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February 22, 2008
Source:
CropBiotech Update
The North Africa Biosciences
Network (NABNet), one of the four networks of NEPAD/Biosciences
Initiative, has started a project aimed at improving barley
production in North Africa.
Poor yield of barley in the area has been attributed to lack of
drought and salinity tolerant cultivars. Although the available
varieties in North Africa are mainly suitable for livestock
consumption, people are increasingly eating them due to lack of
better alternatives, the director of NABNet Prof Mohamed Elarbi
noted. I
t was with this in mind that WABNet organized a meeting of
experts in Tunisia recently to review progress of the project
titled "Genetic improvement of nutritional quality and drought
and salinity tolerance of North African barley germplasm" aimed
at improving the crop.
With funding from the Canadian International Development Agency,
the NABNet Barley team agreed to seek collaboration from
relevant regional and international organizations to undertake
comprehensive genetic resources evaluation, physiological and
biochemical characterization, biotechnological improvement and
field assessment.
Institutions involved in the project include Egypt's National
Research Centre (NRC) and Agricultural Genetic Engineering
Research Institute (AGERI); Tunisia's Centre de Biotechnology de
Borj Cedria (CBBC) and Institut National de la Recherche
Agronomique (INERA) and Algeria's Institut National de La
Recherche Agronomique (INRAA).
For more information contact Prof Elarbi
(nabnet@nepadst.org) or
Daniel Otunge of ISAAA AfriCenter
(d.otunge@cgiar.org).
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Researchers in Algeria, Egypt and Tunisia have
teamed up to develop drought-resistant barley |
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March 11, 2008
Hichem Boum,
SciDev.Net
Agricultural researchers in
Algeria, Egypt and Tunisia have teamed up to create
drought-resistant and salt-tolerant varieties of barley better
suited to the North African region.
The project, funded by the Canadian
International Development Research Centre and overseen by
the New Partnership for Africa's Development North Africa
Biosciences Network, will see thirty scientists from five
organisations spending the next two years developing the barley
varieties.
Barley is traditionally used as animal feed in much of North
Africa, but lack of alternative food sources is leading to human
consumption.
Algeria's National Institute of
Agricultural Research (INRAA), Egypt's National Research
Centre and Agricultural Genetic Engineering Research Institute,
and Tunisia's Centre of Biotechnology and National Institute of
Agriculture Research will be involved in the project.
The researchers met in Borj Essedria in southern Tunisia last
month (10–11 February) to discuss genetic techniques — including
genetic modification — that could be used to increase barley's
nutritional quality, as well as make it drought- and
saltwater-tolerant.
"We want to develop two varieties of barley in each country,
making a total of six varieties expected to be resistant to
drought and high salinity," says Hussein Irikti, coordinator of
scientific activities and research for INRAA, which is
overseeing Algeria's role in the project.
"If we succeed in achieving the goal, we will launch another
programme bigger and broader than this," he adds.
Irikti says they are focusing on barley because it is
"exceptional, very adaptable to different climates, resisting
drought and high temperature compared to other cereals — in
addition to containing vitamins that are not found in other
grains. It is a strategic challenge for North Africa, which
suffers from drought and high degree of salinity."
Skander Mekersi, deputy director of INRAA, said researchers
would share skills and equipment, adding that INRAA has invested
equipment worth US$20,000 into the project. |
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