OFSP is the most widely disseminated vitamin-A rich biofortified crop. A consistent, year-round supply of quality roots is critical to expanding availability of OFSP and derived products, especially to urban consumers. NC State will work identify a sustainable, economically advantageous, solar powered, cold storage system to handle two commodities that can be used for OFSP roots (for processing into puree and fresh root use), and onions. The cold storage will be flexible to handle both local and imported agricultural products. The intention is to determine and establish the economic viability of small solar-powered containers to facilitate a year-round supply of root crops. NC State will work in collaboration with the USDA/FAS, the International Potato Center (CIP) and other Kenyan partners, such as the Kenyan government and other stakeholders in the Kenya Home Grown School Meals Program (HGSMP). NC State will obtain, install, and instruct Kenyan partners (i.e. the Ministry of Agriculture and a farmers organization) in their operation, analysis of pertinent value chains, and interpretation of findings. The solar cold storage containers are expected to help strengthen local market systems (including producers, processors and traders) for root crops by reducing losses from decay, reducing energy costs, and improving nutrition by increasing access to and the use of various high quality, nutritious, and culturally appropriate foods in school meals.

This proposal will recruit fellows from Latin and Central America countries to spend 12 weeks at NC State conducting research on climate smart agriculture topics and receiving leadership and science communication training. After the 12 weeks, the fellows will return to their home countries and the mentors will conduct a reciprocal visit to continue the research collaborations.

Through the Scientific Exchanges Program, Dr. Ruben Rellan-Alvarez will host a research scholar from Peru to conduct research on climate smart agriculture. CALS International Programs will manage the fellow's logistics and provide professional development including leadership and scientific communication training. Approximately six months later, Dr. Rellan-Alvarez will conduct a reciprocal trip to Peru to maintain the research partnership.

Orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) is the most widely disseminated among vitamin-A rich bio-fortified crop. A consistent, year-round supply of quality roots is critical to expanding the effort for urban consumers to eat either fresh OFSP roots or baked products from OFSP pur��������e. USDA is seeking to identify a sustainable, economically advantageous, commercial-scale solar-powered storage of OFSP roots for processing into puree and fresh root use in Kenya. The cold storage should be flexible to handle imported agricultural products as well. The project will address the impact of varietal differences, curing and storing conditions, air flow and air exchange rates, to strengthen the supply and value chain through temperature management. This is a proof-of-concept project to establish the economic viability of a large-scale, solar-powered storage facility to provide year-round supply of quality orange-fleshed sweetpotato roots to major fresh root markets and processors in Nairobi, Kenya. The project will be conducted virtually and in Kenya, in collaboration with the USDA/FAS, the International Potato Center (CIP) and Kenyan partners such as facility operator and solar power company.

CALS International Programs will partner with the University of Missouri and the University of Nebraska Lincoln to host international fellows from West Africa on sanitary and phytosanitary research. CALS International Programs will match three fellows with mentors and will manage the leadership and scientific communication training for cohort of fellows at NC State, University of Missouri and the University of Nebraska Lincoln.

U.S. specialty crop growers desire access to lucrative international markets. One barrier of access is the disharmony in global pesticide regulatory systems and allowable Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) allowed in these fruits and vegetables at harvest. The IR-4 Project, and USDA-Foreign Agriculture Service has been working together for over 10 years to address this non-technical trade barrier. One approach is to align pesticide registration systems and MRLs. This proposal will fund four fellows, one each from Peru, Indonesia, Vietnam and South Africa to better understand the "whys" and "hows" of development of data to support reasonable MRLs in food crops that are traded internationally and the risk based U.S. regulatory system to regulate pesticides. Educating leaders will facilitate the further goal of alignment of MRLs Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Borlaug Fellowship Program for Mexico fellow to spend 12 weeks at NC State conducting research on applying UV and/or visible lights as abiotic stress in tomato plants to increase the bioactive compound synthesis (carotenoids, flavonoids and phenolic acids) with antioxidant capacity.

Borlaug Fellowship Program for Mexico fellow to spend 12 weeks at NC State conducting research on the topic of: fungi PCR and DNA extraction and methodology of detection and identification of pesticides via gas chromatography and mass spectrometry.

Borlaug Fellowship Program for Turkey fellow to spend 12 weeks at NC State conducting research on apomixis at the gene level using a natural apomiet Boechera species and engineering apomixis in sexual crop plants using the model system of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Borlaug Fellowship Program for Turkey fellow to spend 12 weeks at NC State conducting research to weaken wheat phenylalanine ammonia-lyase gene promotor by homology directed repaid CRISPR-Cas9 technology to obtain more economical and effective biofuel production.