Plant Breeding E-Learning in Africa – Developing and Delivering High Quality E-Learning Resources That Match Local Needs

A key element of increasing agricultural productivity, enhancing food security, and improving rural incomes in Africa is the more rapid and effective delivery of improved, farmer-preferred varieties. Practical plant breeders who can independently manage breeding programs with a good understanding of the seed business are central to that process. However, the number of such breeders is limited in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Therefore, there is a need for increased training of plant breeders, especially at the MSc level, who will play a key role in contributing toward food security in Africa. In 2011 the Agronomy Department at Iowa State University began to offer an online MS degree in Plant Breeding that is modeled after the highly successful MS degree in Agronomy which began in 1998. Plant Breeding E-Learning in Africa (PBEA) was created to develop and deliver e-learning modules containing relevant learning features, graphics, videos, and applied learning activities to contribute to the training of plant breeders in Africa. Phase 1 of PBEA has focused on adapting courses from ISU’s online MS in Plant Breeding in partnership with universities in SSA and Integrated Breeding Platform (IBP). In addition to topics on crop genetics, quantitative genetics, molecular plant breeding, crop improvement, and quantitative methods, a module on teaching of IBP’s Breeding Management System has been developed for distribution in 2016. Feedback from the African faculty and students indicates PBEA e-learning resources are of great value and substantially relevant to teaching needs in Africa.