The IITA
CGIAR
No. 2324
2–6 May 2016
IITA and NAQS pilot digital Cassava Disease Surveillance platform
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ITA has launched a digital surveillance platform called Cassava Disease Surveillance (CDS) to facilitate cassava disease surveillance in Nigeria. “The CDS is a virtual network for rapid diagnosis of cassava diseases, communication, and coordinated deployment of emergency response,” said Lava Kumar, IITA Virologist and lead investigator of the CDS project. This interactive program—accessible through any internet-enabled devices— offers effective and economical solutions to the challenges in coordinating and communicating disease outbreaks in the fields and interception of pathogens and pathogens in the commodities exchanged between country borders. A particular focus of the CDS program is to monitor for cassava brown streak disease, which is ravaging cassava production in East Africa, but not yet present Nigeria. “The ultimate aims of CDS-Nigeria are to protect cassava crops from CBSD and prevent it from establishing in Nigeria,” said Ogunfunmilayo, Head of the Postentry Quarantine Station of Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Services (NAQS). Surveillance and diagnostics play a vital role in identifying and eradicating destructive diseases. Left unchecked, the diseases expand and eventually become increasingly difficult to control. CDS aims to prevent these diseases by early diagnosis. The platform is a virtual network that enables rapid preliminary diagnosis of cassava disease by visual inspection of suspect specimens. Symptomatic specimens are submitted as digital images by internet-enabled devices. These images are immediately analyzed by a team of national and international experts. It also includes a coordination framework for regulatory action by NAQS to contain any threat identified in the field. A one-day workshop, organized by IITA on 4 May, established the CDS program
Virologist Lava Kumar, project lead, explains the importance of the CDS platform.
at NAQS’ Ibadan Post-entry station and trained resident staff on its application. In addition, a solar-powered workstation was supplied and installed at the station by IITA.
suspect samples for accurate diagnosis and offers solutions for prevention and management. It is an open access platform managed by NAQS with IITA.
The NAQS team tested the platform in IITA cassava fields, as Busayo Ogunya, CDS web developer, walked the team through the application process. Feedback from the session included suggestions on a mobile app and a gallery-option that would curate previously analyzed symptoms. CDS will be nationally Michael Abberton, Head of IITA’s launched in July 2016. Genetic Resources Center, said that “The partnership with NAQS on CDS phytosanitary compliance is paramount is important,” noted Oguntade Oluwole for crop germplasm exchange on from the Germplasm Health Unit. international agricultural R&D, especially “We work very closely with NAQS in with increasing frequency of material ensuring compliance and are jointly exchange and upsurge in new disease working to develop effective capacity to outbreaks creating new challenges. institutionalize CDS,” he added. Peter Kulakow, Head of the Cassava As Africa battles with invasive pathogens, Breeding Unit at IITA, Ibadan, said that initiatives such as the CDS will play a CDS complements ‘Cassava.base’ significant role in preventing them from a dedicated cassava breeding and spreading and establishing in new genomics resource. He said cassava geographic regions. On behalf of the breeders can play a significant role in NAQS Coordinating Director, Vincent monitoring and relaying any suspicious Isegbe, Ogunfunmilayo thanked the CDS situation through CDS. developing team of IITA and NAQS and The CDS program also supports follow- assured rigorous pilot testing prior to up inspections and laboratory testing of national launch. In the workshop, Robert Asiedu, R4D Director West Africa, cautioned against complacency against exotic threats such as CBSD. He highlighted the uniqueness of the CDS program and its potential to become the first line of defense in guarding against exotic disease threats.
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New project to build commercially sustainable cassava seed system
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four-year project (2015–2019) to develop a commercially sustainable cassava seed value chain in Nigeria, was launched on 18 April at IITA headquarters in Ibadan, Nigeria. Titled ‘Building a Sustainable, Integrated Seed System for Cassava in Nigeria’ (BASICS), the US$11.6 million project is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and led by the CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers and Bananas (RTB). Despite being the largest cassava producer in Africa, Nigeria only averages a yield of 14 t/ha--less than half of what is attainable. The project aims to help Nigerian producers reach this potential by developing a commercially sustainable cassava seed value chain based on the purchase of quality seed by farmers. Seeds would be provided by vibrant and profitable village seed entrepreneurs and basic seed production linked to processors. These seed businesses will provide healthy seed of more productive varieties leading to adoption of new varieties to improve productivity and food security, increase incomes of cassava growers and seed entrepreneurs, and enhance gender equity. Kicking off the launch, Nteranya Sanginga, IITA Director General, explained that the key to industrializing cassava is to increase productivity, and this means addressing the problem with weeds, improving agronomy, and providing quality seed.
IITA DG Nteranya Sanginga talks about how to increase cassava productivity.
