Development of biotic stress-resistant sorghum cultivars for Niger and Senegal

Award Amount

$818,763 (2013 - 2019)

Research Team

Bonnie Pendleton        Lal Almas
Ndiaga Cisse                 Daniel Fonceka
Abdou Hamé                Aissata Mamadou
Gary Peterson              Ibrahima Sarr
Mark Stelter                 Soumana Souley

U.S.A. collaborating institutions

West Texas A&M University
Texas A&M AgriLife Research
Kansas State University

International collaborating institutions

Niger - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique du Niger (INRAN)
Senegal - Centre d’Etudes Régional pour l’Amélioration de l’Adaptation à la Sécheresse (CERAAS), Centre National de Recherche Agronomique (CNRA), Institut Sénégalais de Recherches Agricoles (ISRA), Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD), Université de Thiès

Challenge

Production and storage of quality grain in West Africa are constrained by abiotic stresses including drought and biotic stresses including insects (sorghum midge, storage beetles and moths) and diseases (grain mold/weathering). The sorghum midge is the most damaging insect pest of sorghum worldwide and can destroy 100% of developing kernels. Grain mold/weathering and storage beetles and moths are serious problems for grain in most production regions. Beetles and moths destroy as much as 40% of stored grain and often require insecticidal treatment.

Solution

This multi-disciplinary research project includes entomology, breeding, and agricultural economics to develop, evaluate, and deploy sorghum genotypes resistant to abiotic and biotic stresses and adapted to indigenous production and storage systems in West Africa. An integrated approach increases agricultural productivity and economic growth, with attention to human nutrition, environmental conservation, development of host-country capacity, and gender equity.

Project Description

In this project, sorghum genotypes with resistance to important stressors in West Africa and the U.S. were selected for managing abiotic and biotic constraints. Sorghums that flower when sorghum midges are present in the field were evaluated to develop resistance to sorghum midge. Research on sorghum time of flowering in relation to environmental factors were used to verify the genetic basis of resistance.

Germplasm resistant to grain mold and weathering in a range of environments were introgressed into sorghums adapted to Niger and Senegal. To protect stored grain, environmentally friendly methods including hermetic storage and plants with natural insecticidal properties were evaluated. Scanning electron microscopy of the structure of sorghum kernels resistant to storage insects were used to increase efficiency for evaluating sorghum genotypes for resistance.

Extension assisted in teaching farmers to identify and manage biotic constraints in the field and storage. Human capacity improved by educating scientists in conventional and molecular research methodology and in graduate degree programs. Production profitability and marketing opportunities for sorghum cultivars with increased resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses were assessed to ensure farmer adoption in West Africa. This project improved human nutrition, human capacity, and environmental conservation while increasing productivity and economic growth for sorghum.

Principal Investigator

Dr. Bonnie Pendleton

West Texas A&M University

Associate Professor of Integrated Pest Management
Entomology
Phone: 806-651-2554
Email: bpendleton@wtamu.edu

Regional Impact

Niger - Aguié, Bkonni, Kollo, Tillabéri
Senegal - Bambey, Thiès

Country Coordinators

Dr. Moustapha Moussa

Coordinator

Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique du Niger (INRAN)

Dr. Ndjido Kane

Director & Coordinator

Institut Sénégalais de Recherches Agricoles du Senegal (ISRA)

Progress and Impact

Sorghum seeds from Texas A&M AgriLife Research at Lubbock were packaged and sent to Niger and Senegal for evaluating for resistance to stresses. Nurseries were planted at three locations in Niger: International Disease and Insect Nursery (IDIN) at Bengou, Midge Line Test (MLT) at Konni, and International Drought Line Test (IDLT) at Lossa. The IDIN and IDLT were provided to collaborators so each could select germplasm that may be useful as a parent in a breeding and selection program. At the research station, technicians viewed and recorded preliminary data on plant growth and evaluated resistance against biotic and abiotic stresses in Niger. Technicians recorded data on booting and flowering sorghum, as well as monitored resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses.

Natural insecticides from four botanicals were evaluated for control of maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais, in Texas. Deterrence tests were done to evaluate the feeding behavior of maize weevils on sorghum treated with botanicals as compared to non-treated sorghum. Additional chemical analyses, including HPLC and NMR, were used to assess the chemical composition of the botanicals. Results were analyzed and were reported in the dissertation of the Niger Ph.D. student at West Texas A&M University. A Ph.D. student in Senegal found that after three months in storage, more adult Tribolium emerged from three varieties, with most (76 adults) emerging from CE-180-33 sorghum. Fewest storage insects (0 to 5) emerged from kernels of Sureno and Macia. Ephestia kuehniella caused most damage to all sorghum genotypes except Sureno and Macia that were only 2.4 and 6.9% damaged, respectively.

