By Denise Attaway
Clemson University scientists are partnering with Nigerian scientists to develop affordable technologies that could help growers combat devastating crop diseases, improve food security and strengthen agricultural production in the U.S. and Africa.
During a recent visit to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) headquarters in Ibadan, Nigeria, Clemson scientists and their Nigerian collaborators officially launched the Gates Foundation-funded three-year Banana Vegetative Starts project.
Led by Clemson horticulture professor Jeffrey Adelberg, the initiative will develop hydroponic propagation systems that enable the large-scale production of clean, disease-free banana planting material using affordable, locally available resources.
Hydroponic propagation is the process of growing plants in a nutrient-rich liquid solution rather than in soil.
“By combining Clemson’s expertise in controlled-environment agriculture with IITA’s leadership in banana breeding and African seed systems, we’re developing practical technologies to help farmers replace diseased crops faster, lower production costs and strengthen food security where it’s needed most,” said Jagger Harvey, director of Clemson Global Research Initiatives.
IITA is one of the research centers in the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), a global agricultural research partnership.
Source : clemson.edu