Planting drought-tolerant varieties

Save and edit this resource as a Word document

Backgrounder

Key information

Maize is a staple food for more than 300 million people in Africa. Today, about 40% of Africa’s maize-growing area already experiences occasional drought stress, with roughly 25% facing frequent drought stress. Climate projections separately suggest up to 15% of the continent’s maize area could become climatically unsuitable by 2050, rising to over 30% by 2100 under a high-emissions scenario.[1] Farmers can increase their food security by growing more drought-tolerant crops, which take less water to grow, or early-maturing varieties, which mature more quickly. This includes sorghum, cassava, sweet potato, pearl millet, and groundnut. They can also intercrop two or more crops together so they have another crop to fall back on when maize harvests fail because of poor rainfall.^[2]

[1] Rippke et al., “Timescales of transformational climate change adaptation in sub-Saharan African agriculture.” Nature Climate Change. 2016. https://www.nature.com/articles/nclimate2947

^[2] Dry Delights. United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. https://www.unccd.int/sites/default/files/inline-files/Infographic%202_Crops.pdf

Key definitions

Drought-tolerant varieties: Varieties of a crop bred to keep producing under water stress, meaning they need less water to grow.

Drought-escaping or early-maturing varieties: These have a shorter growing cycle, in hopes that they finish their growing cycle before a dry spell hits. This includes short-season maize or FARO 44 rice.

Drought-avoiding crops: These crops have deep or extensive roots that make the most of residual soil moisture. This includes cassava and sorghum.

Farmers may be planting drought-tolerant or early-maturing varieties of rice, groundnuts, and beans, in order to improve their food security. For example, farmers in Benue State, Nigeria, are planting early-maturing varieties of rice, such as FARO 44, which require less water to grow.such). Farmers in Manyara Region, Tanzania, were also adopting improved varieties of beans, like Lyamungo 90, Jeska, and Seliani 94, which are drought-tolerant and resistant to diseases. (Note that these varieties of rice and beans are officially recommended for their resistance to disease, but a shorter growing season may have additional benefits.)

Farmers in Segou, Mali, started growing fonio in place of cereals, because it is more drought-tolerant. And in 2019, drought-tolerant sorghum helped farmers like Bab Berthé harvest something when their maize crops failed. Learn more about sorghum production in this backgrounder. Cassava is another drought-avoiding crop. Learn more about cassava production in this backgrounder. Other drought-tolerant crops include finger and pearl millet, tef, amaranth, date palm, and many traditional vegetables and fruits.

Gender equality and inclusion considerations: When discussing rural people’s’ experience adapting to drought, it’s important to consider how the experience of different groups in your area may vary, including that of men and women. For example, farmers living closer to a stream or water source may not be impacted in the same way as those living further away. Men and women may plant different crops, and women often have less access to land, inputs, and finance, making it more difficult to plant improved seeds. Consider also youth, who often have the least access to land and credit to try new seed; female-headed households; pastoralist or agro-pastoralist communities who shift between livestock and cropping; and people with disabilities, who may face extra barriers reaching input markets or trainings. Land tenure security is another factor: farmers without secure rights to their land are often more reluctant to invest in improved seed.

Program design

This is a suggestion for how you might plan an episode on this topic, and some information to research and include in the episode.

Episode intro: Include information on how drought has affected your local area. When was the last prolonged dry spell and how long did it last? Indicate what issues will be discussed in the rest of the episode and who will be interviewed.
News (Farmer story): Share the farmer story below or your own interview inspired by the story. Capture the experience of one or more farmers, but also try to find a farmer who has found success and share more about their strategy. Ensure your intro and extro mention the strategy for success this farmer has used.
Radio spot: Share key information as a radio spot. See some examples below. You may promote a certain drought-tolerant seed and where to access it, or highlight farmers’ successes in a dramatized radio spot.
Information interview: Interview an agricultural expert from a research centre, government, or agribusiness about the best drought-tolerant varieties for your region and how to access them. Ensure you get specific information about the names of the varieties, prices, and when they should be planted. Ask how to distinguish certified seed from fake or recycled seed sold informally, a major cause of poor yields even when farmers do try an improved variety.
Also ask about how farmers can access reliable seasonal and daily weather forecasts, e.g. via the national meteorological agency, the AGRHYMET Regional Climate Centre for West Africa and the Sahel, or SMS/voice advisory services since planting date is often as important as variety choice.
Audience interactivity: Invite your audience to call in to share what drought-tolerant varieties they are growing or what challenges they are facing adapting to drought. Alternatively, pre-record some vox pops from community members ahead of time.
Extro: As you wrap up the episode, ensure you summarize key information from the farmer story and information interview.

Radio spots

1) Sample spot to promote drought-tolerant varieties

This spot is suitable for cassava growers in the following ecological zones of Nigeria: Derived savannah (southwest), semi-deciduous forest zone and coastal savannah (southern Nigeria.) Please make revisions to local varieties and the benefits of those varieties. Speak to agricultural experts or input dealers for the best information.

NARRATOR: Cassava farmers! If you are looking for a variety that is drought-tolerant and resistant to Cassava Mosaic Disease, try UMUCASS 43.

