Evaluation of Stress Tolerant Orphan Legumes (STOL) for use in dryland farming systems across sub-Saharan Africa and India – promoting India- Africa Framework for Strategic Cooperation (Phase II)
ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), India
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Background
The project aims to enhance food and nutrition security in India’s arid and semi-arid regions by introducing and improving bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.), an underutilized, nutrient-dense legumecrop indigenous to Africa. Renowned for its drought tolerance and ability to thrive in low-fertility soils, bambara groundnut offers a sustainable solution for resource-poor farmers in rainfed agricultural systems, where conventional crops like groundnut and pigeonpea often face challenges due to harsh environmental conditions. With its rich nutritional profile—high in dietary fiber, protein, iron, potassium, calcium, and B vitamins, bambara groundnut is a near-complete food, offering a cost-effective solution to address protein deficiencies among resource-poor communities. Despite its potential, low yields, long cooking times, pest susceptibility, and limited breeding efforts have constrained its widespread adoption. This initiative aims to overcome these barriers by introducing high-yielding, climate-resilient varieties and integrating the crop into India’s dryland farming systems.
The initiative under Phase II of KT-NBPGR project aims to introduce trait-specific germplasm from African partner countries, Identification and/or development of high-yielding, stress-resistant varieties, and promote crop diversification in traditionally mono-cropped rain fed areas to ensure protein availability. Key activities include importing 500 trait specific accessions from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), UoN and African genebanks, focusing on traits such as drought tolerance, pest resistance, and improved yield. Field evaluations will be conducted across diverse agroecological zones in Delhi, Hyderabad, and Cuttack to assess performance under varying conditions. A core collection will be re-established based on yield stability, resistance to biotic stresses (e.g., Yellow Mosaic Disease, and dry root rot, and nutritional quality). The identified accessions will be distributed for improved breeding programs both in India and Africa. By aligning with India’s national priorities for sustainable agriculture and climate change adaptation, this initiative will empower smallholder farmers, enhance regional food security, and contribute to resilient agricultural systems in India’s dryland regions.
Objectives
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Objective 1: Strategic germplasm exchange and conservation:
• Introduce, quarantine, and multiply trait-specific bambara groundnut germplasm (~500 accessions) from
IITA, UoN and African national genebanks.
• Address gaps in existing core collections by integrating under-represented African diversity into Indian
core collection.
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Objective 2: Multi-environment evaluation for climate resilience:
• Evaluate germplasm across diverse dryland agroecologies in India (Delhi, Hyderabad, Cuttack,
Rajasthan, Karnataka).
• Identify genotypes with yield stability, drought tolerance, early maturity, and resistance to YMD and dry
root rot.
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Objective 3: Development of an India-adapted core collection:
• Re-establish a scientifically validated core collection (~20%) capturing maximum genetic and phenotypic
diversity.
• Generate a reference set for breeders in both India and Africa.
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Objective 4: Strengthening India–Africa South–South Cooperation:
• Institutionalize two-way germplasm, data, and knowledge exchange.
• Build long-term collaboration between ICAR–NBPGR, IITA, and African national partners for bambara
groundnut, an orphan legume, improvement.
PROJECT TEAM
Dr Kuldeep Tripathi
PI,
ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), India
Dr Bhaskar Bajaru
Co-PI
ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), India
