The purpose of this study is to characterize the maize producing households and to assess the adoption of improved maize varieties. This study was also designed to collect baseline data on farm households to construct indicators that could be used to subsequently measure the impact of the adoption of improved maize varieties. Due to cost and time, the baseline study was conducted in only two selected districts in the country.

The purpose of this study was to identify constraints hampering the release of elite maize germplasm to smallholder farmers and recommend the way forward. The report is a result of a  survey that was conducted on the varietal testing and release systems in 14 selected countries (Angola, Benin, Ethiopia, Malawi, Ghana, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

This paper, published in Crop Science 50: 1-11, presents methodology to prove within a high level of confidence if two samples of seeds are the same genetic population or not, despite the difficulties involved in fingerprinting heterologous populations. In addition to heterogeneity within populations, difficulties can include sampling errors, differences in the fields or years in which the seeds were multiplied, and seed mixing. Despite these confounding sources of variation, the authors show the possibility to conclusively differentiate each of the populations used in this work. This methodology will allow breeders, seed companies, government agencies, and NGOs to ensure the purity and identity of high-yielding, locally adapted OPVs reach farmers, so they can generate the highest yields possible in their fields.

This article, authored by B.Badu-Apraku and A. Fontem Lum was published in Agronomy Journal, Volume 102, Issue 2 (pp 381-394).