Presentation by Dr. Mahmood Solh - Director General, ICARDA, at Wheat for Food Security in Africa conference, Oct 8, 2012, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

1. Wheat for Food Security in Africa:
Challenges and Potential
Wheat for Food Security for Africa
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 8-12 October, 2012
Mahmoud El Solh
Director General
International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA)

2. Outline
 Wheat Production and Consumption in
Africa & Prospects for Expansion;
 Wheat for Food Security in Africa and the
Vision of The New Partnership for Africa's
Development (NEPAD);
 Challenges facing wheat production in Sub
Saharan Africa to enhancing wheat
productivity;
 Examples on and prospects in wheat
improvement in Sub Saharan Africa;
 Important Role of CRP 3.1 and the AfDB
SARD-SC Project and the USAID Seed
Project;
 Conclusion.

3. Wheat Production in Sub-Saharan Africa
and The Prospects for Expansion …..

4. Wheat Production in Africa
 Wheat is grown on around 10 million ha in Africa,
where it is a major staple food crop for several
countries, and an imported food commodity in all of
Africa.
 Consumption (about 50 million tons) is twice the
production level and the gap is widening because of
increased population, change in human diet and food
preferences,
 Observed yields are generally Low due to several
constraints including drought, diseases and insect pests,
in addition climate change effects and increased prices
of agricultural inputs that are rarely applied adequately.
4

5. Wheat statistics for Selected SSA Countries (2010-2011)
Country Area Production Yield Imports Self-suffi.
000 ha 000 t t/ha 000 t %
Eritrea 25 15 0.6 200 7
Ethiopia 1500 2700 1.8 900 75
Kenya* 139 340 2.5 580 37
Tanzania 65 95 1.5 650 13
Mali 5.1 15.1 3.0 105 13
Mauritania 2 4.4 2.2 370 1
Niger 6 9 1.5 61 1.5
Nigeria 95 100 1.1 4100 2
Sudan 170 480 2.8 1800 22
Lesotho 20 16 0.8 75 18
Zambia 33 172 5.2 50 77
Zimbabwe 5 18 3.6 250 7
Total 2065.1 3964.5 9141
5
* Data of 2008, except for GDP (2011)

6. Wheat Production in Africa
The food commodity crisis in 2008 jeopardized food security in
many wheat-importing countries, leading to a revived awareness
of the serious threat to Impact of increase of prices of major staples on trade
food security and balance in 2008
social stability in many
of the world areas,
particularly Africa
6

7. Implications of the Food Crisis:
Countries moving from self-reliance to self sufficiency

8. Wheat Production in Africa- Projected Expansion
 Wheat in Africa is predominantly grown in temperate climate areas
(Northern and Southern Africa) and to a more limited extent in tropical
areas, generally at high elevation (Eastern Africa).
 However, due to the huge wheat deficit and the ever-increasing demand
for wheat products the boundaries of wheat production has extended to
non-traditional hotter and dryer areas in some parts of Africa, e.g. Nigeria
(West Africa), southern Algeria, southern Libya and Sudan.
 Sudan plans to extend wheat production in the high terrace areas in the
north and both Eritrea and Ethiopia plan to expand irrigated wheat in
mid-altitude and lowlands .
 Kenya strategic wheat national research plan identified an area of about
300,000 ha in low rainfall areas as the greatest potential region for wheat
production increase.
 Other countries such as Mauritania, Niger and others are also projecting
to introduce wheat in the prevailing production systems. 8

9. Projected Expansion of Central pivot Irrigation
(300+) in High Terrace areas in Northern Sudan
9

10. Wheat for Food Security in Africa and the Vision of
The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD)

11. Wheat for Food Security in Africa and the Vision of
The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD)
The investment in sustainable development of Wheat Production to enhance
food security in Africa is very much in line with the New Partnership for
Africa's Development (NEPAD) vision for Africa holds that, by 2015,
Africa should:
 Attain food security;
 Improve agricultural productivity to attain a 6 percent annual growth
rate;
 Develop dynamic regional and sub-regional agricultural markets;
 Integrate farmers into a market economy;
 Achieve a more equitable distribution of wealth.
11
Source: www.nepad-caadp.net/

12. The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development
Program (CAADP)
 The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program
(CAADP) is a program of the New Partnership for Africa's Development
(NEPAD) that has been endorsed by African Heads of State and
Governments as a vision for the restoration of agricultural growth, food
security, and rural development in Africa.
 A specific goal of CAADP is to attain an average annual growth
rate of 6 percent in agriculture.
 To achieve this goal, CAADP aims to stimulate agriculture-led
development that eliminates hunger and reduces poverty and food
insecurity.
www.nepad-caadp.net/ 12

