Scientists from many countries from Africa and beyond are partners in a project to develop resistant corn varieties. So far, the strains have been developed through hybridization, after the genes responsible for resistance have been isolated, they will be engineered into the existing strains to ensure a high yield even in the conditions of the worsening drought due to the warming
A study published in the journal Nature Reports on the development and adaptation of food sources for the Africans.
The researchers propose to develop a crop that will suit drought conditions and poor soil, by combining traditional hybridization and selection methods and genetic engineering.
The research is based on the assumption that with the warming the rains become less regular and less predictable. Farmers around the world will need crops that are resistant to damage caused by environmental changes, and will yield more with less investment in fertilization.
The need for resistant crops is especially urgent in Africa where drought conditions have caused a decrease of about 25% in the corn harvest. This served as a warning signal that led to the establishment of the Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa project which was launched in 2006 with a budget of 33 million dollars. As part of the project, 153 varieties of corn were developed with the intention of improving the yield in 13 countries.
In field trials, the developed varieties produced up to 30% more yield under drought conditions. According to the analysis of the published data and assuming that the project will be successfully completed by 2016", the additional yield obtained from drought-resistant corn will help reduce poverty by about 9% in the partner countries of the project.
The success of the project rested on the support of the seed bank managed by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT. Developers from the center in collaboration with the "Equatorial Agriculture Institute" in Nigeria searched for varieties that would suit arid regions and bred them over several generations. After cycles Many improved varieties were obtained and these were hybridized with varieties used in Africa. The developers aimed to obtain varieties with characteristics that would match a series of data, including: growing times, differences in flowering between males and females, resistance to drought, maximum utilization of nutrients in poor soil and high yield.
After different varieties were obtained through traditional hybrids, genes were identified that give the plants drought resistance and these will be incorporated into the selected varieties, that is, the varieties from normal hybridization will be genetically modified and these will be ready to be distributed to farmers in 2016.
It turns out that for most African farmers the purchase of fertilizers is the biggest expense and most of them cannot purchase more than a tenth of the recommended amount of fertilizers. To overcome this problem, the center's researchers are working in collaboration with the Kenyan Agricultural Research Institute and the Agricultural Research Institute in South Africa, with the aim of developing varieties that will grow and yield in poor soils without fertilization.
Since 2010, the center's researchers have developed 21 varieties using traditional hybridization methods, which yielded a larger yield (by 1 ton per acre) in poor soils, and later they hope to put them into commercial production in eight countries.
I read and published the above as the question constantly bothers me: why aren't the same experiments and studies done on sorghum? The same grain that originates in Africa and as such is suitable for the changing African climate. Dora has a branched root system that allows maximum utilization of water and nutrients, as well as the feature that allows Dora to enter dormancy in extreme dry conditions.
Dora is the African crop that for thousands of years has been adapted to the climatic conditions, to poor soil and to the infrequency of water availability. Unlike the corn kernels with the low nutritional value that contain mainly carbohydrates, the dura seeds contain about 75% protein, 4% fat, water and minerals. In other words, Dora is the right crop for Africa. The British who arrived on the Black Continent caused the "exclusion" of the grain that was foreign to them and replaced it with corn (which they knew). Today, since many of the studies are appointed and directed by Americans, it is clear that the direction will be the study of American corn at its origin. They prefer the research of the known and the familiar instead of referring to an original African food source and it's a shame.
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The nutritional value of dura is similar to that of corn
Who of you knows how much albaza and edible corn seeds are produced in the world? In concrete terms or by market value in the world
Well, the title is not true. But if, in the harsh climate of the Arava, and the Negev mountains, a million olive trees were planted, there would be a definite improvement (moderation) in the climate. Such an experiment could be an example for Africa as well. )
Hi Herzl
There are many types and species of cereals. Some are annual and some are perennial.
Sunflowers belong to the complex family and not to the cereal family.
In North America, the "tuber sunflower" is widespread.
As its name implies, it is able to renew itself every year from the tubers that are kept in the soil during the dry season.
There are perennial plants that under certain conditions grow as annuals, or that sometimes prefer to grow them as annuals for various reasons.
If indeed there are species that have turned from perennial to annual regularly as a result of cultivation, it is certainly interesting and I would appreciate it if you could attach a link.
The problem that is attributed to companies like Monsanto. And sorghum is the 5th grain used by man, perhaps it is worth the Ministry of Agriculture to encourage the cultivation of sorghum in Israel.
To Snupkin: To the best of my knowledge all grains were perennials before breeding. In the western United States, perennial wild sunflowers grow everywhere, with 10-20 flowers 3-5 cm in size. The cultivation caused the plant to produce one huge flower, and also to make it an annual. I read that there are researchers trying to find the garden or gardens for perennials.
Sometimes, entire seeds need to be purchased every year anew. And there is no continuity, for example cotton developed by American companies. Thus a market is created for foreign producers, and not for the residents of Africa. In any case, an interesting article.
Herzl
Annuality is a strategy of the plant to deal with the dry season.
This is actually the prevention of dealing with the drought by passing the dry season as a seed.
In order for an annual plant to become a biennial, or perennial, there are many systems that need to change in order to allow it to survive a dry season.
From an evolutionary point of view, there are many advantages to annuals: all the energy of the plant at the end of its life is invested in seeds, a short generation time allows for rapid evolution in order to adapt to changing conditions, and of course many resources are saved that would otherwise be diverted to deal with water shortages.
If we can turn plants into biennials, or perennials, we will probably also have to provide them with water during the dry season. Not sure this is a good tactic for Africa.
To the best of my knowledge, sorghum is an annual, like most grains.
But it can be "convinced" to continue to exist for a number of growing seasons
By harvesting low before the plant dries up.
I understand that the most important issue today in many crops is that the culture turns them into annuals (cereals, sunflowers, tomatoes, etc.). They are trying to find the genes for perennials in the wild crops and return them to the agricultural crop. Success will lead to an increase in crops since the plant does not need to create a new root system every year.
Obviously, this does not suit Monsanto and their friends, since they will not be able to sell seeds every year. So it is left to government research institutes and universities.
I searched about Dora whether it is an annual or perennial plant in agricultural cultivation, and I did not find it. Assaf - can you help?