IITA seed system aims to strengthen the production, multiplication, certification, and distribution of quality seeds for cassava, banana, plantain, and yam. Existing technologies include improved varieties, EGS models, tissue culture propagation, SAH systems, and disease-resistant and nutrient-dense crop varieties.
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An economically sustainable integrated cassava seed system! The cassava seed sector has long been dominated by informal practices—non-certified stem reuse, low yields, and high disease prevalence. The BASICS model addresses this by creating a viable commercial seed system for cassava, opening up investment and revenue streams in seed production, distribution, diagnostics, and digital tools. The model has been tested and refined in Nigeria with strong market demand and regulatory support, providing a scalable framework for agribusiness expansion in cassava-producing countries.
Breeder & Foundation Cassava Seeds—Always Within Reach This technology enables seed companies and certified producers to multiply and supply breeder and foundation cassava seeds directly from research centers. It follows national seed certification standards, uses both in-house and outgrower schemes, and ensures that farmers and seed entrepreneurs get access to clean, high-quality planting material. Registration with seed authorities and proper field inspection are required for participation.
Quality cassava cuttings close to the fields African farmers commonly use cassava stem cuttings for planting due to their accessibility and ability to cover large areas. However, distributing these cuttings poses challenges, as they lose viability during storage, leading to increased transportation costs. This limitation affects the supply of disease-resistant cassava planting material, particularly in remote areas with poor road connectivity. Seed-bulking farms, scattered across communities, offer a solution by multiplying planting materials closer to fields, reducing production and transport costs, and reducing reliance on limited-coverage seed companies. These farms accelerate the spread of improved cassava varieties, providing pest and disease-free planting materials and fostering community-based enterprise development, ultimately improving the income and productivity of farmers and processors.
Enhancing cassava yields and quality for greater food security in Africa. Improved cassava roots with higher dry matter and starch content are crucial for farmers. These qualities determine how cassava can be used, whether for making flour, chips, or industrial materials. In Sub-Saharan Africa, cassava crops often have low levels of these important traits due to limited accessible varieties. Enhancing root quality is a significant opportunity for the future, benefiting both food security and the agri-food industry. Breeding cassava for these traits is essential to meet local and regional market demands. This leads to higher economic yields for farmers, providing more food and income from the same area of land.
Disease-Resistant Cassava Cuttings for Higher Yields Disease resistant cassava varieties plays a critical role in overcoming the challenges faced by cassava farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. Cassava, a vital food crop in the region, is frequently plagued by devastating viral diseases, such as cassava mosaic disease and cassava brown streak disease, which harm the leaves, reduce photosynthesis, and result in significant yield losses, sometimes leading to complete crop failure. In essence, disease resistant cassava varieties are instrumental in safeguarding cassava production, ensuring food security, and improving the livelihoods of farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. These varieties represent a sustainable and efficient approach to combat viral infections that threaten cassava crops, making them a vital technology for the region.
Yellow-fleshed cassava rich in vitamin A Low level of vitamin and mineral in the common varieties of cassava grown by farmers leads to widespread malnutrition and hidden hunger, and numerable desease in the African continent. Therefore, it comes to raise the provitamin A in the conventional cassava throught breeding technics by parking the Golden cassava’s roots with beta-carotenoid for the color caracteristic, these to be convert after ingestion into vitamin A by enzymes as per the need in the body.
Improved cassava varieties crucial for enhancing food security, increasing farmer incomes, and reducing poverty in Africa. The technology is a market-driven cassava breeding system that develops improved varieties based on market needs, such as for fresh consumption, processing, or biofortification. It involves stakeholder input, standard breeding methods, and regulatory collaboration for variety release. Adoption is promoted through trials, launch events, and media campaigns, aligning breeding with market demand to boost cassava productivity and value chain performance.
Better Plantain Varieties for Thriving Farmers Plantain is a crucial staple in Central and West Africa, ranking third after yam and cassava. However, its production faces significant challenges, particularly from black leaf streak disease, weevils, and nematodes. These factors lead to substantial yield losses. Population growth further strains resources, affecting soil fertility. The development of disease-resistant hybrids is a pivotal response to these challenges. These improved plantain varieties not only offer heightened resistance but also focus on high productivity, drought resilience, and preferred cooking traits.
A rapid quality plantlets delivery technology for banana In-Vitro Tissue Culture Propagation involves laboratory-based propagation of disease-free banana and plantain through tissue culture. It allows for the rapid production of uniform and disease-free plantlets, aiding in faster recovery from disease outbreaks and extreme weather conditions.
long lasting banana nicknamed 'kiwangazi' by farmers. The KABANA 6H/NARITA7 is a high-yielding banana hybrid developed by IITA and NARO. It’s known for its tolerance to diseases like black Sigatoka and pests like weevils and nematodes, which increases the longevity of banana plantations. With a real-life yield of 57.7 kg per bunch and a potential yield of 60 tons/ha/year, it offers significant economic return. This variety was introduced to combat the decreased lifespan and yield decline in Uganda’s banana plantations.
Propagate Success with Clean Suckers The macro-propagation technique of "Propagation of Disease-Cleaned Suckers" addresses the challenge of contaminated planting materials in African banana and plantain farming. It involves using field and bed-based techniques to produce large quantities of disease- and pest-free seedlings at affordable prices. The technology is crucial for enhancing productivity, increasing farmers' income, and sustaining banana and plantain production.
A rapid quality seed delivery technology for cassava Semi Autotrophic Hydroponics (SAH) is a groundbreaking technology transforming cassava planting. It addresses the slow propagation of improved varieties and contamination issues in traditional methods. SAH enables rapid access to high-quality, disease-free cassava planting materials, benefiting all farmers. This system involves trays with modified soil, plant roots, and minimal water, creating an ideal environment for healthy root growth. With low infrastructure costs, SAH is easily implementable in dispersed farming communities. It significantly reduces production costs and increases yields, making it a game-changer for cassava farming in Africa.
Multiplying Seeds, Securing Harvests, Ensuring Food Security! Semi-Autotrophic Hydroponics (SAH) is an innovative, cost-effective technology for rapidly multiplying yam planting materials. By using leaf nodal cuttings in a controlled environment, SAH enables year-round production of high-quality yam seedlings and tubers. This method significantly reduces seed costs, increases productivity, and ensures a reliable seed supply for commercial seed companies, farmers, and breeders. Scaling up this technology will address seed shortages and improve food security.
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