VIRCA Plus News Item
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,…
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…
The Cornell Alliance for Science reports that Nigeria’s biotechnology sector is expecting significant progress on two key food and fiber crops in 2019: cotton and cowpea. Among other genetically-modified crops slated for further development and field testing are cassava, rice, sorghum and maize.
By Lominda Afedraru; Alliance for Science; October 23, 2018 Ugandan scientists are accelerating their outreach to lawmakers to make them aware of improved crops like disease-resistant cassava, which farmers cannot grow until the nation adopts a biosafety law. Cassava, a staple food crop for residents of Eastern and Northern Uganda, has been plagued by cassava…
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…
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.…
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…