Graham Thiele, RTB Program Director, said: “Our vision is that by 2019 smallholder growers could buy high quality stems of their preferred varieties and plant them using improved agronomic practices. As a result yields would have jumped by at least 40% and farmers would have more secure markets for expanded production… Vibrant new businesses would have been created all along the value chain creating employment for women and youth.”
in developing a modern seed system for cassava.
Doyin Awe, representative of Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, noted that exciting new opportunities were opening for cassava. She committed the full support of the Ministry to the new project.
Louw Burger of Thai Farms, a cassava flour processing company, explained that better roots were easier to harvest and that it is important to start with the right seed.
Julius Okonkwo, Executive Director, National Root Crops and Research Institute (NRCRI), said that NRCRI was pleased to take part
Yemi Akinbamijo, Executive Director, Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) said: “I am excited to get back to BASICS so that we could move to a food secure Nigeria.” He underscored the need to work on the entire innovation-to-impact pathway, and stressed that today “history is being made” .
Following the launch, project partners including National Agricultural Seed Council, NRCRI, IITA, Catholic Relief Services, Context Network, and FERA (UK) took part in a workshop to finalize work plans.
IARSAF annual meeting challenges young researchers
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uring the 19th annual symposium of the International Association of Research Scholars and Fellows (IARSAF) at IITA, over 200 young researchers were encouraged to undertake agricultural research for providing lasting solutions to the bottlenecks threatening food security and economic growth in Africa. The symposium took place at IITA’s conference center on 27-28 April, with the theme “Research Innovations and Sustainable Entrepreneurship for food security and growth”. It provided a platform for the researchers to exchange ideas, showcase their research results, hone their skills, and network with other researchers. IARSAF president, Richard Olayiwola (in photo), stressed the need for increased agricultural research and innovations that would solve the main challenges of food insecurity and poor economic growth in Africa. The presentations by students, seasoned scientists, and industry experts, explored the role of technology in food security,
IITA Bulletin 2324
the socioeconomic impact of agricultural innovations, and food quality and safety, among other pertinent topics. The postgraduate students and young researchers were encouraged to translate relevant findings into commercially viable products through IITA’s Business Incubation Platform (BIP), which seeks to bridge research and dissemination. Frederick Schreurs, BIP CEO, invited the participants to turn their
research ideas into profitable ventures that create impact. Additional training sessions on reference management, proposal writing, and public speaking provided the participants with an opportunity to hone vital skills needed to advance and launch their research ideas. The annual IARSAF symposium promotes the exchange of academic and research ideas. It also aims to create opportunities for research results to reach end users.
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International researchers meet to discuss how to improve banana production in the Great Lakes region
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team of researchers from around the world gathered this week, 2–5 May, at the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science Technology (NM-AIST) in Arusha, Tanzania, to discuss how to focus their combined expertise on improving banana, a hugely important crop in the East African Region. The researchers—drawn from Australia, Brazil, India, Malaysia, Tanzania, Uganda, Sweden, Belgium, South Africa, and USA—are implementing a fiveyear project that seeks to improve the production and productivity of banana in Tanzania and Uganda. Worldwide, Dr Mansoor, guest of honor at banana project launch. very few programs focus on banana breeding and this meeting brings “Banana is very important in Tanzania together researchers from many of these but it is being heavily attacked by pests programs. and diseases. With this project, we will The project aims to strengthen the build the capacity of our research team banana breeding programs in Uganda to develop improved high-yielding hybrid and Tanzania to dramatically upscale varieties which our farmers need; have a and speed up ongoing efforts to develop better and more vibrant breeding system new high-yielding and disease-resistant across East Africa that can respond to hybrid varieties. It focuses on the two current and future challenges of the crop, most popular cooking bananas in the especially now in the face of climate region—East Africa Highland banana change,” says Prof Patrick Ndakidemi, (EAHB) also known as ‘Matooke,’ and Deputy Vice Chancellor, Planning, Finance and Administration and the ‘Mchare’ grown in Tanzania. Project Coordinator at the NM-AIST. Millions of smallholder farmers in Tanzania and Uganda rely on banana The project will, among others, provide as a staple food and major source of training for postgraduate students and income. The two countries produce over technical staff in advanced breeding half of all banana grown in Africa with the techniques and facilitate the exchange region’s yearly crop valued at $4.3 billion. of genetic material across countries and However, the crop only achieves around even continents. 9% of its potential yield due to pests and IITA leads the project with national diseases, posing a serious threat to the partners in Tanzania and Uganda. The future sustainability of banana production regional breeding activities are being in the region. conducted at NM-AIST in Arusha, “The team will develop hybrid varieties Tanzania, in collaboration with agriculture with a 30% higher yield and a 50% higher research institutes in the banana-growing resistance to at least three of the major areas, and at the Uganda Banana pests and diseases compared to the Breeding Programme of the National Research Organization current varieties grown by farmers under Agricultural the same on-farm conditions. The new (NARO) at Kawanda, and Sendusu in varieties will also meet almost all the Kampala. quality traits preferred by consumers in Past breeding efforts by NARO, Uganda, the current varieties,” says Danny Coyne, in collaboration with IITA successfully a Soil Health Specialist at IITA and the developed the first ever hybrids of project manager. EAHB that were named NARITA. Currently The diseases are Fusarium Wilt and Black there are 27 NARITAs, two of which are Leaf Streak diseases, and pests include grown in 15% of the banana farms in Uganda. the burrowing nematode and weevils.
