Characteristization of Sorghum Production Constraints and Ideal Plant and Variety Traits as Perceived by Farmers in Niger - Abstract
The development of successful improved sorghum varieties for the Western Africa requires the incorporation of farmer’s perceptions and desires into the end product. Failure to do this in the past probably explains the low rate of adoption of improved varieties in Niger. Participatory rural appraisal (PRA) tools, such as focus group discussions and survey questionnaires, were used to collect data from farmers on their sorghum farming systems, their production constraints, and their preferences and their acceptance of new improved sorghum varieties. A survey involving 100 small-scale farmers was conducted in two villages in the region of Maradi. Results revealed that sorghum production systems in Niger are improving even though the practice of agriculture is still largely characterized by marginal growing environments. They also showed that 46% of farmers were growing improved varieties with inorganic fertilizer and fungicides in very small quantities. Relatively high incidences of heat, drought and low soil fertility, spatial variability in
rainfall patterns, low use of external inputs such as improved varieties, and the use of traditional agricultural implements characterized the growing environments. Major production constraints include lack of modern agricultural equipment, parasitic pests and diseases (Striga, sorghum midge, mildew, long smut), lack of education, lack of improved varieties, poor soils, the weather (drought, wind), long maturity period of landraces, low grain yield potential and lack of sufficient arable land. Earliness and high yield of improved varieties were the most important criteria for farmers to choose a new variety, but they indicated they would not totally reject their local varieties because of social considerations. Cultivar improvement should therefore target characteristics of local varieties in the creation of new ones. Early maturing varieties with high yield potential, resistance to drought, sorghum midge, downy mildew and long smut would be welcomed by farmers.