This document discusses integrated breeding and its potential impact and challenges for crop productivity in African smallholder farmers' fields. It defines integrated breeding and describes various molecular tools that can assist in crop improvement, such as marker-based selection, marker-assisted selection, and marker-assisted backcrossing. It notes that smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa need improved crop varieties that address their needs in the shortest time possible with minimal cost. However, integrated breeding faces challenges including drought, soil fertility issues, diseases, food quality and safety concerns, lack of capacity and funding, personnel shortages, communications and connectivity problems, and policies.

1. Integrated Breeding: Impact and
challenges on crop productivity in African
poor farmers fields
James G. Gethi
KARI Katumani
P.O. Box 340-90100
Machakos, Kenya
Tel. +254 202413436
Email: jgethi@wananchi.com

2. What is integrated breeding?
Conventional Biotechnology
Bioinformatics
Transgenics
Molecular
breeding
Products to end Users

3. Sub Saharan Africa
• Land sizes
• Many crops
• Rain fed agriculture
• Large population growth rates
Characteristics
Consequences
• Under investment in agriculture
• Access to technology hampered
• Over regulation
• Lack of facilities
• Food insecurity and Poverty

4. What do the farmers in SSA really
need?
• Improved crop varieties that address their
needs, in the shortest time possible, with
minimal cost
• Support from their service providers in
diagnostics for diseases

5. How can molecular tools assist?
Marker based
selection
Marker Assisted
selection
Marker Assisted
Backcrossing
Marker Assisted
Backcrossing
Marker Assisted
Recurrent selection
Genome wide
selection
Crop improvement

6. Molecular tools…
•Diversity studies
•Quality control in seed production
•Cultivar identity and characterization
by regulators (DUS & VCU)
•Disease diagnostics

7. Molecular tools…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:GloFish.jpg
Transgenic technologies
• Drought
• Disease
• Nitrogen Use Efficiency
• Food Quality

8. Bioinformatics

9. Challenges
•Drought
•Soil fertility
•Diseases
•Food quality
•Food Safety
•Capacity
•$$$
•Personnel

10. Challenges beyond our control
• Communications
and connectivity
• Policies
Photo: Dibanzilua Nginamau, Angola

11. Thank you!
Asante!
Obrigado!
Tatenda!
Siyabonga!