Analyzing Pathways of Nurturing Informal Seed Production into Formal Private Ventures for Sustainable Seed Delivery and Crop Productivity: Experiences from Ethiopia

Sustaining crop production and productivity in sub-Saharan Africa requires the availability and use of quality seed of improved varieties by smallholder farmers. The private sector has been considered as the best way to sustain seed supply and crop productivity. Unfortunately, the private sector’s share in the seed production and delivery in sub-Saharan Africa countries has not been very substantial for decades. As a consequence, farmer access to quality seed of recently released varieties remains very low. This manuscript analyzes the experiences of informal seed producers who graduated to formal private seed enterprises to understand the effectiveness of the support they receive to become viable seed ventures. We used comparative research methods to analyze the qualitative and quantitative data collected to understand the underlying mechanisms. The findings showed that the analyzed seed enterprises started with as little as about USD 300 and have already multiplied over tenfold their initial capital. They benefited from a wide variety of supports, e.g., quality seed production, marketing, partnerships, and value chain development trainings and infrastructures, from extension workers, research centers, national and international NGOs, and the other private seed enterprise operators like large public seed enterprises and agro-dealers. The seed enterprises are producing pre-basic, basic, and certified seed of cereals and self-pollinated legume crops delivered directly to farmers, institutional markets, and agro-dealers. The seed production data have been increasing for the past three years with an area expanding from about 30 ha to over 150 ha per year for chickpea. The seed production and delivery practices being employed are smallholder farmer-based practices that are environmentally friendly. For sustainable and reliable seed production and delivery systems in sub-Saharan Africa, a bold step is needed whereby the informal seed production entities are nurtured and upgraded into formal certified seed production ventures that deliver social and economic benefits to the promotors and the communities

Estimate of Heritability and Correlation Analysis for Nitrogen Fixation, Yield and Associated Traits in Chickpea (Cicer Arietinum L.)

Chickpea is one of the most cultivated grain legumes in Ethiopia for grain production and amelioration of soil fertility through N-fixation, and income generation. This study was conducted to estimate the heritability and correlation analysis of N-fixation in chickpea. Six F1 crosses were evaluated in lath house during the year 2014/15 using randomized complete block design (RCBD) with two replications at Debre Zeit Research Center. Heritability of the characters was estimated in F1 generations from the combining ability analysis of a di-allele cross using fixed model expectations of mean squares for GCA and SCA . The calculated narrow sense heritability was high (>0.50) for all traits except for seed filling duration, number of pod per plant, shoot nitrogen fixation, grain harvesting index and grain production efficiency. All symbiotic traits such as number of nodules, shoot nitrogen fixation, N fixed in biomass, N fixed in grain, Nitrogen harvest index (NHI), Grain N yield, Shoot N yield, Biomass N yield, Nodule dry weight, Shoot and grain protein contents and Nitrogen showed strong positive association with yield and other agronomic traits, indicating the improvement of symbiotic traits results in the improvement of other agronomic traits of the crop. The prevailing high heritability indicates the possibility of improving the traits either by selection or crossing of selected parents. This study is first of its kind in Ethiopia, and helps the future breeding and genetics in chickpea dealing with the nitrogen fixation processes

Correlation and Path Coefficient Analysis for Various Quantitative Traits in Desi Chickpea Genotypes under Rainfed Conditions in Ethiopia

Chickpea is rich in protein and micronutrients and plays a significant role in human diet especially as accompaniment to staples, but grain yields in Ethiopia are still below the crop potential. Field experiments were conducted during 2007/8-2009/10 to determine relationships among yield and some yield components using correlation and path coefficient analysis in desi chickpea grown under rainfed conditions. Correlation studies revealed that seed yield was significantly and positively correlated with days to flowering, days to maturity, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, stand count at harvest, plant height and biomass. The path coefficient analysis based on seed yield, as a dependent variable, revealed that biomass had the greatest direct effect on seed yield (0.0146) and followed by stand count at harvest and plant height. Both correlation and path analyses indicated that biomass, stand count at harvest and plant height were the major direct contributors to seed yield. Thus, the present study suggests that more biomass production, stand count at harvest and plant height are major yield factors in selecting high yielding desi chickpea cultivars

Integrating genomics for chickpea improvement: achievements and opportunities

The implementation of novel breeding technologies is expected to contribute substantial improvements in crop productivity. While conventional breeding methods have led to development of more than 200 improved chickpea varieties in the past, still there is ample scope to increase productivity. It is predicted that integration of modern genomic resources with conventional breeding efforts will help in the delivery of climate-resilient chickpea varieties in comparatively less time. Recent advances in genomics tools and technologies have facilitated the generation of large-scale sequencing and genotyping data sets in chickpea. Combined analysis of high-resolution phenotypic and genetic data is paving the way for identifying genes and biological pathways associated with breeding-related traits. Genomics technologies have been used to develop diagnostic markers for use in marker-assisted backcrossing programmes, which have yielded several molecular breeding products in chickpea. We anticipate that a sequence-based holistic breeding approach, including the integration of functional omics, parental selection, forward breeding and genome-wide selection, will bring a paradigm shift in development of superior chickpea varieties. There is a need to integrate the knowledge generated by modern genomics technologies with molecular breeding efforts to bridge the genome-to-phenome gap. Here, we review recent advances that have led to new possibilities for developing and screening breeding populations, and provide strategies for enhancing the selection efficiency and accelerating the rate of genetic gain in chickpea

