The Michigan State University is leading a research consortium that will manage a project to improve pest management in several Central Asian nations, MSU News reports. The U.S. Agency for International Development is providing the group with USD1.25 mllion in grant for the project. Beneficiary countries include Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
The project aims to set up collaborative research and demonstration sites for key crops such as wheat, potatoes and tomatoes, which will serve as venue for training integrated pest management professionals, local farmers and students. The team, which will also include researchers from the University of California-Davis, will also provide instruction to more than 20 young scientists who will be selected for doctoral fellowships by MSU and UC-Davis.
