67
© The Author(s) 2019
T. S. Rosenstock et al. (eds.), The Climate-Smart Agriculture Papers,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92798-5_6
Chapter 6
Role and Challenges of the Private Seed
Sector in Developing and Disseminating
Climate- Smart Crop Varieties in Eastern
and Southern Africa
Biswanath Das, Francois Van Deventer, Andries Wessels, Given Mudenda,
John Key, and Dusan Ristanovic
6.1 Introduction
CC poses a significant risk to crop production across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA),
with ESA particularly vulnerable to the projected changes. Temperature increases
are estimated to rise at a rate above the global average during the twenty-first century and it is predicted that by 2050 will significantly change the cropping duration
for key staple crops (Cairns et al. 2013; Schlenker and Lobell 2010; Niang et al.
2014; James and Washington 2013; Challinor et al. 2016). Meanwhile, precipitation
is projected to increase in parts of eastern Africa but decrease significantly in southern Africa. The combined heat and drought stress in parts of ESA is projected to
reduce yields of staple cereals by as much as 30% within two decades (Niang et al.
2014; Lobell et al. 2008).
Smallholder, subsistence farmers constitute over 70% of the population in ESA
and account for over 75% of agricultural output (AGRA 2017). They are the group
most vulnerable to CC and require urgent, scalable access to CS crop varieties with
adaptive characteristics that can tolerate future climes. These include; tolerance to
combined heat and drought stress, waterlogging and lodging stress, post-harvest
storability, maintenance of nutritive value in warmer climes, and adaptation to new
and shifting incidences of pests and diseases. To deliver CS crop varieties in CC
B. Das (*) · G. Mudenda
Syngenta, Lusaka, Zambia
e-mail: biswanath.das@syngenta.com
F. Van Deventer · A. Wessels
Syngenta, Midrand, South Africa
J. Key
Syngenta, Basel, Switzerland
D. Ristanovic
Plant Breeding Consultant, Lusaka, Zambia
© The Author(s) 2019
T. S. Rosenstock et al. (eds.), The Climate-Smart Agriculture Papers,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92798-5_6
Chapter 6
Role and Challenges of the Private Seed
Sector in Developing and Disseminating
Climate- Smart Crop Varieties in Eastern
and Southern Africa
Biswanath Das, Francois Van Deventer, Andries Wessels, Given Mudenda,
John Key, and Dusan Ristanovic
6.1 Introduction
CC poses a significant risk to crop production across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA),
with ESA particularly vulnerable to the projected changes. Temperature increases
are estimated to rise at a rate above the global average during the twenty-first century and it is predicted that by 2050 will significantly change the cropping duration
for key staple crops (Cairns et al. 2013; Schlenker and Lobell 2010; Niang et al.
2014; James and Washington 2013; Challinor et al. 2016). Meanwhile, precipitation
is projected to increase in parts of eastern Africa but decrease significantly in southern Africa. The combined heat and drought stress in parts of ESA is projected to
reduce yields of staple cereals by as much as 30% within two decades (Niang et al.
2014; Lobell et al. 2008).
Smallholder, subsistence farmers constitute over 70% of the population in ESA
and account for over 75% of agricultural output (AGRA 2017). They are the group
most vulnerable to CC and require urgent, scalable access to CS crop varieties with
adaptive characteristics that can tolerate future climes. These include; tolerance to
combined heat and drought stress, waterlogging and lodging stress, post-harvest
storability, maintenance of nutritive value in warmer climes, and adaptation to new
and shifting incidences of pests and diseases. To deliver CS crop varieties in CC
B. Das (*) · G. Mudenda
Syngenta, Lusaka, Zambia
e-mail: biswanath.das@syngenta.com
F. Van Deventer · A. Wessels
Syngenta, Midrand, South Africa
J. Key
Syngenta, Basel, Switzerland
D. Ristanovic
Plant Breeding Consultant, Lusaka, Zambia