Journal and Journal Articles: Recent submissions

Now showing items 821-840 of 5157

    • Diversity of water yam (Dioscorea alata L.) accessions from Cote d'Ivoire based on SNP markers and agronomic traits 

      Bakayoko, L.; Pokou, D.N.; Kouassi, A.B.; Agre, A.P.; Kouakou, A.M.; Dibi, K.E.B.; Nzue, B.; Mondo, J.; Adebola, P.O.; Akintayo, O.T.; Asfaw, A.; N'guetta, A.S. (2021)
      Dioscorea alata (L.), also referred to as water, winged, or greater yam, is one of the most economically important staple food crops in tropical and subtropical areas. In Côte d’Ivoire, it represents, along with other yam species, the largest food crop and significantly contributes to food security. However, studies focusing on better understanding the structure and extent of genetic diversity among D. alata accessions, using molecular and phenotypic traits, are limited. This study was, therefore, ...

    • Nutrient deficiencies are key constraints to grain legume productivity on "non-responsive" soils in sub-Saharan Africa 

      Baijukya, F.; van Heerwaarden, J.; Franke, A.C.; van den Brand, G.; Foli, S.; Keino, L.; Seitz, T.; Servan, L.; Vanlauwe, B.; Giller, K. (2021)
      Leguminous plants are known to require phosphorus fertilizers and inoculation with nitrogen fixing rhizobia for optimum yield but other nutrients may also be lacking. In this study, the most limiting nutrients for legume growth were determined in soils where the crops had not responded to P and rhizobial inoculation in field trials, using the double pot technique. Soils were collected from 17 farmers' fields in West Kenya, Northern Nigeria, Eastern and Southern Rwanda, South-west and North-west ...

    • Identification of quantitative trait nucleotides and candidate genes for tuber yield and mosaic virus tolerance in an elite population of white guinea yam (Dioscorea rotundata) using genome-wide association scan 

      Agre, A.P.; Norman, P.E.; Asiedu, R.; Asfaw, A. (2021)
      Background Improvement of tuber yield and tolerance to viruses are priority objectives in white Guinea yam breeding programs. However, phenotypic selection for these traits is quite challenging due to phenotypic plasticity and cumbersome screening of phenotypic-induced variations. This study assessed quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) and the underlying candidate genes related to tuber yield per plant (TYP) and yam mosaic virus (YMV) tolerance in a panel of 406 white Guinea yam (Dioscorea ...

    • Assessment of functional and pasting properties of fresh orange maize hybrids and open-pollinated varieties as influenced by genotype, harvesting time, and growing location 

      Alamu, E.O.; Maziya-Dixon, B.; Menkir, A.; Adesokan, M.; Olaofe, O. (2021)
      The study evaluates the effects of genotype, maturity, and growing location on the functional and pasting properties of freshly harvested orange maize hybrids and open-pollinated varieties (OPVs). Eight fresh orange maize hybrid and eight fresh maize OPV, including the control, were harvested at three stages: 20, 27, and 34 days after planting (DAP). The freshly harvested maize samples were lyophilized and characterized for the pasting and functional properties using standard laboratory methods. ...

    • Cassava Brown Streak Disease response and association with agronomic traits in elite Nigerian cassava cultivars 

      Ano, C.U.; Ochwo-Ssemakula, M.; Ibanda, A.; Ozimati, A.; Gibson, P.; Onyeka, J.; Njoku, D.; Egesi, C.; Kawuki, R.S. (2021)
      Cassava mosaic geminiviruses (CMGs) and cassava brown streak viruses (CBSVs) cause the highest yield losses in cassava production in Africa. In particular, cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) is and continues to be a significant constraint to optimal cassava production in Eastern and Southern Africa. While CBSD has not been reported in West Africa, its recent rapid spread and damage to cassava productivity in Eastern, and Southern Africa is alarming. The aim of this study was to evaluate Nigerian ...

    • Relationship between quality attributes of backslopped fermented gari and the sensory and instrumental texture profile of the cooked dough (eba) 

      Awoyale, W.; Oyedele, H.A.; Adenitan, A.A.; Adesokan, M.; Alamu, E.O.; Maziya-Dixon, B. (2022-01)
      Knowledge is scarce on the drivers of textural characteristics of cooked dough prepared from gari (eba). To address this need, quality attributes of backslopped fermented gari (BFG) were correlated with the sensory texture profile analysis (STPA) and instrumental texture profile analysis (ITPA) of the eba produced from six cassava varieties. The results showed that a significant and negative correlation exists between the STPA mouldability of the eba and the sugar (p < .05, r = −0.83) and amylose ...