Heterosis for Nitrogen Fixation and Seed Yield and Yield Components in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Chickpea is one of the most cultivated grain legumes in Ethiopia for grain production and amelioration of soil fertility with less attention in research on N-fixation. Therefore, this study was conducted to estimate the magnitude of heterosis for nitrogen fixation and yield and yield associated traits in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). Six F1 crosses obtained from crossing of four parents (two nodulated and non-nodulated) in a half diallel fashion were evaluated in 2014/15 season in lath house using Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with two replications at Debre Zeit Agricultural Research Center. Significant (P<0.05) differences were exhibited among entries for all traits studied. Considering all traits, relative to the mid parent (MPH), better parent (BPH) and standard heterosis (SH) in percent ranged from 0.009 to 59.8, 0.009 to39.9 and 0.009 to58.8, respectively. The highest degrees of MPH were noted for nodule dry weight and of BPH and SH were noted for number of pods per plant, while the lowest was observed for grain yield (0.009). The hybrid obtained from nodulated parents (ICC5003 x ICC19180) showed high heterosis for number of nodule on the basis of MPH and BPH, while ICC4918x ICC19181 exhibited low heterotic effect which exhibited positive and significant MPH for nitrogen fixed in grain, BPH for seed filling duration and SH for days to 50% flowering, days to 90% maturity and shoot dry weight at maturity traits

Stability Analysis in Chickpea Genotype Sets as Tool for Breeding Germplasm Structuring Strategy and Adaptability Scoping

Chickpea research program has come across realizing the importance of restructuring the working germplasm pool in Ethiopia where we have 39 divergent agroecological zones (AEZ). Though chickpea is not suit to all, it adapts in more than 30% of the agroecologies having different scale of responses. Hence, as show case we have tried to scan the agroecologies discrimination power based on crop using three sets of bred-crop responses. Evidently enough, germplasms in all the sets have revealed differential responses for economical yield and associated traits, from the three set of 57 entries put under 47 environments. The AMMI stability value and stability index have been able to discriminate genotypes with designated position; and supposed the breeding program would signify values by attempting both environment and genetics still as key considerable factors

High levels of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus carriage among healthcare workers at a teaching hospital in Addis Ababa Ethiopia: First evidence using mecA detection

Background: Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen and causes healthcare and community-acquired infection. Data on the extent of MRSA colonization among health-care workers (HCWs) in sub-Saharan Africa are limited. Hence, we determined the burden of MRSA colonisation among HCWs and administrative staff in Tikur Anbessa Specialised Hospital (TASH), College of Health Sciences (CHS), Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. Methods: Using a cross-sectional study design, participants were screened for MRSA colonisation between June 2018 and August 2019 using nasal swabs. The swabs were analysed using standard laboratory methods including antibiotic resistance gene, mecA. Anonymised sociodemographic data were collected by pretested questionnaires to evaluate HCWs factors associated with MRSA carriage. Results: A total of 588 HCWs and 468 administrative staff were screened for MRSA. Women were over-represented. Overall, 49.1% (289/588) of HCWs were nurses and 25% (117/468) of the administrative staff were cleaners or laundry workers. Overall, 138 S. aureus isolates were retrieved from the nasal swabs of both groups (16.3%, 96/588 from HCWs). The burden of MRSA colonisation was 4.8% (28/580, 95% CI: 3.1–6.5%) among HCWs compared to 0.2%(1/468, 95% CI: 0.18–0.6%) of administrative staff (p value <0.05). The majority of S. aureus and all MRSA isolates were resistant to penicillin. Isolates from HCWs were more resistant to tested antibiotics than administrative staff (P-value <0.05). Conclusion: This is the first report in Ethiopia on MRSA colonization using mecA and revealed that; (i) overall carriage rates of MRSA in HCWs are comparable with observations reported in some other countries and (ii) HCWs exhibit a higher burden of MRSA carriage than administrative staff. Our data support strategic screening of MRSA and antimicrobial stewardship for better intervention measures

Genomics-assisted breeding for drought tolerance in chickpea

Terminal drought is one of the major constraints in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), causing more than 50% production losses. With the objective of accelerating genetic understanding and crop improvement through genomics-assisted breeding, a draft genome sequence has been assembled for the CDC Frontier variety. In this context, 544.73 Mb of sequence data were assembled, capturing of 73.8% of the genome in scaffolds. In addition, large-scale genomic resources including several thousand simple sequence repeats and several million single nucleotide polymorphisms, high-density diversity array technology (15 360 clones) and Illumina GoldenGate assay genotyping platforms, high-density genetic maps and transcriptome assemblies have been developed. In parallel, by using linkage mapping approach, one genomic region harbouring quantitative trait loci for several drought tolerance traits has been identified and successfully introgressed in three leading chickpea varieties (e.g. JG 11, Chefe, KAK 2) by using a marker-assisted backcrossing approach. A multilocation evaluation of these marker-assisted backcrossing lines provided several lines with 10–24% higher yield than the respective recurrent parents.Modern breeding approaches like marker-assisted recurrent selection and genomic selection are being deployed for enhancing drought tolerance in chickpea. Some novel mapping populations such as multiparent advanced generation intercross and nested association mapping populations are also being developed for trait mapping at higher resolution, as well as for enhancing the genetic base of chickpea. Such advances in genomics and genomics-assisted breeding will accelerate precision and efficiency in breeding for stress tolerance in chickpea

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