CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 06/29/18

Peanut breeders gather in Uganda to kick off Innovation Lab projects

By Allison Floyd

Collaborators in two of the Peanut Innovation Lab’s first projects met this month in Uganda to kick off work to strengthen a promising coalition of peanut breeders working together across the continent. The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Peanut is a research program funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development and managed by the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

The two commissioned projects are headed by David Kalule Okello, who leads Uganda’s peanut breeding program.

“We got to know each other better," Okello said.

"The two commissioned projects – one on Breeding Management Software adoption (in Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia) and the other on breeding needs assessment and seed production (in Ghana, Senegal, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and Uganda) brought us even closer and helped address the early-generation seed deficit common in our countries. The identified traits of interests will direct future investments in Peanut Improvement Value chain in Africa.”

The group agreed on traits of interest to focus the breeding activities on, determined areas needing investment in their respective breeding programs, discussed details surrounding the proposed Pan African peanut variety trials (regional trials), and indicated their willingness to contribute germplasm to the African core peanut subset representing the diversity of peanuts in Africa.

While the scientists are working together on the commissioned projects, most are also part of projects proposed in competitive bids to the Peanut Innovation Lab.

“We discussed these concepts in detail and hopefully made the full proposal development a lot easier. We all pledged to work on joint proposals in the future,” Okello said.  

Innovation Lab Director Dave Hoisington and Assistant Director Jamie Rhoads attending the meeting, working to coordinate the projects with the interests and requirements of the Peanut Innovation Lab.

“On behalf of Uganda and my own breeding program, I was thrilled to host these guys who now I call friends," Okello said. "I am sure we will keep this bond and move forward together to improve peanuts for farmers in Africa.”

 

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
After a hearty climb, Connect Abroad Italy students pose in front of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. (Photo by Angel Bhardwaj) CAES News
UGA ranks as leading doctoral institution for study abroad 12/20/24 Angel Bhardwaj
The University of Georgia remains among the top 10 U.S. universities for study abroad participation, according to the 2024 Open Doors Report released by the Institute of International Education in partnership with the U.S. Department of State. UGA boasts the highest study abroad participation to enrollment ratio of the top 7 ranked doctoral institutions, earning the No. 7 spot in overall participation and No. 3 in short-term study abroad programs.
From left, CAES Associate Professor Abigail Borron and Fulbright Romanian-American Foundation Scholars Mihai Suteu, Daniyar Memedemin, Alina Zaharia, Andreea Ona and Daniel Chiciudean stand in front of an image of the Romanian flag projected onto a barn at UGArden. CAES News
Fulbright Scholars unite with UGA Extension to envision ag outreach model in Romania 12/18/24 Maria M. Lameiras
Arriving on the Athens campus of the University of Georgia in August 2023, five Romanian scholars experienced the same anticipation, excitement and apprehension as many first-year students.  Chosen as Fulbright Romanian-American Foundation Scholars, each serves on the faculty at one of three Romanian universities, specializing in fields from economics and engineering to plant breeding and biotechnology. The five scholars comprised the first cohort of the Romanian Extension Education Development Program, an ambitious three-year pilot effort to facilitate planning and implementation of extension services in Romania. 
Placing in the top 0.05% of all scholars worldwide, Casimir Akoh earned the honor through his work's high impact, his prolific publication record and the outstanding quality of his academic contributions. CAES News
CAES food scientist named inaugural Highly Ranked Scholar by ScholarGPS 12/09/24
With over 30 years of research at the University of Georgia, renowned College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences food scientist Casimir Akoh was named an inaugural Highly Ranked Scholar by ScholarGPS earlier this year. Placing in the top 0.05% of all scholars worldwide, Akoh earned the honor through his work's high impact, his prolific publication record and the outstanding quality of his academic contributions.
At the 2024 Georgia Life Sciences Summit held Oct. 21-22 in Atlanta, Professor Quingguo “Jack” Huang of the College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences received the Golden Helix Innovation Award for his research in technologies to mitigate “forever chemicals” in water resources. (Photo by Andrew Davis Tucker) CAES News
Nothing lasts forever: CAES professor finds solutions to break down ‘forever chemicals’ 12/05/24 Carson McAfee
University of Georgia Professor Qingguo “Jack” Huang always wanted to do one thing: solve problems. Growing up in a small city in central China, Huang’s favorite subject in elementary school was math, granting him the opportunity to work on many problems. In high school, his passion transitioned to science, where he learned he could feed those same interests in a way that benefited others. He was finishing high school in the 1980s when Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring made its way to Chinese newspapers, capturing Huang’s attention.
Kelvin Awori and Brooke Stefancik, UGA graduate students, attended the 2024 Borlaug Dialogue, a global agriculture conference, through the CAES World Food Prize Travel Award. Todd Applegate, Assistant Dean for International Programs, accompanied the student on the trip. CAES News
CAES students gain global insights at 2024 Borlaug Dialogue 11/11/24 Claire S. Kinnard
Every October, top leaders in food security and agriculture come together for the Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue, the premier conference on global agriculture. Attendees participate in sessions covering the current state of agriculture around the world, new technologies being deployed in the field, and projects in the works to ensure a safe and sustainable global food supply.
As a University of Georgia Cooperative Extension specialist in the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Bob Kemerait is well known for his devotion to the agricultural community of Georgia. He is also known for his international work with colleagues and small-scale farmers around the world. Recently, Kemerait took a team from UGA Extension to the Philippines, where he serves as a Fulbright specialist and works with the faculty at Mariano Marcos State University and farmers in the northern Philippines to improve disease management and other production practices. CAES News
UGA plant pathologist works to improve crop management and empower farmers across the globe 11/05/24 Robert C Kemerait Jr
As a University of Georgia Cooperative Extension specialist in the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Bob Kemerait is well known for his devotion to the agricultural community of Georgia. He is also known for his international work with colleagues and small-scale farmers around the world. Recently, Kemerait took a team from UGA Extension to the Philippines, where he serves as a Fulbright specialist.