Improving the water and nutrient use

efficiency of crops in dry savanna and

Sahel regions of Africa

S. Muranaka

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture – Institut international d’agriculture tropicale – www.iita.org

Limited Natural Resources for Small Scale Farmers

Soil moisture

Soil fertility

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1960 1968 1976 1984 1992 2000 2008

Ann

ual r

ainf

all (

mm

)

Year

- Short growing season

- Rainfall

Unevenly distributed

Unpredictable

Unstable

- Low soil fertility

- Low input level

- Limited soil moisture

- Competition

Crops

Weeds

Parasitic weed

Introduction of Appropriate Variety

- Case study in Radi and Danja villages in Niger -

Grain yield obserbed in 4 farmers' fields of Niger Rep

Grain yield (kg / ha)

Field ID IT98K-205-8 IT99K-573-2-1 Local line

Danja 1 292 (442) 653 (988) 66 (100)

Danja 2 131 (305) 231 (539) 43 (100)

Radi 1 507 (447) 363 (319) 113 (100)

Radi 2 254 (115) 575 (261) 220 (100)

- What is “appropriate” genotype ?

- Where to get “appropriate” traits ?

- How to select “appropriate” genotypes ?

How Improve the Water and Nutrient Use Efficiency

Water Nutrient

Resistance to drought

Identification of “appropriate”

genotype in farmers’ field

Resistance to S. gesnerioides

Capturing nutrient via

root development

High N2 fixation

High NUE

High WUE

Reduce water loss

Reduce nutrient loss

High WUE

How Improve the Water and Nutrient Use Efficiency

Water Nutrient

Resistance to drought

Identification of “appropriate”

genotype in farmers’ field

Resistance to S. gesnerioides

Capturing nutrient via

root development

High N2 fixation

High NUE

High WUE

Reduce water loss

Reduce nutrient loss

High WUE

Farmer Participatory Varietal Selection (FPVS)

- More rapid and cost-effective way to identifying

farmer-preferred cultivars if a suitable choice of

cultivators exists

- Enhances the diffusion and adoption of varieties

developed

- Provide important feed back to breeders on their

performance under local cropping systems

Stability of Farmers’ Choice

Stable?

Environmental effect?

Other effect?

Strong / weak points?

Trial Sites in Maradi and Zinder Region of Niger Rep.

Toumnia

Tessoua

Sarkin housa

Magaria

Minjibir

TchadouaDanja

Radi

2008-2009

Radi

Danja

Magaria

Toumnia

2009

Tchadoua

Sarkin housa

Tessoua

FPVS Activities

3 selections x 3 replicationsNo name Questionnaire

Materials Selected for FPVS

Stably Selected Genotypes

IT00K-1148

Early-medium maturing cowpea

Brown, rough, small seed with brown eye

Susceptible to S. gesnerioides

IT99K-573-2-1

Early maturing cowpea

White, rough, medium seed with black eye

Resistant to S. gesnerioides

IT90K-372-1-2

Early-medium maturing cowpea

White, rough, medium seed with brown eye

Susceptible to S. gesnerioides

IT98K-205-8

Extra early maturing cowpea

White, rough, medium seed with black eye

Resistant to S. gesnerioides

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture – Institut international d’agriculture tropicale – www.iita.org

Specific Preference in Particular Village

- Farmer can stably select their preferred genotype

Percentage of farmer selected more than 2 and 3

pairs from different replication in the FPVS

Selection Criteria

Focused criteria for the farmers’ selection in FPVS

- Grain yield is highly important in almost all farmers

- Relatively lower importance of seed color and size

- Higher importance of maturity in 2009?

Environmental Effects on Farmers’ Choice

Farmer’s preference on maturity in two years selection

Extra early maturing lines such as IT98K-205-8

gained higher importance in drought year

Farmer’s preference on seed color in two years selection

Stable criteria, such as seed color, texture, size,

plant type and so on.

Specific Criteria – Important, but Difficult

- Important criteria, resistance to S. gesnerioides

may be difficult for farmers to evaluate in the field

Farmer’s selection on the resistance to

S. gesnerioides in two years selection

- Presented in 5th World Cowpea Conference

- Manuscripts will be ready shortly.

