Progress Report from

the Sweetpotato

Support Platform

– West Africa

Ted Carey, CIP-West Africa

October 10, 2013

West African Population Development

for Un-Sweetpotato (USP) Breeding Objectives:

• Population improvement programs at a sub-regional level

• Link with participatory varietal selection at the national level

SASHA Target Countries in W. Africa:

Ghana, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Benin

SASHA Currently Supports Breeding,

Germplasm Distribution, and Platform

Partnerships for R4D and impact:

Variety Development, Seed Systems,

Value Chains, etc.

- AGRA, WAAPP, RAC, CRPs, FEMARD,

Yam bean

Selection Sites and Target Zones

in Ghana

Target areas where sweetpotato

Is currently important, or

benchmark sites for CRP

Systems research

Breeding selection sites

CRP benchmark sites

CSIR - Savanna Agricultural Research Inst.

CSIR – Crops Research Inst.

Selection sites are located where

sweetpotato is important

BABA SALIFU, KOMENDA,

CENTRAL REGION

NUTIFAFE WOMEN’S GROUP,

KPORKUVE, VOLTA REGION

FARMERS

MANCHORO,

UPPER EAST REGION

Confirmation of consumer tastes and

target products is essential and ongoing

PARTICIPATORY ASSESSMENT,

KOMENDA, CENTRAL REGION

GLEANERS AT HARVEST,

TONO, NAVRONGO

UPPER EAST REGION

SENSORY ANALYSIS

TEAM ASSISTING AT 2012

HARVESTS

Some characteristics of selection sites

in Ghana

Region AEZ Role of

sweetpotato

Preferred type

of SP

Asante Forest Insignificant Not preferred

Central Coastal Savanna Commercial Yellow skin, yellow

flesh

Volta Coastal Savanna Commercial/Food

security

Red skin, white flesh

Upper East Guinea/Sudan

Savanna

Food security/less

commercial

Skin color less

important, OFSP exist

Constraints: Drought can be a constraint in any AEZ, but tends to be worse in

savanna AEZs, SPVD tends to be worst in forest zone, soil fertility

tends to be low in most places.

Efforts are ongoing with partners to strengthen

value chain and seed system interventions

Accelerated Breeding Scheme - Ghana Predominant

Allocation of

Responsibility

--SASHA

_ National

Program

Trials by type and location – 2013 Color coded by primary institutional responsibility

Region Location Hybrid Multiply OT PT AT OFT Ashanti Fumesua 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 2

Ejura 1 2 G. Accra Pokuase 2 Volta Ohawu 1 2 1 2

Kpeve 2 Upper East

Navrongo 1 1 1 1 1 2 **

Central Komenda 2 1 2 Total 3 3 12 14

CIP/SASHA = Orange, CSIR-CRI/WAAPP = Black

• Parental selection for USP population A Sept 2010 Achieved • Installation of NIRS Lab Aug 2011 Achieved

• First recombination of parental material Nov 2011 Achieved

• First recurrent selection cycle Dec 2012 Achieved

• First recombination of selected parents Nov 2013 On-track • First dissemination as true seed to NARS breeding programs: > 9 t /ha, > 28% dry matter, > 60% starch, total sugar, <12%, <9% sucrose, >50 ppm beta- carotene and medium ability in vine survival and weevil avoidance

Dec 2013 On-track

Milestones to develop USP breeding

population and breeding capacity in W. Africa

• >2000 Seeds of USP population B sent from CIP HQ to Ghana, July, 2012

NIRS Analysis

increasingly

Informing

selection

decisions;

NIRS lab serves

as a resource

students and

others

Cooked

calibrations

developed

Crossing Block: 2011 was a

difficult year. 2012 good cross success

Sweetpotato Support Platform

– West Africa

• SSP-WA Meetings and Conferences

– ISTRC Abeokuta (Oct 2012)

– RAC consultation Ghana (Dec 2012)

– B&MGF value chain assessment meeting

Accra (Feb 2013)

– ISTRC-AB, Accra (Oct 2013)

Capacity Building – Students

Ernest Baafi, WACCI

3rd cohort Vivian Oduro, WACCI

2nd cohort

Victor Amankwaah,

AGRA CRI

• Eric Owusu-Mensah evaluating amylase activity in relation

processing potential, Ph.D, Food Sci + Technol KNUST

• Jebeh Samba, Hybridization efficiency. MS-AGRA, KNUST

• John Saaka, net tunnels, Undergrad thesis, UDS

• SASHA Assistant Breeders at Kumasi and Tono admitted to

MPhil programs, UDS MS student for postharvest

Capacity Building + other activities

Nigeria + Burkina Faso

• Koussao SOME, WACCI 1st cohort

• Solomon Afuape, WACCI 4th cohort

• Participation in RAC “Everything…” course

• Carey on breeding, pests + disease

• CRP Dryland Systems (sponsored 4

participants; will translate course materials to

French)

• FEMARD Rainbow Project

• USAID/OFDA “Breaking postharvest

bottlenecks…”

Regional germplasm distribution –

ISO compliant by October 2013

SCREENHOUSE FOR PRODUCTION OF CLEAN

PLANTS

REFURBISHED HOUSE FOR

QUARANTINE

In vitro maintenance and multiplication routineThermotherapy and indexing operational

Ghanaian released varieties undergoing cleanup; Nigerian released varieties

Demand for OFSP created by FRI + RAC

2013 multiplication supported by RAC

Multiplication at

secondary and DVM

sites in 5 regions

609 households received

bundles of 300 cuttings

4 GhC/bundle

Thank you

H.K. Adu-Dapaah, J.N. Asafu-Agyei, Kwadwo Adofo, E. Obeng-Bio,Y.

Alhassan, Isaac Owusu, E. Osei-Bonsu, V. Amankwaah, Nyarko Asamoah,

Joseph Awoodzie, Marian Quain, Evelyn Adu-Kwarteng, J.N. Lamptey,

Ernest Baafi, Vivian Oduro, Eric Owusu-Mensa, Ibok Oduro, Esi Amoaful,

Solomon Afuape, Jude Njoku, Malachy Akoroda, Mike Afolabi, SOME

Koussao, Margaret Quarm, Christopher Ayiwo, Mark Dadoza, Yussif

Alhassan, Charity Wiredu, Daniel Akansake, Kofi Tiero, Dramani, Kwabena

Acheremu, Leandre Dahoundo, Ruth Thompson, Ekpor Ackah, M-A.

Zakariah, Akwasi Adjekum

Our vision is roots and tubers improving the lives of the poor