Adoption of Improved Sorghum and Pearl Millet ... - Icrisat

Serena is a high-tannin variety. This trait gives it good bird resistance but makes it
unpalatable for food use. Pato appears to be susceptible to stem borer infestation and leaf blight
disease – which is cause for concern since the variety is very widely grown in Tanzania. Macia
seemed to be less vulnerable, and could be promoted as a replacement for Pato in areas where
leaf blight is a serious problem, while breeders continue their efforts to identify a resistant
variety. In some areas where Macia had been adopted, it appeared more susceptible to kernel
smut than either Tegemeo or Pato. This could be a problem with Macia in future. But it should
be noted that farmers’ identification of positive and negative traits in Macia is less reliable than
their responses for other varieties, because very few Macia growers were interviewed.
Farmers were also asked what they found most disappointing in the new varieties. There
were no major complaints, although it is likely that many farmers who did not want to comment
negatively gave no response. (We feel susceptibility to pests may be a potential problem.) The
biggest disappointment, as cited by farmers, was non-availability of seed at the community
level. This problem was cited by 17-46% of the farmers who grew improved varieties (but only
6% of Macia growers, probably because the variety was at the earliest stages of diffusion, and
being grown only by “targeted” farmers). Some farmers considered seed unavailability to be a
more serious problem than the observed disease and pest problems.
Pearl millet
Positive and negative traits were similar to those cited for sorghum (Table 18). Farmers who grew
improved varieties (Okoa, Shibe, Serere) cited early maturity as the most important positive
trait. Those who grew landraces cited good taste.
Table 18. Most important positive and negative traits in pearl millet varieties, as cited by farmers, 2001.
Variety Positive traits % of farmers citing Negative traits % of farmers citing
Okoa (n=35) Early maturity 85.7 Bird damage 71.4
High yield 42.9 Field insect pests 62.9
Good taste 34.3 Disease problem in field 40.0
Big grain 28.6 Storage pests 31.4
Drought resistance 25.7
Shibe (n=3) Early maturity 33.3 Field insect pests 33.3
Big grain 33.3 Storage pests 33.3
High yield 33.3 Bird damage 33.3
Serere 17 (n=16) Early maturity 93.8 Bird damage 93.8
Drought resistance 93.8 Field insect pests 56.3
Good taste 62.5 Storage pests 50.0
High yield 43.8
Local (n=80) Good taste 66.3 Bird damage 85.0
Drought resistance 41.3 Field insect pests 36.3
High yield 38.8 Low yield 25.0
Early maturity 32.5 Late maturity 22.5
Storage pest resistance 20.0 Storage pests 21.3
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