CONTEXT: Population pressure, land scarcity and encroachment of nature reserves are challenging sustainable intensification of agriculture in Uganda. One of the main staple crops in Uganda is East African Highland banana. Area expansion and improved management have enhanced the economic performance of banana, yet at the expense of food security, environmental and social sustainability. While a transition of banana-based farming systems to a more sustainable future seems necessary, the desired ...

Food insecurity remains a serious challenge for many households in Africa and the situation is even more prevalent among young people. However, there is a dearth of empirical evidence on youth food security status in Africa. We assessed the level and determinants of food security among young farmers in Africa. We adopted a multi-stage sampling technique to select 400, 429, and 606 young farmers in Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda, respectively. Individual food consumption was assessed following a 7 days ...

The agribusiness sector development is often portrayed as an essential component of economic development. Though Benin is a country with inestimable agricultural potential, the agribusiness sector appears unappealing to the local youths. Prior investigations diagnosed the impeding factors as a paucity of financial resource and a dearth of land and technical knowledge. This article departs from past studies by considering the importance of informal institutions for youth participation in the ...

Climate change is a defining challenge of the 21st century, and this decade is a critical time for action to mitigate the worst effects on human populations and ecosystems. Plant science can play an important role in developing crops with enhanced resilience to harsh conditions (e.g. heat, drought, salt stress, flooding, disease outbreaks) and engineering efficient carbon-capturing and carbon-sequestering plants. Here, we present examples of research being conducted in these areas and discuss ...

Banana (Musa spp.) is an important staple crop, especially in developing countries where it ensures food security. However, optimal yields are not obtained due to both biotic and abiotic constraints. Low soil fertility is one of the limiting factors in the East African highlands, as the currently applied amount of organic (crop residues, animal manure, etc.) and inorganic fertilizers by smallholder farmers is not sufficient to maintain adequate soil fertility levels for optimal growth and production. ...

This paper examines how resilience capacity mediates or moderates the relationship between weather shocks and household food security based on two waves of farm household survey and satellite-based weather data in northern Ghana and applying econometric models. Results show that resilience capacity moderate or mediates the negative effects of heat stress and drought on food security. However, the mediating role of resilience capacity in the shock-food security nexus is more stable and stronger ...

Breeding maize with high contents of zinc, iron and provitamin A (PVA) could be effective in mitigating micronutrient deficiency in developing countries with a high reliance on maize-based diets. Information on the mode of inheritance of zinc, iron, PVA and grain yield (GY) would facilitate the development of varieties with enhanced contents of these nutrients. Twenty-four yellow to orange maize inbred lines and their 96 F1 hybrids generated using North Carolina Design II, were evaluated alongside ...

Amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus L.) is the most consumed leaf vegetable in Benin. A study carried out in south Benin have shown that the production of this vegetable is severely limited by insect pest pressure. The present study aimed to identify the major constraint limiting amaranth production in Ségbana municipality, located in the north of Benin and proposed sustainable agroecological solutions to farmers. Thus, a survey was conducted among 150 farmers in three villages of Ségbana (Lougou, ...

Taro (Colocasia esculenta) is a widely grown vegetatively propagated food crop in the Benin Republic. The taro leaf blight (TLB) epidemic in 2009, caused by Phytophthora colocasiae, has destroyed taro production and wiped out many taro landraces in West Africa. A survey was conducted in the southern region of Benin to assess the status of taro and TLB, ethnobotany, farmers' perceptions of taro, and identify production constraints. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information from 24 ...

Earth’s lifemay have originated as self-replicating RNA, and it has been argued that RNA viruses and viroid-like elements are remnants of such pre-cellular RNA world. RNA viruses are defined by linear RNA genomes encoding an RNAdependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), whereas viroid-like elements consist of small, single-stranded, circular RNA genomes that, in some cases, encode paired self-cleaving ribozymes. Here we show that the number of candidate viroid-like elements occurring in geographically and ...