Training Plant Breeders at WACCI to accelerate the Green Revolution in

West and Central Africa

Eric. Y. Danquah Director, WACCI

edanquah@wacci.edu.gh

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

Thank you

Our first cohort, March 12, 2008

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.