Research and development for sorghum and millets in Sub-Saharan Africa: What have we learned?

Abstract

The past two decades of R & D for sorghum and millets in SSA have generated a wealth of new evidence. A synthesis of this evidence identified six strategic lessons. These were that demand is not being driven by ‘new uses’, that plant breeding programmes need to respond to African farmer's contexts and objectives to increase impact, that availability is a bigger constraint on the supply of certified seed than physical or economic access, that higher adoption of improved varieties does not generally result in higher yields, that technology and varietal diversity can compensate for climate change, and that commercialisation can be gender – and socially inclusive. R & D in Africa differs from the Indian model because of the low level of commercialisation and the continued dominance of own consumption. Consequently R & D gives a dominant role to the public sector in plant breeding, to farmer organisations and groups in seed supply, and to prioritising household food security over commercial uses.

Increasing sorghum yields for smallholder farmers in Mali: the evolution towards a context-driven, on-farm, gender-responsive sorghum breeding program

“…Over more than two decades, sorghum breeders, scientists, farmer associations, and practitioners in Mali have created a farmer-driven crop improvement program engaged in participatory plant breeding (PPB) and interdisciplinarity (Rattunde et al, 2021). The objectives of this sorghum breeding team were to characterize an ever-changing production environment, farmer needs, and gender factors related to sorghum, with the purpose of improving food security (Orr et al, 2022) and farmer well-being by increasing the availability and access to preferred, quality sorghum varieties, diverse variety types, and seed. This program transitioned over time from gender-sensitive (men produce sorghum; women are engaged in sorghum production activities) to actively engaging with women and changing programming to respond to a more nuanced, contextual appreciation of the roles and responsibilities of men and women as sorghum producers and actors.…”

Participatory Evaluation of Sorghum Processing and Sensory Attributes in Mali: Methodology for Improving Food Security Outcomes from Variety Development Efforts

“…The ability of sorghum to reliably produce in unpredictable and stressful conditions contributes to its important role in West African farming systems [1]. Not only is demand for sorghum in West Africa primarily driven by home consumption [2], but food security considerations are paramount, as indicated by the criteria used by farmers in choosing which varieties to cultivate [3]. This is true for nearly all West African farmers, as there are basically no large-scale, primarily market-oriented farmers.…”