 May-June
2006 Newsletter, ACNS 06
What is Covered in this
Issue
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NEWS:
New Bean Lines Pre-released in Kenya
Paul M. Kimani
Five new bean lines
were recommended for pre-release by the bean National Variety Release
Technical Committee in a meeting held at the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate
(KEPHIS) headquarters in Nairobi on 26 March 2006. This was seven years
since the last release of improved bean varieties was done in the country.
The first trial had 16 bush bean entries and three checks. Following the
second trial that comprised five climbing bean lines and two checks, three
climbing bean lines (MAC 13, MAC 34 and MAC 64) and two bush bean lines (AFR
708 and KK 8) were recommended for pre-release. The pre-released varieties
have 3:1 yield advantage over the bush bean varieties and resistant to major
biotic and abiotic stresses. This is the first time climbing beans were
formally pre-released in Kenya.
Full story
Discovery of Bruchid Resistance Trait in a Malawian Landrace of Dry Beans
Geoffrey Kananji, UNP
Beans are an
important legume nutritionally and economically for all classes of people in
Malawi. The National Bean Improvement Programme in partnership with
International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and Bean/Cowpea
Collaborative Research Support Program (CRSP) have released more than 15
improved bean varieties for farmers in Malawi. However, almost all the
released varieties seriously succumb to bruchid infestation during storage.
Two new varieties that are resistant to bruchid damage have been identified
by researchers at Chitedze Agricultural Research Station in Malawi following
a detailed study of 99 different bean accessions.
Full story
African Crops
Service Scientist of the Month
African Crops News
Service
The African Crops
News Service is introducing a new and special section called “Scientist
of the Month” in recognition of the very important work carried out by
various researchers and development specialists in improving African crops
and seed systems. The newsletter will carry a short profile of a scientist
nominated by his/her peers or organization. To nominate a candidate, kindly
provide a one-paragraph description of recent accomplishment(s), a photo, a
summary of the resume (half-page), recent 2-5 publications (with internet
reference if possible) and full contact address. The Scientist of the Month
will, in addition, receive a memento and be featured in the
Africancrops.net website. The memento will be sent to the head of the
scientist’s organization for registration and official presentation. The
selected scientists will be supported to attend and make presentations in
scientific conferences related to improvement of African crops. Visit
Scientist of the month at
http://www.africancrops.net/News/scientist/index.htm. Nominations
should be sent by email to:
africancrops@wananchi.com.
Outbreak of Virus-like Disease on Sunflower in Uganda
Valentine Aritua, NARO, Uganda
Suspected cases of
viruses and virus-like diseases have been reported on sunflower from African
countries including South Africa, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania and Kenya, but
there has been no confirmed cases reported from Uganda. At the beginning of
2005, however, the National Agricultural Research Organization of Uganda (NARO)
confirmed the existence of a virus-like disease among sunflower plants in
Lira District. The affected farms had up to 40% of the crop infected with
plants in the early stages of development worst affected. The identity of
this virus is still unknown and the newly introduced sunflower hybrids
appear to be more susceptible than the locally bred varieties.
Full story
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FEATURES
GCP Project on Cassava Brings State-of-the-Art Technologies to Africa.
A CIAT-led
Generation Challenge Programme project entitled “Development of Low-cost
Marker Technologies for Pyramiding Useful Genes from Wild Relatives of
Cassava into Elite Progenitors” is pioneering a rigorous training and
technology transfer plan to radically upgrade cassava breeding capacity in
National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) in Ghana, Uganda, and Nigeria.
The project conducts training courses, establishes new Marker-assisted
selection (MAS) laboratories, introduces elite germplasm into Africa, and
provides technical backstopping.
Full story
South African GM Maize Adoption in 2006.
Planting
of genetically modified maize increased its market share from 14.6 per cent
of total South African maize planted in 2005 to 29.4 per cent in 2006,
according to a survey submitted by FoodNCropBio of South Africa.
Full Story
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RESEARCH GRANTS & POSTGRADUATE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
Borlaug LEAP Fellowships.
A new deadline for
applications has been added to the Borlaug Leadership Enhancement in
Agriculture Program Fellowships made on a competitive basis to students from
USAID eligible countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The next administrative
deadline for applications is June 30, 2006.
Visit:
http://www.generationcp.org/latestnews.php?i=436
Call for African Scientist Fellowship Program Applications.
The Institute
for Genomic Diversity at Cornell University, New York, USA, is now accepting
applications for the African Scientist Fellowship Program. These are fully
funded 3-6 month training visits. The deadline is 15 June 2006. More
information can be found at
http://www.igd.cornell.edu.
