The importance of 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)

Wheat for Food Security in Africa:

Challenges and Potential

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.

Wheat Production in Sub-Saharan Africa

and The Prospects for Expansion …..

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

Wheat statistics for Selected SSA Countries (2010-2011)

Country Area

000 ha

Production

000 t

Yield

t/ha

Imports

000 t

Self-suffi.

%

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

* Data of 2008, except for GDP (2011) 5

The food commodity crisis in 2008 jeopardized food security in many wheat-importing countries, leading to a revived awareness of the serious threat to food security and social stability in many of the world areas, particularly Africa

Wheat Production in Africa

6

Impact of increase of prices of major staples on trade balance in 2008

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

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.

Wheat Production in Africa- Projected Expansion

8

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

9

Wheat for Food Security in Africa and the Vision of

The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD)

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.

Source: www.nepad-caadp.net/ 11

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

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.

The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP)

www.nepad-caadp.net/

CAADP’s work falls under 4 pillars, each dealing with key issues:

13

BIGM Biodiversity and Integrated Gene Management Program

IWLM Integrated Water and Land Management Program

DSIPS Diversification and Sustainable Intensification of Production Systems Program

SEPR Social, Economic and

Policy Research Program

Programs at ICARDA

Biodiversity & Crop Improvement: wheat, barley, legume

Poverty & Livelihoods, Analysis& Impact Assessment

Relevance of ICARDA’s Research Programs to CAADP Pillar’s 1 to4 Activities

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Challenges Facing Increasing Wheat Productivity

in Sub-Saharan Africa

Wheat Improvement in Africa: Major Abiotic Constraints

Drought

Heat

Acidic Soils

Salinity stress

Soil degradation

16

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

Drought Impacts

0500

1000150020002500300035004000450050005500600065007000

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

PR

OD

UC

TIO

N (1000 M

t)

YEARS

Morocco

Algeria

Egypt

Syria

Tunisia

Impact of Drought on Wheat Production

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

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

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

Challenges Associated with Climate Change

20

Examples on and prospects in wheat improvement

in Sub Saharan Africa

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

Exploitation of Genetic Diversity

Targeted exploitation of wheat relatives would result in valuable material for enhancing productivity in the era of climate change

Crop Gene Pool

No. Accessions

Wild Species & Landraces

Global Rank

Wheat 37,930 25,400 No.1 (Aegilops, W. Triticum; T. durum)

ICARDA Status of ex situ Collections

• Triticum dicoccoides

• Triticum carthlicum

• T. dicoccum

• T. araraticum

• T. urartu

• T. monococcum

• Aegilops peregrinacylindros; vavilovii ; biuncialis; columnaris; & triuncialis

23

T. boeoticum

New genetic diversity for wheat

identified through wide crosses

T. urartu

T. dicoccoides

yellow rust resistance

leaf rust resistance

earliness

high productive tillering

spike productivity

plant productivity

plant height

drought tolerance

Sunn pest resistance

Russian wheat aphid resistance

Septoria tritici resistance

Ae. speltoides

probably different from Yr15

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.

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

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.

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Parent Variety Yield t/ha % recurrent

parent

Cham 6*2/SW2 1.6 147

Cham 6*2/SW2 1.5 138

Cham-6 1.10 100

Attila-7 1.3 -

Wheat crossed with wild relatives:

Synthetic wheat, tolerance to excessive drought

Yield of “synthetic derivatives” compared to parents under drought stress. (Tel Hadya 2008 -- 211 mm)

Irrigated heat-tolerant wheat in Sudan

Resistance to Diseases: Wheat Rust causing serious economic losses & threat both Africa & global food

security

Heavy yellow

rust infestation

wheat in in

2010

Black stem rust

(Ug 99)

infestation in

Ethiopia &

Kenya

Resistance to Rust in Wheat

Released varieties resistances to black stem rust in Ethiopia

Resistances to new races of yellow rust

Combined Stem Rust (Ug99) and Yellow Rust Reaction of some ICARDA Elite Rust Resistant lines – T. Hadya, Syria 2009/2010

Source

BIG

INC-10

SR Njoro-

Kenya Nov-

2009

SR DZ - Eth

Summer

2009

Seedling

Reaction T-Hadya-2010

PLT

No. NAME

2nd Date 2nd Date

Sr (Ug99) IRAN

Nov 2009

Yellow Rust -

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

pbc ** = Pseudo-Black Chaff 32

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

Control of Insect Pests: Resistance/Tolerance to Hessian Fly in Wheat

Hessian Fly

Resistant Variety

Hessian fly causes economic damage in

North Africa

Resistant lines

Advance HF Yield Trial – Morocco 2009/10

Entry No.

Name / Pedigree YLD

(Kg/Ha) Rank

YLD % Local Check

YLD % Top

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

Yield of Hessian Fly Resistant Advanced SBW Lines Relative to National

Check at Jimma Shim RC (Dryland Environment) in Morocco

35

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

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

WUE: Water Use Efficiency

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

Egypt: increasing wheat and water productivity

Example: Fertilizer Use in Sub-Saharan Africa

Compared to other Regions

The contribution of yield increases and area expansion to

increases in aggregate cereals production 1980-2003 (%)

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

SSA EA LAC MNA SA

perc

en

tag

e

yield

area

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Sub-Saharan Africa

South AsiaLatin America

East and Southeast Asia

Cereals yields by region

Total fertilizer use in

SSA decreased by

11% from 1998 to

2008

African farmers pay

2-6 times the world

average price for

fertilizers due to

poor infrastructure

Fertilizer use (kg/ha)1

Fertilizer Use in Sub-Saharan Africa Compared to other Regions

Region 2000/01 2002/03

Kg of Fertilizer Nutrient per Ha of

Arable Land

Sub-Saharan Africa 9 9

South Asia 109 100

East and South East Asia 149 135

Latin America 99 73 Source: Eric W. Crawford; T. S. Jayne and Valerie A. Kelly, 2005

Curtsey of Dr. B. Prasanna - CIMMYT 39

Challenges Facing Increasing Wheat Productivity

in Sub-Saharan Africa

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

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

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

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

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)”

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)”

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)”

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

SARD-SC: The Wheat (Sub)project:

MULTINATIONAL – CGIAR PROJECT: “SUPPORT TO AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH FOR

DEVELOPMENT OF STRATEGIC CROPS IN AFRICA (SARD-SC)”

Research on Seed Delivery Systems Capacity Development in the Seed Production Sector

Favorable areas

Less favorable areas

National

Seed Sector

Development

Framework

Formal Sector

Public

Private

Informal Sector

VBSEs*

NGOs

F

A

R

M

R

E

R

S

I

M

P

A

C

T

S Mobilizing farmers and/or

communities

Encouraging local seed

production and marketing

Policy and regulatory

reforms and

harmonization

Liberalization/commercial

ization of seed sector

* VBSEs: Village-based seed enterprises

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

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

..

USAID Seed Production Project:

Field Inspection

USAID Seed Project: Farmers Day

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

Thank You