VIRCA Plus News Item

Kenya: Embracing dialogue on GMO crops

A national dialogue on GM crops was held in Nairobi on April 24, signalling strong public interest in policies that enable the safe use of this technology for disease resistant cassava and other crops. Led by the Principal Secretary for Agricultural Research Prof. Hamadi Boga, and moderated by one of Kenya’s most respected media editors,…

Cassava: Improve Diets in West Africa ?

A new study led by Danforth Center principal investigator Nigel Taylor and research scientist Narayanan Narayanan, demonstrated that it is possible to raise the iron and zinc content of cassava roots while maintaining yield and other plant characteristics that are important to farmers and consumers. With the help of Ihuoma Okwuonu of the National Root…

Biotechnology

WAVE : Sensitizing Farmers On Emerging Virus Control

Oluseyi Taiwo-Oguntuase – August 10, 2018   WAVE Sensitizes Farmers On Controlling Emerging Cassava Virus West African Virus Epidemiology (WAVE) for root and tuber crops, Covenant University Hub, a programme funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), USA and the Department for International Development of the United Kingdom (DFID) UK has advised cassava farmers to…

Africa’s collaborative biotech research bears fruit

Christopher Bendana – July 25, 2018   Dr. Priver Namanya adjusted her view in the microscope, trying to get a better image of the banana cells. Then a smile lit her face. After spending the day trying to ascertain that she had incorporated a vitamin A gene into the banana cells, she had achieved success.…

Grant to Advance Improvements In Harvests

Danforth Center – Wednesday, 14 December 2016 International Collaboration Receives Grant To Advance Improvements In Cassava Harvests And Nutrition For Smallholder Families In Sub-Saharan Africa ST. LOUIS, MO, December 14, 2016–The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center announces that the Virus Resistant Cassava for Africa Plus (VIRCA Plus) consortium of American, Nigerian, Ugandan, and Kenyan institutions recently received…