Scientists at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and partners in the Netherlands and the United States are a step closer to developing genomic approaches/tools that will expedite the conventional development of improved cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L) varieties with traits such as drought-tolerance…
Research outputs by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and its national partners are yielding positive results in Nigeria and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa, according to the country’s Technical Sub Committee on the Release of Crop Varieties…
Two deadly banana diseases stalking banana and plantains in eastern and central Africa, if left uncontrolled, could spell doom for over 70 million farmers who depend on the crop for their food and livelihoods.
The alarming rapid spread of the bacterial Banana Xanthomonas Wilt (BXW) and the viral Banana Bunchy Top Disease (BBTD) are poised to wreak havoc to Africa’s production as all current banana and plantain varieties in the continent are susceptible.
Farmers in seven states of Nigeria including Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Kogi, Nasarawa, and Benue will benefit from the distribution of free improved cassava varieties, thanks to the IITA-implemented “Unleashing the Power of Cassava in Africa” (UPoCA) project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Researchers of the the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) are intensifying efforts to find a sustainable and natural solution to control populations of the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci. These tiny insects transmit the viruses that cause the Cassava Mosaic Disease and the Cassava Brown Streak Disease that are wreaking havoc on Africa’s cassava production, causing an estimated damage of more than US$ 1 billion annually.
The Government of Thailand, through its Department of Agriculture based at Chatuchak, Bangkok, has requested the assistance of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to help in the biological control of the cassava mealybug, Phenacoccus manihoti, which had recently invaded country and possibly also Laos and Cambodia.
