Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Peanut Productivity and Mycotoxin Control Annual Report Fiscal Year 2017 Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Peanut Productivity and Mycotoxin Control (Peanut & Mycotoxin Innovation Lab) Annual Report – Fiscal Year 2017 (1 October 2016 – 30 September 2017) PMIL Management Entity The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia January 2018 Table of Contents Note from the Director ......................................................................................................................... 4 Acronyms ............................................................................................................................................. 5 Executive Summary .............................................................................................................................. 6 Program Countries ............................................................................................................................... 7 Program Partners ................................................................................................................................. 7 Program Highlights ............................................................................................................................... 7 Key Accomplishments .......................................................................................................................... 8 Research Program Overview and Structure ........................................................................................ 10 A. Peanut Germplasm Development ...................................................................................................... 11 Project A1. Translational Genomics to Reduce Pre-harvest Aflatoxin Contamination of Peanut ...... 11 Project A2. Silencing of Aflatoxin Synthesis through RNA Interference (RNAi) in Peanut Plants ....... 14 Project A3. An Integrated Global Breeding and Genomics Approach to Intensifying Peanut Production and Quality ...................................................................................................................... 16 B. Mycotoxin Detection and Peanut Nutritional Studies ....................................................................... 22 Project B1. AflaGoggles for Screening Aflatoxin Contamination in Maize ......................................... 22 Project B2. Development and Validation of Methods for Detection of Mycotoxins Exposure in Dried Spotted Blood Samples ...................................................................................................................... 23 Project B3. Aflatoxin in Peanut and Peanut Products: Comparative Study on Analytical Methods for Detection of Aflatoxin ........................................................................................................................ 25 Project B4. Randomized Controlled Trial of the Impact of Treating Moderately Malnourished Women in Pregnancy ......................................................................................................................... 25 C. Peanut Value Chain Interventions ...................................................................................................... 26 Project C1. Production to Consumption – Technologies to Improve Peanut Production, Processing and Utilization in Haiti ........................................................................................................................ 26 Project C2. Applied Research and Technology Transfer to Minimize Aflatoxin Contamination and Increase Production, Quality and Marketing of Peanut in Ghana ...................................................... 29 Project C3. Producer and Consumer Interventions to Decrease Peanut Mycotoxin Risk in Ghana ... 37 Project C4. Aflatoxin Management Interventions, Education and Analysis at Various Steps Along the Peanut Value Chain in Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia ................................................................. 40 Project C5. Productivity and Profitability Growth in Peanut Production: A Farm Level Analysis in Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia ..................................................................................................... 45 Associate Award Research ProJect Reports ......................................................................................... 47 Human and Institutional Capacity Development ................................................................................. 48 Short-Term Training (by country) ........................................................................................................... 48 2 Degree Long-Term Training (by country) .............................................................................................. 53 Non – Degree Long-Term Training (by country) ..................................................................................... 60 Workshops and Courses ......................................................................................................................... 61 Technology Transfer and Scaling Partnerships .................................................................................... 67 Environmental Management and Mitigation Plan (EMMP) ................................................................. 67 Open Data Management Plan ............................................................................................................. 67 Governance and Management ........................................................................................................... 67 Management Entity ................................................................................................................................ 67 External Advisory Committee ................................................................................................................. 68 Program Research Meetings .................................................................................................................. 68 Project Monitoring and Evaluation ........................................................................................................ 69 Communications .................................................................................................................................... 69 Information Technology ......................................................................................................................... 70 Other Topics ....................................................................................................................................... 70 Issues ................................................................................................................................................. 71 Future Directions ................................................................................................................................ 71 Appendix A. Program Partners ........................................................................................................... 72 A1. United States of America ................................................................................................................. 72 A2. Foreign ............................................................................................................................................. 73 Appendix B. List of Awards to Partners ............................................................................................... 75 B1. US Partners (by State) ...................................................................................................................... 75 B2. Non-US Partners (by Country) .......................................................................................................... 77 Appendix C. Success Stories ................................................................................................................ 81 C1. Regional breeding network helps develop improved peanut varieties ........................................... 81 C2. PMIL student research contributes to national standard for peanut flour ...................................... 83 C3. Extension agent obtains advanced degree and implements what she learned ............................... 85 PMIL Annual Report FY2017 3 Note from the Director This is the last annual report for the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Peanut Productivity and Mycotoxin Control (Peanut & Mycotoxin Innovation Lab, PMIL). The final year focused on completing the research activities, analyzing the data, and publishing the results. Along the way, all students supported by the program completed their thesis research, submitted their theses, and graduated from their universities. In total, more than 50 PhD and MSc students were supported over the five-year program. Many of these students already have found employment in their home countries, and many of their jobs are in the area of agriculture. We wish them all the best and look forward to partnering with many of them in research projects in the future. Many technologies developed or tested over the life of the program were scaled out this year. The new dried blood-spot sampling technique is in use in projects in Uganda, Nepal and other countries. The improved SNP chip is providing useful genomic information for thousands of peanut lines, leading to new knowledge about the diversity of the materials and identifying markers linked to traits of interest in breeding programs. New varieties