DCECSI

Summary

To achieve present and future food and nutritional security, smallholder farms-the backbone of global food security- need to implement “agroecological intensification”. CSI-CC brings, on the first hand, eco-efficient technologies and environmentally friendly management options –e.g. rapid seed multiplication techniques, integrated seed management schemes, ecological pest and disease management strategies, partial root-zone drying complementary irrigation, etc.- as flagship technologies to be incorporated into the short term solutions proposed by the research and development strategic objectives (SO) . To guarantee the inclusion of these technologies, CSI-CC staff has contributed in the definition of the 6 institutional SO business plans. The Program also brings the expertise in upstream science with state-of the art tools and methods to develop the technology needed to face foreseen challenges. This includes, for instance:

The use of next-generation sequencing that has led to the identification of several new viruses and produced the sweetpotato ‘viromes’ of the first two countries for the African sweetpotato virome database (12 countries) and that will enable the utilization of this data to guide breeding/deployment of resistance, risk assessment and phytosanitary guidelines as well as design of low-cost and more efficient diagnostic tools;

Portable tools for in situ quality control of planting materials;

Climate change modeling to ex-ante assess direct – e.g. temperature and water stress- and indirect – e.g. pest and disease risks- impacts on yield and food security;

The use of integrative traits to rapidly assess the adaptability of mandate crops to a changing environment; and 5) the use of remote and proximal sensing for phenotyping, monitoring adaptation to stress situations, yield forecasting, and land use changes. The team also works in close collaboration with ARIs and NARIs that would facilitate the achievement of the goals.

Projects

rwerwerwer	Ref. Proj ID	Donor	AGREEMENT (T)
OCS Cost Center	Ref. Proj ID	Donor	AGREEMENT (T)
OCS Cost Center	Ref. Proj ID	Donor	AGREEMENT (T)
OCS Cost Center	Ref. Proj ID	Donor	AGREEMENT (T)