Medicinal potential, utilization and domestication status of bitter kola (Garcinia kola Heckel) in West and Central Africa

Garcinia kola Heckel (Clusiaceae), known as bitter kola, is a multipurpose tree indigenous to West and Central Africa. This highly preferred species is called wonder plant because all of its parts can be used as medicine. Its seeds, the most valued product of the tree, are commonly eaten to prevent/cure gastric disorders and for their typical astringent taste. There is a vast evidence that bioactive components of the seeds can serve as alternative medicine to treat/prevent severe illnesses such as malaria, hepatitis and immune-destructive diseases. Despite the species' pharmaceutical potential and its high preference by West and Central African communities, G. kola is still at the beginning of its domestication process. Even though, there are numerous scientific articles published on species biological activities, it is a difficult task to find basic information on its diversity, distribution, genetics, silvicultural management or botany. Therefore, in this very first review published on G. kola, we summarize all relevant information known about the species, target some of the challenges connected with its cultivation and propose a leading direction for future research and domestication process

Domestication Potential of Garcinia kola Heckel (Clusiaceae): Searching for Diversity in South Cameroon

Seeds and bark of Garcinia kola Heckel (Clusiaceae) are popular products in West and Central Africa. Despite the tree's economic and cultural importance, little is known about its phenotypic and genotypic variation. This study characterised the morphological and genetic diversity of G. kola in South Cameroon, searching for traits and populations that might be used for domestication. Morphological assessment and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers were applied to characterise diversity among geographic populations from Central and South regions, and between managed and wild trees. AFLP-SURV and analysis of molecular variance results indicated that a major part of genetic diversity is harboured within populations rather than between them. Bayesian analysis, principal component analysis and t-SNE identified three clusters where Ebolowa emerged as the transition population combining features from both regions. Trees from the South demonstrated a higher incidence of domestication-related traits, showing higher genetic diversity compared to the Central region. This suggests that individuals from the South might be more suitable for selection as "elite trees" in future breeding strategies for the species. No significant differences in phenotype and genotype were revealed between wild and managed populations, suggesting G. kola is still in the early stages of its domestication process

Indole -3- Butyric Acid Induces Plant Regeneration From Stem Cuttings Of Three Medicinal Plants

Field regeneration of three (3) medicinal plants - Securidaca longepedunculata (violet tree), Ocimum gratissimum (scent leaf) and Pterocarpus mildebraedii by means of rooting of stem cuttings at different lengths of 10 -15 cm and 15 -20 cm were studied. The effect of the plant hormone Indole-3-Butyric acid (IBA) at 5g/l was tested on rooting, bud sprout and leaf formation of the rooted stem cuttings of the plant species as well as the effect of the length of the stem cuttings on their growth and survival rates. The results of the study revealed that stem cuttings of O. gratissimum treated with IBA and the control treatment sprouted within 5 - 8 days. The treated O. gratissimum stem cuttings produced a slightly higher number of buds (2.58 ± 0.86) when compared to the control (2.00 ± 0.89) with no significant difference at P ≤ 0.05. Stem cuttings of the treated P. mildbraedii cuttings sprouted within 8 -10 days with 1.40 ± 0.37 number of buds, with the control showing no sprouts. Consequently, IBA application produced more leaves (13.00 ± 5.58) and roots (1.33 ± 0.01) than the control. However, O. gratissimum stem cuttings had the highest leaf (13.08 ± 4.47) and root numbers (135.00 ± 13.45) followed by the control with values- 13.00 ± 5.58 for leaf development and 61.66 ± 2.34 for root number respectively. Irrespective of the treatments, none of the stem cuttings of S. longepedunculata sprouted. This study showed that exogenous application of IBA to stem cuttings of the tested plants, except S. Longepedunculata, improved the root number, number of leaves and number of buds. Keywords: Stem cuttings, Indole-3-Butyric acid (IBA), Rootin

Bouturage de Cola acuminata (P. Beauv.) Schott & Endl.: Influence du substrat, de la longueur et de la surface foliaire sur l’enracinement de boutures à Kisangani, RD Congo

