publication
Suppression of the ubiquitin E2 gene through RNA interference causes mortality in the banana weevil, Cosmopolites sordidus (Germar)
https://hdl.handle.net/10568/73223
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) is a natural defense mechanism triggered by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) for protection of cells against foreign parasitic nucleic acids. The RNase III enzyme Dicer processes dsRNAs into short small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) that degrade the specific mRNA. RNAi has been demonstrated in a range of organisms including coleopterans and has a…
publication
Publication of the results of the International Musa Testing Programme, Phase III (IMTP III)
https://hdl.handle.net/10568/73224
Abstract
The International Musa Testing Programme (IMTP) was set up to evaluate the performance of banana synthetic hybrids and somaclonal variants, as well as traditional cultivars and wild Musa species, in the presence of biotic and abiotic constraints in multi-locational field trials around the world. Three phases of the IMTP have been conducted. The report on the results of the most recent phase, IMTP…
publication
The performance of East African highland bananas released in farmers' fields and the need for their further improvement
https://hdl.handle.net/10568/73225
Abstract
East African highland bananas (AAA, EAHB) form over 80% of the banana cultivars in the Great Lakes region and are a source of food and income for over 40 million in the region. The production of these bananas has been constrained by pests, diseases, soil fertility decline and most recently climate change stresses. Farmers have been managing these problems using…
publication
Introduced banana hybrids in Africa: seed systems, farmers' experiences and consumers' perspectives
https://hdl.handle.net/10568/73228
Abstract
Over the past three decades, more than 40 banana cultivars have been introduced in eastern and southern Africa for evaluation and dissemination to smallholder farmers facing banana productivity challenges. This study analyses the seed systems used to avail the genotypes to the target users, discusses farmers' experiences and consumers' perspectives in five countries NDASH…
publication
Potential of Trichoderma asperellum for biocontrol of Fusarium wilt in banana
https://hdl.handle.net/10568/73229
Abstract
A total of 72 fungal endophytes were isolated from surface-sterilized roots of healthy 'Gros Michel' (AAA genome, Gros Michel subgroup) banana plants in Turrialba, Costa Rica. In vitro and in vivo tests were carried out in order to identify microorganisms with potential activity against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc, race 1). In vitro tests revealed that 22 isolates inhibited the growth of Foc.…
publication
The banana Xanthomonas wilt epidemic in east and central Africa: current research and development efforts
https://hdl.handle.net/10568/73230
Abstract
Xanthomonas wilt is currently the major biotic threat to banana production in East and Central Africa (ECA). The recommended management options for the disease include destruction of infected plants, disinfecting tools used in the plantation, using clean planting materials, early removal of male buds and quarantine measures. These efforts to control the disease have produced partial…
publication
Organic bananas in Sudan: challenges and opportunities for developing export chains
https://hdl.handle.net/10568/73243
Abstract
In the mid-2000s, the Ministry of Agriculture of Sudan started a project to promote rural development by exporting organic bananas to the Middle East and Europe. The project entailed a demand-driven coherent design of an export chain. For the European market, the potential to grow organic bananas is promising, as Sudan offers fertile soils with a climate exerting low disease pressure. A value-chain analysis…
publication
Exploring the effectiveness of a rapid participatory method in mapping the role of agricultural biodiversity in local food systems to identify potential entry points to improve peoples' capabilities to be nutrition secure
https://hdl.handle.net/10568/77184
Abstract
Vietnam has improved its food security situation at the price of losing traditional varieties adapted to local tastes and conditions due to increased production and use of high-yield crop varieties (mainly large scale mono-cropping). Decreased diversity of foods is a…
publication
Evaluation and ex situ conservation of indigenous (Naati) mango cultivars
https://hdl.handle.net/10568/77405
Abstract
Mango is one of the most important fruit crops, valued commercially for its taste and quality. India is the major centre of diversity as far as Mangifera indica is concerned. Due to rapid industrialization large number of local (Naati) indigenous cultivars is being lost. An attempt was made to collect, evaluate and conserve indigenous types 35 locally on farm in two locations at Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh. The main idea…
publication
Which wheat for smallholder Ethiopian farmers? Joining traditional knowledge with metric phenotypes
https://hdl.handle.net/10568/78154
Abstract
Africa hosts approximately 33 million smallholder farms, which account for 80% of the continent's farming system. Subsistence farming systems face highly variable climatic conditions that threaten locally-adapted, low-input agriculture. For the near future, they are among the most seriously affected by changing climatic conditions, posing additional risks to these systems. The benefits…
publication
Seed systems of rice and finger millet in Nepal, between formality and informality
https://hdl.handle.net/10568/78169
Abstract
In Nepal, more than 90% of cereal seed flows from informal systems and there are regions and groups of farmers that are not connected at all to any seed networks with external seed supply. Nepal's agricultural policies and formal institutions are promoting the development of the formal seed system. However, knowledge gaps exist on the opportunities and challenges for smallholder farmers when formal seed…
publication
Second-tier community forestry organisations and equitable resource management in the Maya Biosphere Reserve, Guatemala
https://hdl.handle.net/10568/78521
Abstract
Whilst community forestry programmes have combined sustainable forestry with community empowerment and poverty alleviation since the late 1970s, the role of intermediary organisations in shaping the technical and political capacities of forest user groups has rarely been systematically studied. The long-term durability of community forestry groups has been linked with the…
publication
We manage what we measure: an agrobiodiversity index to help deliver the sustainable development goals
https://hdl.handle.net/10568/78506
Publication year
2016
Authors
Tutwiler, M.A.
Full Citation
Tutwiler, M.A. (2016) We manage what we measure: an agrobiodiversity index to help deliver the sustainable development goals. Indian Journal of Plant Genetic Resources 29(3) p. 454-456 ISSN: 0971-8184…
publication
Determinants of farm-level adoption of cultural practices for banana xanthomonas wilt control in Uganda
https://hdl.handle.net/10568/104561
Abstract
Understanding the factors influencing farmers’adoption decisions of the disseminated Banana Xanthomonas wilt (BXW) control package is critical for successful management of the disease. This paper analysed the determinants of farmers’ decisions to adopt the control package by smallholder banana farmers in Uganda. A binomial Logit model is applied to household survey data collected from…
publication
Making the most of food aid to help prevent child and maternal deaths
https://hdl.handle.net/10568/105107
Abstract
Advances in child nutrition over the last several decades are creating momentum for a programmatic push to reduce undernutrition worldwide. The contribution of food aid may be small, but, nonetheless, U.S. food aid policy should be revamped to benefit more effectively and more efficiently the children and mothers in need.
Publication year
2013
Authors…
