Private sector commercial products set to raise crop productivity and farming in Africa

The Commercial Products (COMPRO) project was initiated in November 2008 with an aim of assisting farmers in obtaining crop productivity enhancing products and stable yields that enable them generate more income through marketing their produce. The project’s objectives are to screen, evaluate, and scale up innovative chemical and biological commercial products. It is expected that this effort will increase crop yield by 30% and directly empower about 175,500 households (approximately 1.3 million persons) in selected areas in Kenya, Ethiopia, Niger, and Nigeria. Over the last 2 years, the project has been able to screen over 100 products from different private companies within and outside Africa. These products have been grouped into three categories

Soik Microbe Mediated Zinc Uptake In Soy Bean: A Review

The availability of the nutrients to plants depends on the inherent and derived mechanisms to access these nutrients. More attention has been given to macronutrients which are more accessible, easily replenished and utilized by plants for growth. Macronutrients are crucial and improve yield but compromise quality of the crop, leading to a phenomenon termed as 'the empty harvest'. The soil nutrient cycle processes are mediated by both biotic and abiotic factors with nutrients available in gaseous and in soil solution. Roots play a major role in the uptake of nutrients from the soils. The rhizosphere and rhizoplane of roots is rich with soil biota, amongst them microorganisms, which play a major role in nutrient availability, accessibility and translocation. Nutrient uptake can be enhanced by microorganisms through direct and indirect processes. There is sufficient evidence for nitrogen, phosphorus and micronutrient uptake and availability mediated by microorganisms. The uptake of micronutrients such as zinc depends on that of phosphorus. A large proportion of the world population has shortcomings from a nutrition perspective of being low in zinc and other essential nutrients. There is widespread zinc deficiency in diets causing zinc deficiency diseases. This is combated through pharmaceutical supplements, industrial fortification and most recently biofortification through agriculture. Biofortification has taken highest priority in guaranteeing quality of crops. However, soils exploitation for micronutrients can be enhanced by biological interventions to guarantee adequate uptake by plants and improve crop quality. Microbiological interventions that increase root growth, the availability and transfer of Zn from soil to plants are, therefore, crucial. This article reviews promising microbiological interventions for zinc uptake and gives an overview of microbiological interventions for nitrogen and for phosphorus that are directly linked with zinc uptake. Soya bean is taken as a model plant in this review to elucidate the mechanism of Zn mobilization

Inoculation of tomato seedlings with Trichoderma harzianum and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and their effect on growth and control of wilt in tomato seedlings

A green house study was conducted to investigate the ability of an isolate of Trichoderma harzianum (P52) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in enhancing growth and control of a wilt pathogen caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici in tomato seedlings. The plants were grown in plastic pots filled with sterilized soils. There were four treatments applied as follows; P52, AMF, AMF + P52 and a control. A completely randomized design was used and growth measurements and disease assessment taken after 3, 6 and 9 weeks. Treatments that significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced heights and root dry weights were P52, AMF and a treatment with a combination of both P52 and AMF when compared the control. The treatment with both P52 and AMF significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced all growth parameters (heights; shoot and root dry weight) investigated compared to the control. Disease severity was generally lower in tomato plants grown with isolate P52 and AMF fungi either individually or when combined together, though the effect was not statistically significant (P0.05). A treatment combination of P52 + AMF had less trend of severity as compared to each individual fungus. T. harzianum and AMF can be used to enhance growth in tomato seedlings

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the East African Highland banana cropping systems as related to edapho-climatic conditions and management practices : case study of Rwanda

Root colonization, soil population density and diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi were assessed in 188 banana fields in contrasting soil types across five eco-regions in Rwanda (Butare–Gitarama, Gashonga, Bugarama, Kibungo, Ruhengeri). Root colonization was observed in all banana plants, whatever the soil type, field site and farm. The population density was higher on the wetter (1 300–1 500 mm yr?1) volcanic soils (Gashonga 59.8 and Ruhengeri 48.5 propagules 100 g?1 soil, respectively) as compared to the dryer (900–1?200 mm yr?1) soils derived from schist and granite (Butare–Gitarama 2.0, Kibungo 8.5, Bugarama 14.7 propagules 100 g?1 soil). The diversity was highest in Kibungo and lowest in Butare–Gitarama (10 and 2 spore morphotypes, respectively). These results suggested that AM fungi were widespread in banana cropping systems in Rwanda, but that root colonization, population density and diversity varied considerably depending on edapho-climatic conditions (i.e. rainfall, soil texture and P content) and soil management practices (tillage)

Application of rhizobacteria inoculants in biocontrol of Bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum) in potato (Solaum tuberosum) production.

