Unlocking the future of crop improvement: IITA champions genome editing for African agriculture

In transforming African agriculture, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is tapping into cutting-edge genome editing tools to fast-track crop improvement. With technologies like CRISPR at its core, IITA is pioneering a new era in plant breeding—where precision, speed, and innovation are driving the development of resilient, high-yielding crops tailored for the continent’s toughest challenges.

Dr Jaindra Tripathi attending to the plants being screened in the greenhouse.

For decades, conventional breeding has served as the backbone of crop improvement. By crossing parent plants with desirable traits, breeders have been able to gradually improve yields, enhance disease resistance, and adapt crops to local conditions. However, this process can be time-consuming, unpredictable, and limited particularly for clonally propagated crops. It is often inadequate when addressing complex traits like drought tolerance or resistance to evolving pathogens. For tropical crops like banana, yam, and cassava—staples for millions across Africa—the challenges are even more pronounced due to limited genetic diversity and complex inheritance patterns.

Now, genome editing is offering a powerful alternative. Unlike traditional genetic modification, genome editing—especially using tools like CRISPR/Cas—allows scientists to make precise, targeted changes to a plant’s DNA without introducing foreign genes. It is like using molecular scissors, snipping out or tweaking specific genes to confer desired traits.

At IITA, a state-of-the-art genome editing platform is leveraging this technology to accelerate crop improvement. IITA’s dedicated laboratory team works on the entire gene editing process—from target identification and cloning to transformation—offering comprehensive support for agricultural research. By pinpointing and modifying specific genes responsible for disease susceptibility or poor yield, we can develop improved varieties faster, more efficiently, and more predictably than ever before. Genome editing does not replace conventional breeding, it enhances it.

It is a pre-breeding tool that helps breeders start the race from halfway up the track. By removing bottlenecks early in the process, like knocking out genomes that make plants vulnerable to disease, we empower breeders to focus on combining these improved lines with other elite traits.

PhD student Duncan Njora conducting molecular analysis in the lab.

″Genome editing is giving us a head start in breeding. By removing key barriers at the genetic level, we’re able to develop improved varieties faster – varieties that are not only more resilient and productive but also better aligned with the needs of African farmers,″  said Dr. Leena Tripathi, Eastern Africa Hub Director and Biotechnology Program Lead, IITA

One major breakthrough is in banana, where IITA researchers are using genome editing to control banana xanthomonas wilt (BXW), a devastating disease capable of wiping out entire plantations. By knocking out susceptibility genes and activating endogenous defense genes, IITA is developing disease-resistant banana varieties that could secure the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers across East and Central Africa.

For yam, IITA scientists are exploring how genome editing can optimize plant architecture, potentially reducing labor and environmental damage associated with staking of yam vines.

ITA’s commitment goes beyond research. The institute is cultivating a new generation of African genome editing experts. IITA is offering a comprehensive five-year training program in collaboration with Africa Plant Breeding Academy of UC Davis aimed at equipping African scientists with the knowledge and skills to use genome editing technologies. This training program, which combines theoretical lectures with practical laboratory experience, will train 100 scientists in genome editing and its regulation. The first group of students began their training in January 2023, with participants selected from various African countries. So far, 31 scientists have been trained, gaining valuable hands-on experience and knowledge, prepared to establish genome editing platforms at their own institutions.

In addition, IITA builds capacity of early-career scientists, training MSc and PhD students. Currently, 5 PhD students are actively being trained in the program, continuing to build their expertise in genome editing techniques, while others have already completed training.  Apart from the core training program, IITA is also collaborating with local universities in Kenya to provide technical support to PhD students working on genome editing projects. This collaboration allows for a more integrated approach to research and provides students with access to both IITA’s expertise and the resources of local academic institutions.

″Genome editing is not a silver bullet,″ Dr. Tripathi emphasized. ″But it represents a game-changing leap for crops that have long been neglected by global biotechnology. It’s about giving African farmers the tools they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world.″

With the dual focus on innovation and capacity building, IITA is positioning Africa at the forefront of agricultural biotechnology. From laboratories to farmlands, genome editing is unlocking a future where improved, resilient, and farmer-preferred varieties can become the norm—ensuring food security for generations to come.