Many efforts have been made to improve sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] varieties, but adoption of improved varieties remains low. Sorghum has diverse panicle architecture and grain qualities that vary within and between races, and utilization and adoption may depend on these traits. Recent efforts in West Africa to improve local guinea race germplasm as a base material have diversified potential options: there are breeding materials with a range of panicle types with increased grain number per panicle and a range of droopiness, as well as laxness and threshability. This study was designed to expand our understanding about sorghum grain and panicle traits that are important for farmers in the Sudan savanna zone of Mali. We combined a sorghum panicle sorting activity with qualitative interviews in Mande and Dioïla to understand farmers' knowledge and preferences about sorghum characteristics. A total of 20 panicle sorting activities and 20 interviews were conducted with men and women sorghum producers. Based on their roles and responsibilities in sorghum production and processing, farmers associated specific panicle types, plant types, and grain traits with aspects of pest control, threshability, storage duration, and yield. Farmers preferred open panicles and droopy architecture for disease and pest control; hard grains for storage and appropriate ratios of flour and grits; high density of grain on the panicle for yield; and specific glume qualities for threshability. Breeding programs need to consider these regional preferences and gender roles to develop appropriate material and increase adoption of productive varieties.

Cowpea is the second most consumed leguminous crop after groundnut in Mali. Its national production was 260,000 tons in 2018. It contributes to nitrogen fixation in the soil. The improved varieties of cowpea cultivars contain traits such as high grain yield, drought resistance, and early maturity. However, the adoption of improved cowpea varieties remains low. The non-participation and or non-consideration of the needs of men and women farmers in the varietal selection process contributed to the low adoption rate of improved cowpea varieties. This study aims to understand the gender dynamics and social structures within the communities. It examines its influence on the adoption of improved varieties of cowpea. Anchored on gender relations theories, gender and social structures are analyzed as the core frame for organizing social relations that guide and coordinate individuals’ actions in a given situation. Qualitative and quantitative approaches were applied to collect data from cowpea growers in 11 villages around the Cinzana Research Station. It emerged from the study that male farmers are quick adopters of newly released cowpea varieties because they are mainly more involved in trials, innovation platforms, field visits, demonstration plot activities, and FPVS than women. Women are less involved in these activities, except in sorting harvested cowpea grains and seeds in the Cinzana Research Station. Women's participation in cowpea related-activities is determined by the rules and norms of physical mobility and the structures that control and guide social interactions and connections within and outside of households and communities. The study recommends efficient resource allocation within households and communities, and the set up of strong institutional frameworks (such as innovation platforms) to enable women in adopting new and improved cowpea varieties and to expand the available opportunities in the cowpea production system.

The production and adoption of sorghum-improved varieties are faced with biotic and abiotic stresses affecting both its utilization and marketability by different actors in the sorghum value chain. This study aims to understand why and how different social groups and value chain actors make decisions on the utilization of sorghum and how these decisions influence the choice and adoption of the sorghum cultivars introduced and promoted by the breeding programs. This study was conducted in Mali's Sudan and Savanna zones, wherein the different agroecological zones have differentiated production and utilization realities and traits demand. Mixed methods (surveys, focus group discussions, key informant interviews) combined with intersectional and value chain approaches were used for data collection and analysis. The data were collected from 836 respondents in 12 villages including 384 females (46%) and 452 males (54%) representing sorghum growers, processors, consumers, and traders. While the findings show gender-specific trait preferences, actors' traits choices revealed the gender dynamics in value chains in which the different roles, interests, and challenges of men and women influence their choices and adoption of sorghum cultivars. The results also revealed there is an increased opportunity for the sale of sorghum grains (38%); this may be explained by the continuous efforts made by research institutes to develop high-yield sorghum varieties and the evolving processing sector in Mali.

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