Development Options for Local Seed Systems in Mozambique. Working Paper Series no. 5

Large quantities of free or subsidized seed have been distributed to small-scale farmers in Mozambique under postwar resettlement and drought/flood relief programs. A joint study by ICRISAT and World Vision assessed the impact of relief seed distribution, the adoption of new varieties distributed through relief programs, and the performance of local seed systems. While there was undoubtedly a need for well-targeted emergency assistance, seed losses associated with war, drought, and floods appear to have been overestimated. Village seed systems are remarkably efficient in meeting seed requirements and maintaining varietal diversity, even under drought or flood conditions. However, there remains scope for improving household seed selection and storage practices. In addition, sustainable seed supply systems (both community-level and commercial) are needed to improve the access of small-scale farmers to new varieties. Despite the massive demand for seed for public distribution efforts, domestic production capabilities remain small, and most seed is still imported. The problems include shortages of breeder seed, poor market infrastructure, high marketing costs, uncertainty about levels of commercial seed demand, and farmer dependence on free seed. Specific recommendations are offered for strengthening both local and commercial seed supply systems in Mozambique

Los Eucaliptos en las tierras altas de Angola, su papel social durante el conflicto armado y en el desarrollo de las comunidades rurales y urbanas

Las tierras altas de Angola han tenido un complicado desarrollo histórico desde que fueron colonizadas a inicios del siglo XX. Este proceso histórico también ha afectado a los bosques naturales y las plantaciones de eucaliptos que se crearon durante los años 60 y 70. El uso de estas plantaciones, inicialmente planificadas como suministro de combustible y materias primas para la industria colonial, se vio truncado con la independencia y los posteriores avatares políticomilitares. En la nueva situación de inseguridad en el medio rural, se convirtieron en la principal fuente de combustible para la creciente población urbana que huía del campo. Actualmente, los polígonos forestales sobrevivientes pueden ser utilizados en la rehabilitación de esta zona del país. El objetivo de este trabajo de investigación es conocer el proceso histórico de uso y gestión de estas plantaciones su papel social en este proceso y la situación en la que se encuentran actualmente._________________________________The Angolan highlands were involved in a complicated historical process since the beginning of colonization in the early 1900´s. The process also affected the natural forest and eucalyptus plantations that were implanted in the sixties and seventies. Its primary planning uses were for fuel wood and timber supply to the colonial industries. The forest uses changed with the independence and the later war conflicts. The insecurity in the rural areas caused a strong rural peasant migration to the more secure cities. Forest plantation close to cities became the main fuel wood supply for the growing urban population. Currently, some forest plantations remain in the less accessible areas and can be use for the rehabilitation of the region. The main objective of the research was to increase the knowledge concern the eucalyptus forests uses and management during the historical process, its social importance during the war time and the state of the forests in present days

Quantifying Vegetation Biophysical Variables from Imaging Spectroscopy Data: A Review on Retrieval Methods

An unprecedented spectroscopic data stream will soon become available with forthcoming Earth-observing satellite missions equipped with imaging spectroradiometers. This data stream will open up a vast array of opportunities to quantify a diversity of biochemical and structural vegetation properties. The processing requirements for such large data streams require reliable retrieval techniques enabling the spatiotemporally explicit quantification of biophysical variables. With the aim of preparing for this new era of Earth observation, this review summarizes the state-of-the-art retrieval methods that have been applied in experimental imaging spectroscopy studies inferring all kinds of vegetation biophysical variables. Identified retrieval methods are categorized into: (1) parametric regression, including vegetation indices, shape indices and spectral transformations; (2) nonparametric regression, including linear and nonlinear machine learning regression algorithms; (3) physically based, including inversion of radiative transfer models (RTMs) using numerical optimization and look-up table approaches; and (4) hybrid regression methods, which combine RTM simulations with machine learning regression methods. For each of these categories, an overview of widely applied methods with application to mapping vegetation properties is given. In view of processing imaging spectroscopy data, a critical aspect involves the challenge of dealing with spectral multicollinearity. The ability to provide robust estimates, retrieval uncertainties and acceptable retrieval processing speed are other important aspects in view of operational processing. Recommendations towards new-generation spectroscopy-based processing chains for operational production of biophysical variables are given

Los Eucaliptos en las tierras altas de Angola, su papel social durante el conflicto armado y en el desarrollo de las comunidades rurales y urbanas

Las tierras altas de Angola han tenido un complicado desarrollo histórico desde que fueron colonizadas a inicios del siglo XX. Este proceso histórico también ha afectado a los bosques naturales y las plantaciones de eucaliptos que se crearon durante los años 60 y 70. El uso de estas plantaciones, inicialmente planificadas como suministro de combustible y materias primas para la industria colonial, se vio truncado con la independencia y los posteriores avatares políticomilitares. En la nueva situación de inseguridad en el medio rural, se convirtieron en la principal fuente de combustible para la creciente población urbana que huía del campo. Actualmente, los polígonos forestales sobrevivientes pueden ser utilizados en la rehabilitación de esta zona del país. El objetivo de este trabajo de investigación es conocer el proceso histórico de uso y gestión de estas plantaciones su papel social en este proceso y la situación en la que se encuentran actualmente

First report of the occurence of East African cassava mosaic virus-Uganda (EACMV-UG) in Angola

No abstract is available for this article

First report of Banana bunchy top virus in banana and plantain (Musa spp.) in Angola

First published: 11 March 2009In April 2008 in the northern Provinces of Angola, banana (AAA genome)and plantain (AAB genome) plants (Musa spp.) with severe stunting andmoderate to severe leaf symptoms typical of banana bunchy top diseasewere observed to be widespread in farmers’ fields in Kirimadhola villagein the Ndalatando region in Cuanza Norte Province, and Tokosiala, Bukuli Tsiela and Conde villages in the Landana region of Cabinda Province.Leaf extracts from affected plants were positive in an ELISA assay(OD405nm of infected ≥ 2 × healthy controls) using a polyclonal antiserum(NCBR, India) raised against Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV; genusBabuvirus, family Nanoviridae). BBTV was further confirmed by PCRusing total DNA extracted from plant samples with symptoms andoligonucleotide primers specific for a ca. 250 bp conserved domain ofBBTV DNA-R, according to published PCR protocols (Mansoor et al.,2005). An amplicon of the expected size (256 bp) was cloned into pGEM-T Easy Vector (Promega) and two independent clones were sequencedin both directions (GenBank Acc. No. EU851977). Comparisons ofthis sequence using a blast search showed the greatest nucleotideidentity (97%) with a BBTV isolate from Hawaii (U18077) and 96 to 97%similarity with BBTV isolates of a ‘South Pacific Group’. By contrast,there was less similarity (85 to 90%) with isolates of the ‘Asian Group’,indicating that the virus isolate from Angola falls within the South PacificGroup.This is the first report of BBTV occurrence in Angola. Together with pre-vious reports of BBTV in southern and central African countries (Kenyonet al., 1997; CABI, 2005), this report provides evidence for the widespreadoccurrence of BBTV in the region. The presence of both the virus and itsaphid vector, Pentalonia nigronervosa, in Africa has the potential to causewidespread damage to banana, especially on the highly susceptible Caven-dish types. This highlights the urgent need for intensive surveys to assessthe extent of the geographic spread and severity of BBTV in Africa and theimplementation of phytosanitary measures to eradicate infected plants