Bacterial wilt is an important soil borne disease that threatens potato production. It is difficult to control due to the large number of hosts, high genetic and phenotypic variability of the pathogen, systemic localization of the pathogen, and lack of chemical control. Use of antagonistic microorganisms is critical due to their role in suppressing pathogenic infection. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of three rhizobacteria isolates in suppressing of bacterial wilt on potato (cv. Tigoni and clone 387164.4). Potatoes were planted under controlled condition in complete randomized block design with 11 treatments: Azoctobacter, Bacillus and Pseudomonas as single, double and triplicate combinations, three organic amendments of poultry, cattle and compost manure and untreated control. Except for single Azoctobacter treatment all the microbial treatments and poultry manure suppressed bacterial wilt infection, reducing area under the disease progress curve by 13-40 compared to control with 53. Triple inoculation of Pseudomonas+Bacillus+Azoctobacter and duo inoculants of Bacillus+ Azoctobacter and Pseudomonas+ Azoctobacter had significantly (P<0.05) higher tuber weight of 362-418g compared to control with 143g. Apparently healthy tubers from Pseudomonas+Bacillus+Azoctobacter in clone 387164.4 were free from latent infection. There was however, no effect of the microbial inoculants and organic amendments on small and medium tuber grades and on tuber phosphorus content. These microbial inoculants were effective as biocontrols under controlled condition but more studies need to be undertaken to ascertain their effectiveness

Impact of inadequate regulatory frameworks on the adoption of bio-fertilizer (eg PGPR) technologies: a case study of sub-Saharan Africa

Recently, there has been a lot of interest to promote bio-fertilizers for eco-efficient intensification of agricultural systems in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Bio-fertilizers are considered cost-effective and environmentally-friendly. In SSA, bio-fertilizers have not been sufficiently evaluated for quality and efficacy because of weak or absence of regulatory frameworks. Consequently, a proliferation of low quality and inefficacious bio-fertilizer products has been reported. Based on a stepwise assessment of 66 bio-fertilizer products found in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria in 2009-2011, in more than 90% of cases, product composition didn’t match indications on the product labels or label claims related to product benefits were not supported by our research results. A few products were however found very promising; for instance, Legumefix (a rhizobial inoculant for soybean) showed a benefit cost analysis > 2.5. There was an obvious need of discriminating high quality products from poor ones. A five year study (i.e. 2012-2017) has started aiming at addressing that gap and scaling-up the best promising bio-fertilizer products. One of the key outcomes of the new project is therefore the institutionalization of quality control and efficacy testing of bio-fertilizer products to virtually eliminate the proliferation of poor-quality and inefficacious ones. That will increase the confidence of smallholder farmers, with high risk aversion, in the bio-fertilizer technologies. Adoption of bio-fertilizers by the resource-poor smallholder farmers in SSA, the majority of the population, will certainly result in improved crop yields, food security, and consequently better livelihood

Production gradients in smallholder banana (cv. Giant Cavendish) farms in Central Kenya

Banana is an increasingly demanded food and cash crop in sub-Saharan Africa. Reported yields in smallholder farms vary substantially. The importance and spread of yield constraints have not been properly quantified. A study was carried out in Central Kenya to (i) quantify the yield levels, the primary yield constraints, and the spatial production gradients in such systems (ii) explore how soil fertility gradients relate to gradients in soil fertility management, and whether this is a function of farmer resource availability. Data was collected on crop management aspects, pests and diseases, and soil and plant tissue samples analyzed for nutrient contents. Bunch yields were higher near homesteads (29.8 t ha?1 yr?1) than at mid-distance (26.8 t ha?1 yr?1), or far away 20.2 t ha?1 yr?1. Yields were much higher than previously reported (11 14 t ha?1 yr?1) in Kenya. Both soil and tissue K levels were higher near and mid-distance, than far from the homestead. Gradients of soil pH, total N, available P and Organic carbon were found, being higher near the homestead, while Mg and Ca were lowest near the homesteads. K was the most deficient nutrient, with tissue K index (IK) decreasing when moving away from the homesteads. P and Ca deficiencies were also observed. Resource-poor farmers soils were higher in exchangeable K and Mg, pH, and total N, and supported higher mat densities compared to resource-endowed farmers farms. Soil quality problems were the biggest yield loss factors and not pests and diseases