BASF partners with leading research institutes to reduce crop loss from Striga weed in Africa

摘要

BASF and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) announced a 4-year project to reduce crop loss due to the parasitic Striga weed (Striga hermonthica and S. gesnerioides) from the maize and legume fields of Kenya and Nigeria. Striga presents a serious threat to the economic and social viability of the Sub-Saharan Africa (ssA) region, causing crop losses of up to $1.2 billion in maize and cowpeas alone. These losses are devastating in a region where 80% of people depend on agriculture for food, income and employment.