The project “China-Ethiopia joint research and demonstration of drought-resistant maize cultivation” has undertaken by Institute of Genetics and Physiology of HAAFS in 2020. This project is a routine science and technology assistance project which approved by International Cooperation Division of Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China. The total assisting funds is 2.9 million RMB. The cooperative liaison units are Ethiopian Biotechnology Institute, Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research and Bako National Mazie Research Center. These units are focus on maize breeding and plant protection.

Drought is the one of the most important problems which faced by agricultural production in Africa. Maize germplasm resources will be introduced from Ethiopia to carry out propogarion, screening and evaluation. The project’s tasks are screening out the seed coat formula to improve the drought of maize, developing the supporting technology of improving drought resistance of maize with microbial agents. The effect of microbial fertilizer on maize root development and drought resistance performance will be tested, and the relationship between the improvement of drought resistance of maize under suitable water and fertilizer conditions will be analyzed. Another task is developing cultivation technology demonstration and cooperative research with enterprises. To provide theoretical support and technology for the demonstration planting of drought-resistant maize in Ethiopia, increase the planting of maize and other high-yielding superior crops, and gradually get rid of the trouble of food security, these are the project’s objectives.

The mission of 2021 is breeding and selecting maize varieties with high drought resistance, research and development of drought-resistant soil microbial fertilizer application agents. At present, the work has been carried out, including field investigation of 40 drought-resistant maize screening tests, identification and screening of hybrids, and arrangement of control experiments of improving drought resistance with microbial agents.

Professor MA Chunhong from Institute of Genetics and Physiology is the project director. Please contact her by email: mch0609@126.com