ICRISAT Governing Board concludes its third virtual board meeting

1. Regional Research Program / WCA
Presentation at the
98th Governing Board
meeting
Program Committee
20 April 2021

2. Presentation at the 95th ICRISAT Governing Board Meeting
Program Committee Sept 30, 2020 2
COVID-19 outbreak in West and Central Africa
Total population
2020
Confirmed
Total
recovered Total deaths Active cases
549,453,730 598,319 533,204 8,528 56,587
West and Central Africa statistics as of April 9th, 2021
Source : https://www.africanews.com/2021/03/20/coronavirus-african-union-member-
states-reporting-covid-19-cases-as-of-20-march-2021-9-am-eat/
Presentation at the 98th ICRISAT Governing Board meeting
Program Committee April 20th, 2021

3. Presentation at the 95th ICRISAT Governing Board Meeting
Program Committee Sept 30, 2020 3
Approaches used to overcome Covid19
challenges (1)
1.1. Knowledge content and information sharing through
digital channels
Farmers were trained virtually using digital technology (short
videos disseminated through WhatsApp, text messages and
interactive voice recording).
1.2.Policy advocacy for food supply
2 guides disseminated online :
• Farmers voice about the impact of Covid-19 on their
livelihoods
• How to influence positive outcomes on smallholder farmers
in the face of covid19 pandemic Screenshot from the WhatsApp group
on climate information in Niger
Presentation at the 98th ICRISAT Governing Board meeting
Program Committee April 20th, 2021

4. Presentation at the 95th ICRISAT Governing Board Meeting
Program Committee Sept 30, 2020 4
I. Approaches used to overcome Covid19
challenges (2)
1.3. Strengthened partnership with public extension
services and local NGOs for implementation of
activities on the ground during the lockdown and
travel restrictions .
In Nigeria. ICRISAT organized the distribution of seeds
of improved varieties of sorghum to farmers through
the State and Local Government agencies.
1.4. Virtual meetings
• Virtual Review and planning meetings of EU funded
APSAN-project and launching of ESPHYV project
• Virtual Regional Program Planning meeting
• Webinar on Strategic Planning of Research for WCA
Program Committee April 20th, 2021
Presentation at the 98th ICRISAT Governing Board meeting

5. Presentation at the 95th ICRISAT Governing Board Meeting
Program Committee Sept 30, 2020
I. Approaches used to overcome
Covid challenges (3)
1.5. Crisis Management Team (renamed as
Covid-19 Taskforce (CTF)
Held every two weeks aiming at :
• assessing the status of the Covid-19
pandemic in WCA,
• reviewing local mitigation measures and the
progress in research operations
• Ensuring business continuity
5
Presentation at the 98th ICRISAT Governing Board meeting
Program Committee April 20th, 2021

6. Presentation at the 95th ICRISAT Governing Board Meeting
Program Committee Sept 30, 2020 6
I. Program Achievements-Crop Improvement (1)
Establishing Regional Crop Improvement Hub (RCIH) and equipping the hub
Significant milestones were achieved in establishing and operationalizing RCIH in
Bamako in terms of facilities, procurement of equipment and personnel recruitment.
Groundnut
• Regional variety trials were conducted in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria and
Niger.
• 451 advanced lines were shared with NARS programs through preliminary and
regional trials (448 lines) and direct request (3 lines)
• QC marker panel (49 SNP markers) has been developed for use in the F1 hybridity
test
• Trait linked markers (e.g. oleate and rust) are validated and are available for use.
Presentation at the 98th ICRISAT Governing Board meeting
Program Committee April 20th, 2021

7. Presentation at the 95th ICRISAT Governing Board Meeting
Program Committee Sept 30, 2020 7
Program Achievements-Crop Improvement (2)
Sorghum
• 6 hybrids were submitted by IER to Malian national release
committee for their registration into the seed catalogue.
• Regional trials with 24 hybrids and 3 checks implemented in over
20 locations with NARS and seed companies in Burkina Faso,
Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana and Togo.
Pearl Millet
• In Burkina Faso, the first commercial stay green,
dual purpose, medium maturing pearl millet hybrid
showed 35 to 40 % higher yield compared to local
and improved OPV Misari-1. 2 other pearl millet
varieties were released.
• The Africa’s first Fe biofortified variety CHAKTI has
made huge impact in Niger.
Iron-biofortified pearl millet in Niger
Presentation at the 98th ICRISAT Governing Board meeting
Program Committee April 20th, 2021

8. Presentation at the 95th ICRISAT Governing Board Meeting
Program Committee Sept 30, 2020 8
Extension & Advisory Services for Agriculture Risk
Management (Warrantage)
• 17 Innovation Platforms (3827 men and 1408 women)
collected cereals in their different stores having a
value of $260,954.
• With this value in store, they were able to negotiate a
loan with a locally established micro finance
Institution of US $ 123,605.
Smartfood Campaign:
• The second annual International Millet Festival
(FESTIMIL) was organized in Niger focusing on
production, processing and consumption of millets,
so as to create wellbeing and better dietary diversity.
• Second Smart Food Pastry Contest in Niger.
• Contributed to Mali’s national plan for nutrition.
Program Achievements-Impact and Policy (1) Presentation at the 98th ICRISAT Governing Board meeting
Program Committee April 20th, 2021

9. Presentation at the 95th ICRISAT Governing Board Meeting
Program Committee Sept 30, 2020 9
The contour bunding (CB) technology:
• Crop yields increased by more than 30 %, and household revenues by 20%.
• The technology has an environmental benefit to recharge shallow ground water aquifer
and increasing soil moisture availability.
Capacity building in Entrepreneurship:
• Niger: 150 rural youth joined an entrepreneur incubation program
• Practical training in integrated pest management (e.g., insect rearing), market gardening,
fruit tree nurseries and smart compost production.
Crop-livestock integration:
• 370 agro-pastors (Burkina Faso, Mali, Nigeria , Senegal and Sudan) trained
• Training on stalk treatment with urea to improve protein content and on chopping of stalk
with motorized chopper
Program Achievements- Integrated Crop Management
Presentation at the 98th ICRISAT Governing Board meeting

10. Presentation at the 95th ICRISAT Governing Board Meeting
Program Committee Sept 30, 2020 10
Gender mainstreaming
• In Ghana, 30 young people with hearing impairment were trained
• Training on groundnut seed production, quality control of seeds, seed business development,
concept of the Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA), group dynamics and processing of
groundnut into confectionaries of high nutritional and market value.
Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA)
• Tailored and downscaled weather and climate information services (WCIS) were disseminated
to farmers to inform their farming decision-making.
• 3 CSA country profiles were developed for Ghana, Mali, and Niger. The CSA country profiles
synthesize the opportunities for addressing climate change challenges and economic growth
prospects in the agriculture sector from the perspective of climate-smart agriculture
Program Achievements-Impact and Policy (2)
Presentation at the 98th ICRISAT Governing Board meeting
Program Committee April 20th, 2021

11. Presentation at the 95th ICRISAT Governing Board Meeting
Program Committee Sept 30, 2020
Thank You
Merci
11
Presentation at the 98th ICRISAT Governing Board meeting
Program Committee April 20th, 2021