Bambara nut: A review of utilisation, market potential and crop improvement

Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.) originated in West Africa but has become widely distributed throughout the semi-arid zone of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Sharing a high nutritive value with other widely consumed legumes, bambara has an appealing flavour which is reflected in demand from small local and niche markets. Despite its high and balanced protein content, bambara remains under-utilised because it takes a long time to cook, contains anti-nutritional factors and does not dehull easily. Bambara yields well under conditions which are too arid for groundnut (Arachis hypogea), maize (Zea mays L.) and even sorghum (Sorghum bicolar). Its drought tolerance makes bambara a useful legume to include in climate change adaptation strategies. Existing bambara products are not well promoted in the local or international markets and new products are needed that highlight its inherent nutritional and culinary advantages. A number of projects on bambara, involving several countries in SSA since the 1980s, have failed to stimulate a sustainable increase in the production of the crop. The absence of functioning value chains has been a factor in this failure, as accessible market outlets might provide the required incentive for smallholder households to obtain improved seed and invest more of their land and labour in the crop. There is little documented evidence of trade in bambara but circumstantial evidence indicates considerable international demand. More attention should be given, therefore, to market research and development, with crop improvement programmes being more market-led, if bambara is to make a greater contribution to household income and rural development in SSA

Host and virus effects on reversion in cassava affected by cassava brown streak disease

The phenomenon of virus-infected plants naturally recovering health is known as ‘reversion’, and is a type of resistance mechanism exploited in some crop plants for disease control. Various parameters were investigated that affect reversion from cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) in three cassava varieties (Albert, Kaleso and Kiroba) that differ in levels of resistance to the disease. Cassava plants were inoculated by grafting with two virus species (Ugandan cassava brown streak virus, UCBSV and Cassava brown streak virus, CBSV) that cause CBSD, and the plants grown from them were subsequently assessed for reversion. The rate of reversion depended on the cassava variety, virus species, and the length and position of the stem cuttings used. A significantly high proportion of progenies were virus-free (reverted) for the resistant variety Kaleso (64·1% for UCBSV and 54·9% of CBSV), compared to the tolerant variety Kiroba (56·7 and 45·5%) and the susceptible control Albert (38·9 and 35·1%). The highest number of virus-free plants was generated from short 10 cm long cuttings (e.g. 60·1% for Kaleso for CBSV) compared to 20 cm long stem cuttings (e.g. 21·4% for Albert). Cuttings taken from upper stems of diseased plants produced most virus-free progenies compared to middle and lower parts. More than 50% virus-free plants were obtained in the resistant and tolerant varieties. This is a highly valuable finding and could be exploited for developing strategies to control the current CBSD epidemic in eastern and central Africa

Diseases and pests of pigeonpea in eastern Africa: a review

Pigeonpea is one of the major legume crops grown in eastern Africa but has been relatively neglected in terms of research and development. The peas are a rich source of protein and the crop is nitrogen-fixing and drought tolerant. It is an ideal crop for the semi-arid areas of Africa and there is great potential for it to be more widely grown. The large number of pests and diseases which attack pigeonpea in Africa (and elsewhere) is perhaps the main constraint to increased production. The most important pest worldwide is the pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera, but the flowers and pods are attractive to a wide range of insect pests. The most important disease in eastern Africa is Fusarium wilt (Fusarium udum) and considerable effort has been devoted by ICRISAT to developing wilt-resistant pigeonpeas, adapted to cultivation in the region. This paper reviews the literature on pests and diseases of pigeonpea with special reference to eastern Africa and presents some new information on distribution and damage levels for the key pests and disease

Teachers as writers: a systematic review

This paper is a critical literature review of empirical work from 1990-2015 on teachers as writers. It interrogates the evidence on teachers’ attitudes to writing, their sense of themselves as writers and the potential impact of teacher writing on pedagogy or student outcomes in writing. The methodology was carried out in four stages. Firstly, educational databases keyword searches located 438 papers. Secondly, initial screening identified 159 for further scrutiny, 43 of which were found to specifically address teachers’ writing identities and practices. Thirdly, these sources were screened further using inclusion/exclusion criteria. Fourthly, the 22 papers judged to satisfy the criteria were subject to in-depth analysis and synthesis. The findings reveal that the evidence base in relation to teachers as writers is not strong, particularly with regard to the impact of teachers’ writing on student outcomes. The review indicates that teachers have narrow conceptions of what counts as writing and being a writer and that multiple tensions exist, relating to low self-confidence, negative writing histories, and the challenge of composing and enacting teacher and writer positions in school. However, initial training and professional development programmes do appear to afford opportunities for reformulation of attitudes and sense of self as writer

The Nature of Knowledge in Composition and Literary Understanding: The Question of Specificity

↵PETER SMAGORINSKY is Assistant Professor, College of Education, University of Oklahoma, 820 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK 73019-0. He specializes in classroom literacy.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline

Design and deployment of semiochemical traps for capturing 1 Anthonomus rubi Herbst (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and Lygus rugulipennis Poppius (Hetereoptera: Miridae) in soft fruit crops

Strawberry blossom weevil (SBW), Anthonomus rubi Herbst (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and European tarnished plant bug (ETB), Lygus rugulipennis Poppius (Hetereoptera: Miridae), cause significant damage to strawberry and raspberry crops. Using the SBW aggregation pheromone and ETB sex pheromone we optimized and tested a single trap for both species. A series of field experiments in crops and semi-natural habitats in five European countries tested capture of the target pests and the ability to avoid captures of beneficial arthropods. A Unitrap containing a trapping agent of water and detergent and with a cross vane was more efficient at capturing both species compared to traps which incorporated glue as a trapping agent. Adding a green cross vane deterred attraction of non-pest species such as bees, but did not compromise catches of the target pests. The trap caught higher numbers of ETB and SBW if deployed at ground level and although a cross vane was not important for catches of ETB it was needed for significant captures of SBW. The potential for mass trapping SBW and ETB simultaneously in soft fruit crops is discussed including potential improvements to make this more effective and economic to deploy

Teaching Writing: a situated dynamic

publication-status: Publishedtypes: ArticleThe paper is theoretically grounded in Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) which holds that human development is founded within participation in social and cultural practices. In particular, the teaching of literacy is shaped not only by the curriculum as designated by policy makers and the institution in which it is located but also by the individuals’ understanding of what literacy and learning involves and how they act to achieve their goals. The paper explores data from a project that investigated the relationship between classroom talk and the teaching of writing in six early years classrooms. Participants’ own understandings of teaching and learning need to be taken into account by researchers and policy makers. CHAT has been used to explore the dynamic relationship between activity at societal, institutional and individual levels. It is argued that researchers and policy makers need to take account of the wider socio-cultural context in planning and evaluating curriculum development initiatives

Beliefs, taboos and minor crop value chains: the case of Bambara Groundnut in Malawi

Throughout sub-Saharan Africa, bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranean) is a source of food for smallholder farmers that is increasingly promoted for its drought tolerance, soil enhancing qualities and nutritious properties. Being an accessible crop to smallholders, it has also recently been the focus of support to develop its value chain in Malawi. However, bambara groundnut is featured in the belief systems of rural people in Malawi, and may effect and be effected by market development. Beliefs and taboos reflect the life/death meanings symbolically represented in bambara groundnut, which influences how and by whom the crop is produced and consumed. These practices lend significant control over the crop to women. These findings have important implications for development and market related interventions that work with food crops, which need to be taken into account during the design phase