http://r4dreview.org Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:17:57 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en [caption id="attachment_1163" align="alignright" width="250" caption="Farmer Baba Alphonse, northern Benin"][/caption] Sixty-year old farmer Alphonse Ogoule-Okpe of Ogoukpate Village, about 40 km from Porto Novo in northern Bénin, had all but abandoned cassava and maize farming. Many years ago, insects (mealybug and cassava green mite) and diseases (such as blight) had attacked his ... http://r4dreview.org/2009/10/a-tale-of-an-african-farmer/ Farmers and scientists have, time and time again, turned back to nature to find solutions to pest problems in crop fields. [caption id="attachment_1139" align="alignright" width="250" caption="Variegated grasshopper (Zonocerus variegatus). Photo from Wikimedia commons "][/caption] When several exotic pests were accidentally introduced into Africa from South America through infected planting materials in the ... http://r4dreview.org/2009/10/the-power-of-biocontrol/ Unraveling the diversity Biocontrol at IITA Save African bananas! Farmers keen on GM crops Relationships matter Hope for cabbage farmers Safeguarding against locusts Recipe for African farmlands The witch menace Allies in nature The cassava scourge Download PDF http://r4dreview.org/2009/10/edition-3-september-2009/ [caption id="attachment_1140" align="alignleft" width="250" caption="Farmer tending cowpea crops in Borno. Photo by IITA"][/caption] 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 US$6.33 million PROSAB project in northern Nigeria. PROSAB is Promoting ... http://r4dreview.org/2009/10/prosab-ends/ IITA is promoting greater access to R4D knowledge by making use of knowledge resource access, video-sharing, and online social networking services. Last year, in partnership with Google Books, IITA started digitizing and uploading more than 200 publications, which are now available via Google Book Search (GBS). It also uploaded videos ... http://r4dreview.org/2009/10/enhanced-knowledge-availability/ [caption id="attachment_1142" align="alignright" width="250" caption="TGX1835-10e, a rust-resistant soybean. Photo by IITA "][/caption]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. The rust-resistant soybean is the first of its kind to be ... http://r4dreview.org/2009/10/rust-resistant-soybean/ Drought-tolerant maize developed and disseminated by IITA, other international agricultural research centers, and national partners are helping farmers make a profit despite droughts in northern Nigeria. Drought remains one of the major limiting factors to profitable maize production in Africa. “The drought-tolerant maize varieties have mitigated the effects of drought on ... http://r4dreview.org/2009/10/drought-tolerant-maize/ 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. The two diseases are the biggest threats to cassava production in the region putting at ... http://r4dreview.org/2009/10/dual-resistance-cassava/ James Legg, j.legg@cgiar.org [caption id="attachment_1192" align="alignright" width="236" caption="Close up of Bemisia tabaci adults. Photo by CIAT"][/caption] Who would think that delicate and exquisite little insects such as whiteflies could pose an ongoing and global challenge to humankind’s need to meet its food requirements? Whiteflies are one of the top 10 most serious pest ... http://r4dreview.org/2009/10/the-cassava-scourge/ Jean-François Vayssières (j.vayssières@cgiar.org), Appolinaire Adandonon (adanappo@yahoo.fr), Antonio Sinzogan (a.sinzogan@cgiar.org), and Paul van Mele (p.vanmele@cgiar.org) [caption id="attachment_1180" align="alignleft" width="250" caption="Bactrocera invadens adults on a mango"][/caption] Biocontrol has been around for over 2000 years. The most ancient example of biocontrol use recorded was that of Chinese and Southeast Asian fruit growers, who used weaver ... http://r4dreview.org/2009/10/allies-in-nature/