Since its domestication some 9,000 years ago, maize (Zea mays L.; corn) has played an
increasing and diverse role in global agri-food systems. Global maize production has surged …

Key message Intensive public sector breeding efforts and public-private partnerships have
led to the increase in genetic gains, and deployment of elite climate-resilient maize cultivars …

Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (JE Smith), an economically important pest native to
tropical and sub-tropical America has recently invaded Africa, causing substantial damage …

Climate change severely affects sub-Saharan African economies in several ways: increased
temperatures, erratic rainfall variability patterns, and recurrent droughts and floods. Such …

Plant breeding is a key mechanism for adaptation of cropping systems to climate change.
Much discussion of breeding for climate change focuses on genes with large effects on heat …

Constraints in field phenotyping capability limit our ability to dissect the genetics of
quantitative traits, particularly those related to yield and stress tolerance (eg, yield potential …

Abstract In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA),“maize is life,” due to its importance to food security
and economic wellbeing. Around 40% of Africa's maize-growing area faces occasional …

Agriculture and the economies of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are highly sensitive to climatic
variability. Drought, in particular, represents one of the most important natural factors …

Conservation agriculture (CA), comprising minimum soil disturbance, retention of crop
residues and crop diversification, is widely promoted for reducing soil degradation and …

Abiotic stresses arising from climate change negates crop growth and yield, leading to food
insecurity. Drought causes oxidative stress on plants, arising from excessive production of …