21 Aug
Funding & Opportunities, Nigeria

3rd All Africa Horticultural Congress

7 – 12 August 2016. This Congress was hosted by the Nigerian Society for Horticultural Sciences and took place under the aegis of the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS).


The third AAHC follows the first and second held earlier in Kenya and South Africa, respectively. It is designed to cater to the diverse needs of the science, industry/business and capacity building sectors of the horticulture industry. There’s something for you during this congress whether you are a hobby horticulturist or a professional, so you cannot afford to miss it. Students are welcome too. It will feature symposia, an exhibition, field trips, brokerage of new business partnerships, a photo competition, and social events; all carefully put together to express the various perspectives of the theme ‘Horticulture for improved livelihoods’.

PAEPARD made a presentation related to the Importance of partnership platforms to meet the needs of horticultural enterprises: Lessons learned from international to national scales.

PROPAC attended the Side Event 3 organised by FAO on Urban Horticulture (see also below: related PAEPARD blog post)

Senegal will be hosting the 4th ALL AFRICA HORTICULTURE CONGRESS – 2020

Video coverage: 


Related PAEPARD blogpost: 
February 18, 2013FIRST STATUS REPORT ON URBAN AND PERI-URBAN HORTICULTURE IN AFRICA.
© FAO 2012, 116 pages.

This report draws the attention of policymakers to urban and peri-urban horticulture, and how it can help to grow greener cities in Africa. Production of fruit and vegetables in and around urban areas has a clear comparative advantage over rural and other sources in supplying urban residents with fresh, nutritious – but highly perishable – produce all year round. It generates local employment, reduces food transport costs and pollution, creates urban green belts, and recycles urban waste as a productive resource.

Related:
The Horticulture Innovation Lab is offering a grant up to $750,000 over three years to support a research project in integrated animal-horticulture systems. Sept. 19 is the deadline for brief concept notes, submitted by U.S. university researchers. Read the whole article about this 

The research should be focused on the needs of smallholder farmers in developing countries that are part of Feed the Future, with priority given to Cambodia, Nepal and Rwanda. Understanding the socioeconomic feasibility and trade-offs involved in mixed crop-livestock farming systems — ones that specifically incorporate fruit and vegetable crops — is the focus of this new call for concept notes. Read the whole article for additional details.

Additional OPPORTUNITIES:

  • DEVELOPMENT COMPETITION: OFF-GRID REFRIGERATION The Global LEAP Awards is seeking information and feedback to shape its upcoming Off-Grid Refrigeration Competition, which will begin in September: http://bit.ly/2b1cuoP
  • GRANT: DRIED APRICOTS HANDLING, MARKETING Sept. 12 is the deadline to apply for a $300,000 grant from the Horticulture Innovation Lab focused on the needs of growers in Burkina Faso: http://bit.ly/2b1dFVc
  • GRANT: TOMATO POSTHARVEST RESEARCH Sept. 12 is also the deadline for proposals from U.S. researchers focused on the needs of growers in Burkina Faso, for up to $300,000 from the Horticulture Innovation Lab: http://bit.ly/2aGF2lh
  • HORTICULTURE INNOVATION LAB 
  • University of California, Davis, with funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development as part of Feed the Future, the U.S. government’s global hunger and food security initiative.
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10 Jun
Uncategorized

Overview and Future Prospects of Aflatoxin Research at ICRISAT

26 September 2014

Abstract :
Aflatoxin contamination of food crops is one of the most agriculturally important problems in the world. Perhaps, this is one of the most focused research areas of several advanced research institutions, CGIAR centers and NARS of several countries. Public health implications due to aflatoxins, the secondary metabolites produced by toxigenic molds Aspergillus flavus, is a global concern. Keeping in view of its growing threat and health hazards on humans and animals, ICRISAT has always been in the forefront in contributing to mitigate this menace especially in groundnut and made a remarkable progress. For over three and half decades, ICRISAT’s aflatoxin research is spear-headed by a number of excellent scientists based in Asia and SSA.

Dr. Waliyar delivered a seminar on “Overview and future prospects of aflatoxin research at ICRISAT” highlighting his research outputs, salient findings and management strategies in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. The 2nd part of his presentation focused on the new opportunities, looking ahead he introduced and discussed the outline of a new concept note that was prepared in collaboration of several scientists.

@ 31:00 Dr. Waliyar discusses the use of bio control agents of which trichoderma. In this research trichoderma was initially used for composting but in the process it was discovered that it has an anti fungal activity. “Hopefully someone will pick this up”
@ 51:26 – 58:00 Dr. Waliyar discusses the use of Aflasafe. “It is an expensive technology for rich people.” “A different strain has to be developed for each country which takes 4 years.”
Related: 

On 9-11 October 2013, participants from five CGIAR centres met at Naivasha in Kenya to share about their current activities related to mycotoxin research and to plan for how these different activities might contribute to the next phase of the CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH) mycotoxin research portfolio.

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