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Progres et perspectives du Centre dInformation et dEchanges sur les Plantes de Couverture en Afrique (CIEPCA)
(2000)The Center for Cover Crops Information and Seed Exchange in Africa (CIEPCA) was established to support cover crops systems development for researchers, extension workers, and farmers in West Africa. CIEPCA has been in existence for approximately 3years. In that period, much has been accomplished. Among the highlights, we can cite the production of four newsletters (in English and in French), the dissemination of more than 5 tonnes of cover crops seeds, and the connection of 6 (out of 8) CIEPCA ... -
Persistence of Mucuna pruriens biomass during the dry season along an agroecological transect in Benin
(2000)The persistence of Mucuna biomass was observed in three sites in the Benin Republic during the dry season of 1997-98. At Parakou, in the southern Guinea savanna agroecological zone of northern Benin, Mucuna dry matter (DM) decreased at a rate of approximately 0.2t/ha/month. At the onset of the next rainy season, an early Mucuna (Mucuna pruriens var. utilis Rajada) cultivar had less than 2t DM/ha and late varities (Mucuna pruriens var. utilis, preta, and cochinchinensis) had more than 4 t/ha. In ... -
Response of Imperata cylindrica to smothering by different Mucuna accessions
(2000)The Center for Cover Crops Information and Seed Exchange in Africa (CIEPCA) was established to support cover crops systems development for researchers, extension workers, and farmers in West Africa. CIEPCA has been in existence for approximately 3years. In that period, much has been accomplished. Among the highlights, we can cite the production of four newsletters (in English and in French), the dissemination of more than 5 tonnes of cover crops seeds, and the connection of 6 (out of 8) CIEPCA ... -
Economic evaluation of systems intercropping food crops with leguminous cover crops in the derived savanna of Nigeria
(2000)Simultaneous intercropping is a crop-management strategy that is applied by the majority of small-scale farmers in the derived savanna of West Africa. Developing improved systems that are close to farmers' practices is likely to lead toadoption. This paper report economic results from a 2year on-station evaluation of four systems (sole maize, maize + Mucuna, maize + Pueraria, and maize + Pueraria + Mucuna in the first year, each rotated with maize + cassava in the second year) in which food crops ... -
The process of change to sustainable farming practices
(2000)The sustainability of agricultural systems is under scrutiny in many parts of the world. In the European Union farming systems are increasingly subject to legislation aimed at controlling production or the environment. Against this background a wide range of research is being undertaken into new or alternative land use systems. In this paper it is argued that sustainability in effect provides parameters for this process of change. Therefore, one of the roles of researchers is to high light the ... -
Technical and institutional options for sorghum grain mold management and the potential for impact on the poor
(2000)The introduction of photoperiod-insensitive, short-and medium-duration, high-yielding rainy season (kharif) sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) hybrids in India more than 20 years ago has led to dramatic increases in grain yield (from 587 kg ha -1 in 1970 to 1407 kg ha -1 in 1996). This was accompanied by high levels of adoption (80% of rainy season crops) by farmers in the major sorghum-growing state of Maharashtra. Despite this achievement, hybrid rainy season sorghum grains suffer from infection ... -
Breeding grain mold resistant sorghum cultivars
(2000)Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor(L.) Moench) is the fifth important cereal crop after wheat (Triticum aestivumL.), maize (Zea maysL.), rice (Oryza sativaL.), and barley (Hordeum vulgareL.) in the world. It is cultivated in about 46 million ha with a total production of 62 million t (FAO 1998). Asia and Africa account 86% of the total area under sorghum, but their contribution towards total production is only 58% (FAO 1998). Nearly 90% of sorghum is grown in rainy season while postrainy season sorghum in ... -
Onfarm testing of Mucuna and cowpea double cropping with maize in the Guinea savanna of Nigeria
(2000)On-farm trials were conducted at Kaduna in the northern Guinea savanna of Nigeria in 1996 and 1997. The objective was to investigate the residual effects of Mucuna and cowpea grown during the first 2-3months of the season on subsequent maize yields, to elicit farmers' feedback on these cropping systems, and to assess their economic impact. Maize yields after Mucuna were 20-60% higher than after cowpea. However the cowpea-maize system produced additional cowpea grain while did not produce any edible ... -
