Tracking genetic gain: Key indicators and measurement challenges

This presentation discusses the institutionalization of crop variety adoption monitoring using genotyping technologies to improve the measurement of genetic gain, varietal turnover, and seed system performance. It introduces key indicators such as Weighted Average Varietal Age (WAVA), Seed Replacement Rate (SRR), and measures of varietal concentration and diversity, highlighting their value for assessing breeding program effectiveness, tracking adoption of improved varieties, identifying bottlenecks in seed delivery systems, and informing investment decisions. Drawing on evidence from Ethiopia, Tanzania, Nigeria, and other countries, the presentation demonstrates how DNA fingerprinting improves the accuracy of varietal identification and adoption estimates while revealing challenges in reference libraries, seed purity, and data quality. The authors conclude that genetic gain monitoring requires a combination of indicators and complementary data on costs, benefits, and impacts to provide a more complete understanding of varietal adoption, productivity growth, and returns to agricultural research and development investments. -Abstract generated by Copilot AI 2.2