Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Applying Advances in Chemistry to Benefit Developing World
Agriculture
Deborah DelmerProf Emeritus University California Davis
Remembering Sterling Hendricks
ldquoDr Hendricks contributed to many diverse scientific disciplines including plant physiology soil science mineralogy agronomy geology and chemistryrdquo
How do you best allocate limited resources
Apply existing technologies--enhanced mechanization irrigation transport better access to existing seed fertilizer
Enhance efforts to translatenew discoveries into practicalapplications
or
Making the Case for Translational Research
bull How might cutting edge research best feed into the pipeline for enhancing agricultural development
bull Challenges and opportunities
A Consortium of 15 International Agricultural Research Centers
Well-positioned to interact with both upstream and downstream partnersAnd a great resource for germplasm for all the mandate crops
Genomics and The Future of Plant Breeding
How much will be donehelliphellip
Here And how much here
Monsanto data for maizePlant Physiol 149 p10
Whole Genome Scanning Projects for
Maize Wheat and Sorghum
bull Develop cheapest platforms possible to identify and evaluate high density SNPs in key breeding populations
bull Create appropriate ldquotraining populationsrdquo through association of SNPS with standardized phenotypesmdashespecially important for complex traits that are hard to phenotype
bull The ultimate goal is to be able to predict phenotypes based upon molecular information to save time and avoid costly phenotypingin the field
bull Set the stage for use of GWS as a standardized breeding tool
Primary location El Batan Mexico
Mandate crops Maize and wheat
International CropsResearch Institute for the Semi‐Arid Tropics
Primary location Patancheru India
Mandate crops Sorghum pearl millet groundnut pigeon pea chickpea
Buthellipsome challenges
bull Keeping the costs manageable
bull Accurate and standardized phenotyping across broad environments for development of robust training populations for future predictive genome-wide association studies
bull Can the bioinformatics keep pace
bull Moving beyond the key cereals
bull Smart integration with local breeding efforts A need for centralizing genomics work in appropriate placesmdashbut where
Climate Change and Agriculturebull Example 1 Adapting crops too much water
o Technologies Hi thru-put DNA seq functional genomics molecular breeding
bull Example 2 The continuing and worsening threats of disease
o Technologies Cheaper and more accessible hi-thru-put diagnostics
bull Example 3 Predicting seasonal weather patternso Technologies remote sensing modeling
Excess flooding from monsoons in S and SE Asia lead to
gt1 billion USD losses to rice crop per year
Too Much WaterAn emerging success story
Primary location Los Banos Philippines
Mandate crop Rice
Lab of Pam Ronald
Lab of Julia Bailey‐Serres
The Sub1 LocusA major QTL on rice chromosome 9 that confers high
tolerance to flooding (survival up to 10 days more)
Dave Mackill and colleagues IRRI identified Sub1 LocusSub1 now introgressed through MAB into a number ofmega‐varieties and others of regional importance
How does Sub1A work
Taken from Fukao Yeung and Bailey‐Serres Plant Cell 23 412 2011
Animal and Plant Diseases Greatly Limit Productivity
bull Of the 15 major animal diseases 12 are found in the sub-Saharan Africa (eg Rift Valley Fever Trypanosomiasis foot and mouth disease)
bull Geminiviruses are a threat to crops world-wide and some are unique to Africa (pandemic of cassava mosaic disease maize streak virus)
bull Poor agronomic practices and low use of fungicides also limit crop productivity
bull Poor storage conditions also favor diseases and affect food safety and limit export potential (eg aflatoxins in maize groundnuts)
bull Weak networks for diagnostics
Faster and Cheaper Diagnostics
Drawing on advances in genomics and nanotechnology
Hi thru-put facilities located in regional centers of excellence
Predicting Seasonal Weather
Farmers make decisions based on their own best guess as to when the rains will come
bull Type of crop to grow hybrid vs saved seedbull Fertilizer applicationsbull Timing when to plant
Several satellite-based tools have
become available in the last decade
TRMM AMSR-E MODI GRACE
Detect precise changes in precipitation Global cycling of moisture from clouds winds soilsGenerate global maps of land surface characteristicsDetect changes in gravity fields due to ice melt
A Need for More Local Data
and Better Models
bull Ground radars other ground based monitoring sites
bull There are fewer rain gauge stations in the Sahel now than there were in 1921
bull US-AID-supported FEWS-NET---Africa Haiti Latin America Afghanistanmdashearly warning system for food security alerts
o Remote and ground-based sensingo Use of improved models for
prediction
African soils are some of the most degraded and least
fertile in the world
What about Inorganic Fertilizer
bull Cost to farmers in sub-Saharan Africa 2-4X that of US farmer Poor transport options and inability to purchase large quantities are major issues
bull Costs have doubled in recent years primarily due to rising energy costs
bull Most farmers use none when used it is usually at 110th the amount used in developed world---overuse is NOT an environmental issue at this point
Microdosing of Fertilizer
Agro-dealers ndash provide right sizepackaging at affordable prices and have
greatly expanded access to fertilizer
But will it be tailored for local soils
Taken from Science 325680 (2009)
Greatly Enhanced Monitoring Capacities
200+ spectral channels to detect spectral reflectance curves--- weeds vs crops surface and chemical characteristics responses to stress
VisiblemdashNear IR Reflectance for soil mapping
Hyperspectral Imaging
Transferring knowledge to create appropriate local blends of fertilizer agronomic advice
Cheaper more accessible local soil sensingand more good soil chemistry on the ground
ButhelliphellipRising Energy Costs Have Driven Up
the Cost of Nitrogen Fertilizers
Nitrogen-fixing Cereals
Legume nodules Catalytic center of nitrogenase N‐fixing cereal
Low temperature catalysis for
reduction of N2 to ammonia
A molybdenum complex bearing PNP‐type pincer ligands leads to the catalytic reduction of dinitrogen into ammoniaKazuya Arashiba Yoshihiro Miyake amp Yoshiaki Nishibayashi
Nature Chemistry 3 120‐125 (2011)
The ldquoFarmerrsquos Dilemmardquo---and not just in Africa
bull Obvious need to return residues (crop and animal) to the soil yet these have other critical uses for the poormdashfuel building materials animal feeds etc
bull What materials might replace cropanimal residues to maintain soil quality
What about organic fertilizers
Soil Amendments
Ancient Amazonian Indians mayHave produced the unique and fertileldquoTerra Pretardquo soils found in Amazonia
Emerging field of re-creating BioCharthrough pyrolysis of organic matter
Still a need for much more chemistry
Compositions of biocharsInteractions with microorganismEfficacy for varying soil types
Taken from Abstract 129Lab of Gerard Cornelissen
Other Soil Amendments
bull Re-assessment of the potential for ZEOLITESAluminosilicate cages that trap and exchange cationswater
bull Soil amendmentswater holdingreleasing slow release of cationic nutrients
bull Also for animal feeds (diarrhea smells)
bull Wastewater treatment
bull Cost and accessibility issues are a major limitation---mdashpotential of Kenyan deposits
bull Many other nano-structures for slow release
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
Remembering Sterling Hendricks
ldquoDr Hendricks contributed to many diverse scientific disciplines including plant physiology soil science mineralogy agronomy geology and chemistryrdquo
How do you best allocate limited resources
Apply existing technologies--enhanced mechanization irrigation transport better access to existing seed fertilizer
Enhance efforts to translatenew discoveries into practicalapplications
or
Making the Case for Translational Research
bull How might cutting edge research best feed into the pipeline for enhancing agricultural development
bull Challenges and opportunities
A Consortium of 15 International Agricultural Research Centers
Well-positioned to interact with both upstream and downstream partnersAnd a great resource for germplasm for all the mandate crops
Genomics and The Future of Plant Breeding
How much will be donehelliphellip
Here And how much here
Monsanto data for maizePlant Physiol 149 p10
Whole Genome Scanning Projects for
Maize Wheat and Sorghum
bull Develop cheapest platforms possible to identify and evaluate high density SNPs in key breeding populations
bull Create appropriate ldquotraining populationsrdquo through association of SNPS with standardized phenotypesmdashespecially important for complex traits that are hard to phenotype
bull The ultimate goal is to be able to predict phenotypes based upon molecular information to save time and avoid costly phenotypingin the field
bull Set the stage for use of GWS as a standardized breeding tool
Primary location El Batan Mexico
Mandate crops Maize and wheat
International CropsResearch Institute for the Semi‐Arid Tropics
Primary location Patancheru India
Mandate crops Sorghum pearl millet groundnut pigeon pea chickpea
Buthellipsome challenges
bull Keeping the costs manageable
bull Accurate and standardized phenotyping across broad environments for development of robust training populations for future predictive genome-wide association studies
bull Can the bioinformatics keep pace
bull Moving beyond the key cereals
bull Smart integration with local breeding efforts A need for centralizing genomics work in appropriate placesmdashbut where
Climate Change and Agriculturebull Example 1 Adapting crops too much water
o Technologies Hi thru-put DNA seq functional genomics molecular breeding
bull Example 2 The continuing and worsening threats of disease
o Technologies Cheaper and more accessible hi-thru-put diagnostics
bull Example 3 Predicting seasonal weather patternso Technologies remote sensing modeling
Excess flooding from monsoons in S and SE Asia lead to
gt1 billion USD losses to rice crop per year
Too Much WaterAn emerging success story
Primary location Los Banos Philippines
Mandate crop Rice
Lab of Pam Ronald
Lab of Julia Bailey‐Serres
The Sub1 LocusA major QTL on rice chromosome 9 that confers high
tolerance to flooding (survival up to 10 days more)
Dave Mackill and colleagues IRRI identified Sub1 LocusSub1 now introgressed through MAB into a number ofmega‐varieties and others of regional importance
How does Sub1A work
Taken from Fukao Yeung and Bailey‐Serres Plant Cell 23 412 2011
Animal and Plant Diseases Greatly Limit Productivity
bull Of the 15 major animal diseases 12 are found in the sub-Saharan Africa (eg Rift Valley Fever Trypanosomiasis foot and mouth disease)
bull Geminiviruses are a threat to crops world-wide and some are unique to Africa (pandemic of cassava mosaic disease maize streak virus)
bull Poor agronomic practices and low use of fungicides also limit crop productivity
bull Poor storage conditions also favor diseases and affect food safety and limit export potential (eg aflatoxins in maize groundnuts)
bull Weak networks for diagnostics
Faster and Cheaper Diagnostics
Drawing on advances in genomics and nanotechnology
Hi thru-put facilities located in regional centers of excellence
Predicting Seasonal Weather
Farmers make decisions based on their own best guess as to when the rains will come
bull Type of crop to grow hybrid vs saved seedbull Fertilizer applicationsbull Timing when to plant
Several satellite-based tools have
become available in the last decade
TRMM AMSR-E MODI GRACE
Detect precise changes in precipitation Global cycling of moisture from clouds winds soilsGenerate global maps of land surface characteristicsDetect changes in gravity fields due to ice melt
A Need for More Local Data
and Better Models
bull Ground radars other ground based monitoring sites
bull There are fewer rain gauge stations in the Sahel now than there were in 1921
bull US-AID-supported FEWS-NET---Africa Haiti Latin America Afghanistanmdashearly warning system for food security alerts
o Remote and ground-based sensingo Use of improved models for
prediction
African soils are some of the most degraded and least
fertile in the world
What about Inorganic Fertilizer
bull Cost to farmers in sub-Saharan Africa 2-4X that of US farmer Poor transport options and inability to purchase large quantities are major issues
bull Costs have doubled in recent years primarily due to rising energy costs
bull Most farmers use none when used it is usually at 110th the amount used in developed world---overuse is NOT an environmental issue at this point
Microdosing of Fertilizer
Agro-dealers ndash provide right sizepackaging at affordable prices and have
greatly expanded access to fertilizer
But will it be tailored for local soils
Taken from Science 325680 (2009)
Greatly Enhanced Monitoring Capacities
200+ spectral channels to detect spectral reflectance curves--- weeds vs crops surface and chemical characteristics responses to stress
VisiblemdashNear IR Reflectance for soil mapping
Hyperspectral Imaging
Transferring knowledge to create appropriate local blends of fertilizer agronomic advice
Cheaper more accessible local soil sensingand more good soil chemistry on the ground
ButhelliphellipRising Energy Costs Have Driven Up
the Cost of Nitrogen Fertilizers
Nitrogen-fixing Cereals
Legume nodules Catalytic center of nitrogenase N‐fixing cereal
Low temperature catalysis for
reduction of N2 to ammonia
A molybdenum complex bearing PNP‐type pincer ligands leads to the catalytic reduction of dinitrogen into ammoniaKazuya Arashiba Yoshihiro Miyake amp Yoshiaki Nishibayashi
Nature Chemistry 3 120‐125 (2011)
The ldquoFarmerrsquos Dilemmardquo---and not just in Africa
bull Obvious need to return residues (crop and animal) to the soil yet these have other critical uses for the poormdashfuel building materials animal feeds etc
bull What materials might replace cropanimal residues to maintain soil quality
What about organic fertilizers
Soil Amendments
Ancient Amazonian Indians mayHave produced the unique and fertileldquoTerra Pretardquo soils found in Amazonia
Emerging field of re-creating BioCharthrough pyrolysis of organic matter
Still a need for much more chemistry
Compositions of biocharsInteractions with microorganismEfficacy for varying soil types
Taken from Abstract 129Lab of Gerard Cornelissen
Other Soil Amendments
bull Re-assessment of the potential for ZEOLITESAluminosilicate cages that trap and exchange cationswater
bull Soil amendmentswater holdingreleasing slow release of cationic nutrients
bull Also for animal feeds (diarrhea smells)
bull Wastewater treatment
bull Cost and accessibility issues are a major limitation---mdashpotential of Kenyan deposits
bull Many other nano-structures for slow release
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
How do you best allocate limited resources
Apply existing technologies--enhanced mechanization irrigation transport better access to existing seed fertilizer
Enhance efforts to translatenew discoveries into practicalapplications
or
Making the Case for Translational Research
bull How might cutting edge research best feed into the pipeline for enhancing agricultural development
bull Challenges and opportunities
A Consortium of 15 International Agricultural Research Centers
Well-positioned to interact with both upstream and downstream partnersAnd a great resource for germplasm for all the mandate crops
Genomics and The Future of Plant Breeding
How much will be donehelliphellip
Here And how much here
Monsanto data for maizePlant Physiol 149 p10
Whole Genome Scanning Projects for
Maize Wheat and Sorghum
bull Develop cheapest platforms possible to identify and evaluate high density SNPs in key breeding populations
bull Create appropriate ldquotraining populationsrdquo through association of SNPS with standardized phenotypesmdashespecially important for complex traits that are hard to phenotype
bull The ultimate goal is to be able to predict phenotypes based upon molecular information to save time and avoid costly phenotypingin the field
bull Set the stage for use of GWS as a standardized breeding tool
Primary location El Batan Mexico
Mandate crops Maize and wheat
International CropsResearch Institute for the Semi‐Arid Tropics
Primary location Patancheru India
Mandate crops Sorghum pearl millet groundnut pigeon pea chickpea
