Potato and Sweetpotato in Africa

Potato and Sweetpotato in Africa PDF

Author: Jan Low

Publisher: CABI

Published: 2015-10-28

Total Pages: 584

ISBN-13: 1780644205

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Sweetpotato and potato are expanding faster than any other food crops in sub-Saharan Africa. There is growing investment in research to address bottlenecks in value chains concerning these two crops, and growing interest from the private sector in investing in them. This book addresses five major themes on sweetpotato and potato: policies for germplasm exchange, food security and trade in Africa; seed systems; breeding and disease management; post-harvest management, processing technologies and marketing systems; nutritional value and changing behaviours.

The Potato Crop

The Potato Crop PDF

Author: Hugo Campos

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2019-12-03

Total Pages: 524

ISBN-13: 3030286835

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license. This book provides a fresh, updated and science-based perspective on the current status and prospects of the diverse array of topics related to the potato, and was written by distinguished scientists with hands-on global experience in research aspects related to potato. The potato is the third most important global food crop in terms of consumption. Being the only vegetatively propagated species among the world’s main five staple crops creates both issues and opportunities for the potato: on the one hand, this constrains the speed of its geographic expansion and its options for international commercialization and distribution when compared with commodity crops such as maize, wheat or rice. On the other, it provides an effective insulation against speculation and unforeseen spikes in commodity prices, since the potato does not represent a good traded on global markets. These two factors highlight the underappreciated and underrated role of the potato as a dependable nutrition security crop, one that can mitigate turmoil in world food supply and demand and political instability in some developing countries. Increasingly, the global role of the potato has expanded from a profitable crop in developing countries to a crop providing income and nutrition security in developing ones. This book will appeal to academics and students of crop sciences, but also policy makers and other stakeholders involved in the potato and its contribution to humankind’s food security.

The Sweetpotato

The Sweetpotato PDF

Author: Gad Loebenstein

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2009-03-21

Total Pages: 539

ISBN-13: 1402094752

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

In the last four decades of the twentieth century the use of sweetpotato was diversified beyond their classification as subsistence, food security, and famine-relief crop. In developing countries they serve both as human food and for feeding livestock. In Western countries they appeal to health conscious consumers because of their nutritional aspects. The sweetpotato is very high in nutritive value, and merits wider use on this account alone. The book has 2 parts. A general one giving up-to-date information on the history, botany, cultivars, genetic engineering, propagation, diseases and pests, nutritional data and marketing; and a second part presenting data on sweetpotato growing practices in different areas of the world. The information should be useful to researchers, practitioners and crop administrators in different countries.

Expanding Collaboration, Catalyzing Innovation

Expanding Collaboration, Catalyzing Innovation PDF

Author: Dudenhoefer, D.

Publisher: International Potato Center

Published: 2014-07-01

Total Pages: 88

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

The stories presented in this report illustrate how improved collaboration among RTB centers is making a real difference. This includes harnessing the potential of genomics to accelerate the development of improved RTB varieties, facilitating collaborative responses to critical crop diseases and improving postharvest options. During its second year, the CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers and Bananas (RTB) expanded its geographic reach and its network of partners while launching a series of collaborative initiatives aimed at resolving the most serious constraints faced by smallholder farmers growing RTB crops. While this work was initiated within a framework of seven disciplinary themes, RTB started a process to transition from an output-focused research agenda to one based on outcomes and impacts.

Innovation in Seed Potato Systems in Eastern Africa

Innovation in Seed Potato Systems in Eastern Africa PDF

Author: Peter Gildemacher

Publisher: Kit Pub

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9789460224072

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

The potato has the potential to raise smallholder income and improve food security in Eastern Africa. While improving the quality of seed potatoes can contribute to increasing its productivity, most farmers largely rely on the seed potatoes they save themselves. Seed potato system interventions need to address the quality of specially multiplied and farm-saved seed potatoes simultaneously. This book shows that positive selectionthe selection of healthy looking mother plants for the production of seed potatoes by aware potato farmerscan contribute to improving seed potato quality and the quality of the subsequent harvest.

Root, Tuber and Banana Food System Innovations

Root, Tuber and Banana Food System Innovations PDF

Author: Graham Thiele

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2022

Total Pages: 583

ISBN-13: 3030920224

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

This open access book describes recent innovations in food systems based on root, tuber and banana crops in developing countries. These innovations respond to many of the challenges facing these vital crops, linked to their vegetative seed and bulky and perishable produce. The innovations create value, food, jobs and new sources of income while improving the wellbeing and quality of life of their users. Women are often key players in the production, processing and marketing of roots, tubers and bananas, so successful innovation needs to consider gender. These crops and their value chains have long been neglected by research and development, hence this book contributes to filling in the gap. The book features many outcomes of the CGIAR Research Program in Roots, Tubers and Banana (RTB), which operated from 2012-21, encompassing many tropical countries, academic and industry partners, multiple crops, and major initiatives. It describes the successful innovation model developed by RTB that brings together diverse partners and organizations, to create value for the end users and to generate positive economic and social outcomes. RTB has accelerated the scaling of innovations to reach many end users cost effectively. Though most of the book's examples and insights are from Africa, they can be applied worldwide. The book will be useful for decision makers designing policies to scale up agricultural solutions, for researchers and extension specialists seeking practical ideas, and for scholars of innovation.