IITA News

Scientists develop mini-core collection for guinea yam germplasm

With West Africa accounting for 92% of the world’s annual yam production (67 million tons; FAO, 2018), yam plays a significant role in the region’s food security and income generation. While yam is a common name for the multiple crop species belonging to the genus Dioscorea, widely cultivated as a staple crop in tropical and subtropical regions, Dioscorea rotundata is the most…

Access to infrastructure can increase youth engagement in agriculture

Youth unemployment remains a critical challenge in developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, where the youth unemployment rate is among the world’s highest. While graduate unemployment is a major concern for the Republic of Benin’s government, a study carried out under the IITA–CARE project—sponsored by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) across 10 African countries—explored factors that can influence the country’s youth to venture into agribusiness. Despite the opportunities for self-employment…

Female scientists seek enabling environment in the CGIAR

Female scientists play an essential role at the forefront of CGIAR’s mission to deliver science and innovation that advance the transformation of food, land, and water systems in a climate crisis. Female scientists, representing 29% of the CGIAR workforce, power its innovation but still require more support to thrive. This led to the creation of Women in Research and Science (WIRES), a new employee-led resource group (ERG)…

Ugandan coffee farmers enjoy increased yields through CSA technologies despite COVID-19 pandemic

The IITA Uganda Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) Program supports the Ugandan Government in its commitment to increasing coffee quality, volumes, and smallholder farmer livelihoods. The Institute’s activities closely align with the country’s agricultural agenda, with the IITA team collaborating with the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) to implement the Uganda Coffee Roadmap. By developing the Stepwise…

Food security and economic benefits of newly released cassava varieties

At the end of 2020, IITA’s cassava breeders collaborated with their research partners and released five new varieties. Their names, indicating their attributes to farmers, processors, and consumers, are Game-Changer, Hope, Obasanjo-2, Baba-70, and Poundable. In January 2021, scientists and breeders from IITA, Next Generation Cassava (NextGen), and the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) Umudike,…

IITA Forest Center kicks off a new project to promote bird and forest conservation

IITA has commenced a project titled “Enhancing bird and forest conservation at the interface of agriculture and urbanization in south-western Nigeria” in support of the System Level Outcome of sustainable natural resource management. The 1-year project, with an option of a 2-year extension, is a continuation of the just concluded project, “Establishing ontological monitoring center…

Researchers reveal factors responsible for Tilapia consumption preferences of low-income consumers in Egypt

Egypt is among the top aquaculture producers globally, and tilapia alone accounts for 47.7% of the country’s per capita fish supply, 55.1% of fish production, and 68.6% of total aquaculture production. The growth of tilapia production increased rapidly in the last four years, following the release of the genetically improved Nile tilapia strain to Egyptian…

FMARD – Nigeria: IITA holds critical position in Nigeria’s agricultural sector

Mr Richard-Mark Mbaram, the Technical Adviser on Knowledge Management and Communication to Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Honorable Mohammed Sabo Nanono, has highlighted IITA’s role in the nation’s agricultural sector. He spoke on this during a visit to the Institute on 18 December 2020. According to Mbaram, the visit aimed to explore opportunities…

New publication tackles how best to support smallholder farmers

Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing are delighted to announce the publication of their new title – The sustainable intensification of smallholder farming systems. This title provides a comprehensive review of recent research on effective support measures to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. It features detailed discussions on improving access to critical resources,…

Adoption of gender-responsive approaches towards research on pest and disease management

Studies have shown that adopting a gender perspective while conducting agronomic research and extension work provides more efficient approaches to managing pests and diseases at the field level. This is because women and men farmers often play different roles in agricultural production. Women possess different knowledge levels about pests and diseases and are differently involved…