Senegal experimenting with growing wheat in a tropical climate

Senegalese scientists are trying to refute the opinion that wheat does not take root in the hot local climate Wheat is the second most consumed food in Senegal after rice. However, the country is completely dependent on foreign supplies, importing about 800,000 metric tons of wheat per year. Since the tropical climate is not favorable for growing wheat and many believe that it is better to focus on increasing the production of sorghum, millet or corn. However, scientists from the Senegal Institute for Agricultural Research (ISRA), the state research institute, have been conducting wheat trials for many years anyway, writes the AFP portal. After testing hundreds of varieties, the researchers settled on 4 varieties to plant at a demonstration plot in Sangalkam, 35 kilometers from the capital Dakar. Three varieties are Egyptian, and the fourth was developed by the breeders of the institute. Sowing wheat seeds in early January, the crop ripened in three months, which are the coolest ...