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

490Breeding, Seed Production and StatisticsRecommendations from previous workshops1. More research should be done to determine the factors thatinfl uence tolerance of maize varieties to stresses such as acidity,drought and low N.2. GIS should be used to re-demarcate the ecological zones in thesubregion.3. Efforts should be made to establish at least one biotechnologylaboratory in the subregion.4. Exchange of scientifi c visits must be encouraged among scientistsof the various NARS.5. The network must call for proposals for research to addressrecommendations that are yet to be implemented.6. Need to show much more interest in breeding nutrient-dense varieties.7. Terminology used in drought stress research needs to be welldefi ned and agreed upon.8. Morphological traits and their managements in stress breedingneed to be investigated.9. Breeders’ rights and farmers’ interests vis-à-vis seed productionand adoption of improved varieties must be considered.10. There is the need to simplify the naming of maize varieties.Advances1. Signifi cant progress has been made in identifying and developingmaize varieties (OPVs, inbred lines and hybrids) with varyinglevels of tolerance to low N, soil acidity and drought.2. Mode of tolerance of maize to soil acidity (Al tolerance) has beenidentifi ed as both additive and non-additive with predominanceof non-additive.3. The level of Striga tolerance in cultivars (OPVs, inbred lines andhybrids) in different maturity groups has been enhanced.4. The use of herbicide tolerant maize varieties (IR-Maize) has beendeveloped and tested successfully against Striga hermonthica.5. Quality Protein Maize (QPM) varieties with varying maturity havebeen developed and are being disseminated to farmers.6. Genotypes (inbred lines and landraces) with high iron, zinc andβ-carotene contents have been identifi ed for further breeding work.7. Training on QPM seed identifi cation, production anddissemination has been conducted.Lessons1. Maize genotypes resistant to Striga are currently in use in somemember countries.2. Member countries are continuing to adopt QPM varieties.