    • Genetic variation and response to selection for storage root dry matter and associated traits in a population of yam bean (Pachyrhizus spp.) interspecies crosses 

      Agaba, R.; Rubaihayo, P.; Tukamuhabwa, P.; Mwanga, R.O.; Tumwegamire, S.; Ndirigwe, J.; Heider, B.; Gruneberg, W.J. (2021)
      The goal of yam bean improvement in Africa is to develop superior high yielding and high dry matter cultivars that are preferred for adoption. In this study, the estimates of variance components, heritability and response to selection were studied in F3 yam bean families selected from interspecies crosses targeting improvement of storage root dry matter and associated traits. Breeding populations were generated using North Carolina II (NC II) mating design involving high dry matter P. tuberosus ...

    • Comparative assessment of effectiveness of alternative genotyping assays for characterizing carotenoids accumulation in tropical maize inbred lines 

      Sayadi Maazou, A.R.; Gedil, M.; Adetimirin, V.; Meseka, S.K.; Mengesha Abera, W.; Babalola, D.; Offornedo, Q.N.; Menkir, A. (2021)
      The development of maize varieties with increased concentration of Provitamin A (PVA) is an effective and affordable strategy to combat vitamin A deficiency in developing nations. However, the considerably high cost of carotene analysis poses a major challenge for maize PVA biofortification, prompting the use of marker-assisted selection. Presently, two types of genotyping with PVA trait-linked functional markers have been developed and extensively used in breeding programs. The two systems are ...

    • Insights in the global genetics and gut microbiome of black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens: implications for animal feed safety control 

      Khamis, F.M.; Ombura, F.L.; Akutse, K.S.; Subramanian, S.; Mohamed, S.A.; Fiaboe, K.K.; Saijuntha, W.; van Loon, J.J.; Dicke, M.; Dubois, T.; Ekesi, S.; Tanga, C.M. (2020-07-07)
      The utilization of the black soldier fly (BSF) Hermetia illucens L. for recycling organic waste into high-quality protein and fat biomass for animal feeds has gained momentum worldwide. However, information on the genetic diversity and environmental implications on safety of the larvae is limited. This study delineates genetic variability and unravels gut microbiome complex of wild-collected and domesticated BSF populations from six continents using mitochondrial COI gene and 16S metagenomics. All ...

    • Unlocking the potential of agribusiness in Africa through youth participation: an impact evaluation of N-Power Agro Empowerment Program in Nigeria 

      Ogunmodede, A.M.; Ogunsanwo, M.O.; Manyong, V. (2020)
      In a country of about 200 million people, the government has over the years constituted various initiatives to address the issue of unemployment, food security, and youth involvement in agriculture. However, the impact of these initiatives has been minimal due to the inconsistency in government policies, changes in government, inadequate implementation mechanism amongst others. This study, therefore, evaluated the impact of the N-power Agro Program on youth employment and income generation through ...

    • Morpho-physiological and molecular evaluation of drought tolerance in cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) 

      Orek, C.; Gruissem, W.; Ferguson, M.; Vanderschuren, H. (2020-09-15)
      Understanding drought tolerance mechanisms of cassava is a pre-requisite to improve the performance of the crop in water-scarce regions. Several hypotheses have been formulated to suggest how cassava can withstand a prolonged period of drought. We performed field trials under drought conditions with a selection of 37 cassava genotypes to identify phenotypic and molecular patterns associated with drought tolerance. Plant morphologies varied significantly between cassava genotypes under drought ...

    • The effects of cassava variety, fertilizer type and dosage on physical and sensory characteristics of cassava-wheat composite bread 

      Rasaq, S.A.; Shittu, T.A.; Fadimu, G.J.; Abass, A.; Omoniyi, O. (2020)
      Substitution of wheat flour with high quality cassava flour (HQCF) in bread making is economically important in Nigeria as wheat is mainly imported. Different treatments are applied to cassava used for HQCF production and the effects of such a treatment on cassava-wheat bread quality is scarce in literature. This study was conducted to study the effects of cassava varieties (TME 419, TMS 30572), fertilizer type ((NPK 15-15-15, 20-10-10, 12-12-17) and dosage (150, 300 kg/ha) on physical and sensory ...

    • The role of variety attributes in the uptake of new hybrid bananas among smallholder rural farmers in central Uganda 

      Sanya, L.N.; Sseguya, H.; Kyazze, F.B.; Diiro, G.M.; Nakazi, F. (2020)
      Background While advances in agricultural research and development have led to generation of improved new cooking hybrid banana varieties (HBVs) with enhanced yield potential to restore production levels, these have been received with mixed feelings on production and consumption attributes among the farming communities in Uganda. Some farmers prefer HBVs that are comparable to their local varieties in terms of consumption attributes such as soft food, color when cooked, flavor and taste while ...