Breeder’s decision using tools up taking

farmers’ preference such as FPVS

Further Challenges – AVEC-BF Project

Sofe

Saria Rango

Samboaga

Puni

Pathili

AVEC-BF sites

Appropriate Varieties of Early maturing Cowpea for Burkina Faso

Target country:

Burkina Faso

Project duration:

April 2010- March 2013

Donor:

MAFF, Japan

AVEC-BF Framework

Seed producer Grain producer

Appropriate variety Social analysis

Farmers school

- Safe chemical use

- Fertilizer application

- Storage method

- Basic economics

- Various varieties

Equipment support

- Splay machine

- Protection materials

Linking with markets

FPVS

- Selection of suitable materials

- Understanding farmers’ preference

Breeding for better

- Adding missing farmers’ preferable traits

Training

- Cultivation method

- Certification system

- Variety selection

Grouping

- Effective production

- Easier marketing

Baseline study

- basic understanding cowpea roll

Impact assessment

- Target site vs counterfactual site

Grain market

Input marketInput market

Seed market

SNS

Focus on village level cycle for further expand to region level

AVEC-BF 2010

FPVS at 5 villages

- Over 400 farmers attended

Training of seed producer:

15 farmers participating (15ha)

Theoretical training at Saria in April

On-farm training with IT98K-205-8

Farmers’ school:

Trainers’ training (10 trainers)

Tow classes in each village were held

Equipment support (sprayer, protector)

Cowpea production by

small scale farmersDrought stress Low yield (600kg/ha)

Low quality (mixed, insect damage)

Low income

(40,000CFA/ha)

Continuation of low input (no-fertilizer, no-chemical)-Low output agriculture

Escape from

drought

High yield (1500kg/ha)

High quality

Higher income

(150,000CFA/ha)

Current

Input

(fertilizer, chemical)

Appropriate knowledge

via Farmers’ schoolAppropriate

variety

Training of

seed producer

Strengthened

seed production

How Improve the Water and Nutrient Use Efficiency

Water Nutrient

Resistance to drought

Identification of “appropriate”

genotype in farmers’ field

Resistance to S. gesnerioides

Capturing nutrient via

root development

High N2 fixation

High NUE

High WUE

Reduce water loss

Reduce nutrient loss

High WUE

Marker Assisted Backcross Breeding for Striga resistance

Striga susceptible, but popular in Niger

- IT00K-1148

- IT90K-372-2-1

- IT89D-574-57

- TN 246-80

F1BC1 populations developed for testing of MAB practice for Striga resitance

S/N Population P1 (female) P2 (male) BC1 (male)

1 IT09ST-1 IT98K-409-4 X IT90K-372-1-2 X IT90K-372-1-2

2 IT09ST-2 IT98K-205-8 X IT89KD-574-57 X IT89KD-574-57

3 IT09ST-3 IT98K-205-8 X IT90K-372-1-2 X IT90K-372-1-2

4 IT09ST-4 IT98K-205-8 X TN256-80 X TN256-80

5 IT09ST-5 IT00K-1148 X IT98K-409-4 X IT98K-409-4

6 IT09ST-6 IT98K-205-8 X IT00K-1148 X IT00K-1148

7 IT09ST-7 IT98K-409-4 X IT00K-1148 X IT00K-1148

8 IT09ST-8 IT89KD-574-57 X IT98K-205-8 X IT98K-205-8

Two SCAR markers available for Striga race SG3

developed by M. Timko’ lab

- MahSE2

- 61R

Marker Verification

Cowpea genotypes (60) tested on

- Two Striga seeds at Nigeria

- Four Striga seeds at Niger

Current results

- Marker efficiency 76%

- All collected Striga seed are SG3

The result will be updated

- New 100 genotypes tested for SG3

- FTA method for cross check

No Polymorphism in Several Crosses

Popular genotypes, IT00K-1148 and IT90K-372-1-2 did not show

polymorphism with resistant parents in both MahSE2 and 61R

Comparison of 5 Back-Cross Pops with and without MAS

F2BC3

F2BC2

With MAS Without MAS

With MAS

F2BC3 populations

F2BC2 populations

Results of pot evaluation for Striga resistance at F1BC3

Total plant No. of plants

% of ResistanceS/N Population no. tested Resistant Susceptible

1 IT09ST-2 66 20 46 30%

2 IT09ST-3 129 20 109 16%

Results of pot evaluation for Striga resistance at F1BC2

Total plant No. of plants

% of ResistanceS/N Population no. tested Resistant Susceptible

1 IT09ST-4 51 15 36 29%

2 IT09ST-6 83 14 69 17%

3 IT09ST-7 112 15 112 13%

14% increase

12-16% increase

- Reported on GCP annual report 2009

Further Challenges – New markers

High-throughput genotyping (SNP)

