Diagnostic Appraisal of the Sorghum Farming System and Breeding Priorities in Sierra Leone

Francis Okot, Mark Laing, Hussein Shimelis and Walter A. J. de Milliano
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Francis Okot: African Center for Crop Improvement, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3209, South Africa
Mark Laing: African Center for Crop Improvement, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3209, South Africa
Hussein Shimelis: African Center for Crop Improvement, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3209, South Africa
Walter A. J. de Milliano: Maatschap de Milliano-Meijer, Bakkersstraat 62, 4501RB Oostburg, The Netherlands

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 12, 1-18

Abstract: Understanding demographic structures, production constraints, and trait preferences is essential for setting up crop breeding goals and enhancing adoption strategies for new varieties. The objective of this study was to document the sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) production constraints and preferred sorghum traits to guide breeding in Sierra Leone. A participatory rural appraisal was used to collect data from 210 farmers across seven districts in Sierra Leone in 2019. Results showed that all sorghum varieties in cultivation are landraces. Poor access to fertilizer (91%), lack of suitable varieties (85%), poor agronomic knowledge (79%), low yielding varieties (78%), storage pests (75%), field pests (67%), low soil fertility (52%), lack of market (49%), sorghum disease (43%), drought (16%), and heavy rainfall (12%) are key production constraints limiting sorghum production. Farmers expressed interest in adopting new varieties with high yield (99%), disease (84%) and pest (81%) resistance, drought tolerance (50%), white grain (59%), and short height (53%). The prioritized traits will form the basis for farmer-oriented sorghum breeding.

Keywords: sorghum; breeding priority; participatory rural appraisal (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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