Sudan emerges as research hub for African and Arab food security

Sudan emerges as research hub for African and Arab food security Despite the extreme heat and aridity that often constrain agricultural production systems in Sudan, recent research activities are demonstrating significant potential and convincing the country’s policymakers to increase investments in the agricultural sector. ICARDA recently established a research location in Sudan where high temperatures and short growing seasons provide optimal conditions for breeding heat-tolerant, early season wheat and food legume varieties. Recent visits by ICARDA scientists and management to demonstration plots revealed that these varieties are performing well and could hold the key to national food security. The visits also validated the integrated approach being pursued there – the varieties are introduced as components of technology packages, including innovations such as supplemental irrigation. The heat tolerance research platform confirmed Sudan’s growing importance to agricultural research for development initiatives, and its emergence as an important resource for regional food security. Crop varieties developed in the country are now being scaled-up to countries with similar conditions - some were recently introduced to northern Nigeria through an AfDB-funded initiative where they have proved to be successful, generating some three tons per hectare. details http://www.icarda.org/blog/%5Bnode%3ABlog%20type%5Dsudan-emerges-research-hub-african-and-arab-food-security?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter#sthash.PBc1IpFI.dpuf