Farmers, seeds and varieties : supporting informal seed supply in Ethiopia

Ethiopia is characterized by an enormous diversity in agro-ecosystems, crops and varieties, with the informal seed systems dominant in seed supply for almost all crops. The book addresses strategies and approaches through which professionals can support informal seed supply, and links these with the conservation and use of the huge genetic resource base of crops and local varieties. The book looks at informal seed supply from a number of different angles, introduces key concepts and strategies, and presents case studies from Ethiopia and other countries. It deals with the technical aspects of, quality and availability of, and access to seed, and of supporting informal supply. It also deals with the role of farmers in the conservation and management of local crops and varieties, and the participation of farmers and communities in plant breeding and research. It takes a particular interest in the role of farmer organizations in seed supply, and how this role can be strengthened by developing community and small-scale seed enterprises. The aim of all the strategies, case studies and reflections on experiences presented in this book is to improve the availability of and access to quality seeds and varieties, thereby improving the livelihoods of small-scale farmers in Ethiopia and beyond

GIS-Based multi-criteria land suitability mapping for scaling faba bean varieties in Ethiopia.

Successful scaling of agricultural technology requires a spatial explicit framework for targeting the right variety at the right place. This entails a multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) approach, using a set of determining factors to delineate the scaling domains for faba bean ( Vicia faba L.) varieties in and identify potentially suitable land area in a specific region, and zone in Ethiopia. Meeting this challenge will require a solid spatial framework. Land suitability analysis is an evaluation and spatial decision making, involving several determining factors. The factors considered in this analysis include key biophysical parameters such as climate, topography, soil types and properties. The analysis was also focused on improved faba bean varieties viz., Dagm, Dosha, Gabelcho, Gora, Hachalu, Moti and Walki. The environmental factors\u2019 layers of a specific crop pixel values were classified and given a weight, and then compared among themselves for further ranking to account for their relative importance to delineate variety specific extrapolation domains. The geo-statistical analysis was carried out to estimate the extent of the scalable areas. The classification showed that, it was highly suitable for varieties 0.02 million hectares for Dosha; 0.19 for Gabelcho; 0.11 for Gora; 0.33 for Moti; 0.05 for Dagm; 0.14 for Hachalu; and 0.26 million hectares for Walki. Moderately suitable areas for these varieties covered 5.0, 9.4, 7.2, 15.3, 4.6, 8.8, and 7.5 million hectares, respectively across the country. The largest proportion for all varieties was moderately suitable; while the share of slightly suitable was very low, although there was quite variability within each of the faba bean variety in terms of its agro-ecology adaptation to the target environments. Such biophysical spatial frameworks become essential entry points for introducing variety specific product profiles and this can be further enhanced by incorporating socio-economic attributes accounting for return of the investment in targeting the technology.La mise \ue0 l\u2019\ue9chelle r\ue9ussie de la technologie agricole n\ue9cessite un cadre d\u2018 explicite spatial pour se concentrer sur la bonne vari\ue9t\ue9 au bon endroit. Cela implique une approche d\u2019\ue9valuation multicrit\ue8re (ECM), utilisant un ensemble de facteurs d\ue9terminants pour d\ue9limiter les domaines de mesurage pour les vari\ue9t\ue9s de f\ue9verole ( Vicia faba L.) et identifier les terres potentiellement appropri\ue9es dans une r\ue9gion et une zone sp\ue9cifiques en \uc9thiopie. Relever ce d\ue9fi exigera un cadre spatial certain. L\u2019analyse de l\u2019aptitude des terres est une \ue9valuation et une prise de d\ue9cision spatiale impliquant plusieurs facteurs d\ue9terminants. Les facteurs pris en compte dans cette analyse incluent des param\ue8tres biophysiques cl\ue9s tels que le climat, la topographie, les types de sol et leurs propri\ue9t\ue9s. L\u2019analyse a \ue9galement port\ue9 sur les vari\ue9t\ue9s am\ue9lior\ue9es de f\ue9verole, \ue0 savoir Dagm, Dosha, Gabelcho, Gora, Hachalu, Moti et Walki. Les couches de facteurs environnementaux d\u2019une valeur de pixel de plante sp\ue9cifique ont \ue9t\ue9 classifi\ue9es et pond\ue9r\ue9es, puis compar\ue9es entre elles pour un classement ult\ue9rieur tenant compte de leur importance relative dans la d\ue9limitation de domaines d\u2019extrapolation sp\ue9cifiques \ue0 une vari\ue9t\ue9. L\u2019analyse g\ue9o-statistique a \ue9t\ue9 r\ue9alis\ue9e pour estimer l\u2019\ue9tendue des zones \ue9volutives. La classification a montr\ue9 qu\u2019elle convenait parfaitement aux vari\ue9t\ue9s 0,02 million d\u2019hectares pour Dosha; 0,19 pour Gabelcho; 0,11 pour Gora; 0,33 pour Moti; 0,05 pour Dagm; 0,14 pour Hachalu; et 0,26 million d\u2019hectares pour Walki. Les zones moyennement adapt\ue9es \ue0 ces vari\ue9t\ue9s couvraient respectivement 5,0; 9,4; 7,2; 15,3; 4,6; 8,8 et 7,5 millions d\u2019hectares dans l\u2019ensemble du pays. La plus grande proportion de toutes les vari\ue9t\ue9s \ue9tait mod\ue9r\ue9ment appropri\ue9e; alors que la proportion de produits l\ue9g\ue8rement appropri\ue9s \ue9tait tr\ue8s faible, bien qu\u2019il y ait une assez grande variabilit\ue9 au sein de chaque vari\ue9t\ue9 de f\ue9verole en ce qui concerne son adaptation agro\ue9cologique aux environnements cibles. De tels cadres spatiaux biophysiques deviennent des points d\u2019entr\ue9e essentiels pour l\u2019introduction de profils de produits sp\ue9cifiques \ue0 une vari\ue9t\ue9, ce qui peut \ueatre encore am\ue9lior\ue9 en incorporant des attributs socio-\ue9conomiques permettant de rentabiliser l\u2019investissement dans la focalisation de la technologie

