There is an urgent need for public breeding programs to prioritize and focus their efforts. Excellence in Breeding (EiB) is working with CGIAR partners to identify market segments and align breeding pipelines to them with the goal of increasing food security and improving livelihoods. Since the Green Revolution, public crop breeding programs have been expanding across the globe. But
The average age of a Kenyan farmer is approximately 60 years. With a growing human population, the demand for food is subsequently increasing. There is a need to have an informed, passionate, and energetic generation to drive the agriculture sector to ensure the country is food and nutrition secure. It is time to invest in the youth to embrace
Rwanda has one of the highest per capita consumption in the world, confirming that beans are a key crop for food security in the country. Common bean is an important food crop for Rwandese. It is often referred to as the meat of the poor. On 24 June 2021, the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) together with the Alliance
Chips away time and cost from groundnut breeding. Researchers at ICRISAT have established seed-chip genotyping for groundnut as a significantly faster and cheaper method for genotyping than the oft-used leaf-disc technique. In a recent research publication, they have also shown that the former can be easily integrated with rapid generation advancement (RGA) to hasten groundnut research by six to eight
Opportunities and challenges facing African youth especially in the semi-arid drylands have recently become major public policy and research discourses due to the attention stakeholders including researchers, governments, and development partners have given to youth involvement or the lack thereof in agriculture. Although agriculture presents a great potential for employment opportunities for youth in Africa, the same opportunities have not
Food safety took a step forward in Mozambique as IITA signed a Technology Transfer and Licensing Agreement (TTLA) with AflaLivre Moçambique S.A. (AflaLivre) to manufacture and distribute Aflasafe in the country. The renewable agreement, signed on 7 May, defines the framework of operations and responsibilities of each party. IITA’s Aflasafe team is already providing technical assistance with the design of the Aflasafe factory and
Food safety took a step forward in Mozambique as IITA signed a Technology Transfer and Licensing Agreement (TTLA) with AflaLivre Moçambique S.A. (AflaLivre) to manufacture and distribute Aflasafe in the country. The renewable agreement, signed on 7 May, defines the framework of operations and responsibilities of each party. IITA’s Aflasafe team is already providing technical assistance with the design of the Aflasafe factory and
IITA scientists have identified the defense mechanisms for Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc) in resistant and susceptible cultivars with or without biological control agent (BCA) inoculation as part of efforts to identify effective ways to control Fusarium wilt of banana. Fusarium wilt is a disease caused by the soilborne fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc). It persists in soil for long periods as chlamydospores (thick-walled resting spores), even in the