IITA News

Tanzania Agriculture PS acknowledges and lauds IITA research work

Study identifies banana varieties resistant to black Sigatoka and provides further insights into the disease pathogen

Black leaf Sigatoka, one of the most widespread and damaging banana diseases—causing yield losses of 20–50%—is widespread in Uganda and Tanzania, posing a challenge to banana production as bananas grown in East Africa are susceptible to the disease. However, the good news is that five hybrids of East African Highland banana hybrids named NARITA, after their…

Project supports Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) teaching in agricultural training institutes in Tanzania

One way to help farmers cope with climate change and its threat to their livelihood is to ensure the extension officers who work with them are knowledgeable on climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices and technologies and how to apply them in different agro-climatic zones and production systems. In this regard, the Building Capacity for Resilient Food Security in Tanzania, supported by the USAID mission in the country,…

An RTB innovation: Disease mapping and surveillance made easier through an AI-powered smartphone app and drone/satellite image analysis

An RTB innovation: Disease mapping and surveillance made easier through AI-powered app and drone/satellite image analysis

Disease surveillance and mapping have, for a long time, heavily relied on in-person field surveys by knowledgeable staff. However, this approach has been limited by its high cost, often limited human capacity, and difficulty accessing more remote locations. In addition, the inability of farmers and sometimes local extension staff to rightly identify and or differentiate…

Enesi, interviewing a cassava farmer in Ogun State

IITA-CARE awardee calls for promotion of youth engagement through ICT-based policies

Outdated agricultural practices, lack of policy support, and poor access to Information and Communications Technology (ICT) have reduced employment opportunities for youth in agriculture and agribusiness. As a result, youth who are supposed to improve the productive efficiency of the agricultural sector and achieve the sustainable development goals, including food security and zero hunger, now…

Dr Charles Iyangbe and IAA Chief of Party Mr Prakash Kant Silwal.

Integrated Agriculture Activity presents draft work plan for second-year operation

The USAID-funded Feed-the-Future Nigeria Integrated Agriculture Activity (IAA) has outlined its proposed second-year work plan at a meeting with stakeholders in the Nigerian capital, Abuja. Virtual participants, along with 58 people on location, attended the seminar. In his welcome address, IAA Chief of Party Prakash Kant Silwal highlighted some achievements from the Activity’s first year…

Recent advances in breeding for Striga resistance in early and extra-early maturing maize for sub-Saharan Africa

A team of IITA scientists, molecular breeders, and geneticists, coordinated by the IITA early and extra-early Maize Program Lead, Baffour Badu-Apraku, recently made significant advances in the longstanding efforts of the IITA Maize Improvement Program (MIP) to develop genotypes with durable resistance to Striga parasitism using molecular markers. The major advances are: Identification of genomic regions significantly associated with indicator traits for Striga resistance under infestation in early maturing…

Biofortified cassava processed into gari.

Biofortified cassava: Researchers call for gender-responsive strategies to improve food and nutrition security and reduce poverty in Nigeria

Market demand is a key driver of the production of biofortified cassava for male adopters and farmers. However, for women, consumer acceptance, preference, and market coupled with the health benefits of biofortified cassava—mainly targeting children and pregnant women—are the motivation for adopting and processing. A study to identify gender-based constraints affecting the production, processing, and marketing activities of biofortified cassava in Oyo and Benue states has established this fact. The study carried out by researchers from IITA, Association of Uganda Professional Women in Agriculture and Environment (AUPWAE) Gender and Development…

Professional food body elects IITA researcher as Fellow

The Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) has duly elected IITA-Zambia Food Science and Technology Associate Scientist Emmanuel Oladeji Alamu as a Fellow of the Institute. Alamu received a certificate from the Institute with a congratulatory message signed by IFST President Helen Munday. IFST confirmed Alamu’s fellowship status after an in-depth review by the…

Phytosanitary Awareness Week 2020

Day 1, Monday, 9 November 2020, Global Plenary – Inception Every year, the Germplasm Health Units (GHUs) of CGIAR centers come together to organize “Phytosanitary Awareness Week”. This year, the International Phytosanitary Awareness Week 2020 event was themed “Phytosanitary Safety for Prevention of Transboundary Spread of Pests and Pathogens” and is being held from 9 to 13…

Progressive heterobeltiosis for bunch weight in bred ‘Matooke’ banana hybrids (NARITAs). A: ‘Entukura’ (3x female grandparent), B: ‘1438K-1’ (4x female parent) and C: ‘NARITA 17’ (3x hybrid)

Banana hybrids can more than double the yield of best parents

Hybrid crops are expected to have higher edible yields than their parents, but by how much? A team of researchers comparing the performance of the East Africa Highland banana, locally known as ‘Matooke’, found that some hybrids had bunch weights that were up to two and a half times heavier than those of their best…