Georgina Smith

May 1, 2024 | alliancebioversityciat.org | Georgina Smith

Just before the sun sets, Anne Wangari wades through thick bunches of spinach on her plot. Nestled among the sloping hills surrounded by coffee fields in Embu County, this bumper harvest is a surprise to her. Previously, “I was planting crops in vain,” she explained. “They started withering and I didn’t understand what the problem was.”  Then, she was visited by experts from The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT and the Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO).

Feb 20, 2024 | en.krishakjagat.org | Georgina Smith

By Georgina Smith 21 February 2024, Nigeria: With a pair of tweezers, Mary Aditiku picks up a tiny okra seed, turns it over, and puts it back in place. Her hand is steady; her movements are precise. She repeats this action dozens of times, moving quickly across the plastic dish, where the seeds are resting on tissue paper. Mary is carrying out viability testing. “A viability test is paramount in genebanks,” she explains.

Feb 20, 2024 | croptrust.org | Georgina Smith

With a pair of tweezers, Mary Aditiku picks up a tiny okra seed, turns it over, and puts it back in place. Her hand is steady; her movements are precise. She repeats this action dozens of times, moving quickly across the plastic dish, where the seeds are resting on tissue paper. Mary is carrying out viability testing. “A viability test is paramount in genebanks,” she explains. Periodic testing helps scientists assess the quality of seeds stored in the genebank ­– their health and vigor.

Feb 7, 2024 | alliancebioversityciat.org | Georgina Smith

On World Pulses Day, learn how climate smart bean breeding is being achieved in Tanzania through a combination of cutting-edge and low-tech innovation. By: Georgina Smith Heat bounces off the rocks as Bakari Hamisi Sumawe leads the way to his bean field. It is not a short walk. Navigating steep rock inclines and thick forest pathways, it takes around an hour to reach his plot.  “Why did we farm in a valley?” he reflects. “Because there’s a reliable supply of water for irrigation.

Sep 5, 2023 | alliancebioversityciat.org | Georgina Smith

On Thursday September 7th at the 13thAGRF Africa Food Systems Summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the Pan-Africa Research Alliance Africa Food Prize win was announced.  By: Georgina Smith  From rural mountain hillsides to bustling urban markets, beans are grown, traded and eaten as a staple food crop across Africa. They are a primary source of protein for almost half a billion people daily.    These tiny but mighty beans have different superpowers.