The Green Revolution of the 1960s introduced synthetic fertilizers, boosting crop yields but also creating two major issues: increased inequality in regions like Kenya, where such fertilizers are unaffordable, and negative climate impacts from nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and nitrate contamination. Agriculture´s N2O emissions contribute 5% of global greenhouse gases.
The project aims to develop a zero-fertilizer cropping system by reintroducing Biological Nitrification Inhibition (BNI) into elite varieties of Sorghum bicolor, enabling low-input, climate-smart agriculture for smallholder farmers in Kenya and beyond.
Wild sorghum relatives naturally produce sorgoleone—a powerful BNI compound that improves nitrogen use efficiency and reduces emissions of nitrous oxide (N₂O), a potent greenhouse gas. However, this trait has been lost in modern cultivars due to decades of breeding for high-input systems.
This project will:
- Identify and restore the BNI potential in farmer-preferred sorghum varieties
- Enable zero-fertilizer cropping systems in low-resource settings
- Improve yields and livelihoods of smallholder farmers through cost-effective, eco-friendly innovation
- Build local research capacity and create a strong training network through ICRISAT’s extensive presence in the Global South
Climate Ready Sorghum complements major global efforts like the NNF-supported BNI-Wheat Mission and SMART-field project, accelerating the transition to more resilient and sustainable agriculture.
