A wide range of economic sectors in the Ghana, including agriculture, health care, and energy, heavily rely on climate data; as a result, having access to reliable climate data is crucial for research and economic growth yet rainfall gauge data in Ghana scarcely available, therefore, researchers tend to depend on satellite estimates for hydrological studies and impact assessments. However, biases in satellite rainfall estimates and the ability for these rainfall products to effectively capture ...

L’agriculture Nigérienne fait face à une faible production agricole car étant une agriculture pluviale à faible rendement, et l’élevage, un élevage extensif tributaire des ressources naturelles. IL est de plus en plus admis que le réchauffement planétaire actuel ne peut être évité (IPCC, 2007). Le recours à l’adoption des technologies agricoles améliorées s’est avéré indispensable pour une augmentation de la production agricole dans le but d’améliorer le bien-être des producteurs. Ainsi, dans notre ...

Cassava breeders have made significant progress in developing new genotypes with improved agronomic characteristics such as improved root yield. However, these new and improved cassava genotypes in cultivation in Nigeria have undergone little or no improvement in their culinary qualities; hence, there is a paucity of information on the texture of boiled cassava roots, particularly with regard to its mealiness. The objectives of this study were to: (i) elicit farmers’ knowledge, perceptions and ...

Food adulteration is a very old and common problem, which is often seen in both the low-and middle-income countries and even in some developed countries. Maize-based porridge especially ogi is a high-value commodity and common indigenous complementary food that is a target for adulteration, leading to loss of quality and encroachment on the rights and interests of consumers. This study investigated the characterization of the microorganisms found in ogi fermented for 0 to 120 hours and the feasibility ...

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the importance of applying open-source technologies for mobile-based data collection for real-time tracking of seed yam (Dioscorea rotundata and Dioscorea alata) production. Seed yam data in Nigeria have been predominantly collected using field notebooks in the past, which were subsequently entered into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet or Access database for analysis and reposition. Relevant areas of weakness within the current data systems include time delay ...

Edible yams are widely cultivated staple food crops in the tropics, but their production is constrained by low multiplication ratio, which results in short supply of Seed Yam Tubers (SYT). The use of High-ratio Propagation Technologies (HrPT) could enhance quality and quantity of SYT. However, limited information is available on the use of HrPT and the amenability of yam varieties to HrPT for SYT production. In this study, the uses of some HrPT for quality SYT production in Dioscorea alata and ...

Cowpea is one of the most widely grown legumes in Togo for its grains and leaves, which are used both as food and feed. Despite its importance in the nutrition and economic life of the people, bulk of the varieties grown in Togo are landraces. Genetic improvement of crops requires the presence of heritable genetic variation. However, there is hardly any information on the extent of variability among cultivated cowpea in Togo. This study was carried out to assess the phenotypic and molecular diversity ...

Aflatoxins are a group of highly toxic, mutagenic, teratogenic, and carcinogenic secondary metabolites of Aspergillus species including Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. Maize is susceptible to aflatoxin contamination; so, ogi, (fermented maize gruel) consumed as a breakfast cereal, weaning food and food for convalescents is prone to aflatoxins. Therefore, targeted fermentation of yellow and white maize, for ogi, was investigated as a means of aflatoxin decontamination in ogi. Methods ...

Consumption of high Glycemic Index (GI) foods is a risk factor for increasing prevalence of metabolic related non-communicable diseases. Cassava and yam are among common staples known to have high GI and are usually avoided by diabetics because they can rapidly raise blood glucose. Currently, it is still unclear if common varieties (and their corresponding products) have different starch digestibility and GI. This study was therefore designed to evaluate starch digestibility and GI of common foods ...

Seed enterprise is an initiative and risk set up in the production of cassava stems from existing local seed varieties or improved seed varieties for economically sustainable profit. Although, most cassava seeds produced are through informal seed system among smallholder farmers but there is need for replacement strategy for cassava seeds mostly planted over years. Based on this, there is need for intense exploration in the linkage between cassava seed management and diffusion scheme among rural ...