Genomic Prediction to Deliver Heat Tolerant Wheat to the Senegal River Basin (Phase II)

Climate change and the increase of the average temperatures are reducing the agricultural productivity. Breeding durum wheat along the Senegal River shall help in getting ready to the raising temperatures of tomorrow.

The deployment of traditional molecular breeding and genomic selection will combined and compared for the delivery of superior heat tolerant durum wheat cultivars. The ICARDA's heat tolerant germplasm, already identified during the previous phase of this project (U-Forsk 2013), and the identification of molecular markers associated to the tolerance of this stress will be combined to pyramid these traits. The collaborative research between SLU, ISRA, CNRADA and ICARDA will provide detailed data on the tolerance of durum wheat to warming climates, but also will be used to test a novel technique: genomic selection. A key component of the project is the training of a Senegalese and Moroccan young scientist in a sandwich program between the two institutions. All field experiments will be conducted in Morocco, and at two stations in Senegal and Mauritania.

The project aim and research activities are fundamentally oriented to deliver durum wheat superior cultivars, for those areas where it is affected by heat stress, with a special focus on the Senegal River region. This will be possible through the ICARDA's heat tolerant genotypes and the genomic selection technique. The analysis and selection of the different durum wheat lines will be done in Morocco, Senegal and Mauritania. The new varieties will contribute to help farmers having constant harvest and reduce food risks caused by climate change. Then, through various training activities, the capacity decision of the local staff will be enhanced in order to ensure the lasting of the results once the project will be completed. So, by an accurate use of the available resources, technologies and the capacity development of the staff involved in the various activities, it will be possible to achieve the final goal of the project, consisting in the reduction of risk hunger in heat affected areas and revitalization of rural communities.