Biofortified Pearl Millet Varieties Fast-Track Scaling and Impact in Nigeria

Triple burden of malnutrition has been noted as the “new normal” (i.e., malnutrition or undernutrition). A well-diversified diet is nature’s own way of meeting the micronutrient needs of a Sub-Saharan Africa population, where millets remain an important source for food security and livelihoods, due to their nutritional value and resilience to climate change. In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in millets (e.g., Pearl millet), with efforts being made to promote its biofortification, improve nutrition with productivity, and enhance market opportunities with potential for income generation. Pearl millet biofortified breeding lines introduced from ICRISAT-India to Nigeria through Niger, were evaluated jointly with NARES from 2018 to 2022 across the millet-growing states of Northern Nigeria. Data collected on grain yield, agronomic parameters, downy mildew infestation, and micronutrient content were statistically analyzed. Micronutrient content analysis indicated that Chakti with the highest iron content (74.2 ppm), along with the standard check ICMP 177002, was statistically superior relative to ICMP 187093 and ICMP1970115. Following their performance for grain yield (>2.5 t/ha) and low downy mildew incidences (<5%), they were recommended for registration and release for commercialization as biofortified iron pearl millet. Recognizing the urgency, HarvestPlus engaged the national variety release committee (NVRC) to advance for a special release event, underscoring the role of biofortified crops in combating hidden hunger. This effort led to a groundbreaking decision: NVRC agreed to a HarvestPlus-funded special release event in January 2023, ensuring that iron pearl millet (IPM) varieties were made available to farmers without unnecessary delay.