ICRISAT: Eastern and Southern Africa (2009 Highlights)

It is unarguable that the world has changed in significant ways as a result of advances in science and technology. How we do business today is very different from that of twenty or even ten years ago. This is also true for farmers in Eastern and Southern Africa, who have had to adapt to new challenges and respond quickly to new opportunities as they present themselves. The 2009 Annual Report for Eastern and Southern Africa portrays one such entrepreneurial farmer in Kenya who has evolved with the times and found a recipe for success through the use of improved varieties of pigeonpea she obtained from ICRISAT. Seed isn’t a new technology but it is one of the factors most limiting farmers’ advancement in Eastern and Southern Africa. This report describes work at the molecular level that will help ensure the purity of certified seed of groundnut and pigeonpea. It also captures the early steps to kick-start the seed industry in Zimbabwe by increasing the availability of foundation seed and the efficacy of relief programs operating in the country. GIS and remote sensing have changed how we view the world and increased our ability to monitor changes over time. The final story on land degradation showcases the type of research that is needed to secure one the most basic and fundamental farming requirements – land. This report describes not just the impacts of our work but also the technologies and the processes involved in agricultural research. We hop