Objectifs: Le colatier est arbre fruitier d’importance capital en RD Congo en général et à Kisangani en particulier. Les personnes impliquées dans sa filière (producteurs, commerçants) se procurent des revenus non négligeables. Les noix de kola, appréciées dans le milieu, sont pour la plupart tirées des arbres dans la forêt qui pour l’ensemble est menacée par les activités anthropiques. Il serait donc souhaitable de préserver cette espèce dans le milieu par la domestication. Pour cette fin, cette étude vise la multiplication de C. acuminata par bouturage.Méthodologie et résultats: Les facteurs type des substrats, surface foliaire, longueur de la tige des boutures et l’emploi d’auxine Acide Indole Butyrique (AIB) ont été expérimentés. Les substrats utilisés sont le sable de rivière, la sciure de bois, les balles de riz ainsi que leurs combinaisons deux à deux. Les surfaces foliaires 25 et 37,5cm² et les longueurs de tiges 3 ; 5 et 7cm ont été mis en comparaison. Deux essais ont été conduits, le premier testant les types de substrats dans un dispositif monofactoriel en blocs complets randomisés, les autres facteurs conduits, au second essai, dans un dispositif tri-factoriel, split plot. Le substrat sable a permis d’avoir plus de boutures enracinées (81,11±11,67%). Les combinaisons longueurs de tiges de boutures 7cm avec surface foliaire 37,5cm²-auxine AIB et surface foliaire 25cm²-sans auxine AIB sont meilleures, soit 70% des boutures enracinées.Conclusion et application de résultats: L’espèce C. acuminata s’accommode bien à la technique de multiplication végétative par bouturage. On a atteint jusqu’à 81% de boutures qui se sont enracinées. Le facteur type de substrat influence considérablement le taux d’enracinement. Les autres facteurs n’ont pas influencé significativement ce paramètre. Les boutures s’étant enracinées, les travaux ultérieurs devraient se focaliser sur les suivis in situ de la croissance et du développement des boutures enracinées. Par cette technique, il est possible d’obtenir suffisamment des plantules, à mettre à la disposition des producteurs, en vue de la domestication de Cola acuminata.Mots clés: Bouturage, enracinement, Cola acuminata, substrats, longueur des tiges, surface foliaireEnglish Title: Cutting of Cola acuminata (P. Beauv.) Schott & Endl. : Influence of substrate, length and leaf area on the rooting of cuttings in Kisangani, DR CongoEnglish AbstractObjectives: The Cola is fruit tree of capital importance in The Democratic Republic of Congo in general and in Kisangani in particular. The people involved in its sector (producers, traders) earn a significant income. The kola nuts, appreciated in the country, are mostly taken from the trees in the forest which are currently threatened by the anthropic activities. It would therefore be desirable to preserve this species in the environment by domestication. For this purpose, this study aims at the multiplication of C. acuminata by cuttings.Methodology and results: Substrate type factors, leaf area, stem length of cuttings and the Idol Butyric Acid (IBA) auxin were experimented. The substrates used are river sand, sawdust, rice husks and their combinations in pairs. The leaf surfaces 25 and 37.5cm² and the stems lengths 3; 5 and 7 cm were compared. Two tests were carried out, the first testing the substrates types in a monofactorial device in randomized complete block, the other factors conducted, in the second trial, in a tri-factorial device, split plot. The sand substrate allowed more of cuttings rooted (81.11 ± 11.67%). The combinations lengths of cuttings 7cm with leaf area 37,5cm²- AIB auxin and leaf area 25cm²-without AIB auxin are better, 70% of rooted cuttings.Conclusion and application of results: The species C. acuminata adapts well to the technique of vegetative propagation by cuttings. Up to 81% of cuttings were rooted. The substrate type factor greatly affects the rooting rate. The other factors did not significantly influence this parameter. Since the cuttings were rooted, subsequent work should focus on in situ monitoring of the growth and development of rooted cuttings. By this technique, it is possible to obtain sufficient seedlings, to be made available to producers, for the domestication of Cola acuminata.Keywords: Cutting, rooting, Cola acuminata, substrates, stem length, leaf are

Propagação vegetativa de lúpulo (Humulus lupulus), efeito de bioestimulantes, tamanho e posição das estacas

