IITA News no. 2562 Archives

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…