Capacity Strengthening Awardees 2017

Based on TMAC reviews and recommendations, the Legume Innovation Lab Management Office has conferred this year's Institutional Capacity Strengthening Awards to 10 of the 15 project applications.

Based on TMAC reviews and recommendations, the Legume Innovation Lab Management Office has conferred this year’s Institutional Capacity Strengthening Awards to 10 of the 15 project applications. The awarded project proposals, which range from drip irrigation systems to acquiring a screen house to develop phenotyping capacity, are intended to address the critical needs of host country institutional collaborators that exceed the budgetary limits of current Legume Innovation Lab projects, and to respond to the grain legume program needs of agricultural research institutions in USAID priority countries.

The projects and awardees are as follows:

SO1.A1 and SO1.A4: a joint award: Establishing a drip irrigation system and reconditioning the seed storage/germplasm bank at the ICTA Chimaltenango Station in Guatemala, both of which are critical to ICTA's bean breeding program

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An example of drip irrigation

SO1.A2: Improve irrigation capacity at the University of Zambia research farm by installing irrigation equipment to support to phenotyping of bean lines in the breeding program. Fund will also support running and maintaining the irrigation system. University of Zambia, Zambia

SO1.A3: Upgrading of dilapidated seed storage facility, including repairing the floors and walls, replacing ceiling boards, repairing window and shelves, adding pallets in seed storage area, and upgrading threshing floors

SO1.A4: Purchase of an autoclave for Zamorano's Bean Research Program Laboratory. An autoclave is considered an essential piece of equipment for the bean research program to screen for pathogen resistance.  The purchase is justified at the present time because an existing autoclase has become dysfunctional within the past year

SO1.A5: Equipment to test the viability of seed and to calibrate the breeder seed produced by the breeding unit as well as large-scale seed quality testing prior to distribution. INERA (Burkina Faso)             

SO1.A5: Acquisition of a screen house to develop capacities in phenotyping. ISRA, Senegal Rehabilitation of the screen house at ISRA to enable phenotyping of cowpea lines for resistance to insect pests is a priority

SO1.A5:  Establishing a laboratory suitable to culture and phenotype cowpea lines for thrips resistance by culturing and infecting flower thrips at the Manga Station. CSIR-SARI $22,200.00 $17,300.00      

SO1.B1: Reconditioning of cowpea insect pest-rearing rooms and purchase of tables and chairs for insect-rearing rooms INERA (Burkina Faso)    

SO1.B1: Purchase of lab equipment to facilitate parasitoid multiplication              

SO2.1: NARL, Uganda Identify and test a number of different mobile phone apps to enhance the development of farmer decision-making tools regarding soil fertility management among NARL, their partner institutions, and farmers. NARL and a collaborator from ISU will work in in Uganda for four-months to adapt selected technical packages and materials for sharing with farmers the effective use of Apps.

In April 2016, the Legume Innovation Management Office solicited Institutional Capacity Strengthening Proposals from its partner Host Country Institutions.

 

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