13. The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development
Program (CAADP)
CAADP’s work falls under 4 pillars, each dealing with key issues:
 Pillar 1: Framework for Sustainable Land and Water Management
(FSLWM) seeks to extending the area under sustainable land
management and reliable water control systems;
 Pillar 2: Framework for Improving Market Access (FIMA) seeks to
improve rural infrastructure and trade-related capacities for market access;
 Pillar 3: Framework for African Food Security (FAFS) seeks to improve
risk management, increase food supply, improve incomes for the poor and
reduce hunger and malnutrition; and
 Pillar 4: Framework for African Agricultural Productivity (FAAP) seeks
to improve agricultural research, technology dissemination and adoption
through strengthened agricultural knowledge systems to deliver profitable
and sustainable technologies that are widely adopted by farmers resulting
in sustained agricultural growth.
13
www.nepad-caadp.net/

14. Programs at ICARDA
Relevance of ICARDA’s Research Programs to CAADP Pillar’s 1 to4 Activities
IWLM BIGM
Integrated Biodiversity and Integrated
Water and Land Gene Management Program
Management
Program Biodiversity & Crop Improvement:
wheat, barley, legume
SEPR
DSIPS Social, Economic and
Diversification and Sustainable Policy Research
Intensification of Production Program
Systems Program
Poverty & Livelihoods,
Analysis& Impact Assessment
14

15. Challenges Facing Increasing Wheat Productivity
in Sub-Saharan Africa

16. Wheat Improvement in Africa:
Major Abiotic Constraints
 Drought
 Heat
 Acidic Soils
Salinity stress
Soil degradation
16

17. Drought Impacts
Terminal Drought or Intermittent Drought
• Poor growth & development
• Low yield and poor quality
• In extreme cases no yield
• Economic losses & chaos in life of people
• Desertification
Impact of Drought on Wheat Production
7000
6500
6000 Morocco
PRODUCTION (1000 Mt)
5500
5000 Algeria
4500 Egypt
4000
3500 Syria
3000
Tunisia
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
YEARS

18. Wheat Improvement:
Major Abiotic Constraints
 Diseases:
– Rusts (Leaf, Stem & Yellow Rust)
– Septoria Leaf Blotch
– Head Scab
– Root Rots
 Pests:
– Aphids (RWA &BYDV)
– Hessian fly
– Termites
 Weeds
– Wild Oats
– Sudan Grass
– Phalaris minor 18

19. Inputs and Socio-Economic Constraints
Seed availability/quality;
Timely availability of Fertilizer;
Timely control and availability pesticides
for weed and pest control;
Mechanization/ access to suitable
machinery
 Availbility of credit to farmers
Grain price/ marketing
19

20. Challenges Associated with Climate Change
 Rising temperatures: Higher
temperatures will reduce crop
productivity
 Increased frequency of
droughts
 Excess rainfall/flooding
 Milder winter
 Increase in the areas affected
by salinity
 Changes in crop cycles
 Newly emerging pests and
diseases
20

21. Examples on and prospects in wheat improvement
in Sub Saharan Africa

22. Infusing Greater Genetic Diversity
 ICARDA gene bank holds
valuable collection of genetic
resources of ICARDA
mandated crops
 Genetic resources of wheat
landraces and its wild
relatives are adapted to the
fragile ecosystems of the dry
areas
 Targeted exploitation of wheat
relatives would result in
valuable material for
enhancing productivity in the
era of climate change 22

23. Exploitation of Genetic Diversity
• Triticum
 Targeted exploitation of dicoccoides
• Triticum
wheat relatives would result
carthlicum
in valuable material for • T. dicoccum
enhancing productivity in • T. araraticum
the era of climate change • T. urartu
• T. monococcum
• Aegilops
peregrinacylindros;
vavilovii ; biuncialis;
ICARDA Status of ex situ Collections columnaris; &
triuncialis
Crop Gene No. Wild Species & Global Rank
Pool Accessions Landraces
Wheat 37,930 25,400 No.1 (Aegilops, W. Triticum; T. durum)
23

24. New genetic diversity for wheat
identified through wide crosses
yellow rust resistance
T. boeoticum
leaf rust resistance
T. urartu
earliness
T. dicoccoides
probably different from Yr15 high productive tillering
Ae. speltoides spike productivity
plant productivity
plant height
drought tolerance
Sunn pest resistance
Russian wheat aphid resistance
Septoria tritici resistance

25. Contributions of Synthetic wheat
 Synthetics have exponentially increased
genetic diversity in wheat
• Yield under drought and irrigated
conditions
• Multiple disease
• Leaf, stem, and yellow rusts
• Yellow Leaf Spot (= tan spot)
resistance
• Nematode resistance
• Septoria leaf blotch resistance
• Salinity tolerance
• Pre-harvest sprouting tolerance
• Insect pests tolerance
 After introducing a novel DD genome
(Ae. tauschii), now work starting on using
novel AABB genome (T. dicoccoides and
T. dicoccum) in new synthetics.

