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Browsing by Subject "Agricultural research"

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
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    Feeding a World of 10 Billion People: The TVA/IFDC Legacy
    (IFDC, 2003-03-14) Borlaug, Norman E.
    This material contains information on Travis P. Hignett Memorial Lecture, given by a distinguished speaker, highlighting the role of science, technology, and fertilizer in improving food production over the past 50 years. The lecture explores the challenges of feeding a population of 10 billion by the end of the century. It discusses the history of the TVA's agricultural resource development program, which led to fertilizer science and technology advancements. It also explains establishment of the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) and its contributions to global fertilizer sector development. The material emphasizes the importance of integrated soil nutrient management and innovative practices to achieve sustainable agricultural productivity and alleviate poverty. The document concludes with the projected population growth and the need to address the increasing demand for food.
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    IFDC Report, Volume 12, No. 1
    (1987-03) IFDC
    This report provides an overview of the work and progress at the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) as of March 1987. It highlights various aspects of the center's activities, including access to plant germplasm, advances in agricultural technology, breeding materials for genetic control of insects and plant diseases, and training opportunities for scientists. Dr Haldore Hanson, Director-General Emeritus of CIMMYT, presented the Chinese viewpoint on the benefits of technical assistance by international agricultural research centres. The report also discusses the review of the Biological Nitrogen Fixation Project and the development of viable inoculants. Furthermore, it covers Dr John A. Hannah's lifetime achievement award and the establishment of the Travis R. Hignett Fund by the IFDC Century Club. The report concludes with the perspectives of Togolese officials on the IFDC-Africa Center and the annual workshop conducted by the West African Fertilizer Management and Efficiency Network.
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    IFDC Report, Volume 15, No. 1
    (1990-03) IFDC
    This report provides an update from Dr David B. Parbery, the new Managing Director of the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC). Dr Parbery shares his initial experiences and interactions with IFDC staff, key National Fertilizer and Environmental Research Center (NFERC) officials, and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). He discusses his upcoming visits to IFDC-Mrica in Togo and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome to explore collaborations and discuss joint activities. Dr Parbery also highlights the ongoing review process for IFDC's potential membership in the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). The report concludes with updates on various projects and visits conducted by IFDC staff members, including research on phosphate rock in Venezuela and crop modelling research with a visiting scientist from China. Overall, the report provides insights into the current activities and future directions of IFDC under its new leadership.
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    IFDC Report, Volume 27, No. 2
    (2002-12) IFDC
    This report highlights the participation of the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) in the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) held in August-September 2002. Represented by members of its staff, IFDC aims to improve the quality, accuracy, and availability of data necessary for understanding and monitoring the environment in Africa. The project utilizes geographic information system (GIS) tools to monitor soil nutrient depletion and promote sustainable development. With funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the long-term objective is to provide global access to satellite imagery and integrate it with global positioning systems (GPS) for various applications. The report also highlights the WSSD's commitment to reducing global poverty and hunger, emphasizing the importance of monitoring and improving nutrient balances in agricultural land to achieve this goal. Furthermore, the report discusses the renewed interest in agriculture among the donor community and the potential of new technologies in reversing land degradation and increasing productivity in the developing world. The report concludes by describing two projects, one focusing on soil moisture conservation techniques in eastern Africa and the other on using phosphate rock as a sustainable crop production method.
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    Lessons for Farmer-Oriented Research: Experiences from a West African Soil Fertility Management Project
    (2006-05) E. Suzanne Nederlof; Constant Dangbe´gnon
    Donors, scientists and farmers all benefit when research and development projects have high impact. However, potential benefits are sometimes not realized. Our objective in this study is to determine why resource-poor farmers in Togo (declined to) adopt recommended practices that were promoted through a multi-organizational project on soil fertility management. We examine the processes and outcomes related to the adoption process. The project was undertaken in three villages in the Central Region of Togo in West Africa. The development and research processes that took place during the implementation of the project were critically analyzed using a conceptual framework that may be useful for improving the impact of future participatory projects. At the macro level, opportunities for innovation were not deliberately explored with participating farmers and other village members; consequently ‘‘pre-analytical choices’’ made during the planning phase resulted in practices that resource-poor farmers were, for a variety of reasons, unable or unwilling to adopt. From the outset, donors and scientists focused on soil fertility management, but failed to take into account the wider economic context within which soil fertility management took place. This was a major obstacle to the subsequent adoption of recommended management strategies. Scientists and donor partners measured the success of the Project in terms of crop productivity, but farmers’ choices were influenced by a complex mix of socio-economic, political and technical factors. We also illustrate the importance of selecting appropriate categories of farmers for a particular experiment. We conclude that for participatory research and development projects to be successful, it is not enough to develop technologies that ‘‘work’’ in a technical sense. In order to be scaled up and widely implemented, such technologies must also meet a variety of needs of resource-poor farmers and be acceptable from a socio-cultural point of view.
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    Private Agricultural R&D: Do the Poor Benefit?
    (2021) Jock R. Anderson; R. Birner; Latha Nagarajan; Anwar Naseem; Carl E. Pray
    Private agricultural research and development can foster the growth of agricultural productivity in the diverse farming systems of the developing world comparable to the public sector. We examine the extent to which technologies developed by private entities reach smallholder and resource-poor farmers, and the impact they have on poverty reduction. We critically review cases of successfully deployed improved agricultural technologies delivered by the private sector in both large and small developing countries for instructive lessons for policy makers around the world.
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    The Agricultural Innovation System in the Context of the 2020 Pandemic
    (2021-02-17) Carl E. Pray; Jock R. Anderson; Samuel Ledermann; Latha Nagarajan
    This paper discusses the challenges brought by COVID-19 to the agricultural innovation system (AIS), a key subsystem that helps reduce food insecurity. The AIS is a complex system that includes agricultural research, extension, and education. The paper explores how national and international institutions can work together effectively to tackle the challenges during and after the pandemic and ensure the AIS's capacity to foster productivity in the future. The paper also provides an overview of the pre-COVID-19 agricultural R&D situation, reviews COVID-19 impacts, and discusses policy options for high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries. Failure to ensure the continuing high productivity of the AIS would have dire consequences for food and nutritional security in the coming decades, thus the need for quick adaptation
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    The Agronomic Properties of a Newly Developed Fused Ammonium Sulfate Nitrate (Sulf-N26) for Crop Production: Preliminary Results
    (2011) Sen H. Chien; Upendra Singh; Gearhart, M. Mercedes
    This study investigates the agronomic properties of a newly developed fused Ammonium Sulfate Nitrate (ASN) fertilizer, trademarked as "Sulf-N26," in comparison to traditional granulated ASN. The fused ASN is created through a patented fusion process by Honeywell, which eliminates issues related to explosive potential and caking associated with traditional ASN mixtures. The study aims to determine if the chemical process of fusion affects the agronomic characteristics of Sulf-N26 compared to granulated ASN, including NH3 volatilization, leaching of nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S), and its effectiveness in promoting crop growth. Various N and S sources are also included in the analysis. Preliminary results indicate reduced NH3 volatilization and leaching of NH4-N and SO4-S in soils with fused ASN, making it a promising alternative for crop production. The fused ASN demonstrates comparable efficacy to granulated ASN and urea as a nitrogen source for wheat grain yield and as a sulfur source for ryegrass and canola crops.