The second staging of the Yam Farmers’ Biotechnology Workshop was held at the Northern Caribbean University, Mandeville on December 3, 2019. The focus of this workshop was to sensitize yam farmers in Jamaica to the fight against the yam anthracnose disease and research on how disease free plantlets could be a possible solution with additional use of nanoparticles. This workshop was facilitated through the National Science Foundation (NSF) BREAD PHENO Project. At the Opening Ceremony, Mr. Orlando Hamilton, an NCU postgraduate student moderated; Prof. Asemota and Prof. Vincent Wright gave an overview of the Project. Mr. Lenworth Fulton, the President of Jamaica Agricultural Society brought the keynote address;  Prof. Paul Gyles, the Graduate Dean of NCU delivered a speech on ‘The Relevance of Sustainable Crop Production’; Mr. Peter Bunting’s representative expressed the Member of Parliament’s support for the effort; and Prof. Patience Alonge gave the vote of thanks. At the workshop a graduate student from NCU and seven students supervised by Prof. Asemota gave presentations on graduate research outputs, while Prof. Asemota and Dr. Gordon Lightbourne gave an overview of Plant Tissue Culture with demonstrations. The farmers received Certificates of Participation.  Overall 48 famers have been trained. The first staging of the Yam Farmers Biotechnology workshop was held at the Biotechnology Centre, UWI, Mona on November 26, 2019.

More scenes from the Workshop...

For more on the Biotechnology Centre: https://www.mona.uwi.edu/biotec

For  a report on the first workshop: https://www.mona.uwi.edu/fst/biotech-hosts-farmers-workshop-focused-yam-disease

Article Posted: February 10, 2020