IITA Bulletin No. 2195

7/27/2019 IITA Bulletin No. 2195

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THE

Issue No. 2195 21-25 October 2013

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IITA management team visits northern Nigeria

Ateam comprising of Drs Ken Dashiell(DDG-Partnership and CapacityDevelopment), Ylva Hilbur (DDG-Research), Chikoye (Director, SouthernAfrica Hub), and several scientists visitednorthern Nigeria on 1-4 October to lookat research activities carried out by IITAscientists and collaborators in the region.

On 1 October the team visited the IITAresearch farm at Minjibr where they sawresearch activities on cowpea breeding,crop agronomy, and pest management. Theteam also visited Tundu Wada in Kano State

to see mother and baby trials conductedby scientists to evaluate and disseminateStriga management technologies withinthe Integrated Striga Management projectfunded by the Bill & Melinda GatesFoundation. The visitors were taken toDaka Sallie to see commercial farmswhere over 50 ha of land is planted tothe IITA-improved maize variety 99EVDTTZE STR. The impressive performanceof the variety known as SAMMAZ 27conrmed the good performance of IITAmaize varieties.

On 2 October, Station Representative,

Dr Alpha Kamara took the team aroundthe IITA station. The tour gave Dr Hilbur,who is visiting Kano for the rst time,an opportunity to see research activitiesundertaken in the Station, including labsand the seed stores. Before leaving forZaria, Dr Hilbur addressed the staff ofIITA Kano Station and encouraged themto continue the good work they are doing.On the way to Zaria, the team visited acommercial farm at Tilga Dam to seelarge-scale production of maize andsoybean. The team also met with Mr KolaMasha and farmers of the Babban Gona

Agricultural Francishe project at IkaraLocal Government Area of Kaduna State.During the visit, Mr Masha presented onthe activities of the project which helpedthe farmers improve maize productivitythrough acquisition of credit and inputs.

In Zaria, the team was welcomed by theVice Chancellor of the Ahmadu BelloUniversity Zaria and the Director of theInstitute of Agricultural Research (IAR)Zaria. In a brief ceremony the two leadersthanked IITA for supporting IAR over the

past 30 years. They were particularly gratefulfor IITAs investment in the development

of capacity in soil microbiology researchthrough the N2Africa project. Dr. Dashiellthanked the management of ABU and

IAR for their collaboration with IITA indeveloping and disseminating agriculturaltechnologies for the benet of farmers innorthern Nigeria.

Dr Dashiell commissioned a brand newscreen house, a new Mikano Generator, andequipment in the microbiology laboratory.These items were funded by IITA throughthe N2Africa project.

On 3 October, the team visited Chika farmwhere IITA scientists conduct researchto develop technologies for the Guineasavannas of West Africa. Dr Kamara tookthem on a tour of the farm where theysaw trials on cowpea, breeding, agronomy,cassava breeding, and seed multiplication.The team also visited the research farm ofthe Premier Seed Company Ltd where IITAmaize breeders collaborate in developingmaize varieties and hybrids adapted to theWest African savannas. The team also saw

research activities of the N2Africa projectin Zaria.

The team visited IITA-Abuja on 4October. Dr Gbassey Tarawali, Head ofStation and IITAs Representative in Abuja,introduced staff and partners that includedrepresentatives of the Department ofAgriculture of the Federal Capital Territory(IITAs hosts who leased the land to IITA)

and sister organizations, such as IFDC, andgave an overview on the Abuja Station.

The group toured the facilities, suchas the new ofce building, bakery, yam

barn, soil treatment shed, screen house,and multipurpose processing center. DeboAkande, project manager, also talked aboutthe benets of aasafe to farmers in northern

Nigeria. The IFDC and AfricaRice trials onrice, sorghum, and maize demonstratingthe efcient use of urea using the DeepPlacement Method were also visited.

IITA management team and scientists inspects improved cowpea varieties in the screenhouse.

IITA management team visits maize breeding plots in Abuja.

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L-R: DDG Akuffo-Akoto with Chief Anyaoku

Tap IITA, DDG Ken Dashiell tells Zambian partners

On 15 October, Dr Ken Dashiell, IITADeputy Director General, Partnershipsand Capacity Development, kicked off theSouthern Africa Research-for-DevelopmentSeminar Series, appealing to Zambianpartners to tap IITAs expertise to reinforcethe capacity of national agricultural researchinstitutions to help Zambias agriculturesector reach its full potential.

Dr Dashiell aired this message during hisseminar-presentation titled The Universityof Zambia (UNZA), Zambia AgricultureResearch Institute (ZARI), and IITA: Apartnership to develop agricultural solutionsto hunger and poverty in Zambia, whichwas held at the Omnia Lecture Hall 2 of theSchool of Agriculture of UNZA in Lusaka.More than 60 participants comprisingof students, staff, and representativesfrom UNZA, ZARI, IITA, government,and private seed companies attended theseminar.

