Heat Tolerant Wheat for Senegal
Period of Implementations
Jan 01, 2018 - Dec 31, 2021
Total budget
387,276
Project Name
Genomic Prediction to Deliver Heat Tolerant Wheat to the Senegal River Basin (Phase II)
About
The partnership established between SLU and ICARDA will enable to strengthen the durum breeding effort of ICARDA to the Senegal River basin, with a positive effect on the local population. The collaborative research between SLU and ICARDA will provide detailed data on the tolerance of durum wheat to warming climates, but also pyramid multiple sources of heat tolerance through a very novel technique: genomic selection.
Impact
Goals
The goal of this project is to reduce poverty in heat affected areas and revitalization of rural communities.
Objectives
The objective of this project is to deliver superior durum wheat cultivars tolerant to heat stress. This will be also done by the enhancement of breeding knowledge for the local staff, with a special focus on the Senegal River region.
Impact pathways
The project aim and research activities are fundamentally oriented to deliver durum wheat superior cultivars, for those areas where it is affected by heat stress, with a special focus on the Senegal River region. This will be possible through the ICARDA's heat tolerant genotypes and the genomic selection technique. The analysis and selection of the different durum wheat lines will be done in Morocco, Senegal and Mauritania. The new varieties will contribute to help farmers having constant harvest and reduce food risks caused by climate change. Then, through various training activities, the capacity decision of the local staff will be enhanced in order to ensure the lasting of the results once the project will be completed. So, by an accurate use of the available resources, technologies and the capacity development of the staff involved in the various activities, it will be possible to achieve the final goal of the project, consisting in the reduction of risk hunger in heat affected areas and revitalization of rural communities.
Locations
Mauritania
Morocco
Senegal
20, -12
32, -5
14, -14
Related news
Blog
October 06, 2025
In 2014, a bold scientific experiment was conducted to test how wheat fared against West Africa’s relentless heat. Ten years later, the collaboration has delivered heat-tolerant varieties, empowered thousands of farmers, and transformed agriculture along the Senegal River, inspiring new policies, global recognition, and a wheat revolution across the region.
News
March 13, 2018
Using non-GM molecular breeding techniques, ICARDA scientists have developed durum wheat varieties that can withstand up to 40°C heat along the Senegal River basin.
News
June 06, 2017
The Olam Prize for Innovation in Food Security provides funding to support project’s further development.
Project Management
Filippo Maria Bassi
Manager
Hafssa Kabbaj
Co-Manager
Partners
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences - SLU
Institut Senegalais de la Recherche Agricole - ISRA
Centre National de Recherche Agronomique et de Développement Agricole - CNRADA
Publications
© 2025 International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA)