50 1967 - 2017
IITA news No. 2352
31 October –4 November 2016
Nigerian senators extol IITA’s “impressive” role in Africa
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n the wake of the launching of IITA’s 50th anniversary celebration, seven Nigerian lawmakers constituting the country’s Senate Committee on Agriculture visited IITA this week, praising IITA’s efforts in undertaking agricultural research that “continues to show impressive results”. They have also indicated an interest in using the Institute’s technologies to develop the agricultural blueprint of the country. Senator Abdullahi Adamu, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, who led six other lawmakers to Ibadan on 31 October-1 November for an official visit, said IITA’s presence in Nigeria offers government numerous avenues to get proven agricultural guidance and solutions that could make the country food secure. He also pledged government’s commitment to work with the Institute to surmount barriers to fruitful research efforts. This is the first time that a Committee of this caliber has visited IITA. “What I have seen here (IITA) is exceedingly impressive. It is interesting to know that IITA will be celebrating 50
years in Nigeria. The Institute appears to be one of the best kept secrets of Nigeria, there is a lot happening here. As senators, this assures us that the intention of the Nigerian government for bringing agriculture to the fore will be a success. Let us work together to make the impact of IITA’s research felt on the people...We are committed to playing our part in ensuring success in agriculture and will take every possible step to ensure that we share IITA’s problems with the government,” Adamu said. The Director General of IITA, Nteranya Sanginga, appreciating the senators for the visit, reiterated that IITA is well positioned to work with national agricultural research institutes and the government. “Thank you for accepting to visit this Institute. We are open to your advice and recommendations, and our expectation is that this meeting will develop a working relationship between IITA and similar institutions in Nigeria, as well as with the Senate and the Nigerian Government,” Sanginga said.
Senator A.A. Adamu with DG N. Sanginga (right).
The visit provided a forum for the senators to acquaint themselves with the Institute and learn how IITA has been benefitting Nigeria and Africa. They were also taken on a tour of IITA’s research facilities, fields, and had an interaction with the youth Agripreneurs. Other senators in the team were Theodore Orji (vice chair), Aliyu Abdullahi, Omogunwa Olatubosun, Shitu Ubali, Gbolahan Dada, and Muhammad Aliero.
Left: Group photo of IITA staff with the Senate Committee on Agriculture; Right: The senators on a tour of the IITA facilities.
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AVEC-BF provides best options for cowpea farmers in Burkina Faso
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series of farmers’ participatory varietal selection (FPVS) for cowpea in Burkina Faso conducted by the IITA AVEC-BF project, has resulted in the identification of best choice varieties for the country.
The trials, which have been in progress since 2010, have assisted over 3,500 farmers to identify and grow best-fit cowpea options for their specific regions. This has been helping farmers maximize their gains from cultivating cowpea. It has also helped to generate a rich information base on region-specific consumer preferences. Ishikawa explains characteristics of selected cowpea varieties.
Haruki Ishikawa, IITA AVEC-BF project leader, revealed that the project recently concluded two FPVS activities on 28 September–5 October and 18–24 October, that empowered an additional 750 farmers from 11 villages in the northern and southern regions of the country. Ishikawa also unveiled plans to make the data generated from these efforts available to the government and citizens.
to the Ministry of Agriculture as well as the Ministry of Research, Science and Innovation in Burkina Faso. These results can contribute to provide best options for small-scale farmers in each region,” Ishikawa said. There are already some signs of success. Some of the milestones achieved by the project include:
“AVEC-BF has been working with smallscale farmers in Burkina Faso since 2010. This year, the participants of these FPVS activities reached 3,571 farmers from the northern, central, and southern regions, and collected data on a wide range of farmers’ preferences. The project is now summarizing a report detailing the recommended varieties of improved cowpea for the country and submitting it
• The registration of two IITA improved cowpea varieties in Burkina Faso based on farmers’ preferences (IITA Bulletin 2155). • The multiplication of these varieties by the World Bank sponsored WAAP project (IITA Bulletin 2250). • Several target villages achieving up to 90% dissemination rate of improved cowpea varieties.
