Improving food security by enhancing sesame production in the post-conflict-affected areas in Sudan

Sustainable crop production is important for the livelihoods of poor farmers, and for food security and nutrition, in Sudan as elsewhere.

Crop production has been decimated by massive political instabilities in the post-conflict-affected areas (PCAA) of Sudan, which caused large numbers of farmers to abandon their lands. Furthermore, climate change, and biotic and abiotic stresses are significantly challenging the cropping ecosystems.

Sesame is by far the largest cash crop in Sudan and can therefore play an important role in the recovery of returnees livelihoods in PCAA.

However, inadequate research knowledge and lack of breeding efforts hinder the release of high yielding, good quality and highly adapted sesame cultivars in Sudan.

The presence of untapped genetic variation in the Sudanese sesame landraces, adapted cultivars, breeding lines and wild relatives can be exploited for the development of superior cultivars.

The main objectives of this project are 1) Participatory selection and promotion of superior genotypes; 2) Field-based phenotyping; 3) Genomic characterization and development of molecular markers; 4) Developing superior genotypes; and 5) Capacity development.

The outcome of this project is to improve food and nutrition security and restore the lives of the vulnerable farmers in the PCAA.

This project opens up opportunities to boost the local economy and contribute to reducing poverty locally and improving the livelihood status of vulnerable groups.