Three generations of IPPS presidents, Julie Scholes, Harro Bouwmeester, and current president, Jonne Rodenburg, met recently in Senegal for the Promise II project meeting. Promise II, Promoting Root Microbes for Integrated Striga Eradication, is a Gates Foundation funded project aiming to engineer soil and plant microbiomes to enhance crop productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa. Specifically, to explore and harness the functional potential of soil- and plant-associated microbes (bacteria and fungi) to minimize yield losses caused by Striga that adversely affects many cereal crops all over the Sub-Saharan region. Julie is on the Advisory board of Promise II, while Harro and Jonne are contributing research. See here for more information on Promise II.
