• Recommended a Centre for Plant Breeding at the University of Ghana as the ACCI for W. & C. Africa
Rockefeller Assessment Mission (January 2007)
- Dr. Eugene Terry, International Consultant - Prof. Ronnie Coffman, Cornell University - Prof. Vern Gracen, Cornell University - Prof. Mark Laing, ACCI, UKZN, SA - Mr. Stefan Einarson, Cornell University - Prof. Eric Danquah, University of Ghana - Prof. Samuel K. Offei, University of Ghana
The University of Ghana had the necessary capacity to train a new generation of plant
breeders
West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement
• Established in June, 2007 to train 40 plant breeders over a 10-year period with AGRA-PASS grant
• GCP grant to train 4 students (2008)
Inauguration of WACCI, March 12, 2008 (First cohort, 8 students from Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Niger and Nigeria)
UG
THE WACCI PROGRAMME
An innovative 5-year PhD programme
First year
Foundation courses in plant breeding and related courses at the University of Ghana
Pre- Enrollment English Proficiency Course for Francophone Students
Listening and Speaking/Presentation skills class
Reading and Academic Writing
class
1
2
3 4
6
7
12
10 13
9 14
16
15
11
8
5
Year 2 - Visiting Scientists (Advanced Modules)
Years III-V
• Relocation of students to their home institutions for PhD research work
• Students return to the WACCI 3-6 months to the end of 5th year to complete write-up, submit and defend thesis
Crop focus Cereals - Maize, Sorghum, Millet & Rice
Roots and tubers - Cassava & Sweet potato
Legumes - Cowpea & Groundnuts
Vegetables - Tomato & Pepper
Vegetables Legumes
Roots and tubers Cereals
Vision
To become the foremost Centre for the training of Plant Breeders for
Africa
Enrollment: 36 PhD students
12 Female (33%) 18 Francophone (50%) 18 Anglophone (50%)
Kenya
8 students to enroll in Jan. 2012
GCP-sponsored students
Joseph Adjabeng-Danquah
Drought tolerance in cassava
(SARI)
Joseph Batieno
Drought tolerance
and M. phaseolina
resistance in cowpea
Ruth N. A. Thompson
Post-harvest Physiological
Deterioration in Cassava
(CRI)
Sako Dramane
QTL analysis of yield
components & panicle
architecture in sorghum (IER)
Partnership with 15 Institutions
CSIR- PGRRI, Ghana
Crop Services, Ghana
GAEC – BNARI, Ghana
CSIR – SARI, Ghana
CSIR- CRI, Ghana
INERA, Burkina Faso
INRAN, Niger
IER, Mali
ABU, Nigeria
NRCRI, Nigeria
IITA, Nigeria
NIHORT, Nigeria
IRAD, Cameroon
Embu Agricultural Staff Training College, Kenya
LAUT, Nigeria
Supervisory visits (Research supervision by in-country and WACCI supervisors)
Mentoring
Dr. Jeffrey D. Ehlers,
Cowpea Breeder/Geneticist,
University of California, Riverside.
Joseph Batieno
GCP Sponsored Student, WACCI
Jefffrey and Joseph have met face-to-face at WACCI on two occasions
Platform for Networking
Maxwell Asante ,Ghana (Rice)
Mamadou Coulibaly (Maize)
Oppong Allen, Ghana
(Maize)
Edgar Traore, Burkina Faso (Rice)
2nd Cohort
1st Cohort
Facilities • High speed internet access and a video conferencing
facility
• Access to electronic resources (TEEAL & AGORA)
and the Mann Library, Cornell University
• Access to the Biotechnology Centre, CA&CS, UG
• A maize breeding programme with irrigation facilities
A maize Breeding Programme
• 1,750 hybrids under evaluation
• Arrangement with Seed Co, Zimbabwe to test hybrid varieties in multi-locational trials
Looking Ahead Exploring opportunities for win-win linkages
NARIs & other AIs
A critical mass of
plant breeders
working with farmers and seed enterprises to develop improved varieties to spark a Green Revolution in West and Central Africa
Advisory Board
31
Dr. Eugene Terry, Senior Technical Advisor, TransFarm
Africa, Washington DC
(Chairman)
Prof. E.Y.
Danquah
Member
Prof. S. K. Offei
Member Prof. V. Gracen
Member
Dr. R. Madakadze
AGRA Rep. Prof. R. Coffman
Member
Prof. M. Laing
ACCI Rep.