• CIAT Blog: Bean researchers in Ethiopia win highest accolade;
• Tropical legumes III: An exemplar of partnerships for pulses;
• Soybean Innovation Lab – Newsletter November 2016;
• Soya ni Pesa

Genome-Enabled Prediction Models for Yield Related Traits in Chickpea
M., Roorkiwal, A., Rathore, R.R., Das, R R, M.K., Singh, A., Jain, S., Srinivasan, P.M., Gaur, B., Chellapilla, S., Tripathi, Y., Li, J.M., Hickey, A., Lorenz, T., Sutton, J., Crossa, J.L. Jannink and R.K., Varshney. (2016). Frontiers in Plant Science, 7 (1666). 01-13. ISSN 1664-462X

Under most circumstances, ‘Tier 1’ refers to the most important or the highest priority. In the N2Africa project, Tier 1 countries are those countries in which we started the project in 2009. During the second phase of the project these countries are no longer priority countries, as the project focuses on five ‘Core Countries’.

Introduction
Rwanda was among the first countries where N2Africa activities started, early at the beginning of the project. Already in February 2010, the first hundred farmers were testing the soyabean technology called “need to inoculate”. Each farmer was hosting four plots, with two plots inoculated and two plots not inoculated. The results confirmed the need to inoculate soyabean. From then, N2Africa dissemination packages of soyabean included inoculants.

Almost all crop types in Malawi suffered in what is seen as one of the worst crop performances of the last 13 years. Aftermaths of El Niño have left a good part of Malawian farmers more destitute, impoverished and worried. Despite the hard times in this planting season, those farmers who planted legume crops have some refuge and have stories to share.

Background

Summary

WeRATE held a Clearinghouse planning meeting from 5 to 7 September attended by 30 participants drawn from 26 dues paying members, mostly farmer associations (see photo). During the meeting, BNF technologies were discussed and distributed to members, along with the field protocols to test them. These technologies include BioFix and NoduMax inoculants, rust-resistant soyabean (e.g. SC Squire), specialized fertilizer blends with and without starter N and use of Dual Gold pre-emergent fertilizer (Picture 1).