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Traditional ranching practices enhance African savanna

New Haven, Conn.— That human land use destroys natural ecosystems is an oft-cited assumption in conservation, but ecologists have discovered that instead, traditional ranching techniques in the African savanna enhance the local abundance of wild, native animals. These results offer a new perspective on the roles humans play in natural systems, and inform ongoing discussions about land management and biodiversity...

Keeping fruit, vegetables and cut flowers fresh longer

New technology offers the promise of reducing billions of dollars of losses that occur each year from the silent, invisible killer of fruits, vegetables and cut flowers — a gas whose effects are familiar to everyone who has seen bananas and other fruit ripen too quickly and rot. That’s the conclusion of an article in the ACS journal Chemical Reviews. ...

Sacred lotus genome sequence enlightens scientists

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) is a symbol of spiritual purity and longevity. Its seeds can survive up to 1,300 years, its petals and leaves repel grime and water, and its flowers generate heat to attract pollinators. ...

The Power of Mobile: Saving Uganda’s Banana Crop

Bananas constitute 70% of the family food basket in Uganda. Through my work on the Uganda Agricultural Technology and Agribusiness Advisory (ATAAS) project, I learned that a devastating Banana Bacterial Wilt (BBW) infection has been spreading through the country, killing banana plantations and threatening food security. The government has created a BBW committee led by the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry...

Rebooting African Economies: Science and Engineering for Rapid Economic Transformation

A lecture by Calestous Juma at the Golf Course Hotel in Kampala, Uganda. Organized by the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA). Africa’s identity has historically been associated with its vast natural resources which have shaped not only its political culture but also defined its place in the global family of nations. In recent years, however, a new...

Information sharing from the first Bio-Innovate Scientific conference

  On 25-28 February 2013, Bio-Innovate Program successfully held its first scientific conference that was attended by over 150 participants ranging from the Program’s implementing partners and other stakeholders, donor community, science, technology and innovation policy makers, and the private sector. More than 30 oral presentations were made in two parallel sessions covering crop productivity and...

Linking capacity building activities to product development

Bio-Innovate has adopted this concept in conducting its capacity building activities. The Program is supporting both MSc and PhD students whose outputs are directly linked to specific project activities. Scientists are sent out for short-term attachments to specialized laboratories outside their countries to acquire specific skills required in delivering particular project components. This ensures that the...