• Several marketers already making contact with project target villages to negotiate business deals with farmers on purchasing their improved cowpea varieties (IITA Bulletin 2329). AVEC-BF is funded by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and implemented by IITA in collaboration with Burkina Faso’s Institute of the Environment and Agricultural Research (INERA). It aims to develop a large-scale dissemination scheme for suitable improved cowpea varieties, and identify appropriate varieties through FPVS, increase seed production of improved cowpea varieties through training and technical backstopping, and enhance farmers’ knowledge and skills through field schools.
Good news for bakers!
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akers in Liberia now join their counterparts in Nigeria in producing bromate-free bread using high quality cassava flour (HQCF) in combination with wheat flour and cassava enzymes. This healthier alternative is being promoted by IITA as an option for bakers who have had
to contend with low grade wheat flour with low gluten content widespread in Liberia. A training that empowered the bakers and which also proved the effectiveness of HQCF in composite baking of bread was carried out on 22 and 27 October at two locations in Liberia (Kakata and Monrovia, respectively).
importance and health benefits of the cassava enzymes in lieu of potassium bromate, and recommended the former for composite baking of bread. The cassava enzymes were manufactured by First Blend, Nigeria. “The bread proved to be excellent after baking; the quality was superb. We will surely use HQCF, and will be waiting the availability of the cassava enzymes in Liberia,” Amos Tyagbe, Partner, Hope Bakery Monrovia, said while attesting to the effectiveness of the HQCF in bread.
The training was organized by Medina Adetunji, the African Development Bank (AfDB) Cassava Value Chain Consultant, for master bakers from Monrovia (23 trainees) and Kakata (14 trainees). The HQCF used for the training was produced by a cassava processor (Falama Incorporated), based The participants were involved in the in Monrovia after being trained by Adetunji weighing, mixing, cutting, and preparation and Wasiu Awoyale, IITA Cassava Value of the dough for baking. Chain Specialist. Through the training, the participants Ganiyu Agbaogun from Park ‘n’ Shop rated the cassava enzyme improver as Abuja, Nigeria, facilitated the training highly effective and agreed to use it as and disclosed to the participants the substitute for potassium bromate. 10% HQCF bread produced at Madam Cash bakery.
IITA Bulletin 2352
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Cassava mechanization workshop at IITA-Ibadan
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he need to improve the production process of cassava farming systems in Africa through improved methods brought together key stakeholders from several countries last week to IITAIbadan. The two-day workshop, which took place following a mechanization workshop organized by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) in Abeokuta, was aimed at integrating important elements that will ensure an efficient system for the successful modernization of cassava production in Africa.
The possibility of increasing the current production rate in Africa is hinged on several factors such as the use of improved varieties, the adoption of best agronomic practices, and efficient weed control. With Africa’s exploding population, there is an increasing need to explore ways to feed the continent by 2050. The workshop themed “Integrated System for Effective Cassava Production in Africa,” took place 27-28 October, and was targeted to sensitize policy makers, developers, bankers, and scientists on ways to proactively work towards increasing cassava productivity to 30 tons per hectare. In his welcome address, the Deputy Director General, Partnerships for Delivery, Kenton Dashiell, stated that the workshop would help Africa move the cassava revolution forward. “This workshop is a big thing, and the results will help us move forward to a cassava revolution in Africa,” Dashiell said.
