CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 10/14/24

Peanut IL adds project managers in Malawi

By Allison Floyd

The Feed the Future Innovation Lab is adding two new project managers to the team in Malawi.

Norah Titiya Machinjiri Kaula will focus on agronomy and tricot trials, while Wills Mbiriyawaka Munthali will focus on variety trials and seed production. They join Linda Chinangwa, who manages the lab’s social science work in the country.

Wills Mbiriyawaka Munthali

With a master’s degree in crop science (plant breeding) from the University of Malawi-Bunda College of Agriculture in 2004, Wills Munthali has worked for 20 years to develop and deploy improved varieties and cropping systems. In addition to disease resistance and yield improvements, his work focused on fighting aflatoxin contamination and helping famers become more productive to improve food and nutrition security in southern Africa, as well as increase their own incomes. Contact Wills Munthali. 

Norah Titiya Machinjiri Kaula

Kaula is an in-country manager for the Innovation Lab’s portfolio of agronomy projects in Malawi.

 A specialist in climate adaptation, she holds a master’s degree in Climate-Smart Agriculture from Haramaya University’s Africa Centre of Excellence for Climate-Smart Agriculture and Biodiversity Conservation, and a bachelor’s degree in education-science from the University of Malawi.

She has experience in research to improve productivity in crops important to food security, and in training extension woprkers and farmers in climate- smart production practices and integrated pest and disease management.

“My major career goal is to contribute towards the transformation of global agriculture and food systems so that agriculture becomes a rewarding venture for all value-chain actors and that sustainable food security is attained,” she said. “I am a self-driven individual passionate about seeing the achievement of sustainable global food and nutrition security.” Contact Norah Kaula.

Allison Floyd is the PR coordinator for the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Peanut, which is headquartered at UGA.

Authors:
Allison Floyd
Experts/Sources:
Dave Hoisington
Interns traveled from Madagascar to Senegal for an immersive three-month training. Velonarivo, Ranto Navalona Andriamialy, George Randriamampandry, and Nomeniavo Miantsom Rakotoarivony recently returned home with one of their mentors to put their knowledge to work. CAES News
In South-to-South training, Senegalese experts mentor Malagasy students 10/24/24 Allison Floyd
In an innovative South-to-South training program organized by the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Peanut, Senegalese experts welcomed Malagasy interns to their west African country this year for an immersive learning opportunity that covered topics from the basics of planning research trials to the most high-tech genetics analysis. Eight interns from Madagascar arrived in Senegal in July for training in designing, conducting and assessing breeding trials, specifically in sorghum and peanut.
The Peanut Innovation Lab has worked with Pyxus Agriculture, a private company in Malawi, to answer research questions that will help the company to build a formal peanut sector in the Southern Africa country. CAES News
Public-private partnership leverages research for development strength 10/23/24 Allison Floyd
The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Peanut and Pyxus Agriculture Limited (Pyxus) has made it official, inking an agreement that formalizes a partnership that pairs university and private sector research efforts to improve outcomes for farmers in Malawi. In a Memorandum of Understanding between the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and Pyxus, the partners express their mutual interest in performing and disseminating research.
Momodou Cham of The Gambia takes video of a peanut picker running through the field as part of the Georgia Peanut Tour. (Photo by Allison Floyd) CAES News
From Africa to Georgia: Visitors tour peanut value chain 09/24/24 Allison Floyd
Each year, the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Peanut brings partners from other countries to share in the three-day bus tour throughout the southern half of Georgia. This year, the lab hosted three dozen guests from Ghana, Senegal, The Gambia, Malawi, Uganda and Zambia for the three-day tour, as well as two additional days of visits to research sites, a food product innovation center, the U.S. peanut germplasm collection and meetings.
groundnuts CAES News
UGA supports African research network breeding climate-adapted peanuts 07/24/24 Allison Floyd
More than 4,000 miles separate the capital cities of Senegal in West Africa and Uganda in East Africa. Yet both countries grow peanuts and, like other countries across Africa, farmers there rely on peanuts as a food and cash crop. Five years ago, the researchers who help those farmers – plant breeders from Uganda, Senegal and seven other African countries – formed an organization called the Groundnut Improvement Network for Africa, or GINA, to develop peanut varieties that help African farmers deal with plant diseases and climate change.  
Veronica Guwela oversees biological science projects in Malawi. CAES News
Guwela oversees variety, production projects in Malawi 05/23/24 Allison Floyd
The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Peanut recently added two team members in Malawi to oversee projects there. While the Peanut Innovation Lab is headquartered at the University of Georgia and involves scientists from two dozen research insitutions in the U.S. and Africa, these Malawi-based team members are part of the management entity, overseeing day-to-day operations in a very hands-on way. Meet Veronica Guwela, project manager for bio-science research.
Linda Chinangwa is the Peanut Innovation Lab's project manager for social science research in Malawi. CAES News
Chinangwa heads up gender equity work in Malawi 05/23/24 Allison Floyd
The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Peanut recently added two team members in Malawi to oversee projects there. While the Peanut Innovation Lab is headquartered at the University of Georgia and involves scientists from two dozen research insitutions in the U.S. and Africa, these Malawi-based team members are part of the management entity, overseeing day-to-day operations in a very hands-on way. Meet Linda Chinangwa, project manager for social science research.