Did you know: The start of IITA’s Research Program
IITA’s first research scientist was entomologist W. Keith Whitney, who accepted the position in 1968.- The following year, he was joined by nematologist Fields Caveness and a host of others.
- By April 1969, these scientists had established experiments at the Ibadan site organized along disciplinary lines.
- Soon afterwards, a research committee was established to coordinate these initial steps in the evolution of the Institute’s research program.
- The first research director, agronomist Rodney A. Briggs, arrived early in 1969.
- Upon his resignation 2 years later, the position was accepted by John L. Nickel, who left in 1974 to become director general of CIAT.
- In 1971, the research was organized into four interdisciplinary programs: Farming Systems (James Moomaw), Cereal Improvement (Michael N. Harrison), Grain Legume Improvement (Kenneth O. Rachie), and Root and Tuber Improvement (Sang Ki Hanh). Each of the crop programs included a breeder, agronomist, plant physiologist, plant pathologist, and entomologist as well as biochemists for work on grain legumes and roots and tubers.
- Staff of the Farming Systems Program represented the following disciplines: systems agronomy, weed science, agricultural engineering, agricultural economics, plant breeding, nematology, soil classification and pedology, soil chemistry, soil fertility, and soil physics.
- By April 1971, the scientific and administrative staff moved into temporary office and lab space on the IITA campus. These and other facilities were essentially complete and occupied by late 1972.
Excerpted from Sustainable Food production in sub-Saharan Africa, vol. 1 IITA’s contributions, IITA 1992.
