Clemson Scientists Launch International Food Security Partnership During Visit To Nigeria

The partnership will expand research collaboration, graduate education and international engagement between Clemson University and IITA in Africa.

Clemson University scientists are partnering with Nigerian scientists to develop affordable technologies that could help growers combat devastating crop diseases, improve food security and strengthen agricultural production in the U.S. and Africa.

During a recent visit to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) headquarters in Ibadan, Nigeria, Clemson scientists and their Nigerian collaborators officially launched the Gates Foundation-funded three-year Banana Vegetative Starts project.

Led by Clemson horticulture professor Jeffrey Adelberg, the initiative will develop hydroponic propagation systems that enable the large-scale production of clean, disease-free banana planting material using affordable, locally available resources.

Hydroponic propagation is the process of growing plants in a nutrient-rich liquid solution rather than in soil.

“By combining Clemson’s expertise in controlled-environment agriculture with IITA’s leadership in banana breeding and African seed systems, we’re developing practical technologies to help farmers replace diseased crops faster, lower production costs and strengthen food security where it’s needed most,” said Jagger Harvey, director of Clemson Global Research Initiatives.

IITA is one of the research centers in the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), a global agricultural research partnership.

Shared challenges
Bananas are a dietary staple for millions of people and an important source of income for rural communities throughout Africa. But production is increasingly threatened by soil-borne diseases caused by fungi, water molds and nematodes.

The same types of pathogens are also a challenge for South Carolina agriculture. Because these diseases can persist in soil for decades, growers often have few options once fields become infected.

The new project focuses on developing hydroponic nursery systems that allow African seed producers to multiply healthy banana plants more efficiently and at lower cost. Clemson scientists will lead development of the production systems, while IITA scientists will contribute expertise in banana breeding, seed systems and implementation across Africa.

In addition to bananas, the scientists expect the technologies to benefit many other crops grown in Africa and the southeastern United States.

Developing disease-free plants
Bananas are propagated through tissue culture rather than seed, making the transition from research laboratories to commercial production expensive and labor-intensive. The new nursery systems are designed to simplify that process while maintaining plant quality.

Lance Beecher, Clemson Cooperative Extension Service associate specialist for food systems and safety, said the collaboration focuses on making disease-free planting material more accessible.

“With these new nursery systems, local businesses can produce healthy, disease-free plants at lower costs more quickly,” Beecher said. “That means farmers can replant sooner, harvest earlier and recover income faster while reducing the risk of introducing new diseases into fields.”

The project also builds on decades of Adelberg’s research, which focuses on improving the commercial production of clean planting materials.

“Bananas are sterile or nearly sterile plants,” Adelberg said. “Getting them into the field requires repeated handling. Every touch adds costs and increases the risk of contamination. My specialty is upscaling while assuring quality and improving profitability for producers of clean plant materials.”

Trevor Rife, a phenomics and crop improvement scientist at the Clemson Pee Dee Research and Education Center near Florence, South Carolina, will develop mobile apps to help plant breeders capture and manage data more effectively. These apps will expand the PhenoApps platform, enabling breeders worldwide to respond more quickly to emerging threats such as new diseases or pests.

Beyond improving crop production, the partnership will expand research collaboration, graduate education and international engagement between Clemson and IITA.

Clemson students benefit
For Clemson doctoral student Gaudy Mayela Ortiz Rivera, the project provides an opportunity to develop technologies with global impact.

“The tools we develop for improving tissue culture protocols and hydroponic seed scalability will benefit African farmers while also being applicable in South Carolina, Costa Rica and elsewhere,” said Ortiz Rivera, who is a tissue culture scientist with Costa Rica’s National Institute for Innovation and Transfer in Agricultural Technology.

A shared commitment
Both South Carolina and parts of Nigeria share long growing seasons, abundant rainfall and production of crops including peanuts, corn, rice, soybeans and sweet potatoes.

“This allows adaptation of innovations across the regions while preparing growers for common production challenges,” said IITA agricultural economist Tahirou Abdoulaye.

Researchers expect the collaboration to generate broader benefits for South Carolina agriculture through improved propagation methods, advances in hydroponic production systems, and expanded expertise in controlled-environment agriculture and enhancements.