Under this project, at least 20 of these 27 NARITAs will be tested and promoted across the region for suitability and acceptance by farmers. “It took the team 18 years to generate these hybrids… Our new project will build on this success and take banana breeding to the next level,” says Prof Rony Swennen, Head of the IITA Banana Breeding program and the Project Team Leader. The project will study the genetic makeup and diversity of existing varieties to identify sources of resistance to the major pests and diseases. This will be complemented by research to understand the spread and damage caused by these pests and diseases, and development and application of quick diagnostic tools and faster screening mechanisms to assess resistance. This project will also facilitate the exchange of genetic material with breeding programs in Brazil and India, therefore establishing the foundations of a globally connected Musa breeding system. The exchange will provide this project with access to improved diploid hybrids for crossing with ‘Matooke’ and ‘Mchare’ germplasm. This project is being conducted within the framework of the CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers and Bananas (RTB).
Banana harvests in rural Uganda.
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IITA Bulletin 2324
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AfricaYam partners, Technical Advisory Committee meet in Cotonou…
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he AfricaYam annual review and planning meeting took place at IITA Cotonou, Benin, on 14-18 March with participants from Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Japan, USA, and UK. They gathered to review the progress made in the previous year and to chart a new course for achieving the project’s goals. Manuele Tamo, Entomologist and IITA Benin Country representative delivered the opening remarks and described the task as challenging. He spoke on behalf of Robert Asiedu, IITA Director R4D West Africa, emphasizing the uniqueness of the crop. He said the AfricaYam team is fortunate to be working on a crop where demand exceeds supply. Tamo expressed gratitude to the Gates Foundation for supporting yam breeding programs in West Africa. He advised the project to be prepared for climate change and also plan for developing improved varieties for farmers. Tamo challenged the project to find solutions to the yam tuber beetle problem which has resulted in the abandonment of some farms in Ghana. The project’s Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) was also inaugurated, consisting of seasoned research professionals who will provide technical oversight to the project. The TAC was impressed with the progress made so far and expressed support for the project. The new members of the TAC include David Marshall of
Group photo of the participants of the AfricaYam annual review and planning meeting.
sector and developing technologies for farmers); and Carlos Iglesias from Syngenta seeds, USA (plant breeding, genetics and seed development). Other members of the TAC come from IITA and the Gates Foundation.
Mountains of yam for sale.
the James Hutton Institute (JHI) UK (bioinformatics, data management); Eric Danquah from West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), Ghana (plant breeding in the private and public
The TAC members nominated Marshall to chair the committee with Danquah as vice chair. They emphasized that the next generation of yam breeders will require critical training on data handling and use of breeding software. Partners were encouraged to take advantage of in-country funding for training plant breeders and related personnel to support the capacity building efforts of the AfricaYam project.
…completes digital data capturing training at CNRA, Bouaké
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artners in the National Centre for Agricultural Research (CNRA), Cote d’Ivoire, have benefited from the training on digital data capturing organized by AfricaYam. The training aims to teach hands-on electronic data collection and management using Fieldbook version 3.0 with optimized use of mobile phones.
The training exercise was held at CNRA Bouaké on 7-8 April for 23 participants. It focused on providing an overview of the use of digital data collection software and analysis. An overview of the data management life cycle and introduction to the use of Fieldbook was provided, with
participants expressing keen interest in the training. The training has also been completed at the Crops Research Institute (CRI) Kumasi and Savannah Agriculture Research Institute, Tamale, Ghana.
Announcements
• IITA Board Meeting, IITA, Kalambo, Bukavu, DR Congo, 12-14 May. • 7th African Soil Science Society ASSS conference, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, 29 May - 1 June. • 7th Africa Agricultural Science Week and FARA General Assembly, Kigali, Rwanda, 12-17 June. More information available at http://www.faraafrica.org/aasw7/. • 3rd All Africa Horticultural Congress, Theme: “Horticultural for Improved Livelihoods”, Conference Center, IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria, 7-12 August. • 7th International Nitrogen Initiative Conference, Melbourne, Australia, 4–8 December. More details on the conference are available here. IITA Bulletin 2324
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