Journal and Journal Articles: Recent submissions

Now showing items 141-160 of 5266

    • Assessing the impact of genotype-by-environment interactions on agronomic traits in elite cowpea lines across agro-ecologies in Nigeria 

      Popoola, B.; Ongom, P.O.; Mohammed, S.B.; Togola, A.; Ishaya, D.J.; Bala, G.; Fatokun, C.; Boukar, O. (2024)
      The yield of cowpea varieties is affected by environmental variability. Hence, candidate varieties must be tested for yield stability before release. This study assessed the impacts of genotypes, environments, and their interaction on the performance of elite cowpea lines for key adaptive, grain yield, and associated traits across different locations. A total of 42 elite genotypes were evaluated in five Nigerian environments, representing various savanna ecologies, during the 2021 growing season. ...

    • Multi-trait selection index for simultaneous selection of water yam (Dioscorea alata L.) genotypes 

      Ouattara, F.; Agre, A.P.; Adejumobi, I.I.; Akoroda, M.O.; Sorho, F.; Ayolié, K.; Bhattacharjee, R. (2024-01-03)
      Water yam (Dioscorea alata L.) is the most widely cultivated yam species with good agronomic attributes. However, several biotic and abiotic constraints and its lower food quality such as poor pound ability limit its production and use. Therefore, the identification of superior genotypes with suitable characteristics is needed for water yam improvement. This study aims to assess a panel of half-sib (progenies with one parent in common) and full-sib (progenies with the same male and female parents) ...

    • Selection of extra-early white quality protein maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines for drought and low soil nitrogen resilient hybrid production 

      Annor, B.; Badu-Apraku, B. (2024-01-30)
      In West and Central Africa (WCA), drought and low soil nitrogen (low N) impede increased maize (Zea mays L.) productivity and production. Due to climate change, the two stresses usually occur together, leading to food, nutritional, and economic insecurity in the sub-region. There is, therefore, the need for the development and availability of high-yielding extra-early maturing white Quality Protein Maize (QPM) synthetics and hybrids with resilience to the prevailing stresses through the identification ...

    • Misattribution prevents learning 

      Hoel, J.B.; Michelson, H.; Norton, B.; Manyong, V. (2024)
      In many markets, consumers believe things about products that are not true. We study how incorrect beliefs about product quality can persist even after a consumer has used a product many times. We explore the example of fertilizer in East Africa. Farmers believe much local fertilizer is counterfeit or adulterated; however, multiple studies have established that nearly all fertilizer in the area is good quality. We develop a learning model to explain how these incorrect beliefs persist. We show ...

    • A new multivariate agricultural drought composite index based on random forest algorithm and remote sensing data developed for Sahelian agrosystems 

      Hanadé Houmma, I.; Gadal, S.; El Mansouri, L.; Garba, M.; Gbetkom, P.G.; Mamane Barkawi, M.B.; Hadria, R. (2023-06-16)
      This manuscript aims to develop a new multivariate composite index for monitoring agricultural drought. To achieve this, the AVHRR, VIIRS, CHIRPS data series over a period of 40 years, rainfall and crop yield data as references were used. Variables include parameters for vegetative stress (SVCI, PV, SMN), water stress (PCI, RDI, NRDI), and heat stress (SMT, TCI, STCI), and a new variable related to environmental conditions was calculated through a normalized rainfall efficiency index. Then, random ...

    • Evaluating breeding for broad versus narrow adaptation for cassava in Nigeria using stochastic simulation 

      Bakare, M.A.; Kayondo, S.I.; Kulakow, P.; Rabbi, I.Y.; Jannink, J.L. (2024)
      The cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) breeding program at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has adopted genomic selection to accelerate genetic gain. The program continues to develop varieties broadly adapted across Nigeria’s diverse agroclimatic zones. However, genotype by- environment interaction (GEI) presents a challenge for this purpose. To decide whether broad adaptation breeding is a good strategy, we evaluated broad versus narrow adaptation strategies using ...

    • Grafting experience and shade influences graft take of avocado scions 

      Ayarna, A.W.; Adjei-Nsiah, S.; Tsukagoshi, S.; Ulsen, J.; Sintim, H.O.; Aduse, P.S.; Bukari, M.; Nkansah, G.O. (2024-02)
      Avocado is an important tree crop grown in the tropics, including Ghana. Avocados are primarily propagated by seed into trees, which grow to provide shade for young cocoa trees and, subsequently, food and income. Cultivation of this crop as a monocrop is limited in Ghana; hence, there is a considerable risk of losing desirable genetic materials. There has been an effort by scientists at the University of Ghana to collect and curate available avocado germplasm to preserve, multiply, and disseminate ...

