ICRISAT Archival Report 2006 - The seedlings of success in the ...

Landrace Parent Snowden race Origin No. of Lines
IS 23645A/B margaritiferum Gambia 3
IS 27013A/B durra-caudatum Sudan 3
IS 3534A/B conspicuum Sudan 5
IS 9220A/B margaritiferum Uganda 3
IS 14414A/B conspicuum Malawi 3
HFW Rattunde and E Weltzien
WCA partners trained in breeding techniques for creating Guinea-race sorghum hybrids adapted to WCA
(2007)
The training course (to be held in 2007) will address the specific need to train sorghum breeder and their technicians
in methods necessary for successful hybrid breeding, as well as the specificities of working with photoperiodsensitive
materials of the guinea race.
HFW Rattunde, E Weltzien, B Clerget with ROCARS
At least 2 diversified guinea-race maintainer and restorer lines shared with at least three NARS in WCA
(2008-11)
NARS have started to request hybrid parents for guinea races sorghums. Seed of FambeA and/or IS3534A was sent
to Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali for initiating production of experimental hybrids. The training course may
increase this trend.
HFW Rattunde and E Weltzien
Activity 3A3.2: Development of pearl millet inbred lines in West African background, and test of their
general combining ability (GCA)
Milestones: At least 2 new pearl millet inbred lines with good GCA available to NARS/year (2009-2011)
We evaluated 432 testcrosses between WCA pearl millet landraces and 3 different male sterile lines at Sadore in RS
2006, to characterize fertility restoration/maintenance and to gain preliminary information about general combining
ability. Data entry and analysis is underway. Lines are being developed out of the WCA pearl millet landraces and
improved cultivars, these materials are currently at an inbreeding stage between S2 and S4 (depending on when
inbreeding was started). A total number of 411 lines is currently under development.
BIG Haussmann
Output 3B. Improved breeding populations and open-pollinated varieties of groundnut, sorghum and pearl
millet with adaptive advantages and/or improved yields under defined environmental and management
conditions (including resistance to Striga) developed annually and made available to partners through
regionally coordinated, largely participatory breeding efforts, integrated with natural resource management
research, to meet the needs of poor farmers in each of the major agro-ecological zones of WCA
MTP Output Targets 2006
Partners from 4 countries trained in tools for participatory recurrent selection
700 F2-F7 groundnut breeding populations and lines screened for enhanced multiple disease resistance including
rosette virus
While we expect hybrid breeding to open new perspectives for cereal improvement and seed system development
for West-Africa, breeding open-pollinated varieties of sorghum and pearl millet will continue, and will be
increasingly integrated with the hybrid breeding efforts. Breeding groundnut varieties for the needs of poor farmers,
specifically women farmers shall continue.
The variety breeding and general crop improvement efforts are increasingly targeting specific needs of farmers.
Thus the crop improvement efforts are addressing specific agro-ecological zones in WCA, as well as the evolving
needs of intensifying production systems. Increasing the specificity of our plant breeding and variety development
efforts is possible only through a close partnership with national researchers in the region, as well as farmers, farmer
89