The Legume RI undertakes capacity-building in both human resources as well as infrastructure development for developing-country partners. Infrastructure development includes improvement of field sites for phenotyping, in addition to providing the necessary lab and field equipment.
The aim is to enhance human resource capacity of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) scientists as a powerful mechanism for technology and knowledge transfer between the North and South and, consequently, as a guaranteed means to increase the chances of adoption of the research outputs planned. Together with improved infrastructure, which will enhance what was put in place in GCP Phase I, SSA partners are being equipped to build on the RI’s pioneering efforts in modern breeding in the public sector in Africa. The realisation of this goal will result from the combined endeavour on capacity building in breeding for drought tolerance through the detailed study of cross-legume phenotyping and on data management by cataloguing all data generated in the project, including genomic data from Phase I.
Human resource development includes customised support to applied research teams, short training courses and workshops and support to postgraduate students.
- Beans: PhD students are Godwill Makunde (CBI–DR&SS, Zimbabwe) and Fitsum Alemayehu (EIAR, Ethiopia), both enrolled at Free State University, South Africa.
- Chickpeas:
- Two PhD and two MSc students have commenced their studies under the project. The PhD students are Serah Songok of Moi University at Egerton University, Kenya, and Musa Jarso of EIAR at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia, while the MSc students are Abebe Sori (Ethiopia) at Haramaya University and Moses Oyier at Egerton. Upon successful completion of his MSc, Moses will work towards his PhD under the project. Another PhD student, A Kosgei (Kenya) is at the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), University of Ghana.
- Workshops
- 2011: Chickpea breeding at EIAR
- 2010 October 25–November 19:Modern breeding technologies for chickpea improvement with 12 participants from Africa (Algeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi Tanzania ) and four from Asia (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, ).
- Cowpeas: Two PhD students, Ms Mame Penda Sarr (Senegal) and Mr Arsenio Ndeve (Mozambique) are undertaking their PhDs within the RI. Additoinal GCP-supported students at WACCI are M Nkoumki (Cameroon), A Kosgei (Kenya), F Egbadzor (Ghana), M Salifu (Niger) and M Lawan (Nigeria).