- Phenotyping data on SG3

- SR population for QTLs

- 60+100 lines for association analysis

SNP markers for SG3 resistance

- Identification of probable different race

- 24 genotypes for field identification

1_0473 3037_209 3037 9 27.9 1

1_1382 5720_199 5720 9 27.9 1

1_0008 6430_319 6430 9 27.9 1

1_0235 439_560 439 9 28 1

1_1460 13665_260 13665 9 28.4 1

1_0752 17133_1134 17133 9 29.4 1

1_0158 1989_448 1989 9 32.3 1

1_0137 3958_104 3958 9 32.3 1

1_0276 1339_101 1339 9 46.3 1

1_0958 7548_1327 7548 9 46.3 1

1_1069 677_709 677 9 48.4 1

1_0948 9779_613 9779 9 48.4 1

ATC-CTA-10*

AAC-CTT-11

AAC-CAA-5*

ACT-CAA-8*

ACA-CAG-4*

ATG-CAC-1*

LG1

(middle)

OI2b

OE9

OZ13b

5.5

1.5

3.7

1.1

1.2

1.2

0.0

2.5

12.2

AAC-CTT-13

ACA-CAT-8

AGG-CTT-2

OA19

OY1a

OE16

AGA-CTA-9

D1301b

AAC-CTT-9

OC16a

S05G04i

9.5

7.8

1.7

1.7

1.1

6.3

5.3

1.3

0.0

0.0

1.3

0.5

1.7

Rsg 1-1

Rsg 2-1

Rsg 4-3

SNP markers available

Moderate Resistance to Striga gesnerioides?

“Moderate Resistance” is frequently seen

in field evaluation

- Unstable mechanisms

- High Striga seed density ?

- Environmental factor ?

Break down of resistance due to high Striga

hermonthica seed density had been reported

in Striga resistant Sorghum varietiesStriga hermonthica seed density

High Low

How about in cowpea?

Seed Density Does not Affect Striga Resistance

600mg Striga seed = 80,000 germinable seeds (at 62% germination rate)

Stable in high seed density

No Effect of Drought and Low Fertility Stresses

Susceptible line (IT98D-1399)Stable mechanism under

- High seed density

- Drought

- Low soil fertility

- Enhance the effect of drought

For field evaluation

- Highly infested condition

- Importance of weed control

- Importance of purity of seed

- Wide border row

- Reported at AA annual meeting, Nov. 2009, Khartoum, Sudan

- Manuscript is under internal review for submission

Mechanism?

- Any signaling via shoot such as auto-

regulation of nodule?

- Stimulation of Striga seed related?

Hyper-sensitive reaction

Left: B301 (Striga resistant)

Right: IT98K-461-4 (Striga susceptible)

Probably No

Reciprocal Grafting Method

Root stock

- Striga resistant

- Striga susceptible

Shoot stock

- Striga resistant

- Striga susceptible

Striga attachments were observed only on the

root derived from Striga susceptible genotype

No Involvement of Shoot Mechanisms

Grafted root

(Striga resistant)

Main plant

(Striga susceptible)

Main plant

- Striga resistant

- Striga susceptible

Grafted root

- Striga resistant

- Striga susceptible

Double Root Grafting Method

- Reported at AA?SATREPS seminar, Sept. 2010, Awaji, Japan

- Manuscript had submitted to Journal of Plant Physiology

Striga Resistance - Root Localized Mechanisms

Further Challenges – NEDO Project

Mini rizotron

Samples at different stages

GC-MS

Low data

Metabolic pathway

Metabolom on Striga resistance

(Jan 2010 – Dec 2014)

Understanding of mechanisms

Osaka University

How Improve the Water and Nutrient Use Efficiency

Water Nutrient

Resistance to drought

Identification of “appropriate”

genotype in farmers’ field

Resistance to S. gesnerioides

Capturing nutrient via

root development

High N2 fixation

High NUE

High WUE

Reduce water loss

Reduce nutrient loss

High WUE

Phenotyping of Drought Resistance

Phenotyping

Multi-location field trials

Field experiment at Minjibir

Pot experiment

Root cylinder experiment

Selection of Parents for High x High Crosses

Selected genotypes were used for breeding program

G x E Analysis on 50 Genotypes

Wet

Dry

Biomass yield

Ibadan condition have much

smaller environmental effect on

differentiate the genotypes

G x E Analysis on 16 Genotypes

Magaria, Maradi, Chinzana

Kano, Nampula

Ruace

Grain yield

Soil type?