    • Fertilizer-bioinsecticide synergy improves maize resilience to Spodoptera frugiperda infestation 

      Fiaboe, K.R.; Agboka, K.; Agnamba, A.O.; Teyo, K.L.; Amegah, A.L.; Koffi, D.; Kpadonou, G.E.; Agboka, K.M.; Gwokyalya, R.; Fening, K.O.; Fiaboe, K. (2024-03)
      Fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), invasion in Africa has threatened food security. Optimization of plant tolerance and post-infestation recovery are among the management tactics that are being promoted for the integrated management of this pest, but these techniques are poorly studied in sub-Saharan Africa. Our study examined the efficacy of enriched compost, split-NPK fertilization, conventional fertilization, and bioinsecticides on FAW infestation rates, ...

    • Does simultaneous adoption of drought-tolerant maize varieties and organic fertiliser affect productivity and welfare outcomes? Evidence from rural Nigeria 

      Oyetunde-Usman, Z.; Shee, A.; Abdoulaye, T. (2024-01)
      The promotion of improved maize varieties and chemical fertilisers underscores many policy approaches addressing multiple production risks such as poor soil fertility and drought. However, the unsustainable use of chemical fertilisers has important implications for soil degradation. The synergies between improved maize varieties and sustainable land use management practices such as the use of organic fertilisers (e.g., manure) are poorly documented, despite the role of manure in enhancing soil ...

    • Urea briquettes combined with a fertilizer blend reduces fertilizer costs and improves yields of irrigated rice in Rwanda 

      Kayumba, J.; Wendt, J.; Cyamweshi, A.R.; Ndayisaba, P.C.; Kuyah, S.; Ngunjiri, M.; Rutebuka, J.; Nabahungu, L.N. (2023-04-06)
      We evaluated the yield and potential economic impact in Rwanda of replacing the standard lowland rice (Oryza sativa L.) fertilizer recommendation from the current practice of 200 kg NPK 17-17-17 ha−1 and 100 kg urea ha−1 with a basal blend of 74 kg diammonium phosphate (DAP), 57 kg potassium chloride (KCl), and deep placement of 112.5 kg urea briquettes ha−1 at 4 weeks after transplanting. Experiments were carried out in nine diverse marshlands across Rwanda in the long and short rainy seasons of ...

    • What shapes yields of East African Highland banana? An explorative study from farmers’ fields 

      den Braber, H.; van de Ven, G.; van Heerwaarden, J.; Marinus, W.; Ronner, E.; Descheemaeker, K.; Taulya, G. (2024-05)
      Context or problem East African Highland banana is a main staple and cash crop for millions of people in the Great Lakes region of Africa. Reliable methods for banana yield estimation are lacking and factors underlying yield variability are not well understood. Objective or research question We studied the interrelations and relative importance of yield components (yield per mat, mat density, bunch weight, cycle duration and the number of bunches harvested per mat per year or per hectare per ...

    • Haplotype-resolved genome of heterozygous African cassava cultivar TMEB117 (Manihot esculenta) 

      Landi, M.; Shah, T.; Falquet, L.; Niazi, A.; Stavolone, L.; Bongcam-Rudloff, E.; Gisel, A. (2023-12-09)
      Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a vital tropical root crop providing essential dietary energy to over 800 million people in tropical and subtropical regions. As a climate-resilient crop, its significance grows as the human population expands. However, yield improvement faces challenges from biotic and abiotic stress and limited breeding. Advanced sequencing and assembly techniques enabled the generation of a highly accurate, nearly complete, haplotype-resolved genome of the African cassava ...

    • Datasets from fertilized improved and local varieties of cassava grown in the highlands of South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo 

      Munyahali, W.; Birindwa, D.R.; Pypers, P.; Swennen, R.; Vanlauwe, B.; Merckx, R. (2024-02)
      The use of mineral fertilizer and organic inputs with an improved and local variety of cassava allows (i) to identify nutrient limitations to cassava production, (ii) to investigate the effects of variety and combined application of mineral and organic inputs on cassava growth and yield and (iii) to evaluate the profitability of the improved variety and fertilizer use in cassava production. Data on growth, yield and yield components of an improved and local variety of cassava, economic analysis, ...

    • Enhancing smallholder maize shelling mechanization through the collective business model: the case of Northern Ghana. 

      Ansah, I.G.K.; Kotu, B.H.; Boyubie, B.; Bonney, J.E. (2024)
      This paper assessed the conditions contributing to the success of smallholder farmer groups in northern Ghana using mechanical maize shellers (MMS) based on a collective business model. A sample of 156 farmers from 18 intervention communities was analyzed using qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) to examine the conditions necessary to increase usage of MMS. The results revealed a single configuration for achieving high group MMS usage, observed in about 24 percent of the cases. This configuration ...

