IITA and its research on natural resource management (NRM) were one of the main highlights during the Annual Conference on Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture and Natural Resource Management (TROPENTAG) held in Berlin, Germany, on 16–18 September. The event was intended for stakeholders involved in agricultural research and rural development in developing countries. IITA had a special session to present its research portfolio and an exhibition to showcase its work as a CGIAR research institution.
The theme of the conference was “Management of l and use systems for enhanced food security—conflicts, controversies, and resolutions.” More than 1,300 registered participants from about 80 or more countries attended the 3-day conference, which provided a forum for discussion of important issues on sustainable food systems that could improve food and nutritional security in the tropics while preserving the natural resource base and vital ecosystems.
IFPRI Director General Shenggen Fan, representing the CGIAR, was one of the keynote speakers during the opening plenary session on day 1. He talked about “Building a resilient global food system.”
IITA’s session on the second day on L and use management featured a lead talk by Bernard Vanlauwe, R4D Director, Central Africa hub and for Natural Resources Management (NRM) titled “Is integrated soil fertility management a viable pathway towards the sustainable intensification of smallholder farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa”; and four other papers delivered by Danny Coyne, Soil Health Scientist, on “Enhancing legume productivity for sustainable intensification of maize-legume farming system in sub-Saharan Africa”; Christine Kreye, Agronomist/NRM expert (CIM), on “Increasing cassava productivity in the context of sustainable intensification”; Laurence Jassogne, Project Coordinator – Systems Agronomist, on “Climate-smart intensification of coffee and cocoa smallholder systems in Africa”; and Alpha Kamara, Savannah Systems Agronomist on “Using cropping system models and geospatial tools to bring agronomy to scale in the savannahs of Nigeria.” The session was chaired by Stefan Hauser, Root and Tuber Systems Agronomist.
The interactive session provided a good opportunity to highlight IITA’s work on sustainable intensification and natural resources management research. Other scientists who made presentations during a session on Crop biotic stresses included Hauser on “Weed biomass production and cassava yields in varying cassava cropping systems”, Juliet Akello, Postdoctoral Fellow/Plant Pathologist, on “Developing an aflatoxin biocontrol product against aflatoxin-producing Aspergillus spp. in Zambia”, Kamara on “Assessment of level, extent, and factors influencing Striga infestation of maize in the dry savannahs of Nigeria.”
The plenary session on day 3 featured a presentation by Director General Nteranya Sanginga on “IITA, the lead research partner facilitating agricultural solutions to overcome hunger and poverty in sub-Saharan Africa; The critical role of appropriate soil fertility and l and use management,” presented on his behalf by Vanlauwe.
Sanginga’s presentation emphasized the challenges in smallholder farming in sub-Saharan Africa, and how IITA is promoting sustainable intensification of smallholder agriculture and innovative approaches to ensure the acceleration of research impact on farmers and address the changing environments and conditions.
Days 1 to 3 featured guided poster sessions with more than 35 IITA posters on various topics related to the theme.
According to Ylva Hillbur, DDG for Research for Development, “Overall, the conference highlighted very well IITA’s research work on the theme of the conference and provided an opportunity for participants to know more about IITA and its work. We thank the German Government for providing CIM experts who are doing a great job in IITA, and we also thank GIZ and the conference organizers for inviting IITA as the featured center and for hosting the IITA and Friends socials.”
IITA also showcased its work in a poster exhibition and publications and product displays. A big hit during the exhibition was the “tidbits” snack made from cassava and cowpea flour produced by the IITA Youth Agripreneurs.
For more information please contact:
Katherine Lopez, Head of Communication, IITA HQ, K.Lopez@cgiar.org
About IITA www.iita.org
IITA is one of the world’s leading research partners in finding solutions for hunger, malnutrition, and poverty. Its award-winning research-for-development (R4D) approach addresses the development needs of tropical countries. IITA works with partners to enhance crop quality and productivity, reduce producer and consumer risks, and generate wealth from agriculture. IITA is a non-profit organization founded in 1967 in Nigeria and governed by a Board of Trustees. IITA works on the following crops: cowpea, soybean, banana/plantain, yam, cassava, and maize. It is a member of CGIAR, a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future.
Contributed by
Related news