IITA News

Picture of IITA DDG Kenton Dashiell giving his opening remarks at IITA-CWMP annual review and planning meeting.

Stakeholders map out strategies to outscale proven weed management technologies to farmers

IITA Cassava Weed Management Project held its 2018 annual review and work planning meeting, on 19–20 March, at IITA HQ, to discuss achievements over the years and draw a roadmap on how to actively engage stakeholders to help outscale proven weed management technologies to farmers.

Picture of Dr David Shearer, WorldFish Director, International Partnership, giving a presentation during a visit to IITA.

WorldFish seeks collaboration on hosting agreement and TAAT initiative

As a follow-up on the stakeholder workshop on the development of the WorldFish Nigeria program with the Nigerian Government, representatives from WorldFish visited IITA Ibadan, on 22 March, to seek collaboration to move their agenda forward.

Picture on AfDB team at IITA demonstration farm in Kakata Margibi County responding to issues raised by the cassava farmers.

AfDB team visits Liberia

The AfDB team, lead by Mr Philip Boahen (Task Manager), visited Liberia to evaluate the activities of the Smallholder Agricultural Productivity Enhancement and Commercialization (SAPEC) project.

Picture of The IITA-CARI team presenting fufu powder, gari and training materials to the CAC and SAPEC Focal Person during the visit to the orphanage home at Kakata Marigi County.

SAPEC Project takes on corporate social responsibility activity in Liberia

The IITA postharvest specialist of the SAPEC project is currently conducting a study in collaboration with the Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI), to ascertain the suitability of the IITA introduced cassava varieties to produce gari and fufu powder in Liberia.

Dizengoff delegation that visited IITA said they were impressed with IYA model.

Leading Nigerian agricultural company explores areas of collaboration with IITA

On 14 March, a delegation from Dizengoff Nigeria Limited, visited IITA Ibadan to explore, share knowledge, discuss possible commercial ideas that can emanate from IITA’s research and technologies, and establish grounds for future partnership. The team led by Antti Ritvonen, Managing Director of Dizengoff, and accompanied by Damisa Enahoro, Commercial Manager Agriculture, and Oscar Wulumbe,…

Dr Jonas Chianu (2nd from left) leading the dialogue with other stakeholders.

AfDB TAAT mission visits Burundi

An African Development Bank (AfDB) mission on Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) visited Burundi, 5-9 March, to meet and update Burundian authorities and stakeholders in agricultural research and development including donors, farmers, microfinance institutions, and the private sector on the latest on TAAT. The visit was led by Dr Jonas Chianu, AfDB/TAAT Program Director,…

ATTC News: Aflasafe commercialization in full swing

Thanks to more than a decade-and-a-half of dedicated research, we have Aflasafe ready to broadcast onto Africa’s farms. And now, we are working on broadcasting the good news. As part of our communication strategy for the Aflasafe Technology Transfer and Commercialization (ATTC) project, we launched our newsletter, ATTC News, last December. Issue 2 is coming out…

SIMLESA–Africa RISING joint learning event. Photo credit: Jonathan Odhong’/IITA.

Africa RISING, SIIL, and SIMLESA hold joint learning event

If you had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to talk to a policymaker about systems research in agriculture/sustainable intensification (in sub-Saharan Africa), its value, and why it should be funded, what relevant case studies, high line results, and lessons learned would you share to get a positive response? This was the question posed recently to a group…

Left: A Sigatoka susceptible highland cooking banana. Right: A Sigatoka resistant highland cooking banana developed by IITA. Photos by A. Alakonya, IITA.

Taking stock of efforts to address Pseudocercospora banana pathogens of three deadly banana diseases

R4D Special Black leaf streak disease or black Sigatoka, yellow Sigatoka, and eumusae leaf spot are three closely related and complex diseases that constrain banana and plantain production globally. They are caused by three fungi belonging to the genus Pseudocercospora. These are P. fijiensis, P. musae, and P. eumusae, that cause black Sigatoka, yellow Sigatoka,…

Stakeholders strategize ways to strengthen breeding pipelines in West Africa

An array of institutes and lead specialists on breeding across West Africa convened at IITA-Ibadan for a workshop on 12–15 March, to discuss and exchange ideas on how they can work together to bring best practices and tools that can help them achieve their objectives more effectively, efficiently, and within a relatively shorter time scale….