Strategic Germplasm Transfer: SSG and ITRA Advance Togo’s Seed Sovereignty Through Research Partnership

Symbolic handover of parental seeds by Dr. TCHALA Noudifoule, SSG’s Regional Coordinator, West and Central Africa (right) to Dr. BOMA Soudah, Director of CRAL-Davié

Sustainable seed systems rely on locally adapted research and autonomy over genetic resources. In Togo, dependency on annual imports of basic seed materials has constrained the scalability of hybrid varieties and national breeding capacity.

Over the past three years, the Seed Systems Group (SSG) has partnered with the Togolese Institute for Agricultural Research (ITRA) under the IDRC and AGRA projects to strengthen the capacity for basic seed production and delivery.  The effort includes the following initiatives:

  1. Varietal Development & Selection: Release of high-potential varieties (e.g., Legacy 26 and Opeaburoo hybrid maize, Exbaika rice) and a series of testing of newly developed rice and maize varieties.
  2. Parental Line Transfer: Strategic provision of parental material for nine high-yielding, climate-smart, and well-adapted varieties to ITRA, enabling in-country maintenance and large-scale hybrid seed production.
  3. Basic seed production and delivery: annual financial support has been provided to ITRA to produce and avail basic seeds of newly released crop varieties.

The partnership between SSG and ITRA significantly enhances the impact on local agriculture by reducing dependence on imports. With direct access to parental lines, ITRA can reduce recurring costs and mitigate supply-chain risks associated with annual basic seed imports. This partnership strengthens ITRA’s independence, enabling the institute to multiply, maintain, and distribute proprietary varieties.

This collaboration effectively integrates seed sovereignty by implementing a research-based model that includes three key components: first, it incorporates germplasm stewardship into ITRA’s mission on an institutional level; second, it focuses on developing skills in hybrid seed production protocols at a technical level; and third, it aligns with AGRA’s mission to promote farmer-led, climate-resilient seed systems through policy initiatives.

The future-oriented program is designed to enhance the distribution of elite seed varieties within Togo’s formal seed sector, incorporating farmer feedback into ITRA’s breeding pipeline. Furthermore, it aims to replicate the successful germplasm transfer model for additional staple crops. The partnership statement emphasizes the importance of germplasm sovereignty, which Dr. TCHALA described as, “A seed system built without germplasm sovereignty inherently contains the seeds of its failure.” This highlights ITRA’s commitment to securing parental lines, which facilitates the conversion of genetic innovation into tangible benefits for farmers.

Dr. BOMA Soudah and Dr. TCHALA with the ITRA’s technical team

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