Field Notes

  • The Full Belly Project, a nonprofit that builds small-scale shellers for nuts, has renewed plans to distribute 105 machines in Zambia. The Wilmington, N.C.-based group announced recently that it plans to build and deploy 105 its Universal Nut Shellers to farmers in villages surrounding Chipata to help increase the food supply and farmers’ incomes. The…

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  • Groundnut leaf miner is a serious threat to groundnut production in sub-Saharan Africa, but a new brochure puts together up-to-date advice to identify and control the pest. The guide was produced by Peanut & Mycotoxin Innovation Lab collaborator David Okello, the head of the Groundnut Improvement Program of the National Semi-Arid Research Resources Institute in…

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  • The MasterCard Foundation and the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) have announced a collaboration that will make $27.1 million available for agricultural education in Africa. The eight-year commitment from MasterCard will focus on smallholder farmers, connecting university education to the needs of rural communities, and support the training of 220 economically disadvantaged…

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  • The 48th Annual American Peanut Research and Education Society annual meeting convened in Clearwater, Fla., this week with hundreds of scientists, student researchers and representatives of the shelling, processing and manufacturing industries gathering. Over two-full days of meetings, the group is reviewing the progress of genomics research, sharing findings with colleagues and discussing priorities for…

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  • The University of Georgia’s Department of Crop and Soil Sciences is hiring for a tenure-track, 12-month position (75% Research and 25% Extension) in crop physiology with a focus on peanut. This position will be located on the Tifton Campus of the University of Georgia. The successful candidate will be expected to develop a research program…

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  • Aflatoxin contamination can cost smallholder farmers at the market and leave them with potentially dangerous food to feed their families, but a few simple techniques have been proven to reduce the likelihood and severity of contamination.  The Peanut & Mycotoxin Innovation Lab has created an infographic to relay that important information to farmers and consumers…

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  • Cuisine in Mexico and Kenya have a major ingredient in common – maize – and a food preparation method used for thousands of years in the area around modern Mexico could expand dish options and add nutrients for Kenyans, while reducing aflatoxin contamination in the food. The process – called nixtamalization – involves cooking and…

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