Africancrops Breeding

The average rice production in Mali between 1995 and 1999 was 663,372 Mt with an average import of 52,000 Mt. Although the latter represents only 8% of production it reflects a rise of over 100% from 1990. Nigeria produces nearly half the rice grown in West Africa and from 1995 to 1999 average production was 3,189,833 Mt with an average import of 525,307 Mt, representing 16% of production but a 75% increase over that in 1975. Thus in both countries a trend of escalating imports is evident placing an ever-increasing burden on limited foreign exchange and on trade balances. To ensure food security, these and other countries in West Africa need to develop production capacity for a time when cheap rice can no longer be imported. Amongst the available technologies to enhance rice production and productivity, new rice varieties with improved spatial and temporal yield are considered a more sustainable technology for adoption by small farmers than agro-chemical options, as they are easily integrated into existing cropping patterns and make little demand on limited incomes for evaluation. However, the release of new varieties in conventional rice breeding schemes is slow due to the breeding and selection procedures required to identify superior homozygous lines and the years of multisite testing demanded by official release regulations. To surmount these constraints the West Africa Rice Development Association (WARDA) established participatory rice varietal selection trials (PVS) in collaboration with NARS scientists, extension agents, NGOs and farmers in order to: (1) identify promising varieties for further evaluation, and (2) classify desirable plant and grain characteristics for continued integration into the varietal development process. WARDA initiated this approach in Nigeria in 1998 and subsequently developed close collaboration with the Malian national agricultural research service to conduct PVS activities in 1999. In 2001, a three-year program to scale up PVS activities in Nigeria and Mali was initiated with funding from the Rockefeller Foundation. In the first year of PVS, a diverse set of up to 60 rice varieties is sown in a centralized village plot, varieties range from a local O. sativa and O. glaberrima to improved O. sativa and recently developed interspecific (O. sativa x O. glaberrima) hybrids. Men and women farmers evaluate the varieties at maximum tillering, grain filling, and post harvest at which stages the varieties selected and selection criteria are recorded for each farmer. In the second year, each farmer receives free seed of up to 6 of their selected varieties whilst in the third year farmers are asked to pay for seed of varieties selected to derive an estimate of demand. In both years farmers’ evaluations and selections are recorded. In Nigeria and Mali, first, second and third year PVS activities were conducted during 2001 and the PVS approach has provided primary information to feed back into the varietal development program. Secondly, it also provides direct information into the technology transfer process by highlighting promising varieties that address the needs of farmers. The PVS also enhances the decision-making process in rice varietal release in Nigeria. The trials also help to collect the multi-location agronomic data required by the National Crop Variety Release Committee. In these two countries, PVS has proven instrumental in the rapid adoption of promising varieties. Several NERICAs and other promising varieties selected from the PVS trials excelled in meeting farmer requirements in terms of their vegetative vigour and ability to suppress weeds, early maturing, stature and height, and of grain yield and quality. The evaluation of new varieties created some enthusiasm among farmers, extension agents and NGO personnel. Participating farmers declared their readiness to buy seeds so that they could plant large areas next year.