.:( Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique ):.

11-13/06/2013 | 8th International Seminar on Technology creation and transfer in small ruminants: roles of research, development services and farmer associations : Second Announcement

Organized by the National Institute of Agricultural Research of Morocco (INRA), through Regional Center of Agricultural Research (CRRA) of Tangier, and the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza – CIHEAM, with the collaboration of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Tangier Morocco 11 to 13 June 2013

Background and objectives of the Seminar

Small ruminants are important for income generation and security, food supply and for development in rural Mediterranean areas especially in mountainous and marginal regions. Nevertheless, Mediterranean sheep and goat farms generally have low productivity and income levels, and the adoption of cost-effective technologies and management practices for improving flock productivity and farmer’s incomes is limited. This is largely due to socio-economic factors, as the marginal areas in which they produce or the low capitalization of farms, but also to the lack of adaptation of these technologies to field conditions.

Innovation creation, adaptation and transfer are integrated steps to the successful technology adoption by farmers and their associations. The results from each step of this pathway contribute to a global success in the adoption approach, where improvements are simultaneously technical, economic, social and institutional.

The National Institute of Agricultural Research of Morocco (INRA) and the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza – CIHEAM organise the 8th Seminar of the FAO-CIHEAM Sub- Network on Production Systems entitled “Technology creation and transfer in small ruminants: roles of research, development services and farmers associations”, in Tangier (Morocco), from 11 to 13 June 2013.

The objective of the Seminar is to encourage participation and interaction among scientists and technicians involved in small ruminant production systems, with a view to: (1) analyse the evolution and efficacy of the technologies developed during the last decades; (2) evaluate the existing small ruminant research structures and programs in the Mediterranean region and discuss developed approaches and major results obtained; and (3) present and analyse technology transfer models and tools adopted highlighting the specific roles of the different stakeholders, such as public administrations, farmers associations and private companies.

Program of the Seminar

Contact:
Dr Mouad Chentouf

For More Details: www.iamz.ciheam.org/tangier2013

26-28/06/2013 | 13th International Conference on Antioxidants and the 1st Symposium on Medicinal Plants & Ethno-Medicine

The 13th International Conference on Antioxidants 2013 and the 1st Symposium on Medicinal Plants & Ethno-Medicine are organized by the International Society of Antioxidants (ISANH) in partnership with Moroccan Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (SMBBM) and University Hassan I. in june 26-28 2013, Marrakech Morocco

Presentation:
13th International Conference on Antioxidants 2013
The aim of this 13th International Conference on Antioxidants 2013 is to gather high level scientists and professionals to give an update of recent advances in Antioxidants benefits and promising trends of their use in improvement of human health. The conference offers an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences between researchers and industrialists.

Today antioxidants benefits in human health have gained a worldwild interest and the knowlegde of the relationship between their consumption and health improvement is constantly growing. The next step is how to bring these compounds to targeted populations and what are the best means to optimize their effects for consumer.

For this purpose, the scientific committee of Antioxidants 2013 had the original idea to focus the conference on the pratical aspects of antioxidants uses in health, food, beverage, cosmetic with speacial emphasis on following:

Oxidative Stress & Antioxidants in Health
Antioxidants Strategies for Health - How to Prevent & Treat Chronic Diseases?
Antioxidants Strategies for Food
Antioxidants Eco-Extraction from Plants & Waste

Moreover, two hot spots will be discussed during these two days:

Antioxidants in Practice for Medical Doctors & Pharmacists
Rosemary: Recent Advances & Applications

First Symposium on Medicinal Plants & Ethno-Medicine

The aim of the first symposium on Medicinal Plants & Ethno-Medicine is to discuss recent findings, observations, clinical studies, local feedback, opportunities and challenges about all medicinal plants mainly in Africa and all around the world, Their potential of applications in medicine to prevent and treat many chronical diseases such as diabetes will be highlighted.

Why a symposium dedicated to medicinal plants & ehtno-medicine?

We believe that western medicine cannot provide all medical and pharmaceutical solutions to treat and prevent diabetes, obesity, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. We will select credible scientific presentations from researchers working in this field. A confrontation with the modern medicine concept will may help to select a golden candidate (ingredient, drug or extracts).

