Informations et ressources scientifiques
sur le développement des zones arides et semi-arides

Titre : Improving the oilseed crop noug (Guizotia abyssinica) through the utilization of its genetic resources in Ethiopia

Pays/Région : Ethiopîe

Date : 1 January 2014–31 December 2016

Identifiant : 2014-03517_VR

Présentation
Ethiopia produces only about 20% of its edible oil domestically and is reliant on imports for the remainder. The improvement of noug (Guizotia abyssinica) is therefore thought to significantly contribute towards the country ?

s food security and sustainable development and self-sufficiency in edible oil. As the global population continues to grow, food security issues become more important and demand for diverse and high-quality seed oils continues to increase. Thus, investment in the improvement of noug will likely be of benefit beyond Ethiopia ?s borders and could potentially lead to the expansion of the crop to new areas. We aim to increase yield and nutritional values of noug through the use of recently developed genotypes as well as through characterization of noug gene pool in farmer participatory trials. In the proposed project, we will determine breeding values of noug through evaluation across a variety of agro-ecological zones in Ethiopia to match landraces with local agricultural conditions ; conduct pre-breeding to fully exploit the noug gene pool and improve yield, oil content and nutritional quality ; develop genomic tools for noug to accelerate breeding programs and generate knowledge that enable the employment of marker-assisted breeding. We will make direct contributions to sustainable agricultural development in Ethiopia through the provision of superior planting material for noug, and facilitate better income generation for noug growers and their families.

Coordination : Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Financement : Swedish Research Council
Budget : 2,999,999 kr

Swecris project database