Development of plant nutrient efficient use sorghum varieties to support livelihood strategies of East African farmers
Abstract
206 words
Seventy five percent of the over 100 million people in Eastern
and Central Africa region live in marginal areas and are
dependent on agriculture. Agricultural productivity in those areas
is mainly low resource based and suffer especially from limited
access by plants to the macronutrients Phosphorus and Nitrogen.
For marginal areas sorghum has been prioritized as essential to
stimulate the needed 6% Comprehensive African Agricultural
Development Programme (CAADP) GDP growth target.
Accordingly, this project focuses on the development of
methodologies and technologies to improve breeding of resilient
sorghum varieties for farming communities who live in marginal
and drought prone areas of Kenya and Uganda. Work
elsewhere and recent advances in science show the existence
of novel genotypes of sorghum with either phosphorus or
nitrogen use efficiency. The focus of this research is on
improved nitrogen, phosphorus use and uptake as well as
tolerance to aluminium toxicity. The project will employ a
research and training approach that uses genomics, quantitative
genetics and plant physiology to develop breeding systems for
sorghum improvement as well as resilient sorghums. This
project builds on going efforts both at Makerere and Moi
Universities. It will involve other partners who are part of
ongoing efforts as well as attract new ones as necessary.
Subjects
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