Buthellipsome challenges
bull Keeping the costs manageable
bull Accurate and standardized phenotyping across broad environments for development of robust training populations for future predictive genome-wide association studies
bull Can the bioinformatics keep pace
bull Moving beyond the key cereals
bull Smart integration with local breeding efforts A need for centralizing genomics work in appropriate placesmdashbut where
Climate Change and Agriculturebull Example 1 Adapting crops too much water
o Technologies Hi thru-put DNA seq functional genomics molecular breeding
bull Example 2 The continuing and worsening threats of disease
o Technologies Cheaper and more accessible hi-thru-put diagnostics
bull Example 3 Predicting seasonal weather patternso Technologies remote sensing modeling
Excess flooding from monsoons in S and SE Asia lead to
gt1 billion USD losses to rice crop per year
Too Much WaterAn emerging success story
Primary location Los Banos Philippines
Mandate crop Rice
Lab of Pam Ronald
Lab of Julia Bailey‐Serres
The Sub1 LocusA major QTL on rice chromosome 9 that confers high
tolerance to flooding (survival up to 10 days more)
Dave Mackill and colleagues IRRI identified Sub1 LocusSub1 now introgressed through MAB into a number ofmega‐varieties and others of regional importance
How does Sub1A work
Taken from Fukao Yeung and Bailey‐Serres Plant Cell 23 412 2011
Animal and Plant Diseases Greatly Limit Productivity
bull Of the 15 major animal diseases 12 are found in the sub-Saharan Africa (eg Rift Valley Fever Trypanosomiasis foot and mouth disease)
bull Geminiviruses are a threat to crops world-wide and some are unique to Africa (pandemic of cassava mosaic disease maize streak virus)
bull Poor agronomic practices and low use of fungicides also limit crop productivity
bull Poor storage conditions also favor diseases and affect food safety and limit export potential (eg aflatoxins in maize groundnuts)
bull Weak networks for diagnostics
Faster and Cheaper Diagnostics
Drawing on advances in genomics and nanotechnology
Hi thru-put facilities located in regional centers of excellence
Predicting Seasonal Weather
Farmers make decisions based on their own best guess as to when the rains will come
bull Type of crop to grow hybrid vs saved seedbull Fertilizer applicationsbull Timing when to plant
Several satellite-based tools have
become available in the last decade
TRMM AMSR-E MODI GRACE
Detect precise changes in precipitation Global cycling of moisture from clouds winds soilsGenerate global maps of land surface characteristicsDetect changes in gravity fields due to ice melt
A Need for More Local Data
and Better Models
bull Ground radars other ground based monitoring sites
bull There are fewer rain gauge stations in the Sahel now than there were in 1921
bull US-AID-supported FEWS-NET---Africa Haiti Latin America Afghanistanmdashearly warning system for food security alerts
o Remote and ground-based sensingo Use of improved models for
prediction
African soils are some of the most degraded and least
fertile in the world
What about Inorganic Fertilizer
bull Cost to farmers in sub-Saharan Africa 2-4X that of US farmer Poor transport options and inability to purchase large quantities are major issues
bull Costs have doubled in recent years primarily due to rising energy costs
bull Most farmers use none when used it is usually at 110th the amount used in developed world---overuse is NOT an environmental issue at this point
Microdosing of Fertilizer
Agro-dealers ndash provide right sizepackaging at affordable prices and have
greatly expanded access to fertilizer
But will it be tailored for local soils
Taken from Science 325680 (2009)
Greatly Enhanced Monitoring Capacities
200+ spectral channels to detect spectral reflectance curves--- weeds vs crops surface and chemical characteristics responses to stress
VisiblemdashNear IR Reflectance for soil mapping
Hyperspectral Imaging
Transferring knowledge to create appropriate local blends of fertilizer agronomic advice
Cheaper more accessible local soil sensingand more good soil chemistry on the ground
ButhelliphellipRising Energy Costs Have Driven Up
the Cost of Nitrogen Fertilizers
Nitrogen-fixing Cereals
Legume nodules Catalytic center of nitrogenase N‐fixing cereal
Low temperature catalysis for
reduction of N2 to ammonia
A molybdenum complex bearing PNP‐type pincer ligands leads to the catalytic reduction of dinitrogen into ammoniaKazuya Arashiba Yoshihiro Miyake amp Yoshiaki Nishibayashi
Nature Chemistry 3 120‐125 (2011)
The ldquoFarmerrsquos Dilemmardquo---and not just in Africa
bull Obvious need to return residues (crop and animal) to the soil yet these have other critical uses for the poormdashfuel building materials animal feeds etc
bull What materials might replace cropanimal residues to maintain soil quality
What about organic fertilizers
Soil Amendments
Ancient Amazonian Indians mayHave produced the unique and fertileldquoTerra Pretardquo soils found in Amazonia
Emerging field of re-creating BioCharthrough pyrolysis of organic matter
Still a need for much more chemistry
Compositions of biocharsInteractions with microorganismEfficacy for varying soil types
Taken from Abstract 129Lab of Gerard Cornelissen
Other Soil Amendments
bull Re-assessment of the potential for ZEOLITESAluminosilicate cages that trap and exchange cationswater
bull Soil amendmentswater holdingreleasing slow release of cationic nutrients
bull Also for animal feeds (diarrhea smells)
bull Wastewater treatment
bull Cost and accessibility issues are a major limitation---mdashpotential of Kenyan deposits
bull Many other nano-structures for slow release
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
Making the Case for Translational Research
bull How might cutting edge research best feed into the pipeline for enhancing agricultural development
bull Challenges and opportunities
A Consortium of 15 International Agricultural Research Centers
Well-positioned to interact with both upstream and downstream partnersAnd a great resource for germplasm for all the mandate crops
Genomics and The Future of Plant Breeding
How much will be donehelliphellip
Here And how much here
Monsanto data for maizePlant Physiol 149 p10
Whole Genome Scanning Projects for
Maize Wheat and Sorghum
bull Develop cheapest platforms possible to identify and evaluate high density SNPs in key breeding populations
bull Create appropriate ldquotraining populationsrdquo through association of SNPS with standardized phenotypesmdashespecially important for complex traits that are hard to phenotype
bull The ultimate goal is to be able to predict phenotypes based upon molecular information to save time and avoid costly phenotypingin the field
bull Set the stage for use of GWS as a standardized breeding tool
Primary location El Batan Mexico
Mandate crops Maize and wheat
International CropsResearch Institute for the Semi‐Arid Tropics
Primary location Patancheru India
Mandate crops Sorghum pearl millet groundnut pigeon pea chickpea
Buthellipsome challenges
bull Keeping the costs manageable
bull Accurate and standardized phenotyping across broad environments for development of robust training populations for future predictive genome-wide association studies
bull Can the bioinformatics keep pace
bull Moving beyond the key cereals
bull Smart integration with local breeding efforts A need for centralizing genomics work in appropriate placesmdashbut where
Climate Change and Agriculturebull Example 1 Adapting crops too much water
o Technologies Hi thru-put DNA seq functional genomics molecular breeding
bull Example 2 The continuing and worsening threats of disease
o Technologies Cheaper and more accessible hi-thru-put diagnostics
bull Example 3 Predicting seasonal weather patternso Technologies remote sensing modeling
Excess flooding from monsoons in S and SE Asia lead to
gt1 billion USD losses to rice crop per year
Too Much WaterAn emerging success story
Primary location Los Banos Philippines
Mandate crop Rice
Lab of Pam Ronald
Lab of Julia Bailey‐Serres
The Sub1 LocusA major QTL on rice chromosome 9 that confers high
tolerance to flooding (survival up to 10 days more)
Dave Mackill and colleagues IRRI identified Sub1 LocusSub1 now introgressed through MAB into a number ofmega‐varieties and others of regional importance
How does Sub1A work
Taken from Fukao Yeung and Bailey‐Serres Plant Cell 23 412 2011
Animal and Plant Diseases Greatly Limit Productivity
bull Of the 15 major animal diseases 12 are found in the sub-Saharan Africa (eg Rift Valley Fever Trypanosomiasis foot and mouth disease)
bull Geminiviruses are a threat to crops world-wide and some are unique to Africa (pandemic of cassava mosaic disease maize streak virus)
bull Poor agronomic practices and low use of fungicides also limit crop productivity
bull Poor storage conditions also favor diseases and affect food safety and limit export potential (eg aflatoxins in maize groundnuts)
bull Weak networks for diagnostics
Faster and Cheaper Diagnostics
Drawing on advances in genomics and nanotechnology
Hi thru-put facilities located in regional centers of excellence
Predicting Seasonal Weather
Farmers make decisions based on their own best guess as to when the rains will come
bull Type of crop to grow hybrid vs saved seedbull Fertilizer applicationsbull Timing when to plant
Several satellite-based tools have
become available in the last decade
TRMM AMSR-E MODI GRACE
Detect precise changes in precipitation Global cycling of moisture from clouds winds soilsGenerate global maps of land surface characteristicsDetect changes in gravity fields due to ice melt
A Need for More Local Data
and Better Models
bull Ground radars other ground based monitoring sites
bull There are fewer rain gauge stations in the Sahel now than there were in 1921
bull US-AID-supported FEWS-NET---Africa Haiti Latin America Afghanistanmdashearly warning system for food security alerts
o Remote and ground-based sensingo Use of improved models for
prediction
African soils are some of the most degraded and least
fertile in the world
What about Inorganic Fertilizer
bull Cost to farmers in sub-Saharan Africa 2-4X that of US farmer Poor transport options and inability to purchase large quantities are major issues
bull Costs have doubled in recent years primarily due to rising energy costs
bull Most farmers use none when used it is usually at 110th the amount used in developed world---overuse is NOT an environmental issue at this point
Microdosing of Fertilizer
Agro-dealers ndash provide right sizepackaging at affordable prices and have
greatly expanded access to fertilizer
But will it be tailored for local soils
Taken from Science 325680 (2009)
Greatly Enhanced Monitoring Capacities
200+ spectral channels to detect spectral reflectance curves--- weeds vs crops surface and chemical characteristics responses to stress
VisiblemdashNear IR Reflectance for soil mapping
Hyperspectral Imaging
Transferring knowledge to create appropriate local blends of fertilizer agronomic advice
Cheaper more accessible local soil sensingand more good soil chemistry on the ground
ButhelliphellipRising Energy Costs Have Driven Up
the Cost of Nitrogen Fertilizers
Nitrogen-fixing Cereals
Legume nodules Catalytic center of nitrogenase N‐fixing cereal
Low temperature catalysis for
reduction of N2 to ammonia
A molybdenum complex bearing PNP‐type pincer ligands leads to the catalytic reduction of dinitrogen into ammoniaKazuya Arashiba Yoshihiro Miyake amp Yoshiaki Nishibayashi
Nature Chemistry 3 120‐125 (2011)
The ldquoFarmerrsquos Dilemmardquo---and not just in Africa
bull Obvious need to return residues (crop and animal) to the soil yet these have other critical uses for the poormdashfuel building materials animal feeds etc
bull What materials might replace cropanimal residues to maintain soil quality
What about organic fertilizers
Soil Amendments
Ancient Amazonian Indians mayHave produced the unique and fertileldquoTerra Pretardquo soils found in Amazonia
Emerging field of re-creating BioCharthrough pyrolysis of organic matter
Still a need for much more chemistry
Compositions of biocharsInteractions with microorganismEfficacy for varying soil types
Taken from Abstract 129Lab of Gerard Cornelissen
Other Soil Amendments
bull Re-assessment of the potential for ZEOLITESAluminosilicate cages that trap and exchange cationswater
bull Soil amendmentswater holdingreleasing slow release of cationic nutrients
bull Also for animal feeds (diarrhea smells)
bull Wastewater treatment
bull Cost and accessibility issues are a major limitation---mdashpotential of Kenyan deposits
bull Many other nano-structures for slow release
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
A Consortium of 15 International Agricultural Research Centers
Well-positioned to interact with both upstream and downstream partnersAnd a great resource for germplasm for all the mandate crops
Genomics and The Future of Plant Breeding
How much will be donehelliphellip
Here And how much here
Monsanto data for maizePlant Physiol 149 p10
Whole Genome Scanning Projects for
Maize Wheat and Sorghum
bull Develop cheapest platforms possible to identify and evaluate high density SNPs in key breeding populations
bull Create appropriate ldquotraining populationsrdquo through association of SNPS with standardized phenotypesmdashespecially important for complex traits that are hard to phenotype
bull The ultimate goal is to be able to predict phenotypes based upon molecular information to save time and avoid costly phenotypingin the field
bull Set the stage for use of GWS as a standardized breeding tool
Primary location El Batan Mexico
Mandate crops Maize and wheat
International CropsResearch Institute for the Semi‐Arid Tropics
Primary location Patancheru India
Mandate crops Sorghum pearl millet groundnut pigeon pea chickpea
Buthellipsome challenges
bull Keeping the costs manageable
bull Accurate and standardized phenotyping across broad environments for development of robust training populations for future predictive genome-wide association studies
bull Can the bioinformatics keep pace
bull Moving beyond the key cereals
bull Smart integration with local breeding efforts A need for centralizing genomics work in appropriate placesmdashbut where
Climate Change and Agriculturebull Example 1 Adapting crops too much water
o Technologies Hi thru-put DNA seq functional genomics molecular breeding
bull Example 2 The continuing and worsening threats of disease
o Technologies Cheaper and more accessible hi-thru-put diagnostics
bull Example 3 Predicting seasonal weather patternso Technologies remote sensing modeling
Excess flooding from monsoons in S and SE Asia lead to
gt1 billion USD losses to rice crop per year
Too Much WaterAn emerging success story
Primary location Los Banos Philippines
Mandate crop Rice
Lab of Pam Ronald
Lab of Julia Bailey‐Serres
The Sub1 LocusA major QTL on rice chromosome 9 that confers high
tolerance to flooding (survival up to 10 days more)
Dave Mackill and colleagues IRRI identified Sub1 LocusSub1 now introgressed through MAB into a number ofmega‐varieties and others of regional importance
How does Sub1A work
Taken from Fukao Yeung and Bailey‐Serres Plant Cell 23 412 2011
Animal and Plant Diseases Greatly Limit Productivity
bull Of the 15 major animal diseases 12 are found in the sub-Saharan Africa (eg Rift Valley Fever Trypanosomiasis foot and mouth disease)
bull Geminiviruses are a threat to crops world-wide and some are unique to Africa (pandemic of cassava mosaic disease maize streak virus)
bull Poor agronomic practices and low use of fungicides also limit crop productivity
bull Poor storage conditions also favor diseases and affect food safety and limit export potential (eg aflatoxins in maize groundnuts)
bull Weak networks for diagnostics
Faster and Cheaper Diagnostics
Drawing on advances in genomics and nanotechnology
Hi thru-put facilities located in regional centers of excellence
Predicting Seasonal Weather
Farmers make decisions based on their own best guess as to when the rains will come
bull Type of crop to grow hybrid vs saved seedbull Fertilizer applicationsbull Timing when to plant
Several satellite-based tools have
become available in the last decade
TRMM AMSR-E MODI GRACE
Detect precise changes in precipitation Global cycling of moisture from clouds winds soilsGenerate global maps of land surface characteristicsDetect changes in gravity fields due to ice melt
A Need for More Local Data
and Better Models
bull Ground radars other ground based monitoring sites
