The ACCI(the African Centre for Crop Improvement)University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), Pietermaritzburg, South Africa• THE GOAL in 2002

– Train 80 PhD plant breeders– In Africa– at NARS research stations– On African food security crops

The ACCI• Countries: 11 in East and Southern

Africa• WACCI, at Univ. Legon, Accra, Ghana –

established in 2007 to cover West Africa

• 16 crops– maize, sorghum, finger millet, pearl

millet, rice, durum wheat, tef– cassava, sweet potato, banana– dry bean, cowpea, groundnuts, soya,

pigeonpea, faba bean• Funders – Rockefeller, AGRA, GCP

ACCI training in Africa

South Africa

Burkina Faso

Namibia

Uganda

Kenya

Tanzania

Zambia

Malawi

Zimbabwe

Mozambique

Mali

ACCI, UKZN

Rwanda

Ethiopia

ACCI Student Output to Date• 86 students registered in 10 years• 36 graduated• 7 to graduate in April 2012• 38 in the system still• Efficiency• 84% graduated on time – 3 yrs

research• 10% - 1 year late• 6% = 5 dropped out

2008 Graduation

Plant Breeding Successes – a snapshot• Dry beans - complete bruchid resistance,

Malawi• - bean fly resistance in Kenya• Cassava - CMD and BSV resistance

- peak yield @ 7mo. x F.A.S. for taste

• Maize – resistance to GLS, PLS, downy mildew, MSV, cob rots, drought, low fertility

• Sorghum – 1st hybrids, drought tolerance, Striga control via herbicide or biocontrol + resistance

• Cowpea – drought, virus and Striga resistance

• Groundnut - Rosette disease + blight resistance

Study Program of ACCI• 2 yr academic studies at UKZN

– Year 1: Conversion of non-Plant Breeders (80%)• Plant Breeding, Genetics , Biometry & Experimental

Design, Plant Pathology, Scientific Communication, Throughput Skills

– Year 2: Advanced studies, Lit. Review , Project Proposal• blocks of specialist subjects, ACCI and international

lecturers • 3 years x field research

– in home country, at home research station, in NARs– Supervisors visit several times p.a.– Quarterly reports - narrative and financial

• Write-up of thesis: full draft BEFORE final 3 month in Pmb

• Deadline to submit – December 1st• Graduate: April of 6th year

Graduates – What Next ?• Return home to research station – 100%

retention in Africa, most in NARs• Submit proposal for an ongoing research

program to AGRA after PhD submission –

CRUCIAL that funding is provided• Aim:- Release cultivars, hybrids, novel

traits , etc., developed out of the PhD studies

• Publish : 75 published in ISI journals, 39 in review, 69 in preparation – use a science editor

• Chapter 1 & 2 of thesis – Lit Review and PRA -published in ACCI Yearbooks, 5 to date

A Model of ACCI PhD Graduates• Confident Plant Breeders, secure in the speed and

power of classical plant breeding• An excellent knowledge of the potential and limits of

biotech tools• Objective self-confidence in their knowledge and skills• A commitment to engaging with farmers: using PRA

surveys, Participatory Plant Breeding as a standard practice

• Excellent writing and presentation skills• Thorough knowledge of key software – Work, Excel,

Genstat, SAS, SPSS, Agrobase, PowerPoint, literature databases

• Release of locally bred cultivars on a regular basis, valuing farmer uptake as the TRUE measure of success

• NB in context of Delphi study by Repinski et al. 2011, in• Crop Science 51: 2325-2336.

Some Keys to Success ?1. Funders – partnership based on common

vision2. Academics – critical mass = 7 plant

breeders3. External lecturers – can fill some gaps4. Coursework component – CRUCIAL• Deficiencies in prior training• Convert non-Plant Breeders (80%)

5. Throughput Skills: 33% of ACCI curriculum devoted to writing, project management, etc.

6. Each student’s PhD: treated as a unique project

7. Project timeline: established & fixed

Susceptible Resistant Line

Rosette Disease

Resistant

Leaf blight

Success – Disease Resistance

Resistant