Plant Health Archives - Page 10 of 15

Extension workers and agribusinesses receive aflatoxin management training in Ghana’s Ashanti and Eastern regions

It was moment of learning, capacity strengthening, and networking for participants at the regional training of trainers (ToT) workshop held in Ghana’s Ashanti and Eastern regional capitals of Kumasi and Koforidua in March 2019. As part of its Aflasafe technology transfer strategy, IITA, in partnership with the Green Innovation Center (GIC) of GIZ and Ghana’s…

Showing off Aflasafe products: (L-R) MISST Project Advisor, Dr Patrick Okori; US Deputy Chief of Mission, Andrew Hirrup; Controller of Agriculture Services, Dr Alexander Bulirani; and DG Sanginga.

DG Sanginga graces handover of aflatoxin laboratory and launch of Aflasafe in Malawi

During the recent handover of the Aflatoxin Research and Training laboratory in Malawi on 10 April, IITA Director General Nteranya Sanginga challenged players in the agricultural industry to vigorously fight aflatoxin, which contaminates up to 30% of groundnut and maize in Malawi. Dr Sanginga was joined by the Deputy Chief of Mission for the US…

Plant health delegation visits IITA Abuja in preparation for international conference

In preparation for a global event that will bring quarantine service practitioners from across the world to Nigeria to deliberate on curtailing the spread of pests and diseases across continents, a three-member delegation led by Mr John Obaje, Director of Plant Quarantine Planning, Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), visited IITA-Abuja Station on 14 February. The…

Muacheia Acacio Groundnut farmer applying Aflasafe in Muriaze, Nampula Province, Northern Mozambique, during field efficacy trials conducted during the 2016/2017 cropping season.

Aflasafe registration gets approval in Mozambique

After almost five years developing and field-testing an innovative but simple way to control aflatoxin in groundnut and maize in Mozambique, Mozambique’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security on 20 February approved the registration of two Aflasafe products. Aflasafe is a 100% natural solution to aflatoxin contamination. Each product is composed of four native-to-Mozambique, non-poisonous…

Scientists successfully use gene-editing technology to develop first-ever plantain resistant to banana virus streak

A team of scientists have announced a major breakthrough in their efforts to develop improved banana and plantain varieties that are resistant to banana streak virus (BSV), one of the diseases hampering the crop’s production in Africa and threatening the food and income of millions of farmers. The team successfully used CRISPR, a powerful technology…

New book showcases 50 years of IITA’s plant health research

Over the past 50 years, IITA has been at the fore of research on plant health issues in Africa ranging from the safe handling and movement of germplasm and seed to identifying and managing threats to crops in the region. These play a major role in the overall food production of the continent, affecting both…

Building regional capacity to contain Banana Bunchy Top Disease (BBTD) spread in West Africa

A training workshop on “Banana Bunchy Top Disease (BBTD) diagnosis, surveillance and emergency response” was held 14 to 16 January 2019 at IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria. The workshop, sponsored by the CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers and Bananas (CRP-RTB), was attended by 20 participants from Togo – Direction de la Protection des Végétaux (DPV), Institut…

Building regional capacity to contain Banana Bunchy Top Disease (BBTD) spread in West Africa

IITA scientists develop multiple stress tolerant maize hybrids with high levels of Pro-Vitamin A

Vitamin A deficiency is a major health problem in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Striga hermonthica (Giant Witchweed) and drought are two major constraints to maize production in the sub-region. Development and deployment of multiple stress tolerant maize hybrids with high levels of Pro-Vitamin A (PVA) offers a solution to food insecurity and malnutrition in SSA. The…

Picture of Manuele Tamo , IITA Insect Ecologist, giving his seminar presentation

Biocontrol: The silent revolution to pest control

On 21 September, IITA Insect Ecologist Manuele Tamò gave a seminar presentation at IITA Ibadan Headquarters, to highlight achievements and challenges encountered in combating some of the insect pests that pose a threat to cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) production in Africa.