Congratulations Zamalotshwa Thungo for her article in Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B — Soil & Plant Science, examining the genetic relationship among selected heat & drought-tolerant bread wheat genotypes. tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.10…

#FoodHeroes Improving beta-Carotene content in sweetpotato is an important measure to alleviate Vitamin A deficiency in Africa. Dr Martin Chiona has developed five sweetpotato varieties with this trait in Zambia, of which four have been commercialised. #plantbreeding

Congratulations Tigist G. Shiferaw for her article published in Australian Journal of Crop Science, examining participatory variety selection of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) genotypes in bean-producing areas of Ethiopia. bit.ly/2O51Kv2

Congratulations Boluwatife M. Olaolorun for her article published in Cereal Research Communications, looking at morphological variations of wheat under variable ethyl methanesulphonate mutagenesis. bit.ly/3rVWeZm

Congratulations Sonia Naidoo for her article published in South African Journal of Plant and Soil, looking at morpho-agronomical characterisation of local and international #sweetpotato germplasm from the South African collection. doi.org/10.1080/025718…

Congratulations Chapwa Kasoma for her article published in Crop Protection. It investigated screening of inbred lines of tropical maize resistance to fall armyworm, and for yield and yield-related traits. doi.org/10.1016/j.crop… #plantbreeding #fallarmyworm #maize

#FoodHeroes Dr Tenyson Mzengeza is the manager and a #plantbreeder at Lifuwu Rice Research Station in Malawi. He also co-ordinates the National Cereal Crops Research Programme and he has released three varieties of rice in Malawi.

Congratulations Esnart Nyirenda Yohane, seen right with supervisor Prof Hussein Shimelis, for her article published in Agronomy. Title: Phenotypic divergence analysis in pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millspaugh] germplasm accessions. Agronomy. DOI: 10.3390/agronomy10111682

We are very proud of our graduate, Dr Batiseba Tembo from Zambia, who has won a 2021 Women in Triticum award from the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative (BGRI), honouring wheat scientists working to protect #foodsecurity around the world. Borlaug Global Rust Initiative @AGRAAlliance

Staff & students gathered on Zoom to celebrate the graduation of eight of our PhD students today. They are: Dr Wilson Nkhata, Dr Esnart Nyirenda Yohane, Dr Boluwatife OlaOlorun, Dr Nelia Nkhoma Phiri, Dr Happy Daudi, Dr William Suvi, Dr Chapwa Kasoma & Dr Yared Semahhegn Belete.

Autumn graduation Dr Wilson Nkhata, Malawi PhD Thesis Title: Pre-Breeding of Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) for Bean Fly (Ophiomyia spp) Resistance

Autumn graduation Dr Happy Makuru Daudi, Tanzania PhD Thesis Title: Breeding Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) for Rust Resistance in Tanzania Read more: bit.ly/3wyH9zS

Autumn graduation Yared Semahegn Belete, Ethiopia PhD Thesis Title: Breeding Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) for Drought Tolerance in Ethiopia Read more: bit.ly/3bT5cl8 @AGRAAlliance

Autumn graduation Chapwa Kasoma, Zambia PhD Thesis Title: Breeding Maize for Tolerance to the Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), Improved Yield and Yield-related Traits Read more: bit.ly/37nUYrj @AGRAAlliance

Autumn graduation William Titus Suvi, Tanzania PhD Thesis Title: Breeding for Resistance to Rice Yellow Mottle Virus and Improved Yield in Rice in Tanzania Read more: bit.ly/3ul4bsg @AGRAAlliance

Autumn graduation Nelia Nkhoma Phiri, Zambi PhD Thesis Title: Genetic Improvement of Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] for Grain Yield and Yield Components in Zambia Read more: bit.ly/3ud1Dhf @AGRAAlliance

Autumn graduation Boluwatife Modupeoluwa Olaolorun, Nigeria PhD Thesis Title: Breeding Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) for Drought Tolerance, Improved Yield and Biomass Allocation through Chemical Mutagenesis Read more: bit.ly/34gr8C

Autumn graduation Esnart Nyirenda Yohane, Malawi PhD Thesis Title: Breeding for Early Maturity and Resistance to Fusarium Wilt (Fusarium udum Butler) in Pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millspaugh] Read more: bit.ly/3bNDHtd @AGRAAlliance

Congratulations Boluwatife OlaOlorun for her article published in Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science. The article examined variability and selection among mutant families of wheat for biomass allocation, yield and yield-related traits. doi.org/10.1111/jac.12…

At least 75 people from around the world attended the first in a series of webinars yesterday, run by the African Centre for Crop Improvement and the international Demand-led Breeding group. The series aims to create dialogue to strengthen plant breeding in southern Africa.