Using qualitative methods to explore lay explanatory models, health-seeking behaviours and self-care practices of podoconiosis patients in north-west Ethiopia

Background: Podoconiosis (endemic non-filarial elephantiasis) is a chronic, non-infectious disease resulting from exposure of bare feet to red-clay soil in tropical highlands. This study examined lay beliefs about three under-researched aspects of podoconiosis patients’ care: explanatory models, health-seeking behaviours and self-care. Methods: In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were undertaken with 34 participants (19 male, 15 female) between April-May 2015 at podoconiosis treatment centres across East and West Gojjam regions in north-west Ethiopia. Results: Explanatory models for podoconiosis included contamination from blood, magic, soil or affected individuals. Belief in heredity or divine punishment often delayed clinic attendance. All participants had tried holy water treatment and some, holy soil. Herbal treatments were considered ineffectual, costly and appeared to promote fluid escape. Motivators for clinic attendance were failure of traditional treatments and severe or disabling symptoms. Patients did not report self-treatment with antibiotics. Self-care was hindered by water being unavailable or expensive and patient fatigue. Conclusion: A pluralistic approach to podoconiosis self-treatment was discovered. Holy water is widely valued, though some patients prefer holy soil. Priests and traditional healers could help promote self-care and “signpost” patients to clinics. Change in behaviour and improving water access is key to self-care

Functional gene delivery to and across brain vasculature of systemic AAVs with endothelial-specific tropism in rodents and broad tropism in primates

