farmer – B4FA http://theb4fa.org Biosciences For Farming in Africa Tue, 17 Dec 2019 16:57:04 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 Focusing on smart agriculture across Africa http://theb4fa.org/focusing-on-smart-agriculture-across-africa/ http://theb4fa.org/focusing-on-smart-agriculture-across-africa/#respond Tue, 17 Dec 2019 16:57:01 +0000 http://theb4fa.org/?p=18370 The world is changing and one of the factors driving this change is climate change, which continues to affect the weather and the elements, such as rainfall and storms, among others. These changes affect basically everything that concerns man and his environment.

The impact of these changes is gradually being felt ...

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]]> http://theb4fa.org/focusing-on-smart-agriculture-across-africa/feed/ 0 Agriculture is part of the climate problem, and the solution http://theb4fa.org/agriculture-is-part-of-the-climate-problem-and-the-solution/ http://theb4fa.org/agriculture-is-part-of-the-climate-problem-and-the-solution/#respond Tue, 17 Dec 2019 16:50:38 +0000 http://theb4fa.org/?p=18367 Recently, scientists from the Stockholm Resilience Centre and colleagues have suggested that we have already exceeded the boundaries for climate change, biodiversity loss, and the nitrogen cycle. These limits all share a common factor: agriculture.

 In short, agriculture is part of the problem. We have the responsibility to harness our natural ...

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]]> http://theb4fa.org/agriculture-is-part-of-the-climate-problem-and-the-solution/feed/ 0 Crops Research Institute Releases stress tolerant maize to address food insecurity in Africa http://theb4fa.org/crops-research-institute-releases-stress-tolerant-maize-to-address-food-insecurity-in-africa/ http://theb4fa.org/crops-research-institute-releases-stress-tolerant-maize-to-address-food-insecurity-in-africa/#respond Wed, 11 Dec 2019 19:08:33 +0000 http://theb4fa.org/?p=18333 The Crops Research Institute (CRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and its international partners have developed a Stress Tolerant Maize variety for farmers in in parts of Africa where climate change threatens food security.

The Stress Tolerant maize variety was introduced to smallholder maize farmers at Ejura ...

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]]> http://theb4fa.org/crops-research-institute-releases-stress-tolerant-maize-to-address-food-insecurity-in-africa/feed/ 0 Ghana: post-harvest losses in cereals: US$141m lost in 2018 http://theb4fa.org/ghana-post-harvest-losses-in-cereals-us141m-lost-in-2018/ http://theb4fa.org/ghana-post-harvest-losses-in-cereals-us141m-lost-in-2018/#respond Tue, 10 Dec 2019 12:04:48 +0000 http://theb4fa.org/?p=18329 Ghana loses more than one tenth of its top four cereals produce to post-harvest losses (PHL) every year due to impediments along the entire value chain.

In 2014, the combined losses in rice, maize, millet and sorghum from the point of harvest to their retail/wholesale points at market centres were estimated ...

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]]> http://theb4fa.org/ghana-post-harvest-losses-in-cereals-us141m-lost-in-2018/feed/ 0 Innovative solutions and business opportunities for farmer organisations http://theb4fa.org/innovative-solutions-and-business-opportunities-for-farmer-organisations/ http://theb4fa.org/innovative-solutions-and-business-opportunities-for-farmer-organisations/#respond Fri, 06 Dec 2019 12:05:36 +0000 http://theb4fa.org/?p=18317 Technological innovations and advances in digital farming continue to evolve at a rapid pace, increasing efficiencies in farming operations globally. However, the adoption of these new technologies by small-scale farmers is still low due to poor data infrastructure and a lack of business partnerships, limiting farmer organisations from capitalising on ...

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]]> http://theb4fa.org/innovative-solutions-and-business-opportunities-for-farmer-organisations/feed/ 0 Soil erosion: lost livelihoods, lost incomes and lost food http://theb4fa.org/soil-erosion-lost-livelihoods-lost-incomes-and-lost-food/ http://theb4fa.org/soil-erosion-lost-livelihoods-lost-incomes-and-lost-food/#respond Fri, 06 Dec 2019 11:28:05 +0000 http://theb4fa.org/?p=18314 With more than 90 percent of the world’s food grown from soil, it’s a problem that impacts the health, incomes and livelihoods of billions of people on the planet.

Soil erosion – when the uppermost layer of soil is shifted or worn away – is a growing threat and one that has the potential ...

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]]> http://theb4fa.org/soil-erosion-lost-livelihoods-lost-incomes-and-lost-food/feed/ 0 Scaling out climate-smart agriculture in southern Africa http://theb4fa.org/scaling-out-climate-smart-agriculture-in-southern-africa/ http://theb4fa.org/scaling-out-climate-smart-agriculture-in-southern-africa/#respond Thu, 05 Dec 2019 18:13:22 +0000 http://theb4fa.org/?p=18310 The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change estimates that temperatures in Africa are set to rise significantly in coming years, with devastating results for farmers. Some regions could experience two droughts every five years, and see drastic reductions in maize yields over the next three decades.

Research demonstrates that climate-smart ...

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]]> http://theb4fa.org/scaling-out-climate-smart-agriculture-in-southern-africa/feed/ 0 GMOs have a place in African agriculture http://theb4fa.org/gmos-have-a-place-in-african-agriculture/ http://theb4fa.org/gmos-have-a-place-in-african-agriculture/#respond Wed, 04 Dec 2019 12:07:44 +0000 http://theb4fa.org/?p=18300 The founding director of West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) at the University of Ghana, has called on African governments to open the doors for the cultivation and use of genetically modified crops to address the food and nutrition insecurity challenges on the continent.

Professor Eric Danquah said the challenges ...

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]]> http://theb4fa.org/gmos-have-a-place-in-african-agriculture/feed/ 0 GM potato trials point to blight resistant crops of the future http://theb4fa.org/gm-potato-trials-point-to-blight-resistant-crops-of-the-future/ http://theb4fa.org/gm-potato-trials-point-to-blight-resistant-crops-of-the-future/#respond Wed, 04 Dec 2019 12:01:20 +0000 http://theb4fa.org/?p=18297 A genetically modified potato with improved tuber quality and resistance to the devastating disease late blight has progressed successfully through the latest stage of trials.

The field trials follow successful lab experiments to modify Maris Piper potatoes with late blight resistance genes from wild relatives of potato called Solanum americanum and Solanum venturii.

To improve ...

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]]> http://theb4fa.org/gm-potato-trials-point-to-blight-resistant-crops-of-the-future/feed/ 0 Smart irrigation controllers to see rapid growth in coming years http://theb4fa.org/smart-irrigation-controllers-to-see-rapid-growth-in-coming-years/ http://theb4fa.org/smart-irrigation-controllers-to-see-rapid-growth-in-coming-years/#respond Wed, 04 Dec 2019 11:56:45 +0000 http://theb4fa.org/?p=18294 Smart irrigation has been benefitted with the advent of Internet of Things (IoT), thus pushing the growth of smart irrigation controllers market at a global level, according to Persistence Market Researc.

In addition, apart from sprinkling management and management of watering schedules, several players are integrating various functionalities to make smart ...

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