January 10, 2021

Biological Control of the Millet Head Miner in Niger and Senegal

The Millet Head Miner (MHM) is a major chronic insect pest of millet in the Sahel. This project will serve to develop technologies for controlling the MHM, with intentions to significantly decrease the devastating losses that it can inflict (often ranging from 40-85 percent) on millet yields. Improved management of this key pest will result in increased pearl millet productivity and greater income and food security among millet farmers.
January 11, 2021

Development of biotic stress-resistant sorghum cultivars for Niger and Senegal

This multi-disciplinary research project includes entomology, breeding, and agricultural economics to develop, evaluate, and deploy sorghum genotypes resistant to abiotic and biotic stresses and adapted to indigenous production and storage systems in West Africa.
January 11, 2021

Improved Crop Genetics, Production Practices and Processing Methods for Increased Productivity and Nutrition for Smallholder Sorghum Producers in Ethiopia

This project focuses on developing and utilizing high-yielding, locally-adapted sorghum varieties and hybrids that are rich in highly-digestible protein and essential micronutrients, while at the same time suiting local processing methods and diverse production systems. Through collaborative sorghum research, new innovations including the recently completed sequence of the sorghum genome, fine mapping of loci associated with Striga resistance, discovery of biochemical compounds associated with processing and utilization of sorghum grains, and the development of herbicide-resistant sorghum are utilized and explored.
January 12, 2021

Assessment of Pearl Millet Production Problems in West Africa and Molecular Diversity Analysis of Pearl Millet Parental Lines

The main goal of the pearl millet breeding program at the Kansas State University Agricultural Research Center in Hays, Kansas is to develop parental lines for producing hybrids for grain and forage use. The project focuses on harnessing genetic variability and development of parental lines for new hybrids with high genetic yield potential, yield stability, improved drought and high temperature tolerance, disease resistance, and enhanced nutritional quality especially micronutrient density of the grain.
January 12, 2021

Development of Dual-purpose Pearl Millet Varieties for the Benefit of Farmers and Agro-pastoralists in the Sahelian and Sudanian Zones of West Africa

This project aims to tackle the challenges of both human and animal malnutrition by setting the foundation and developing a strategy for farmer-participatory breeding of highly nutritious, dual-purpose pearl millet varieties in the target countries Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.