Healthier plants for a better life – Innovations in plant science to support food security
Public Award ceremony organized by the Swiss Forum for International Agricultural Research (SFIAR) with keynotes by Prof. Dr Emmanuel Frossard (ETH Zürich) and Prof. Dr Ted Turlings (University of Neuchâtel), presentations by SFIAR Award winners, and apéro
Event Details
Language of the event
English
To increase yields, smallholders need healthier plants. One way to reach this goal is to improve soil fertility management. Another one is to protect plants against damage from pests. Both winners of this year’s SFIAR Awards are making important contributions to achieving these two goals.
Helena Ström has looked at soil fertility management in yam cropping systems in Côte d’Ivoire. She studied different aspects of soil fertility management: 1) biochar as a soil amendment with the potential to improve crop productivity and soil properties; 2) farmers’ perceptions about soils and soil fertility management; and 3) the use of a serious game as a tool to disseminate knowledge.
Daria Odermatt has investigated the effects of the leguminous intercrop Desmodium on the fall armyworm, a major pest devastating maize crops in Africa. She wanted to know whether Desmodium intercrops release potentially bioactive volatiles and if these can explain a repellent effect in oviposition and flight behavior of the Fall Armyworm.
Before the winners present their projects, two thematic experts will place their research in a broader context.
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