FLAGSHIP PROGRAM 4 (FP4): Variety And Hybrid Development
Progress during 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018
FP4 will support breeding of new varieties and hybrids that underpin sustainable intensification, diversification and increased productivity. CGIAR-originated varieties have in the past accounted for 35% (SSA) and 40-45% (South Asia) of annual yield gains. Without these CGIAR varieties in developing economies, production would have been 7-8% less, food prices risen by 35-66%, food imports increased by 5% and caloric intake reduced by 4-7%242 . FP4’s target is to reduce the current yield gap of target crops to 30%, when integrated with effective land, labor and agrochemical use. To meet this target, a demand-driven breeding and deployment agenda that leverages CGIAR legacy investments (Phase I of CRP and others) and other complementary investments and partnerships will be implemented.
FP4 will be streamlined and geared towards the development of cross FP-defined breeding product profiles: (i) that result in efficient breeding cycles, harnessing heterosis, hybrid and doubled-haploid technologies where relevant, increased diversity and deployment of shuttle breeding; (ii) increased precision, automation and efficiency in data generation, greater mechanization and automation of breeding activities, and decision making through optimal phenotyping, open data warehousing and digital solutions that allow seamless use of Big Data; (iii) undertake inclusive (gender and poverty) and efficient seed systems research that leverages agronomy and complementary knowledge and innovations (in concert with FP1-FP3, FP5).
The Cluster of Activities include:
- Environmental characterization and phenotyping
- Breeding pipelines
- Product testing and release
- Science of scaling up seed technologies
