Increasing food production in a relatively short time to keep pace with growing demand requires invigorated national capacities for research and innovation. Agricultural scientists in developing countries are chronically suffering from budget constraints to perform the up-to-date science needed to support agricultural production in their countries and regions. 

SP-IPM has a vital role to play in supporting NARS to upgrade their research capacities. There are several ways in which this support could be provided:

1. The implementation of a Rotational Advanced Training and Knowledge Exchange Program. Provided sufficient financial resources are available, SP-IPM together with advanced national and international research and education institutes, and the plant protection industry will develop a short but intensive general training program for key national scientists, research managers, CGIAR staff, and political decision makers to expose them to the latest technologies available to enhance plant health while reducing negative impacts on human and environmental health. Technologies are already available or currently under development in developed countries that could be of enormous benefit to other countries in increasing yields and food safety.

   These technologies include modern seed dressing for targeted IPM, advances in microbial and classical biocontrol, genetics of induced plant resistance, use of plant tolerance, protected horticulture, geographical information tools, precision application, molecular diagnostics, grafting to promote resistance, management of soil suppressiveness, bioenhancement of tissue culture plants, and new modern multimedia information tools for extension services.

   The proposed training course would be implemented in different regions of the world. SP-IPM scientists, researchers at advanced institutes, and representatives from the private sector will present the latest developments in IPM technologies across crops and ecoregions.

2. Tailor-made training of national researchers and practitioners in (a) the development of IPM practices, in particular production systems such as peri-urban horticulture, and small-scale cropping systems in the humid tropics, drylands, and temperate highlands; (b) specific topics relevant across cropping and ecosystems such as harnessing functional biodiversity to increase ecosystem resilience, assessment of the vulnerability of production systems to pests induced by climate change.

Selected training topics:

• Improving soil ecology in smallholder Musa production systems
• Alternatives to inappropriate pesticide use in high-input horticultural systems to reduce environmental pollution, increase productivity, and improve food safety and market access
• Harnessing ecological processes for living soils and healthy crops: innovative, problem-solving research for young African scientists
• Improving national food systems to reduce food contaminants and improve food safety and trade
• Reducing mycotoxins in wheat, maize, groundnuts, and chilies
• Merging epidemiology and pedagogy: developing effective farmer training materials to improve farmer capacity to manage diseases
• Integrated control of soil-borne pathogens of wheat in cereal cropping systems
• Plant disease epidemiology
• Advanced methods for pest and disease surveillance and rapid identification of plant quarantine pests and diseases