Presentations and Publications

Alternative control strategies to reduce damages by storage insect pests of sorghum grain in Niger (West Africa)

Abdou Kadi Kadi, H. & Pendleton, B. B. (November 2017). Alternative control strategies to reduce damages by storage insect pests of sorghum grain in Niger (West Africa). Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America, Denver, Colorado.

Assessing diversity of and alternative management strategies for insect pests of stored sorghum

Abdou Kadi Kadi, H. & Pendleton, B. B. (January 2018). Assessing diversity of and alternative management strategies for insect pests of stored sorghum. Presentation at Sorghum Improvement Conference of North America (SICNA 2018), St. Louis, Missouri.

Assessing diversity of and alternative management strategies for insect pests of stored sorghum

Abdou Kadi Kadi, H. & Pendleton, B. B. (March 2018). Assessing diversity of and alternative management strategies for insect pests of stored sorghum. 3th Annual Faculty Research Poster Session, Canyon, Texas.

Evaluating botanicals to control maize weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in stored sorghum grain

Abdou Kadi Kadi, H. & Pendleton, B. B. (March 2018). Evaluating botanicals to control maize weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in stored sorghum grain. 2018 Meeting of the Southwestern Branch of Entomological Society of America, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Evaluating local botanicals for control of red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum Herbst (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) in sorghum grain

Abdou Kadi Kadi, H. & Pendleton, B. B. (April 2018). Evaluating local botanicals for control of red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum Herbst (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) in sorghum grain. Presentation at Sorghum in the 21st Century: Food, Feed and Fuel in a Rapidly Changing World, Cape Town, South Africa.

Dynamique des populations de la cecidomyie du sorgho Stenodiplosis sorghicola (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) et cycle de developpement des lignees de sorgho (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) dans la zone de Roff (Mbour)

Kandji, O. (2018) Dynamique des populations de la cecidomyie du sorgho Stenodiplosis sorghicola (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) et cycle de developpement des lignees de sorgho (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) dans la zone de Roff (Mbour).

Evaluation de la resistance aux maladies et insectes ravageurs de lignees de sorgho texanes (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) en rapport avec leurs cycles de developpement dans la zone de Nioro du RIP

Marietou, L. (2018) Evaluation de la resistance aux maladies et insectes ravageurs de lignees de sorgho texanes (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) en rapport avec leurs cycles de developpement dans la zone de Nioro du RIP.

Registration of Tx3410 through Tx3428 sorghum germplasm resistant to sugarcane aphid [Melanaphis sacchari (Zehntner)]

Peterson, G. C., Armstrong, J., B.Pendleton, B., & Stelter, M. (June 2018). Registration of Tx3410 through Tx3428 sorghum germplasm resistant to sugarcane aphid [Melanaphis sacchari (Zehntner)]. Journal of Plant Registrations.

Developing sugarcane aphid resistant germplasm in the United States

Peterson, G. C., Stelter, M., Armstrong, S., & Pendleton, B. B. (April 2018). Developing sugarcane aphid resistant germplasm in the United States. Presentation at Sorghum in the 21st Century: Food, Feed and Fuel in a Rapidly Changing World, Cape Town, South Africa.

Sorghum breeding for biotic stress tolerance, Achieving sustainable cultivation of sorghum

Pendleton, B. B. (2018). Sorghum breeding for biotic stress tolerance, Achieving sustainable cultivation of sorghum (pp.345-375). Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing, 1, Cambridge, UK.

Assessing diversity of and alternative management strategies for insect pests of stored sorghum

Pendleton, B. B. & Hamé, A. (March 2018). Assessing diversity of and alternative management strategies for insect pests of stored sorghum. Presentation at 13th Faculty Research Poster Session and Research Fair, Canyon, TX.

Development of biotic stress-resistant sorghum cultivars for Niger and Senegal

Pendleton, B. B., Peterson, G., Abdou Kadi Kadi, H., Sarr, I., Souley, S., & Mamadou, A. (April 2018). Development of biotic stress-resistant sorghum cultivars for Niger and Senegal. Presentation at Sorghum in the 21st Century: Food, Feed and Fuel in a Rapidly Changing World, Cape Town, South Africa.

