Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is an essential crop with increasing importance for food supply and as raw material for industrial processing. The crop is vegetatively propagated through stem cuttings taken at the end of the growing cycle and its low multiplication rate and the high cost of stem transportation are detrimental to the increasing demand for high-quality cassava planting materials. Rapid multiplication of vegetative propagules of crops comprises tissue culture (TC) and semi-autotroph ...

The degree to which soil is susceptible to erosion is measured as soil erodibility which can be influenced by different land management options. This study evaluated the dynamics of soil erodibility to tillage and soil amendments in a maize field under five consecutive cropping cycles. Tillage treatments were no-till, minimum, conventional, and grassland fallow (control). The soil amendment treatments used were no amendment (control), NPK, poultry manure (PM), and ½ NPK+ ½ PM and these treatments ...

Yam (Dioscorea spp.) is a key tuber crop in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) with huge potential for poverty alleviation, food sovereignty, and nutrition security. Exploiting its full potential requires that factors holding it down are understood and mitigated. This study, conducted between May and July 2022 and 2023, assessed yam farming practices, varietal preferences, and land suitability in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). We interviewed 765 smallholder farmers within four agro-ecological ...

Access to safe, affordable diets is paramount for improved nutritional outcomes. Yet, how do stakeholders perceive the binding constraints and requisite policy actions to increase food safety and affordability? Focusing on Nigeria, this paper uses best-worst scaling techniques applied to a survey of 200 government and agrifood system stakeholders to examine their policy beliefs on safety and affordability vis-à-vis the vegetable and fish value chains. We find that divergence among stakeholders is ...

Maize is the staple food of most households in sub-Saharan Africa. The adoption of stress-tolerant maize varieties (STMV) is being promoted due to climate change. There are various methods applied to disseminate these varieties. Unfortunately, the adoption at the household level is still unsatisfactory. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the dissemination methods used in Benin. We identified dissemination methods from key informants involved in STMV seed dissemination projects. The performance ...

Common bean production is constrained by root rot complexes resulting to as much as 70% losses in Kenya. This study sought to establish the effect of soil amendments biochar and vermicompost on root rot fungal pathogens of commonbean in Western Kenya. Application of biochar, vermicompost and fertilizer were done in farmer fields in four agro ecological zones of Western Kenya prior to planting during the long rains of 2013 and 2014. No applications were done in the shot rains seasons of 2013 and ...

Despite its ability to thrive in high-temperature environments, cowpea productivity can be hampered by heat stress, particularly when night air temperatures exceed 17 °C. The crop’s germplasm pool potentially possesses significant genetic variability that can be harnessed to breed for heat-tolerant varieties. Progress in improving the crop for heat tolerance has been limited, especially under the hot, short-day environments typical of sub-Saharan Africa. Only a few heat-tolerant varieties have ...

Agroforestry practices in cocoa cultivation have historical roots going back to the Mayan sacred groves in Mesoamerica. Today, agroforestry cocoa, i.e., the integration of shade trees, plants and crops in cocoa systems, is promoted as a climate smart practice by public and private institutions. Shaded cocoa can sustain or even increase cocoa yields and the agroforestry systems may provide additional output for household consumption and sale as well as improve the microclimate and soil conditions ...

Pulses are important sources of protein, dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals for human nutrition and are widely cultivated in many countries around the world. Crops belonging to pulse include mainly chickpeas, mung bean, lentils, pigeon peas, and cowpeas. Pulse production and storage are negatively affected by a variety of biotic and abiotic factors, such as insect pests, diseases, parasites, low soil fertility, heat, and drought. Among these, insect pests have the most significant impact on ...