Abstract

Droughts coupled with lack of suitable varieties that perform well under insufficient and erratic distribution of rain significantly reduce production and productivity of maize especially in the savanna agro ecosystems. This problem together with poor soils and the migration of young people from villages to towns as well as damage by pests and diseases further make maize production less profitable. The work aimed to collect maize germplasm from farmers, open markets, agro dealers, seed companies, agricultural development projects and Research Institutes in Burkina Faso. The country guides were used to reach the farmers and other stakeholders in the maize involved in production across the various sites and centers. Socio-economic information of farmers was investigated by the use of questionnaires. A total of ten (10) samples were collected from six (6) collection centers and various maize production constraints were identified. Results from the various centers and sites covered during the exploration and collection exercise revealed wide range of maize germplasm collected. Also, from the social-economic information gathered and analyzed, it was recommended that there is a need to develop drought tolerant maize varieties and disseminate them throughout the country for sustainable food security. It was also recommended that extension services should be improved upon, prices of fertilizers, pre- and post-emergence herbicides and pesticides be subsidized, and finally rural development programmes be improved so that rural urban migration among the youths could be discouraged.

Key words: Collection, drought, germplasm, maize.