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Articles in the Features Category

Features, Issue 4 »
[31 Mar 2010 | 3 Comments | 3,898 views]
Biodiversity conservation is key

IITA is part of a system-wide network that protects agrobiodiversity for genetic improvement and food security using traditional and new molecular tools.

Features, Issue 4 »
[31 Mar 2010 | 2 Comments | 5,375 views]
Insect biodiversity for sustainable management of natural resources

IITA maintains the biggest reference collection of insects in the CGIAR. Understand why such a collection holds a place of importance in agricultural research and development.

Features, Issue 4 »
[31 Mar 2010 | No Comment | 3,766 views]
Why manage noncrop biodiversity

Nonplant taxa are global public goods that play a huge role in maintaining sustainable farming systems for food and agriculture.

Features, Issue 4 »
[31 Mar 2010 | 2 Comments | 2,798 views]
A research park for Africa

The IITA headquarters in Ibadan, Nigeria sits on about 1,000 hectares of protected agricultural and forest land. Read about the rich variety of life that can be found in this small pocket of Africa.

Features, Issue 4 »
[31 Mar 2010 | 2 Comments | 2,817 views]
Unlocking the diversity of yam

IITA emphasizes the imperatives of yam conservation for improvement and the benefit of millions of farmers relying on this staple.

Features, Issue 4 »
[31 Mar 2010 | One Comment | 1,507 views]
Safeguarding local varieties ensures food security

Conserving local varieties ensures a robust gene pool of important traits for crop improvement and helps guarantee food security.

Features, Issue 3 »
[14 Oct 2009 | No Comment | 3,472 views]
Save African bananas!

Last August, the international community came together in Tanzania to establish a framework for combating the worst enemies of African banana in years—banana Xanthomonas wilt and banana bunchy top disease.

Features, Issue 3 »
[14 Oct 2009 | 3 Comments | 4,655 views]
Biological control at IITA: past, present, and future

This commentary presents a comprehensive review of IITA’s past and present efforts, and future initiatives on biocontrol. It also forwards some insights on how biocontrol efforts could be more successful.

Features, Issue 3 »
[14 Oct 2009 | No Comment | 2,622 views]
Unraveling the diversity of African insects

Biosystematics involves the study of the origin, distribution, biology, association, and evolutionary relationships of organisms. Learn why it is important in biocontrol.

Features, Issue 3 »
[14 Oct 2009 | No Comment | 1,683 views]
Farmers keen on GM crops

This article describes the results of a study by IITA and partners on Tanzanian farmers’ understanding and perceptions of genetically modified crops.