Agricultural Advances

African agricultural research and development in support of food production in the African food systems

2021-11-10T12:07:34+00:00

African agricultural R&D is a decisive component of agricultural and food production in African food systems (AFS). However, despite efforts to conduct agricultural R&D through the decades, its impact on the continent’s food systems has been questioned due to its shortcomings in generating visible agricultural production gains. African agricultural R&D initiatives have failed to address the perennial food production problems and improve African food systems. These concerns need to be addressed by making food systems more efficient, inclusive, and resilient through re-examining African Agriculture’s R&D agenda. The realignment of the African Agricultural R&D that focuses on the agriculture and food production needs of the greater small-scale farming sector who are the majority becomes critical in improving the continent’s food systems. On the other hand, due to the advent of climate change, any Agricultural R&D that target the promotion of local animal genetic resources will minimize exposure of the smallholder farming sector more to climate change risks. Mini-livestock is a small niche in smallholder agriculture that can contribute immensely to smallholder agriculture food production package. Of late urbanization has been a real demographic threat that seems to be consuming Africa, hence cannot ignore. Regularized program of action grounded on appropriate African Agricultural R&D initiatives will enable urban agriculture to significantly contribute to the optimization of urban food production on a sustainable and environmentally sound basis. However, Africa should be wary of any inappropriate prescriptive agricultural R&D agendas that miss the intended benefits to enhance its food production capacity later on improved African food systems. The purpose of the discussion is to explore how African agricultural research and development can support food production initiatives in the AFS.

Protection of rice from pests of rice seedlings in the Kyzylorda region of the republic of Kazakhstan

2022-01-10T12:07:03+00:00

Rice is an amazing grain, the oldest crop on Earth. Rice has been known as a valuable grain-producing plant for more than 10 thousand years. The genus name Oryza comes from a Chinese word meaning "good grain for food, breadwinner of the human race". Indeed, rice is one of the most valuable food crops. Rice groats consist mainly of carbohydrates, are low in protein, fat and ash, have excellent taste qualities, are highly digestible, and are nutritionally superior to other cereals. Rice protein contains an increased amount of essential acids such as lysine, valine, and methionine, so it is well absorbed by the human body. Currently, rice is cultivated in 114 countries on an area of more than 155 million hectares. The largest rice producers are India and China. Together, they produce 62% of Asian rice and 57% of the world's rice grain. The average yield in the world is 2.5 t/ha. High humidity attracts insects to rice fields that are adapted to survival and reproduction in special conditions. Most often, it is specific moisture-loving insects that harm rice crops. Such as rice weevils, mosquitoes, pyavits, aphids and others. Pests damage both the surface and underwater parts of plants.

Kyzylorda region - The history of the «rice epic» or problems and prospects of the industry

2022-01-10T12:18:01+00:00

Kyzylorda region has more than a century of rice growing history. During this period, the industry has gone through many stages - from ups to downs. According to archival sources, the first rice crops appeared along the Syr Darya River in the late 19th century. Only flat areas were developed, where there were no problems with irrigation. Rice farming in the early period was considered nomadic - because of waterlogging and salinization of fields, used areas were abandoned and new ones were developed. In the 1920s, a new stage of development began, which lasted for ten years. During this time, old irrigation systems were restored and new ones were created.