DroughtTEGO: Drought tolerant and high yield maize varieties

Boost yields, and income with advanced maize.

TEGO is an improved varieties maize technology developed to bolster drought resilience and improve grain output in maize cultivation. Developed through collaborative research efforts, TEGO integrates cutting-edge genetic traits, advanced breeding techniques, and climate-smart agricultural practices to address the pressing challenges posed by erratic rainfall patterns and water scarcity in agricultural landscapes.

This technology is TAAT1 validated.

Scaling readiness: idea maturity unknown; level of use unknown

Project adoption4

Technology integrated in the EFPP, ENSURE, PADCV-PTA, and PUPSAN projects.

Project	Countries	Beneficiaries	Budget (USD) & duration	Key figures
EFPP Guinea Emergency Food Production Programme	Guinea	Direct: 35,750 Indirect: 73,800	25.23 million 2022–2024	2,000 tons of rice seeds distributed 750 tons of maize seeds distributed 4,845 tons NPK provide 3,185 tons urea provide
ENSURE Enabling Environments for Sustainable Regional Agriculture Extension	Kenya Rwanda Burundi Democratic Republic of the Congo South Sudan Uganda Tanzania	Direct: 3,000,000	13.14 million 2024–2027	149,940 farmers trained 9,996 Training 2→3.5 tons/ha cereals production expected 350 agent trained
PADCV-PTA Projet d’Appui au Developpement des Chaines de Valeurs en soutien au Programme de Transformation de l’Agriculture	Democratic Republic of the Congo	Direct: 900,000 Indirect: 2,000,000	321 million 2024–2029	62,000 tons certified seeds produced 5,200 ha rice fields developed 600 km resilient roads rehabilitated 30,000 people trained
PUPSAN Emergency Production and Food & Nutrition Security Project	Mali	Direct: 35,274	7.04 million 2023–2026	1,027.14 tons certified seeds distributed 2,234 tons fertilizers provided 8,819 ha cultivated land production 11,145.6 tons additional production expected

Figures in italic are from project plans and may change during implementation.

See project details ›

Adults 18 and over: Positive high

Under 18: Positive medium

Women: Positive medium

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

Biodiversity: No impact on biodiversity

Problem

Vulnerable maize production systems: Erratic rainfall and water scarcity reduce production stability and increase the vulnerability of agricultural livelihoods.
Drought-related yield losses: Traditional varieties have limited drought resilience, resulting in lower production and reduced farm returns during dry periods.
Limited access to improved seed and knowledge: Farmers have limited access to improved maize varieties, training and technical knowledge needed for drought-resilient production.
Low maize productivity: Conventional varieties perform poorly across some climatic and soil conditions, limiting productivity improvements.
Food and livelihood insecurity: Low and unstable maize production reduces food availability and limits income opportunities for rural households.

Solution

Drought-tolerant maize varieties: DroughtTEGO provides improved maize varieties that strengthen production under drought and water stress.
Higher yield potential: DroughtTEGO hybrids have a reported 20–35% yield increase potential under drought stress conditions.
Improved access to seed: Development programmes can facilitate access to certified DroughtTEGO seed through seed suppliers and multiplication partners.
Training and extension support: The technology includes training on improved varieties and climate-smart production practices, with continued technical support.
Resilient maize production: DroughtTEGO can be integrated into climate-smart agriculture, food security and maize value-chain programmes to strengthen production and farmer livelihoods.

Key points to design your program

DroughtTEGO: Drought-Tolerant and High-Yield Maize Varieties improves maize productivity and resilience by providing drought-tolerant, high-yielding maize hybrids developed to withstand water stress and erratic rainfall. The technology can be integrated into climate-smart agriculture, maize value chain development, food security, and smallholder resilience programs to increase yields, strengthen climate resilience, and improve farmer livelihoods. Its adoption contributes to SDGs 1 (No Poverty), 2 (Zero Hunger), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and 13 (Climate Action).

To integrate this technology into your project, plan and budget for the following activities and prerequisites:

Assess target production areas, drought risk, seed requirements, and suitable maize-growing environments.
Establish partnerships with African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), agricultural development institutes, seed multiplication companies, and other maize value chain stakeholders to support technology dissemination and scaling.
Facilitate access to certified DroughtTEGO seed and include seed procurement, delivery, and import clearance costs where applicable.
Implement training and post-training support for farmers and extension agents on the use of improved drought-tolerant maize varieties and climate-smart production practices.
Develop communication and awareness materials, including flyers, videos, radio broadcasts, and other extension tools to promote technology adoption.
Promote the participation of women and smallholder farmers in technology adoption.
Implement monitoring, learning, and inclusion activities throughout the project lifecycle.
Track key indicators such as area planted, maize yields, farmer adoption, certified seed use, and resilience to drought.

IP

Trademark

Project	Countries	Beneficiaries	Budget (USD) & duration	Key figures
EFPP Guinea Emergency Food Production Programme	Guinea	Direct: 35,750 Indirect: 73,800	25.23 million 2022–2024	2,000 tons of rice seeds distributed 750 tons of maize seeds distributed 4,845 tons NPK provide 3,185 tons urea provide
ENSURE Enabling Environments for Sustainable Regional Agriculture Extension	Kenya Rwanda Burundi Democratic Republic of the Congo South Sudan Uganda Tanzania	Direct: 3,000,000	13.14 million 2024–2027	149,940 farmers trained 9,996 Training 2→3.5 tons/ha cereals production expected 350 agent trained
PADCV-PTA Projet d’Appui au Developpement des Chaines de Valeurs en soutien au Programme de Transformation de l’Agriculture	Democratic Republic of the Congo	Direct: 900,000 Indirect: 2,000,000	321 million 2024–2029	62,000 tons certified seeds produced 5,200 ha rice fields developed 600 km resilient roads rehabilitated 30,000 people trained
PUPSAN Emergency Production and Food & Nutrition Security Project	Mali	Direct: 35,274	7.04 million 2023–2026	1,027.14 tons certified seeds distributed 2,234 tons fertilizers provided 8,819 ha cultivated land production 11,145.6 tons additional production expected

Figures in italic are from project plans and may change during implementation.

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested
Countries with a blue colour: Testing ongoing

Countries where the technology is being tested or has been tested and adopted
Country	Testing ongoing	Tested	Adopted
Ethiopia	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Kenya	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Mozambique	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Nigeria	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
South Africa	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Tanzania	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Uganda	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
AEZ	Subtropic - warm	Subtropic - cool	Tropic - warm	Tropic - cool
Arid
Semiarid
Subhumid
Humid

Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Goal 1: no poverty

Goal 2: zero hunger

Goal 8: decent work and economic growth

Goal 13: climate action

Selection: Choose the appropriate DroughtTEGO variety based on local climate and soil conditions.
Planting: Follow standard maize planting practices, ensuring optimal soil and fertilizer management.
Nutrient Optimization: In low-fertility soils, supplement with inorganic fertilizers to enhance nutrient uptake.
Complementary Practices: Consider legume intercropping, manure application, and mulching for added nutrients and water retention.