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Given that the project was coming to an end on 31st January 2020 and that most of the R&D projects had been completed and research outputs were generated, an end of project conference was held in order to facilitate the sharing of research outputs with a broader group of APPSA stakeholders.

The Book of Abstracts is one of the main outcomes of the Scientific Conference and serves as one of the channels for dissemination of the research outcomes for APPSA.

Maize is a major staple food for millions of households in Sub-Saharan Africa. The emergence and prevalence of Maize Lethal Necrosis Disease (MLND) in endemic countries in east Africa among others, threathens the food security and commercial seed trade in the Siouthern African Region.

According to the 2017 Nutrition in WHO African Region report, the prevalence of malnutrition in Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia is very high, and this has been attributed in part to limited dietary diversity. Biofortification represents the most cost effective and sustainable intervention to address micronutrient deficiency malnutrition in Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia compared to commercial fortification and nutrient supplements.

This book documents a decade of research, methodological innovation, and lessons learned in an eco-regional research-for-development program operating in the eastern African highlands, the African Highlands Initiative (AHI). It does this through reflections of the protagonists themselves—AHI site teams and partners applying action research to develop innovation as a means to enhance the impact of their research. This book summarizes the experiences of farmers, research and development workers, policy and decision-makers who have interacted within an innovation system with the common goal of implementing an integrated approach to natural resource management (NRM) in the humid highlands. This book demonstrates the crucial importance of “approach” in shaping the outcomes of research and development and distils lessons learned on what works, where and why. It is enriched with examples and case studies from five benchmark sites in Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, whose variability provides the reader with an in-depth knowledge of the complexities of integrated NRM in agro-ecosystems that play an important role in the rural economy of the region. It is shown that the struggle to achieve sustainable agricultural development in challenging environments is a complex one, and can only be effectively achieved through combined efforts and commitment of individuals and institutions with complementary roles.
 

Critical farming and household decisions depend upon the weather, for example, the amount of rain that falls, the length and start date of the rainfall season, the timing of dry spells, and the timing of temperature extremes. Such aspects of the weather vary considerably from year-to-year. PICSA is an approach that aims to help farmers address this challenge and has been used in more than 20 countries across three continents.

PICSA places farmers at the centre of its approach, and helps them to address the above challenges through integrating:

1. Communication of historical climate information, as well as seasonal and short term forecasts, in a way that is relevant and useful for farmers.
2. Exploring crop, livestock and livelihood options available to farmers that may help them deal with climate and weather-related challenges.
3. Using participatory decision-making tools that assist farmers to make informed decisions when planning their activities.

The ELD Initiative; Problem dimension – Land degradation vs. sustainable land management; Natural capital and ecosystem services valuation – the rationale behind; Steps of an ELD study; Communication, outreach and policy impact; Identification and selection of ecosystem services; Evaluation of ecosystem services; Cost-benefit analysis

The Economics of Land Degradation (ELD) Initiative aims to create awareness about the costs of land degradation and the benefits of sustainable land management (SLM).

ELD Campus provides high-level training and capacity improvement for policymakers, scientists and academics who want to contribute to the prevention of land degradation across the world. It is available in French and English.

There are 9 thematic modules that cover the following topics:

1. The ELD Initiative
2. Problem dimension – Land degradation vs. sustainable land management
3. Natural capital and ecosystem services valuation – the rationale behind
4. Steps of an ELD study
5. Communication, outreach and policy impact
6. Identification and selection of ecosystem services
7. Evaluation of ecosystem services
8. Cost-benefit analysis

Besides lectures, scripts and exercises, there are also quizzes to test your knowledge afterwards. Moreover the modules include helpful links and further reading materials.

This article summarizes the findings of a research paper entitled “Problems Faced and Strategies Adopted by Farmers for Adapting to Climate Change in Xai-Xai District, Gaza Province” undertaken by researcher  from the Agricultural Research Institute of Mozambique (IIAM) under a project called "Managing Climate Related Risk to Improve Livelihood Resilience and Adaptive Capacity in Agricultural Ecosystems in Southern Africa", for the districts of Xai-Xai and Chicualacuala, Gaza province, Mozambique. 

A diagnostic survey was conducted in July 2017 in two northern districts of Zambia to investigate presence or absence of cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) and its causal viruses. In total, 29 cassava fields were surveyed and cassava leaf samples were collected from 116 plants (92 symptomatic and 24 non-symptomatic). CBSD prevalence was approximately 79% (23 of 29) across fields. Mean CBSD incidence varied across fields but averaged 32.3% while mean disease severity was 2.3 on a 1-to-5 rating scale. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction screening of all 116 samples with one generic and two species specific primer pairs yielded DNA bands of the expected sizes from all symptomatic plants with the generic (785 bp) and Ugandan cassava brown streak virus (UCBSV)-specific (440 bp) primers. All 24 non-symptomatic samples were negative for UCBSV and all samples tested negative with primers targeting Cassava brown streak virus. The complete genome of a representative isolate of UCBSV (WP282) was determined to be 9,050 nucleotides in length, minus the poly A tail. A comparative analysis of this isolate with global virus isolates revealed its nature as a sequence variant of UCBSV sharing 94 and 96% maximum complete polyprotein nucleotide and amino acid identities, respectively, with isolates from Malawi (MF379362) and Tanzania (FJ039520). This is the first report of CBSD and UCBSV in Zambia, thus expanding the geographical distribution of the disease and its causal virus and further reinforcing the need to strengthen national and regional phytosanitary programs in Africa.