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
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.
Norah Kaula (left0 and Wills Munthali recently joined the Peanut IL management team, overseeing biological research in Malawi. CAES News
Peanut IL adds project managers in Malawi 10/14/24 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.
Krysta Harden CAES News
D.W. Brooks lecturer brings policy expertise to address future of agriculture 10/03/24 Claire Sanders Kinnard
Krysta Harden, former United States Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and current president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council, will be the speaker for the 2024 D.W. Brooks Lecture and Awards, an annual event hosted by the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. From her parents’ farm in Camilla, Georgia, all the way to Capitol Hill, Harden has been a strong advocate for agriculture.
Caroline Hinton is the director of experiential learning for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. (Photo by Peter Frey/UGA) CAES News
Director of experiential learning herds students toward new fields of education 10/02/24 Averi Caldwell
Caroline Hinton wants to foster a love of learning for all students who walk through her door. As the director of experiential learning for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Hinton helps students connect with their fields of study outside of the classroom. “I find joy and excitement in getting to watch students experience different parts of agriculture and find a place in our state’s own agriculture industry,” she said.
Arch CAES News
Nine straight years as top 20 university 09/25/24 Savannah Peat
The University of Georgia climbed two spots to No. 18 in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 ranking of the best public universities in the nation. This marks the ninth consecutive year that UGA has placed in the top 20. UGA shares the No. 18 rank with Purdue University and the University of Washington. “The University of Georgia has consistently strengthened its standing among the best public universities in the nation, and I am pleased to see this recognized for nine years in a row by U.S. News & World Report,” said President Jere W. Morehead.