Expanding the application of cassava value chain technologies through UPoCA project

Root and Tuber . IITA TechnologiesCassava has long been expected to play a key role in rural economic growth in Africa, but are we there yet? Although research partnerships have produced elite cassava varieties with 50% more yielding potential and demonstrated technologies to boost processing and marketing of cassava, the sub-sector is constrained by low productivity and marketing dificulties. In DR Congo, Ghana, Malawi and Sierra Leone, for example, cassava value chain actors are yet to respond to 2007 estimated $59 million trade opportunities through substitution of imported wheat lour with locally produced high quality cassava lour. Industrial pull for cassava would also aggravate hunger and poverty if yields do not increase from current national averages of 5 to 19t/ha to more than 25t/ha expected of released varieties under low input agriculture. In 2008, USAID and IITA initiated the project “Unleashing the Power of Cassava in Response to Food Price Crisis (UPOCA) as a multi-country and inter-institutional partnership enabling cassava sub-sectors to realize their full potential in rural economies. UPoCA project covers DR Congo, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania. UPoCA project draws on prior research results to increase on-farm cassava productivity and value adding processing for markets. By end 2009, small holder beneiciaries associated with 55 partner organizations and 11 agricultural related irms established 306 community cassava stem multiplication sites and root production farms totalling 10,097ha with 58 improved varieties. Through experiential learning at 24 hands-on short-term courses, 345 men and 142 women learnt improved techniques in cassava production, processing, product development, and packaging/labelling and 8 technologies were introduced to rural communities. Seven other papers in this symposium, based on these evolving UPoCA achievements, show that a longer-term cassava research for development partnership platform of this nature will enable cassava sub-sectors to contribute signiicantly to rural economic growth in Africa

Visum Et Repertum Sebagai Barang Bukti Pengganti Mayat

Penelitian ini dilakukan dengan tujuan untuk mengetahui bagaimana kedudukan visum et repertum sebagai barang bukti pengganti mayat dan bagaimana peranan visum et repertum dalam pembuktian perkara pidana. Dengan menggunakan metode penelitian yuridis normatif, maka dapat disimpulkan: 1. Visum et repertum selaku keterangan dalam bentuk yang formil menyangkut hal-hal yang dilihat dan ditemukan oleh doker pada benda-benda yang diperiksa sesungguhnya adalah pengganti barang bukti, bahwa pada keharusannya dalam hal pembuktian mestinya orang yang menjadi obyek penganiayaan, pembunuhan atau kejahatan lainnya dari suatu peristiwa pidana selanjutnya diajukan menjadi barang bukti seperti misalnya orang yang dianiaya dan mati terbunuh sudah barang tentu menjadi kesulitan dalam praktek; karenanya orang yang meninggal (mayat) harus dikebumikan sebab dapat membusuk untuk selanjutnya mengalami proses alamiah hancur menjadi debu tanah. 2. Kedudukan visum et repertum dalam hukum pembuktian dalam proses acara pidana adalah termasuk sebagai alat bukti surat sebagaimana maksud pasal 184 ayat 1 huruf c jo pasal 187 huruf c KUHAP dengan keterangan ahli sesuai maksud pasal 1 angka 28 KUHAP jo Stb 1937-350 pasal 184 ayat 1 huruf b KUHAP

Development of a High-Density Linkage Map and Tagging Leaf Spot Resistance in Pearl Millet Using Genotyping-by-Sequencing Markers

Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br; also Cenchrus americanus (L.) Morrone] is an important crop throughout the world but better genomic resources for this species are needed to facilitate crop improvement. Genome mapping studies are a prerequisite for tagging agronomically important traits. Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) markers can be used to build high-density linkage maps, even in species lacking a reference genome. A recombinant inbred line (RIL) mapping population was developed from a cross between the lines ‘Tift 99D2B1’ and ‘Tift 454’. DNA from 186 RILs, the parents, and the F1 was used for 96-plex ApeKI GBS library development, which was further used for sequencing. The sequencing results showed that the average number of good reads per individual was 2.2 million, the pass filter rate was 88%, and the CV was 43%. High-quality GBS markers were developed with stringent filtering on sequence data from 179 RILs. The reference genetic map developed using 150 RILs contained 16,650 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 333,567 sequence tags spread across all seven chromosomes. The overall average density of SNP markers was 23.23 SNP/cM in the final map and 1.66 unique linkage bins per cM covering a total genetic distance of 716.7 cM. The linkage map was further validated for its utility by using it in mapping quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for flowering time and resistance to Pyricularia leaf spot [Pyricularia grisea (Cke.) Sacc.]. This map is the densest yet reported for this crop and will be a valuable resource for the pearl millet community

