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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Maricopa, Arizona » U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center » Water Management and Conservation Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #398544
Research Project: Increasing the Utility of Turf in Urban Environments of the Southwest U.S.

Location: Water Management and Conservation Research

Title: Genetic improvement of pearl millet in Senegal: Past, present, and future prospects

Author
item FALL, SAFIETOU - Senegalese Institute Of Agricultural Research
item KANFANY, GHISLAIN - Senegalese Institute Of Agricultural Research
item DIACK, O - Senegalese Institute Of Agricultural Research
item Serba, Desalegn
item DIAO, YAGOUBA - Senegalese Institute Of Agricultural Research
item SY, OUSMANE - Senegalese Institute Of Agricultural Research
item FOFANA, AMADOU - Senegalese Institute Of Agricultural Research
item MORRIS, GEOFFREY - Colorado State University
item KANE, NDJIDO - Senegalese Institute Of Agricultural Research

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/15/2022
Publication Date: 10/30/2022
Citation: Fall, S.T., Kanfany, G., Diack, O., Serba, D.D., Diao, Y., Sy, O., Fofana, A., Morris, G.P., Kane, N.A. 2022. Genetic improvement of pearl millet in Senegal: Past, present, and future prospects. In: Kane, N.A., Fonceka, D., Dalton, T.J. Crop Adaptation and Improvement for Drought-Prone Environments. Manhattan, KS: New Prairie Press. p. 465-495.

Interpretive Summary: Pearl millet is an important cereal crop for food security in Senegal and is grown on approximately 800,000 ha of land with a total production of 600,000 tons annually. The productivity is still low because of diseases such as downy mildew and environmental stresses such as drought and heat. Genetic improvement of pearl millet in Senegal started nearly a century ago and experienced three major phases that were marked by exploitation of the local germplasm for grain yield improvement, genetic improvement of harvest index and resistance to drought, and current holistic genetic improvement that is marked by progressive yield improvements. This chapter summarizes the breeding progress of the Senegalese national breeding program in the past and formulates future directions for further improvement of productivity of pearl millet to meet the increasing national demand for food and nutrition security in the face of ongoing climate change. An ambitious pearl millet improvement strategy that integrates the modern genetic and genomic tools and novel genetic resources for resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses with variety development work is envisioned to revolutionize pearl millet production in Senegal.

Technical Abstract: Pearl millet is an important cereal crop for smallholder farmers’ food security in Senegal and is grown on approximately 800,000 ha of land with a total national production of 600,000 tons annually. However, its production has been affected by increasing biotic and abiotic stresses such as downy mildew disease, drought and heat, and use of unimproved varieties in farmers’ fields. Genetic improvement of pearl millet started in Senegal nearly a century ago and experienced three major phases that were defined by different improvement targets. Progressive national yield improvements have been made over time. This chapter summarizes the breeding progress of the Senegal national breeding program in the past century and formulates future directions for further improvement of productivity of pearl millet to meet the increasing national demand for food and nutrition security despite ongoing climate change. An ambitious pearl millet improvement strategy that integrates the modern genetic and genomic tools and novel genetic resources for resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses with variety development work is urgently needed to revolutionize pearl millet production in Senegal.