%0 Journal Article
%@ 0179-9541
%A Rubyogo, J C
%A Akpo, E
%A Omoigui, L
%A Gaur, P M
%A Chaturvedi, S K
%A Fikre, A
%A Desmae, H
%A Ajeigbe, H A
%A Monyo, E
%A Nkalubo, S
%A Fenta, B
%A Binagwa, P
%A Kilango, M
%A Williams, M
%A Mponda, O
%A Okello, D
%A Chichaybelu, M
%A Miningou, A
%A Bationo, J
%A Sako, D
%A Kouyate, Z
%A Diallo, S
%A Oteng‐Frimpong, R
%A Yirzagla, J
%A Iorlamen, T
%A Garba, U
%A Mohammed, H
%A Ojiewo, C O
%A Kamara, A
%A Varshney, R K
%A Nigam, S N
%A Janila, P
%A Nadaf, H L
%A Kalemera, S
%A Downes, A
%D 2019
%F icrisat:11153
%I John Wiley & Sons, Inc
%J Plant Breeding (TSI)
%K Sub Saharan Africa, South Asia, decentralized seed production and supply, improved legume variety innovative legume seed systems, multi‐stakeholder platform, sub‐Saharan Africa and South Asia, variety promotion, legumes, legume seeds, developing countries, legume seed business, seed marketing, innovation, newly released varieties, seed delivery models, seed systems, seed access, marked‐led approaches, legume seed dissemination, partnerships, chickpea, groundnut, cowpea, soybean, pigeonpea, common bean, legume crops, Ethiopia, Mali, Nigeria, Tanzania, India, smallholder farmers
%P 1-13
%T Market‐led options to scale up legume seeds in developing countries: Experiences from the Tropical Legumes Project
%U http://oar.icrisat.org/11153/
%X There are several hurdles to ensure sustainable seed production and consistent flow of improved legume varieties in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) and South Asia (SA). The unreliable demand, autogamous nature of most of the grain legumes, and slow variety replacement rate by smallholder farmers do not provide strong incentive for private seed companies to invest in legume seed business. Unless a well thought‐out and comprehensive approach to legume seed delivery is developed, current seed shortages will continue, eroding emerging market opportunities. The experiences reported here are collated through a 10‐year partnership project, the Tropical Legumes in SSA and SA. It fostered innovative public–private partnerships in joint testing of innovative market‐led seed systems, skills and knowledge enhancement, de‐risking private sector initiatives that introduced in new approaches and previously overlooked entities in technology delivery. As new public and private seed companies, individual seed entrepreneurs and farmer organizations emerged, the existing ones enhanced their capacities. This resulted in significant rise in production, availability and accessibility of various seed grades of newly improved and farmer demanded legume varieties in the target countries.
%Z We acknowledge the productive partnerships within the Tropical  Legume Project. We also express our deepest gratitude to the various  Governments who supported their national legume research  programmes and our donors especially Bill and Melinda Gates  Foundation through Tropical Legumes II and III Projects led by  ICRISAT in partnership with CIAT, IITA and several NARS.