26. What is Synthetic Hexaploid Wheats,
and Synthetic Backcross derived Wheat?

27. Development of Stress Resilient Crop Varieties
 Great accomplishments have been made by public
and private institutions in identifying genetic
variation for the key traits associated with stress
tolerance leading to development of stress resilient
crop varieties.
 Several success stories reported on combining
multiple disease resistance (e.g. stem Ug99 + Yellow
rust + Septoria LB); Heat Tolerance and Drought
tolerance.
27

28. Wheat crossed with wild relatives:
Synthetic wheat, tolerance to excessive drought
% recurrent
Parent Variety Yield t/ha
parent
Cham 6*2/SW2 1.6 147
Cham 6*2/SW2 1.5 138
Cham-6 1.10 100
Attila-7 1.3 -
Yield of “synthetic derivatives” compared to parents
under drought stress. (Tel Hadya 2008 -- 211 mm)

29. Irrigated heat-tolerant wheat in Sudan

30. Resistance to Diseases:
Wheat Rust causing serious economic losses & threat both Africa & global food
security
Heavy yellow Black stem rust
rust infestation (Ug 99)
wheat in in infestation in
2010 Ethiopia &
Kenya

31. Resistance to Rust in Wheat
Resistances to new races of yellow rust
Released varieties resistances to
black stem rust in Ethiopia

32. Combined Stem Rust (Ug99) and Yellow Rust Reaction of some ICARDA Elite
Rust Resistant lines – T. Hadya, Syria 2009/2010
Source SR Njoro- SR DZ - Eth
Seedling
BIG Kenya Nov- Summer T-Hadya-2010
Reaction
INC-10 2009 2009
PLT Sr (Ug99) IRAN Yellow Rust -
NAME
No. 2nd Date 2nd Date Nov 2009 SYR -2010
816 KBG-01 (CHECK) TR (pbc **) 5R 3+ 10 MR
908 HASHAB-2 5RMR tR 3 10 MR
913 SANOBAR-3 TR tR 3 20 M
919 REYNA-8 5R 5RMR 4 5 MR
856 USHER-18 10RMR 10R 3+ 15 MR
1001 NABUQ-6 10MRMS 10RMS 3 5 MR
871 MOUNA-1 5R tR 3+ 15 MR
963 SELMA-1 5SMS 10RMR 3 10 MR
964 FOURTEEN-1 10RMR 5MR 3 5 MR
874 FAISAL-1 TR 5R 4 10 MR
887 BATTELL-3 50MRMS 10RMS 3+ 10 MR
889 SANDALL-5 5R tR 3 5 MR
890 DAIRA-12 5R 5R 3 5 MR
891 NOUHA-1 5R 5RMR 3 10 MR
901 NADIA-20 TRMR tR 3+ 20 M
829 DIGELU (CHECK) 5R (pbc **) 5MR ;2 20 S
825 PAVON 76 (CHECK) 5R,5MR 10RMR 3+ 70 S
32
pbc ** = Pseudo-Black Chaff

33. Yield of Ug99 Resistant Cultivars Relative to National Check under Irrigated
Heat Stress Environment (New Halfa- Sudan: CWANA 1st Stem Rust
Resistance Spring Bread Wheat Yield Trial-2008/09).
Entry NAME/PEDIGREE Yield (kg/ha) Yield % N. Check
14 BOREJ-1113 3642 120
18 ZAIN-2 3427 113
3 AMIR-1 3402 112
20 BAASHA-14 3326 110
4 AMIR-2 3135 103
24 NATIONAL CHECK (DEBIERA) 3037 100
Yield Trial Mean Yield (24 Entries) 2953
CV 13.62
Avg LSD (5%) 798.9
33

34. Control of Insect Pests:
Resistance/Tolerance to Hessian Fly in Wheat
Hessian Fly
Resistant Variety
Resistant lines
Hessian fly causes economic damage in
North Africa

