Adoption rates of genetically improved cultivars of staple crops in sub-Saharan Africa

Introduction Plant breeding contributes to crop productivity, diversity and improved farm economy by providing farmers and other producers with genetically enhanced cultivars that perform better under various conditions. However, cultivar release has little impact unless farmers adopt these cultivars, which depends on several contextual factors. Methods We reviewed the adoption rates of bred cultivars of nine major staple crops, banana/plantain, bean, cassava, cowpea, maize, pearl millet, rice, sorghum and sweetpotato, in sub-Saharan Africa, together with factors promoting or limiting their adoption. These factors were grouped into four categories: demographic (farm and household), infrastructure and market, information and support, and crop-related. Results Adoption rates varied substantially across crops, countries and regions. Maize showed comparatively high adoption of genetically improved cultivars across most countries surveyed, whereas pearl millet and sweetpotato generally showed lower adoption of released cultivars. Adoption was associated with different combinations of demographic, infrastructural, market, informational and crop-related factors. Discussion The findings can inform policy and funding decisions aimed at supporting cultivar adoption and associated gains in food security and farm economy. However, the evidence varied substantially in methodological quality and geographic coverage, and most adoption estimates relied on farmer self-report rather than objective verification. Comparisons across crops and countries therefore require caution because of the heterogeneity of the underlying studies.