Three decades of R4D at IITA have shown the effectiveness and sustainability of biological control combined with other approaches for managing insect pests. These biocontrol practices and technologies provide subsistence farmers in sub-Saharan Africa with solutions that are sometimes their only safety net.
An 81% increase in farmers’ incomes over the past 5 years from improved yields, better access to farm inputs, and social empowerment are the key results of the PROSAB project in northern Nigeria.
IITA is promoting greater access to R4D knowledge by making use of knowledge resource access, video-sharing, and online social networking services.
A new soybean variety that is resistant to the deadly Asian soybean rust—a fungal disease that could wipe out as much as 80% of infested crops—has been released.
Drought-tolerant maize developed and disseminated by IITA, other international agricultural research centers, and national partners are helping farmers make a profit.
IITA scientists are a step closer to making a breakthrough in developing cassava that is resistant to both the cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) and the cassava mosaic disease (CMD) in Eastern and Central Africa.
IITA and partners developed a tuber-less yam propagation technique using vine cuttings, making more yam available for food or for sale.
IITA launches a USAID-funded project called “Unleashing the Power of Cassava in response to the food price crisis (UPoCA)” to further increase cassava production in farmers’ fields by 30% in seven sub-Saharan African countries.
IITA established an East and Southern African hub in Tanzania this year. Director Steffen Abele said the hub will give priority attention to research in banana, plantain, and cassava, and provide better services to scientists in those two regions.
Continuing follow-up media coverage and reports by various news services on the Banana 2008 Conference are now available.
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