A Biotechnology Course for Developing Countries

Biotechnology offers benefits, but few developing countries have approved genetically engineered (GE) crops. Extension educational programs could help prepare stakeholders in developing countries to influence biotechnology policies. Michigan State University (MSU) developed a two-week course that was taught 14 times from 2002 to 2010 for 251 participants from 58 developing countries. This course helped form an international network of biotechnology specialists who collaborate with stakeholders

RIS Research and Information System for Developing Countries Perceptions of Non-Europeans on Biotechnology in Europe: Bridging the Knowledge Gap

Abstract: Countries around the world are utilising the new tools of modern biotechnology in their national agricultural research and development programmes to enhance food and nutritional security and foster economic growth. While the ongoing heated debate and controversy on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Europe is widely known, this article sets out to understand to what extent the stakeholders globally are aware of the actual involvement of Europe in GM activity. In an attempt to capture the knowledge and perceptions of global stakeholders on the current status of biotechnology in Europe, this study surveyed 107 stakeholders from 43 countries from Asia, Africa, and Latin America. While there is some awareness among global stakeholders on the public acceptance and perception of GMOs in Europe, the survey results indicate that the global stakeholders have limited information and knowledge on R&D programmes, public and private sector engagement, commercial cultivation and management of GMOs in Europe. Bridging this knowledge gap and creating greater awareness among global stakeholders on GMO issues in Europe is critical to reduce the misinformation, misperception and misguided policy implications in the developing world. Not only can countries that are considering the utilisation of GM technology learn from decades of experience, successes and mistakes of Europe and the US, but their awareness of European GM policy is also important in relation to international trade. Evidence-based outreach and educational initiatives can play an important role in bridging this knowledge gap and can also help raise trust and confidence of policymakers to make evidence-based informed decisions on the use of GM technology to benefit society

Report on the WorldAgInfo Visit to South Asia (India and Sri Lanka)

WorldAgInfo Project site visit reportCornell University, with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, hosted a Design Team charged with assessing agriculture information, education and knowledge systems in South Asia and Africa in order to provide a landscape view of information needs of smallholders and identify possible proposals to the foundation that address the ICT technology needs of smallholder farmers at the “first kilometer level.” This landscape analysis also focuses on the needs of others, such as agricultural researchers, educators and students, in the agricultural education/information chain. The foundation was preparing its new agricultural strategy with the input and involvement of stakeholders at the grass-roots level. As a part of this participatory and “bottom-up” approach, the foundation charged the Design Team to consult, interact and seek input from smallholder farmers and public and private institutions supporting smallholders in South Asia and Africa. This consultation process included site visits to South Asia in June and Africa in August of 2007 followed by two workshops focusing on the content and delivery systems and a combination of conventional approaches and modern ICT technologies. This report provides a summary of the meetings and discussions in India and Sri Lanka with various stakeholders and institutions, key observations, and preliminary recommendations based on the interactions and input from the stakeholders

A Socioeconomic Study of Transition Zone Yam Farmers Addressing Constraints and Exploring Opportunities for Integrating Pigeonpea into Yam Cropping Systems

Cultivation of yams by rural households contributes to food supply and income generation. Notwithstanding the importance of this crop, yam production has been stagnating, threatening rural livelihoods and food security. Contrary to traditional yam systems in Ghana, an alternative system that integrates pigeonpea and yam is being proposed to mitigate constraints in existing yam production system through replenishing soil fertility, the provision of stakes for staking, and providing nutritious grains to farmers. The purpose of this study was to explore farmers’ constraints and determine farmers’ knowledge of the pigeonpea⁻yam cropping system. The investigation was conducted using structured questionnaires on a sample consisting of 150 yam farmers from three major yam-producing districts of Ghana. Results revealed that access to capital, mechanization, and poor road network were among the main constraints that militated yam production. A majority (68%) farmers are also still using shifting cultivation in search of fertile lands for yam production. The study found that farmers had poor knowledge of the pigeonpea⁻yam cropping system and the benefits and uses of pigeonpea. Given the potential of the pigeonpea⁻yam intercropping system in addressing soil fertility and providing a readily available source of stakes, it would be a viable option for smallholder farmers to increase and sustain production

Public Availability of a Genotyped Segregating Population May Foster Marker Assisted Breeding (MAB) and Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) Discovery: An Example Using Strawberry

Much of the cost associated with marker discovery for marker assisted breeding (MAB) can be eliminated if a diverse, segregating population is generated, genotyped, and made available to the global breeding community. Herein, we present an example of a hybrid, wild-derived family of the octoploid strawberry that can be used by other breeding programs to economically find and tag useful genes for MAB. A pseudo test cross population between two wild species of Fragaria virginiana and F. chiloensis (FVC 11) was generated and evaluated for a set of phenotypic traits. A total of 106 individuals in the FVC 11 were genotyped for 29,251 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) utilizing a commercially available, genome-wide scanning platform (Affymetrix Axiom IStraw90TW). The marker trait associations were deduced using TASSEL software. The FVC 11 population segregating for daughters per mother, inflorescence number, inflorescence height, crown production, flower number, fruit size, yield, internal color, soluble solids, fruit firmness, and plant vigor. Coefficients of variations ranged from 10% for fruit firmness to 68% for daughters per mother, indicating an underlying quantitative inheritance for each trait. A total of 2,474 SNPs were found to be polymorphic in FVC 11 and strong marker trait associations were observed for vigor, daughters per mother, yield and fruit weight. These data indicate that FVC 11 can be used as a reference population for quantitative trait loci detection and subsequent MAB across different breeding programs and geographical locations