bull There are fewer rain gauge stations in the Sahel now than there were in 1921
bull US-AID-supported FEWS-NET---Africa Haiti Latin America Afghanistanmdashearly warning system for food security alerts
o Remote and ground-based sensingo Use of improved models for
prediction
African soils are some of the most degraded and least
fertile in the world
What about Inorganic Fertilizer
bull Cost to farmers in sub-Saharan Africa 2-4X that of US farmer Poor transport options and inability to purchase large quantities are major issues
bull Costs have doubled in recent years primarily due to rising energy costs
bull Most farmers use none when used it is usually at 110th the amount used in developed world---overuse is NOT an environmental issue at this point
Microdosing of Fertilizer
Agro-dealers ndash provide right sizepackaging at affordable prices and have
greatly expanded access to fertilizer
But will it be tailored for local soils
Taken from Science 325680 (2009)
Greatly Enhanced Monitoring Capacities
200+ spectral channels to detect spectral reflectance curves--- weeds vs crops surface and chemical characteristics responses to stress
VisiblemdashNear IR Reflectance for soil mapping
Hyperspectral Imaging
Transferring knowledge to create appropriate local blends of fertilizer agronomic advice
Cheaper more accessible local soil sensingand more good soil chemistry on the ground
ButhelliphellipRising Energy Costs Have Driven Up
the Cost of Nitrogen Fertilizers
Nitrogen-fixing Cereals
Legume nodules Catalytic center of nitrogenase N‐fixing cereal
Low temperature catalysis for
reduction of N2 to ammonia
A molybdenum complex bearing PNP‐type pincer ligands leads to the catalytic reduction of dinitrogen into ammoniaKazuya Arashiba Yoshihiro Miyake amp Yoshiaki Nishibayashi
Nature Chemistry 3 120‐125 (2011)
The ldquoFarmerrsquos Dilemmardquo---and not just in Africa
bull Obvious need to return residues (crop and animal) to the soil yet these have other critical uses for the poormdashfuel building materials animal feeds etc
bull What materials might replace cropanimal residues to maintain soil quality
What about organic fertilizers
Soil Amendments
Ancient Amazonian Indians mayHave produced the unique and fertileldquoTerra Pretardquo soils found in Amazonia
Emerging field of re-creating BioCharthrough pyrolysis of organic matter
Still a need for much more chemistry
Compositions of biocharsInteractions with microorganismEfficacy for varying soil types
Taken from Abstract 129Lab of Gerard Cornelissen
Other Soil Amendments
bull Re-assessment of the potential for ZEOLITESAluminosilicate cages that trap and exchange cationswater
bull Soil amendmentswater holdingreleasing slow release of cationic nutrients
bull Also for animal feeds (diarrhea smells)
bull Wastewater treatment
bull Cost and accessibility issues are a major limitation---mdashpotential of Kenyan deposits
bull Many other nano-structures for slow release
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
Genomics and The Future of Plant Breeding
How much will be donehelliphellip
Here And how much here
Monsanto data for maizePlant Physiol 149 p10
Whole Genome Scanning Projects for
Maize Wheat and Sorghum
bull Develop cheapest platforms possible to identify and evaluate high density SNPs in key breeding populations
bull Create appropriate ldquotraining populationsrdquo through association of SNPS with standardized phenotypesmdashespecially important for complex traits that are hard to phenotype
bull The ultimate goal is to be able to predict phenotypes based upon molecular information to save time and avoid costly phenotypingin the field
bull Set the stage for use of GWS as a standardized breeding tool
Primary location El Batan Mexico
Mandate crops Maize and wheat
International CropsResearch Institute for the Semi‐Arid Tropics
Primary location Patancheru India
Mandate crops Sorghum pearl millet groundnut pigeon pea chickpea
Buthellipsome challenges
bull Keeping the costs manageable
bull Accurate and standardized phenotyping across broad environments for development of robust training populations for future predictive genome-wide association studies
bull Can the bioinformatics keep pace
bull Moving beyond the key cereals
bull Smart integration with local breeding efforts A need for centralizing genomics work in appropriate placesmdashbut where
Climate Change and Agriculturebull Example 1 Adapting crops too much water
o Technologies Hi thru-put DNA seq functional genomics molecular breeding
bull Example 2 The continuing and worsening threats of disease
o Technologies Cheaper and more accessible hi-thru-put diagnostics
bull Example 3 Predicting seasonal weather patternso Technologies remote sensing modeling
Excess flooding from monsoons in S and SE Asia lead to
gt1 billion USD losses to rice crop per year
Too Much WaterAn emerging success story
Primary location Los Banos Philippines
Mandate crop Rice
Lab of Pam Ronald
Lab of Julia Bailey‐Serres
The Sub1 LocusA major QTL on rice chromosome 9 that confers high
tolerance to flooding (survival up to 10 days more)
Dave Mackill and colleagues IRRI identified Sub1 LocusSub1 now introgressed through MAB into a number ofmega‐varieties and others of regional importance
How does Sub1A work
Taken from Fukao Yeung and Bailey‐Serres Plant Cell 23 412 2011
Animal and Plant Diseases Greatly Limit Productivity
bull Of the 15 major animal diseases 12 are found in the sub-Saharan Africa (eg Rift Valley Fever Trypanosomiasis foot and mouth disease)
bull Geminiviruses are a threat to crops world-wide and some are unique to Africa (pandemic of cassava mosaic disease maize streak virus)
bull Poor agronomic practices and low use of fungicides also limit crop productivity
bull Poor storage conditions also favor diseases and affect food safety and limit export potential (eg aflatoxins in maize groundnuts)
bull Weak networks for diagnostics
Faster and Cheaper Diagnostics
Drawing on advances in genomics and nanotechnology
Hi thru-put facilities located in regional centers of excellence
Predicting Seasonal Weather
Farmers make decisions based on their own best guess as to when the rains will come
bull Type of crop to grow hybrid vs saved seedbull Fertilizer applicationsbull Timing when to plant
Several satellite-based tools have
become available in the last decade
TRMM AMSR-E MODI GRACE
Detect precise changes in precipitation Global cycling of moisture from clouds winds soilsGenerate global maps of land surface characteristicsDetect changes in gravity fields due to ice melt
A Need for More Local Data
and Better Models
bull Ground radars other ground based monitoring sites
bull There are fewer rain gauge stations in the Sahel now than there were in 1921
bull US-AID-supported FEWS-NET---Africa Haiti Latin America Afghanistanmdashearly warning system for food security alerts
o Remote and ground-based sensingo Use of improved models for
prediction
African soils are some of the most degraded and least
fertile in the world
What about Inorganic Fertilizer
bull Cost to farmers in sub-Saharan Africa 2-4X that of US farmer Poor transport options and inability to purchase large quantities are major issues
bull Costs have doubled in recent years primarily due to rising energy costs
bull Most farmers use none when used it is usually at 110th the amount used in developed world---overuse is NOT an environmental issue at this point
Microdosing of Fertilizer
Agro-dealers ndash provide right sizepackaging at affordable prices and have
greatly expanded access to fertilizer
But will it be tailored for local soils
Taken from Science 325680 (2009)
Greatly Enhanced Monitoring Capacities
200+ spectral channels to detect spectral reflectance curves--- weeds vs crops surface and chemical characteristics responses to stress
VisiblemdashNear IR Reflectance for soil mapping
Hyperspectral Imaging
Transferring knowledge to create appropriate local blends of fertilizer agronomic advice
Cheaper more accessible local soil sensingand more good soil chemistry on the ground
ButhelliphellipRising Energy Costs Have Driven Up
the Cost of Nitrogen Fertilizers
Nitrogen-fixing Cereals
Legume nodules Catalytic center of nitrogenase N‐fixing cereal
Low temperature catalysis for
reduction of N2 to ammonia
A molybdenum complex bearing PNP‐type pincer ligands leads to the catalytic reduction of dinitrogen into ammoniaKazuya Arashiba Yoshihiro Miyake amp Yoshiaki Nishibayashi
Nature Chemistry 3 120‐125 (2011)
The ldquoFarmerrsquos Dilemmardquo---and not just in Africa
bull Obvious need to return residues (crop and animal) to the soil yet these have other critical uses for the poormdashfuel building materials animal feeds etc
bull What materials might replace cropanimal residues to maintain soil quality
What about organic fertilizers
Soil Amendments
Ancient Amazonian Indians mayHave produced the unique and fertileldquoTerra Pretardquo soils found in Amazonia
Emerging field of re-creating BioCharthrough pyrolysis of organic matter
Still a need for much more chemistry
Compositions of biocharsInteractions with microorganismEfficacy for varying soil types
Taken from Abstract 129Lab of Gerard Cornelissen
Other Soil Amendments
bull Re-assessment of the potential for ZEOLITESAluminosilicate cages that trap and exchange cationswater
bull Soil amendmentswater holdingreleasing slow release of cationic nutrients
bull Also for animal feeds (diarrhea smells)
bull Wastewater treatment
bull Cost and accessibility issues are a major limitation---mdashpotential of Kenyan deposits
bull Many other nano-structures for slow release
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
Whole Genome Scanning Projects for
Maize Wheat and Sorghum
bull Develop cheapest platforms possible to identify and evaluate high density SNPs in key breeding populations
bull Create appropriate ldquotraining populationsrdquo through association of SNPS with standardized phenotypesmdashespecially important for complex traits that are hard to phenotype
bull The ultimate goal is to be able to predict phenotypes based upon molecular information to save time and avoid costly phenotypingin the field
bull Set the stage for use of GWS as a standardized breeding tool
Primary location El Batan Mexico
Mandate crops Maize and wheat
International CropsResearch Institute for the Semi‐Arid Tropics
Primary location Patancheru India
Mandate crops Sorghum pearl millet groundnut pigeon pea chickpea
Buthellipsome challenges
bull Keeping the costs manageable
bull Accurate and standardized phenotyping across broad environments for development of robust training populations for future predictive genome-wide association studies
bull Can the bioinformatics keep pace
bull Moving beyond the key cereals
bull Smart integration with local breeding efforts A need for centralizing genomics work in appropriate placesmdashbut where
Climate Change and Agriculturebull Example 1 Adapting crops too much water
o Technologies Hi thru-put DNA seq functional genomics molecular breeding
bull Example 2 The continuing and worsening threats of disease
o Technologies Cheaper and more accessible hi-thru-put diagnostics
bull Example 3 Predicting seasonal weather patternso Technologies remote sensing modeling
Excess flooding from monsoons in S and SE Asia lead to
gt1 billion USD losses to rice crop per year
Too Much WaterAn emerging success story
Primary location Los Banos Philippines
Mandate crop Rice
Lab of Pam Ronald
Lab of Julia Bailey‐Serres
The Sub1 LocusA major QTL on rice chromosome 9 that confers high
tolerance to flooding (survival up to 10 days more)
Dave Mackill and colleagues IRRI identified Sub1 LocusSub1 now introgressed through MAB into a number ofmega‐varieties and others of regional importance
How does Sub1A work
Taken from Fukao Yeung and Bailey‐Serres Plant Cell 23 412 2011
Animal and Plant Diseases Greatly Limit Productivity
bull Of the 15 major animal diseases 12 are found in the sub-Saharan Africa (eg Rift Valley Fever Trypanosomiasis foot and mouth disease)
bull Geminiviruses are a threat to crops world-wide and some are unique to Africa (pandemic of cassava mosaic disease maize streak virus)
bull Poor agronomic practices and low use of fungicides also limit crop productivity
bull Poor storage conditions also favor diseases and affect food safety and limit export potential (eg aflatoxins in maize groundnuts)
bull Weak networks for diagnostics
Faster and Cheaper Diagnostics
Drawing on advances in genomics and nanotechnology
Hi thru-put facilities located in regional centers of excellence
Predicting Seasonal Weather
Farmers make decisions based on their own best guess as to when the rains will come
bull Type of crop to grow hybrid vs saved seedbull Fertilizer applicationsbull Timing when to plant
Several satellite-based tools have
become available in the last decade
TRMM AMSR-E MODI GRACE
Detect precise changes in precipitation Global cycling of moisture from clouds winds soilsGenerate global maps of land surface characteristicsDetect changes in gravity fields due to ice melt
A Need for More Local Data
and Better Models
bull Ground radars other ground based monitoring sites
bull There are fewer rain gauge stations in the Sahel now than there were in 1921
bull US-AID-supported FEWS-NET---Africa Haiti Latin America Afghanistanmdashearly warning system for food security alerts
o Remote and ground-based sensingo Use of improved models for
prediction
African soils are some of the most degraded and least
fertile in the world
What about Inorganic Fertilizer
bull Cost to farmers in sub-Saharan Africa 2-4X that of US farmer Poor transport options and inability to purchase large quantities are major issues
bull Costs have doubled in recent years primarily due to rising energy costs
bull Most farmers use none when used it is usually at 110th the amount used in developed world---overuse is NOT an environmental issue at this point
Microdosing of Fertilizer
Agro-dealers ndash provide right sizepackaging at affordable prices and have
greatly expanded access to fertilizer
But will it be tailored for local soils
Taken from Science 325680 (2009)
Greatly Enhanced Monitoring Capacities
200+ spectral channels to detect spectral reflectance curves--- weeds vs crops surface and chemical characteristics responses to stress
VisiblemdashNear IR Reflectance for soil mapping
Hyperspectral Imaging
Transferring knowledge to create appropriate local blends of fertilizer agronomic advice
Cheaper more accessible local soil sensingand more good soil chemistry on the ground
ButhelliphellipRising Energy Costs Have Driven Up
the Cost of Nitrogen Fertilizers
Nitrogen-fixing Cereals
Legume nodules Catalytic center of nitrogenase N‐fixing cereal
Low temperature catalysis for
reduction of N2 to ammonia
A molybdenum complex bearing PNP‐type pincer ligands leads to the catalytic reduction of dinitrogen into ammoniaKazuya Arashiba Yoshihiro Miyake amp Yoshiaki Nishibayashi
Nature Chemistry 3 120‐125 (2011)
The ldquoFarmerrsquos Dilemmardquo---and not just in Africa
bull Obvious need to return residues (crop and animal) to the soil yet these have other critical uses for the poormdashfuel building materials animal feeds etc
bull What materials might replace cropanimal residues to maintain soil quality
What about organic fertilizers
Soil Amendments
Ancient Amazonian Indians mayHave produced the unique and fertileldquoTerra Pretardquo soils found in Amazonia
Emerging field of re-creating BioCharthrough pyrolysis of organic matter
Still a need for much more chemistry
Compositions of biocharsInteractions with microorganismEfficacy for varying soil types
Taken from Abstract 129Lab of Gerard Cornelissen
Other Soil Amendments
bull Re-assessment of the potential for ZEOLITESAluminosilicate cages that trap and exchange cationswater
bull Soil amendmentswater holdingreleasing slow release of cationic nutrients
bull Also for animal feeds (diarrhea smells)
bull Wastewater treatment
bull Cost and accessibility issues are a major limitation---mdashpotential of Kenyan deposits
bull Many other nano-structures for slow release
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
Primary location El Batan Mexico
Mandate crops Maize and wheat
International CropsResearch Institute for the Semi‐Arid Tropics
Primary location Patancheru India
Mandate crops Sorghum pearl millet groundnut pigeon pea chickpea
Buthellipsome challenges
bull Keeping the costs manageable
bull Accurate and standardized phenotyping across broad environments for development of robust training populations for future predictive genome-wide association studies