Speaking on effective farmer cooperatives, Abu Umaru, a representative from AATF, challenged individual farmers to form cooperatives, so as to take full advantage of the opportunities available in the cassava value chain. “Individual farmers face challenges in terms of access to finance; the way out is to form cooperatives which will allow financial institutions to give credit facilities, which will facilitate access “Cassava is the first food crop in to modern mechanization tools,” Umaru sub-Saharan countries, so we hope stated. to increase cassava production to feed the exploding population of Africa The Managing Director of Context by 2050. This convergence is driven Global Development, Mark Nelson, by the need to ensure that farmers whose organization has a passion to have access to mechanization. advance agriculture worldwide, and to Experts discussed issues on crop take technology from institutes like IITA breeding, agronomy, and cooperatives and the National Root Crop Research and will collect more information on Institute (NRCRI Umudike) to farmers, mechanization adoption by farmers. pointed out the need for coordinated This information, we believe, will development along the cassava value lead us to develop strategies that will chain, and strengthening the linkages make farmers more efficient, have among stakeholders. “Context has a access to credit, and sell their products passion to advance agriculture globally. profitably.” We were brought to Nigeria through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to take The CEO of Thai Farms, Louw Burger, technology from IITA and NRCRI to the during a discussion, session stated farmers.” that cassava growing industries are not delivering enough cassava roots for the Alfred Dixon, Project Leader for the processing industries, and emphasized Cassava Weed Management Project, that cassava tubers should be grown emphasized the need to invest in cassava and supplied to the processors to be as this would help Nigeria to tackle the able to feed Nigeria. He added that, problems of hunger, poverty, and youth “Cassava is a crucial crop, which has unemployment. been sustaining Nigeria, but processors are not getting adequate roots. We The workshop in Ibadan attracted need to get adequate roots, the growing participants from the private sector, industries should grow enough cassava, development partners such as the and supply to the processors so we can Gates Foundation and IFAD, and farmer feed Nigeria.” organizations. Claude Fauquet, Director of the Global Cassava Partnerships for the 21st century (GCP21) and the organizer of the workshop, disclosed that the workshop will collect more information on mechanization adoption by cassava farmers and set the pace for the creation of a linkage that will make farmers more productive.
Cassava Breeder Peter Kulakow making a presentation during one of the sessions.
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IITA scientist’s intervention enables struggling MSc student to finalize studies
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lias Oyesigye was struggling to finish his studies on time. That was until the collaboration of an IITA scientist with the University professors and the Mozambique’s Ministry of Agriculture that saw him smoothly finalize his research and successfully defend his thesis with high marks. Elias is a Ugandan national on a scholarship through the INTRA-ACP mobility scheme under Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) to study for a Master of Science degree in Crop Protection at Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique. All was well with Elias’s studies titled: “Evaluation of selected cassava genotypes for resistance and genetic diversity in relation to Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD) in Mozambique” until he came across molecular markers! He wanted to apply markers to identify Mozambican cassava varieties most likely to harbor resistance to the devastating CBSD. However, there was a shortage of personnel at the University experienced in research on cassava and CBSD―one of the major diseases affecting cassava in East Africa―and in molecular techniques and genotyping. His research and studies seemed stuck with only four months to go before submitting his thesis and his funds were running low. Oyesigye therefore reached out to his fellow colleagues at Uganda’s National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI), and they put him in touch with Morag Ferguson, IITA’s Crop Molecular Geneticist based in Nairobi, who was more than willing.
He collected Mozambican varieties from farmers and the farmers’ local knowledge, using a questionnaire developed earlier by IITA. He also collected leaf samples using a kit supplied by IITA from Nairobi for DNA extraction. IITA assisted with DNA extraction, and samples were then sent to a service provider in the UK for genotyping together with the DNA extracted from Tanzanian resistant varieties. Once the data was received, Oyesigye travelled to Nairobi to work alongside Ferguson on the data analysis and thesis writing. On 26 October, Oyesigye successfully defended his thesis, profusely thanking Ferguson for her assistance.
“I don’t know how much I can thank you. You are such a rare gift. You picked me from nowhere, showed me the right direction despite your busy schedule. Your motherly support was highly appreciated. In my constraints— financial, knowledge—you were there Elias Ogye in the field. for me! …I would want to continue working with you, and once again Ferguson helped redesign his thank you!” Oyesigye said in an email research objectives in the light of to Ferguson. current knowledge of resistance to CBSD in Tanzanian germplasm and to “Elias grasped new ideas very quickly. ensure that they would also contribute He could understand the analysis knowledge to efforts in Mozambique to we were doing in relation to the objectives. He showed independent breed for CBSD-resistant cassava. thinking, worked hard, and also wrote Oyesigye’s goal was to genetically well. I thoroughly enjoyed working with fingerprint Mozambican cassava Elias and feeding his hungry mind varieties and analyze their similarity to that soaked up new knowledge. I will known Tanzanian varieties showing field follow his career path with interest resistance to CBSD. The Mozambican and wish him well for the future,” says varieties that showed high levels of Ferguson. similarity to known Tanzanian CBSD resistant germplasm would then be IITA Director for Eastern Africa Victor phenotyped for resistance to CBSD as Manyong commended Morag for her assistance to the student. a priority.
