Sweetpotato Action for Security and Health in Africa (SASHA)
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/99303
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Item Building an Effective Sweetpotato Community of Practice(Brief, 2014-08) International Potato CenterBuilding an effective Community of Practice (CoP) is essential if the goal of improving the lives of 10 million African households by 2020 is to be met. The Sweetpotato “Speedbreeders” built an effective CoP during SPHI Phase1, and during Phase 2, three additional CoPs will be supported.Item Sweetpotato Action for Security and Health in Africa (SASHA) Phase 2: Continuing to make a difference in sub-Saharan Africa!(Brief, 2014) International Potato CenterIn 2009, the Sweetpotato Action for Security and Health in Africa (SASHA) project set out to improve the food security and health of poor families in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) by exploiting the untapped potential of sweetpotato. The project seeks to tackle the bottlenecks along the sweetpotato value chain that prevent the full exploitation of crop’s potential. The $22.5 million, five year Phase 1 effort (2009-2014) was led by the International Potato Center and implemented with over 30 partners, thanks to the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.Item Breeding in Africa for Africa(Brief, 2010) International Potato CenterItem A proof-of concept action research project in Rwanda(Brief, 2010) International Potato CenterItem Breeding in Africa for Africa(Brief, 2014-08) International Potato CenterThe final major methods experiment demonstrated that controlled cross breeding is superior to polycross breeding. Sixty varieties comprise the 2nd edition of the Catalogue of Orange Fleshed Sweetpotato for Africa, published in July 2014.Item Improving sweetpotato virus diagnostics(Brief, 2014) International Potato CenterGenomes of virus species and strains infecting sweetpotato in East, Southern and West Africa have been determined by next generation sequencing. A new diagnostic tool to detect all sweetpotato viruses simultaneously has been developed and will be progressively improved.Item Integrating health and agriculture to maximize the nutritional impact of orange-fleshed sweetpotato: The Mama SASHA proof-of-concept project in Western Kenya(Brief, 2014-08) International Potato CenterThe intervention phase of this project has been successfully completed, endline survey data have been collected and analysis for evaluation of impact is underway.Item Rwanda Sweetpotato Super Foods Market Chains that Work for Women and for the Poor(Brief, 2014-08) International Potato CenterA TV advertisement promoting the Golden Power Biscuit, in which 43% of wheat flour is replaced by orange-fleshed sweetpotato puree, a nationally recognized product.Item Exploiting sweetpotato as an animal feed in East Africa(Brief, 2014-08) International Potato CenterSweetpotato offers great potential as an animal feed in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Research to identify appropriate dual-purpose varieties for Kenya & Rwanda, sweetpotato-based silage recipes and an improved silage tube was conducted by four students earning their Master’s degrees and scientists at CIP, ILRI, and the University of Nairobi.Item Getting Sweetpotato Varieties to Farmers Faster: The Accelerated Breeding Scheme (ABS)(Brief, 2014-08) International Potato CenterSolid evidence generated since 2005 in Peru and Mozambique has shown that the ABS efficiently reduces the time (8 to 4-5 years) from crossing to varietal release within a given sweetpotato population.Item Heterosis Exploiting Breeding Schemes for Rapid Yield Enhancement(Brief, 2014-08) International Potato CenterDuring SASHA Phase 1, clear evidence was generated for the first time that heterosis can be successfully exploited in sweetpotato for significant yield gains for roots and foliage. There is high potential for application to other root and tuber and banana crops, with more efficient breeding helping to solve the problem of feeding the ever growing population.Item Tackling Virus Resistance(Brief, 2014-08) International Potato CenterSweet potato virus disease (SPVD) resistant parents have been included in two crossing blocks, one with 80 parents and a smaller one with 50 parents at Namulonge in Uganda. The two populations (in physically separated crossing blocks) were previously differentiated on the basis of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. The crossing blocks have been used to generate populations for SPVD resistance and molecular marker development. The procedure to discriminate SPVD susceptible, tolerant and resistant varieties has been optimized.Item Breeding for Drought Tolerance(Brief, 2014-08) International Potato CenterBreeding for drought-prone environments is truly challenging as adaption to drought can be achieved through