This new feature in the Research Map, designed to increase the level of interaction and collaboration among users of agriculture information has seen over 50 enquiries being sent to various projects. From technical support, project reports, internship opportunities for students, various scientists details requests to conversations leading to developing new partnerships, the ‘Ask a Question’ box has vast advantages and shows the willingness of CGIAR scientists to share their information and knowledge and collaborate and learn from others partners.

To see some of the enquiries and their responses click on the below link

What users of CGIAR research information are asking

To download projects:

1.      Click on find projects by on the map

2.      Narrow your search category e.g. choose projects in a particular CGIAR Center, projects spanning a specific time frame, projects in a specific research area etc. by using the existing project filters

3.      Select the view as list option of the projects from the home page

4.      In list view, click ‘Download in excel‘  on the right hand side of the window

5.      Open with or save file in Microsoft Office Excel (default) and click OK

2. What is the importance of the crops in agriculture?
Food-feed/dual purpose crops play a key role in small holder crop-livestock systems since they provide food for humans and fodder for livestock at the same time. So no additional land and water are required for fodder production since these needed to be allocated anyhow for the primary product, the grains. Food-feed/dual purpose crops are therefore highly resource use efficient. Crop residues provide the major feed resources for small holders.

3. Who can grow these crops?
Essentially every farmer but they are particularly important for resource poor small holders

4. Who are the potential beneficiaries of these crops?
Basically everybody starting from the farmer and livestock producer to fodder traders and feed processors

5. Examples of food-feed crops?
Maize, rice, wheat, sorghum, millets, groundnut, cowpea etc.

6. Where can I find more information and research about food-feed crops?
For more information on food-feed crops you can see Michael Blummel’s,  Dennis Friesen’s, C Tom Hash’s projects, among the CGIAR scientists who are working on these crops. You can also carry out a search on ‘food-feed crops’ in the Map for a list of related projects.

Anyone who is working on a CGIAR led research project can become a contributor and add projects. By contributing your information you will not only be taking part in information and knowledge sharing but guarantying the completeness and accuracy of the project information being carried out by the CG and its partners.

From the guides you will be able to know how to:

o   Add a new project

o   Edit or update an existing project

o   Share a project

o   Add biographical information

From the Ongoing Research projects one would note that research on livestock, fisheries, aquaculture and related form a great part of the CGIAR and partner’s research activities.

The two critical questions that the team needs feedback on so as to strengthen and re-submit the proposal by 5th March are:

Question 1: Can we really expect livestock and fish production ‘by the poor’ to contribute meaningfully to nutrition ‘for the poor’?

Question 2: How best to partner with the private sector in pro-poor livestock and fish value chain development?

Click on the above questions to read the full post and submit your views

ICARDA has a global mandate for the improvement of barley, lentil and faba bean and serves the non-tropical dry areas for the improvement of on-farm water-use efficiency, rangeland and small-ruminant production (http://www.icarda.cgiar.org/Mission.htm).

Among the research areas that the projects work in include, Agrobiodivesity, Water Management, Policy & Institutions, Crops, Climate Change and others. Search projects by ICARDA to find out more information about this Centers work and also what other Centers are doing in similar regions.

Vincent Johnson
Bioversity

It was also the year we decided to expand the scope of the Map to all areas where the CG is working in besides Africa. Our sites visits went up from 595 in January to 1,971 visitors in December with Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN), various CG Centers, other organisations and individuals playing a key role in the distribution of the information. In addition, there was increased involvement from contributors of the information, a reflection of their commitment to provide up-to-date information.

For 2011, we plan to break these records by expanding our sensitization and communication boundaries, complete the coverage of the information of regions outside Africa, focus on how to reap more from the power of sharing information among the drivers of OR and ensure the various categories of users are using this information to better their work.

Read about my passion for putting CGIAR agricultural research on the map  here.

Wishing you all a joyous new year and happy browsing!

Working in partnership with the private and public sectors and civil society the WorldFish Center is at the forefront of the development of pro-poor sustainable aquaculture. Our approach considers not only the needs of farmers for productive technologies, but also upstream and downstream activities, such as the supply of quality seed and affordable feed, post harvest processing distribution and marketing, and development of sustainable business enterprises that benefit the poor. WorldFish is thus helping make it possible for a growing number of the world’s poorest people to better feed and support themselves. Under the right conditions, this kind of aquaculture improves human well-being in a number of ways that support the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Direct benefits include greater food security, improved nutrition, supplemental income, and livelihood options.

According to Wikipedia Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants.

Expand your knowledge base and find out today about what the CG is doing with regards to this area of research by exploring by ‘research area’ and clicking on aquaculture.

We are positive that you will find browsing of CGIAR research projects more rewarding, informative and interactive through the option of finding out more about projects by asking questions directly from a project fact sheet in the map.

Stay tuned to this OR News section for all the information worth finding out about each and every research project in the map, our developments and feel free to write to me at e.katingi@cgiar.org if you would like us to highlight your project findings, breakthroughs and any other related information in this section.