Revitalizing cultivation and strengthening the seed systems of fonio and Bambara groundnut in Mali through a community biodiversity management approach

Fonio (Digitaria exilis(Kippist)Stapf) and Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea(L.)Verdc.) are native crops grown at a small scale in Mali that have potential to support agricultural productivity under climate change. A community biodiversity management approach was explored in this study as a means to reinforce the cultivation of these crops by increasing farmers’ access to intraspecific diversity and developing capacities of community institutions for their management. The research involved six communities in Ségou and Sikasso regions. Multiple varieties of fonio (10–12) and Bambaragroundnut (8–12) were established indiversity fields in each site over 2 years where farmers engaged in experiential learning over the crop cycle. Significant adoption of fonio and Bambara groundnut was detected in several study sites.The precise drivers of adoption cannot be definitively determined but likely include increased seed access and awareness gained through the diversity field fora, seed fairs and community seed banks. No significant yield advantage was detected for any of the varieties in the diversity fields, which showed variable performance by site and year. The number of varieties registered and managed by community seed banks in each site increased from 1–5 varieties of each crop to 11–12 varieties following the interventions. The number of Bambara groundnut varieties cultivated in farmer as light decline in fonio diversity in some communities.The results of this study can inform efforts to strengthen seed systems and cultivation of neglected and underutilized species in Africa

Biological activities of plant extracts from Ficus elastica and Selaginella vogelli: an antimalarial, antitrypanosomal and cytotoxity evaluation

The cytotoxic, antiplasmodial, and antitrypanosomal activities of two medicinal plants traditionally used in Cameroon were evaluated. Wood of Ficus elastica Roxb. ex Hornem. aerial roots (Moraceae) and Selaginella vogelii Spring (Selaginellaceae) leaves were collected from two different sites in Cameroon. In vitro cell-growth inhibition activities were assessed on methanol extract of plant materials against Plasmodium falciparum strain 3D7 and Trypanosoma brucei brucei, as well as against HeLa human cervical carcinoma cells. Criteria for activity were an IC50 value 10 μg/mL. The extract of S. vogelii did not significantly reduce the viability of P. falciparum at a concentration of 25 μg/mL but dramatically affected the trypanosome growth with an IC50 of 2.4 μg/mL. In contrast, at the same concentration, the extract of F. elastica exhibited plasmodiacidal activity (IC50 value of 9.5 μg/mL) and trypanocidal (IC50 value of 0.9 μg/mL) activity. Both extracts presented low cytotoxic effects on HeLa cancer cell line. These results indicate that the selected medicinal plants could be further investigated for identifying compounds that may be responsible for the observed activities and that may represent new leads in parasitical drug discovery

Mémoire de recherche: La chaine de valeur et le potentiel de marché du fonio « Fini » pour renforcer la résilience climatique, la sécurité alimentaire et les revenus des femmes au Mali.

Cette analyse de la chaine de valeur a été effectuée par Charlie Mbosso avec la collaboration de Aminata Berthe Niang, Youssoufa Mohamadou, Stefano Padulosi, Amadou Sidibe and Gennifer Meldrum comme une partie du projet intitulé “ Connecter les chaînes de valeur de la biodiversité agricole à l'adaptation au changement climatique et la nutrition: autonomisation des pauvres pour la gestion des risques ” financé par le Fonds International du Développement Agricole (FIDA), l’Union Européenne (UE) et le Programmes de Recherche des centres CGIAR sur le changement climatique, l’agriculture et la sécurité alimentaire (CCAFS) ainsi que l’Agriculture pour la Nutrition et la santé (A4NH

Research Brief: Value chain and market potential of Bambara groundnut to strengthen climate resilience, food security and women’s income in Mali

This value chain analysis was carried out by Charlie Mbosso in collaboration with Aminata Berthe Niang, Youssoufa Mohamadou, Stefano Padulosi, Amadou Sidibe, and Gennifer Meldrum as part of the project "Linking Value Chains of Agricultural Biodiversity to Adaptation to Climate Change and Nutrition: Empowering the Poor for Risk Management "funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the European Union (EU) and the Research Programs of CGIAR Centers on Climate Change, Agriculture and Security (CCAFS) and Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH

