CABI Blogs: hand picked... and carefully sorted

We're moving!

We’re moving!

After almost 12 years, the CABI blog is migrating to a new platform and a new URL: https://blog.cabi.org/ Our new blog will be built on WordPress, which means it’ll look better and load faster on mobile devices and feature better social media integration. The commenting system is also more robust, and the CABI blog is now better integrated with CABI’s other blogs (on Plantwise and Invasives).

 

If you currently subscribe to the blog via RSS or email you will no longer receive updates. To keep receiving alerts whenever we post a new article, please visit https://blog.cabi.org/ and re-subscribe. Don’t worry about losing your favourite article from the last 12 years – all of our archives have been migrated as well.

 

We look forward to sharing stories about our online resources, publishing products and our work in international development in our new home!

Building a climate-smart value chain: The role of research, development and technology

This is the second of a two-part blog series following my visit to Africa supported by CABI’s development bursary

The first blog in this series described the Africa Cassava Agronomy Initiative (ACAI) and how it aims to improve cassava agronomy to increase production and productivity, as well as how ACAI partnerships could build a climate-smart cassava value chain. This second blog is about the role research, development and technology in building the resilience of the cassava value chain. It talks about how agricultural diversification can help farmers and other cassava value chain actors adapt to the uncertainties of climate change through intercropping and sustainably intensifying cassava production.

Extension staff knowledge enhanced on ISFM practices and innovative fertilizer use

The increasing negative impact of climate change on agricultural production has led to food insecurity in many rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa. Unpredictable rainfall patterns coupled with wide spread pest and disease infestation and high input prices are some limitations smallholder farmers face in producing food. As a result, they are unable to produce at optimal levels and do not earn enough profits for their efforts. Despite advances in crop breeding which has brought about drought tolerant varieties, these new varieties still require good management that encompass of the application of Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) practices and fertilizer use.