I had just entered my teenage years when I discovered the power of the idiot box. As we sat huddled before the eye-popping technology in a rectangular shape , my first memories are those of hearing a deep baritone voice, intellectually refined , possessing extraordinary depth and talking esoteric stuff. I did not understand much, … Continue reading
Author Archives: ILRI Communications
Africa / Climate Change / ILRI
Climate change to make one million sq km of African farmland unproductive
Nearly one million square kilometers of farmland in Africa could become unproductive as a result of the effects of Climate Change, a new study has found. The study conducted by researchers from the Nairobi-based International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and the United Kingdom’s Waen Associates and copied to ghanabusinessnews.com has found that by 2050, hotter … Continue reading
Camel farming could be the answer
Camel farming could be an option for some 20 million to 35 million people living on semi-arid land in Africa, who will soon be unable to grow crops because of climate change, says the co-author of a new study. By 2050, hotter conditions and less rainfall in an area covering 500,000 sq km to one … Continue reading
Animal Feeding / Fodder / ILRI / India / Innovation Systems / Livestock / Nigeria
Innovation systems: A testing process
It is a time of new opportunities as new technologies allow people to easily obtain new and more information, and local and global markets become more accessible. But coping with change is a complex process and it is unfortunate that a business-as-usual approach in agriculture and rural development often results in these opportunities being under-exploited. … Continue reading
Cow genome sequence could boost cattle quality
The sequencing of the cow genome, announced last week, could speed up efforts to improve the quality of cattle in the developing world, say livestock scientists. The sequence, the compilation of which involved 300 scientists from 25 countries, was published in Science last week (24 April). The genome contains 22,000 genes, according to the Bovine … Continue reading
Organic dairy manure may offer high quality fertilizer option
Dairy cows that produce USDA-certified organic milk also produce manure that may gradually replenish soil nutrients and potentially reduce the flow of agricultural pollutants to nearby water sources, according to findings by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and colleagues. Cows on organic dairy farms generally consume forage feeds cultivated on soils that are fertilized with … Continue reading
DNA blueprint for healthier and more efficient cows
Latest findings from the Bovine Genome Sequencing Project: Ground breaking findings by an international consortium of scientists who sequenced and analysed the bovine genome, could result in more sustainable food production. The findings, published in two reports in the journal Science today, will have a profound impact on Australia’s livestock industry. CSIRO scientists were among … Continue reading
East Africa / Kenya / Wildlife
Mara wildlife in serious decline
Wild grazing animals in Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve are steadily disappearing, a study has found. Numbers of giraffe, warthog, impala, topi and hartebeest fell by 50% or more between 1979 and 2002. The falls are linked to rapid growth of Maasai settlements around the reserve, say scientists from the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). … Continue reading
Environment / Kenya / Wildlife
Giraffe numbers in Masai Mara down 95%
The giraffe population of Kenya’s famous Maasai Mara reserve has declined by up to 95% because of increased human settlement around the unfenced park, according to a new study. Scientists at the Nairobi-based International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) found that the numbers of giraffes, hartebeest, impala, warthogs, topis and waterbuck all fell “markedly and persistently” throughout … Continue reading
Experts highlight lack of swine flu diagnostics
Many developing countries have “extremely limited capacity” to diagnose diseases such as swine flu and are likely to remain this way for decades, according to a public health expert specialising in pandemic preparedness. There has been substantial investment in developing countries to support animal and human health surveillance, says Richard Coker, professor of public health … Continue reading
ILRI Clippings 