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Collaborating
Scientists:
U.S.:
Bruce Hamaker, Purdue University, Dept. of Food Science,
West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
Layi Adeola, Purdue University, Dept. of Food Science, West
Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
Tesfaye Tesso, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506,
USA
Jeff Pedersen, University of Nebraska – Lincoln, Lincoln, NE
68583, USA
Allison Snow, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210,
USA
Ethiopia:
Taye Tadess, Ethiopian Institute for Agricultural Research,
Box 2003 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Senayit Yetneberk, Melkassa Research Station, Nazareth,
Ethiopia
Kenya:
Clement Kamau, Kenya Agricultural Research Institute,
Machakos, Kenya
Christopher Mburu, Kenya Agricultural Research Institute,
Kakamega, Kenya
Uganda:
Robert Olupot, National Agricultural Research Organization,
Serere, Uganda
Kayuki Kayizzi, National Agricultural Research Organization,
Kampala, Uganda
Tanzania:
M. Mbwaga, Dept. of Crop Research, Kilosa, Morogoro,
Tanzania
Elias Letayo, Dept. of Crop Research, Dodoma, Tanzania
Summary:
The goal of research
in this project is to develop, deploy, and promote the use
of second generation sorghum cultivars with drought and
Striga resistance using a variety of biotechnological
approaches. In the past we led a program with that had good
balance between fundamental research at Purdue, where
graduate students and postdoctoral fellows led work in basic
sciences to elucidate specific mechanisms involved in
resistance to Striga and drought, with adaptive work in
Africa. Grant funds were leveraged from multiple sources to
support the basic science component of the work done
primarily on campus. The more applied work has been
primarily supported by USAID and conducted in Africa in
collaboration with host country scientists. Both African and
US graduate students were involved in the basic science work
at Purdue as well as in the applied work in African fields
on a case by case basis.
The specific work
targeted in this two-year work plan will address
characterization, using bio-assays we have developed, of an
array of sorghum germplasm that has been improved for Striga
resistance in our program. Elite Striga resistant lines will
be evaluated in hybrid combination to assess the potential
of elite hybrids to enhance efforts in seed program
development. Furthermore, inbred lines selected for
possessing stay green trait will be tested in hybrid
combination for their contribution to drought tolerance.
National and regional testing will be encouraged to generate
fitness and adaptation data and to encourage generation of
international public good from the research carried out in
this project. Collaboration will be nurtured with the
private SMEs, NARS, SRO, NGOs, as well as CSOs in promoting
benefit of technology packages accrued from this and related
projects for each local community.
Objectives:
Characterize mechanisms of
Striga resistance introgressed into improved germplasm
· Explore
the potential of Striga resistant sorghum hybrids in food
grain germplasm
· Advance
stay green seed parents as sources of drought tolerant
sorghum hybrids for Africa
· Combine
Striga resistance and drought tolerance in selected sorghum
varieties and hybrids
· Promote
the establishment of functional public and private seed
production systems |
