Presented by Eric Y. Danquah at the CCAFS Workshop on Developing Climate-Smart Crops for a 2030 World, ILRI, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 6-8 December 2011.

1. Training Plant Breeders at WACCI to
accelerate the Green Revolution in
West and Central Africa
Eric Y. Danquah
Director, WACCI
edanquah@wacci.edu.gh
“Developing Climate-Smart Crops for a 2030 World” Workshop, ILRI,
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 6-8 December 2011

2. Greetings from the University of Ghana
Ghana’s Premier University
Founded 1948

3. Outline
 Context
 The challenge
 The Promise
The West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI)
 Conception & Establishment
 Vision
 Programme Structure
 Our Students & Facilities
 Looking Ahead
 Linkages, Networking & Sustainability

4. The Challenge
• Land & Cultural Issues
• No. of breeders below
• Low Yielding Varieties
critical level
• High Cost of Production
• Poor Institutional Structures
• Biotic & Abiotic stresses
• Brain Drain • Climate Change
Low Breeding
Low Productivity
Capacity
Food Insecurity

5. What do we need in Africa?
 Doubly Green Revolution
- The aim is to repeat the success of the
Green Revolution in Africa for many
diverse localities
 Increased productivity on the same land
with a reduced footprint e.g. high yielding
hybrid maize varieties (7+ t/ha) with
tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses

6. “The Green Revolution in Africa need not be a
mirage”
Gibesa Ejeta, October, 16, 2009
“Local solutions, not "blueprints" of ideas
from outsiders, are needed if Africa is going to
experience a green revolution”
Sir Gordon Conway
April 15, 2010

7. Yield increases in some food crops
in Ghana following investments
t/ha
Food Crops Development Project (2001-2007)
Root and Tuber Improvement Programme (1999-2003)

8. Sorghum Hybrid Quadruple Yields in Mali
Average Yields of Sorghum in Mali (t/ha)
Sorghum hybrids developed in Mali to quadruple harvests following
support from AGRA
Source: http://www.agraalliance.org/section/people/stories

9. Number of Plant Breeders in
selected countries in West Africa
Source: GIPB (http://km.fao.org)

10. Average farm size and yields of eight major
crops in northern Ghana (Quaye, 2008)
2.995
0.93 1.024 0.79 0.79 0.75
0.7 0.587
0.494
0.71
0.437 0.59 0.734 0.53 0.456 0.46
Sorghum Maize Millet Rice Yam Groundnut Cowpea Soyabean
Farm Size (Ha) Average Yield (t/ha)
Number of plant breeders at CSIR, Ghana
Source: MIS, CSIR, 2011

11. A new generation of plant breeders
trained in West & Central Africa
New varieties
An
African Green Revolution

12. The Genesis of the Promise
Scoping Study (Rockefeller Foundation), Dr.
Eugene Terry, Inception Director-General, WARDA
(August 2006)
-to identify universities in West and Central Africa with
potentials to become the nucleus of an Africa-wide plant
breeding capacity program at the MSc. and PhD levels
 Recommended a Centre for Plant Breeding at the
University of Ghana as the ACCI for W. & C. Africa
(EACI - PASS, AGRA funding)

13. Rockefeller Assessment Mission
(January 2007)
- Dr. Eugene Terry, International Consultant
- Prof. Ronnie Coffman, Cornell University
- Prof. Vern Gracen, Cornell University
- Prof. Mark Laing, ACCI, UKZN, SA
- Mr. Stefan Einarson, Cornell University
- Prof. Eric Danquah, University of Ghana
- Prof. Samuel K. Offei, University of Ghana

14. West Africa Centre for Crop
UG Improvement
 Establishedin June, 2007 to train 40 plant breeders
over a 10-year period (AGRA-PASS grant); additional
GCP grant to train 4 students (2008)
Inauguration of WACCI, 12th March 2008

15. Vision
To become the foremost Centre for
the training of Plant Breeders for
Africa

16. THE WACCI PROGRAMME
An innovative 5-year PhD programme
First year
Foundation courses in plant breeding and related
courses at the University of Ghana

17. Pre- Enrollment English Proficiency Course
for Francophone Students
Listening and
Speaking/Presentation skills
class
Reading and
Academic Writing
class

18. Year 2 - Visiting Scientists
(Advanced Modules)
1
2
5
3 4
11 16
12
6
8
10 13
7
9
14
15

19. Cornell Faculty participate in proposal
presentations as reviewers via Video Conferencing

20. Years III-V
 Relocation of students to
their home institutions for
PhD research work
 Students return to the
WACCI 3-6 months before
the end of 5th year to
complete write-up, submit
and defend thesis

21. Crop focus
 Cereals - Maize, Sorghum, Millet & Rice
 Roots and tubers - Cassava & Sweet potato
 Legumes - Cowpea & Groundnuts
 Vegetables - Tomato & Pepper
Cereals Roots and tubers
Legumes Vegetables

22. Enrollment: 36 PhD students
8 students to enroll in Jan., 2012
Kenya
12 Female (33%)
18 Francophone (50%)
18 Anglophone (50%)

23. AGRA-sponsored
students in the field

24. Mamadou Coulibaly,
Drought tolerance in hybrid maize (IER)
Oumarou Goita,
Alkalinity tolerance in rice
(IER)

25. Mamadou Aissata,
Hybrid Sorghum
(INRAN)
Adama Mamadou Coulibaly, Issaka
Early maturity and drought Ahmadou, Hybrid
tolerance in groundnut Pearl Millet resistant to
(INRAN) downy mildew
(INRAN)
Laouali Nasser Mahamane
Drought tolerant tropical
Oumarou Souleymane
yellow maize
Salinity tolerance in rice
(INRAN)
(INRAN)

