Bulletin story Archives - Page 121 of 138

IITA organizes Risk Awareness Week

On 27 to 29 June, IITA will be hosting Risk Awareness Week across the hubs and stations. The activity is expected to increase awareness and appreciation among staff of the risks inherent in all IITA-related business processes and inculcate a more nuanced risk management culture in the community. The week, themed “Consider the risk, Improve…

What about climate change and coffee production?

A groundbreaking study in Tanzania has revealed figures quantifying the impact decades of climate change has had on coffee production with increasing night time temperatures shown to be the biggest climatic cause of diminishing coffee yields. While scientists had long predicted that global production of the Coffea arabica species would suffer from climate change, this…

IITA launches Open Access awareness campaign

The IITA community, including scientists and research support staff, are reminded once again and encouraged to actively support the Institute’s decision to implement an Open Access policy for research starting this year. Open Access means that IITA’s research publications and data should be available for the world to read, to learn from, and to build…

Full registration for Aflasafe approved!

Aflasafe SN01, a new biocontrol technology that protects grains from aflatoxin in the field and after harvest, was approved for full registration by Le Comité Sahélien des Pesticides (CSP) of Comité Inter-Etate pour la Lutte contre la Sécheresse au Sahel (CILSS) in its May 2016 meeting. With this registration, Aflasafe SN01 can now be used…

First report of outbreaks of the “Fall Armyworm” on the African continent

Following severe armyworm outbreaks in maize fields occurring simultaneously in several countries of West and Central Africa, the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)—an alien, invasive moth native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas—has been detected for the first time on the African continent. First observations on armyworm attacks attributed to…

Local army chief visits IITA

General Officer Commanding, 2 Division, Major General L.C. Ilo and his entourage paid a courtesy visit to IITA, Ibadan on 27 May, to explore partnership opportunities in the areas of agriculture and security. In his first official visit, Major General Ilo met with IITA management and IITA security manager, David Oluwadare. Topics of discussion centered on…

AVEC-BF holds cowpea fair and stakeholders meeting to strengthen cowpea value chain

The Appropriate Varieties of Early maturing Cowpea for the Burkina Faso project (AVEC-BF), collaborating with the Institut de l’Environnement et des Recherches Agricoles in Burkina Faso (INERA) organized a cowpea fair and stakeholders’ meeting in Burkina Faso on 4 June. The convergence aimed to promote interaction among key players and further strengthen the value chain…

Future of coffee and cocoa farmers under threat from soaring temperatures

The livelihoods of millions of small smallholder farmers growing coffee and cocoa―and foreign exchange of countries dependent on the two crops―are facing a shaky future if the planet continues to get warmer and no urgent action is taken. This was said by IITA scientist Laurence Jassogne at a recent seminar titled “Towards climate smart intensification:…

Study on fertilizer perception, quality, and use under way in Tanzania

A study has been initiated to dig deeper into factors influencing the use of fertilizers by smallholder farmers in Tanzania and in particular those around quality and pricing issues. The study “Mineral fertilizer quality: implications for smallholder farmers” is being conducted by Anna Fairbairn, an MSc student in Agriculture and Applied Economics at the University…

Using video to promote improved potato seed quality in southwestern Uganda – Preliminary results from a randomized intervention

In Uganda, low quality of potato seed is a major contributor to low potato yields among smallholder farmers. This finding was one of the main conclusions from an ongoing policy research project (PASIC). The research, led by the Ugandan Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industries and Fisheries (MAAIF) with support from IITA, IFPRI and EPRC, collected…