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About
Plant
Breeding
Plant
breeding and variety development is at the heart of the program strategy. Breeding new varieties for small-scale farmers in Africa recently
achieved a quantum leap in efficiency through the advent of
farmer-participatory approaches. Farmer participation, combined with an
advanced knowledge of key traits and their genetics, has proven to be highly
effective in developing adapted varieties which meet farmer preferences. In
order to maximize adaptation and increase farmer adoption, the program also
attempts to focus increased attention toward breeding for specific
agro-ecologies encountered by groups of African farmers. International and
regional breeding centres receive support to develop good source materials
with combinations of needed traits. National breeding institutes receive
support for developing finished varieties in close consultation with
farmers.
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