Cassava farmers |
Armand Doumtsop, a PhD candidate at the University of
Yaounde in Cameroon, used his Borlaug LEAP Fellowship to expand his professional
network and develop his skills in morphological and molecular techniques. Under the direction of Dr Benjamin Normark,
he traveled to the University of Massachusetts – Amherst and, using state of
the art equipment, trained in Dr Normark’s lab for six months. The fellowship also allowed Doumtsop to
survey a wide area of the Congo basin, investigate the pest problem and collect
samples. His CGIAR mentor, Dr Rachid Hanna from IITA-Cameroon, supervised the fieldwork.
The research that Armand Doumtsop conducted under the
Borlaug LEAP fellowship has shown that, contrary to established knowledge, this
insect turns out to be a complex of species. This conclusion is based in part
on evidence from Doumtsop’s painstaking morphological comparisons and anchored
in the molecular genetics information he generated at the Normark lab.
Understanding ARTS diversity is only the beginning of
developing evidence-based knowledge about its biology and ecology that can be
used in the development of innovative management options that will limit the
pest’s impact on crops. These management
options (e.g., host plant resistance and biological control) are specific to
the insect and how it interacts with its host plant and antagonists.
Doumtsop plans to use his research results to develop
sustainable options for pest management by providing decision-support tools,
including a pest risk map and keys to develop host plant resistance in cassava
and other tuber crops. This will contribute to increased yields and enhance
food security and income generation for local communities.
Following completion of his PhD program, Doumtsop
hopes to be involved in research projects that will contribute to food security
in his native Cameroon. He plans to
transfer the knowledge he acquired during his fellowship through collaborative
research, teaching of students and training of farmers’ groups.
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