the Symposium on Wheats for More Tropical Environments - cimmyt

131averaged about 2.5 tonslha. However,wheat in Senegal is still anexperimental crop. It is possible that, in<strong>the</strong> future, Senegal can grow wheat in<strong>the</strong> Senegal River basin.Mall .Fanners in <strong>the</strong> Niger delta have grownwheat in small plots for hundreds ofyears. Recently, with <strong>the</strong> introductionof small irrigation projects along <strong>the</strong>Niger river near Dire and Timbuktu.<strong>the</strong> wheat area has expanded. There arethree aid projects in operation in <strong>the</strong>region. one each by Belgium. Franceand <strong>the</strong> USA. and all are involved invarious aspects of wheat culture. Thelocal varieties grown are Hindi Tossonand Alkama Tireye.NigerWheat cultivation in Niger is ancient.The main wheat area is in <strong>the</strong> Agadezregion. Close to 1000 hectares of wheatare grown in this region. all of which islocally consumed. At present. attemptsare being made to grow wheat in <strong>the</strong>area of <strong>the</strong> Konni Irrigation Project.Local varieties <strong>the</strong>re are Bahause.Hayatang. Tawat and a recentreselectlon. Dambata. The varietiesbeing planted experimentally at Konniare Florence Aurora and Danbata.NigeriaAmong <strong>the</strong> West African countries.Nigeria has <strong>the</strong> greatest productionpotential and <strong>the</strong> largest wheat area. Itis grown in three different states, Bono,Kano and Sokoto. in <strong>the</strong> large-scaleirrigation projects. Mexipak andINIA 66 are <strong>the</strong> two most Widely grownvarieties. At present, more than 10,000hectares are devoted to wheat. but <strong>the</strong>country has <strong>the</strong> potential for expandingthis amount to 100.000 hectares in <strong>the</strong>future.ChadWheat used to be a regular crop aroundLake Chad. The area was beingexpanded in <strong>the</strong> mid-1970s. but <strong>the</strong>re islittle information presently availablebecause of <strong>the</strong> civil war in <strong>the</strong> country.CODclusioDSWheat can be grown successfully inmany West African countries. The needfor an intensification of croppingpatterns. <strong>the</strong> lack of trained personnelto conduct production agronomyresearch and extension and <strong>the</strong> lack oftransport and adequate marketingsystems are <strong>the</strong> major problems facingwheat production in West Africa.