Evaluating the effect of photoperiod on fitness of sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari, on sorghum

Triplett, E. L. & Pendleton, B. B. (March 2018). Evaluating the effect of photoperiod on fitness of sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari, on sorghum. Presentation at 66th Annual Meeting of the Southwestern Branch of the Entomological Society of America, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Breeding and Agronomy. Sorghum and Millets: Chemistry, Technology, and Nutritional Attributes

Chisi, M. & Peterson, G. (2019). Breeding and Agronomy. Sorghum and Millets: Chemistry, Technology, and Nutritional Attributes, 23–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-811527-5.00002-2

Sorghum Brown Midrib19 (Bmr19) Gene Links Lignin Biosynthesis to Folate Metabolism

Adeyanju, A.O., Sattler, S.E., Rich, P.J., Rivera-Burgos, L.A., Xu, X., & Ejeta, G. (2021b). Sorghum Brown Midrib19 (Bmr19) Gene Links Lignin Biosynthesis to Folate Metabolism. Genes 2021, Vol. 12, Page 660, 12(5), 660. https://doi.org/10.3390/GENES12050660

Climate variability and risk analysis of grain sorghum production in the Texas panhandle

Abdou Kadi Kadi, H. & B.Pendleton, B. (May 2018). Developpement des variétés de sorgho résistantes aux contraintes biotiques au Niger. Conference des Mercredis, 30 May 2018, Niamey, Niger.

Climate variability and risk analysis of grain sorghum production in the Texas panhandle

Almas, L., Pendleton, B. B., & Guerrero, B. (April 2018). Climate variability and risk analysis of grain sorghum production in the Texas panhandle. Presentation at Sorghum in the 21st Century: Food, Feed and Fuel in a Rapidly Changing World, Cape Town, South Africa.

Sorghum breeding for biotic stress tolerance, Achieving sustainable cultivation of sorghum

Perumal, R., Magill, C., Peterson, G., Prom, L., Tesso, T.... (2018). Sorghum breeding for biotic stress tolerance, Achieving sustainable cultivation of sorghum (pp.189-226). Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing, 1, Cambridge, UK.

Evaluation of sorghum lines for resistance to diseases and insect pests in Senegal

Sarr, I., Sene, G., Sarr, A., Ly, M., Pendleton, B. B.... (April 2018). Evaluation of sorghum lines for resistance to diseases and insect pests in Senegal. Presentation at Sorghum in the 21st Century: Food, Feed and Fuel for a Rapid Changing World, Cape Town, South Africa.

Evaluation de la resistance a la cecidomyie de divers genotypes ou varietes de sorgho et effect de la periode de floraison sur leur tolerance au Senegal

Thiam, A. N. (2018) Evaluation de la resistance a la cecidomyie de divers genotypes ou varietes de sorgho et effect de la periode de floraison sur leur tolerance au Senegal.

Occurrence of the midge (Stenodiplosis sorghicola, Diptera: Cecidomiyidae), development cycle and resistance of different sorghum lines in Senegal

Thiam, A. N., Sarr, I., Kandji, O., Cissé, N., Pendleton, B. B., Peterson, G. C., & NDiaye, S. (June 2018). Occurrence of the midge (Stenodiplosis sorghicola, Diptera: Cecidomiyidae), development cycle and resistance of different sorghum lines in Senegal. Presentation at Doctoriales (2eme Edition) 2018, University of Thies auditorium (Thies, Senegal).

Occurrence of the midge (Stenodiplosis sorghicola, Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), development cycle and resistance of different sorghum lines in Senegal

Thiam, A. N., Sarr, I., Kandji, O., Cissé, N., Pendleton, B. B., Peterson, G. C., & NDiaye, S. (April 2018). Occurrence of the midge (Stenodiplosis sorghicola, Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), development cycle and resistance of different sorghum lines in Senegal. Presentation at Sorghum 21st Century: Food, Feed and Fuel in a Rapidly Changing World, Cape Town, South Africa.

Effect of photoperiod on sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari, on sorghum

Triplett, E. L. & Pendleton, B. B. (October 2017). Effect of photoperiod on sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari, on sorghum. Presentation at Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America, Denver, Colorado.

Effect of photoperiod on sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari, on sorghum

Triplett, E. L. & Pendleton, B. B. (January 2018). Effect of photoperiod on sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari, on sorghum. Presentation at Sorghum Improvement Conference of North America, St. Louis, Missouri.

Evaluation de la resistance varietale et de methodes alternatives pour la gestion des principaux insectes des stocks du mil/sorgho au Senegal

Welle, F. (2018) Evaluation de la resistance varietale et de methodes alternatives pour la gestion des principaux insectes des stocks du mil/sorgho au Senegal.

Resistance of sorghum lines to storage insects in Senegal

Welle, F., Sarr, I., Gueye, M. T., Diarra, K., Pendleton, B. B., & Peterson, G. C. (April 2018). Resistance of sorghum lines to storage insects in Senegal. Presentation at Sorghum in the 21st Century: Food, Feed and Fuel for a Rapidly Changing World, Cape Town, South Africa.