developing a capacity for fruit flies identification at BCCA Biodiversity Center

1. Highlights for 2005: Diagnostics and capacity building developing a capacity for fruit flies identification at BCCA Biodiversity Center - 3000 fruit fly specimens from surveys in Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria and Cameroon; - more than half of the 44 species of economical importance for tropical Africa sampled; - by including unidentified material an estimated 50% of tephritid diversity of West Africa collected.

2. Highlights for 2004: Developing control options pest identification guides - most common storage pests in Benin - main characteristics - information on biology - attacked products - control recommendations

3. NPQS officers at IITA Ibadan Highlights for 2004: Developing control options 73 officers of National Plant Protection Organizations (Nigeria and Gabon) trained in phytosanitary measures, inspection protocols and seed health testing Plant virus diagnostics demonstrated to: 28 officers of the Nigerian Plant Quarantine Service (NPQS) 2 collaborators (from Nigeria and Senegal) 4 trainees from Mozambique

4. Highlights for 2004: Developing control options Degree-related training • 53 PhD • 34 MSc • 9 Ing. Agr. et al.

5. Project B CCER “While a one-person CCER may be considered cost-effective, the reviewer thinks that the center would benefit more from a team effort. More balanced views can be expected, and possibly also a broader range of recommendations.”

6. Project B CCER Status of implementation of CCER recommendations Recommendation 1: It is recommended to list activities as they relate to the outputs Recommendation 2: It is recommended to list the milestones under the activities, and where appropriate combine those that relate to one pest Recommendation 9: It is recommended to change the project B title to: “Developing sustainable plant health management options” Recommendation 10: It is recommended to modify the titles of outputs as follows… Response: superseded by new MTP format

7. Project B CCER Status of implementation of CCER recommendations Recommendation 5: It is recommended to establish an estimate of minimum core positions and to ensure these are filled Recommendation 6: It is recommended to review training needs in NARS and offer the appropriate training (group, individual, in-house, in-country) Recommendation 7: It is recommended to consider granting of sabbaticals (not as an entitlement, but as a possibility as and when needed), to encourage participation in international conferences, preferably with key note addresses if possible (this would raise the profile of IITA on the international stage), etc Response: not specific to project B, passed on to management

8. Project B CCER Status of implementation of CCER recommendations Recommendation 3: It is recommended that IITA link with institutions that are (or should be) concerned with the spread of pests (FAO, IAPSC, …) and jointly explore ways to identify funding to mitigate the invasion of pests at early stages Response: Project B common funds and basic monitoring and diagnostic capacity, see later. In terms of collaboration with other bodies, links established with IAPSC (which is undergoing major restructuring at the moment) and GISP (Global Invasive Species Program). FAO is dealing more with policy related issues of invasive species rather than with technical matters. Recommendation 4: It is recommended to add to all donor project proposals that make use of services such as taxonomy, or the germplasm health unit (development of new cultivars, etc.) a budget line to recover the cost of these services Response: coordinated through C&G office

9. Project B CCER Status of implementation of CCER recommendations Recommendation 8: It is recommended to establish a system to avoid inadvertent introduction of pests to and from locations other than Ibadan, in cooperation with the respective national plant quarantine service Response: 1) Germplasm health facilities required for IITA material transfer at Cotonou and Cameroon initially 2) Training of existing support staff needed and if not available new staff to be appointed. 3) Germplasm health testing and certification capabilities to be developed in collaboration with NARS and IAPSC (for material transfer)

10. Project B CCER Status of implementation of CCER recommendations Recommendation 11: It is recommended to widen the range of crops to include those important in the farming systems (e.g. cotton) Response: we will certainly continue (and expand, funds permitting) our work on pests and diseases of non-mandated crops (e.g. pineapple mealybug) or non-crop pests (e.g. water weeds). With regard to cotton, we have already been in contact with national and international (mainly IRD and CIRAD) institutes concerning aspects of plant protection where project B has a comparative advantage, i.e. development of biopesticides and biological control. Recommendation 12: It is recommended to review whether project B staff are posted in the location where they likely have the greatest impact Response: there is an immediate need for increased crop protection capacity: pathology, nematology, entomology, virology (facilities and support staff) at HFC Cameroon. Inter-project funds have helped previously but re-location of post-doc pathologist to Cameroon seen as priority solution