Linkage Disequilibrium Mapping

Plant materials

Nigeria - 339

Burkina Faso - 189

Senegal - 155

USA - 200

Phenotyping for delayed senescence at the early

vegetative stage provides sufficient precision to

map grain yield and biomass QTL

- Presented in 5th World Cowpea Conference

- Manuscript is now internal reviewing for submission

UCR

Mechanisms to Maintain the Growth under Drought

Maintenance of higher stomatal

conductance

Grain Yield = 5.890 + (0.0508 x Stomatal conductance)

(P < 0.001)

Stomatal conductance (m mol m-2 s-1)

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

Gra

in Y

ield

(g.p

lant-

1)

0

10

20

30

40

R = 0.521R = 0.521

Deeper rooting?

Root Distribution Traits

4 weeks of

stress period

Root Length in Various Soil Depth

Resistant Susceptible

A

B B

C

Ro

ot le

ngth

(cm

)

Deeper rooting is one of the

factors, but there are other factors

contributing to drought resistance

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

8 10 12 14 16

Da

y 1

TimeTime

% c

on

tro

l

Day 1

Day 5

Day 3

Day 7

Day 1

Day 5

Day 3

Day 70

20

40

60

80

100

120

8 10 12 14 16

Time

% c

on

tro

l

Drought resistant IT98K-205-8 can

maintain higher stomatal conductance

under root size limited condition

Under Root Size Limited Condition

- Drastic decline in late afternoon

- Cavitation in vascular bundle?

- No relation in Leaf WP - SC

Kyushu Univ

Diurnal change of stomatal conductance

- Sensitivity to ABA signaling?

- Water absorption mechanisms?

IT98K-205-8

IT98K-555-1

Flower Abortion - Reduction of Pod Number

- Will be presented in 7th International AFAS Joint Symposium between Korea and Japan

Kyushu Univ

IT98K-205-8

(34.0±2.9)

IT99K-901-5

(35.5±1.6)

IT98K-238-2

(75.2±4.0)

Reduction of peduncle water potential is linked with flower

abortion and further reduction of pod number / grain yield loss

Curently, detailed analysis with more genotypes

and different stress levels is on going

Further Challenges

Accurate phenotyping

- Selection of more suitable parents

- Physiological trait base QTLs

- Understanding environment effect using GxE analysis

More physiological analysis

- Use of grafting method

- Root characteristics

- Utilization of stable isotopes

Delta 13C of irrigated plants

Delta

13

C o

f n

on

-irr

iga

ted

pla

nts

Kyushu UnivUCR JIRCAS

In collaboration with partners

Capacity Building

Training programs

- Introduction of Marker Assisted Selection strategy into

national cowpea breeding programs (ICCAE, 2008, Sept- Oct)

- Development of phenotyping network for drought and Striga

resistance in cowpea (ICCAE, 2009 Oct – Nov)

Trainees/students

- S. Gonne (ICCAE, Trainee, IRAD, Cameroon, 2008)

- T. Abudulaye (ICCAE, Trainee, INRAN, Niger, 2008-2009)

- F. Kusi (ICCAE, Trainee, SARI, Ghana, 2008-2009)

- M. Hayatu (Ph.D student, BUK, Nigeria, 2008-2010)

- A. Eugene (Ph.D student, Wageningen Univ., Benin, 2006-2009)

- W. Abdullahi (Gratuate student, BUK, Nigeria, 2009-2010)

- T. Sakamoto (MSc student, Kyushyu Univ, Japan, 2010)

- S. Nakamura (MSc student, Tokyo Univ Agric, Japan, 2010)

- T. Wakabayashi (MSc student, Osaka Univ, Japan, 2010)

and more.

For Farmers’ Happy Face

Thank You !!