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Pathways for Improved Nutrition: a Review of Bangladesh's Agri-Food System Policies
No full textThis policy brief examines the extent to which these policies align with the National Nutrition Policy 2015, focusing on their potential to contribute to nutrition-sensitive interventions. By reviewing sectoral policies across agriculture, fisheries, and livestock, this analysis seeks to highlight the strengths and gaps within the current policy framework and to identify opportunities for enhancing the coherence and integration of nutrition-sensitive goals
Fish-Field Day: Rice-Fish Climate Resilient Demonstration Trial in Wet Season 2024
No full textThe Asian Mega Deltas-Initiative hosted a Farmer Field Day in Takeo Province, showcasing rice-fish farming practices. Over 30 participants observed improved techniques, discussed enhancements for the next season, and six farmers expressed interest in applying these practices, promoting sustainable farming and income generation
Characterizing Wheat Rhizosphere Bacterial Microbiome Dynamics Under Salinity Stress: Insights from 16S rRNA Metagenomics for Enhancing Stress Tolerance
No full textSalinity is one of the most important abiotic stress factors affecting wheat production. Salt in the soil is a major environmental stressor that can affect the bacterial community in the rhizosphere of wheat. The bacteria in the plant’s rhizosphere promote growth and stress tolerance, which vary by variety and location. Nevertheless, the soil harbors some of the most diverse microbial communities, while the rhizosphere selectively recruits according to the needs of plants in a complex harmonic regulation. The microbial composition and diversity under normal and saline conditions were assessed by comparing the rhizosphere of wheat with soil using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, highlighting the number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Taxonomic analyzes showed that the bacterial community was predominantly and characteristically composed of the phyla Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Verrucomicrobia, and Fibrobacteres, representing the usual microbial profile for the rhizosphere of wheat. Idiomarinaceae, Rheinheimera, Halomonas, and Pseudomonas (a strain of Proteobacteria), together with Gracilibacillus (a strain of Firmicutes Bacilli), were recognized as microbial signatures for the rhizosphere microbiome under saline conditions. This was observed even with unchanged soil type and genotype. These patterns occurred despite the same soil type and genotype, with salinity being the only variable. The collective action of these bacterial phyla in the rhizosphere not only improves nutrient availability but also induces systemic resistance in the plants. This synergistic effect improves plant resistance to salt stress and supports the development of salt-tolerant wheat varieties. These microbial signatures could improve our understanding of plant–microbe interactions and support the development of microbiome-based solutions for salt stress
Development of an economic trait prioritization for Tilapia in Nigeria: Survey (deliverable 2) progress summary
No full textDeliverable 2 (participatory survey and typology analysis) uses economic weights calculated in Deliverable 1 (economic modelling) to capture trait preference and typologies based on survey feedback from key stakeholders. In Tilapia, these surveyed stakeholders will include farmers and hatchery operators, but may also encompass other value chain actors, including wholesalers /retailers depending on primary breeding objectives.
The Deliverable 2 output will be a set of trait preference coefficients that fine-tune (up or down) economic values from Deliverable 1 based on input from each typology. Applying these trait preference coefficients to economic values help in understanding stakeholder’s trait improvement preferences and ensures the systematic integration of stakeholders’ preferences into selection and breeding decisions to support faster and more balanced rates of genetic gains and deliver improved fish species that meet industry needs
AgroTutor Academy: annual report
No full textFarmers in the Global South face significant challenges in accessing tailored educational resources to enhance their skills in critical areas such as communication, market access, and resource management. Traditional training programs often lack accessibility, personalization, and adaptability to cater to the diverse needs of small-scale and large-scale farmers. This results in a gap between the available knowledge and the practical skills required to navigate modern agricultural challenges effectively. There is a need for an inclusive, scalable, and user-friendly learning platform that provides personalized, context-specific education while accommodating the technological and connectivity constraints of rural regions.
Dedicated to enhancing the skills of the last-mile beneficiaries in the Global South, the AgroTutor Academy of the ICTforAg Learning Network, offers courses on critical areas such as communication, market access, and resource management, catering to both small-scale and large-scale farmers. Delivered through WhatsApp and online mode on a 1:1 basis, the courses provide a personalized learning experience that tracks individual progress to customize content based on evolving needs
Standard Operating Procedure for high throughput phenotyping using NIRS
No full textThe near-infrared spectroscopy is a non-destructive and rapid method for predicting the qualitative and quantitative properties of samples. The NIRS spectral regions, which are located between the visible and infrared ranges (800-2500 nm; 12500-4000 cm-1) contain a wealth of useful information. The development and optimization of NIRS prediction models could enable reliable, high-throughput, and low-cost analyses of high-value traits. Hundreds of samples could be quickly screened, and multiple parameters could be evaluated in a single test
Enhancing nutritional yields through efficient crop diversification: comparison to the common of rice-rice system in Bangladesh. Comparing diversified cropping patterns in Dinajpur, Bangladesh
No full textFocusing on economic access to nutritious foods, updated and improved estimates show that more than one-third of people in the world – about 2.8 billion – could not afford a healthy diet in 2022. low-income countries having the largest percentage of the population that is unable to afford a healthy diet (71.5 percent). (FAO, 2024) This research note focuses to accelerate the transformation of our agrifood systems through introducing different diversified cropping options especially for the northern part of Bangladesh to strengthen their resilience to the major drivers and address inequalities to ensure that healthy diets are affordable and available to all. The research trial was established at the Bangladesh Wheat and Maize Research Institute (BWMRI) in Dinajpur, Bangladesh in August 2022