Use of agronomic conditions, genetics, and processing to improve utilization of sorghum grain

Sorghum grain is an extremely important crop to both farmers and livestock feeders in the High-Plains states (e.g., from Nebraska to Texas). Kansas leads the nation in sorghum production, and as should be expected, Kansas State University has a long history of research to improve the utilization and marketability of this versatile and hardy crop. This paper is a synopsis of current research at KSU and other universities concerning production and use of sorghum grain for feeding swine. Topics addressed include the relatively small loss in nutritional value (4 to 11 %) as test weight decreases from 55 to 35 lb/bu compared to the extreme discounts experienced by farmers trying to market light grain. Also, an experiment to quantitate yield of utilizable nutrients from com and sorghum was conducted to determine the relative merits of these grain sources when grown with different irrigation and N application strategies. Finally, sorghum parent lines have been identified with improved digestibility, and alternative milling procedures (e.g., fine-grinding and extrusion) have been identified that should greatly improve the competitiveness of sorghum grain as a feedstuff of choice for swine diets

Diallel analysis of resistance in sorghum to greenbug biotype E: antibiosis and tolerance

The greenbug [Schizaphis graminum (Rondani)] has been recognized as a major insect pest of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] in the Great Plains of the USA since 1968. Biotype E has been prominent since 1980 and twelve sources of resistance within the Sorghum genus have been identified. The objective of this study was to investigate the inheritance of resistance in sorghum among seven sources of resistance and three susceptible lines for antibiosis and tolerance involving Biotype E. A complete diallel mating, including reciprocals, of the ten resistant and susceptible lines of sorghum was evaluated in the growth chamber to estimate heterosis, general combining ability (GCA), specific combining ability (SCA), maternal and specific reciprocal effects for seedling antibiosis, and tolerance to greenbug Biotype E. The majority of crosses between the resistant sources and susceptible lines showed intermediate reactions and various degrees of partial dominance for both antibiosis and tolerance, suggesting polygenic inheritance. Combining ability analyses revealed that GCA, SCA, maternal, and specific reciprocal effects were significant for both seedling antibiosis and tolerance, but GCA was clearly more important in determining tolerance. The most antibiotic parent, IS2388, had the largest GCA effect for antibiosis while the most tolerant parent PI 229828, had the largest GCA effect for tolerance. The significant maternal and specific reciprocal differences found among parents and crosses, respectively, suggested that the variation observed in this experiment was due not only to direct genetic effects, but also to maternal and/or cytoplasmic inheritance and specific interactions of cytoplasmic and genetic factors

In vitro digestibility of sorghum parent lines predicts nutritional value of their hybrid offspring in cannulated finishing pigs

Nutritional value of eight sorghum hybrids, resulting from matings of four male lines with two male-sterile lines, was determined. The male lines were two sorghums with consistently high in vitro digestibility (High-digestibility 1 and Highdigestibility 2) and two sorghums with consistently low in vitro digestibility (Lowdigestibility 1 and Low-digestibility 2). The male-sterile lines were Kansas 52 and Redlan, two lines commonly used for genetic testing by sorghum breeders. The hybrids were fed to eight barrows fitted with ileal T-cannulas and also evaluated for starch digestibility in ruminal fluid. Corn was used as a control. Corn had greater ileal and total tract digestibilities of DM, GE, N, and starch than the hybrids, but was similar to the sorghums for starch digestibility in ruminal fluid. Ileal digestibilities were not different for the male-sterile parent lines, but hybrids of Kansas 52 had greater DM, GE, and N digestibilities over the total tract than hybrids of the Redlan parent line. Among the male parent lines, hybrids from the two lines with high in vitro digestibility had greater total tract digestibilities of DM, GE, and N than lines with low in vitro digestibilities. In conclusion, selection based on our laboratory procedure was an effective predictor of total tract nutrient digestibility of sorghum in pigs. Also, differences among parent lines for nutrient digestibility were still evident in their hybrid offspring

