The Performance of Five Selected Pepper Accessions in Comparison to Two Local Varieties

In Ghana three species of pepper (Capsicum annuum, C. chinense and C. frutescens) are commonly found among which C. annuum is the most widely cultivated in farms and gardens. This study sought to compare the growth and yield of 5 pepper accessions against two local cultivars.  Seedlings of the accessions were grown under field conditions in a randomised complete block design with 3 replications.   Data on shoot height, canopy spread, days to 50% flowering and yield parameters were recorded.  Molecular analysis was also undertaken on four of the pepper accessions.   Accession CH8 showed earlier flowering and fruit ripening than the others and could be important for early market.  Yield of fruits per plant was significantly (P = 0.015) highest in accession A11A followed by accession A12A. The two accessions also showed higher number of fruits per plant than the checks.  A dendogram of the molecular analysis confirmed the morphological similarity of accessions CH8 and BAG14002 which were both round and small in size and the variation of accession SBL26 which had large and wrinkled fruits. Keywords: Capsicum, pepper, accession, fruit shape, molecular analysis  La Performance De Cinq Accessions De Poivre Sélectionnées Par Rapport À Deux Variétés Locales Au Ghana, on trouve couramment trois espèces de poivre (Capsicum annuum, C. chinense et C. frutescens) dont C. annuum est le poivre le plus largement cultivé dans les fermes et dans les jardins. Cette étude a cherché à comparer la croissance et le rendement de 5 accessions de poivre sélectionnées contre deux cultivars locaux. Les semis des accessions ont été cultivés dans des conditions de champ dans un ensemble de blocs aléatoirement complet avec 3 répétitions. Les données sur la hauteur des pousses, la propagation des plantes, les jours à 50% des paramètres de floraison et de rendement ont été enregistrés. Une analyse moléculaire a également été réalisée sur quatre des accessions de poivrons. L'accession CH8 a montré une floraison précoce et une maturation des fruits que les autres et pourrait être  importante  pour  le  marché  précoce.  Le  rendement  des  fruits  par  plante  était considérablement (P = 0,015) le plus élevé dans l'accession A11A et a été suivi par l'accession A12A. Les deux accessions ont également montré un nombre plus élevé de fruits par plante que les contrôles. Un dendogramme généré par l'analyse moléculaire a confirmé la similarité morphologique des accessions CH8 et BAG14002 qui étaient rondes et de petite taille  et  la  variation  de  l'accession  SBL26  qui  avait  des  fruits  grands  et  ridés. Mots-clés: Capsicum, poivre, accession, forme des fruits, analyse moléculair

Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change: A Synopsis of Coordinated National CropWild Relative Seed Collecting Programs across Five Continents

The Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change Project set out to improve the diversity, quantity, and accessibility of germplasm collections of crop wild relatives (CWR). Between 2013 and 2018, partners in 25 countries, heirs to the globetrotting legacy of Nikolai Vavilov, undertook seed collecting expeditions targeting CWR of 28 crops of global significance for agriculture. Here, we describe the implementation of the 25 national collecting programs and present the key results. A total of 4587 unique seed samples from at least 355 CWR taxa were collected, conserved ex situ, safety duplicated in national and international genebanks, and made available through the Multilateral System (MLS) of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (Plant Treaty). Collections of CWR were made for all 28 targeted crops. Potato and eggplant were the most collected genepools, although the greatest number of primary genepool collections were made for rice. Overall, alfalfa, Bambara groundnut, grass pea and wheat were the genepools for which targets were best achieved. Several of the newly collected samples have already been used in pre-breeding programs to adapt crops to future challenges

Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change: A Synopsis of Coordinated National Crop Wild Relative Seed Collecting Programs across Five Continents

The Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change Project set out to improve the diversity, quantity, and accessibility of germplasm collections of crop wild relatives (CWR). Between 2013 and 2018, partners in 25 countries, heirs to the globetrotting legacy of Nikolai Vavilov, undertook seed collecting expeditions targeting CWR of 28 crops of global significance for agriculture. Here, we describe the implementation of the 25 national collecting programs and present the key results. A total of 4587 unique seed samples from at least 355 CWR taxa were collected, conserved ex situ, safety duplicated in national and international genebanks, and made available through the Multilateral System (MLS) of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (Plant Treaty). Collections of CWR were made for all 28 targeted crops. Potato and eggplant were the most collected genepools, although the greatest number of primary genepool collections were made for rice. Overall, alfalfa, Bambara groundnut, grass pea and wheat were the genepools for which targets were best achieved. Several of the newly collected samples have already been used in pre-breeding programs to adapt crops to future challenges.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Grand Challenges in global eye health: a global prioritisation process using Delphi method

Background: We undertook a Grand Challenges in Global Eye Health prioritisation exercise to identify the key issues that must be addressed to improve eye health in the context of an ageing population, to eliminate persistent inequities in health-care access, and to mitigate widespread resource limitations. Methods: Drawing on methods used in previous Grand Challenges studies, we used a multi-step recruitment strategy to assemble a diverse panel of individuals from a range of disciplines relevant to global eye health from all regions globally to participate in a three-round, online, Delphi-like, prioritisation process to nominate and rank challenges in global eye health. Through this process, we developed both global and regional priority lists. Findings: Between Sept 1 and Dec 12, 2019, 470 individuals complete round 1 of the process, of whom 336 completed all three rounds (round 2 between Feb 26 and March 18, 2020, and round 3 between April 2 and April 25, 2020) 156 (46%) of 336 were women, 180 (54%) were men. The proportion of participants who worked in each region ranged from 104 (31%) in sub-Saharan Africa to 21 (6%) in central Europe, eastern Europe, and in central Asia. Of 85 unique challenges identified after round 1, 16 challenges were prioritised at the global level; six focused on detection and treatment of conditions (cataract, refractive error, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, services for children and screening for early detection), two focused on addressing shortages in human resource capacity, five on other health service and policy factors (including strengthening policies, integration, health information systems, and budget allocation), and three on improving access to care and promoting equity. Interpretation: This list of Grand Challenges serves as a starting point for immediate action by funders to guide investment in research and innovation in eye health. It challenges researchers, clinicians, and policy makers to build collaborations to address specific challenges. Funding: The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust, Moorfields Eye Charity, National Institute for Health Research Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre, Wellcome Trust, Sightsavers, The Fred Hollows Foundation, The Seva Foundation, British Council for the Prevention of Blindness, and Christian Blind Mission. Translations: For the French, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, Arabic and Persian translations of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.</p