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of different cutting lengths, the use of biostimulants and diameter of cuttings on hops vegetative propagation. The work was conducted in a greenhouse at the Center for Agricultural Sciences (CCA) at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), in Florianópolis/SC, Brazil, between October 2019 and January 2021. In experiment 1, cuttings with one, two and three buds were tested, with and without application of biostimulant SprintAlga TS® (Biolchim) in Brewer's Gold and Cascade cultivars. In experiment 2, cuttings with diameter of 1.5 cm, 2.5 cm and 3.5 cm were tested for Northern Brewer cultivar. In both experiments, survival, rooting, root length, root quality, number of shoots and shoot length were evaluated. In experiment 1, Cascade had lower survival, rooting and development compared to Brewer's Gold. The use of biostimulant increased survival and rooting rates of both cultivars. For Brewer's Gold the use of biostimulant improved root quality and increased shoot number, root and shoot length. For Brewer's Gold, 3-bud cuttings improved root quality and increased number of shoots. For Cascade, 1-bud cuttings showed the highest survival, rooting and development rates. In experiment 2, the highest rates of survival, rooting and the longest root length were obtained with 1.5 cm diameter cuttings. Larger diameter cuttings (2.5 and 3.5 cm) produced fewer shoots, but longer shoots.Objetiva-se com este trabalho avaliar o efeito de diferentes comprimentos e diâmetros de estacas e da utilização de bioestimulantes na propagação vegetativa de lúpulo. O trabalho foi conduzido em uma estufa no Centro de Ciências Agrárias (CCA) da Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), em Florianópolis/SC, Brasil, entre outubro de 2019 e janeiro de 2021. No experimento 1 foram testadas estacas com uma, duas e três gemas, com e sem aplicação do bioestimulante SprintAlga TS® (Biolchim) nas cultivares Brewer´s Gold e Cascade. No experimento 2 foram testadas estacas de 1,5 cm, 2,5 cm e 3,5 cm de diâmetro para a cultivar Northern Brewer. Foram avaliados o percentual de sobrevivência, enraizamento, comprimento de raízes, qualidade da raiz, número e comprimento de brotações. No experimento 1 Cascade apresentou menores percentuais de sobrevivência, enraizamento e desenvolvimento. O uso do bioestimulante aumentou a sobrevivência e o enraizamento de ambas as cultivares. Para Brewer’s Gold o bioestimulante aumentou a qualidade das raízes, número de brotações, comprimento de raiz e de brotação. Estacas de Brewer’s Gold com 3 gemas favoreceram a qualidade das raízes e número de brotações. Estacas de Cascade com 1 gema apresentaram maior percentual de sobrevivência, enraizamento e desenvolvimento. No experimento 2 as estacas de 1,5 cm de diâmetro apresentaram maior sobrevivência, enraizamento e comprimento de raiz. Estacas com 2,5 e 3,5 cm produziram menor número de brotações, mas de maior comprimento

Response of ‘Bignay’ [Antidesma bunius (Linn.) Spreng] to cutting origins, IBA and BioGroe treatments

The response of ‘Bignay’ [Antidesma bunius (Linn.) Spreng] to the cutting origins and different levels of plant bio-regulators consist of Indole-3-butyric Acid (IBA) and Biogroe treatments were investigated by means of 3 x 9 factorial experiment in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) using an automated mist propagator. Two hundred sixteen (216) healthy seedlings containing 9 nodes each were used in the study. Results revealed that cutting origins significantly increased shoot length but have no influence on the root number, percent rooting and percent survival. The cuttings originated from the bottom portion of the stem recorded the longest mean in terms of shoot length (12.48 mm) including the highest percent survival and percent rooting (82.41%). Highest mean number of roots were observed on the top cuttings (1.93). Indole-3-butyric Acid (IBA) and Biogroe treatments on cuttings have no effects on the different parameters evaluated. The interaction effect between cutting origins and IBA/Biogroe treatments significantly increased the percent rooting and percent survival except the shoot length and root number of Bignay cuttings. Overall, the findings inferred that A. bunius can be propagated by any cutting origin derived from the main stem of the donor plants tested. Cuttings can effectively be induced to produce roots and survive and can be economically mass propagated even without the application of different concentrations of IBA and BioGroe

Contribution to the Improvement of Vegetative Propagation by Greenhouse Cuttings of Odorous Verbena (Aloysia citrodora)

Currently several species are threatened with extinction due to climatic factors, population pressure and the strong global demand for a continuous and uniform supply of fragrant, aromatic and medicinal plants. The multiplication and domestication of these species remains the only way to save them from extinction, our study is within the framework of propagation by cuttings of odorous verbena (Aloysia citrodora). In fact, some parameters influencing the success of cuttings have been studied, namely the nature of the substrate, the effect of certain rooting products and the position of the cutting in relation to the mother plant (basal or apical), the tests were carried out in a tunnel greenhouse at the ibn tofail university, faculty of sciences kenitra, Morroco. Out of 144 trials, the success rate of cuttings according to the type of substrate was 91.66%, 75% and 83.33% respectively for substrates S1 (soil only), S2 (1/2 sand and 1/2 compost) and S3 (1/3 soil; 1/3 compost and 1/3 peat). For the three products, we didn’t make combinations. but we followed the effect of each product alone, For the treatment effect, 77%, 0% and 69% respectively were obtained for Product 1 (auxin), Product 2 (based on mineral matter and amino acids) and Product 3 (seaweed extract). With regard to the position of the cutting, high percentages were obtained for cuttings from the basal position

Developing pre-breeding tools for the miracle plant [Synsepalum dulcificum (Schumach & Thonn.) Daniell]: implications for genomic selection strategies optimization.

Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.The miracle plant [Synsepalum dulcificum (Schumach & Thonn) Daniell] is an evergreen orphan shrub species originating in West Africa that produces red berries known as miracle fruits. As a unique natural source of miraculin, miracle fruits stand as a singular natural sweetener with huge applications and economic potential. Unfortunately, the lack of systematic breeding history in the species currently hinders the full exploitation of the species potential at both the local and international levels. This study was undertaken with the goal of generating information that can be used to initiate a proper breeding and large-scale cultivation program of the species in its center of origin, West Africa, with a focus on three countries (Ghana, Togo, and the Republic of Benin). The objectives of the study were: i) to determine current management practices and end-users’ preferred traits to identify key breeding traits and formulate sound breeding objectives, ii) to evaluate the natural phenotypic diversity in the species to identify potential parental lines/populations for breeding purposes, iii) to assess genomic diversity and population structure in the species to reshape breeding strategies, and iv) to model the determinants of the local communities’ willingness to invest in the species cultivation to articulate promotion strategies in the species. To assess trait preferences by the miracle plant end-users (farmers, consumers, and processing companies) in the study area, semi-structured interviews and focus-group discussions were held with 300 individual respondents from various socio-cultural backgrounds and one processing company each in Benin and Ghana. The results revealed that farmers in Ghana currently manage the species better than their counterparts in Benin, with men being overall the main owners of the species. Our results offer an impetus for West Africa region-wide cultivar development, as both farmers’ and consumers’ preferences for breeding traits were >80% similar among the six sociolinguistic groups and the three agroecological zones considered in the study area. The preference for breeding traits was 60% similar among farmer, consumer and processing company user groups. Out of the 23 potential breeding traits identified in the study area, fruit size, fruit miraculin content, fruit yielding, early maturity, fruit edible ratio and seed part ratio represent priority breeding traits. Interestingly the traits (fruit size and miraculin content) were consistently ranked as the top two desired traits by all three end-user groups of the species. The classification conducted on 203 individual trees (accessions) sampled from seven populations in the Upper Guinea forest block (Ghana) and the Dahomey Gap (Ghana, Togo, and Benin) block revealed the existence of three natural phenotypic groups in the species. While in terms of population performance, the Volta population in the Dahomey Gap outperformed the six other populations for almost all the end-users’ desired traits assessed. Cluster 3, which encompassed accessions from all seven populations sampled, presented the best performance based on end-users’ preferences and, therefore, represents a potential source of elite accessions. Overall, variability ranged from low to moderate in traits evaluated [coefficient of variation: 9.65% (fruit length) – 53.34% (tree diameter at ground level] and the inferred core collection points to the Dahomey Gap as a center of diversity of the miracle plant. Despite the expected heterozygosity of HS = 0.14 suggesting a low diversity in the miracle plant, the molecular assessment done on 322 individuals revealed a strong population differentiation in the species (FST =0.69). Populations in the Upper Guinea forest block strongly diverged from those in the Dahomey Gap block, and our data supported the existence of a barrier (which we speculated to be the Lake Volta in Ghana) disrupting connectivity between those two West African rainforest block populations of the miracle plant. Corroborating the findings of the phenotypic assessment, the genome-wide diversity analysis also defined three genetic groups. Conveying a higher resolution to the population structuring, the genomic analysis highlighted an ecoregional structuring of the miracle plant population in the study area. The DNA polymorphism and demographic history analyses indicated the Western Dahomey Gap as the likely centre of origin of the miracle plant, thus refining the previously postulated West Africa origin of the species. The Volta population was confirmed as an exceptional breeding population with regards to its high allelic richness and heterozygosity. Our findings also suggest that sociolinguistic groups in Benin valued the miracle plant more than those in Ghana, to the extent that the species diversity was affected, as fitness organs such as roots and bark were highly targeted for medicinal uses. Nonetheless, these sociolinguistic groups in Benin were also more willing to engage in the miracle plant cultivation compared with those in Ghana. However, for this to be effective, market structuring and improved variety (early fruiting) development combined with awareness raising are needed to accelerate local community engagement in the species cultivation in the entire study area. Collectively, these results advance our knowledge of the miracle plant and form the basis for breeding initiatives in the species. The implications of these findings regarding optimization of a genomic selection strategy for accelerated genetic gains achievement in agronomic and functional traits of this species is discussed.Abstract is English and French

Achieving Social and Economic Development Through Ecological and Organic Agricultural Alternatives

The third edition of the continental conference (3AOC) is holding in Nigeria October 5 – 9, 2015 with the theme “Achieving Social and Economic Development Through Ecological and Organic Agricultural Alternatives”. This conference is coming up in the continent when the call for need to improve rural livelihoods of Africans is becoming louder by the day. A veritable tool through which the livelihood of an average African can be improved is Organic Agriculture because it has an inherent potential to reduce production costs regularly incurred by small-medium scale farmers (principal actors in African agriculture), reduce debts, increase income, mitigate the vagaries of climate change, cope with market fluctuations, sustain soil fertility, minimize health hazards etc. It is envisaged that the 3AOC will provide an excellent platform to exchange ideas on the role ecological and organic agricultural alternatives can play in achieving social and economic development in the continent. The 3AOC scientific track is hereby documented as Book of Proceedings