Gene diversity among botanical varieties in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

For the first time, sufficient numbers of molecular markers that reveal polymorphism in cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) have become available for diversity assessments. In this study, the amount and distribution of genetic variation within and among six peanut botanical varieties, as well as its partitioning among three continents of origin, was assessed at 12 simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci by means of 10 sequence-tagged microsatellite site (STMS) primers. Eighty-nine alleles were revealed, varying from 2 to 17 per locus with an average of 7.4 alleles per locus. Greater differentiation was observed between varieties (Fst = 0.33), compared with between continents (Fst = 0.016). However, maximum differentiation was observed among continents within varieties (Fst = 0.366) for three varieties. Rogers' modified distance among varieties revealed the similarity of three varieties of subspecies fastigiata Waldron, namely fastigiata, vulgaris C. Harz, and aequatoriana Krapov. & W.C. Gregory. It did not support the inclusion of var. peruviana Krapov. & W.C. Gregory in this grouping. In addition, the results suggest that subsp. hypogaea var. hypogaea and var. hirsuta Köhler are not closely related and therefore should not hold the same subspecific ranking. Discriminant function analysis reveals a high degree of accordance between variety delimitation on the basis of morphological and molecular characters. Landraces from Africa and Asia were more closely related to each other than to those from South America. Nei's unbiased estimate of gene diversity revealed very similar levels of diversity within botanical varieties. Landraces from South America had the highest diversity, and possessed 90% of alleles, compared with Africa (63%) and Asia (67%)

Complementarity of genes for resistance to greenbug [Schizaphis graminum (Rondani)], biotype E, in sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]

Gene complementarity among various sources of resistance to greenbug biotype E was assessed. Analysis of the F2 generation of crosses between susceptible and resistant parents (mating 1) and among sources of resistance (mating 2) suggested that resistance in sorghum to greenbug biotype E was complexly inherited and, to some extent, dependent on the nature of both the resistant and susceptible parents. Positive transgressive segregation in the F2 generations of both matings was found to be due to effective plus factors, contributed by both parents in a cross, which complemented each other. The number of plus factors ranged from one to two in the susceptible parents and from two to five in the resistant parents of mating 1, and from one to five in the parents of mating 2. The consistently significant reciprocal effects shown by Sarvasi and PI264453 indicated that these sources had major factors for resistance in their cytoplasms, which were expressed in all their crosses. The results from this study indicated that the sources of resistance complemented each other to give increased number of F2 segregates with increased resistance. Thus, it should be possible to increase and diversify resistance of sorghum to greenbug biotype E by accumulating different, effective plus factors from various sources through recurrent selection

Feeding behaviour of biotype E greenbug (Homoptera: Aphididae) and its relationship to resistance in sorghum

The feeding behavior of biotype E greenbug, Schizaphis graminum (Rondani), on seedlings of sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, genotypes with various levels and mechanisms of seedling resistance was examined in a 12-h period with a computerized electronic insect feeding monitor. Results indicated that 7 of the 12 behavioral events monitored (durations of phloem ingestion, probing, and salivation; time to first committed phloem ingestion; and frequencies of occurrence of baseline, probing, and salivation) showed significant quantitative differences among the genotypes. PI266965 and 152388, the two sources with the highest level of seedling antibiosis, had the shortest duration of phloem ingestion (250, 280.5 min); the longest durations of probing (15.2, 15.0 min), salivation (333.2, 314.4 min), and time to first committed phloem ingestion (433.5, 266.4 min); and the highest frequencies of occurrence of baseline (20.3, 22.4), probing (20.1, 22.5), and salivation (26.0, 26.8) of biotype E greenbug, respectively. These events were highly intercorrelated and were about equally related to seedling antibiosis (measured in growth chamber and field) and average damage score (overall resistance) experiments. The most important mechanism that the insect feeding monitor measured was antibiosis