In Africa, agriculture is largely based on low-input and small-holder
farming systems that use little inorganic fertilizers and have limited
access to irrigation and mechanization. Improving agricultural practices
and developing new cultivars adapted to these low-input environments,
where production already suffers from climate change, is a major
priority for ensuring food security in the future. Root traits improving
water and nutrient uptake could represent a solution toward achieving
these goals. In this review, we illustrate how breeding for specific
root traits could improve crop adaptation and resilience in Africa using
three case studies covering very contrasted low-input agroecosystems.
First, we review how targeted changes in root system architecture
allowed a dramatic increase in common bean yield in low input
agroecosystems of South East Africa. We next discuss how root traits
could be targeted to improve the productivity and resilience of dryland
cereals in the face of climate change and soil degradation. Finally, we
evaluate how root traits could be mobilized to develop water-saving rice
agroecosystems for West Africa. We conclude with a discussion on how to
prioritize target root traits, how they could be validated and made
available to breeders and farmers through participatory approaches.