During the seminar, the DDG also laidout IITAs plans to expand its capacitydeveleopment and partnership efforts inSouthern Africa. This includes increasingthe number of students being trained byits scientists in the region, developing newagriculture-related training areas gearedtowards people with little or no formaleducation, linking with rural and urbanschools to help them develop appropriateagriculture curriculum, and conductingtraining of youths to empower them to beagri-entrepreneurs.

He also emphasized the three essential

components for these efforts to createimpact. He said, We need to mainstream

I would also like to laud this collaborativeSouthern Africa R4D Seminar Series.This initiative will denitely become acenterpiece platform for UNZA, ZARI,and IITA to exchange and share expertiseand information in the eld of agriculturalresearch and entice future agriculturalresearchers and scientists. I am condentthat we will have more partners on boardas this seminar series rolls on, Dr Dashiellemphasized.

Dr Mick Mwala, Dean of UNZAs Schoolof Agriculture, shared the DDGs views,saying that on the part of UNZA, we willdenitely be calling on IITA for support, notonly for our students but also for our facultyand staff. I thank IITA-Zambia for havingsome of our students under its scientistswings, but I am also looking forward to

seeing more being trained by IITA in thefuture.

Dr Ken Dashiell during his seminar presentation at UNZA in Lusaka, Zambia.

gender in research and dissemination,develop appropriate capacities, and upscaletechnologies.

Denitely, IITA cannot do this alone.Therefore, I would like to highlight theimportance of the partnership that we have

with UNZA, ZARI, the private sector, andthe government of Zambia. Together wewould be able to achieve our commonvision of reducing poverty and improvingfood security not only for Zambia and theSouthern Africa region, but more so for theentire continent, he added.

And with the establishment of ourSouthern Africa Research andAdministration Hub (SARAH) facilities ayear from now, we would be able to moreeffectively deliver our R4D mandate in thecountry and in the region, Dr Dashiell said.

IITA-Zambia broke ground for SARAH on12 September.

Former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chie Emeka Anyaoku,

impressed with IITAs work

In his rst visit to IITA, the formerCommonwealth Secretary-General, ChiefEmeka Anyaoku, said he was impressedwith the research being done at IITA andthe maintenance of the campus.

Chief Anyaoku was attending the thirdInternational Conference on Africas

Indigenous Stimulants (ICAIS-31),organized by the Oyo State Ministry ofTrade and Investment, in Ibadan, butdecided to drop by IITA. He met withthe Deputy-Director General, CorporateServices, Kwame Akuffo-Akoto and IITADirector, Western Africa, Dr Robert Asiedu.

DDG Akuffo-Akoto and Dr Asieduexplained the Institutes vision, highlightingthe importance of IITA to global foodsecurity.

The work you are doing is importantand I must commend you, the formersecretary-general said.

During the tour of the campus, ChiefAnyaoku, accompanied by the HighCommissioner, High Commission of theRepublic of Trinidad and Tobago, MrNyahuma Mentuhotep Obika, and the

Commissioner for Agriculture for Kogi statein Nigeria, Dr Olufemi Bolarin, spent sometime at the Genetic Resources Center.

Dr Michael Abberton, Head of the GRC,explained the benet of the genebank toresearch and food security. He likened

the genebank to a nancial bank andits importance in the conservation ofbiodiversity.

The commissioner for agriculturecommended IITA for its work on improving

the productivity of Africas key staple crops.In particular, he recalled that improvedvarieties from the Institute were improvingthe productivity of cassava in his state, andthat most of those varieties helped farmersto tackle pests and diseases challenging

cassava production in his area.Chief Anyaokus contact with IITA

was facilitated by the Head of ResourceMobilization and External Relations, MrsToyin Oke.


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At armers eld day, IITA unveils maize varieties to tackle Striga

Afarmers eld day organised by theMaize Improvement Program of IITAthat coordinated by Maize Breeder Dr.Abebe Menkir, at Mokwa research stationin Nigeria showcased maize hybridsand varieties that are resistant to Strigahermonthica.

Farmers and other stakeholders attendingthe eld day visited demonstration plotsof different Striga-resistant maize hybridsand open pollinated varieties with different

maturity rates.The demonstration plots also included

hybrids and varieties that are susceptibleto Striga for reecting good comparisons.The demonstration was arranged intwo blocks, infested and uninfested,representing two distinct (stress andoptimum) environments. Plots in theinfested block were articially inoculatedwith Striga seeds at the time of plantingmaize to ensure that the maize grows in aStriga endemic environment.

