Impacts of climate change on fonio millet: seed germination and suitability modelling of an important indigenous West African crop

Abstract

Seed germination is highly temperature sensitive. Climate change factors such as increasing temperatures are likely to have a harmful effect on agriculture, particularly after crop sowing. Better utilisation of indigenous, arid-resilient crops like fonio (Digitaria exilis) are a commonly proposed solution to improving food security. This study develops knowledge of fonio germination requirements and how these correspond to future climate conditions across West Africa. We use a combined approach; integrating seed germination experiments under a range of temperatures, and niche suitability modelling to investigate how cultivation of fonio will be impacted by climate change. We find that from 37 seed accessions collected across Guinea, Togo, Mali, and Burkina Faso, the ceiling temperature for germination is around 42{degrees}C, with an optimum temperature of 30-35{degrees}C - also noted from phenotypic observations. Drought trials show successful germination to beyond -1MPa. There is no obvious difference in response by accessions originating from either hotter or cooler climates. By comparing these temperature thresholds with future climate predictions, alongside a suitability modelling approach, we predict an average decline of 10% in the suitable area for fonio cultivation, especially affecting Senegal, Mali, and Burkina Faso. Newly suitable area is predicted to increase in Guinea, Ghana, Cote dIvoire, and Nigeria by around 5%. These findings provide valuable insight for developing future dryland agriculture policies and prioritisation of resilient crops.