The document summarizes the establishment and goals of the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) in Ghana. WACCI was established in 2007 with funding from the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) to train plant breeders through PhD programs to develop improved crop varieties and accelerate agricultural productivity in West and Central Africa. The program trains students from various countries through coursework, research, and partnerships with national agricultural institutions. So far it has enrolled 36 students and partners with 15 institutions across Africa. The goal is to establish a network of well-trained plant breeders working to develop new varieties that can boost food security and incomes through a Green Revolution.

1. Training Plant Breeders at WACCI to
accelerate the Green Revolution in
West and Central Africa
Eric. Y. Danquah
Director, WACCI
edanquah@wacci.edu.gh
GCP 2011 General Research Meeting , 21-26 September 2011,
Hyderabad, India
(GCP Project Number: G40008.37)

2. The University of Ghana
Ghana’s Premier University
Founded 1948

3. Outline
• Context
–The challenge to a Green Revolution in SSA
• The Promise
WACCI
–Conception & Establishment
–Programme Structure
–Our Students & Facilities
• Looking Ahead
–Linkages, Networking & Sustainability

4. The Challenge to a Green
Revolution in SSA
• No. of breeders below
critical level
• Poor Institutional Structures
• Brain Drain
• Low Yielding Varieties
• High Cost of Production
• Biotic & Abiotic stresses
• Climate Change
• Land & Cultural Issues
Low Productivity
Food Insecurity
Low Breeding
Capacity

5. Food Crops Development Project (2001-2007)
Root and Tuber Improvement Programme (1999-2003)
t/ha
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Start of project
End of project
Yield increases in some food crops
in Ghana following investments

6. Sorghum Hybrid Quadruple Yields in Mali
Sorghum hybrids developed in Mali to quadruple
harvests following support from AGRA
0.8454 0.8392 0.8262
1.0365
1.3433
3.5
Local Variety
(2005)
Local Variety
(2006)
Local Variety
(2007)
Local Variety
(2008)
Local Variety
(2009)
Hybrid Variety
Source: http://www.agra-alliance.org/section/people/stories
Average Yields of Sorghum in Mali (t/ha)

7. 4
15
4
30
12 13
17
5 3
50
17
12
22
17
6
58
11 13
Ghana Burkina Faso Niger Nigeria Mali Cameroon
BSc MSc PhD
Number of Plant Breeders in
selected countries in West Africa
Source: GIPB (http://km.fao.org)

8. 0.7
0.93 0.79 0.71 0.79 0.59 0.53
0.750.587
1.024
0.494 0.437
2.995
0.734
0.456 0.46
Sorghum Maize Millet Rice Yam Groundnut Cowpea Soyabean
Farm Size (Ha) Average Yield (t/ha)
Average farm size and yields of eight major
crops in northern Ghana (Quaye, 2008)
3
6
4
8
BSc MSc MPhil PhD
Highest Degree
Number of plant breeders at CSIR, Ghana
Source: MIS, CSIR, 2011

9. A new generation of plant breeders
trained in West & Central Africa
Plant
Breeder
Well-
trained
Strategic
Thinker
Result
Driven
Team
Player
Focus
On WA
Crops
New varieties

10. The Genesis of the Promise
Rockefeller Foundation - Scoping Study, Dr.
Eugene Terry, August 2006
-to identify universities in West and Central Africa with
potentials to become the nucleus of an Africa-wide plant
breeding capacity program at the MSc. and PhD levels
• Recommended a Centre for Plant Breeding at the
University of Ghana as the ACCI for W. & C. Africa

11. Rockefeller Assessment Mission
(January 2007)
- Dr. Eugene Terry, International Consultant
- Prof. Ronnie Coffman, Cornell University
- Prof. Vern Gracen, Cornell University
- Prof. Mark Laing, ACCI, UKZN, SA
- Mr. Stefan Einarson, Cornell University
- Prof. Eric Danquah, University of Ghana
- Prof. Samuel K. Offei, University of Ghana

