Demand-Driven Technologies for Sustainable Maize ... - IITA

5communication des chercheurs et l’amélioration des rapports interindividus,l’amélioration de la confi ance entre les chercheurs travaillantsur le maïs dans la sous - région. La réussite du WECAMAN résultede la collaboration effective et effi cace de trois principaux acteurs, lesSNRA, les IARCS et les bailleurs de fonds.IntroductionMaize (Zea mays L.) is important in the human diet, livestock feedand some agro-allied industries in West and Central Africa (WCA).Grain yield of maize is seriously constrained by several abiotic andbiotic factors, most of which are common to all countries in WCA. Toeffectively and effi ciently tackle the constraints, the Semi-Arid FoodGrain Development (SAFGRAD) Project comprising, among others, amaize network, was inaugurated for the countries of WCA in 1977.The maize component of SAFGRAD became autonomous in 1987and was named West and Central Africa Collaborative Maize ResearchNetwork or WECAMAN. The ultimate goal of WECAMAN is to helpimprove the production and productivity of maize in WCA. For thenearly two decades of its existence, WECAMAN has consistentlyaddressed this goal through several research and developmentactivities in and by all participating countries.WECAMAN’s activities have involved three major partners:collaborating scientists from the National Agricultural Researchand Extension Systems (NARES) of the participating countries; theInternational Agricultural Research Centers (IARC) that have beenthe facilitators, and donor agencies that have been providing fundsfor the activities.NARES Collaborating ScientistsThe NARES collaborating scientists are primarily those working inmaize research and extension (technology transfer) in the participatingcountries. Their activities covered all aspects of maize research, breedingand seed production, agronomy and physiology, crop protection,agricultural economics, agricultural extension, postharvest handling,and maize utilization. Scientists who are employed in private industriesas well as policymakers have also participated in some activities.Participation is open to all who are interested in maize research anddevelopment. There are no formal application forms for membership.Participation in some of the activities, such as collaborative research, isbased purely on the submission of competitive research proposals. Insome other aspects, such as training courses and workshops, membercountries are invited to nominate a certain number of participants,usually on an equitable basis. Apart from research and developmentactivities, management of the Network is completely handled by NARES