Sorghum grain mold: the scope of institutional innovations to support sorghum based rural livelihoods
(2000)The introduction of photoperiod-insensitive, short-and medium-duration, high-yielding rainy season (kharif) sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) hybrids in India more than 20 years ago has led to dramatic increases in grain yield (from 587 kg ha -1 in 1970 to 1407 kg ha -1 in 1996). This was accompanied by high levels of adoption (80% of rainy season crops) by farmers in the major sorghum-growing state of Maharashtra. Despite this achievement, hybrid rainy season sorghum grains suffer from infection ... -
Some solutions to the problem of grain mold in sorghum: a review
(2000)Grain mold of sorghum (sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench result from colonization of fungi in the developing grain towards the end of the growing season, being often associated with late rains. The major colonizing fungi (fusarium thapsinum Klittch, leslie, Nelson at Marasas sp. Nov., Curvularia lunata (wakker) -
An exploratory survey of soybean production in Ayepe, Nigeria
(1992)In 1988 a field survey was conducted on soybean (Glycine max) production trials at Ayepe in Nigeria. The survey investigated yield variability, fertilizer requirements and economic returns among small farmers. It revealed that the soybean yield was low (524 kg/ha), while yield variability was extremely high (from less than 1 50 kg/ha to over 1500 kg/ha). It also showed that available phosphorus in the soil was below the critical level. The survey results indicated that the main factor affecting ... -
Differential response of cowpea lines to application of P fertilizer
(2002)Phosphorus is important for cowpea production in many tropical African soils with inherent low P fertility. Most farmers in Africa, however, do not have access to P fertilizer. Selection of cowpea lines that produce good yield under low soil P or those with high P-use efficiency can be a low input approach to solving this problem. Pot and field trials were conducted at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, southwestern Nigeria, to assess the differ ential P responses ... -
Yield and Nuse efficiency of five tropical maize genotypes under different N levels in the moist savanna of Nigeria
(1997)Two field experiments were conducted during the 1993 and 1994 growing seasons at Samaru (7° 38' E; 11° 11' N), northern Nigeria, to evaluate N-use efficiency (kg grain per kg available soil N) and yield of 5 maize genotypes planted early in the season under five levels of N. The hybrid (8644-27) gave the highest grain yield and was the most N-use efficient genotype. It had a longer grain filling period, a higher harvest index, and a greater 1000-kerneI weight than other genotypes. The most widely ... -
Optimizing the contribution of cowpea to food and fodder production in croplivestock systems in West Africa
(1997)Cowpea is important for the provision of both grain for food and fodder for livestock but there is often a trade-off between productions of two. To better understanding influences on grain and fodder production, and how these may be influences on grain and fodder production, and two these may be utilized, research was conducted at 5 location in west Africa using 12 cowpea varieties, with and without insecticide spray. Spraying had a dramatic effect on grain production, but less so for fodder, ... -
Disease progress of Peronosclerospora sorghi on some Ugandan maize genotypes
(1997)The type and level of disease reaction of Ugandan maize genotypes to Peronosclerospora sorghi was characterized using several variables during the second season of 1994 at two locations, Nazaretti in Mpigi district and Ikulwe in Iganga district. Maize genotypes differed significantly (p 0.05) in susceptibility as determined by the rate of disease increase (r), area under disease progress curve, and disease incidience. -
Recent advances in the development of sources of resistance to pink stalk borer and African sugarcane borer
(1997)The lepidopterous stem borers Sesamia calamistis Hampson (Noctuidae) and Eldana saccharina (Walker) (Pyralidae) are among the most important insect pests of maize in West Africa. Efforts to breed for resistance to these two borer species are an integral part of a project to develop control practices for maize pests at IITA. Since 1985, a wide diversity of maize germplasm has been evaluated for resistance to either S. calamistis or E. saccharina. Three populations with moderate resistance to E. ...