Results from the plots reinforced

farmers trust in IITAs researcha criticalcomponent that is necessary for technologyadoption.

Drs Silvestro Meseka (Maize Breeder)and Abuelgasim Elzein (Striga BiocontrolSpecialist) spoke on the problems caused

by Striga on maize and its implication tomaize yield in farmers elds.

They pointed out that Striga and lowlevels of soil nitrogen were among themajor problems to maize production.

To mitigate the effect of Striga, theresearchers urged farmers to use improved

planting materials and to also adopt bestbet practices in maize cultivation.

The eld day drew more than 57 farmers,including policy makers, opinion andtraditional leaders women, and youths.

Known by some as the violet vampirebecause of its bright purple color, Strigaattaches itself to the roots of plants likemaize and cowpea and sucks out nutrients,reducing yields and destroying entireharvests.

Farmers at the demo plots

The weed primarily affects smallholderfarmers who cant afford costly herbicidesfor ghting the parasitic plant. The mostwidespread Striga species is estimated tohave infested up to 4 million hectares ofland under maize production in sub-SaharanAfrica, causing yield losses of up to 80

percent. According to researchers at IITA,this represents up to $1.2 billion in lossesfor farmers and affects approximately 100million people in sub-Saharan Africa.

The farmers eld day which was heldon October 12, provided farmers theopportunity to ask researchers questionsand also to get answers on how to tackle theweed which has become a menace.

Farmers commended the eld day,pointing out that they had learned newthings, and requested IITA to organizemore eld days that will serve as a learning

platform for them and their children.Farmers also seriously discussed thatavailability of seeds is being a majorlimitation for them to adopt these

innovative technologies, and requestedIITA to help them by putting more effortsin making the seeds of Striga-resistantvarieties available and accessible throughcommunity-seed production system or

professional seed companies.

Improving food security in Africa through increased productivityof biomass-based value webs

Last week, 8-10 October, the InceptionWorkshop of a new research projecttook place at the Secretariat of the Forum

for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)in Accra, Ghana.

Thirty-six scientists from universities andresearch institutions met to discuss andne-tune the new project. The researcherscame from Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia,and Germany and from internationalagricultural research organizations (IITA,icipe, INBAR) and FARA as a pan-Africannetwork with strong expertise and trackrecord in transforming research intoaction. The initiative expects to contributeto enhancing the capacity of Africa to

Participants of the BiomassNet Inception Workshop pose for a group photo

participate in the emerging regional andinternational bio-economy.

The overall goal of the project is to raise

food security in Africa by harnessingproductivity and efciency gains in thewhole biomass-producing, processing,and trading system. This can be achievedaccording to the scientists by increasedintegration of all value web componentsand the cascading utilization of biomass.The initiative, with the name BiomassWeb,will address the three pillars of food security,i.e., (1) food availability, through enhanced

biomass productivity; (2) access to food,through income generation from food andnon-food biomass production, processing,

and trading; and (3) use of food, throughincreasing nutritional quality.

Scientists at the meeting cametogether with the mutual understandingthat BiomassWeb will improve theunderstanding of the complex biomass-

based value webs and that they will develop

innovations in research and developmentin this crucial area for all African countries.Furthermore the researchers want to leavetheir comfort zone of solely conductingresearch, but want to see their researchresults nd their way into the policy foraand thereby inuencing policies for the

benet of the poor in their countries.To guarantee a successful implementation

of this challenging project, one CountryContact Person for each of the threecountries was selected: Prof. Felix A.Asante, Director, Institute of Statistical,Social and Economic Research, University

of Ghana, Legon; Prof. Victor OlusegunOkoruwa, Dean, Department ofAgriculturalEconomics, University of Ibadan, Ibadan;and Tadesse Woldemariam Gole (PhD),Director, Environment and Coffee ForestForum, Addis Ababa.

BiomassWeb is funded by the FederalMinistry of Education and Research(BMBF) as well as the Federal Ministry ofEconomic Development and Cooperation(BMZ) of Germany. In addition, partnersare complementing the over-all fundingwith own funds and in-kind contributions.


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Study ofers tip into the complexity o begomo viruses in West and Central Arica

Astudy by Dr Walter Leke, IITAvirologist, has revealed a hugecomplexity of begomoviruses and DNAsatellites previously largely unknown inWest and Central Africa.

Begomoviruses are plant-infectingviruses, which are transmitted by thewhitey vector Bemisia tabaci. They have

a genome of single-stranded DNA thatconsists of either a single (monopartite)or two components (bipartite) with acomponent size of approximately 2.8kb. Many monopartite begomovirusesin the Old World have been found to

be associated with betasatellite andalphasatellite molecules, which are abouthalf the size of their helper begomovirusgenome. Betasatellites have been shownto be necessary for inducing severe diseasesymptoms.