    • Distribution and diversity of emergent Banana bunchy top virus infecting banana and plantain in Cameroon, Central Africa 

      Ngatat, S.; Hanna, R.; Doumtsop Fotio, A.R.P.; Lienou, J.A.; Nanga, S.N.; Fotso Kaute, A.; Osundahunsi, B.; Fiaboe, K.; Ndemba, B.; Dossa, G.S.; Alabi, T.; Kumar, P.L. (2024-03-05)
      Invasions of arthropod vectors and viruses are the main factors associated with emerging plant viral diseases. The presence of the Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV, genus Babuvirus), an aphid-transmitted virus responsible for the banana bunchy top disease (BBTD), was first confirmed in 2008 in the South region of Cameroon. This study reports on surveys over 14 years to determine the status of BBTV spread and virus diversity in Cameroon. A total of 544 fields extending through 81 districts in 7 regions ...

    • Do farmers' perceptions and socio-economic factors drive cocoa agroforestry and sustainable soil carbon management practices in West Africa? 

      Kumah, F.J.; Kouabenan, A.; Gebrekirstos, A.; Koné, D.; Adjei-Nsiah, S. (2024-01-09)
      We evaluated the farmer’s local knowledge and perceptions of sustainable cocoa agroforestry and sustainable soil carbon management in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire using a social survey research methodology. We employed in-depth interviewing and focus group discussions to solicit information from identified key stakeholders in the cocoa supply chain focusing on the perception of sustainable cocoa agroforestry and soil carbon management. Our results revealed that about 83% and 50.5% of smallholder cocoa ...

    • Factors influencing gender and youth integration in agricultural research and innovation in Africa 

      Yami, M.; Abioye, O.; Sore, S.; Mugisho, A.; Abdoulaye, T. (2024)
      Integrating gender and youth in Agricultural Research and Innovation (R & I) is important for strengthening the impact and inclusiveness of the research initiatives. The integration is more critical in Africa due to the prevalence of exclusive gender and age norms that undermine the place and role of women and youth in the food systems. The consideration of women and youth as ‘helpers’ instead of farmers aggravated inequalities in accessing and controlling over land and other resources, opportunities ...

    • Insecticide contamination in organic agriculture: evidence from a long-term farming systems comparisons trial 

      Kampermann, I.; Bautze, D.; Mapili, M.; Musyoka, M.W.; Karanja, E.; Fiaboe, K.; Irungu, J.; Adamtey, N. (2024-03)
      Synthetic pesticides applied in conventional agriculture to control pests tend to compromise ecosystem services, and their residues may contaminate organic agriculture. To understand the significance of this contamination, also in small-scale farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa, quantitative data is required. Therefore, we compared synthetic insecticide and botanical/biopesticide residues in conventional and organic agricultural production systems after nine years of continuous cultivation of a ...

    • Climate change impact and adaptation of rainfed cereal crops in sub-Saharan Africa 

      Alimagham, S.; van Loon, M.P.; Ramirez-Villegas, J.; Adjei-Nsiah, S.; Baijukya, F.; Bala, A.; Chikowo, R.; Silva, J.V.; Soule, A.M.; Taulya, G.; Tenorio, F.A.; Tesfaye, K.; van Ittersum, M.K. (2024-02-24)
      Sub-Saharan Africa’s (SSA) demand for cereals is projected to more than double by 2050. Climate change is generally assumed to add to the future challenges of the needed productivity increase. This study aimed to assess (i) the potential climate change impact on four key rainfed cereals (maize, millet, sorghum and wheat) in ten SSA countries namely Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia using local data and national expertise, and (ii) the potential ...

    • Segmental duplications drive the evolution of accessory regions in a major crop pathogen 

      van Westerhoven, A.; Aguilera-Galvez, C.; Nakasato-Tagami, G.; Shi-Kunne, X.; Martinez de la Parte, E.; Chavarro Carero, E.; Meijer, H.; Feurtey, A.; Maryani, N.; Ordonez, N.; Schneiders, H.; Nijbroek, K.; Wittenberg, A.H.J.; Hofstede, R.; Garcia-Bastidas, F.; Sorensen, A.; Swennen, R.; Drenth, A.; Stukenbrock, E.H.; Kema, G.H.J.; Seidl, M.F. (2024)
      Many pathogens evolved compartmentalized genomes with conserved core and variable accessory regions (ARs) that carry effector genes mediating virulence. The fungal plant pathogen Fusarium oxysporum has such ARs, often spanning entire chromosomes. The presence of specific ARs influences the host range, and horizontal transfer of ARs can modify the pathogenicity of the receiving strain. However, how these ARs evolve in strains that infect the same host remains largely unknown. We defined the ...