http://r4dreview.org Tue, 13 Apr 2010 15:51:01 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en The beginning of the tragedy to come wasn’t so clearly understood, but it became more visible as scientists studied the demise of the dinosaurs and came to consider, over the centuries, the reduction of species. The destructive trend is clear and fast encroaching on domesticated plants and wild animals alike, ... http://r4dreview.org/2010/04/a-classical-approach-to-saving-lifes-avriety/ The Yam Festival is a popular holiday in Ghana and Nigeria, two countries in the yam belt in West Africa. It is usually held in the beginning of August at the end of the rainy season. The festival is named after yam, which are the first crops of the season ... http://r4dreview.org/2010/04/yam-festival/ Robert Warren, robertdavidwarren@yahoo.co.uk [caption id="attachment_1768" align="alignright" width="194" caption="Charaxes imperialis. Photo by IITA."][/caption] IITA boasts a wide range of butterflies. Knowledge about the diversity of these species, however, is incomplete. For instance, a preliminary survey conducted from 2002 to 2009 has confirmed the presence of 149 butterfly species. The actual number could fall ... http://r4dreview.org/2010/04/the-butterflies-of-iita/ David Ladipo, ladipoolajide@yahoo.com [caption id="attachment_1789" align="alignright" width="226" caption="The IITA forest. Photo by K. Lopez, IITA."][/caption] Nigeria is blessed with a large expanse of land and variable vegetation, but this important resource is not sustainably used or managed. Many rural dwellers in the past have treated our forest resources as inexhaustible. Today the ... http://r4dreview.org/2010/04/the-state-of-nigerias-forests/ Biodiversity and NRM Biodiversity conservation is key Insect biodiversity for NRM Why manage noncrop biodiversity A research park for Africa Unlocking the diversity of yam Cassava: improver of soils Participatory yam conservation strategies Smart NRM approaches DNA barcodes for pathogens A new food security crop? Download PDF http://r4dreview.org/2010/04/edition-4-march-2010/ Lava Kumar, L.kumar@cgiar.org and Kamal Sharma, k.sharma@cgiar.org Diagnostic tools play an important role in the accurate and timely identification of the pathogens involved in disease etiology, also in disease surveillance, the development of host plant resistance, quarantine monitoring, and support safe conservation and the exchange of germplasm. Detailed knowledge of ... http://r4dreview.org/2010/03/dna-barcodes-for-pathogens-of-african-food-crops/ Daniel Adewale, d.adewale@cgiar.org [caption id="attachment_1774" align="alignright" width="273" caption="Diversity in color, color pattern, structure, texture, brilliance, etc. of African yam bean seeds. Photo by D. Adewale, IITA."][/caption] Biodiversity assures the evolutionary continuity of species. The collection and conservation of diversity within species are a safeguard against the loss of germplasm. They provide a ... http://r4dreview.org/2010/03/exploiting-the-diversity-of-african-yam-bean/ [caption id="attachment_1750" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Coffee-banana intercropping. Photo by P. van Asten, IITA."][/caption] Coffee and banana yields in the East African highlands are often only 10 to 30% of those achieved in commercial farms in Latin America and Asia. This is the result of a mixture of biotic stresses on the crops ... http://r4dreview.org/2010/03/made-to-measure-smart-natural-resources-management-approaches/ Anneke Fermont, a.fermont@cgiar.org Throughout Africa populations are growing fast and pressure on land is steadily increasing. To maintain productivity, farmers are constantly adapting their management of natural resources. Farming systems are thus changing from ”slash and burn systems” to ”natural fallow” systems into ”continuous cropping” systems without external inputs and ultimately ... http://r4dreview.org/2010/03/cassava-improving-sustainability-of-farming-systems/ A. Dansi (adansi2001@gmail.com), C. Lusty (charlotte.lusty@croptrust.org), R. Asiedu (r.asiedu@cgiar.org), R. Hall, and R. Vodouhè (r.vodouhe@cgiar.org) Yam (Dioscorea spp.) is an important tuber crop in Bénin. Its production is intensive in Collines (Center), Donga and Borgou (North), but marginal in Atakora (Northwest), Plateau (Southeast), and in Alibori (far north). Four species are ... http://r4dreview.org/2010/03/participatory-strategies-of-conserving-yam-biodiversity-in-benin/