Breakthrough in Sorghum’s Yield Barrier (Mali)

After years of diligent breeding, Malian sorghum breeders have finally broken the yield barrier of one of the country’s most important crops: sorghum. The grain is drought-hardy and essential to food security.

Dr Bino Teme, the director of Rural Economic Institute said that Mali has released three new hybrid sorghum crops with the capacity to quadruple the harvests of the country’s staple food crop.

The Fadda, Sigui Kumbe and Sewa hybrids can produce 3, 3.5 and 4 metric tonnes (MT) per hectare respectively. Sakoika, the local seed variety, produces up to 1.5 MT per hectare, and only if grown with adequate farm inputs.

The hybrids will be released to farmers across Mali. Over the next year, the IER will train seed producers on the breeding techniques and carry out more demonstrations to promote the seeds among farmers.

“We have to continue with the demonstrations because we have different kinds of farmers; some will adopt the hybrids immediately, while others employ await and see approach,” Teme said.

Teme said he expects up to 50 per cent of Malian farmers to adopt the sorghum hybrids within two to three years.