Improved forage crop seeds

The International Livestock Centre for Africa (ILCA) established a genebank for forage species in 1982, and has since collected a large variety of germplasm of grasses, legumes and browse from many different environments. The results of this programme of evaluation, selection and breeding are now available to national livestock research and development programmes in sub-Saharan Africa. Germplasm is evaluated by ILCA scientists both at headquarters and in zonal programmes and in national agricultural research systems. Subsequently, promising species are further evaluated in suitable environments. Promising accessions are now available on request for scientists to evaluate in their own forage research programmes. Parallel to this work, ILCA established a Herbage Seed Unit in 1989 to coordinate work on seed technology, policy and socio-economic issues, and to encourage the production and supply of forage seeds within national agricultural systems. Bob Griffiths, Herbage Seed Unit ILCA, PO Box 5689, Addis Ababa, ETHIOPIAThe International Livestock Centre for Africa (ILCA) established a genebank for forage species in 1982, and has since collected a large variety of germplasm of grasses, legumes and browse from many different environments. The results of this..