Training a New Generation of African Plant Breeders at the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) Eric. Y. Danquah*, Sam K. Offei, Vernon Gracen *Director,

WACCI [email protected]

Partnership on Crop Improvement meetings, 12-16 June 2012, IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria

Outline Context  The challenge

The Promise The West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI)  Conception & Establishment  Vision  Programme Structure  Our Students & Facilities

Looking Ahead  Linkages, Networking and Sustainability

The Challenge Low Breeding Capacity

Brain Drain

Poor soils Low yielding varieties

Minimal use of external inputs Biotic and Abiotic Stresses Pre and post harvest losses

Low Productivity

Food Insecurity

No. of breeders below critical level Poor Institutional Structures

Number of Plant Breeders in selected countries in West Africa 58 50

30 22 17 4 Ghana

17

15

17 12

5 Burkina Faso

4 3

11

13 12 13

6

Niger BSc

Source: GIPB (http://km.fao.org)

Nigeria MSc

PhD

Mali

Cameroon

Average farm size and yields of eight major crops in northern Ghana (Quaye, 2008) 2.995

0.7 0.587

Sorghum

0.93 1.024

Maize

0.79

0.71

0.494

Millet

0.437

Rice

Farm Size (Ha)

0.79

Yam

0.59 0.734

0.53 0.456

Groundnut

Cowpea

Average Yield (t/ha)

Number of plant breeders at CSIR, Ghana 6 4

3

BSc

Source: MIS, CSIR, 2011

10 8

MSc

MPhil

Highest Degree

PhD

0.75

0.46

Soyabean

Yield increases in some food crops in Ghana following investments 14 12

t/ha

10 8 6

Start of project

4

End of project

2 0

Food Crops Development Project (2001-2007) Root and Tuber Improvement Programme (1999-2003)

Sorghum Hybrid Quadruple Yields in Mali Average Yields of Sorghum in Mali (t/ha)

3.5

1.3433 0.8454

0.8392

0.8262

Local Variety (2005)

Local Variety (2006)

Local Variety (2007)

1.0365

Local Variety (2008)

Local Variety (2009)

Hybrid Variety

Sorghum hybrids developed in Mali to quadruple harvests following support from AGRA

Source: http://www.agraalliance.org/section/people/stories

A new generation of plant breeders trained in West & Central Africa Welltrained

Focus On WA Crops

Plant Breeder

Team Player

Strategic Thinker

New varieties

Result Driven

An African Green Revolution

The Genesis of the Promise • Scoping Study (Rockefeller Foundation), Dr. Eugene Terry, Inception Director-General, WARDA (August 2006) – to identify universities in West and Central Africa with potentials to become the nucleus of an Africa-wide plant breeding capacity program at the MSc. and PhD levels – recommended a Centre for Plant Breeding at the University of Ghana as the ACCI for W. & C. Africa (EACI - PASS, AGRA funding)

Rockefeller Assessment Mission (January 2007)

-

Dr. Eugene Terry, International Consultant Prof. Ronnie Coffman, Cornell University Prof. Vern Gracen, Cornell University Prof. Mark Laing, ACCI, UKZN, SA Mr. Stefan Einarson, Cornell University Prof. Eric Danquah, University of Ghana Prof. Samuel K. Offei, University of Ghana

West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement UG

Established in June, 2007 to train 40 plant breeders over a 10-year period (AGRA-PASS grant); additional GCP grant to train 4 students (2008)

Inauguration of WACCI, 12th March 2008

Vision

To become the foremost Centre for the training of Plant Breeders for Africa

The WACCI Programme An innovative 5-year PhD programme First year Foundation courses in plant breeding and related courses at the University of Ghana

Pre- Enrollment English Proficiency Course for Francophone Students

Listening and Speaking/Presentation skills class

Reading and Academic Writing class

Year 2 - Visiting Scientists (Advanced Modules) 1 2 5

3

4 11

16

12

6

8 10

13

7 9

14

15

Years III-V Relocation of students to their home institutions for PhD research work

Students return to the WACCI 3-6 months before the end of 5th year to complete writeup, submit and defend thesis

Crop focus  Cereals - Maize, Sorghum, Millet & Rice  Roots and tubers - Cassava & Sweet potato  Legumes – Cowpea, Groundnuts & Soybean  Vegetables - Tomato & Pepper Cereals

Roots and tubers

Legumes

Vegetables

Cornell Faculty participate in proposal reviews via Video Conferencing

Enrollment: 44 PhD students

15 Female (34%) 23 Anglophone (52%) 21 Francophone (48%)

Keny

Number of Students Working on WACCI Focus Crops 10 10 9 8

7

7 6

6

6

5

5

4

4

3

3 2

1

1

1 0

Number of Students

1

WACCI First Cohort Expected outputs

Some Koussao, Genetic improvement of sweet potato for beta carotene and yield (INERA)

• Developed high yielding sweet potatoes with high beta-carotene and high dry matter • This variety will represent the first sweet potato varieties developed in Burkina Faso.

• This will help alleviate Vitamin A deficiency in the region

Maxwell Asante, Grain Quality in rice (CRI)

•

Developed molecular markers that are being used effectively and efficiently to improve eating quality characteristics in rice.

•

This will allow incorporation of traits farmers and consumers prefer into varieties with high yields and tolerance to biotic and abiotic constraints.

Solomon G. Ansah, Phosphorus use efficiency in cowpea (MoFA)

• Identified cowpea lines that have improved Phosphorus utilization. • These could improve yields of farmer preferred cowpeas in many low Phosphorus soils in Ghana.

