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Introductory Episode about SATREPS Wheat Project
A brief note about the SATREPS Wheat Project in Sudan
Wheat Consumption and productivity statistics (source: faostats 2020)
Introduction
Wheat in Sudan has a great history that extends back to a thousand years BC. The Nubians in northern Sudan cultivated wheat and used it as their primary food. However, the cultivation of wheat in Sudan remained confined to the north of latitude 17° N in narrow areas by primitive methods and traditional varieties.
Due to the steady population growth, waves of urban displacement, and changing food patterns, obtaining bread has become an inevitable extension of people's suffering due to scarcity or because of its prices that do not suit people with limited income. Until WWII, all attempts to expand wheat cultivation south of Khartoum failed due to the lack of appropriate varieties and technologies.
Since the 1960s, the Agricultural Research Corporation has developed more than 70 different agricultural technologies, including more than 30 wheat varieties suitable for the heat-stress environment in Sudan. This led to the expansion of wheat cultivation in areas that were classified as unsuitable environments, such as Gezira, New Halfa, White Nile, and others. Despite this expansion in wheat cultivation, the biggest challenge was the significant increase in consumption. For example; the annual rate of increase in wheat production from 1960 to 2016 was about 9400 tons annually, but the rate of increase in consumption for the same period exceeded about 42000 tons annually. To cover this deficit between production and consumption, wheat has been imported in large quantities, for example, 2.5 million tons were imported in 2014, with a value of more than one billion dollars.
To address these challenges and bridge the wide gap between production and consumption in light of climate changes that are expected to exacerbate, it was necessary to think of innovative means and methods to increase wheat productivity by providing appropriate technologies that can contribute positively to mitigating the adverse effects and risks that may result from climate changes based on agricultural research for development, taking into account the optimal use of natural resources.
To achieve this and other goals, the project “Development of climate change resilient innovative technologies for sustainable wheat production in the dry and heat prone agroecologies of Sudan and Sub-Saharan Africa” which established its scientific foundations to formulate the future of wheat in Sudan was launched.
The project is co-funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), and the Government of Sudan. The implementing agencies in Sudan are the Agricultural Research Corporation in cooperation with the Sudan Meteorological Authority, whereas the implementing agencies in Japan are Tottori University in cooperation with Utsunomiya University.
The objectives of the SATREPS Wheat Project are:
Improving the nutritional value and accelerating the process of improving wheat to adapt to climate changes through the application of modern technologies and identifying the mechanisms that lead to adapting wheat to abiotic stresses.
Develop alternative scenarios and models for wheat production in Sudan that are appropriate to future climate changes and use them to determine priorities and develop strategies for improving wheat production and providing information for future wheat-breeding strategies.
Capacity building and development and dissemination of agricultural technologies and innovations by strengthening research facilities and enhancing capacities of all stakeholders along the wheat value chain, and implementing seed production plans.
Work plans of the SATREPS Wheat Project:
For effective implementation of the project to achieve its goals and objectives, the project plans and programs were divided into five working groups that considered all disciplines and target aspects. These groups are:
The breeding group: to improve wheat through the application of modern technologies (genomics, molecular breeding, bioinformatics) to adapt to climate changes and develop varieties resilient to heat, water deficiency, and nutrient deficiency.
The quality group: to improve the nutritional value and end-use quality of wheat under conditions of thermal and water stresses.
The physiology group: to identify the mechanisms that lead to the adaptation of wheat to abiotic stresses (heat, lack of water, etc.).
The climate change group: whose mission is to develop alternative scenarios and models for wheat production in Sudan that are suitable for climate changes in the future, and to use them to set priorities and develop strategies to improve wheat production.
The capacity building and social implementation group: to strengthen the capacity of research, researchers, and farmers and enhance interaction among different stakeholders for increased and sustainable wheat production following the methodology of innovation platforms.
Major Achievements and Milestones:
Specifics of research results leading to social implementation:
In addition to what is practiced in most wheat research programs in the world, including Sudan, the research work in this project relies on the use of genetic resources with wide genetic diversity derived from wild relatives of wheat in order to overcome the problem of narrow genetic diversity and to increase the chances of success.
