| N2Africa Newsletter named the N2Africa Podcaster |
In the last issue we announced a competition to name the N2Africa newsletter. We had more than 20 responses, but with some excellent suggestions. After careful deliberation we congratulate Professor Barbara Maasdorp, Department of Crop Science, University of Zimbabwe, for the inspiring name and we duly christen the newsletter "N2Africa Podcaster" |
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| “Black medicine” in West Africa |
 | Thanks to all partners that hosted the N2Africa team during the late September/October field trip to Ghana and Nigeria. Impressions from this trip, what was learned and what to focus on. |
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| Training: advancing Technical Skills in Rhizobiology and MSc and PhD Fellowships |
Advanced technical skills in rhizobiology: an impression from the training course held in Nairobi last September MSc and PhD Fellowships: eleven students from five countries now receive N2Africa MSc and PhD fellowships |  |
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| EMBRAPA, Brazil to support N2Africa |
 | In May 2010, Ken Giller and Dr Mariangela Hungria, of EMBRAPA-Soja and member of the N2Africa Steering Committee travelled to Brasilia where they met with Dr Pedro Arraes Pereira, the President of EMBRAPA, to agree on collaboration between EMBRAPA and N2Africa. |
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| Rust resistant varieties of soyabean bred by Seed Co in Zimbabwe |
The most recent released and pre-release varieties of soyabean bred by Seed Co show very good rust tolerance that results in no yield loss!! |  |
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| Training of Trainers in Zimbabwe |
 | Two trainers, Joram Tapfuma and Tarwireyi Kahiya, trained a total of 240 lead-farmers and agricultural extension workers from the government and participating NGOs in eight districts in Zimbabwe. |
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| Farmer to farmer learning |
 | An example of the farmer to farmer learning and follow up at Butare village - Western Kenya |
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| Training of Trainers in Malawi |
| In Malawi 110 Lead Farmers and Agricultural extension Development officers from 5 of the 6 implementing districts were trained. Motivation was high and the project triggered much enthusiasm. |  |
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| Detailed farm analyses for ex-ante impact assessment of N2Africa technologies have started |
Detailed farm analyses for ex-ante impact assessment of N2Africa technologies have started. That Legumes have great potential to improve soil fertility, productivity and resilience of African arable farming is very well known to people working with legumes. Understanding how to further improve effectiveness under the highly variable conditions will be supported by the ex-ante impact analyses of N2Africa technologies initiated by the N2Africa team. |
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| Sad News |
We are sad to pass on the news that Herman Potgieter of Soygro (Pty) Ltd, Potchefstroom, South Africa passed away in a car accident on 1st of September. We have lost a key colleague who was committed to the promotion of rhizobial inoculants in Africa. Our heartfelt condolences go to all of his family and friends. |
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| N2Africa featured in New Agriculturalist |
In the latest issue of the New Agriculturalist which has a special focus on soils there is a feature highlighting N2Africa. See: Helping legumes become Africa's nitrogen factories |
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| Advanced Course on Nitrogen Fixation held together with Wageningen University Graduate Schools |
A PhD-level course entitled "The The legume-rhizobium symbiosis: From molecules to farmers’ fields" was held in Wageningen, The Netherlands, 18 - 22 October 2010. The course, organized by Wageningen University Graduate Schools, Production Ecology & Resource Conservation and Experimental Plant Sciences, was attended by 25 PhD students and postgraduate researchers, including most of the N2Africa core staff and two colleagues from the SIMLESA (Sustainable Intensification Of Maize-Legume Cropping Systems For Food Security In Eastern And Southern Africa) project. |
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