@manual{icrisat1065,
          series = {Impact Series No. 6},
           title = {Assessment of the Economic Impact of Sorghum Variety S 35 in Chad},
    organization = {International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics},
       publisher = {International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics},
         address = {Patancheru, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh},
            year = {1999},
          author = {A M Yapi and G Dehala and K Ngawar and A Issaka},
            type = {Documentation},
          number = {ISE 006},
             url = {http://oar.icrisat.org/1065/},
        abstract = {The S 35 sorghum variety is a nonphotoperiod-sensitive, high-yielding, ear ly-matur ing, and drought -
tolerant pure line that originated from ICRISAT' s breeding program in India, and was later advanced
and promoted in Cameroon and Chad. Its int roduct ion into drought -prone areas of Chad has been
very successful wi t h a net present value of research investments estimated at US\$ 15 mi l l ion, representing
an internal rate of return of 95\%. Two crucial factors explain this apparent success: (1) germplasm
research spillovers from ICRISAT and Cameroon's breeding programs substantially reduced the t ime
lag in S 35 research and development in Chad; and (2) the FAO/UNDP-suppor ted seed project at
Gassi not only successfully mul t ipl ied S 35 seed on a large scale, but also dist r ibuted it to farmers by
adopt ing the 'mini-doses' approach and involving the Office national de developpement rural and
NGOs .
Since the recommended management practices for S 35 adopt ion are simple, relatively easy to implement
wi t h available fami ly labor and animal t ract ion, and are not capital intensive, the technology has
found favor wi t h many farmers. Between 1990 and 1995, the percentage of adopting farmers grew f rom
14\% to 80\%. In 1990, 7\% of the total sorghum area (13 000 ha) was sown to the S 35 variety. By 1995,
the area under S 35 had increased to 27\% (66 000 ha). A yield advantage of about 5 1 \% over farmers'
local varieties is associated wi t h the adopt ion of S 35.
The three major constraints cited by farmers - susceptibility of the variety to bi r d attack, the high cost of
seed, and low soil fertility - should assist in the formulat ion of future research priorities.}
}