11. Cross-project interactions impact assessment policy, health issues, GIS host plant resistance C A B assessing the demand, assembling and testing IPM baskets, implementation D, E, F

12. Strategic issues • New opportunities • FARA Challenge program for SSA: • (impact at farm level after 18 months) Entry points for CORAF site: 1. Striga control 2. Improvement of post harvest methods (storage and processing) to increase quality of produce and reduce mycotoxin contamination 3. Pesticide use management (including neem)

13. Strategic issues • New opportunities • FARA Challenge program for SSA: • Entry points for ASARECA site: • Clean planting material (e.g. Musa and cassava) • Resistant varieties (e.g. CMD resistant cassava and Fusarium wilt resistant Musa) • Improved storage and processing methods (e.g. cassava) • Monitoring and managing constraints (e.g. banana bacterial wilt) • Improvement of cultural practices (e.g. vegetation management) • Releases of natural enemies (e.g. for cassava green mite) • Whitefly management (e.g. biocontrol and resistant varieties)

14. Strategic issues • New opportunities • FARA Challenge program for SSA: • Entry points for SADC site: • Clean planting material (e.g. cassava) • Striga control • Release of natural enemies (e.g. for cassava green mite) • Resistant varieties (e.g. cassava and maize) • Improvement of post harvest methods (storage and processing) to increase quality of produce and reduce mycotoxin contamination • Capacity building through training (food quality)

15. Strategic issues • New opportunities • New projects for 2004-5 BMZ: 1 million Euros for 3 years for Musa endophytes EU: 80 000 Euros international mycotoxin conference USAID: 150 000 $ linkage grant for soybean rust USAID: 150 000 $ linkage grant for virus diagnostics RF: 640 000 $ integrated soil and pest management USAID: 450 000 $ for extension of CMD activities AfDB:mega project for 5 years; 8 ECOWAS countries. IITA to provide technical backstopping, impact assessment and management CFC: Mango fruit fly management (1.7M Euros) Gatsby: Redistribution of natural enemies of Maruca vitrata (max $300k) MCA: mega-mega project for Benin, IITA involved in food quality and safety ($150M for 3 years)

16. Strategic issues • Responding to changing needs • Emergency situations Response strategy limited by lack of immediate access to funds. Project B common funds could be used for operations, staff costs and support. Alternatively funds could be sought and provided by the institute? Strategic and bridging funds allocated by RDC?

17. Strategic issues • Responding to changing needs • Improving ‘fire prevention’ Germplasm health facilities required for IITA material transfer: at Cotonou and Cameroon initially Training of existing support staff needed and if not available new staff to be appointed. Germplasm health testing and certification capabilities to be developed in collaboration with NARS and IAPSC (for material transfer)

18. Strategic issues • Responding to changing needs • Overall long term strategy: Basic monitoring and diagnostic capacity (infrastructure and human resources) at each major station. Project B recognizes immediate needs for (molecular capacity) at Cotonou and suggests an assessment of needs for diagnostic expertise at all stations in order to develop an appropriate action plan (strategy) within the next year

19. Strategic issues • Responding to changing needs • Molecular diagnostics lab in Cotonou Shared facilities, equipment and staff (senior technician) required for diagnostics and characterization activities in Cotonou. Activities to include molecular taxonomy, genetic fingerprinting, population genetics and routine analyses. To be supported by high throughput analyses at Biotechnology lab, Ibadan.

20. Strategic issues • Responding to changing needs • Increasing plant health management capacities at HFC In response to CCER recommendation to critically review the location of current staff vs. needs, and as a response to incessant requests from project E there is an immediate need for increased crop protection capacity: pathology, nematology, entomology, virology (facilities and support staff) at HFC Cameroon Inter-project funds have helped previously but re-location of post-doc pathologist to Cameroon seen as priority solution

21. Strategic issues C. Constraints

22. Strategic issues C. Constraints

23. Strategic issues C. Constraints

24. Strategic issues C. Constraints

25. Thank you !