Niger: Dr Ali Koura Abdoulaye, Coordinator of FAO Project TCP/NER/3901 on Local Seed Potatoes, Joins the Potato Expert Panel
Dr Ali Koura Abdoulaye, research scientist in biotechnology at INRAN, Niger, joins the Potato Expert Panel by Potatoes.News.
Dr Ali Koura Abdoulaye, a research scientist in biotechnology at the National Institute of Agricultural Research of Niger (INRAN), has joined the Potato Expert Panel by Potatoes.News. He specialises in plant breeding, seed systems and genetics.
Local seed potatoes in Niger
According to his submission, Ali Koura coordinated FAO Project TCP/NER/3901, which demonstrated for the first time the feasibility of a local potato seed production system in Niger, using apical rooted cuttings. His poster work with Dr Monica Parker on the subject was covered in our article on Niger’s potato output and imported seed.
Research and training
He holds a PhD in plant breeding with a specialisation in biotechnology and a master’s degree in plant breeding (2017), both from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana, and an engineering degree in biotechnology from the University of Mostaganem, Algeria (2010). He was a Mandela Washington Fellow at Oklahoma State University in 2018. He also contributes to the SahelClim, RID and CropMix climate adaptation projects, linked to drought tolerance and Striga resistance.
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Areas of expertise
- Seed systems
- Plant breeding
- Genetics
- Seed technology
- Tissue culture
- Molecular biology
WHY IT MATTERS
Seed is one of the main constraints on potato production in countries that depend on imports. Our earlier report put Niger’s seed imports at 8,000–9,000 tonnes a year. For growers and seed traders in the Sahel and other import-dependent markets, a working local multiplication system using rooted apical cuttings is a practical example of how supply could be built closer to the field.
Join the panel
Potatoes.News invites potato professionals from any country to join the Potato Expert Panel. To apply, write to v.kovalev@potatoes.news with a short biography (80–150 words), your areas of expertise, your country and organisation, and a portrait photo. The panel is the first step towards an international network of potato professionals that we are building together with the International Potato Tour.
Based on the expert profile submitted by Dr Ali Koura Abdoulaye. Read his expert profile. More about the panel: Potato Expert Panel and the launch article.
