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Introgression
of genes for Striga resistance
into African landraces of sorghum
I. Kapran, C. Grenier, A. Elliot, A.
Touré, Z. Gutema, A. Babiker, H. Sadaan & G. Ejeta
Improved varieties of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] with resistance to Striga (Striga
Spp.) have been developed and released for commercial cultivation in
several African countries. However,
some ecologies in Africa favor local landraces that are uniquely adapted
to these niches where introduced cultivars do not perform as well.
In the highlands of Ethiopia and in the high rainfall areas of
West Africa where long duration Durra and Guinea sorghums, respectively,
are cultivated, improved Striga resistant Caudatums are not accepted
because of problems of grain deterioration despite their high yield
potential. Such niches also exist in Tanzania where the so-called
rice-type Guinea sorghums are favored.
In these specialized niches, there is a need to incorporate
Striga resistance genes into favored local landrace cultivars.
These landraces have been selected by farmers for their tolerance
to Striga, as well as for the many other attributes that they possess. The objective of our Rockefeller-funded project is to
introgress major genes for Striga resistance from well-characterized
sources into selected landraces from Ethiopia, Sudan, and Tanzania in
East Africa, and Niger and Mali in West Africa.
Pyramiding genes for Striga resistance based on different
mechanisms should enhance durability of resistance sources as well as
stability of performance under changing environmental conditions.
Results from our introgressed advanced backcross populations of
Nigerien El Mota and Malian Seguetana landraces of sorghum will be
presented and discussed.
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