All the specialized research groups are working in an integrated manner both in Japan and Sudan.
Breeding group: Group Leaders: Prof. Hisashi Tsujimoto/ Prof. Izzat Tahir
1. Evaluated the wheat germplasm in multi-environment trials in Sudan and Japan and identified several heat and drought-tolerant lines.
2. Identified agronomically important QTLs and markers and established a molecular breeding platform to develop new wheat cultivars tolerant to heat or drought using the newly identified QTLs.
3. Produced the early generation seeds (breeder, pre-basic, and basic seeds) of the commercial and recently released wheat cultivars, which are used to produce certified seeds to be disseminated to farmers.
The quality research group: Group leaders: Prof. Tanaka/ Dr. Hala Elamein
1. Studied the end-use quality and nutritional value in the developed germplasm and identified several potential lines that combine both tolerance and enhanced end-use quality
2. Identified new QTLs that control heat tolerance and enhanced end-use quality.
The plant physiology group: Group Leaders: Prof. Akashi/ Dr. Abu Sefyan Ibrahim
1. Explored the physiological mechanism of heat and drought tolerance in the new germplasm using metabolomics and transcriptomic.
2. Identified the key physiological and biochemical factors underlying heat and drought adaptation.
3. Established a new analysis platform to understand crop response under stress conditions.
The climate change group: Group leaders: Prof. Tsubo/ Dr. Abu Elgasim Ibrahim
1. Analyzed Sudan's past and future climate and proposed the necessary measures to avoid the climate change risk.
2. Conducted several field studies to develop innovations to mitigate the climate change risk.
Capacity building and social implementation group: Group leaders: Dr. Yasir Gorafi/ Dr. Amani Idris
1. Conducted a baseline survey in Sudan's major wheat production states and identified the intervention areas.
2. Conducted long-term training for PhD degree in Japan (7 students), and short-term training for researchers in Japan (5 trainees).
3. Conducted three training workshops for farmers, extensionists, and seed producers from both public and private sectors.
4. Established six innovation platforms (IP) for technology validation and dissemination in the main wheat production states, Gezira (2 IPs), New Halfa (2 IPs), River Nile (1 IP), and Northern State (1 IP).
The IP allows different stakeholders to interact with each other to better understand each other, learn and develop shared priorities, define roles, and agree on joint actions and work plans towards the realization of the agricultural revival and development.
5. In partnership with public and private sectors (PPP), certified seeds of the popular and recently released wheat cultivars were produced and disseminated to farmers in the IPs sites.
The quantity of seed produced through the project in partnership with the public and private sector increased from 41.7 tons in season 2019/20 to 5411 tons in season 2021/2022 and is expected to reach more than 7150 tons in season 2022/23. The project with its partners contributed only 0.12% to the total national seed production in the first season- (2019/20); however, the contribution increased to 18.7 % in season 2021/2022 and is expected to reach more than 35% in season 2022/23.
6. Conducted training and technical backstopping to the farmers within the IPs through the production of manuals and pamphlets for wheat production technological options, farmers' field schools, technology validation and dissemination plots, training workshops and technical symposia, filed and harvest days, and several TV and radio training programs.
In addition, five innovative drama-based episodes were produced and broadcasted via different media including YouTube, TV, public transportation buses and trains, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, etc. On the YouTube channel only, more than 17500 views have been recorded to these episodes so far (https://www.youtube.com/@-satrepswheatprojectsudan-5600/videos).
So far, more than 1000 farmers, agric. engineers, technicians, extensionists, seed producers, input providers, etc. directly or indirectly benefited from the activities of the project at different IP sites.
A direct comparison between the participating (PF) and non-participating farmers (NPF) in the activities of the project in 2021/22 showed an increase in the productivity of PF by 33% compared to NPF. For instance, farmers' feedback in the annual review and planting meetings and the field days indicated considerable increases in areas and productivity of wheat at IP sites. For example, an increase in average productivity within Wad Hussain IP in Gezira from 1.9 tons/ha to 3.3 tons/ha was reported.
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