The 13th International Conference on Antioxidants 2013 will be held under the patronage of the International Society of Antioxidants in Nutrition and Health (ISANH) and the Moroccan Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (SMBBM).

With this exciting program, we look forward to welcoming you in Marrakech in June.

Pr Boubker Nasser Co-Chairman of Local Organising Committee

Pr Marvin Edeas Chairman of ISANH and Scientific Committee

Programme

Contact

For More details visit: www.isanh-me.com/

16-17 Avril 2013 | Atelier sur la planification d’urgence pour la gestion des rouilles du blé au Maroc

organisée à INRA Rabat Guich Maroc, 16-17 Avril 2013

Objectif de l'Atelier:
Afin de mettre en œuvre une stratégie durable et efficiente pour contrôler les maladies en particulier les rouilles du blé, l'INRA et la FAO organiseront les 16 et 17 Avril 2013, un atelier qui regroupera tous les opérateurs de la filière ainsi qu’un panel d'experts nationaux et internationaux. Il s’agira d’identifier les moyens de prévention et de lutte contre les rouilles du blé, proposer les principaux axes permettant de renforcer le programme national de prévention et de lutte, et développer une coopération nationale et internationale dans le domaine.

Les céréales constituent une production stratégique pour l’agriculture marocaine. Cultivées sur 58% des terres agricoles (5 millions d'hectares), leur production moyenne est de 6 millions de tonnes ne répondant qu’à 62% de la demande intérieure. Le développement de cette culture conformément aux ambitieux objectifs du Plan Maroc Vert se heurte à plusieurs contraintes dont les rouilles (jaune et brune) et les septorioses qui occasionnent des pertes en rendement de l’ordre de 20% sur le blé tendre et de 10% sur le blé dur. Sur la base de la production Rouilles jaune et brune d’une année moyenne, le manque à gagner en contrôlant uniquement les maladies foliaires est de 9 millions quintaux de blé tendre et 1,8 millions quintaux de blé dur, soit une perte totale estimée à 3 milliards 150 millions de dirhams.

La lutte contre ces maladies est confrontée notamment à l’évolution perpétuelle des agents pathogènes et au mode de dissémination des rouilles qui est assuré principalement par le vent et sur de longues distances pouvant atteindre jusqu’à 2000 Km. Ce caractère régional et international de ce fléau est accentué par la rouille noire (ou rouille des tiges) qui présente un sérieux risque pour la production du blé suite à l'émergence dans certains pays de nouvelles races hautement virulentes. C’est le cas notamment de la race «Ug99» détectée en 1999 en Uganda et étendue depuis à plusieurs pays d’Afrique notamment. Le Maroc n'est pas à l’abri des menaces de cette nouvelle race, sachant que, d’après les travaux de l'INRA menés à Njoro (Kenya), la quasi-totalité de nos variétés de blé lui sont sensibles.

Conscient de l'ampleur et de la gravité du problème, l'INRA a opté pour une stratégie de prévention et de lutte intégrée ayant adopté des mesures anticipatives aux risques potentiels d'épidémie de la rouille noire. L’évaluation des variétés marocaines à l'égard des nouvelles races de rouilles ainsi que l’intégration des produits de la génomique et de la culture de tissus en vue de l'incorporation de la résistance à ce fléau dans nos variétés sont deux autres composantes de cette stratégie.

C’est dans ce contexte qu’intervient l’atelier organisé par l’INRA et la FAO qui se veut un espace de conciliation des synergies des acteurs nationaux impliqués (recherche, sécurité sanitaire, développement, etc.) et de renforcement de la collaboration avec les organismes internationaux spécialisés.

Programme de l'Atelier

Contact:
Michael Hage, FAO Representative, Morocco Tel:+212537654308
;
Fazil Dusunceli, AGP / EMPRES Plant Protection, FAO, Rome, Italy; Tel: +390657054930;
Abdelhamid Ramdani, Research Scientist, INRA, Meknes - Morocco; Tel: +212660967529