All podcasts

An Engineered Cowpea for Africa

The cowpea is a high-protein food staple in parts of Africa, particularly in the growing countries of Nigeria, Niger, and Burkina-Fasso. Production is predominantly on small holder farms.  Production is threatened by the pod borer, the larvae of a moth referred to as Maruca, that limits yields and causes farmers to apply large amounts of insecticide to protect their crops.  Dr. TJ Higgins and his team from CSIRO have worked with African scientists to develop a Bt-expressing cowpea.  These lines produce the protein that targets maruca larvae, decreasing insecticide use and producing higher yields in field trials. This innovation is now available to Nigerian farmers and represents a major step forward in sustainability and food security.

Dec 21, 2019 by Dr. Kevin Folta in Talking Biotech

Apple podcasts link Google podcasts link Spotify podcasts link

The cowpea is a high-protein food staple in parts of Africa, particularly in the growing countries of Nigeria, Niger, and Burkina-Fasso. Production is predominantly on small holder farms. Production is threatened by the pod borer, the larvae of a moth referred to as Maruca, that limits yields and causes farmers to apply large amounts of insecticide to protect their crops. Dr. TJ Higgins and his team from CSIRO have worked with African scientists to develop a Bt-expressing cowpea. These lines produce the protein that targets maruca larvae, decreasing insecticide use and producing higher yields in field trials. This innovation is now available to Nigerian farmers and represents a major step forward in sustainability and food security. # COLABRA Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/ # TALKING BIOTECH Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Colabra

Get your whole lab on the same page today.

Learn more