35. Yield of Hessian Fly Resistant Advanced SBW Lines Relative to National
Check at Jimma Shim RC (Dryland Environment) in Morocco
Advance HF Yield Trial – Morocco 2009/10
YLD %
Entry YLD YLD % Local
Name / Pedigree Rank Top
No. (Kg/Ha) Check
Check
4207 MISKEET-4 3542 1 158 154
4212 MISKEET-16 3362 2 150 146
4223 HAALA-21 3259 4 145 142
4213 MISKEET-17 3081 5 137 134
4214 SETTAT-45 2972 8 132 129
4224 MOUNA (Local Check) 2245 21 100 98
4216 ARREHANE (Top Check) 2297 19 102 100
4208 SAADA (Resistant Check) 2079 23 93 91
4201 AGUILAL (CHECK) 1526 24 68 66
Site Mean Yield 2700
SED 593.6
LSD (at 5%) 1169
35

36. Increasing wheat productivity through improved agronomic
practices and water management
 Modernization of irrigation systems and improving the efficiency of
surface irrigation
 Modifying cropping patterns and crop rotation water productivity and
income
 Supplemental irrigation (Systems and management)
 Deficit Irrigation as a water management strategy for the water scarce
areas
 Watershed management
 Broad bed farrow
 Conservation Agriculture

37. Potential of Water Use Efficiency:
Supplemental Irrigation (SI), Rainfed and Fully Irrigated (FI) Areas
WUE: Water Use Efficiency

38. Egypt: increasing wheat and water productivity
Mechanization of raised bed
irrigation system: increased wheat
production by 20% with 25% water
saving in Sharkia province.
 Practised on different irrigated crops
(rice, wheat and summer vegetables)
 Allows diversification in the rice-wheat
cropping systems
 Improves water uptake mechanisms by
crops
 Allows saving of water resources and
reducing nutrients and labour inputs
 Increases productivity and income
significantly in comparison with
traditional planting techniques
Irrigated benchmark site in Nile Delta, Egypt

39. Example: Fertilizer Use in Sub-Saharan Africa
Compared to other Regions
Fertilizer Use in Sub-Saharan Africa Compared to other Regions
Region 2000/01 2002/03
Kg of Fertilizer
Nutrient per Ha of
Arable Land
 Total fertilizer use in Sub-Saharan Africa 9 9
SSA decreased by South Asia 109 100
East and South East Asia 149 135
11% from 1998 to
Latin America 99 73
2008 Source: Eric W. Crawford; T. S. Jayne and Valerie A. Kelly, 2005
4.0
 African farmers pay Cereals yields by region
3.5
East and Southeast Asia
2-6 times the world 3.0
average price for Latin America South Asia
2.5
fertilizers due to
2.0
poor infrastructure
1.5
Sub-Saharan Africa
1.0
0.5
0.0
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
Curtsey of Dr. B. Prasanna - CIMMYT Fertilizer use (kg/ha)1
39

40. Challenges Facing Increasing Wheat Productivity
in Sub-Saharan Africa

41. WHEAT
Bioversity, CIMMYT, ICARDA
ICRISAT, IFPRI, ILRI, IRRI and IWMI
86 National Agricultural
Research Institutes
13 Regional and International
Organizations
71 Universities and Advanced
Research Institutes
15 Private Sector Organizations
14 Non-Governmental
Organizations and Farmers
Cooperatives
20 Host Countries

42. Ten-point action agenda for WHEAT
“Strategic Initiatives”
1. Technology targeting for greatest
impact
2. Sustainable wheat-based systems
3. Nutrient- and water-use efficiency
4. Productive wheat varieties
5. Durable disease and pest resistance
6. Enhanced heat and drought tolerance
7. Breaking the yield barrier
8. More and better seed
9. Seeds of discovery – tackling the black
box of genetic resources
10. Strengthening capacities

43. MULTINATIONAL – CGIAR PROJECT: “SUPPORT TO
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH FOR DEVELOPMENT OF
STRATEGIC CROPS IN AFRICA (SARD-SC)”
Funding agency: African Development Bank (AfDB)
Implementing Agencies:
•AfricaRica (for rice)
•ICARDA (for wheat)
•IITA (for cassava and maize)
IITA is the executing agency
Duration: 5 years 2012-2016
Budget: Wheat sub-component: 14.5 million US$ plus 1 million for IFPRI

44. SARD-SC: THE WHEAT (SUB)PROJECT
TARGET : 12 LOW-INCOME COUNTRIES
Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria,
Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe
AGROECOLOGIES: 3
Tropical highlands of eastern Africa: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania
Sub-Saharan lowlands: Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan
Temperate/Mediterranean type areas: Lesotho, Zambia, Zimbabwe