26. Ndubuisi D. Njoku, Alhassan Usman, Beatrice Okororogri
Molecular characterisation &
Enhanced beta carotene in Rosette virus resistance
low soil N and striga
cassava (NRCRI) in groundnut
tolerance in maize inbreds
(ABU) IITA
Moses A. Adebayo,
Drought tolerance in Lawan Muhammad
hybrid maize Umar
Chizoba Uzoma
(IITA) Genetic analysis of grain
Okechukwu, Drought
tolerance in maize quality traits of cowpea
(NIHORT) (ABU)

27. Valentin Edgar Traore, Abdalla Dao,
Yellow mottle virus resistance Earliness and drought tolerance in
in rice maize hybrids
(INERA) (INERA)
Some Koussao,
Genetic improvement of sweet potato
for beta carotene and yield (INERA)

28. Maxwell Asante, Solomon G. Ansah,
Grain Quality in rice Phosphorus use efficiency in
(CRI) cowpea
(MoFA)
Vivian Oduro,
Inheritance of sweetness in sweet
potato (BNARI)
Ernest Baafi
Selection gain in end-user
traits of sweet potato
(CRI)
Allen Oppong,
Resistance to MSV in
hybrid maize (CRI)

29. Hortense Mafouasson
Low soil nitrogen
tolerance in maize
(IRAD)
Lilian Tandzi
Aluminium
tolerance in maize
hybrids
(IRAD)

30. KENYA
Alice Kosgei
Drought Tolerance in
Chickpea
Embu Agricultural
Staff Training College

31. GCP-Sponsored Students
Joseph Batieno
Sako Dramane Drought tolerance
and M. phaseolina
QTL analysis of yield resistance in cowpea
components & panicle
architecture in sorghum (IER)
Ruth N. A. Thompson
Post-harvest Physiological
Joseph Adjabeng-Danquah
Deterioration in Cassava
Drought tolerance in cassava (CRI)
(SARI)

32. Partnership with 15 Institutions
GAEC – BNARI, Ghana
Crop Services, Ghana
CSIR- CRI, Ghana
CSIR- PGRRI, Ghana
CSIR – SARI, Ghana
INERA, Burkina Faso
INRAN, Niger
IER, Mali
ABU, Nigeria
NRCRI, Nigeria
IITA, Nigeria
LAUT, Nigeria
IRAD, Cameroon
NIHORT, Nigeria
Embu Agricultural Staff Training
College, Kenya

33. Supervisory visits
(Research supervision by in-country and WACCI supervisors)

34. Mentoring
Dr. Jeffrey D. Ehlers, Joseph Batieno
Cowpea Breeder/Geneticist, GCP Sponsored Student, WACCI
University of California, Riverside.
Jefffrey and Joseph have met face-to-face at WACCI
on two occasions

35. Platform for Networking
Maxwell Asante ,Ghana Oppong
1st (Rice) Allen, Ghana 2nd
Cohort (Maize) Cohort
Mamadou Coulibaly Edgar Traore, Burkina Faso
(Maize) (Rice)

36. Facilities
 High speed internet access and a video
conferencing facility
 Access to electronic resources (TEEAL &
AGORA) and the Mann Library, Cornell
University
 Access to the Biotechnology
Centre, CA&CS, UG

37. Maize breeding programme
• 1,750 hybrids under
evaluation
• Arrangement with Seed
Co, Zimbabwe to test
hybrid varieties in multi-
locational
trials Ghana &
Nigeria)

38. Looking Ahead
Exploring opportunities for win-win linkages
NARIs & other AIs
Partnership with CCAFS?

39. WACCI PHASE II
AGRA is committed to:
 80% of see-out budget for 32 PhD students (First
cohort to complete in December 2012)
 Funding to admit 15 additional students in three
cohorts from July 2013 but we need to maintain
class sizes
We need to urgently diversify our sources of funding
to sustain WACCI.

40. Advisory Board
Dr. Eugene Terry, Senior Technical Advisor, TransFarm
Africa, Washington DC
(Chairman)
Prof. S. K. Offei Prof. M. Laing Dr. R. Madakadze
Prof. E.Y. Prof. R. Coffman Prof. V. Gracen
Member ACCI Rep. AGRA Rep.
Danquah Member Member
Member
40

41. Management & Senior Staff
Eric Danquah Sam Offei Vern Gracen
Director Associate Director Associate Director
(Research) (Teaching & Curriculum
Development)
Naalamle Amissah
Charles The Martin Yeboah
Programme
Plant Breeder Plant Breeder

42. Associate Faculty
Essie Blay
(Plant Genetics & Frank Kumaga Jonathan Ayertey
Breeding) (Plant Physiology) (Entomology)
Kwadwo Asante Edmund Darkwa Kwadwo Ofori
(Plant Genetics) (Plant Pathology) (Plant Breeding)

43. Administrators & Support staff
Mr. Yaw Brako Osei-Tutu Mr. Edward Salakpi
Finance Officer Administrative Officer
Ms. Rita Ayirebi Mr. Ebenezer Addo Mr. Richmond Kyei Mr. Philip Amegadzie
Administrative Assistant Driver Messenger / Cleaner Driver

44. The inescapable conclusion
working with farmers and seed
enterprises to develop improved
varieties to spark a Green Revolution in
West and Central Africa

45. Our first cohort, March 12, 2008
Completion deadline, November 2012
Without these human resources, W & C Africa will have little or no
capacity to adapt to climate change
Thank you