Announcements • First Regional Cocoa Symposium, IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria, 8–10 November. More details available here. • IITA Open Day, IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria, 12 November. • Marketplace Event, Humidtropics, IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria, 15–17 November. • P4D (Partnerships for Delivery) Week, IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria, 21–25 November. • 7th International Nitrogen Initiative Conference, Melbourne, Australia, 4–8 December. More details available here.
Got a story to share? Please email it with photos and captions every Wednesday to Katherine Lopez (k.lopez@cgiar.org), Jeffrey T. Oliver (j.oliver@cgiar.org), Catherine Njuguna (c.njuguna@cgiar.org), or Adaobi Umeokoro (a.umeokoro@cgiar.org).
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IITA holds Science day to kick off silver and golden jubilee celebrations in Uganda
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n 27 October, IITA Uganda marked its 25th year of supporting smallholder farmers growing banana, cassava, maize, coffee, cowpea, cocoa, soybean, and yams to increase their agricultural production; and hosted family and friends of the Institute at a one-day “Science Day” to celebrate the feat. The event which promoted IITA’s research activities had the theme “Research to improve investment decisions and livelihoods in Agriculture”. Piet VanAsten, country director, in his opening remarks recounted IITA’s 25year journey in Uganda and explained the systems approach to agricultural research that the thematic areas of intervention are based on, calling the approach “from plants to policy”. VanAsten also highlighted the successes Dr Brigitte Uwimana explaining to Members of Parliament where and how banana seeds used in of IITA’s operations in Uganda and breeding are extracted. how they strategically contribute to the with resistance to the Cassava Mosaic stakeholder engagement models/learning country’s agricultural priorities. Virus and the Cassava Brown Streak alliances; identified opportunities for “I am pleased to tell you that the 25 Virus. It also provided soybean and maize gender and youth; and provided policy years that IITA has been in Uganda have parent varieties which were successfully support to the Ministry of Agriculture, been greatly successful with immense used by Makerere University and NARO. Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) for extension and agricultural inputs. There achievements. Through our collaboration Additionally, the station has successfully has also been success in sustaining with the National Agricultural Research undertaken nutrient diagnostics and partnerships, quantifying the impact and Organization (NARO), IITA’s 20 years of banana breeding efforts resulted in the 27 recommendations for different crops; needs of research as well as in capacity NARITA varieties that are resistant to black developed legume-rhizobia high yield building for students and institutions. Sigatoka disease and with a good yield packages; implemented coffee-banana The guest of honor, the Hon. Vincent and well-formed bunches,” VanAsten said. intercropping systems; utilized BXW Ssempija, MAAIF Minister, was diagnostic and control tools; conducted The station has also recorded great strides climate change prediction and planning represented by Okaasai Opolot, the in the development of banana varieties especially for coffee; provided shade Director, Crop Resources Directorate of resistant to Banana Xanthomonas Wilt, tree recommendations for coffee; and MAAIF. He visited the booths escorted worked on banana biotechnology, and recommended value chain models for by the chairperson of the food security developed two different cassava varieties key crops. It has also created multi- committee of Parliament, Hon. Abbas Namara, two other members of parliament, and Jerome Kubiriba, the national banana research program leader for NARO, who represented NARO’s director general. In his speech, the Minister commended the IITA Youth Agripreneurs’ initiative. “The step IITA has taken in engaging the youth is in the right direction and should be a learning point. The research community is uniquely capable of generating the technical knowledge required to address the need for markets for agricultural produce, value addition, and regulation for inputs markets like fertilizers and pesticides. Challenges rising from these challenges tend to keep the youth away from engaging in agriculture,” Ssempija said. Piet VanAsten explaining to Mr John Mitala the cassava breeding process as he inspects the crop breeding booth.
IITA Bulletin 2352
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