Testing Local Varieties of Sorghum, Cowpea and

Pigeon pea for Climate Change Adaptation

Germplasm selection from genebanks

On-station trials

Farmer varieties

On-farm trials

Collaborators

• National Plant Genetic Resources Centre, Tanzania and the

National Genebank of Kenya provided passport data for all

accessions of the target crops.

• 1609, 199 and 664 accessions of sorghum, cowpea and

pigeon pea respectively were analysed using GIS .

• Passport information was used to select candidate

accessions based on the agro-ecological conditions in which

the collections had been made.

• R software was used to implement a hierarchical clustering

method to group accessions into different categories.

• Accessions were clustered based on three variables (Annual average temperature, Annual precipitation and Agro-ecological

Zone).

• List of accessions selected was sent to the respective organizations to retrieve the accessions from the genebanks.

• Final list of accessions planted in the field included: 62, 20 and 32 accessions of sorghum, cowpea and pigeon pea

respectively.

• Three trial sites were identified in which the selected accessions were grown

for characterization, seed bulking and preliminary evaluation.

• On-station trials were carried out in Kenya (Katumani) and Tanzania (Arusha,

Dodoma and Morogoro).

• The same varieties of seeds were planted in all four sites so as to assess

how each variety performed in the different environmental and climatic

conditions.

• Randomized complete block design (RCBD) was used to lay down the plots.

• Each crop was replicated thrice.

• Same protocols were used for morphological characterization of the

germplasm in all 4 sites.

• On-station morphological characterization data was collected by a technician

on a daily basis during the cropping season.

• Data analysis was done using GeneStat software.

• Results of the on-station trials informed on-farm trials.

• Criteria used to identify the best performing accessions in the on-station

trials involved the following traits; seed yield, days to 50% flowering, pest

and diseases resistance/tolerance and plant height.

• The 20 best performing varieties from the on-station trials were planted in

each trial.

• On-farm trials were carried out in Kenya (Nyando and Makueni) and

Tanzania (Dodoma).

• Each site consisted 4 mother trials and 12 baby trials.

• Farmers who participated in the on-farm trials were randomly selected

from the villages.

• Environmental variation within a site was ensured through selection of

farmers located in different agro-ecological zones.

• Trials were researcher designed and farmer managed.

• Data was collected by field officers from the specific sites.

• MSc students from Kenya managed the Nyando and Makueni trials.

• Participatory Variety Selection (PVS) was conducted in all the on-farm

trials to select farmer preferred varieties.

• Farmers identified and listed the most preferred traits for each crop in

a participatory way.

• In order to have gender differentiated data farmers were grouped

separately i.e. 5 women and 5 men.

• Farmers walked through the on-farm plots to give a score to the

different crop varieties.

• Scores ranged from 1 to 5 i.e. 1 (most preferred) and 5 (less preferred).

For more information: African Biodiversity Conservation and Innovations

Centre, PO Box 100882 – 00101, Tel: +254 20 2330014, Mobile: +254 720

529884 , Nairobi, Kenya, www.abcic.org , info@abcic.org

Morogoro

Arusha

Kathonzweni

Hombolo

Hombolo

Hombolo

Kathonzweni

Hombolo