The UK-CGIAR Centre has created three new projects to support the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS), a collaborative, global effort to build resilient food systems by developing climate-adapted crops and improving soil health. The VACS movement aims to increase the adoption of what it describes as “opportunity crops”, defined as “those with unrealized potential to improve food and nutrition security in a time of climate change”.
CABI’s Dr Richard Shaw, Director of the UK-CGIAR Centre, said, “these dynamic new collaborations between UK institutes, CGIAR centres and local partners will work together to realise the enormous potential of several VACS opportunity crops.”
Project – Improving climate adaptation in sub-Saharan Africa’s agricultural sector
A Climate-Smart Agronomy Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (AgVACS) will explore how opportunity crops can be integrated into climate-smart agronomy to improve the productivity, resilience and sustainability of smallholder farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa. Working in Ghana and Nigeria, the research will focus on priority crops identified by the VACS initiative, especially legumes.
This project is a partnership between Rothamsted Research, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), and the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT (ABC). The other UK institutes involved are the University of Nottingham and the University of Warwick. The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research–Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR–SARI) in Ghana, and Bayero University Kano (BUK) in Nigeria are the national partners.
The leads of the national research partners agreed that “the research could play a vital role in strengthening the climate resilience of smallholder farming systems in Ghana and Nigeria and improving the wellbeing of poor and vulnerable populations.” In the long run, they hope AgVACS will provide a model for wider VACS research.
Project – Enhancing the heat resistance of pigeon pea
Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) is a popular grain legume. The crop’s drought tolerance, nutritional qualities, and soil improvement potential make it a promising crop for sustainable agriculture in many climate-challenged regions. Despite its popularity, pigeon pea production is vulnerable to rising temperatures because the plant struggles under heat stress.
This project aims to improve pigeon pea’s performance under rising soil temperatures and boost productivity of the crop by researching how the plant’s root system responds to heat stress, something which is not well understood yet by science.
Dr Rahul Bhosale, Research Fellow at the University of Nottingham and one of the project leads, said, “Resolving this scientific challenge could have far-reaching implications. In the long term, the work could make an important contribution to safeguarding food security, reducing poverty, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices, particularly for vulnerable populations in low-and middle-income countries.”
This project will see the University of Nottingham teaming up with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), CIMMYT and national partners from India (IIPR, Kanpur; UAS, Raichur & Dharwad; PJTSAU, Telangana), Kenya (KALRO), Malawi (DARS), Tanzania (TARI) and Mozambique (IIAM). The teams will be working in India, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania – key pigeon pea-producing countries.
Project – Unlocking the potential of Bambara groundnut
Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea) has huge potential to help address global food and nutrition security challenges. It thrives in poor soils, supports soil health through nitrogen fixation, and provides a highly nutritious food source – especially valuable traits in areas affected by poverty, malnutrition, and water scarcity. However, the plant remains underutilized due to yield instability, long cooking times and adaptation issues. The research for the project aims to create the genomic and breeding resources and technologies needed to develop new and improved varieties. The teams will be working in Africa and India reflecting the project’s focus on addressing the needs of farmers in the main areas of Bambara groundnut production.
The University of Cambridge will be partnering with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) with University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and CSIR-Crops Research Institute, Ghana, acting as the local partners. The consortium also includes the Crop Science Centre, the National Institute of Agricultural Botany, the Kirkhouse Trust and the University of Nottingham.
Dr Hapson Mushoriwa of IITA said, “The scientists working on this project have decades of experience in crop genetics and world leading expertise in fields such as legume breeding, crop transformation and gene editing in cereals. We want to take a complimentary approach to the research, harnessing the diverse range of expertise and resources each of the partners bring to the consortium.”
Looking forward
Each of the projects will run for three years. While the projects have their initial geographical focusses and crop specialisations, the long-term hope is that the work will be applied to other crops and countries. The teams will soon begin developing detailed work plans and connecting with local national partner organisations in the field.
Additional importation
Main image: (Credit: CGIAR Climate).
Project pages
A Climate-Smart Agronomy Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (AgVACS)
Genetic improvement of Bambara Groundnut for Future Nutrition and Climate Resilience
About VACS