The Sweetpotato Action for Security and Health in Africa (SASHA) is a five-year initiative designed to improve the food security and livelihoods of poor families in Sub-Saharan Africa by exploiting the untapped potential of sweetpotato. It will develop the essential capacities, products, and methods to reposition sweetpotato in food economies of Sub-Saharan African countries to alleviate poverty and under-nutrition.

Progress in Breeding Orange-fleshed Sweetpotato in sub-Saharan Africa Mwanga R., G. Ssemakula, B. Yada, J. Kreuze, S. Fuentes, J. Low, W. Grüneberg, E. Carey, M. Andrade, E. Lukonge, B. Kivuva, J. Ndirigwe, C. Yencho

Planet Earth Institute Spotlight Seminar: The Future of Agriculture in Africa

The Library, Royal Society of Chemistry, Burlington House, London, UK

March 15, 2017

SWEETPOTATO ACTION FOR SECURITY AND HEALTH IN AFRICA

Outline of presentation• Background, yield losses due to sweetpotato

virus disease (SPVD)• Old sweetpotato breeding cycle • Breeding for beta-carotene (orange flesh)• Progress to date

Sweetpotato Virus Disease (SPVD) Causes Significant Yield Losses (50->90%) (drought?)

Clark et al. 2012: Plant Disease

Developing populations for SPVD resistance and quality traits

Regional genotype x environment orange-fleshed sweetpotato trials, 15 Trial Sites 2006/2007

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Serere Namulonge

KakamegaBukoba

HomboloKibaha

AngoniGurue

MandotoMimosa

Rubona Kibundu

Umbelezi

Zanzibar Kizimbani

Kacwekano

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Not to scale

Sweetpotato seed sent from Uganda to SSA Countries in 2007/2008 (Total amount of seed: 471,405)

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152,64037,350

10,540

32,850 90,400

21,00071,010

9,705

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Not to scale .8,000

20,320

17,590.

Variety Selection/Breeding

Combine high beta-carotene with other major desirable traits -

Accelerated Breeding

Multiplication ratios: cassava/sweetpotato and maize

Multiply new breeding lines in screen/glass houses, irrigated fields

Use more sites at earlier stages in the breeding cycle to substitute for fewer sites over more seasons

Sweetpotato Action for Security and Health in Africa (SASHA) –from 2009 supported sweetpotato platforms

African sweetpotato breeders breed in Africa for Africa using the latest knowledge and efficient methods

12 Countries with crossing blocks/breeding

3 Countries with sweetpotato evaluation/ selection activities

Since 2009 nine countries have released 56 new superior varieties; 40 of them orange-fleshed

Thank you for your attention

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