The Bentley Cropping System Fellowship
provides financial assistance for between 18 to 24 months to Canadian and
developing country students or researchers with a university degree in
Agriculture, Forestry, or Biology. Applicants must be Canadian citizens,
permanent residents of Canada, or citizens of a developing country who are
currently enrolled full-time in a graduate program. Closing Date: 1 October
2006. Email:
cta@idrc.ca; Web:
http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-23379-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
MaizeLink: A New Web Portal of Agricultural Experts.
The Raizada
Laboratory at the University of Guelph has established MaizeLink (http://www.maizelink.org),
a global online community that permits maize researchers and their expertise
to be found rapidly. The portal will also provide free websites and access
to open-source databases and journals. Visit the
MaizeLink website.
A Resource on Sorghum and Millet.
The
Interactive Resource Center: Resources for Sorghum and Millet researchers,
supported by the Syngenta Foundation, has recent scientific publications,
genetic maps and data on sorghum and millet. For more details visit
http://irc.igd.cornell.edu/SorghumMillet/SorghumResources.html.
New Moderator for Cassava Improvement Forum:
Prof Nagib Nassar, a
leading cassava researcher and professor at the University of Brasília has
recently joined the Africa Crops Message and Discussion Board as a Moderator
the
Cassava Improvement Forum.
The forum
facilitates discussion and dissemination of information on the latest
research breakthroughs, new crop varieties and inquiries on cassava
improvement. Works by Prof Nassar can be viewed at
http://www.africancrops.net/news/may06/nagibnassar.htm or
http://www.geneconserve.pro.br/gene_conserve_home.htm. Prof Nassar can
be reached by email:
nagnassa@rudah.com.br.
New Coordinator of KARI’s Crop Protection Programme.
Dr Josephine
Moraa Songa has been appointed to the position of Coordinator, Crop
Protection Programme of the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI). Dr
Songa, a leading scientist with training and research experience in crop
protection, is the moderator of the Cop Pests and Diseases Forum within the
Africa Crops Message and Discussion Board. In her new assignment, she is
expected to prioritize the crop protection activities of the entire KARI
multidisciplinary crop research network, to maximize synergies and minimize
duplication.
Full story.
African Crops Brochure.
A brochure
describing the use of the African Crops Message and Discussion Board, the
Africancrops.net website, and the African Crops News Service has been
published by FORMAT and it is also available online. Printed copies of the
brochure can be requested through the Newsletter address below.
Download brochure
WARDA Launches New Website to Commemorate 35 Years of Research Partnership
The Africa Rice
Centre (WARDA) is celebrating 35 years of research partnership dedicated to
improving the lives of smallholder rice farmers in Africa. WARDA is
launching its new website with a stronger focus on partnership successes as
one of the several events organized to mark the anniversary.
http://www.warda.org
Acquisition and Use of CIMMYT Maize Open-Pollinated Varieties and Hybrids
for Commercialization.
CIMMYT has
produced both open-pollinated (OPV) and hybrid varieties of maize suited to
various agro-ecological zones. Organizations or individual researchers
applying for permission to register CIMMYT varieties in specified countries
need to familiarize themselves with the CIMMYT requirements. The approach
used by CIMMYT in granting permission to register their maize varieties
differs depending on whether the variety is an OPV or hybrid.
Read the detailed requirements.
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NEW RESEARCH
NETWORKS
The Eastern and Central Africa Rice Research Network (ECARRN).
The network is one
of the 17 regional networks of ASARECA, which became functional in January
2005. ECARRN’s secretariat is hosted by the Africa Rice Centre (WARDA) and
is located at the Mikocheni Agricultural Research Institute, Dar-Es-Salaam,
Tanzania. The new network website is hosted by Africancrops.net. Visit
site:
http://www.africancrops.net/ricenetwork
Eastern and Southern Africa Cassava Breeders’ Network.
The network
comprises national cassava breeders in Eastern and Southern Africa. The goal
of the network is to increase cassava breeding efficiency and effectiveness
in the region, in order to enhance the contribution of cassava to food
security, human health, and monetary income. The network website is hosted
by the Africancrops.net. Visit the network website at:
http://www.africancrops.net/cassavanetwork.
East African Plant Molecular Biologists Network (EAPMBNet).
The network
brings together young scientists in the field of Plant Molecular Biology and
Biotechnology in the East African Region to share and gain knowledge, and
exploit it to collaboratively identify and confront research needs in the
region. The network website is hosted by africancrops.net. Visit site at
http://www.africancrops.net/biotecnet/index.htm.
Young
Professionals’ Platform for Agricultural Research for Development (YPARD).
This is a new network of young professionals working in the agricultural
sector. A communiqué from a recent strategy meeting is available online at
http://www.africancrops.net/news/may06/ypard.pdf.