bull Can the bioinformatics keep pace
bull Moving beyond the key cereals
bull Smart integration with local breeding efforts A need for centralizing genomics work in appropriate placesmdashbut where
Climate Change and Agriculturebull Example 1 Adapting crops too much water
o Technologies Hi thru-put DNA seq functional genomics molecular breeding
bull Example 2 The continuing and worsening threats of disease
o Technologies Cheaper and more accessible hi-thru-put diagnostics
bull Example 3 Predicting seasonal weather patternso Technologies remote sensing modeling
Excess flooding from monsoons in S and SE Asia lead to
gt1 billion USD losses to rice crop per year
Too Much WaterAn emerging success story
Primary location Los Banos Philippines
Mandate crop Rice
Lab of Pam Ronald
Lab of Julia Bailey‐Serres
The Sub1 LocusA major QTL on rice chromosome 9 that confers high
tolerance to flooding (survival up to 10 days more)
Dave Mackill and colleagues IRRI identified Sub1 LocusSub1 now introgressed through MAB into a number ofmega‐varieties and others of regional importance
How does Sub1A work
Taken from Fukao Yeung and Bailey‐Serres Plant Cell 23 412 2011
Animal and Plant Diseases Greatly Limit Productivity
bull Of the 15 major animal diseases 12 are found in the sub-Saharan Africa (eg Rift Valley Fever Trypanosomiasis foot and mouth disease)
bull Geminiviruses are a threat to crops world-wide and some are unique to Africa (pandemic of cassava mosaic disease maize streak virus)
bull Poor agronomic practices and low use of fungicides also limit crop productivity
bull Poor storage conditions also favor diseases and affect food safety and limit export potential (eg aflatoxins in maize groundnuts)
bull Weak networks for diagnostics
Faster and Cheaper Diagnostics
Drawing on advances in genomics and nanotechnology
Hi thru-put facilities located in regional centers of excellence
Predicting Seasonal Weather
Farmers make decisions based on their own best guess as to when the rains will come
bull Type of crop to grow hybrid vs saved seedbull Fertilizer applicationsbull Timing when to plant
Several satellite-based tools have
become available in the last decade
TRMM AMSR-E MODI GRACE
Detect precise changes in precipitation Global cycling of moisture from clouds winds soilsGenerate global maps of land surface characteristicsDetect changes in gravity fields due to ice melt
A Need for More Local Data
and Better Models
bull Ground radars other ground based monitoring sites
bull There are fewer rain gauge stations in the Sahel now than there were in 1921
bull US-AID-supported FEWS-NET---Africa Haiti Latin America Afghanistanmdashearly warning system for food security alerts
o Remote and ground-based sensingo Use of improved models for
prediction
African soils are some of the most degraded and least
fertile in the world
What about Inorganic Fertilizer
bull Cost to farmers in sub-Saharan Africa 2-4X that of US farmer Poor transport options and inability to purchase large quantities are major issues
bull Costs have doubled in recent years primarily due to rising energy costs
bull Most farmers use none when used it is usually at 110th the amount used in developed world---overuse is NOT an environmental issue at this point
Microdosing of Fertilizer
Agro-dealers ndash provide right sizepackaging at affordable prices and have
greatly expanded access to fertilizer
But will it be tailored for local soils
Taken from Science 325680 (2009)
Greatly Enhanced Monitoring Capacities
200+ spectral channels to detect spectral reflectance curves--- weeds vs crops surface and chemical characteristics responses to stress
VisiblemdashNear IR Reflectance for soil mapping
Hyperspectral Imaging
Transferring knowledge to create appropriate local blends of fertilizer agronomic advice
Cheaper more accessible local soil sensingand more good soil chemistry on the ground
ButhelliphellipRising Energy Costs Have Driven Up
the Cost of Nitrogen Fertilizers
Nitrogen-fixing Cereals
Legume nodules Catalytic center of nitrogenase N‐fixing cereal
Low temperature catalysis for
reduction of N2 to ammonia
A molybdenum complex bearing PNP‐type pincer ligands leads to the catalytic reduction of dinitrogen into ammoniaKazuya Arashiba Yoshihiro Miyake amp Yoshiaki Nishibayashi
Nature Chemistry 3 120‐125 (2011)
The ldquoFarmerrsquos Dilemmardquo---and not just in Africa
bull Obvious need to return residues (crop and animal) to the soil yet these have other critical uses for the poormdashfuel building materials animal feeds etc
bull What materials might replace cropanimal residues to maintain soil quality
What about organic fertilizers
Soil Amendments
Ancient Amazonian Indians mayHave produced the unique and fertileldquoTerra Pretardquo soils found in Amazonia
Emerging field of re-creating BioCharthrough pyrolysis of organic matter
Still a need for much more chemistry
Compositions of biocharsInteractions with microorganismEfficacy for varying soil types
Taken from Abstract 129Lab of Gerard Cornelissen
Other Soil Amendments
bull Re-assessment of the potential for ZEOLITESAluminosilicate cages that trap and exchange cationswater
bull Soil amendmentswater holdingreleasing slow release of cationic nutrients
bull Also for animal feeds (diarrhea smells)
bull Wastewater treatment
bull Cost and accessibility issues are a major limitation---mdashpotential of Kenyan deposits
bull Many other nano-structures for slow release
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
Buthellipsome challenges
bull Keeping the costs manageable
bull Accurate and standardized phenotyping across broad environments for development of robust training populations for future predictive genome-wide association studies
bull Can the bioinformatics keep pace
bull Moving beyond the key cereals
bull Smart integration with local breeding efforts A need for centralizing genomics work in appropriate placesmdashbut where
Climate Change and Agriculturebull Example 1 Adapting crops too much water
o Technologies Hi thru-put DNA seq functional genomics molecular breeding
bull Example 2 The continuing and worsening threats of disease
o Technologies Cheaper and more accessible hi-thru-put diagnostics
bull Example 3 Predicting seasonal weather patternso Technologies remote sensing modeling
Excess flooding from monsoons in S and SE Asia lead to
gt1 billion USD losses to rice crop per year
Too Much WaterAn emerging success story
Primary location Los Banos Philippines
Mandate crop Rice
Lab of Pam Ronald
Lab of Julia Bailey‐Serres
The Sub1 LocusA major QTL on rice chromosome 9 that confers high
tolerance to flooding (survival up to 10 days more)
Dave Mackill and colleagues IRRI identified Sub1 LocusSub1 now introgressed through MAB into a number ofmega‐varieties and others of regional importance
How does Sub1A work
Taken from Fukao Yeung and Bailey‐Serres Plant Cell 23 412 2011
Animal and Plant Diseases Greatly Limit Productivity
bull Of the 15 major animal diseases 12 are found in the sub-Saharan Africa (eg Rift Valley Fever Trypanosomiasis foot and mouth disease)
bull Geminiviruses are a threat to crops world-wide and some are unique to Africa (pandemic of cassava mosaic disease maize streak virus)
bull Poor agronomic practices and low use of fungicides also limit crop productivity
bull Poor storage conditions also favor diseases and affect food safety and limit export potential (eg aflatoxins in maize groundnuts)
bull Weak networks for diagnostics
Faster and Cheaper Diagnostics
Drawing on advances in genomics and nanotechnology
Hi thru-put facilities located in regional centers of excellence
Predicting Seasonal Weather
Farmers make decisions based on their own best guess as to when the rains will come
bull Type of crop to grow hybrid vs saved seedbull Fertilizer applicationsbull Timing when to plant
Several satellite-based tools have
become available in the last decade
TRMM AMSR-E MODI GRACE
Detect precise changes in precipitation Global cycling of moisture from clouds winds soilsGenerate global maps of land surface characteristicsDetect changes in gravity fields due to ice melt
A Need for More Local Data
and Better Models
bull Ground radars other ground based monitoring sites
bull There are fewer rain gauge stations in the Sahel now than there were in 1921
bull US-AID-supported FEWS-NET---Africa Haiti Latin America Afghanistanmdashearly warning system for food security alerts
o Remote and ground-based sensingo Use of improved models for
prediction
African soils are some of the most degraded and least
fertile in the world
What about Inorganic Fertilizer
bull Cost to farmers in sub-Saharan Africa 2-4X that of US farmer Poor transport options and inability to purchase large quantities are major issues
bull Costs have doubled in recent years primarily due to rising energy costs
bull Most farmers use none when used it is usually at 110th the amount used in developed world---overuse is NOT an environmental issue at this point
Microdosing of Fertilizer
Agro-dealers ndash provide right sizepackaging at affordable prices and have
greatly expanded access to fertilizer
But will it be tailored for local soils
Taken from Science 325680 (2009)
Greatly Enhanced Monitoring Capacities
200+ spectral channels to detect spectral reflectance curves--- weeds vs crops surface and chemical characteristics responses to stress
VisiblemdashNear IR Reflectance for soil mapping
Hyperspectral Imaging
Transferring knowledge to create appropriate local blends of fertilizer agronomic advice
Cheaper more accessible local soil sensingand more good soil chemistry on the ground
ButhelliphellipRising Energy Costs Have Driven Up
the Cost of Nitrogen Fertilizers
Nitrogen-fixing Cereals
Legume nodules Catalytic center of nitrogenase N‐fixing cereal
Low temperature catalysis for
reduction of N2 to ammonia
A molybdenum complex bearing PNP‐type pincer ligands leads to the catalytic reduction of dinitrogen into ammoniaKazuya Arashiba Yoshihiro Miyake amp Yoshiaki Nishibayashi
Nature Chemistry 3 120‐125 (2011)
The ldquoFarmerrsquos Dilemmardquo---and not just in Africa
bull Obvious need to return residues (crop and animal) to the soil yet these have other critical uses for the poormdashfuel building materials animal feeds etc
bull What materials might replace cropanimal residues to maintain soil quality
What about organic fertilizers
Soil Amendments
Ancient Amazonian Indians mayHave produced the unique and fertileldquoTerra Pretardquo soils found in Amazonia
Emerging field of re-creating BioCharthrough pyrolysis of organic matter
Still a need for much more chemistry
Compositions of biocharsInteractions with microorganismEfficacy for varying soil types
Taken from Abstract 129Lab of Gerard Cornelissen
Other Soil Amendments
bull Re-assessment of the potential for ZEOLITESAluminosilicate cages that trap and exchange cationswater
bull Soil amendmentswater holdingreleasing slow release of cationic nutrients
bull Also for animal feeds (diarrhea smells)
bull Wastewater treatment
bull Cost and accessibility issues are a major limitation---mdashpotential of Kenyan deposits
bull Many other nano-structures for slow release
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
Climate Change and Agriculturebull Example 1 Adapting crops too much water
o Technologies Hi thru-put DNA seq functional genomics molecular breeding
bull Example 2 The continuing and worsening threats of disease
o Technologies Cheaper and more accessible hi-thru-put diagnostics
bull Example 3 Predicting seasonal weather patternso Technologies remote sensing modeling
Excess flooding from monsoons in S and SE Asia lead to
gt1 billion USD losses to rice crop per year
Too Much WaterAn emerging success story
Primary location Los Banos Philippines
Mandate crop Rice
Lab of Pam Ronald
Lab of Julia Bailey‐Serres
The Sub1 LocusA major QTL on rice chromosome 9 that confers high
tolerance to flooding (survival up to 10 days more)
Dave Mackill and colleagues IRRI identified Sub1 LocusSub1 now introgressed through MAB into a number ofmega‐varieties and others of regional importance
How does Sub1A work
Taken from Fukao Yeung and Bailey‐Serres Plant Cell 23 412 2011
Animal and Plant Diseases Greatly Limit Productivity
bull Of the 15 major animal diseases 12 are found in the sub-Saharan Africa (eg Rift Valley Fever Trypanosomiasis foot and mouth disease)
bull Geminiviruses are a threat to crops world-wide and some are unique to Africa (pandemic of cassava mosaic disease maize streak virus)
bull Poor agronomic practices and low use of fungicides also limit crop productivity
bull Poor storage conditions also favor diseases and affect food safety and limit export potential (eg aflatoxins in maize groundnuts)
bull Weak networks for diagnostics
Faster and Cheaper Diagnostics
Drawing on advances in genomics and nanotechnology
Hi thru-put facilities located in regional centers of excellence
Predicting Seasonal Weather
Farmers make decisions based on their own best guess as to when the rains will come
bull Type of crop to grow hybrid vs saved seedbull Fertilizer applicationsbull Timing when to plant
Several satellite-based tools have
become available in the last decade
TRMM AMSR-E MODI GRACE
Detect precise changes in precipitation Global cycling of moisture from clouds winds soilsGenerate global maps of land surface characteristicsDetect changes in gravity fields due to ice melt
A Need for More Local Data
and Better Models
bull Ground radars other ground based monitoring sites
bull There are fewer rain gauge stations in the Sahel now than there were in 1921
bull US-AID-supported FEWS-NET---Africa Haiti Latin America Afghanistanmdashearly warning system for food security alerts
o Remote and ground-based sensingo Use of improved models for
prediction
African soils are some of the most degraded and least
fertile in the world
What about Inorganic Fertilizer
bull Cost to farmers in sub-Saharan Africa 2-4X that of US farmer Poor transport options and inability to purchase large quantities are major issues
bull Costs have doubled in recent years primarily due to rising energy costs
bull Most farmers use none when used it is usually at 110th the amount used in developed world---overuse is NOT an environmental issue at this point
Microdosing of Fertilizer
Agro-dealers ndash provide right sizepackaging at affordable prices and have
greatly expanded access to fertilizer
But will it be tailored for local soils
Taken from Science 325680 (2009)
Greatly Enhanced Monitoring Capacities
200+ spectral channels to detect spectral reflectance curves--- weeds vs crops surface and chemical characteristics responses to stress
VisiblemdashNear IR Reflectance for soil mapping
Hyperspectral Imaging
Transferring knowledge to create appropriate local blends of fertilizer agronomic advice
Cheaper more accessible local soil sensingand more good soil chemistry on the ground
ButhelliphellipRising Energy Costs Have Driven Up
the Cost of Nitrogen Fertilizers
Nitrogen-fixing Cereals
Legume nodules Catalytic center of nitrogenase N‐fixing cereal
Low temperature catalysis for
reduction of N2 to ammonia
A molybdenum complex bearing PNP‐type pincer ligands leads to the catalytic reduction of dinitrogen into ammoniaKazuya Arashiba Yoshihiro Miyake amp Yoshiaki Nishibayashi
Nature Chemistry 3 120‐125 (2011)
The ldquoFarmerrsquos Dilemmardquo---and not just in Africa
bull Obvious need to return residues (crop and animal) to the soil yet these have other critical uses for the poormdashfuel building materials animal feeds etc
bull What materials might replace cropanimal residues to maintain soil quality
What about organic fertilizers
Soil Amendments
Ancient Amazonian Indians mayHave produced the unique and fertileldquoTerra Pretardquo soils found in Amazonia
Emerging field of re-creating BioCharthrough pyrolysis of organic matter
Still a need for much more chemistry
Compositions of biocharsInteractions with microorganismEfficacy for varying soil types
Taken from Abstract 129Lab of Gerard Cornelissen
Other Soil Amendments
bull Re-assessment of the potential for ZEOLITESAluminosilicate cages that trap and exchange cationswater
bull Soil amendmentswater holdingreleasing slow release of cationic nutrients
bull Also for animal feeds (diarrhea smells)
bull Wastewater treatment
bull Cost and accessibility issues are a major limitation---mdashpotential of Kenyan deposits
bull Many other nano-structures for slow release
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
Excess flooding from monsoons in S and SE Asia lead to
