4.6. Implications of SDM results for selection for adaptation
An assessment of staple crop productivity, quality and environmentally
suitable areas under climate change is necessary to undertake any global
initiatives to overcome food insecurity challenges
(Ramirez-Cabral et al. 2016). KG
is a staple food crop and a source of proteins and nutrients for
smallholder farmers in West Africa. In this research, we expected to
identify the intraspecific genetic group that would be resilient under
future climate scenarios, and which areas are concerned by changes in KG
diversity. The model projections indicate that a shift in the Kersting’s
groundnut productive areas is slightly and likely with a loss of
cultivability of the Pop1 cultivation areas and an increase for Pop2 in
two agroecologies (Northern-Sudanian and Southern-Sudanian). Although KG
is predicted to gain in suitable area in future environmental changes,
its cultivation is however decreasing year to year from its cultivated
areas (Akohoué et al. 2019;
Amujoyegbe et al. 2007).
Therefore, it will be crucial to adapt M. geocarpum species to
the increasingly challenging environmental conditions through
development of new resilient cultivars that meet farmers’ needs. The
Pop2 comprises all landraces (diversity) of the species and can serve as
a potential source for diversity on which breeding efforts could be
based to confer resilience to changing climates and increase
sustainability, growth and yield of genetic Pop1. Advancements in
molecular plant breeding would be an importance of paramount to increase
the genetic gains and make more accurate the breeding process. In the
particular case of KG, currently, available partial GBS data
(Akohoue et al. 2020;
Kafoutchoni et al. 2021) would
allow the analyses of intraspecific genetic clusters based on gene
network variation for various important phenotypic traits (e.g.: grain
yield, yield related traits, flowering time). This novel approach would
provide possibilities to assess the extent to which key functional genes
and genetic variation may be threatened under future ecological
conditions (Banta et al. 2012).
Plant breeders have widely and successfully implemented genome wide
breeding approach for the development of climate resilient varieties
(Bohra et al. 2020;
Gobu et al. 2020;
Kumar et al. 2019), through marker
assisted selection and genomic selection. Another approach is to
increase variability within the species, particularly in Pop1, through
mutation methods (using physical or chemical mutagens) combined with
molecular markers (Targeted Induced Local Lesions in Genomes (TILLING)).
Such techniques have been successfully used in breeding of many legume
crops to enhance diversity and to develop mutant cultivars
(Al-Khayri et al. 2019;
Aliyu et al. 2016;
Singh et al. 2014).