12. The University of Ghana had the necessary
capacity to train a new generation of plant
breeders

13. West Africa Centre for Crop
Improvement
• Established in June, 2007 to train 40 plant breeders
over a 10-year period with AGRA-PASS grant
• GCP grant to train 4 students (2008)
Inauguration of WACCI, March 12, 2008 (First cohort, 8
students from Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Niger and Nigeria)
UG

14. THE WACCI PROGRAMME
An innovative 5-year PhD programme
First year
Foundation courses in plant breeding and related
courses at the University of Ghana

15. Pre- Enrollment English Proficiency Course
for Francophone Students
Listening and
Speaking/Presentation skills
class
Reading and
Academic Writing
class

16. 1
2
3 4
6
7
12
10 13
9
14
16
15
11
8
5
Year 2 - Visiting Scientists
(Advanced Modules)

17. Years III-V
• Relocation of students
to their home
institutions for PhD
research work
• Students return to the
WACCI 3-6 months to
the end of 5th year to
complete write-up,
submit and defend
thesis

18. Crop focus
 Cereals - Maize, Sorghum, Millet & Rice
 Roots and tubers - Cassava & Sweet potato
 Legumes - Cowpea & Groundnuts
 Vegetables - Tomato & Pepper
VegetablesLegumes
Roots and tubersCereals

19. Vision
To become the foremost Centre for
the training of Plant Breeders for
Africa

20. Enrollment: 36 PhD students
12 Female (33%)
18 Francophone (50%)
18 Anglophone (50%)
Kenya
8 students to enroll in Jan. 2012

21. GCP-sponsored students
Joseph Adjabeng-Danquah
Drought tolerance in cassava
(SARI)
Joseph Batieno
Drought tolerance
and M. phaseolina
resistance in cowpea
Ruth N. A. Thompson
Post-harvest Physiological
Deterioration in Cassava
(CRI)
Sako Dramane
QTL analysis of yield
components & panicle
architecture in sorghum (IER)

22. Partnership with 15 Institutions
CSIR- PGRRI, Ghana
Crop Services, Ghana
GAEC – BNARI, Ghana
CSIR – SARI, Ghana
CSIR- CRI, Ghana
INERA, Burkina Faso
INRAN, Niger
IER, Mali
ABU, Nigeria
NRCRI, Nigeria
IITA, Nigeria
NIHORT, Nigeria
IRAD, Cameroon
Embu Agricultural Staff Training
College, Kenya
LAUT, Nigeria

23. Supervisory visits
(Research supervision by in-country and WACCI supervisors)

24. Mentoring
Dr. Jeffrey D. Ehlers,
Cowpea Breeder/Geneticist,
University of California, Riverside.
Joseph Batieno
GCP Sponsored Student, WACCI
Jefffrey and Joseph have met face-to-face at WACCI
on two occasions

25. Platform for Networking
Maxwell Asante ,Ghana
(Rice)
Mamadou Coulibaly
(Maize)
Oppong Allen,
Ghana
(Maize)
Edgar Traore, Burkina Faso
(Rice)
2nd
Cohort
1st
Cohort

26. Facilities
• High speed internet access and a video conferencing
facility
• Access to electronic resources (TEEAL & AGORA)
and the Mann Library, Cornell University
• Access to the Biotechnology Centre, CA&CS, UG
• A maize breeding programme with irrigation facilities

27. A maize Breeding Programme
• 1,750 hybrids under
evaluation
• Arrangement with Seed Co,
Zimbabwe to test hybrid
varieties in multi-locational
trials

28. Looking Ahead
Exploring opportunities for win-win linkages
NARIs & other AIs

29. A critical
mass of
plant
breeders
working with farmers and seed
enterprises to develop improved
varieties to spark a Green Revolution in
West and Central Africa

30. Thank you
Our first cohort, March 12, 2008

31. Advisory Board
31
Dr. Eugene Terry, Senior Technical Advisor, TransFarm
Africa, Washington DC
(Chairman)
Prof. E.Y.
Danquah
Member
Prof. S. K. Offei
Member
Prof. V. Gracen
Member
Dr. R. Madakadze
AGRA Rep.
Prof. R. Coffman
Member
Prof. M. Laing
ACCI Rep.