gt1 billion USD losses to rice crop per year
Too Much WaterAn emerging success story
Primary location Los Banos Philippines
Mandate crop Rice
Lab of Pam Ronald
Lab of Julia Bailey‐Serres
The Sub1 LocusA major QTL on rice chromosome 9 that confers high
tolerance to flooding (survival up to 10 days more)
Dave Mackill and colleagues IRRI identified Sub1 LocusSub1 now introgressed through MAB into a number ofmega‐varieties and others of regional importance
How does Sub1A work
Taken from Fukao Yeung and Bailey‐Serres Plant Cell 23 412 2011
Animal and Plant Diseases Greatly Limit Productivity
bull Of the 15 major animal diseases 12 are found in the sub-Saharan Africa (eg Rift Valley Fever Trypanosomiasis foot and mouth disease)
bull Geminiviruses are a threat to crops world-wide and some are unique to Africa (pandemic of cassava mosaic disease maize streak virus)
bull Poor agronomic practices and low use of fungicides also limit crop productivity
bull Poor storage conditions also favor diseases and affect food safety and limit export potential (eg aflatoxins in maize groundnuts)
bull Weak networks for diagnostics
Faster and Cheaper Diagnostics
Drawing on advances in genomics and nanotechnology
Hi thru-put facilities located in regional centers of excellence
Predicting Seasonal Weather
Farmers make decisions based on their own best guess as to when the rains will come
bull Type of crop to grow hybrid vs saved seedbull Fertilizer applicationsbull Timing when to plant
Several satellite-based tools have
become available in the last decade
TRMM AMSR-E MODI GRACE
Detect precise changes in precipitation Global cycling of moisture from clouds winds soilsGenerate global maps of land surface characteristicsDetect changes in gravity fields due to ice melt
A Need for More Local Data
and Better Models
bull Ground radars other ground based monitoring sites
bull There are fewer rain gauge stations in the Sahel now than there were in 1921
bull US-AID-supported FEWS-NET---Africa Haiti Latin America Afghanistanmdashearly warning system for food security alerts
o Remote and ground-based sensingo Use of improved models for
prediction
African soils are some of the most degraded and least
fertile in the world
What about Inorganic Fertilizer
bull Cost to farmers in sub-Saharan Africa 2-4X that of US farmer Poor transport options and inability to purchase large quantities are major issues
bull Costs have doubled in recent years primarily due to rising energy costs
bull Most farmers use none when used it is usually at 110th the amount used in developed world---overuse is NOT an environmental issue at this point
Microdosing of Fertilizer
Agro-dealers ndash provide right sizepackaging at affordable prices and have
greatly expanded access to fertilizer
But will it be tailored for local soils
Taken from Science 325680 (2009)
Greatly Enhanced Monitoring Capacities
200+ spectral channels to detect spectral reflectance curves--- weeds vs crops surface and chemical characteristics responses to stress
VisiblemdashNear IR Reflectance for soil mapping
Hyperspectral Imaging
Transferring knowledge to create appropriate local blends of fertilizer agronomic advice
Cheaper more accessible local soil sensingand more good soil chemistry on the ground
ButhelliphellipRising Energy Costs Have Driven Up
the Cost of Nitrogen Fertilizers
Nitrogen-fixing Cereals
Legume nodules Catalytic center of nitrogenase N‐fixing cereal
Low temperature catalysis for
reduction of N2 to ammonia
A molybdenum complex bearing PNP‐type pincer ligands leads to the catalytic reduction of dinitrogen into ammoniaKazuya Arashiba Yoshihiro Miyake amp Yoshiaki Nishibayashi
Nature Chemistry 3 120‐125 (2011)
The ldquoFarmerrsquos Dilemmardquo---and not just in Africa
bull Obvious need to return residues (crop and animal) to the soil yet these have other critical uses for the poormdashfuel building materials animal feeds etc
bull What materials might replace cropanimal residues to maintain soil quality
What about organic fertilizers
Soil Amendments
Ancient Amazonian Indians mayHave produced the unique and fertileldquoTerra Pretardquo soils found in Amazonia
Emerging field of re-creating BioCharthrough pyrolysis of organic matter
Still a need for much more chemistry
Compositions of biocharsInteractions with microorganismEfficacy for varying soil types
Taken from Abstract 129Lab of Gerard Cornelissen
Other Soil Amendments
bull Re-assessment of the potential for ZEOLITESAluminosilicate cages that trap and exchange cationswater
bull Soil amendmentswater holdingreleasing slow release of cationic nutrients
bull Also for animal feeds (diarrhea smells)
bull Wastewater treatment
bull Cost and accessibility issues are a major limitation---mdashpotential of Kenyan deposits
bull Many other nano-structures for slow release
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
Primary location Los Banos Philippines
Mandate crop Rice
Lab of Pam Ronald
Lab of Julia Bailey‐Serres
The Sub1 LocusA major QTL on rice chromosome 9 that confers high
tolerance to flooding (survival up to 10 days more)
Dave Mackill and colleagues IRRI identified Sub1 LocusSub1 now introgressed through MAB into a number ofmega‐varieties and others of regional importance
How does Sub1A work
Taken from Fukao Yeung and Bailey‐Serres Plant Cell 23 412 2011
Animal and Plant Diseases Greatly Limit Productivity
bull Of the 15 major animal diseases 12 are found in the sub-Saharan Africa (eg Rift Valley Fever Trypanosomiasis foot and mouth disease)
bull Geminiviruses are a threat to crops world-wide and some are unique to Africa (pandemic of cassava mosaic disease maize streak virus)
bull Poor agronomic practices and low use of fungicides also limit crop productivity
bull Poor storage conditions also favor diseases and affect food safety and limit export potential (eg aflatoxins in maize groundnuts)
bull Weak networks for diagnostics
Faster and Cheaper Diagnostics
Drawing on advances in genomics and nanotechnology
Hi thru-put facilities located in regional centers of excellence
Predicting Seasonal Weather
Farmers make decisions based on their own best guess as to when the rains will come
bull Type of crop to grow hybrid vs saved seedbull Fertilizer applicationsbull Timing when to plant
Several satellite-based tools have
become available in the last decade
TRMM AMSR-E MODI GRACE
Detect precise changes in precipitation Global cycling of moisture from clouds winds soilsGenerate global maps of land surface characteristicsDetect changes in gravity fields due to ice melt
A Need for More Local Data
and Better Models
bull Ground radars other ground based monitoring sites
bull There are fewer rain gauge stations in the Sahel now than there were in 1921
bull US-AID-supported FEWS-NET---Africa Haiti Latin America Afghanistanmdashearly warning system for food security alerts
o Remote and ground-based sensingo Use of improved models for
prediction
African soils are some of the most degraded and least
fertile in the world
What about Inorganic Fertilizer
bull Cost to farmers in sub-Saharan Africa 2-4X that of US farmer Poor transport options and inability to purchase large quantities are major issues
bull Costs have doubled in recent years primarily due to rising energy costs
bull Most farmers use none when used it is usually at 110th the amount used in developed world---overuse is NOT an environmental issue at this point
Microdosing of Fertilizer
Agro-dealers ndash provide right sizepackaging at affordable prices and have
greatly expanded access to fertilizer
But will it be tailored for local soils
Taken from Science 325680 (2009)
Greatly Enhanced Monitoring Capacities
200+ spectral channels to detect spectral reflectance curves--- weeds vs crops surface and chemical characteristics responses to stress
VisiblemdashNear IR Reflectance for soil mapping
Hyperspectral Imaging
Transferring knowledge to create appropriate local blends of fertilizer agronomic advice
Cheaper more accessible local soil sensingand more good soil chemistry on the ground
ButhelliphellipRising Energy Costs Have Driven Up
the Cost of Nitrogen Fertilizers
Nitrogen-fixing Cereals
Legume nodules Catalytic center of nitrogenase N‐fixing cereal
Low temperature catalysis for
reduction of N2 to ammonia
A molybdenum complex bearing PNP‐type pincer ligands leads to the catalytic reduction of dinitrogen into ammoniaKazuya Arashiba Yoshihiro Miyake amp Yoshiaki Nishibayashi
Nature Chemistry 3 120‐125 (2011)
The ldquoFarmerrsquos Dilemmardquo---and not just in Africa
bull Obvious need to return residues (crop and animal) to the soil yet these have other critical uses for the poormdashfuel building materials animal feeds etc
bull What materials might replace cropanimal residues to maintain soil quality
What about organic fertilizers
Soil Amendments
Ancient Amazonian Indians mayHave produced the unique and fertileldquoTerra Pretardquo soils found in Amazonia
Emerging field of re-creating BioCharthrough pyrolysis of organic matter
Still a need for much more chemistry
Compositions of biocharsInteractions with microorganismEfficacy for varying soil types
Taken from Abstract 129Lab of Gerard Cornelissen
Other Soil Amendments
bull Re-assessment of the potential for ZEOLITESAluminosilicate cages that trap and exchange cationswater
bull Soil amendmentswater holdingreleasing slow release of cationic nutrients
bull Also for animal feeds (diarrhea smells)
bull Wastewater treatment
bull Cost and accessibility issues are a major limitation---mdashpotential of Kenyan deposits
bull Many other nano-structures for slow release
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
The Sub1 LocusA major QTL on rice chromosome 9 that confers high
tolerance to flooding (survival up to 10 days more)
Dave Mackill and colleagues IRRI identified Sub1 LocusSub1 now introgressed through MAB into a number ofmega‐varieties and others of regional importance
How does Sub1A work
Taken from Fukao Yeung and Bailey‐Serres Plant Cell 23 412 2011
Animal and Plant Diseases Greatly Limit Productivity
bull Of the 15 major animal diseases 12 are found in the sub-Saharan Africa (eg Rift Valley Fever Trypanosomiasis foot and mouth disease)
bull Geminiviruses are a threat to crops world-wide and some are unique to Africa (pandemic of cassava mosaic disease maize streak virus)
bull Poor agronomic practices and low use of fungicides also limit crop productivity
bull Poor storage conditions also favor diseases and affect food safety and limit export potential (eg aflatoxins in maize groundnuts)
bull Weak networks for diagnostics
Faster and Cheaper Diagnostics
Drawing on advances in genomics and nanotechnology
Hi thru-put facilities located in regional centers of excellence
Predicting Seasonal Weather
Farmers make decisions based on their own best guess as to when the rains will come
bull Type of crop to grow hybrid vs saved seedbull Fertilizer applicationsbull Timing when to plant
Several satellite-based tools have
become available in the last decade
TRMM AMSR-E MODI GRACE
Detect precise changes in precipitation Global cycling of moisture from clouds winds soilsGenerate global maps of land surface characteristicsDetect changes in gravity fields due to ice melt
A Need for More Local Data
and Better Models
bull Ground radars other ground based monitoring sites
bull There are fewer rain gauge stations in the Sahel now than there were in 1921
bull US-AID-supported FEWS-NET---Africa Haiti Latin America Afghanistanmdashearly warning system for food security alerts
o Remote and ground-based sensingo Use of improved models for
prediction
African soils are some of the most degraded and least
fertile in the world
What about Inorganic Fertilizer
bull Cost to farmers in sub-Saharan Africa 2-4X that of US farmer Poor transport options and inability to purchase large quantities are major issues
bull Costs have doubled in recent years primarily due to rising energy costs
bull Most farmers use none when used it is usually at 110th the amount used in developed world---overuse is NOT an environmental issue at this point
Microdosing of Fertilizer
Agro-dealers ndash provide right sizepackaging at affordable prices and have
greatly expanded access to fertilizer
But will it be tailored for local soils
Taken from Science 325680 (2009)
Greatly Enhanced Monitoring Capacities
200+ spectral channels to detect spectral reflectance curves--- weeds vs crops surface and chemical characteristics responses to stress
VisiblemdashNear IR Reflectance for soil mapping
Hyperspectral Imaging
Transferring knowledge to create appropriate local blends of fertilizer agronomic advice
Cheaper more accessible local soil sensingand more good soil chemistry on the ground
ButhelliphellipRising Energy Costs Have Driven Up
the Cost of Nitrogen Fertilizers
Nitrogen-fixing Cereals
Legume nodules Catalytic center of nitrogenase N‐fixing cereal
Low temperature catalysis for
reduction of N2 to ammonia
A molybdenum complex bearing PNP‐type pincer ligands leads to the catalytic reduction of dinitrogen into ammoniaKazuya Arashiba Yoshihiro Miyake amp Yoshiaki Nishibayashi
Nature Chemistry 3 120‐125 (2011)
The ldquoFarmerrsquos Dilemmardquo---and not just in Africa
bull Obvious need to return residues (crop and animal) to the soil yet these have other critical uses for the poormdashfuel building materials animal feeds etc
bull What materials might replace cropanimal residues to maintain soil quality
What about organic fertilizers
Soil Amendments
Ancient Amazonian Indians mayHave produced the unique and fertileldquoTerra Pretardquo soils found in Amazonia
Emerging field of re-creating BioCharthrough pyrolysis of organic matter
Still a need for much more chemistry
Compositions of biocharsInteractions with microorganismEfficacy for varying soil types
Taken from Abstract 129Lab of Gerard Cornelissen
Other Soil Amendments
bull Re-assessment of the potential for ZEOLITESAluminosilicate cages that trap and exchange cationswater
bull Soil amendmentswater holdingreleasing slow release of cationic nutrients
bull Also for animal feeds (diarrhea smells)
bull Wastewater treatment
bull Cost and accessibility issues are a major limitation---mdashpotential of Kenyan deposits
bull Many other nano-structures for slow release
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
How does Sub1A work
Taken from Fukao Yeung and Bailey‐Serres Plant Cell 23 412 2011
Animal and Plant Diseases Greatly Limit Productivity
bull Of the 15 major animal diseases 12 are found in the sub-Saharan Africa (eg Rift Valley Fever Trypanosomiasis foot and mouth disease)
bull Geminiviruses are a threat to crops world-wide and some are unique to Africa (pandemic of cassava mosaic disease maize streak virus)
bull Poor agronomic practices and low use of fungicides also limit crop productivity
bull Poor storage conditions also favor diseases and affect food safety and limit export potential (eg aflatoxins in maize groundnuts)
bull Weak networks for diagnostics
Faster and Cheaper Diagnostics
Drawing on advances in genomics and nanotechnology
Hi thru-put facilities located in regional centers of excellence
Predicting Seasonal Weather
Farmers make decisions based on their own best guess as to when the rains will come
bull Type of crop to grow hybrid vs saved seedbull Fertilizer applicationsbull Timing when to plant
Several satellite-based tools have
become available in the last decade
TRMM AMSR-E MODI GRACE
Detect precise changes in precipitation Global cycling of moisture from clouds winds soilsGenerate global maps of land surface characteristicsDetect changes in gravity fields due to ice melt
A Need for More Local Data
and Better Models
bull Ground radars other ground based monitoring sites
bull There are fewer rain gauge stations in the Sahel now than there were in 1921
bull US-AID-supported FEWS-NET---Africa Haiti Latin America Afghanistanmdashearly warning system for food security alerts
o Remote and ground-based sensingo Use of improved models for
prediction
African soils are some of the most degraded and least
fertile in the world
What about Inorganic Fertilizer
bull Cost to farmers in sub-Saharan Africa 2-4X that of US farmer Poor transport options and inability to purchase large quantities are major issues
bull Costs have doubled in recent years primarily due to rising energy costs
bull Most farmers use none when used it is usually at 110th the amount used in developed world---overuse is NOT an environmental issue at this point
Microdosing of Fertilizer
Agro-dealers ndash provide right sizepackaging at affordable prices and have