Delivering genes to and across the brain vasculature efficiently and specifically across species remains a critical challenge for addressing neurological diseases. We have evolved adeno-associated virus (AAV9) capsids into vectors that transduce brain endothelial cells specifically and efficiently following systemic administration in wild-type mice with diverse genetic backgrounds, and in rats. These AAVs also exhibit superior transduction of the CNS across non-human primates (marmosets and rhesus macaques), and in ex vivo human brain slices, although the endothelial tropism is not conserved across species. The capsid modifications translate from AAV9 to other serotypes such as AAV1 and AAV-DJ, enabling serotype switching for sequential AAV administration in mice. We demonstrate that the endothelial-specific mouse capsids can be used to genetically engineer the blood-brain barrier by transforming the mouse brain vasculature into a functional biofactory. We apply this approach to Hevin knockout mice, where AAV-X1-mediated ectopic expression of the synaptogenic protein Sparcl1/Hevin in brain endothelial cells rescued synaptic deficits

Functional gene delivery to and across brain vasculature of systemic AAVs with endothelial-specific tropism in rodents and broad tropism in primates

Delivering genes to and across the brain vasculature efficiently and specifically across species remains a critical challenge for addressing neurological diseases. We have evolved adeno-associated virus (AAV9) capsids into vectors that transduce brain endothelial cells specifically and efficiently following systemic administration in wild-type mice with diverse genetic backgrounds, and in rats. These AAVs also exhibit superior transduction of the CNS across non-human primates (marmosets and rhesus macaques), and in ex vivo human brain slices, although the endothelial tropism is not conserved across species. The capsid modifications translate from AAV9 to other serotypes such as AAV1 and AAV-DJ, enabling serotype switching for sequential AAV administration in mice. We demonstrate that the endothelial-specific mouse capsids can be used to genetically engineer the blood-brain barrier by transforming the mouse brain vasculature into a functional biofactory. We apply this approach to Hevin knockout mice, where AAV-X1-mediated ectopic expression of the synaptogenic protein Sparcl1/Hevin in brain endothelial cells rescued synaptic deficits

Genotype by environment interaction on yield stability of desi type chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) at major chickpea producing areas of Ethiopia

This study was conducted to determine the interaction between chickpea genotypes with the environment (GxE) on the yield stability and adaptability of desi type chickpea genotypes (Cicer arietinum L.). Seventeen chickpea genotypes were evaluated for two cropping years (2012/2013 – 2013/2014) at four locations i.e., eight environments (locations x years combination). Chickpea grain yield was significantly (p<0.01) affected by genotypes, the environments and GxE interaction, indicating that the varieties and the test environments were diverse. GxE was further partitioned by principal component axes. The first two principal components cumulatively explained 53.1% of the total variation, of which 32.7% and 20.4% were contributed by IPCA1 and IPCA2, respectively. This implies that the interaction of 17 chickpea genotypes with eight environments was predicted by the first two principal components. AMMI1 biplot analysis showed five adaptive categories of genotypes based on similarities in their performance across environments. The AMMI2 biplot generated using genotypes and environmental scores for the first two IPCAs revealed positioning of the five genotype groups (GC) into four sectors of the biplot. Among them, two genotypes in GC 5 (G5 and G11) exhibited high yields across environments, low IPCA1 scores, low AMMI stability value (ASV) and yield stability index (YSI). G5 was released as a new variety, ‘Dimtu’ and registered in the Official Varieties Catalogue of Ethiopia, 2016

Functional enhancer elements drive subclass-selective expression from mouse to primate neocortex

Viral genetic tools to target specific brain cell types in humans and non-genetic model organisms will transform basic neuroscience and targeted gene therapy. Here we used comparative epigenetics to identify thousands of human neuronal subclass-specific putative enhancers to regulate viral tools, and 34% of these were conserved in mouse. We established an AAV platform to evaluate cellular specificity of functional enhancers by multiplexed fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and single cell RNA sequencing. Initial testing in mouse neocortex yields a functional enhancer discovery success rate of over 30%. We identify enhancers with specificity for excitatory and inhibitory classes and subclasses including PVALB, LAMP5, and VIP/LAMP5 cells, some of which maintain specificity in vivo or ex vivo in monkey and human neocortex. Finally, functional enhancers can be proximal or distal to cellular marker genes, conserved or divergent across species, and could yield brain-wide specificity greater than the most selective marker genes