Scientists are meeting in Saly, Senegal, this month for the Fifth World Cowpea Research Conference. The meeting will discuss threats to the survival and production of black-eyed peas—one of Africa’s oldest and most resilient and nutritious crops.

Biological control of aflatoxins using aflasafe™ is providing hope for African farmers battling with crop contamination and opening doors for the private sector looking to invest on a winning formula in the agricultural sector.

Crop scientists have successfully transferred genes from green pepper to banana that enable the crop to resist the Banana Xanthomonas Wilt (BXW). BXW or bacterial wilt is one of the most devastating diseases of banana in the Great Lakes region of Africa. It causes about half a billion dollars worth of damage yearly.

The cassava brown streak disease continues to threaten the food security and livelihoods of over 200 million people in East Africa. It causes greater economic damage than the mosaic disease as it destroys the more valuable part of the crop—the roots.

IITA and partners will host the 5th World Cowpea Research Conference in Dakar, Senegal from 27 September to 1 October 2010. The meeting will tackle research issues to enhance the profile of cowpea as a viable income-generating and food security crop.

The European Union-African, Caribbean and Pacific Science and Technology Program will support research to improve and promote yam in West and Central Africa. The program will benefit six WCA countries: Cameroon, Bénin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo.

The Nigeria National Variety Release Committee released several improved maize varieties developed by IITA with partners, the Institute for Agricultural Research of the Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria and Institute of Agricultural Research and Training of Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile Ife, Nigeria.

IITA is partnering with the Agricultural Research Institute, Tanzania, and the National Agricultural Research Organisation, Uganda, to identify and use molecular markers for faster and more accurate breeding of cassava varieties resistant to Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD).

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.