greatly expanded access to fertilizer
But will it be tailored for local soils
Taken from Science 325680 (2009)
Greatly Enhanced Monitoring Capacities
200+ spectral channels to detect spectral reflectance curves--- weeds vs crops surface and chemical characteristics responses to stress
VisiblemdashNear IR Reflectance for soil mapping
Hyperspectral Imaging
Transferring knowledge to create appropriate local blends of fertilizer agronomic advice
Cheaper more accessible local soil sensingand more good soil chemistry on the ground
ButhelliphellipRising Energy Costs Have Driven Up
the Cost of Nitrogen Fertilizers
Nitrogen-fixing Cereals
Legume nodules Catalytic center of nitrogenase N‐fixing cereal
Low temperature catalysis for
reduction of N2 to ammonia
A molybdenum complex bearing PNP‐type pincer ligands leads to the catalytic reduction of dinitrogen into ammoniaKazuya Arashiba Yoshihiro Miyake amp Yoshiaki Nishibayashi
Nature Chemistry 3 120‐125 (2011)
The ldquoFarmerrsquos Dilemmardquo---and not just in Africa
bull Obvious need to return residues (crop and animal) to the soil yet these have other critical uses for the poormdashfuel building materials animal feeds etc
bull What materials might replace cropanimal residues to maintain soil quality
What about organic fertilizers
Soil Amendments
Ancient Amazonian Indians mayHave produced the unique and fertileldquoTerra Pretardquo soils found in Amazonia
Emerging field of re-creating BioCharthrough pyrolysis of organic matter
Still a need for much more chemistry
Compositions of biocharsInteractions with microorganismEfficacy for varying soil types
Taken from Abstract 129Lab of Gerard Cornelissen
Other Soil Amendments
bull Re-assessment of the potential for ZEOLITESAluminosilicate cages that trap and exchange cationswater
bull Soil amendmentswater holdingreleasing slow release of cationic nutrients
bull Also for animal feeds (diarrhea smells)
bull Wastewater treatment
bull Cost and accessibility issues are a major limitation---mdashpotential of Kenyan deposits
bull Many other nano-structures for slow release
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
Animal and Plant Diseases Greatly Limit Productivity
bull Of the 15 major animal diseases 12 are found in the sub-Saharan Africa (eg Rift Valley Fever Trypanosomiasis foot and mouth disease)
bull Geminiviruses are a threat to crops world-wide and some are unique to Africa (pandemic of cassava mosaic disease maize streak virus)
bull Poor agronomic practices and low use of fungicides also limit crop productivity
bull Poor storage conditions also favor diseases and affect food safety and limit export potential (eg aflatoxins in maize groundnuts)
bull Weak networks for diagnostics
Faster and Cheaper Diagnostics
Drawing on advances in genomics and nanotechnology
Hi thru-put facilities located in regional centers of excellence
Predicting Seasonal Weather
Farmers make decisions based on their own best guess as to when the rains will come
bull Type of crop to grow hybrid vs saved seedbull Fertilizer applicationsbull Timing when to plant
Several satellite-based tools have
become available in the last decade
TRMM AMSR-E MODI GRACE
Detect precise changes in precipitation Global cycling of moisture from clouds winds soilsGenerate global maps of land surface characteristicsDetect changes in gravity fields due to ice melt
A Need for More Local Data
and Better Models
bull Ground radars other ground based monitoring sites
bull There are fewer rain gauge stations in the Sahel now than there were in 1921
bull US-AID-supported FEWS-NET---Africa Haiti Latin America Afghanistanmdashearly warning system for food security alerts
o Remote and ground-based sensingo Use of improved models for
prediction
African soils are some of the most degraded and least
fertile in the world
What about Inorganic Fertilizer
bull Cost to farmers in sub-Saharan Africa 2-4X that of US farmer Poor transport options and inability to purchase large quantities are major issues
bull Costs have doubled in recent years primarily due to rising energy costs
bull Most farmers use none when used it is usually at 110th the amount used in developed world---overuse is NOT an environmental issue at this point
Microdosing of Fertilizer
Agro-dealers ndash provide right sizepackaging at affordable prices and have
greatly expanded access to fertilizer
But will it be tailored for local soils
Taken from Science 325680 (2009)
Greatly Enhanced Monitoring Capacities
200+ spectral channels to detect spectral reflectance curves--- weeds vs crops surface and chemical characteristics responses to stress
VisiblemdashNear IR Reflectance for soil mapping
Hyperspectral Imaging
Transferring knowledge to create appropriate local blends of fertilizer agronomic advice
Cheaper more accessible local soil sensingand more good soil chemistry on the ground
ButhelliphellipRising Energy Costs Have Driven Up
the Cost of Nitrogen Fertilizers
Nitrogen-fixing Cereals
Legume nodules Catalytic center of nitrogenase N‐fixing cereal
Low temperature catalysis for
reduction of N2 to ammonia
A molybdenum complex bearing PNP‐type pincer ligands leads to the catalytic reduction of dinitrogen into ammoniaKazuya Arashiba Yoshihiro Miyake amp Yoshiaki Nishibayashi
Nature Chemistry 3 120‐125 (2011)
The ldquoFarmerrsquos Dilemmardquo---and not just in Africa
bull Obvious need to return residues (crop and animal) to the soil yet these have other critical uses for the poormdashfuel building materials animal feeds etc
bull What materials might replace cropanimal residues to maintain soil quality
What about organic fertilizers
Soil Amendments
Ancient Amazonian Indians mayHave produced the unique and fertileldquoTerra Pretardquo soils found in Amazonia
Emerging field of re-creating BioCharthrough pyrolysis of organic matter
Still a need for much more chemistry
Compositions of biocharsInteractions with microorganismEfficacy for varying soil types
Taken from Abstract 129Lab of Gerard Cornelissen
Other Soil Amendments
bull Re-assessment of the potential for ZEOLITESAluminosilicate cages that trap and exchange cationswater
bull Soil amendmentswater holdingreleasing slow release of cationic nutrients
bull Also for animal feeds (diarrhea smells)
bull Wastewater treatment
bull Cost and accessibility issues are a major limitation---mdashpotential of Kenyan deposits
bull Many other nano-structures for slow release
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
Faster and Cheaper Diagnostics
Drawing on advances in genomics and nanotechnology
Hi thru-put facilities located in regional centers of excellence
Predicting Seasonal Weather
Farmers make decisions based on their own best guess as to when the rains will come
bull Type of crop to grow hybrid vs saved seedbull Fertilizer applicationsbull Timing when to plant
Several satellite-based tools have
become available in the last decade
TRMM AMSR-E MODI GRACE
Detect precise changes in precipitation Global cycling of moisture from clouds winds soilsGenerate global maps of land surface characteristicsDetect changes in gravity fields due to ice melt
A Need for More Local Data
and Better Models
bull Ground radars other ground based monitoring sites
bull There are fewer rain gauge stations in the Sahel now than there were in 1921
bull US-AID-supported FEWS-NET---Africa Haiti Latin America Afghanistanmdashearly warning system for food security alerts
o Remote and ground-based sensingo Use of improved models for
prediction
African soils are some of the most degraded and least
fertile in the world
What about Inorganic Fertilizer
bull Cost to farmers in sub-Saharan Africa 2-4X that of US farmer Poor transport options and inability to purchase large quantities are major issues
bull Costs have doubled in recent years primarily due to rising energy costs
bull Most farmers use none when used it is usually at 110th the amount used in developed world---overuse is NOT an environmental issue at this point
Microdosing of Fertilizer
Agro-dealers ndash provide right sizepackaging at affordable prices and have
greatly expanded access to fertilizer
But will it be tailored for local soils
Taken from Science 325680 (2009)
Greatly Enhanced Monitoring Capacities
200+ spectral channels to detect spectral reflectance curves--- weeds vs crops surface and chemical characteristics responses to stress
VisiblemdashNear IR Reflectance for soil mapping
Hyperspectral Imaging
Transferring knowledge to create appropriate local blends of fertilizer agronomic advice
Cheaper more accessible local soil sensingand more good soil chemistry on the ground
ButhelliphellipRising Energy Costs Have Driven Up
the Cost of Nitrogen Fertilizers
Nitrogen-fixing Cereals
Legume nodules Catalytic center of nitrogenase N‐fixing cereal
Low temperature catalysis for
reduction of N2 to ammonia
A molybdenum complex bearing PNP‐type pincer ligands leads to the catalytic reduction of dinitrogen into ammoniaKazuya Arashiba Yoshihiro Miyake amp Yoshiaki Nishibayashi
Nature Chemistry 3 120‐125 (2011)
The ldquoFarmerrsquos Dilemmardquo---and not just in Africa
bull Obvious need to return residues (crop and animal) to the soil yet these have other critical uses for the poormdashfuel building materials animal feeds etc
bull What materials might replace cropanimal residues to maintain soil quality
What about organic fertilizers
Soil Amendments
Ancient Amazonian Indians mayHave produced the unique and fertileldquoTerra Pretardquo soils found in Amazonia
Emerging field of re-creating BioCharthrough pyrolysis of organic matter
Still a need for much more chemistry
Compositions of biocharsInteractions with microorganismEfficacy for varying soil types
Taken from Abstract 129Lab of Gerard Cornelissen
Other Soil Amendments
bull Re-assessment of the potential for ZEOLITESAluminosilicate cages that trap and exchange cationswater
bull Soil amendmentswater holdingreleasing slow release of cationic nutrients
bull Also for animal feeds (diarrhea smells)
bull Wastewater treatment
bull Cost and accessibility issues are a major limitation---mdashpotential of Kenyan deposits
bull Many other nano-structures for slow release
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
Predicting Seasonal Weather
Farmers make decisions based on their own best guess as to when the rains will come
bull Type of crop to grow hybrid vs saved seedbull Fertilizer applicationsbull Timing when to plant
Several satellite-based tools have
become available in the last decade
TRMM AMSR-E MODI GRACE
Detect precise changes in precipitation Global cycling of moisture from clouds winds soilsGenerate global maps of land surface characteristicsDetect changes in gravity fields due to ice melt
A Need for More Local Data
and Better Models
bull Ground radars other ground based monitoring sites
bull There are fewer rain gauge stations in the Sahel now than there were in 1921
bull US-AID-supported FEWS-NET---Africa Haiti Latin America Afghanistanmdashearly warning system for food security alerts
o Remote and ground-based sensingo Use of improved models for
prediction
African soils are some of the most degraded and least
fertile in the world
What about Inorganic Fertilizer
bull Cost to farmers in sub-Saharan Africa 2-4X that of US farmer Poor transport options and inability to purchase large quantities are major issues
bull Costs have doubled in recent years primarily due to rising energy costs
bull Most farmers use none when used it is usually at 110th the amount used in developed world---overuse is NOT an environmental issue at this point
Microdosing of Fertilizer
Agro-dealers ndash provide right sizepackaging at affordable prices and have
greatly expanded access to fertilizer
But will it be tailored for local soils
Taken from Science 325680 (2009)
Greatly Enhanced Monitoring Capacities
200+ spectral channels to detect spectral reflectance curves--- weeds vs crops surface and chemical characteristics responses to stress
VisiblemdashNear IR Reflectance for soil mapping
Hyperspectral Imaging
Transferring knowledge to create appropriate local blends of fertilizer agronomic advice
Cheaper more accessible local soil sensingand more good soil chemistry on the ground
ButhelliphellipRising Energy Costs Have Driven Up
the Cost of Nitrogen Fertilizers
Nitrogen-fixing Cereals
Legume nodules Catalytic center of nitrogenase N‐fixing cereal
Low temperature catalysis for
reduction of N2 to ammonia
A molybdenum complex bearing PNP‐type pincer ligands leads to the catalytic reduction of dinitrogen into ammoniaKazuya Arashiba Yoshihiro Miyake amp Yoshiaki Nishibayashi
Nature Chemistry 3 120‐125 (2011)
The ldquoFarmerrsquos Dilemmardquo---and not just in Africa
bull Obvious need to return residues (crop and animal) to the soil yet these have other critical uses for the poormdashfuel building materials animal feeds etc
bull What materials might replace cropanimal residues to maintain soil quality
What about organic fertilizers
Soil Amendments
Ancient Amazonian Indians mayHave produced the unique and fertileldquoTerra Pretardquo soils found in Amazonia
Emerging field of re-creating BioCharthrough pyrolysis of organic matter
Still a need for much more chemistry
Compositions of biocharsInteractions with microorganismEfficacy for varying soil types
Taken from Abstract 129Lab of Gerard Cornelissen
Other Soil Amendments
bull Re-assessment of the potential for ZEOLITESAluminosilicate cages that trap and exchange cationswater
bull Soil amendmentswater holdingreleasing slow release of cationic nutrients
bull Also for animal feeds (diarrhea smells)
bull Wastewater treatment
bull Cost and accessibility issues are a major limitation---mdashpotential of Kenyan deposits
bull Many other nano-structures for slow release
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
Several satellite-based tools have
become available in the last decade
TRMM AMSR-E MODI GRACE
Detect precise changes in precipitation Global cycling of moisture from clouds winds soilsGenerate global maps of land surface characteristicsDetect changes in gravity fields due to ice melt
A Need for More Local Data
and Better Models
bull Ground radars other ground based monitoring sites
bull There are fewer rain gauge stations in the Sahel now than there were in 1921
bull US-AID-supported FEWS-NET---Africa Haiti Latin America Afghanistanmdashearly warning system for food security alerts
o Remote and ground-based sensingo Use of improved models for
prediction
African soils are some of the most degraded and least
fertile in the world
What about Inorganic Fertilizer
bull Cost to farmers in sub-Saharan Africa 2-4X that of US farmer Poor transport options and inability to purchase large quantities are major issues
bull Costs have doubled in recent years primarily due to rising energy costs
bull Most farmers use none when used it is usually at 110th the amount used in developed world---overuse is NOT an environmental issue at this point
Microdosing of Fertilizer
Agro-dealers ndash provide right sizepackaging at affordable prices and have
greatly expanded access to fertilizer
But will it be tailored for local soils
Taken from Science 325680 (2009)
Greatly Enhanced Monitoring Capacities
200+ spectral channels to detect spectral reflectance curves--- weeds vs crops surface and chemical characteristics responses to stress
VisiblemdashNear IR Reflectance for soil mapping
Hyperspectral Imaging
Transferring knowledge to create appropriate local blends of fertilizer agronomic advice
Cheaper more accessible local soil sensingand more good soil chemistry on the ground
ButhelliphellipRising Energy Costs Have Driven Up
the Cost of Nitrogen Fertilizers
Nitrogen-fixing Cereals
Legume nodules Catalytic center of nitrogenase N‐fixing cereal
Low temperature catalysis for
reduction of N2 to ammonia
A molybdenum complex bearing PNP‐type pincer ligands leads to the catalytic reduction of dinitrogen into ammoniaKazuya Arashiba Yoshihiro Miyake amp Yoshiaki Nishibayashi
Nature Chemistry 3 120‐125 (2011)
The ldquoFarmerrsquos Dilemmardquo---and not just in Africa
bull Obvious need to return residues (crop and animal) to the soil yet these have other critical uses for the poormdashfuel building materials animal feeds etc
bull What materials might replace cropanimal residues to maintain soil quality
What about organic fertilizers
Soil Amendments
Ancient Amazonian Indians mayHave produced the unique and fertileldquoTerra Pretardquo soils found in Amazonia
Emerging field of re-creating BioCharthrough pyrolysis of organic matter
Still a need for much more chemistry
