Maize revolutions in Sub-Saharan Africa

There have been numerous episodes of widespread adoption of improved seed and long-term achievements in the development of the maize seed industry in Sub-Saharan Africa. This summary takes a circumspect view of technical change in maize production....

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors:	Smale, Melinda, Byerlee, Derek, Jayne, Thom
Format:	Policy Research Working Paper
Language:	English
Published:	2012
Subjects:	ACCESS TO CREDIT AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION AGRICULTURAL GROWTH AGRICULTURAL INPUT AGRICULTURAL INPUTS AGRICULTURAL INTENSIFICATION AGRICULTURAL POLICY AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICES AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY AGRICULTURE AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION AGROFORESTRY ANIMAL FEED ANIMAL TRACTION ANIMALS AVERAGE YIELDS BIODIVERSITY BREAD BREEDING RESEARCH BUDGETS CAPACITY BUILDING CASSAVA CEREAL PRODUCTION CEREALS CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS CERTIFIED SEED CIMMYT COMMERCIAL FARMERS COMMERCIAL SEED CONSERVATION FARMING CONSERVATION TILLAGE CONSUMER WELFARE CORN CORN BELT COTTON CROP CROP MANAGEMENT CROP MANAGEMENT PRACTICES CROP PRODUCTION CROP RESIDUES CROP WASTE CROP YIELDS CROPS CROSS-POLLINATION CULTIVATION DEGRADATION DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH EXTENSION AGENTS FAO FARM FARM HOUSEHOLDS FARM REVENUES FARM WORK FARMER FARMER ORGANIZATIONS FARMERS FARMING FARMING SYSTEMS FARMING SYSTEMS RESEARCH FARMLAND FARMS FERTILIZER FERTILIZER MARKETS FERTILIZER SUBSIDIES FERTILIZER SUBSIDY FERTILIZER SUPPLY FERTILIZER USE FERTILIZERS FIELD CROPS FOOD FOOD CONSUMPTION FOOD CROP FOOD GRAIN FOOD INSECURITY FOOD MARKETING FOOD POLICY FOOD POLICY RESEARCH FOOD PRICES FOOD PRODUCTION FOOD PRODUCTS FOOD REQUIREMENTS FOOD SECURITY FOOD STAPLES FOOD SUPPLIES GENETIC IMPROVEMENTS GERMPLASM GERMPLASM IMPROVEMENT GRAIN GRAIN MARKETS GRAIN RESERVES GRAIN TRADE GRAIN YIELDS GREEN REVOLUTION GROWING SEASON HARVEST HARVESTS HERBICIDES HIGH YIELDS HIGHER PROTEIN HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY HOUSEHOLD INCOME HOUSEHOLD SURVEY HUNGRY HUNGRY SEASON HYBRID MAIZE HYBRID SEED HYBRID VIGOR HYBRIDS IDENTITY IFPRI IITA IMPROVED SEED INDICATORS INFRASTRUCTURE INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT INTERCROPPING INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH CENTERS INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE INTERNATIONAL MAIZE AND WHEAT IMPROVEMENT CENTER INTERNATIONAL RICE RESEARCH INSTITUTE INVESTMENT KARI LAND PREPARATION LAND PRODUCTIVITY LAND USE LANDS LARGE FARM LEGUMES LIVESTOCK LIVESTOCK PRODUCTS LOGISTICS MAIZE MAIZE EXPORTS MAIZE GRAIN MAIZE HYBRIDS MAIZE IMPORTS MAIZE MARKETING MAIZE PLANTS MAIZE PRODUCERS MAIZE PRODUCTION MAIZE PRODUCTIVITY MAIZE RESEARCH MAIZE REVOLUTION MAIZE SEED MAIZE SUPPLY MAIZE SURPLUS MAIZE TECHNOLOGY MAIZE VARIETIES MAIZE YIELDS MALE FARMERS MANURE MARKET DEVELOPMENT MARKET EFFICIENCY MARKETS MEXICO MONOCULTURE NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY NATIONAL RESEARCH NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS ORGANIC MANURE ORGANIC MATTER PEST MANAGEMENT PESTICIDE PESTICIDE USE PLANT BREEDING PLANTING POOR FARMERS POOR SOIL FERTILITY POORER FARMERS POPULATION POPULATIONS POST HARVEST LOSSES POTATOES PRICE VOLATILITY PRIVATE SEED COMPANIES PRIVATE SEED SECTOR PRODUCE PRODUCE FOOD PRODUCTION GAINS PRODUCTION SYSTEMS PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH RAINFED AREAS RECYCLING REGIONAL MARKETS RESEARCH IMPACT RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS RESISTANCE TO DISEASE RICE RICE RESEARCH RICE YIELDS RURAL DEVELOPMENT SASAKAWA GLOBAL 2000 SEASONS SEED SEED CERTIFICATION SEED COMPANIES SEED COMPANY SEED ENTERPRISE SEED INDUSTRY SEED LAWS SEED PRODUCTION SEED SECTOR SEED SYSTEM SEEDS SMALL-SCALE FARMERS SMALLHOLDER MAIZE PRODUCTION SOIL FERTILITY SOIL MANAGEMENT SOIL QUALITY SOILS SOUTH AFRICA SPACING STAPLE FOODS STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT T&V SYSTEM TARIFFS TECHNOLOGY TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION THAILAND TILLAGE TRAINING UNITED NATIONS URBAN CONSUMERS URBANIZATION USAID VARIETY IMPROVEMENT VARIETY RELEASE WEEDING WHEAT WHITE MAIZE WOMEN FARMERS YELLOW MAIZE YIELD RESPONSE
Online Access:	http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20110511144001 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/3421

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Summary:	There have been numerous episodes of widespread adoption of improved seed and long-term achievements in the development of the maize seed industry in Sub-Saharan Africa. This summary takes a circumspect view of technical change in maize production. Adoption of improved seed has continued to rise gradually, now representing an estimated 44 percent of maize area in Eastern and Southern Africa (outside South Africa), and 60 percent of maize area in West and Central Africa. Use of fertilizer and restorative crop management practices remains relatively low and inefficient. An array of extension models has been tested and a combination of approaches will be needed to reach maize producers in heterogeneous agricultural environments. Yield growth overall has been 1 percent over the past half-century, although this figure masks the high variability in maize yields, as well as improvements in resistance to disease and abiotic pressures that would have caused yield decline in the absence of maize breeding progress. The authors argue that conducive policies are equally, if not more, important for maize productivity in the region than the development of new technology and techniques. Currently popular, voucher-based subsidies can "crowd out" the private sector and could be fiscally unsustainable.

Maize revolutions in Sub-Saharan Africa

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