Journal and Journal Articles: Recent submissions

Now showing items 781-800 of 5266

    • Contribution of temperate germplasm to the performance of maize hybrids under stress and non-stress environments in South Africa 

      Shandu, S.F.; Gasura, E.; Mashingaidze, K.; Derera, J. (2022)
      Increases in genetic gains are crucial to maize breeding programmes. The objectives of this study were to identify higher-yielding and stable maize hybrids across stress and non-stress environments, to identify representative test environments for testing and selection of superior maize genotypes, and to determine the contribution of temperate maize germplasm in the performance of new tropical hybrids. Respectively 42 and 72 newly developed single-cross hybrids together with check hybrids were ...

    • Genetic diversity and population structure of an African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa) collection from IITA GenBank 

      Shitta, N.S.; Unachukwu, N.; Edemodu, A.; Abebe, A.T.; Oselebe, H.O.; Abtew, W.G. (2022-03)
      African yam bean, AYB (Sphenostylis stenocarpa), is an underutilized legume of tropical Africa. AYB can boost food and nutritional security in sub-Saharan Africa through its nutrient-rich seeds and tubers. However, inadequate information on germplasm with desirable agro-morphological traits, including insufficient data at the genomic level, has prevented the full exploitation of its food and breeding potentials. Notably, assessing the genetic diversity and population structure in a species is a ...

    • Coupled forest zoning and agricultural intervention yields conflicting outcomes for tropical forest conservation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) 

      Nackoney, J.; Demol, M.; Akpona, H.A.; Bauters, M.; Boeckx, P.; Dupain, J.; Facheux, C.; Hansen, M.C.; Kalemba, J.C.; Kehbila, A.G.; Potapov, P.; Senga, A.T.; Six, J.; Turubanova, S.; Williams, D.; Vanlauwe, B. (2022)
      Agricultural intensification and forest conservation are often seen as incompatible. Agricultural interventions can help boost food security for poor rural communities but in certain cases can exacerbate deforestation, known as the rebound effect. We tested whether coupling agricultural interventions with participatory forest zoning could improve food security and promote forest conservation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Simple agricultural interventions led to a >60% increase in cassava ...

    • Genome-wide association study reveals genetic architecture and candidate genes for yield and related traits under terminal drought, combined heat and drought in tropical maize germplasm 

      Osuman, A.S.; Badu-Apraku, B.; Karikari, B.; Ifie, B.E.; Tongoona, P.; Danquah, E. (2022)
      Maize (Zea mays L.) production is constrained by drought and heat stresses. The combination of these two stresses is likely to be more detrimental. To breed for maize cultivars tolerant of these stresses, 162 tropical maize inbred lines were evaluated under combined heat and drought (CHD) and terminal drought (TD) conditions. The mixed linear model was employed for the genome-wide association study using 7834 SNP markers and several phenotypic data including, days to 50% anthesis (AD) and silking ...

    • Assessing the spatial variability of soil properties to delineate nutrient management zones in smallholder maize-based system of Nigeria 

      Peter-Jerome, H.; Adewopo, J.; Kamara, A.; Aliyu, K.T.; Dawaki, M.U. (2022)
      Spatially explicit information on soil variability is relevant for agronomic decisions; however, such information is limited in the northern Guinea savanna (NGS) agroecological zone of Nigeria. This study was conducted to delineate soil nutrient management zones (MZs), based on spatial variability of soils in the smallholder maize-based farming system within the NGS. Two hundred and eighty-nine soil samples were analyzed for some physical and chemical properties. Principal component analysis (PCA) ...

    • Interaction of varieties and fungicides across seasons and locations for the control of Asian soybean rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi) in southwestern Ethiopia 

      Abebe, A.T.; Belachew, K.; Hailemariam, M.; Sileshi, Y.; Ortega-Beltran, A. (2022-08)
      Soybean is emerging as an important legume and oil crop in Ethiopia. However, the crop has been facing serious threats from Asian Soybean Rust (ASR), causing significant damage to the crop and not allowing it to realize its potential. This study aimed to determine the interaction of three varieties with various fungicide treatments across two seasons and two locations to manage ASR. The experiment was laid out in a RCBD in a factorial [three soybean varieties (V) and six fungicides (F)] treatment ...

