aBioversity International, PO Box 30677, Nairobi 00100, KenyabAfrican Biodiversity Conservation and Innovation Centre, PO Box 100882, Nairobi 00101, KenyacBioversity International, PO Box 5689, Addis Abeba, Ethiopia
Available online 19 August 2015
Abstract
IPCC
predicts increasing temperatures in Sub-Saharan Africa which will
negatively impact crop productivity and lead to a reduction in crop
yields. Crops need to adapt to higher temperatures, water stress and
pest incidence. Genetic improvement and the evaluation of cultivars in
field conditions allow for the development of more tolerant varieties
with traits that are better suited to adapt to climate change.
In
tropical regions there is a higher diversity of climate patterns and
management practices which affects the evaluation of varieties [3] in
field testing. The interaction of genotype by environment is the biggest
challenge that plant breeders face [3] and with high costs associated
with releasing a new cultivar only a limited number are released. To
identify climate smart varieties materials need to be tested in the
conditions in which the crops will be grown.
A
broad genetic base is needed to select strong varieties which are able
to adapt to drought, biotic stress and salinity. It is only possible to
evaluate varieties in a large number of possible environments. Using a
crowdsourcing approach to crop improvement we are identifying climate
smart varieties while at the same time speeding up the processes of
variety development [4]. We asked a large group of farmers to test and
evaluate different varieties. We combined farmers’ and morphological
evaluation data of a set of 20 varieties of cowpea and sorghum to
research the performance of varieties in dissimilar climatic conditions.
Data on current crop diversity allows us to compare local varieties
with landraces from other areas. Results specify the variation between
trials in different sites in terms of performance and environmental
adaption potential. We are able to identify varieties that display a
diversity of traits that enhance resilience to biotic and abiotic
stresses and considering farmer-preferred/market traits.
Open Access
