A Multi-Modal Approach: Building Capacity for Sweetpotato Genomics-Assisted Breeding in Africa

Capacity building -a framework for enhancing research efficiencies including collaborations and on-going engagement- is one main objective of the genomics tools for sweetpotato improvement (GT4SPI) project. Given the slow integration of molecular technologies into sweetpotato improvement and the paucity of knowledge in this area for this crop, GT4SPI addresses the urgent need to comprehensively build and identifies the steps towards building sufficient capacity to effectively harness and integrate genomics in sweetpotato breeding in Africa. Building capacity for sweetpotato genomics assisted breeding is undeniably a challenging endeavor, requiring a combination of short- and long-term strategies directed at the individual and institutional levels.

Using a Multi-modal capacity building approach, GT4SP is building a critical mass of sweetpotato molecular breeders. The World Wide Web provides free instructional self-paced materials to the sweetpotato breeding community and workshops use interactive style. Institutionalizing capacity building programmes is incorporated to increase the effectiveness of the other capacity building activities. To train the next generation of sweetpotato breeders, long-term training opportunities are targeting professionals stably engaged into sweetpotato improvement. Short-term training opportunities are frequently promoted for multiplication of the training-of-trainers.

Tools to help the breeder learn and apply genomics in their programs are been developed; GBS hexaploid and QTL mapping pipelines, data interaction platform (HIDAP), and a sweetpotato genome browser to facilitate interaction of users with genomic data. GT4SPI strategic framework for capacity building emphasizes on building awareness, analytical and decision-making capacity that is embedded within institutional effort to produce more functional approaches to the traditional sweetpotato breeding.