    • Estimation of soybean grain yield from multispectral high-resolution UAV data with machine learning models in west Africa 

      Alabi, T.R.; Abebe, A.T.; Chigeza, G.; Fowobaje, K.R. (2022-08)
      Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is a leguminous and oil crop with rapidly growing importance and demand in Africa following the increasing demand for oil and livestock and poultry feed in sub-Saharan Africa. However, soybean productivity is low in most countries of sub-Saharan Africa, especially in West Africa, where productivity is below one ton per ha. Hence, concerted soybean varietal development and testing efforts have been underway by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture ...

    • Phenotypic characterization of Amaro coffee (Coffea arabica L.) local accessions using multi-variate techniques at Awada, southern Ethiopia 

      Alemayehu, D.; Garedew, W.; Abebe, A.T. (2022)
      As a country of origin of coffee, Ethiopia is endowed with an immense diversity of the crop in its diverse coffee-growing agro-ecologies. Amaro Kelo is one of the major coffee production agro-ecologies in Ethiopia, where the genetic diversity of its landrace coffee germplasm was not properly characterized previously. The study aimed to characterize 64 Amaro Kelo local coffee accessions to understand the potential of the accessions for utilization in future coffee genetic improvement efforts. The ...

    • Assessing the impact of Youth-in-Agribusiness Program on poverty and vulnerability to poverty in Nigeria 

      Bello, L.O.; Baiyegunhi, L.J.; Danso-Abbeam, G.; Ogunniyi, A.I.; Abdoulaye, T.; Manyong, V.; Bamba, Z.; Awotide, B.A. (2022)
      Poverty persists in many developing countries, including Nigeria, owing to inadequate infrastructure, unemployment, or poor working conditions, among other factors. Youth poverty and vulnerability to poverty have been identified to prevalent among the young population. Using an endogenous switching probit regression approach, in this study, we evaluated the impacts of youth participation in agribusiness programs (YIAPs) on poverty and vulnerability to poverty in Nigeria. Our findings revealed that ...

    • The effect of land inheritance on youth migration and employment decisions in Rwanda 

      Byishimo, P.; Hirpa Tufa, A.; Yami, M.; Alene, A.; Feleke, S.; Abdoulaye, T.; Manyong, V. (2022)
      There is growing mobility of rural youth mainly caused by limited access to land resources and inadequacy of job opportunities. Increased population density coupled with low education rates has increased pressure on natural resources, especially land. This paper assessed the effect of land inheritance on youth migration and employment in Rwanda using the 2010/11 and 2013/14 Integrated Household Living Conditions Surveys (EICVs) data collected from 8160 households by the National Institute of ...

    • Influence of agrosystems on the diversity of mycorrhizae under plantain banana cultivation in the forest region of Kisangani (Tshopo Province, DR Congo) 

      Kasaka, D.; Onautshu, O.D.; Muliwambene, K.; Lebisabo, B.; Katho, G.; Baert, G.; Swennen, R.; Haesaert, G.; Dhed'a, D.B. (2022)
      The largest genetic diversity of plantain banana (Musa AAB subgroup) is found by DRCongo. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are synergistic beneficial organisms with a positive effect on growth vigor. We determined the influence of plantain banana-based agrosystems on the diversity of AMF in agroforestry and home-garden field systems located in the Kisangani region of DR Congo. Soil samples of the different agrosystems showed a high mycorrhizal frequency (82.5%) with an overall mycorrhizal rate ...

    • Cassava (Manihot esculenta) dual use for food and bioenergy: a review 

      Fathima, A.A.; Sanitha, M.; Tripathi, L.; Muiruri, K.S. (2022)
      Cassava (Manihot esculenta. Crantz) is a starch-rich, woody tuberous, root crop important for food, with little being done to investigate its potential as a bioenergy crop despite its enormous potential. The major bottleneck in the crop being able to serve this dual role is the competition of its storage roots for both purposes. The major cassava production regions primarily use the tuberous roots for food, and this has resulted in its neglect as a bioenergy crop. The use of non-food cassava parts ...

    • IITA’s genebank, cowpea diversity on farms, and farmers’ welfare in Nigeria 

      Kouakou, A.G.; Ogundapo, A.T.; Smale, M.; Jamora, N.; Manda, J.; Abberton, M. (2022)
      Background Cowpea or black-eyed pea (Vigna unguiculata L.) is one of the preferred food crops in Nigeria, as expressed in land area and production. The popularity of the crop is in part related to the successful development and adoption of improved cowpea varieties. Although the genebank of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has contributed to cowpea conservation and improvement efforts by breeding programs internationally and in Nigeria, few studies have attempted to link ...

    • Cross compatibility in intraspecific and interspecific hybridization in yam (Dioscorea spp.) 

