Agrobiodiversity
The Quesungual Agroforestry System Takes Root in Nicaragua
Farmers in the Dry Corridor of Central America are using the Quesungual agroforestry system to maintain or increase their maize and bean yields, while improving ecosystem services and resilience.
CIAT-Cirad-Embrapa rice researchers meet in Goiania to strengthen collaboration
On March 20th to 22nd, a meeting was held at Embrapa Rice and Beans Research Center (CNPAF) in Goiania, Brazil, to strengthen the rice breeding alliance among CIAT, Cirad and Embrapa.
Carlos Jara, a Chilean with a CIAT passport and nationality
Now, Jarita, as he is known by his friends and colleagues, is retiring from the Center after working in the Bean Program and specifically in the Pathology Laboratory, where one of his greatest achievements was defining the differential kinds of angular leaf spot disease, which served to identify resistance genes for the creation of improved bean varieties.
Hans Rosling, an intellectual beacon who also illuminated CIAT
The spotlight of fame shone on Dr. Rosling in 2006, when he presented his first, and legendary TED Talk titled, “The best stats you’ve ever seen,” where, through analytical data, he questions the myths around developing countries. But Rosling was already recognized in the scientific world much earlier for his studies of cassava toxicity and food security in Africa. This brought him to CIAT in the early 1990s.
Tropical grasses: feed and plumber
The pastures that cattle graze also act as their “toilets”. This is because, as cattle eat grass, they periodically urinate and, therefore, randomly deposit urine on the soil surface. Once in the soil, the deposited urine results in the creation of patches that are generally characterized by high concentrations of nitrogen.
The world without beans: opinion piece
Opinion piece: Dr. Robin Buruchara, Director of the Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance (PABRA).
Rao, the eternal legacy of a scientist-mentor
Madhusudana Idupulapati Rao, or simply Rao, as he is affectionately known to friends and colleagues, has shown many people that the work accomplished as a team is more valuable than what one achieves individually.
Cassava: Subsistence Crop or Trendy Commodity?
When many people hear the word cassava, they immediately think of a subsistence crop. Is this really the case? It depends on who you ask.
Four unexplored big wins in agriculture: tackling climate change through landscape restoration
Four solutions lie in how we farm our food and treat our landscapes: this session aims to throw light on some of the tools that can tackle climate change head-on. During this session, we called on the audience at the Global Landscape Forum, an event at the 22nd...
The Cassava Genome Hub: Terabytes of tuberous tropical root research set to revolutionize big data for agriculture
When it comes to cassava, we are in the midst of a genomic revolution that is producing enormous amounts of information. CIAT’s goal is to develop the tools and skills needed to analyze all this data, and in turn accelerate and enhance the impact of international agricultural research.
About agrobiodiversity research at CIAT
CIAT develops more resilient and productive varieties of cassava and common bean, together with tropical forages for livestock. We also help improve rice production in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The superior crop varieties that result from our collaborative work offer many valuable traits, such as high yield and stress tolerance, which are vital for guaranteeing global food supplies in the face of rapidly rising demand, shifting disease and insect pressures, rampant environmental degradation, and the looming threat of climate change.
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This CIAT Blog was launched in January 2016. For articles related to agrobiodiversity prior to this date, visit our former blog. Please note the old AgBio blog is no longer updated.