Compositions of biocharsInteractions with microorganismEfficacy for varying soil types
Taken from Abstract 129Lab of Gerard Cornelissen
Other Soil Amendments
bull Re-assessment of the potential for ZEOLITESAluminosilicate cages that trap and exchange cationswater
bull Soil amendmentswater holdingreleasing slow release of cationic nutrients
bull Also for animal feeds (diarrhea smells)
bull Wastewater treatment
bull Cost and accessibility issues are a major limitation---mdashpotential of Kenyan deposits
bull Many other nano-structures for slow release
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
A Need for More Local Data
and Better Models
bull Ground radars other ground based monitoring sites
bull There are fewer rain gauge stations in the Sahel now than there were in 1921
bull US-AID-supported FEWS-NET---Africa Haiti Latin America Afghanistanmdashearly warning system for food security alerts
o Remote and ground-based sensingo Use of improved models for
prediction
African soils are some of the most degraded and least
fertile in the world
What about Inorganic Fertilizer
bull Cost to farmers in sub-Saharan Africa 2-4X that of US farmer Poor transport options and inability to purchase large quantities are major issues
bull Costs have doubled in recent years primarily due to rising energy costs
bull Most farmers use none when used it is usually at 110th the amount used in developed world---overuse is NOT an environmental issue at this point
Microdosing of Fertilizer
Agro-dealers ndash provide right sizepackaging at affordable prices and have
greatly expanded access to fertilizer
But will it be tailored for local soils
Taken from Science 325680 (2009)
Greatly Enhanced Monitoring Capacities
200+ spectral channels to detect spectral reflectance curves--- weeds vs crops surface and chemical characteristics responses to stress
VisiblemdashNear IR Reflectance for soil mapping
Hyperspectral Imaging
Transferring knowledge to create appropriate local blends of fertilizer agronomic advice
Cheaper more accessible local soil sensingand more good soil chemistry on the ground
ButhelliphellipRising Energy Costs Have Driven Up
the Cost of Nitrogen Fertilizers
Nitrogen-fixing Cereals
Legume nodules Catalytic center of nitrogenase N‐fixing cereal
Low temperature catalysis for
reduction of N2 to ammonia
A molybdenum complex bearing PNP‐type pincer ligands leads to the catalytic reduction of dinitrogen into ammoniaKazuya Arashiba Yoshihiro Miyake amp Yoshiaki Nishibayashi
Nature Chemistry 3 120‐125 (2011)
The ldquoFarmerrsquos Dilemmardquo---and not just in Africa
bull Obvious need to return residues (crop and animal) to the soil yet these have other critical uses for the poormdashfuel building materials animal feeds etc
bull What materials might replace cropanimal residues to maintain soil quality
What about organic fertilizers
Soil Amendments
Ancient Amazonian Indians mayHave produced the unique and fertileldquoTerra Pretardquo soils found in Amazonia
Emerging field of re-creating BioCharthrough pyrolysis of organic matter
Still a need for much more chemistry
Compositions of biocharsInteractions with microorganismEfficacy for varying soil types
Taken from Abstract 129Lab of Gerard Cornelissen
Other Soil Amendments
bull Re-assessment of the potential for ZEOLITESAluminosilicate cages that trap and exchange cationswater
bull Soil amendmentswater holdingreleasing slow release of cationic nutrients
bull Also for animal feeds (diarrhea smells)
bull Wastewater treatment
bull Cost and accessibility issues are a major limitation---mdashpotential of Kenyan deposits
bull Many other nano-structures for slow release
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
African soils are some of the most degraded and least
fertile in the world
What about Inorganic Fertilizer
bull Cost to farmers in sub-Saharan Africa 2-4X that of US farmer Poor transport options and inability to purchase large quantities are major issues
bull Costs have doubled in recent years primarily due to rising energy costs
bull Most farmers use none when used it is usually at 110th the amount used in developed world---overuse is NOT an environmental issue at this point
Microdosing of Fertilizer
Agro-dealers ndash provide right sizepackaging at affordable prices and have
greatly expanded access to fertilizer
But will it be tailored for local soils
Taken from Science 325680 (2009)
Greatly Enhanced Monitoring Capacities
200+ spectral channels to detect spectral reflectance curves--- weeds vs crops surface and chemical characteristics responses to stress
VisiblemdashNear IR Reflectance for soil mapping
Hyperspectral Imaging
Transferring knowledge to create appropriate local blends of fertilizer agronomic advice
Cheaper more accessible local soil sensingand more good soil chemistry on the ground
ButhelliphellipRising Energy Costs Have Driven Up
the Cost of Nitrogen Fertilizers
Nitrogen-fixing Cereals
Legume nodules Catalytic center of nitrogenase N‐fixing cereal
Low temperature catalysis for
reduction of N2 to ammonia
A molybdenum complex bearing PNP‐type pincer ligands leads to the catalytic reduction of dinitrogen into ammoniaKazuya Arashiba Yoshihiro Miyake amp Yoshiaki Nishibayashi
Nature Chemistry 3 120‐125 (2011)
The ldquoFarmerrsquos Dilemmardquo---and not just in Africa
bull Obvious need to return residues (crop and animal) to the soil yet these have other critical uses for the poormdashfuel building materials animal feeds etc
bull What materials might replace cropanimal residues to maintain soil quality
What about organic fertilizers
Soil Amendments
Ancient Amazonian Indians mayHave produced the unique and fertileldquoTerra Pretardquo soils found in Amazonia
Emerging field of re-creating BioCharthrough pyrolysis of organic matter
Still a need for much more chemistry
Compositions of biocharsInteractions with microorganismEfficacy for varying soil types
Taken from Abstract 129Lab of Gerard Cornelissen
Other Soil Amendments
bull Re-assessment of the potential for ZEOLITESAluminosilicate cages that trap and exchange cationswater
bull Soil amendmentswater holdingreleasing slow release of cationic nutrients
bull Also for animal feeds (diarrhea smells)
bull Wastewater treatment
bull Cost and accessibility issues are a major limitation---mdashpotential of Kenyan deposits
bull Many other nano-structures for slow release
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
What about Inorganic Fertilizer
bull Cost to farmers in sub-Saharan Africa 2-4X that of US farmer Poor transport options and inability to purchase large quantities are major issues
bull Costs have doubled in recent years primarily due to rising energy costs
bull Most farmers use none when used it is usually at 110th the amount used in developed world---overuse is NOT an environmental issue at this point
Microdosing of Fertilizer
Agro-dealers ndash provide right sizepackaging at affordable prices and have
greatly expanded access to fertilizer
But will it be tailored for local soils
Taken from Science 325680 (2009)
Greatly Enhanced Monitoring Capacities
200+ spectral channels to detect spectral reflectance curves--- weeds vs crops surface and chemical characteristics responses to stress
VisiblemdashNear IR Reflectance for soil mapping
Hyperspectral Imaging
Transferring knowledge to create appropriate local blends of fertilizer agronomic advice
Cheaper more accessible local soil sensingand more good soil chemistry on the ground
ButhelliphellipRising Energy Costs Have Driven Up
the Cost of Nitrogen Fertilizers
Nitrogen-fixing Cereals
Legume nodules Catalytic center of nitrogenase N‐fixing cereal
Low temperature catalysis for
reduction of N2 to ammonia
A molybdenum complex bearing PNP‐type pincer ligands leads to the catalytic reduction of dinitrogen into ammoniaKazuya Arashiba Yoshihiro Miyake amp Yoshiaki Nishibayashi
Nature Chemistry 3 120‐125 (2011)
The ldquoFarmerrsquos Dilemmardquo---and not just in Africa
bull Obvious need to return residues (crop and animal) to the soil yet these have other critical uses for the poormdashfuel building materials animal feeds etc
bull What materials might replace cropanimal residues to maintain soil quality
What about organic fertilizers
Soil Amendments
Ancient Amazonian Indians mayHave produced the unique and fertileldquoTerra Pretardquo soils found in Amazonia
Emerging field of re-creating BioCharthrough pyrolysis of organic matter
Still a need for much more chemistry
Compositions of biocharsInteractions with microorganismEfficacy for varying soil types
Taken from Abstract 129Lab of Gerard Cornelissen
Other Soil Amendments
bull Re-assessment of the potential for ZEOLITESAluminosilicate cages that trap and exchange cationswater
bull Soil amendmentswater holdingreleasing slow release of cationic nutrients
bull Also for animal feeds (diarrhea smells)
bull Wastewater treatment
bull Cost and accessibility issues are a major limitation---mdashpotential of Kenyan deposits
bull Many other nano-structures for slow release
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
Microdosing of Fertilizer
Agro-dealers ndash provide right sizepackaging at affordable prices and have
greatly expanded access to fertilizer
But will it be tailored for local soils
Taken from Science 325680 (2009)
Greatly Enhanced Monitoring Capacities
200+ spectral channels to detect spectral reflectance curves--- weeds vs crops surface and chemical characteristics responses to stress
VisiblemdashNear IR Reflectance for soil mapping
Hyperspectral Imaging
Transferring knowledge to create appropriate local blends of fertilizer agronomic advice
Cheaper more accessible local soil sensingand more good soil chemistry on the ground
ButhelliphellipRising Energy Costs Have Driven Up
the Cost of Nitrogen Fertilizers
Nitrogen-fixing Cereals
Legume nodules Catalytic center of nitrogenase N‐fixing cereal
Low temperature catalysis for
reduction of N2 to ammonia
A molybdenum complex bearing PNP‐type pincer ligands leads to the catalytic reduction of dinitrogen into ammoniaKazuya Arashiba Yoshihiro Miyake amp Yoshiaki Nishibayashi
Nature Chemistry 3 120‐125 (2011)
The ldquoFarmerrsquos Dilemmardquo---and not just in Africa
bull Obvious need to return residues (crop and animal) to the soil yet these have other critical uses for the poormdashfuel building materials animal feeds etc
bull What materials might replace cropanimal residues to maintain soil quality
What about organic fertilizers
Soil Amendments
Ancient Amazonian Indians mayHave produced the unique and fertileldquoTerra Pretardquo soils found in Amazonia
Emerging field of re-creating BioCharthrough pyrolysis of organic matter
Still a need for much more chemistry
Compositions of biocharsInteractions with microorganismEfficacy for varying soil types
Taken from Abstract 129Lab of Gerard Cornelissen
Other Soil Amendments
bull Re-assessment of the potential for ZEOLITESAluminosilicate cages that trap and exchange cationswater
bull Soil amendmentswater holdingreleasing slow release of cationic nutrients
bull Also for animal feeds (diarrhea smells)
bull Wastewater treatment
bull Cost and accessibility issues are a major limitation---mdashpotential of Kenyan deposits
bull Many other nano-structures for slow release
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
Agro-dealers ndash provide right sizepackaging at affordable prices and have
greatly expanded access to fertilizer
But will it be tailored for local soils
Taken from Science 325680 (2009)
Greatly Enhanced Monitoring Capacities
200+ spectral channels to detect spectral reflectance curves--- weeds vs crops surface and chemical characteristics responses to stress
VisiblemdashNear IR Reflectance for soil mapping
Hyperspectral Imaging
Transferring knowledge to create appropriate local blends of fertilizer agronomic advice
Cheaper more accessible local soil sensingand more good soil chemistry on the ground
ButhelliphellipRising Energy Costs Have Driven Up
the Cost of Nitrogen Fertilizers
Nitrogen-fixing Cereals
Legume nodules Catalytic center of nitrogenase N‐fixing cereal
Low temperature catalysis for
reduction of N2 to ammonia
A molybdenum complex bearing PNP‐type pincer ligands leads to the catalytic reduction of dinitrogen into ammoniaKazuya Arashiba Yoshihiro Miyake amp Yoshiaki Nishibayashi
Nature Chemistry 3 120‐125 (2011)
The ldquoFarmerrsquos Dilemmardquo---and not just in Africa
bull Obvious need to return residues (crop and animal) to the soil yet these have other critical uses for the poormdashfuel building materials animal feeds etc
bull What materials might replace cropanimal residues to maintain soil quality
What about organic fertilizers
Soil Amendments
Ancient Amazonian Indians mayHave produced the unique and fertileldquoTerra Pretardquo soils found in Amazonia
Emerging field of re-creating BioCharthrough pyrolysis of organic matter
Still a need for much more chemistry
Compositions of biocharsInteractions with microorganismEfficacy for varying soil types
Taken from Abstract 129Lab of Gerard Cornelissen
Other Soil Amendments
bull Re-assessment of the potential for ZEOLITESAluminosilicate cages that trap and exchange cationswater
bull Soil amendmentswater holdingreleasing slow release of cationic nutrients
bull Also for animal feeds (diarrhea smells)
bull Wastewater treatment
bull Cost and accessibility issues are a major limitation---mdashpotential of Kenyan deposits
bull Many other nano-structures for slow release
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
But will it be tailored for local soils
Taken from Science 325680 (2009)
Greatly Enhanced Monitoring Capacities
200+ spectral channels to detect spectral reflectance curves--- weeds vs crops surface and chemical characteristics responses to stress
VisiblemdashNear IR Reflectance for soil mapping
Hyperspectral Imaging
Transferring knowledge to create appropriate local blends of fertilizer agronomic advice
Cheaper more accessible local soil sensingand more good soil chemistry on the ground
ButhelliphellipRising Energy Costs Have Driven Up
the Cost of Nitrogen Fertilizers
Nitrogen-fixing Cereals
Legume nodules Catalytic center of nitrogenase N‐fixing cereal
Low temperature catalysis for
reduction of N2 to ammonia
A molybdenum complex bearing PNP‐type pincer ligands leads to the catalytic reduction of dinitrogen into ammoniaKazuya Arashiba Yoshihiro Miyake amp Yoshiaki Nishibayashi
Nature Chemistry 3 120‐125 (2011)
The ldquoFarmerrsquos Dilemmardquo---and not just in Africa
bull Obvious need to return residues (crop and animal) to the soil yet these have other critical uses for the poormdashfuel building materials animal feeds etc
bull What materials might replace cropanimal residues to maintain soil quality
What about organic fertilizers
Soil Amendments
Ancient Amazonian Indians mayHave produced the unique and fertileldquoTerra Pretardquo soils found in Amazonia
Emerging field of re-creating BioCharthrough pyrolysis of organic matter
Still a need for much more chemistry
Compositions of biocharsInteractions with microorganismEfficacy for varying soil types
Taken from Abstract 129Lab of Gerard Cornelissen
Other Soil Amendments
bull Re-assessment of the potential for ZEOLITESAluminosilicate cages that trap and exchange cationswater
bull Soil amendmentswater holdingreleasing slow release of cationic nutrients
bull Also for animal feeds (diarrhea smells)
bull Wastewater treatment
bull Cost and accessibility issues are a major limitation---mdashpotential of Kenyan deposits
bull Many other nano-structures for slow release
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
Taken from Science 325680 (2009)
Greatly Enhanced Monitoring Capacities
200+ spectral channels to detect spectral reflectance curves--- weeds vs crops surface and chemical characteristics responses to stress
VisiblemdashNear IR Reflectance for soil mapping
Hyperspectral Imaging
Transferring knowledge to create appropriate local blends of fertilizer agronomic advice
Cheaper more accessible local soil sensingand more good soil chemistry on the ground
ButhelliphellipRising Energy Costs Have Driven Up
the Cost of Nitrogen Fertilizers
Nitrogen-fixing Cereals
Legume nodules Catalytic center of nitrogenase N‐fixing cereal
Low temperature catalysis for
reduction of N2 to ammonia
A molybdenum complex bearing PNP‐type pincer ligands leads to the catalytic reduction of dinitrogen into ammoniaKazuya Arashiba Yoshihiro Miyake amp Yoshiaki Nishibayashi
Nature Chemistry 3 120‐125 (2011)
The ldquoFarmerrsquos Dilemmardquo---and not just in Africa