      Mondo, J.; Agre, A.P.; Edemodu, A.; Asiedu, R.; Akoroda, M.O.; Asfaw, A. (2022)
      Yam (Dioscorea spp.) is a staple crop for millions of people in the tropics and subtropics. Its genetic improvement through breeding is being challenged by pre-zygotic and post-zygotic cross-compatibility barriers within and among species. Studies dissecting hybridization barriers on yam for improving the crossability rates are limited. This study aimed to assess the cross-compatibility, which yielded fruit set, viable seeds and progeny plants in an extensive intraspecific and interspecific crossing ...

    • Prioritizing international agricultural research investments: lessons from a global multi-crop assessment 

      Pemsl, D.; Staver, C.; Hareau, G.; Alene, A.; Abdoulaye, T.; Kleinwechter, U.; Labarta, R.; Thiele, G. (2022-05)
      Investments in international agricultural research have proven very successful at an aggregated level over the past decades. Decision makers, however, face the tough question of how best to allocate limited public funds across increasingly diverse research areas to achieve the largest impacts. Simultaneously, donors demand more accountability from research institutions with regards to use of funds and resulting impacts on food and nutrition security, the environment, gender equality and poverty ...

    • Profitability of Gliricidia-maize system in selected dryland areas of Dodoma region, Tanzania 

      Swamila, M.; Philip, D.; Akyoo, A.M.; Manda, J.; Mwinuka, L.; Smethurst, P.; Sieber, S.; Kimaro, A.A. (2022)
      Declining soil fertility and climatic extremes are among major problems for agricultural production in most dryland agro-ecologies of sub-Saharan Africa. In response, the agroforestry technology intercropping of Gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.)) and Maize (Zea mays L.) was developed to complement conventional soil fertility management technologies. However, diversified information on the profitability of Gliricidia-Maize intercropping system in dryland areas is scanty. Using data from the ...

    • Responsible artificial intelligence in agriculture requires systemic understanding of risks and externalities 

      Tzachor, A.; Devare, M.; King, B.; Avin, S.; Ó hÉigeartaigh, S. (2022)
      Global agriculture is poised to benefit from the rapid advance and diffusion of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. AI in agriculture could improve crop management and agricultural productivity through plant phenotyping, rapid diagnosis of plant disease, efficient application of agrochemicals and assistance for growers with location-relevant agronomic advice. However, the ramifications of machine learning (ML) models, expert systems and autonomous machines for farms, farmers and food security ...

    • Assessment of the genetic structure and diversity of soybean (Glycine max L.) germplasm using diversity array technology and single nucleotide polymorphism markers 

      Shaibu, A.S.; Ibrahim, H.; Miko, Z.L.; Mohammed, I.B.; Mohammed, S.G.; Yusuf, H.L.; Kamara, A.; Omoigui, L.; Karikari, B. (2022)
      Knowledge of the genetic structure and diversity of germplasm collections is crucial for sustainable genetic improvement through hybridization programs and rapid adaptation to changing breeding objectives. The objective of this study was to determine the genetic diversity and population structure of 281 International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) soybean accessions using diversity array technology (DArT) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers for the efficient utilization of ...

    • A newly emerging alphasatellite affects banana bunchy top virus replication, transcription, siRNA production and transmission by aphids 

      Guyot, V.; Rajeswaran, R.; Chu, H.C.; Karthikeyan, C.; Laboureau, N.; Galzi, S.; Mukwa, L.; Krupovic, M.; Kumar, P.L.; Iskra-Caruana, M.L.; Pooggin, M. (2022)
      Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) is a six-component ssDNA virus (genus Babuvirus, family Nanoviridae) transmitted by aphids, infecting monocots (mainly species in the family Musaceae) and likely originating from South-East Asia where it is frequently associated with self-replicating alphasatellites. Illumina sequencing analysis of banana aphids and leaf samples from Africa revealed an alphasatellite that should be classified in a new genus, phylogenetically related to alphasatellites of nanoviruses ...

    • Breeding potentials of bambara groundnut for food and nutrition security in the face of climate change 

      Olanrewaju, O.S.; Oyatomi, O.; Babalola, O.O.; Abberton, M. (2022-01)
      Constant production of quality food should be a norm in any community, but climate change, increasing population, and unavailability of land for farming affect food production. As a result, food scarcity is affecting some communities, especially in the developing world. Finding a stable solution to this problem is a major cause of concern for researchers. Synergistic application of molecular marker techniques with next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies can unlock the potentials hidden in ...