Drought is not the only enemy. Striga is a parasitic weed that Africans commonly call witchweed. The plant attacks sorghum and other crops and steals water and nutrients from the roots.
In the nineteen nineties, Gebisa Ejeta and another Purdue researcher, Larry Butler, identified the complex relationships between Striga and sorghum plants. That finding led to the development of seeds resistant to both Striga and drought.
In the early nineteen eighties, Professor Ejeta developed the first sorghum hybrid seeds. These resisted drought and led to a major increase in production.
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Gebisa Ejeta |
Now his work has earned him this year's World Food Prize from the World Food Prize Foundation in Des Moines, Iowa. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made the announcement last week in Washington. She pointed out that Professor Ejeta did not just develop the seeds. He also worked to get them to farmers.
He will receive the two hundred fifty thousand dollar award at a ceremony in October. He is only the second African to win the prize since it was established in nineteen eighty-six. Monty Jones, a rice expert from Sierra Leone, was the winner in two thousand four.
Sorghum is an important grain for Africa. Millions of Africans have more to eat because of Gebisa Ejeta. The Ethiopian scientist developed sorghum seeds that can resist long dry periods. The seeds can also resist the Striga weed, a big cause of crop failures in Africa.
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