45. SARD-SC: The Wheat (Sub)project:
Enhancing wheat productivity and production for
increased food security, economic growth and
poverty alleviation in Africa
Objectives:
 Increase on-farm wheat productivity and production on
a sustainable basis;
 Optimize the management of scarce natural resources;
 Enhance the capacity of the NARES to conduct needed
research for development .
MULTINATIONAL – CGIAR PROJECT: “SUPPORT TO AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH FOR DEVELOPMENT OF STRATEGIC
CROPS IN AFRICA (SARD-SC)”

46. The SARD-SC Project
Beneficiaries:
Individual farmers and consumers, farmers’ groups
including youth and women, policy makers, private sector
operators, marketers/traders, transporters, small-scale
agricultural machinery manufacturers, and institutions
(NARES, CGIAR, NGOs) from low income Bank’s RMCs:
MULTINATIONAL – CGIAR PROJECT: “SUPPORT TO AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH FOR DEVELOPMENT OF STRATEGIC
CROPS IN AFRICA (SARD-SC)”

47. SARD-SC : THE WHEAT (SUB)PROJECT
APPROACH & METHODOLOGY
Three R4D platforms for technology testing, validation
dissemination and training will be established in 3 major
producing countries (major sites)
 Highland East African areas- rainfed (Ethiopia)-platform1
 Lowland East African areas-irrigated (Sudan)-platform2
 Lowland West African areas (Nigeria)-platform-3
MULTINATIONAL – CGIAR PROJECT: “SUPPORT TO AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH FOR
DEVELOPMENT OF STRATEGIC CROPS IN AFRICA (SARD-SC)”

48. SARD-SC: The Wheat (Sub)project:
COMPONENTS:
 Component 1: Generation of wheat-based systems
adapted agricultural knowledge and technologies.
 Component 2: Dissemination and sustainable adoption of
wheat-based systems adapted agricultural knowledge and
technologies
 -Component 3: Strengthening the capacities of subproject
stakeholders
 -Component 4: Efficient project organization and
management
MULTINATIONAL – CGIAR PROJECT: “SUPPORT TO AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH FOR
DEVELOPMENT OF STRATEGIC CROPS IN AFRICA (SARD-SC)”

49. Research on Seed Delivery Systems
Capacity Development in the Seed Production Sector
Favorable areas
Policy and regulatory
Formal Sector
reforms and
Public harmonization
National Private
Liberalization/commercial F I
Seed Sector
ization of seed sector A M
Development R
Framework P
M A
Less favorable areas R C
E T
Informal Sector Mobilizing farmers and/or R S
communities S
VBSEs*
NGOs Encouraging local seed
production and marketing
* VBSEs: Village-based seed enterprises

50. Seed Production & Delivery
 Seed is the mean for delivering agricultural-based technologies to
farmers and therefore plays a critical role in research-for-development
continuum
 ICARDA is one of the CG centers with a functional Seed Unit
addressing seed system constraints to ensure impacts of research are
fulfilled at farmer and community levels
 The primary objective of the Seed Unit is to strengthen National Seed
Systems, both the formal and informal sectors by:
i. Supporting public seed sector to become more effective and
competitive,
ii. Stimulating private seed sector participation through policy influence,
iii. Designing alternative seed delivery systems for dry or marginal areas
and resource poor farmers,
iv. Assisting in emergency seed relief and rehabilitation following conflicts
and/or natural disasters
50

51. ICARDa’s Activities in Seed Production in SSA
 USAID Emergency seed multiplication and distribution to
counter wheat rust threat in Ethiopia
 Fast Track Bread Wheat Variety Release and Rapid Seed
Multiplication in Ethiopia
 Africa Rising – USAID project on Rapid Deployment of High
Yielding and Rust Resistant Wheat Varieties for Food Security
in Ethiopia
 SARD-SC AfDB Project On Wheat (12 Sub-Saharan Africa
countries)
51

52. ..

53. USAID Seed Production Project:
Field Inspection

54. USAID Seed Project: Farmers Day

56. Conclusion: What can make the difference for Wheat to
contribute significantly to food security in Africa ?
 Enabling policy environment and political
support
 Investment in S & T and research in wheat
improvement and crop management
 Investment in agricultural development
 Sustainable intensification of wheat
production systems
 Better water management & high fertilizers
 Effective seed production & delivery system
both formal and informal
 Extension and effective technology transfer
mechanisms
 Capacity development and
institutional support
 Innovative partnership & networking

57. Thank You