Close up of sorghum field Close up of sorghum field

Improving Sorghum Qualities to Alleviate Hunger & Malnutrition

Generating Healthy Food Systems Solutions
Generating Healthy Food Systems Solutions

Program Contact

Constance Gewa
Cgewa@foundationfar.org

Adikini HeadShot

Scovia Adikini, Ph.D.

National Agricultural Research Organization

Year Awarded  2023

FFAR award amount   $809,879

Total award amount   $1,619,758

Location   Entebbe, Uganda

Program   Seeding Solutions

Matching Funders   International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), National Agriculture Research Organization (NARO)

  • Food Systems

Developing High-Nutrient, Drought-Resistant Sorghum Varieties

Dryland regions of sub-Saharan and East Africa are characterized by low rainfall, drought and poor soil, which severely affect the nutritional quality and yield of most crops. These conditions contribute to food and nutrition insecurity among children and women.

Sorghum is a major food and forage crop that can survive in harsh conditions, but sorghum’s nutritional value differs across varieties and the crop contains high levels of substances known as antinutrients that limit the body’s ability to absorb the nutrients. Additionally, the crop can support livestock production by using its stalks and leaves as livestock forage, but some sorghum varieties contain hydrocyanic acid, which is highly toxic to livestock and humans

To address this, researchers led by Dr. Scovia Adikini of the National Agricultural Research Organization are identifying and developing sorghum varieties with higher nutritional value and improved yield while reducing antinutrient and hydrocyanide levels.

Adikini during a field selection of grain sorghum.

Both humans and livestock in dry areas of east Africa have suffered high levels of malnutrition. This is largely due to the low availability of micronutrients but also to the presence of antinutritional factors in the existing dominant crops, like sorghum. We are addressing this by increasing the micronutrient level in sorghum, ensuring its bioavailability, and reducing the level of antinutritional factors like hydrogen cyanide in order to guarantee food and feed quality for enhanced nutrition both in humans and livestock.

Dr. Scovia Adikini
Principal Investigator, National Agricultural Research Organization

Details about this research

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