Ethiopia has heterogeneous topographic, climatic and socio-ecological systems. Recommendations of agricultural inputs and management practices based on coarse domains such as agro-ecological zones (AEZ) may not lead to accurate targeting, mainly due to large intra-zone variations. The lack of well-targeted recommendations may contribute to the underperformance of promising technologies. Therefore, there is a need to define units where similar environmental and biophysical features prevail, based ...

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) is a key climate-resilient legume for food security, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Cowpea yields are limited by edaphic stresses including drought and low phosphorus (P) availability. Identifying genotypes with advantageous root phenotypes can facilitate breeding for improved yield in marginal environments. We evaluated 50 elite genotypes from African and U.S. sources for seedling root architecture and root hair length and density. Significant genotypic ...

Bananas (and plantain, Musa spp.) are the most important crops contributing to food security and the income of millions of smallholder farmers in East Africa. Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV, genus Babuvirus), an aphid-transmitted virus first reported in 2021 in Tanzania and Uganda, is wrecking banana production in several regions and threatening to spread further in East Africa. The BBTV has no effective solutions. Preventing the virus establishment is the best strategy. The remedial procedure of ...

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata [L.] Walp.) yields within the dry savannahs of Sub-Saharan Africa are low. Given the contribution of cowpea to food security in this region, it is essential that high-yielding varieties are developed to improve crop productivity in a sustainable manner. Identifying morphological or physiological traits that correlate with biomass could assist breeders with rapid screening of diverse germplasm. This study investigated 23 diverse Nigerian cowpea lines in an environmentally ...

Taro leaf blight caused by Phytophthora colocasiae adversely affects the growth and yield of taro. The management of this disease depends heavily on synthetic fungicides. These compounds, however, pose potential hazards to human health and the environment. The present study aimed to investigate an alternative approach for plant growth promotion and disease control by evaluating seven different bacterial strains (viz., Serratia plymuthica, S412; S. plymuthica, S414; S. plymuthica, AS13; S. ...

This book provides an insight into the background, lessons learned, and the methodology of facilitating the application of best-bet/best-fit agricultural technologies to smallholder farms in East and Southern Africa (ESA). All technologies highlighted within this book, except those on livestock feeding, were trialed and demonstrated in farmers' fields over an eight-year period [2012-2020] as part of the Feed the Future/USAID funded research-for-development Africa RISING ESA Project and supported ...

This chapter presents a definition of 'scaling' and outlines the key elements for success based on the experiences gained from Africa RISING research and dissemination in East and Southern Africa (ESA). Three examples are presented: (a) research and development partnerships; (b) community based scaling through seed systems; and (c) outdoor advertising for orange-fleshed sweet potato. It presents experiences and lessons learned from using these approaches to transfer and scale the technologies.

This chapter presents technologies for replacing the nutrients lost from cropped fields with external fertilizer sources in a manner that minimizes the consequences of too little or too much application. The technology of using industrial fertilizers, organic fertilizers, and application of farmyard manure and compost alone or in combination with industrial fertilizers are discussed in detail.

African yam bean has immense food and nutrition potential and is resilient to adverse environmental conditions. Despite its potential, the crop is underutilized, which could be attributed to seed hardness (requiring about 6–24 hours of cooking time); and the abundance of antinutrient factors (tannin, phytate, and oxalate). This study evaluated the physical (seed hardness, cooking time) and chemical compositions (crude protein, tannin, phytate, and oxalate) of 93 AYB accessions grown in Ethiopia. ...

Provitamin A biofortification and increased dry matter content are important breeding targets in cassava improvement programs worldwide. Biofortified varieties contribute to the alleviation of provitamin A deficiency, a leading cause of preventable blindness common among pre-school children and pregnant women in developing countries particularly Africa. Dry matter content is a major component of dry yield and thus underlies overall variety performance and acceptability by growers, processors, and ...