UMUCASS 43 is a high-yielding variety that matures in about 10 to 12 months after planting, though this can vary by agro-ecological zone.

If you manage this variety well, yields can reach 53 tonnes per hectare.

You can increase and diversify your income by processing UMUCASS 43 into high quality cassava flour and starch.

Some farmers may find that other varieties better meet their needs and preferences. Consult Feserwam.org to identify recommended

varieties for your exact location, as well as information about other farm inputs and good agricultural practices.

Then plant UMUCASS 43 or other Feserwam-recommended varieties for better cassava yields and increased income!

You can also revise the following spot with more specific details on varieties that are locally available.

FARMER 1: Good morning, (name). I hear there will be little rain this year.

FARMER 2: I am very much aware!

FARMER 1: So why are you still planting your maize, knowing very well you need enough rain for it?

FARMER 2: I use seeds which mature in just 75 days. It’s a short-season, drought-tolerant variety.

NARRATOR: Farmers! Did you know that there are maize varieties that mature in 75, 90, and even beyond 100 days? But if the forecast says there will be little rainfall for the growing season, choose a short-season, drought-tolerant variety that takes fewer days to mature. This variety can take full advantage of the little rain.

2) Climate-smart maize farming

NARRATOR: It’s not an easy time to be a farmer. The weather is getting more unpredictable, the rains are erratic, the growing season is shorter, and droughts, pests, and diseases are on the rise. But here’s a few things a climate-smart farmer can do to cope.

First, pay a lot of attention to the cropping calendar and listen carefully to all the local weather forecasts you can, including daily, weekly, and seasonal forecasts.

Second, plant only drought-tolerant maize varieties that mature no later than 100 days after planting and are suitable for your area.

Finally, plant nitrogen-rich cowpea or other legume crops when your maize is forming cobs. That way, the cowpeas don’t compete with the maize and they leave nitrogen in the soil for the next maize crop.

There are many ways to successfully cope with the changing climate. These are only a few of them.

Farmer stories

Nigeria: Gbajimgba farmers adopt drought-tolerant varieties to mitigate the effects of climate change on crop production
By Florence Ugbem, December 18, 2025

It’s about 6:30 a.m. in Uosuh 1, a community a few kilometres from Gbajimgba in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, North-Central Nigeria. Despite the dusty harmattan breeze, 69-year-old Chief Edward Tsesar, traditional head of Tse Uosuh 1, sets out with his two wives, Christiana and Hembadoon Tsesar, to tend his six hectares of farmland. He grows cassava on three hectares, rice on two hectares, and beniseed and soybeans on the remaining land.

He used to plant a local rice variety called zomuje, which grows tall and takes four to five months to mature. But two years ago, he and other members of the Sabongida Multi-purpose Cooperative received training on sustainable rice production from the German development agency GIZ, with technical support from agronomist Jerry Kwaghna.

Chief Tsesar says that adopting FARO 44 for the past two years has been one of his best farming decisions. Unlike local varieties, it requires less water and matures in just three months. He explains, “I planted twice this year, in May and August 2025. The rainfall this year was not much, and it stopped early. But I’m glad it didn’t affect my crops because I planted early and used the drought-tolerant FARO 44. I didn’t have any problem with yield.”

[Editorial note for hosts: Chief Tsesar’s own account — “I planted early” — points to the real mechanism at work. FARO 44’s short 90–110 day cycle let him plant and harvest before the rains failed, rather than the plant physiologically resisting drought. Framing it this way on air sets more accurate expectations for farmers trying the variety.]

Read the full story.

Mali: Fonio is a healthy, drought-resistant crop
By Acherif Ag Ismaguel, published April 14, 2019

In central Mali’s Ségou region, fonio cultivation is now taking precedence over cereals that are more popular in urban areas. Fonio is increasingly desirable here not only because of its yield, but also because of its health benefits.

Fonio was considered a “food of life” during the famine cycles of the 1980s in Mali. The crop helped many survive this period. Even today, it remains a staple amongst the poorest families in Mali. But in cotton-growing areas of the country such as Ségou, Koulikoro, and Sikasso, fonio has become a popular crop, both for health reasons and because it grows well in a changing climate.

Drissa Traoré is the director of the Mandela women’s co-operative in the Ségou region, where his average fonio yield is 800 kilograms per hectare. He says, “It is really a cereal that fulfills people’s nutritional needs. It is recommended for [people with] diabetes and it eases digestion.”

Fatim Coulibaly is a fonio producer and a member of the Mandela women’s co-operative. She says that fonio production is a central activity for rural women. She adds: “It is easier for us to cultivate fonio than other crops like millet or rice. Not only does it not require abundant rain, but also, with a small piece of land, you can harvest a lot.” She says the women sell fonio in neighbouring cities after harvesting.

Fonio grows during the dry winter period, which rarely exceeds three months. What sets fonio apart is that it doesn’t need much water. Thus it can grow even in those parts of Mali that don’t receive abundant rainfall. Fonio also gives a reasonable yield when soil fertility is low. Its yield and health benefits have resulted in fonio changing from a crop that was largely ignored to one in which farmers are taking a growing interest.