    • Mitigating Striga hermonthica parasitism and damage in maize using soybean rotation, nitrogen application, and Striga-resistant varieties in the Nigerian savannas 

      Kamara, A.; Menkir, A.; Chikoye, D.; Tofa, A.I.; Fagge, A.A.; Dahiru, R.; Solomon, R.; Ademulegun, T.; Omoigui, L.; Aliyu, K.T.; Kamai, N. (2020-08)
      Striga hermonthica infestation causes significant losses of maize yield in the Nigerian savannas and several technologies have been developed and promoted to control Striga in maize. However, since no single technology has been found to be effective against Striga, integrated management is needed to achieve satisfactory and sustainable Striga control. Both on-station and on-farm trials were undertaken from 2013 to 2015 in Bauchi and Kano States of Nigeria to evaluate the performance of integrated ...

    • Genome-wide genotyping elucidates the geographical diversification and dispersal of the polyploid and clonally propagated yam (Dioscorea alata L.) 

      Sharif, B.M.; Burgarella, C.; Cormier, F.; Mournet, P.; Causse, S.; Van, K.N.; Kaoh, J.; Rajaonah, M.T.; Lakshan, S.R.; Waki, J.; Bhattacharjee, R.; Gueye, B.; Pachakkil, B.; Arnau, G.; Chaïr, H. (2020-11-02)
      Background and Aims Inferring the diffusion history of many human-dispersed species is still not straightforward due to unresolved past human migrations. The centre of diversification and routes of migration of the autopolyploid and clonally propagated greater yam, Dioscorea alata, one of the oldest edible tubers, remain unclear. Here, we address yam demographic and dispersal history using a worldwide sample. Methods We characterized genome-wide patterns of genetic variation using genotyping by ...

    • Tectonics, climate and the diversification of the tropical African terrestrial flora and fauna 

      Couvreur, T.L.; Dauby, G.; Blach-Overgaard, A.; Deblauwe, V.; Dessein, S.; Droissart, V.; Hardy, O.J.; Harris, D.J.; Janssens, S.; Ley, A.C.; Mackinder, B.A.; Sonke, B.; Sosef, M.S.; Stevart, T.; Svenning, J.C.; Wieringa, J.J.; Faye, A.; Missoup, A.D.; Tolley, K.A.; Nicolas, V.; Ntie, S.; Fluteau, F.; Robin, C.; Guillocheau, F.; Barboni, D.; Sepulchre, P. (2021)
      Tropical Africa is home to an astonishing biodiversity occurring in a variety of ecosystems. Past climatic change and geological events have impacted the evolution and diversification of this biodiversity. During the last two decades, around 90 dated molecular phylogenies of different clades across animals and plants have been published leading to an increased understanding of the diversification and speciation processes generating tropical African biodiversity. In parallel, extended geological ...

    • Comparative field evaluation of mechanized and manual cassava production operations: the case of cassava farmers in Ogun state of Nigeria 

      Abass, A.; Okechukwu, R.; Gworgwor, N.; Amaza, P.; Awoyale, W. (2021)
      In 2015, mechanized technologies for planting and harvesting cassava were introduced to farmers involved in the Cassava Value Chain (CVC) in Ogun State of Nigeria for testing. This study comparatively analysed the profitability of cassava production under mechanized and manual operations. Partial budgeting was used to compare costs and benefits of the new innovations with manual process. The comparison was based on data obtained from farmers involved in an effort to enhance the competitiveness of ...

    • Developing high-yielding Striga-resistant maize in sub-Saharan Africa 

      Badu-Apraku, B.; Fakorede, M.; Akinwale, R.O.; Adewale, S.A.; Akaogu, I.C. (2021)
      Striga hermonthica is a major stress of maize in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), in collaboration with national scientists, have used team approach to investigate how best to solve the problem. Emphasis was on (i) establishing a reliable infestation technique for selecting resistant/tolerant genotypes, (ii) availability of appropriate germplasm and good sources of Striga resistance, (iii) use of appropriate breeding methods for incorporating ...

    • Comparative evaluation of four different cassava peeling devices 

      Kolawole, P.; Kulakow, P.; Samuel, T.M.; Abass, A.; Diallo, T.A. (2021)
      Manual method predominates in the cassava peeling industry in Nigeria as more than 70% of the processed cassava in the market passed through manual process. Mechanical option has come to the forefront since other processing methods are discouraged based on their deficiencies. This work investigates improvements recorded with mechanical method over the manual method, and the inherent challenges of stakeholders in the industry. Three cassava peeling machines namely, BASICON, FATAROY and WAMABCO, ...

    • Rice yield and economic response to micronutrient application in Tanzania 

      Senthilkumar, K.; Sillo, F. S.; Rodenburg, J.; Dimkpa, C.; Saito, K.; Dieng, I.; Bindraban, P. (2021-08-01)
      Nutrient deficiencies limit rice production in sub-Saharan Africa. The conventional recommended remedy for this is the soil application of fertilizers composed of the macro-nutrients, N, P and K, whereas crop micronutrient requirements are neglected. This leads to nutrient mining and diminished fertiliser use efficiency. Application of micronutrients along with recommended NPK fertiliser rates can prevent nutrient mining and boost rice yields. In this study, we assessed the productivity and ...