Bringing the benefits of heterosis to smallholder sorghum and pearl millet farmers in West Africa

The overall goal of this project is to enhance sorghum and pearl millet pro­ductivity in West and Central Africa (WCA) through cultivation of nutri­tious hybrids, contributing to food security, income generation, and im­proved nutrition. To achieve this goal, key NARS, University and ICRISAT researchers will collaborate to define “functional” hetero­tic paren­tal-pools required for sustainable hybrid develop­ment, establish efficient hybrid breeding strategies based on quantitative-genetic para­meters and molecular-breeding tools, and create new and diverse hybrid parents. The sorghum research will target the main sorghum production systems (700-1100mm rainfall) with work on Guinea grain types in Mali and on Kaura-Fara Fara grain types in Nigeria. The majority of sorghum is produced on poor soils (low plant-available phosphorus), and thus we will optimize hybrid selection strategies targeting these conditions.  The pearl millet re­search will focus on the 400-700 rainfall zone with sandy soils and variable rainfall, targeting long-panicled hybrids for both Niger and Senegal. In both crops, bio-available grain mineral content (iron, zinc) of the parents and hybrids will be assessed and related to phytate contents, to permit selection of nutrient-dense hybrids that should contribute to improved human nutrition. Project outputs will include:

1. Functional heterotic groups (separate female and male pools) defined for WCA sorghum and pearl millet, providing a solid foundation for current and future hybrid development.

2. Selection strategies for effective sorghum and pearl millet hybrid breeding with optimal use of available breeding resources for addressing major production conditions and traits.

3. Parental lines and populations for hybrid sorghum and pearl millet developed with stable sterility/fertility, adaptation and grain-quality traits required for targeted production systems.

4. Genetic markers for male fertility-reaction validated in WCA sorghum, mapped in WCA sorghum and pearl millet, and creation of SNP-specific markers for future use in applied breeding.

5. Trained NARS scientists to sustainably implement sustained cereal hybrid development.

Through the genetic knowledge and the hybrid parents created, and with the strengthened capacity of NARS, the new sorghum and pearl millet hybrids should contribute to achieving significant gains in productivity, yield stability, food security, nutrition and income generation for WCA farmers.