Tanzania is a major sweetpotato producer in sub-Saharan Africa. The area under sweetpotato
has been rising steadily relative to main food staples. However, the yields have stagnated at
around 4 t/ha compared with the potential yield of above 20 t/ha, partly due to limited access
to quality seeds. Most farmers in SSA recycle seed from the previous crop or source from
neighbours. This increases the probability of accumulating viruses, which may reduce the
sweetpotato yield by over 50%.

Drylands are a critical part of the earth system in terms of total area, socioeconomic and ecological importance. However, while drylands are known for their contribution to inter-annual atmospheric CO2 variability, they are sometimes overlooked in discussions of global carbon stocks. Here, in preparation for the November 2021 UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), we review dryland systems with emphasis on their role in current and future carbon storage, response to climate change and potential to contribute to a carbon neutral future.

From being a consortium of 15 independent research centres, the CGIAR system is in the process of
transitioning to One CGIAR - “a dynamic reformulation of partnerships, knowledge, assets, and
global presence, aiming for greater integration and impact”. This consolidation is spurred by the
recognition that “delivering science and innovation to advance the transformation of food, land, and
water systems in a climate crisis” calls for a “systems transformation approach”.

User’s preferences of cassava and cassava products along the value chain are supported by specific root quality characteristics that can be linked to root traits. Therefore, providing an evidence base of user preferred characteristics along the value chain can help in the functional choice of cassava varieties.

Wheat yields in Ethiopia need to increase considerably to reduce import dependency and keep up with the expected increase in population and dietary changes. Despite the yield progress observed in recent years, wheat yield gaps remain large. Here, we decompose wheat yield gaps in Ethiopia into efficiency, resource, and technology yield gaps and relate those yield gaps to broader farm(ing) systems aspects.

Abstract. Drought is predicted to increase in the future due to climate change, bringing with it myriad impacts on ecosystems. Plants respond to drier soils by reducing stomatal conductance in order to conserve water and avoid hydraulic damage. Despite the importance of plant drought responses for the global carbon cycle and local and regional climate feedbacks, land surface models are unable to capture observed plant responses to soil moisture stress.

the concept of water security clarifies how water-resource scarcity impacts at varying geographic scales and on different socio-economic sectors, causing allocation conflicts and environmental risks
• the large natural storage of most groundwater systems offers exceptional drought resilience and is well positioned to enhance water security for a wide range of water users
• to perform this role sustainably groundwater systems require better data and analyses to inform water resource administration and effective pollution protection

Wet conditions prevailed during December 2020 and January 2021 over the country, however, dry conditions were
also experienced from February to April 2021 in many parts of the country. A considerable amount of rainfall was
received across the country during the North-East monsoon (December 2020 to February 2021), however, it was
less in the central areas compared to the long-term average. The DMC, NDRSC, Military, and Public Administrative
agencies implemented a special preparedness programme which was supported by WFP and other agencies during

Ethiopia has ambitious plans of expanding irrigation throughout the country to feed the growing population (FDRE 2011; NPC 2016). Due to population growth, landscapes in Ethiopia are facing increasing pressure from agriculture (e.g., Desta et al. 2020). The promotion of irrigation using shallow groundwater (Gowing et al. 2020; Tilahun et al. 2020) and better water lifting mechanisms (Gebregziabher 2012, 2019; Loulseged et al.

Enhancing accountability has become an important objective of the governance reforms over the past two decades. Yet, only a few studies have explored the use of social accountability tools in the water sector in particular. This report aims to fill this gap, based on a case study of a donor-funded water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) program in Nepal. We document and analyze the effects of two types of social accountability tools implemented by the program: public hearings and social audits.

This guide is intended to serve as standard reference source for collecting, analyzing, interpreting, documenting, and sharing data on soil, plant, water, and fertilizer resources.

Foliar application of fertilizers can guarantee nutrient availability to beans, leading to higher yield and seed quality. Different approaches including glycine have been used to improve mineral nutrient status of plants toward safer products and improved human health. However, limited research has been undertaken to understand the response of beans to amino Zn and Mg foliar