http://r4dreview.org Mon, 21 May 2012 09:55:56 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Abebe Menkir (a.menkir@cgiar.org), Baffour Badu-Apraku, and Sam Ajala Maize Breeders, IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria Maize is an important food security and income-generating crop for millions of people in West and Central Africa (WCA). Maize breeding at IITA was initiated around 1970. Using as base materials two composites created from diverse sources in Nigeria ... http://r4dreview.org/2012/05/maize-genetic-improvement-for-enhanced-productivity-gains-in-west-and-central-africa/ Ousmane Boukar (o.boukar@cgiar.org), Tahirou Abdoulaye, Manuele Tamó, Hesham Agrama, Hailu Tefera, Christian Fatokun, and Steve Boahen O. Boukar, Cowpea Breeder; T. Abdoulaye, Socioeconomist, IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria; M. Tamó, Legume Entomologist, IITA, Benin; H. Agrama and H. Tefera, Soybean Breeders, IITA, Malawi; C. Fatokun, Cowpea Breeder, IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria; S. Boahen, ... http://r4dreview.org/2012/05/a-success-tale-on-improving-two-legume-crops-in-africa/ Jim Lorenzen (j.lorenzen@cgiar.org) Banana Breeder, IITA, Tanzania Banana (the term includes plantain in this article, Musa species), is a major staple crop in Africa. Although it originated in Asia and was introduced to Africa long ago, it has become more important as a food security crop in its new home in Africa ... http://r4dreview.org/2012/05/breeding-superior-bananaplantain-hybrids/ Ismail Yusuf Rabbi (i.rabbi@cgiar.org), Melaku Gedil, Morag Ferguson, and Peter Kulakow I. Rabbi, Postdoctoral Fellow (Molecular Genetics); M. Gedil, Head, Bioscience Center, IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria; M. Ferguson, Molecular Geneticist, IITA, Nairobi, Kenya; and P. Kulakow, Cassava Breeder, IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria In the last 45 years, IITA has played a pivotal role in ... http://r4dreview.org/2012/05/cassava-improvement-in-the-era-of-%e2%80%9cagrigenomics%e2%80%9d/ Antonio Lopez-Montes (a.lopez-montes@cgiar.org), Ranjana Bhattacharjee, and Gezahegn Tessema A. Lopez-Montes, Yam Breeder; R. Bhattacharjee, Molecular Geneticist; G. Tessema, Associate Professional Officer, IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria Yam—an integral part of the West African food system Yam (Dioscorea spp.) is a multi-species, clonally propagated crop cultivated for its starchy tubers. About 10 species are widely cultivated ... http://r4dreview.org/2012/05/yam-breeding-at-iita-achievements-challenges-and-prospects/ Ranjana Bhattacharjee (r.bhattacharjee@cgiar.org), Melaku Gedil, and Antonio Lopez-Montes R. Bhattacharjee, Molecular Geneticist; M. Gedil, Head, Bioscience Center; A. Lopez-Montes, Yam Breeder, IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria Breeding challenges in yam Yam (Dioscorea spp.), a multi-species, polyploidy, and vegetatively propagated crop, is an economically important staple food for more than 300 million people in West Africa, ... http://r4dreview.org/2012/05/genomics-for-transforming-yam-breeding/ Jim Gockowski (j.gockowski@cgiar.org), Ranjana Bhattacharjee, Richard Asare, and Sander Muilerman J. Gockowski, Agricultural Economist, IITA, Ghana; R. Bhattacharjee, Molecular Geneticist, IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria; R. Asare, Cocoa Agroforester; S. Muilerman, Associate Professional Officer, IITA, Ghana Over two-thirds of global cocoa production comes from small farms carved out of the humid forests of ... http://r4dreview.org/2012/05/a-%e2%80%98green-revolution%e2%80%99-in-the-west-african-cocoa-belt/ IITA and partners recently launched the Yam Improvement for Income and Food Security in West Africa (YIIFSWA) project, supported by a US$12 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The project aims to boost yam productivity and double the incomes of three million yam small-holder farmers in West Africa. ... http://r4dreview.org/2012/05/boosting-yam-productivity-in-ghana-and-nigeria/ Three pro-vitamin A cassava varieties released in December 2011 were launched recently by the Nigerian government. IITA, in partnership with the National Root Crops Research Institute, Nigeria, developed these varieties using traditional breeding methods in a HarvestPlus-funded project. The varieties were released by the National Variety Release Committee of Nigeria as ... http://r4dreview.org/2012/05/pro-vitamin-a-cassava-released/ The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a US$63.24 million fund package for the implementation of a 5-year, multi-CGIAR center project dubbed “Support to Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic Crops in Africa” (SARD-SC). SARD-SC is a research, science, and technology development initiative aimed at enhancing the productivity and income ... http://r4dreview.org/2012/05/multi-cgiar-center-initiative-launched/