Mamadou Coulibaly, Drought tolerance in hybrid maize (IER)

• Developed early maturing and high yielding maize hybrids that are drought tolerant and adapted to growing conditions in Mali.

• These are the first maize hybrids developed totally in Mali.

Mamadou Aissata, Hybrid Sorghum (INRAN)

• Identified sources on cytoplasmic male sterility that effectively prevent pollen shed in sorghum types preferred by farmers in Niger • Her findings could expand hybrid sorghum production to farmer preferred types in Niger

Issaka Ahmadou, Hybrid Pearl Millet resistant to downy mildew (INRAN)

•

Developed Downy mildew resistant cytoplasmic male sterile lines of Pearl Millet.

•

These could be used to produce the first F1 hybrid millet varieties in Africa

•

Hybrid millet is common in Asia and North America but not existent in Africa to date

• Developed high yielding cassava varieties with high dry matter content and high levels of betacarotene. • These varieties will contribute to improved Vitamin A in diets and help prevent blindness and other adverse effects in children.

Ndubuisi D. Njoku, Enhanced beta carotene in cassava (NRCRI)

• Identified high yielding and drought tolerant maize hybrids adapted to major growing areas in Nigeria.

Moses A. Adebayo, Drought Tolerance in maize (IITA)

Partnerships with 15 Institutions GAEC – BNARI, Ghana Crop Services, Ghana CSIR- CRI, Ghana CSIR- PGRRI, Ghana CSIR – SARI, Ghana INERA, Burkina Faso INRAN, Niger IER, Mali ABU, Nigeria NRCRI, Nigeria IITA, Nigeria LAUT, Nigeria

IRAD, Cameroon NIHORT, Nigeria Embu Agricultural Staff Training College, Kenya

Supervisory visits (Research supervision by in-country and WACCI supervisors)

Mentoring

Umar Muhammad Lawan Student, WACCI

Joseph Batieno Student, WACCI Dr. Jeffrey D. Ehlers, Cowpea Breeder/Geneticist, University of California, Riverside.

Fafa Egbazor Student, WACCI

Nkoumki Maureen Student, WACCI Salifou Mahamadou, Student, WACCI

Platform for Networking

1st Cohort

Maxwell Asante , Ghana (Rice)

Mamadou Coulibaly, Mali (Maize)

Edgar Traore, Burkina Faso (Rice)

Oppong Allen, Ghana (Maize)

2nd Cohort

Facilities • High speed internet access and a video conferencing facility • Access to electronic resources (TEEAL & AGORA) and the Mann Library, Cornell University • A maize breeding programme with irrigation facilities • Access to the Biotechnology Centre, CA&CS, UG

A maize Breeding Programme • 1,750 hybrids under evaluation

• Arrangement with SeedCo, Zimbabwe to test hybrid varieties in multi-locational trials

Visits to WACCI

Mr. Kofi Annan at the WACCI farm on July 30, 2008

Lisa Eakman (CCGA ) at WACCI, September 8, 2010

Prof. Sir Gordon Conway at WACCI, November 24, 2011

Dr. Julie Howard, Dr. Robert Bertram and Dr. Jerry Glover, USAID, Washington DC, USA at WACCI, January 13, 2012

Looking Ahead Exploring opportunities for win-win linkages

NARIs

Some Financials WACCI Phase I -

$5,786, 645

WACCI Phase II -

$6,952,135 Proposal to: - see out 32 students at various stages of training - admit and graduate 15 additional students

AGRA committed to 80% of the Phase II budget

Students’ Package per year Stipend Tuition and Registration Accommodation Travel English Language Proficiency Books Laptop and accessories Mini Project Major Project Medical Aid & SOS

US$ 7,200 4,500 3,000 1,500 4,075 300 1,000 2,000 8,333 1,200

Average cost per student pear year $24,855 - 26,174

A critical mass of plant breeders

working with farmers and seed enterprises to develop improved varieties to spark a Green Revolution in West and Central Africa

Advisory Board Dr. Eugene Terry, Senior Technical Advisor, TransFarm Africa, Washington DC (Chairman)

Prof. E.Y. Danquah Member

Prof. R. Coffman Member

Prof. S. K. Offei Member

Prof. M. Laing ACCI Rep.

Dr. R. Madakadze AGRA Rep.

Prof. V. Gracen Member

42

Management & Staff

Eric Danquah Director

Charles The Plant Breeder

Sam Offei Associate Director I

Vern Gracen Associate Director II

Martin Yeboah Plant Breeder

Naalamle Amissah Programme Coordinator

Associate Faculty

Essie Blay (Plant Genetics & Breeding)

Kwadwo Asante (Plant Genetics)

Frank Kumaga (Plant Physiology)

Jonathan Ayertey (Entomology)

Edmund Darkwa (Plant Pathology)

Kwadwo Ofori (Plant Breeding)

Administrators & Support staff

Mrs. Jennifer Saint Acquaye Administrative Officer

Mr. Yaw Brako Osei-Tutu Finance Officer

Mr. Edward Salakpi IT Officer

Ms. Rita Ayirebi Mr. Ebenezer Addo Mr. Richmond Kyei Mr. Philip Amegadzie Administrative Assistant Driver Messenger / Cleaner Driver

Our first cohort, March 12, 2008

“By acting now we have a unique opportunity to influence the global food security agenda in 2012 and beyond” Montpellier Panel Report, 2012

Thank you