CIMMYT and China join forces to tackle wheat disease in Africa

Published 2024년 6월 3일

Tridge summary

A recent article highlights the increase in wheat acreage in Africa, particularly in sub-Saharan countries, which has led to significant production but also to challenges, including Fusarium head blight (FHB) or head scab. To address this issue, a training workshop was organized by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), the Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (JAAS), and CIMMYT in China and Nanjing, with support from China Aid. The workshop, attended by 20 participants from Ethiopia, Zambia, and Lesotho, focused on FHB management, including breeding resistant varieties and disease control techniques. The participants expressed the need for more such trainings and emphasized the importance of international collaboration to mitigate FHB and enhance wheat production and food security in sub-Saharan Africa.

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Original content

While wheat acreage has been increasing across the whole of Africa, the sub-Saharan countries account for a significant proportion of the total growth and yield, equaling an area of approximately 3.1 million hectares and a production of more than 9 million tons. However, in recent years, Fusarium head blight (FHB) or head scab has become a major disease in the region, causing significant reductions in yield and quality due to the lack of resistant varieties and management tools. In China, a successful wheat shuttle breeding program by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) and CIMMYT for improving FHB has existed since the 1980s. Additionally, CIMMYT and the Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (JAAS) have provided an FHB screening station in Nanjing since 2019. With a wealth of experience in confronting the disease, this ongoing partnership can help to solve the challenges currently faced by farmers in Africa. To this end, CAAS, JAAS, and CIMMYT organized a ...

Source: UkrAgroConsult