RA 00183.pdf - OAR@ICRISAT

Recent Progress and Future Strategies
of the Groundnut Improvement Program
at the ICRISAT Sahelian Center
B.J. Ndunguru 1 , F. Waliyar 1 , D.C. Greenberg 1 , and P. Subrahmanyam 2
Introduction
The goal of the Groundnut Improvement Program at the ICRISAT Sahelian Center (ISC), is to
develop high-yielding breeding lines adapted to various agroecological zones in West Africa.
These lines are also endowed with resistance to the biotic and abiotic stress factors that limit
production and are suitable for small farmers in the region. While stress factors vary from
region to region, drought, foliar diseases, viruses (rosette and peanut clump), aflatoxin, crop
growth variability, and unsuitable cropping systems are the most frequent problems affecting
yield and stability of groundnuts in the region. Therefore, the ISC program concentrates on
these problems.
Progress
We made considerable progress in some of the areas. We improved drought screening
technology and initiated studies to identify genotypes and management strategies to decrease
the adverse effects of high temperatures.
We surveyed groundnut diseases in Niger, Burkina Faso, and Guinea, and estimated yield
losses from foliar diseases in Niger. Multilocational trials for testing the stability of rust and
late leaf spot resistance have been initiated. Yield losses due to diseases in Niger range
between 19% and 38%.
Peanut clump virus (PCV) has been identified as one of the causes of crop growth
variability and was observed in farmers' fields in Burkina Faso and Niger. The virus has a
wide host range and among crops tested, only sunflower did not show the PCV antigen.
Crop growth variability can be effectively controlled by the soil application of pesticides or
a combination of pesticides with farmyard manure. A syndrome of PCV and three species of
nematodes (Scutellonema, Telotylenchus, and Xiphinema sp) was found to be associated
with crop growth variability.
Several lines from the A. flavus resistant germplasm at ICRISAT Center which have
significantly outyielded 55-437 showed a high level of resistance. Lines from ICRISAT Center
(ICGV 87107, ICGV 87107 and ICGV 87110) as well as some introduced lines such as J 11
and AH 7227 showed good levels of A. flavus resistance.
1. Principal Groundnut Agronomist and Team Leader; Principal Groundnut Pathologist; Former Principal Groundnut
Breeder, ICRISAT Sahelian Center, B.P. 12404, Niamey, Niger (via Paris).
2. Principal Groundnut Pathologist, SADCC/ICRISAT Groundnut Project, Chitedze, P.O. Box 1096 Lilongwe, Malawi.
Citation: ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics). 1991. Summary Proceedings of
the Second ICRISAT Regional Groundnut Meeting for West Africa, 11-14 Sep 1990, ICRISAT Sahelian Center,
Niamey, Niger. Patancheru, A.P. 502 324, India: ICRISAT.
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