Note for readers. New research networks that would like to be hosted
by
Africancrops.net can write to the Website Manager by email:
africancrops@wananchi.com
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SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS TOCs UPDATE
The Plant Cell: May and June 2006 issues. View Table of Contents and abstracts
African Journal of Biotechnology.
18 April 2006; Vol 5(8): View Table of Contents, abstracts and full text
articles at:
http://www.academicjournals.org/AJB/contents/2006cont/2Jun.htm.
Electronic Journal of Biotechnology:
April 15, 2006 issue, “Moving from science to development”. View Table of
Contents, abstracts and full text articles at
http://www.ejbiotechnology.info/content/vol9/issue2/index.html
Science Direct. Read Volume 25 of the Science Direct journal covering January to June 2006.
Crop Protection:
Read Volume 25, Issue 7 of the Science Direct journal for July 2006
International
Association for The Plant Protection Sciences (IAPPS),
May 2006 Newsletter.
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UPCOMING CONFERENCES
Centre for Research in Biotechnology for Agriculture will hold an
International Symposium on Molecular Farming in Plants, 13 - 15 June
2006, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
http://www.cebar.um.edu.my/ISMFPSProg.htm.
Conservation International has organized an
African symposium on “How nature can help alleviate poverty”.
20 - 24 June 2006, Antananarivo, Madagascar.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-05/ci-ast051606.php.
The World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioprocessing, The Westin
Harbor Castle, 1 Harbour Square Toronto, Canada, July 11-14, 2006.
http://www.bio.org/worldcongress.
East African Plant Molecular Biologists Network’s International Plant
Biotechnology Symposium “Recent advancement in plant biotechnology research
and its potential applications to plant protection in East Africa” July 18 -
21 2006,
New Africa Hotel, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.
http://www.africancrops.net/biotecnet/index.htm
Africa Rice Congress, 31 July - 4 August 2006, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
http://www.warda.org/africa-rice-congress/rationale.html
Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference Melbourne Convention
Centre, Melbourne, Australia, August 6-9, 2006.
http://www.abic2006.org/index2.html
International Association for Plant Tissue Culture and Biotechnology (IAPTC&B),
August 13-18, 2006, Beijing
International Convention Center (BICC), Beijing China.
http://www.genetics.ac.cn/IAPTCB.htm
The Tropical Crop Biotechnology Conference 2006, 16-19 August at the
Cairns International Hotel, Far North Queensland city of Cairns,
Australia.
http://www.tcbc2006.com.au/conference.html
International Plant Breeding Symposium (IPBS) to be held in Hotel Sheraton
Centro Histórico Mexico City from 20 - 25 August, 2006.
http://www.intlplantbreeding.com/
The fifth Plant Genomics European Meeting (Plant GEMs 5) will take place in
Venice, Italy, at the Russott hotel (San Giuliano, Venice), from October 11
- 14, 2006.
http://www.distagenomics.unibo.it/plantgems/
Novel and Sustainable Weed Management in Arid and Semi-Arid Agro-Ecosystems.
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Faculty of Agricultural, Food and
Environmental Quality Sciences, Rehovot, Israel, 15 - 21 October 2006.
Email: wgarid@agri.huji.ac.il;
website:
http://agri3.huji.ac.il/aridconference
First International meeting on Cassava Plant Breeding and Biotechnology,
11-15 November 2006, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil.
http://www.geneconserve.pro.br/meeting2
Ninth Arab Congress of Plant Protection, 19-23 November, 2006, Congress
Palace (Ebla Cham hotel), Damascus, Syria.
http://www.9acpp-sy.org/
Agriculture Biotechnology Industry Conference (ABIC)
Melbourne Convention Centre, Victoria, Australia on 6-9 August 2006;
www.abic2006.org
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Call for Articles, June-July 2006 Issue
We invite articles, announcements and other information for the next issue
of AFRICAN CROPS NEWS SERVICE that comes out in the last week of June 2006.
To read previous issues, visit:
http://www.africancrops.net/news
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About
The African Crops News Service!
The African Crops News Service covers current research and developments in
improvement of African crops and seed systems. The service compliments the
africancrops.net website to enhance further the sharing of news and
information from projects supported by The Rockefeller Foundation and those
by other organizations. The service team welcomes short articles and
information on your project and organization, research networks and country
for inclusion in the upcoming issues of the newsletter. Read more on the
African Crops News Service at
http://africancrops.net/news/
Send inquiries, information and suggestions to:
The Manager
Africancrops.net
C/o FORMAT
P.O. Box 79 Village Market 00621
Nairobi, Kenya
Email:
africancrops@wananchi.com
Website:
www.africancrops.net
News Service:
http://africancrops.net/news
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Disclaimer:
With respect to this document, we make no warranty, express or implied, of
its fitness for the complete purpose it is designed for. We therefore assume
no legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or
usefulness of any information, process or links disclosed.
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