bull Obvious need to return residues (crop and animal) to the soil yet these have other critical uses for the poormdashfuel building materials animal feeds etc
bull What materials might replace cropanimal residues to maintain soil quality
What about organic fertilizers
Soil Amendments
Ancient Amazonian Indians mayHave produced the unique and fertileldquoTerra Pretardquo soils found in Amazonia
Emerging field of re-creating BioCharthrough pyrolysis of organic matter
Still a need for much more chemistry
Compositions of biocharsInteractions with microorganismEfficacy for varying soil types
Taken from Abstract 129Lab of Gerard Cornelissen
Other Soil Amendments
bull Re-assessment of the potential for ZEOLITESAluminosilicate cages that trap and exchange cationswater
bull Soil amendmentswater holdingreleasing slow release of cationic nutrients
bull Also for animal feeds (diarrhea smells)
bull Wastewater treatment
bull Cost and accessibility issues are a major limitation---mdashpotential of Kenyan deposits
bull Many other nano-structures for slow release
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
Greatly Enhanced Monitoring Capacities
200+ spectral channels to detect spectral reflectance curves--- weeds vs crops surface and chemical characteristics responses to stress
VisiblemdashNear IR Reflectance for soil mapping
Hyperspectral Imaging
Transferring knowledge to create appropriate local blends of fertilizer agronomic advice
Cheaper more accessible local soil sensingand more good soil chemistry on the ground
ButhelliphellipRising Energy Costs Have Driven Up
the Cost of Nitrogen Fertilizers
Nitrogen-fixing Cereals
Legume nodules Catalytic center of nitrogenase N‐fixing cereal
Low temperature catalysis for
reduction of N2 to ammonia
A molybdenum complex bearing PNP‐type pincer ligands leads to the catalytic reduction of dinitrogen into ammoniaKazuya Arashiba Yoshihiro Miyake amp Yoshiaki Nishibayashi
Nature Chemistry 3 120‐125 (2011)
The ldquoFarmerrsquos Dilemmardquo---and not just in Africa
bull Obvious need to return residues (crop and animal) to the soil yet these have other critical uses for the poormdashfuel building materials animal feeds etc
bull What materials might replace cropanimal residues to maintain soil quality
What about organic fertilizers
Soil Amendments
Ancient Amazonian Indians mayHave produced the unique and fertileldquoTerra Pretardquo soils found in Amazonia
Emerging field of re-creating BioCharthrough pyrolysis of organic matter
Still a need for much more chemistry
Compositions of biocharsInteractions with microorganismEfficacy for varying soil types
Taken from Abstract 129Lab of Gerard Cornelissen
Other Soil Amendments
bull Re-assessment of the potential for ZEOLITESAluminosilicate cages that trap and exchange cationswater
bull Soil amendmentswater holdingreleasing slow release of cationic nutrients
bull Also for animal feeds (diarrhea smells)
bull Wastewater treatment
bull Cost and accessibility issues are a major limitation---mdashpotential of Kenyan deposits
bull Many other nano-structures for slow release
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
ButhelliphellipRising Energy Costs Have Driven Up
the Cost of Nitrogen Fertilizers
Nitrogen-fixing Cereals
Legume nodules Catalytic center of nitrogenase N‐fixing cereal
Low temperature catalysis for
reduction of N2 to ammonia
A molybdenum complex bearing PNP‐type pincer ligands leads to the catalytic reduction of dinitrogen into ammoniaKazuya Arashiba Yoshihiro Miyake amp Yoshiaki Nishibayashi
Nature Chemistry 3 120‐125 (2011)
The ldquoFarmerrsquos Dilemmardquo---and not just in Africa
bull Obvious need to return residues (crop and animal) to the soil yet these have other critical uses for the poormdashfuel building materials animal feeds etc
bull What materials might replace cropanimal residues to maintain soil quality
What about organic fertilizers
Soil Amendments
Ancient Amazonian Indians mayHave produced the unique and fertileldquoTerra Pretardquo soils found in Amazonia
Emerging field of re-creating BioCharthrough pyrolysis of organic matter
Still a need for much more chemistry
Compositions of biocharsInteractions with microorganismEfficacy for varying soil types
Taken from Abstract 129Lab of Gerard Cornelissen
Other Soil Amendments
bull Re-assessment of the potential for ZEOLITESAluminosilicate cages that trap and exchange cationswater
bull Soil amendmentswater holdingreleasing slow release of cationic nutrients
bull Also for animal feeds (diarrhea smells)
bull Wastewater treatment
bull Cost and accessibility issues are a major limitation---mdashpotential of Kenyan deposits
bull Many other nano-structures for slow release
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
Nitrogen-fixing Cereals
Legume nodules Catalytic center of nitrogenase N‐fixing cereal
Low temperature catalysis for
reduction of N2 to ammonia
A molybdenum complex bearing PNP‐type pincer ligands leads to the catalytic reduction of dinitrogen into ammoniaKazuya Arashiba Yoshihiro Miyake amp Yoshiaki Nishibayashi
Nature Chemistry 3 120‐125 (2011)
The ldquoFarmerrsquos Dilemmardquo---and not just in Africa
bull Obvious need to return residues (crop and animal) to the soil yet these have other critical uses for the poormdashfuel building materials animal feeds etc
bull What materials might replace cropanimal residues to maintain soil quality
What about organic fertilizers
Soil Amendments
Ancient Amazonian Indians mayHave produced the unique and fertileldquoTerra Pretardquo soils found in Amazonia
Emerging field of re-creating BioCharthrough pyrolysis of organic matter
Still a need for much more chemistry
Compositions of biocharsInteractions with microorganismEfficacy for varying soil types
Taken from Abstract 129Lab of Gerard Cornelissen
Other Soil Amendments
bull Re-assessment of the potential for ZEOLITESAluminosilicate cages that trap and exchange cationswater
bull Soil amendmentswater holdingreleasing slow release of cationic nutrients
bull Also for animal feeds (diarrhea smells)
bull Wastewater treatment
bull Cost and accessibility issues are a major limitation---mdashpotential of Kenyan deposits
bull Many other nano-structures for slow release
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
Low temperature catalysis for
reduction of N2 to ammonia
A molybdenum complex bearing PNP‐type pincer ligands leads to the catalytic reduction of dinitrogen into ammoniaKazuya Arashiba Yoshihiro Miyake amp Yoshiaki Nishibayashi
Nature Chemistry 3 120‐125 (2011)
The ldquoFarmerrsquos Dilemmardquo---and not just in Africa
bull Obvious need to return residues (crop and animal) to the soil yet these have other critical uses for the poormdashfuel building materials animal feeds etc
bull What materials might replace cropanimal residues to maintain soil quality
What about organic fertilizers
Soil Amendments
Ancient Amazonian Indians mayHave produced the unique and fertileldquoTerra Pretardquo soils found in Amazonia
Emerging field of re-creating BioCharthrough pyrolysis of organic matter
Still a need for much more chemistry
Compositions of biocharsInteractions with microorganismEfficacy for varying soil types
Taken from Abstract 129Lab of Gerard Cornelissen
Other Soil Amendments
bull Re-assessment of the potential for ZEOLITESAluminosilicate cages that trap and exchange cationswater
bull Soil amendmentswater holdingreleasing slow release of cationic nutrients
bull Also for animal feeds (diarrhea smells)
bull Wastewater treatment
bull Cost and accessibility issues are a major limitation---mdashpotential of Kenyan deposits
bull Many other nano-structures for slow release
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
The ldquoFarmerrsquos Dilemmardquo---and not just in Africa
bull Obvious need to return residues (crop and animal) to the soil yet these have other critical uses for the poormdashfuel building materials animal feeds etc
bull What materials might replace cropanimal residues to maintain soil quality
What about organic fertilizers
Soil Amendments
Ancient Amazonian Indians mayHave produced the unique and fertileldquoTerra Pretardquo soils found in Amazonia
Emerging field of re-creating BioCharthrough pyrolysis of organic matter
Still a need for much more chemistry
Compositions of biocharsInteractions with microorganismEfficacy for varying soil types
Taken from Abstract 129Lab of Gerard Cornelissen
Other Soil Amendments
bull Re-assessment of the potential for ZEOLITESAluminosilicate cages that trap and exchange cationswater
bull Soil amendmentswater holdingreleasing slow release of cationic nutrients
bull Also for animal feeds (diarrhea smells)
bull Wastewater treatment
bull Cost and accessibility issues are a major limitation---mdashpotential of Kenyan deposits
bull Many other nano-structures for slow release
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
Soil Amendments
Ancient Amazonian Indians mayHave produced the unique and fertileldquoTerra Pretardquo soils found in Amazonia
Emerging field of re-creating BioCharthrough pyrolysis of organic matter
Still a need for much more chemistry
Compositions of biocharsInteractions with microorganismEfficacy for varying soil types
Taken from Abstract 129Lab of Gerard Cornelissen
Other Soil Amendments
bull Re-assessment of the potential for ZEOLITESAluminosilicate cages that trap and exchange cationswater
bull Soil amendmentswater holdingreleasing slow release of cationic nutrients
bull Also for animal feeds (diarrhea smells)
bull Wastewater treatment
bull Cost and accessibility issues are a major limitation---mdashpotential of Kenyan deposits
bull Many other nano-structures for slow release
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
Still a need for much more chemistry
Compositions of biocharsInteractions with microorganismEfficacy for varying soil types
Taken from Abstract 129Lab of Gerard Cornelissen
Other Soil Amendments
bull Re-assessment of the potential for ZEOLITESAluminosilicate cages that trap and exchange cationswater
bull Soil amendmentswater holdingreleasing slow release of cationic nutrients
bull Also for animal feeds (diarrhea smells)
bull Wastewater treatment
bull Cost and accessibility issues are a major limitation---mdashpotential of Kenyan deposits
bull Many other nano-structures for slow release
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
Other Soil Amendments
bull Re-assessment of the potential for ZEOLITESAluminosilicate cages that trap and exchange cationswater
bull Soil amendmentswater holdingreleasing slow release of cationic nutrients
bull Also for animal feeds (diarrhea smells)
bull Wastewater treatment
bull Cost and accessibility issues are a major limitation---mdashpotential of Kenyan deposits
bull Many other nano-structures for slow release
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) scientists develop encapsulated products for agricultural applications
bull sustained release of pesticides and fertilizersbull stabilization and increased bioavailability of animal feed
nutrients and seed protection
httpwwwswriorg4orgd01microencmicroenapp_aghtm
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
The Rural Poor Lack Power
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
bull Lack of energy limits agriculture (mechanization irrigation pumps refrigeration lighting transport communication)
bull Alternatives needed to simple burning of biomass
bull Lack of extensive electrical grid suggests need for off-grid power
bull Just as the cell phone leap-froggedin Africa to avoid telephone landlines
Energy Production-Considerations
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
Personalized EnergymdashAn Affordable Option for Local Power
bull During daytime solar cell powers devices directly with excess energy used to split water to produce H2
bull Cheap silicon solar cell with Co-Pi catalyst for water splitting at neutral pH
bull At night or low sunlight energy can be drawn using H2 fuel cell
bull Hydrogen storage might be solved by converting to hydrides such as ammonia-borane
bull Energetics already say this is feasible and driving down costs further is still the only limitation
Daniel Nocera andColleagues MIT
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
bull A lot of great chemistry going on
bull The developing world already uses plants as a major source of fuel buthelliphellip
bull For next generation biofuels for developing world certainly NOT in ways that affect food production
bull Need to monitor developments on best ways to use cellulosic residues
bull Best options at present may be for simple ndashto-produce biodiesel for local power from problem wastes (banana leaves fish residues coconut hulls) or hardy plants like Jatropha
bull Lobby against mega-farms that are not pro-poor
What about Biofuels
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
The Great African Land Grab
Millions of hectares in Ethiopia Sudan Mozambique Mali and other countriesare being leased to entities in China India Saudi Arabia for development of large-scale commercial farms
In 2009 alone more than 60 million hectares (size of France) have been soldleased
Environmental issues possible depletion of water sources for great rivers like the Nile
Current food crisis in East Africa
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
Jatropha Plantationsmdashthe D1 Oils Example
Outgrower schemes in placeslike India Malawi Zambia
Some plantations but they also provide seed fertilizer management skills and process harvest for small farmers
Oil used for local biodiesel seed cake for fertilizer
Researchable issues
true-breeding high-producing lines
removal of toxic compounds in seedsto allow use of seed cake for animalfeed
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
Jatropha Along the Delhi-Mumbai
Railway
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
Adapting New Technologies to Benefit the Poor
bull Identify technologies that have most promise
bull Create a dialog with developers early in process
bull Make the case that the poor represent a huge new market---eg cell phones online banking supermarkets
bull Ensure that products are adapted to local needs
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
IFPRI makes the case thatthe centers of CGIAR arewellmdashpositioned to take the lead
bull Economic analyses---where are the poor and what do they want
bull Vital statistics diagnostic opportunitiesbull digital soil maps bull prevalence of toxins such as
aflatoxins in cropsbull available sources for wind
geothermal zeolites etc
bull Assist with regulatory issues
bull Work to attract investors
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
Universities and their Relevance to the
Developing World
bull Faculty are already over-committed
bull Few opportunities to identify and meet with potential partners in developing world
bull Few opportunities to learn about constraints to developing world agriculture and to consider how new innovations might be relevant
bull Almost no incentives to get involved
Challenges
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
Time Opportunities and Incentives
bull Graduate student thesis committees and faculty tenure and promotion committees reward efforts at translational research
bull More programs to fund exploratory translational research
o National Science Foundation
bull Eg Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) httpwwwnsfgovfundingpgm_summjsppims_id=12819
o US-AID
bull Feed the Future Initiativeo Pledge of $35 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years
bull ldquoBorlaug 21st Century Leadershiprdquo Program--- $325 milliono help strengthen over 65 African agricultural research institutions Will work with US land grant
universities to train African students and will also provide funding for American graduate students to study at international research centers
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
What else is needed
bull A public sector ldquoSurveillance systemrdquo that identifies new innovations that have the best potential for high impact---comprised of the very best scientists from universities private sector and CGIAR centers
bull In addition to the CGIAR centers create a new institute for translational research in agriculture that can concentrate solely on testing the feasibility of adapting new innovations important to the public sector and to developing world agriculture
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
Andhelliphellipbull Some new faces to contribute to entire development
effort
