Current issues in wheat research and production in Eastern, Central and Southern Africa: Constraints and achievements
1991
Tanner, D.G. | Mwangi, W. (Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maiz y Trigo, Nairobi (Kenya). Regional Office)
This paper presents an overview of issues related to the current status of wheat research, production and consumption in 10 countries of Eastern, Central and Southern Africa with the intention of keeping regional wheat researchers abreast of the relevant issues and activities in neighboring countries. The analysis is based to a large extent on data provided by wheat researchers from the region. In general, the region is confronted by rapidly increasing wheat consumption and importation, the latter implying low levels of domestic wheat production. If this situation is to be reversed, policies may be required to restrict wheat consumption, in addition to those that promote wheat production. Wheat production in the region is constrained by low levels of wheat crop management as exemplified by the limited usage of high yielding, semidwarf varieties, fertilizer and other modern inputs as well as irrigation. Developing disease resistant varieties and appropriate wheat production technologies for the highlands and mid-altitude environments, respectively, represent the major challenges to wheat researchers in the region. Wheat breeders in the region released 82 varieties over the past decade, but the pattern of successful adoption of these varieties varied considerably, depending on each country's climatic, technological and socio-economic circumstances. The national wheat programs in the region have relied heavily on in- troduced CIMMYT germplasm, and are not generating a large proportion of their varieties from their own germplasm
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