Despite fonio’s advantages, cultivation is not easy. Madou Diarra grows fonio 15 kilometres from the city of Ségou. He says farmers start broadcasting seeds with the first rains, generally sometime in May or June. Weeding is labour-intensive. After harvest, the grain is de-hulled and milled. Processing fonio is labour-intensive and complicated, and often results in the grain becoming contaminated with sand and grit, in part because fonio seeds are so small. There can also be problems accessing markets.

But even with these post-harvest challenges, fonio will continue to be an integral part of farming in this region.

Read the full story.

For more information

CGIAR scientists have bred and introduced climate-resilient crop varieties that are now grown widely by African farmers. These include drought-tolerant and heat-tolerant strains of staple crops like maize, beans, rice, sweet potato, and cassava, which can better survive erratic rains and higher temperatures. Additionally, CGIAR-supported projects in Zambia and Malawi are helping farmers diversity incomes through aquaculture and drought-tolerant crops.

Alliance of Bioversity International & the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) | alliancebioversityciat.org/
Addresses climate change, biodiversity loss, environmental degradation, and malnutrition.
Fatimata Kone, Africa Comms, based in Dakar, Senegal
f.kone@cgiar.org

AfricaRice | africarice.org
01 BP 4029, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
T: +225 27 22 48 09 10
F: +225 27 22 44 26 29
E-mail AfricaRice@cgiar.org

For contacts in Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Madagascar, Nigeria, Senegal and Uganda, go to: https://www.africarice.org/contact

ICARDA (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas) |icarda.org/
Dr. Aynalem Haile, Country coordinator, Ethiopia
ICARDA ℅ ILRI
+251-11-6172280
icarda-addis-office@cgiar.org

International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) | icrisat.org
Offices in East and Southern Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe) and West and Central Africa (Mali, Niger, Nigeria).
For all media inquiries, please email: info.comms@icrisat.org

AGRA | https://agra.org/

The Center of Excellence for Seed Systems in Africa (CESSA) is focused on forming partnerships to address various challenges in the African seed system. This includes enabling higher adoption of diverse, climate-smart crop varieties.

Email: CESSA@agra.org, media@agra.org
Phone: +254 703 033 000

Africa Seeds | africa-seeds.org

Quality seeds play a critical role in building good and nutrition security. Therefore the serious inequities and challenges which have, for long, plagued Africa’s seed sector constitute huge barriers to the continental goals in agricultural development.
Cocody les 2 Plateaux, Les Versants, Ilot 149Bis, TF N°624 – Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
+225 22 52 57 79 / +225 22 42 5241

CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center) | cimmyt.org
Leads the Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa and Stress Tolerant Maize for Africa programs and is a primary source for maize drought data.

IITA (International Institute of Tropical Agriculture) | iita.org
Co-developed the UMUCASS cassava varieties referenced above.

AATF (African Agricultural Technology Foundation) | aatf-africa.org
Runs the Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) partnership.

AGRHYMET Regional Climate Centre | agrhymet.org
The main source of seasonal rainfall forecasts for West Africa and the Sahel.

PABRA (Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance) | pabra-africa.org
Hosted by the Alliance of Bioversity International & CIAT (listed above); a source for bean-specific variety information.

FEWS NET (Famine Early Warning Systems Network) | fews.net
Publishes country-level food-security and drought early-warning bulletins that could inform an episode’s local framing.

Sources of information

Backgrounders

Awareness of climate change. Vijay Cuddeford. Farm Radio International. 30 April 2012.

Dry Delights. United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. https://www.unccd.int/sites/default/files/inline-files/Infographic%202_Crops.pdf

How farmers can adapt to a changing climate. Vijay Cuddeford. Farm Radio International. 9 May 2012.

CGIAR Climate-Smart Agriculture Guide: Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa. https://csaguide.cgiar.org/

Find Farm Radio International backgrounders on the following crops:

Farmer stories

Mali: Fonio is a healthy, drought-resistant crop. Acherif Ag Ismaguel. Barza Wire. 14 April 2019.

Nigeria: Gbajimgba farmers adopt drought-resistant varieties to mitigate the effects of climate change on crop production. Florence Ugbem. Barza Wire. 18 December 2025

Seeds of change: Mali farmers fight drought with hybrid crops. Somalia Diarra. Thomson Reuters Foundation. 6 November 2018.

Tanzania: Farmers switch from local to improved bean varieties to boost yield and profit. Charles Odero. Barza Wire. 8 May 2017.

Radio spots

Best agricultural practices for cassava, maize, rice, cocoa, and cowpea production. James Karuga. Farm Radio International. 28 September 2022.

Improving resilience to changes in the climate for farmers. Linda Dede Nyanya Godji. Farm Radio International. 5 August 2021.

Acknowledgements

Compiled by: Kathryn Burnham, Manager, Radio resources

Reviewed by: Ms. Joyce Mbingo, Country Manager, Nature Positive Foodsystems Program, Canadian Foodgrains Bank.

This resource is funded by the IKEA Foundation under the project “Sustainable Dialogue and Knowledge Sharing Communication Platforms”