During the West Africa Seminar series, Dr

Leke spoke on Molecular characterizationof begomoviruses and associated satellitesin Cameroon implications for plant virusresearch in Africa.

The study found that in Cameroon, B.tabaci has been associated with suspected

begomovirus infections in many crop andweed species. However, in spite of theirgrowing importance, only begomoviruses

infecting cassava have been studied inCameroon in any detail.

Dr Leke said the study was inspired bythe need for additional information ondiversity and distribution of begomoviruses

and satellites in vegetable crops anddicotyledonous weeds, which likely serveas virus reservoirs.

In eld studies, a high incidence of okra

leaf curl disease was found in Cameroon.Sequencing of viral genomes showed thatthe okra plants were infected by virusesof two previously known begomovirusspecies (Cotton leaf curl Gezira virus and

Okra yellow crinkle virus) as well as a newrecombinant begomovirus species (Okraleaf curl Cameroon virus). In addition,a betasatellite (Cotton leaf curl Gezira

betasatellite) and two alphasatellites (Okraleaf curl Mali alphasatellite and Okrayellow crinkle Cameroon alphasatellite)were identied. Also tomato plants with

leaf curling were shown to contain isolatesof a new begomovirus, Tomato leaf curlCameroon virus, and an alphasatellite,Tomato leaf curl Cameroon alphasatellite(ToLCCMA).

Sequence analyses of begomoviruscomplexes infecting the weed, Ageratumconyzoides, showed that they wereinfected by isolates of a new begomovirus(Ageratum leaf curl Cameroon virus), twonew betasatellites (Ageratum leaf curlCameroon betasatellite and Ageratum leafcurl Buea betasatellite), an alphasatellite

(ToLCCMA), and two types of defectiverecombinants between a begomovirus andToLCCMA.

Dr Leke concluded that with this highdiversity, recombination potential andtransmission by B. tabaci, begomoviruses,and their associated DNA satellites posea serious threat to crop production in theregion and the African continent as a whole.

Dr Leke in the virology lab

Second edition o the 2013 Sportsest kicks of

IITA has commenced the second editionof the 2013 Sportsfest in Ibadan, with akickoff ceremony by the Director General,Dr Nteranya Sanginga.

The sportsfest seeks to build team spiritamong staff through different sportingactivities including football, tennis, volleyball,and other board and indoor games.

The kickoff ceremony brought the IITAfamily together with colorful fanfare.

Besides Dr Sanginga, other dignitariesin attendance were Drs Kenton Dashiell,Kwesi Atta-Krah, and other managementstaff.

In his opening remarks, Dr Atta-Krahcalled on staff to redouble their efforts andcommitment to IITA.

According to him the IITA family mustsee themselves as members of an important

team which contributes to solving theproblems of Africa.

He thanked the DG for the initiativewhich he said had helped to boost staffmorale to work diligently and better.

Take the spirit from here and continuein it because we belong to one big family.Individually we cannot solve the big problemIITA is positioned to solve; but together wecan transform Africa, he said.

The opening match of the event wasbetween the Green Team and the WhiteTeam. Ninety minutes of play saw the GreenTeam winning by 3 goals to 1

DG Sanginga kicks the ball.

ISTRC-AB gets new exco

The InternationalSymposium of theInternational Society forTropical Root Crops Africa Branch (ISTRC-AB) has elected a newexecutive committeethat will pioneerthe affairs of the

Help conserve

electricity!Before leaving your workplace

at the end of the day, make sure

that you have:

1. Powered off all unnecessary

electrical ofce/lab equipment;2. Turned off air conditioners; and

3. Switched off all lights.

organisation in the next three years. Thenew exco has the following members:President, Prof. Lateef Sanni; VicePresident 1, Dr. (Mrs) R.E.M. Entsua-Mensah; Vice President 2, 2016 HostCountry LOC Chair from Tanzania or

Uganda; Secretary General, Dr. PheneasNtawuruhunga; Assistant Sec. General,Dr. Eze Simon C; Editor-In-Chief, Dr.Richardson Okechukwu; Deputy Editor,Dr. G.N. Asumugha; Fund Raiser, Dr.Vincent Aduramigba; West Africa Rep., Dr.Joseph Manu-Aduening; East Africa Rep.,Dr. Gorretie Ssemakula; South Africa Rep.,Dr. Feslistus Chipungu; and Central AfricaRep. Dr Maurice Tindo. The position oftreasurer is yet to be determined.

In his acceptance speech, Prof Sannipledged to work with colleagues to improve

the prole of root and tuber crops. He alsosolicited the cooperation of colleagues inrunning the organisation.

The next election of the Society will holdin 2016.

IITA Bulletin No. 2195

Documents

Transcript of IITA Bulletin No. 2195