drought escape, drought avoidance or drought tolerance. In Mozambique, vine vigor has proved to be an essential and straightforward trait to select for.Item Unsweetpotato – Breeding staple-type sweetpotato for West Africa and beyond(Brief, 2014-08) International Potato CenterAn applied, collaborative sweetpotato breeding program and support platform for West Africa was established in Ghana at the CSIR-Crops Research Institute in 2010. Consumer demand for staple-type (low sugar) or Unsweetpotato was confirmed and laboratory methods to assist with election developed and used in a new Quality Laboratory. Seed populations were made available for distribution to regional partners.Item Capacity Building in the Sweetpotato Weevil Resistance Research Component(Brief, 2014-08) International Potato CenterThe development of transgenic sweetpotato with gene(s) for resistance to the African sweetpotato weevils Cylas puncticollis and C. brunneus involves generation, testing and promotion of the new sweetpotato varieties and requires the active participation of scientists, opinion-and decision–makers in the country where these varieties are developed. Our vision is to build capacity so that there is the ability to adapt and develop technologies in the country where it will be adopted. Introduction of this technology has involved the establishment of facilities in Kenya and Uganda where the work was to be carried out, building practical knowledge and communication skills of the personnel involved and the development of the new varieties. Three doctoral students have been trained under this program.Item Can Farmer Multipliers Successfully Manage Net Tunnels?(Brief, 2014-08) International Potato CenterFarmer groups with designated leaders charged to maintain vine conservation (net) tunnels near their own homes on behalf of the group were best able to maintain the tunnel itself and vine quality during two years. Tunnels managed by youth groups or located near water distant from a member’s home and collectively managed by a group were least able.Item Assuring quality sweetpotato planting material. Does inspection make sense?(Brief, 2014-08) International Potato CenterIn contrast to seed for grain crops, vegetatively propagated crops such as sweetpotato have bulky and perishable planting material. This presents technical and logistical challenges for an inspection and certification system. We are advocating for an integrated approach for quality assurance mechanisms for sweetpotato planting material based on: support for breeding for virus resistance and virus diagnostics; capacity strengthening of multipliers and farmers for pest and disease identification and management, including rouging (i.e. pulling out visibly affected plants), isolation from other plots, and crop rotation; together with appropriate inspection systems. To ensure sustainability in quality assurance mechanisms, it will be more cost effective for regulatory bodies to concentrate their inspection efforts at the up-stream sources which feed into the seed chain – i.e. pre-basic (foundation) and basic seed.Item Seeking Super Silage(Brief, 2014-08) International Potato CenterThe optimal combination found for making silage with good levels of protein and digestibility was 50:30:20 of Napier grass, sweetpotato vines, and sweetpotato roots, respectively.Item Breeding in Africa for Africa(Brief, 2012-08) International Potato CenterA major collaborative strengthening of sweetpotato breeding is underway in target countries of the Sweetpotato for Profit and Health lnitiative. Sweetpotato Support Platforms in Eastern, Southern, and West Africa are working with national partners to rapidly develop improved populations and varieties with regional adaptation and desired quality traits, and to build a community of practice using improved breeding methods and tools.Item Weevil resistant sweetpotato through biotechnology(Brief, 2012-08) International Potato CenterSweetpotato weevils are responsible for significant losses of up to a third of the annual production in some sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, threatening their food security. Biotechnology has been applied to introduce synthetic genes that produce proteins with activity against the weevils. A first group of such plants was tested but failed to display insecticidal activity. Quantification of the insecticidal protein in storage roots suggests that its accumulation is too low. More transgenic events are being screened to identify high expresser of the insecticidal protein. Correspondingly, two strategies have been commenced to fully control weevils. First, new synthetic genes are being developed with features reputed to enhance accumulation and functionality of the insecticidal protein. Second, a non-protein-based system is being developed to complement the insecticidal protein strategy in case weevil resistance is not ascertained.