Arcad

In the framework of ARCAD Project Cereals in Africa , the pilot study on the impact of factors on the structure of genetic diversity through varietal nomenclature systems and seed exchange of sorghum in Kenya  has been going on in the Eastern Province since October 2010.

Sorghum sowing with Joseph Kamau

An in situ  trial intends to compare folk taxonomy of sorghum landraces between different ethnolinguistic groups. More than 32 different landraces collected in January and July 2011 in the study area, are tested in this trial under the supervision of Joseph Ireri Kamau, an MSc student and staff of the National Gene Bank of Kenya, the ARCAD local partner. On the side of CIRAD, the major contributors to this study are researchers of AGAP research unit : Vanesse Labeyrie, a PhD student of SupAgro (supervisor Jean-Christophe Glaszmann, funding Agropolis Fondation), Christian Leclerc (anthropologist), Jean-Louis Noyer (geneticist), Gilles Trouche and Jacques Chantereau (both plant breeders) as well as Philippe Letourmy (statistician, UPR SCA)

Grade 7 pupils and their teacher

Two hundreds pupils and teachers of Kabururu primary school, located at the border between Meru South, Mbeere and Tharaka districts, are involved in the project and the trial will be a pedagogical tool for natural science lessons. It is also an opportunity to create children awareness for agrobiodiversity conservation. Thus, we organized a painting competition for the pupils of 7^th  grade class on this topic.

The three winners have reproduced their work on an information board, located at the entrance of the school to draw farmer’s attention on the project.