Mémoire de recherche: La chaine de valeur et le potentiel de marché du voandzou « Tiganikourou » pour renforcer la résilience climatique, la sécurité alimentaire et les revenus des femmes au Mali

Cette analyse de la chaine de valeur a été effectuée par Charlie Mbosso en collaboration avec Aminata Berthe Niang, Youssoufa Mohamadou, Stefano Padulosi, Amadou Sidibe and Gennifer Meldrum comme une partie du projet intitulé “ Connecter les chaînes de valeur de la biodiversité agricole à l'adaptation au changement climatique et la nutrition: autonomisation des pauvres pour la gestion des risques ” financé par le Fonds International du Développement Agricole (FIDA), l’Union Européenne (UE) et le Programmes de Recherche des centres CGIAR sur le changement climatique, l’agriculture et la sécurité alimentaire (CCAFS) ainsi que l’Agriculture pour la Nutrition et la santé (A4NH)

Research Brief: Value chain and market potential of fonio to strengthen climate resilience, food security and women’s incomes in Mali

This value chain analysis was carried out by Charlie Mbosso in collaboration with Aminata Berthe Niang, Youssoufa Mohamadou, Stefano Padulosi, Amadou Sidibe, and Gennifer Meldrum as part of the project "Linking Value Chains of Agricultural Biodiversity to Adaptation to Climate Change and Nutrition: Empowering the Poor for Risk Management "funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the European Union (EU) and the Research Programs of CGIAR Centers on Climate Change, Agriculture and Security (CCAFS) and Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH)

When neglected species gain global interest: Lessons learned from quinoa's boom and bust for teff and minor millet

Until recently, many so-called neglected and underutilized species (NUS) were not present in global markets despite playing a pivotal role in the local livelihoods in their places of origin. Today, some NUS receive substantial global interest and face growing global demands. Sudden increases in consumer demand trigger prices to rise; land-use change at the farm and national levels results in a rapid production increase. This phenomenon is known as “boom” and is usually followed by a “bust”, a rapid decrease in prices, and subsequently, production. This review elaborates on the boom-and-bust phases of two NUS: quinoa from the Andes and teff from Ethiopia. We explored the potential upcoming boom of minor millets in India. Our study proposes a generic framework for exploring cross-scale interactions and rethinking sustainability pathways for future NUS booms.EEA FamailláFil: Andreotti, Federico. Wageningen University & Research. Laboratory of Geo-information Science and Remote Sensing; Países BajosFil: Andreotti, Federico. CIRAD; FranciaFil: Andreotti, Federico. Université Paul Valery Montpellier; FranciaFil: Bazile, Didier. CIRAD; FranciaFil: Bazile, Didier. Université Paul Valery Montpellier; FranciaFil: Biaggi, Maria Cristina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Famaillá; ArgentinaFil: Callo-Concha, Daniel. University of Bonn. Center for Development Research (ZEF); AlemaniaFil: Callo-Concha, Daniel. University of Koblenz-Landau. Institute for Environmental Sciences (iES); AlemaniaFil: Jacquet, Julie. University Paris Ouest-Nanterre (LAVUE); FranciaFil: Jacquet, Julie. French Institute of Pondicherry; IndiaFil: Jemal, Omarsherif M. Arsi University. College of Agriculture and Veterinary Science. Department of Forestry; EtiopíaFil: King, Oliver I. M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation; IndiaFil: Mbosso, C. Bioversity International; ItaliaFil: Padulosi, Stefano. Bioversity International; ItaliaFil: Speelman, Erika N. Wageningen University & Research. Laboratory of Geo-information Science and Remote Sensing; Países BajosFil: van Noordwijk, Meine. World Agroforestry (ICRAF); IndonesiaFil: van Noordwijk, Meine. Wageningen University & Research. Plant Production Systems; Países Bajo

Fonio and Bambara Groundnut value chains in Mali: issues, needs, and opportunities for their sustainable promotion

As the effects of climate change are severely straining West African agricultural systems, the adoption of more incisive interventions in support of sustainable development agendas for the region is highly critical and cannot be further delayed by governments. Neglected and underutilized species (NUS) are one important ally in pursuing resilience in both production and food systems because of their promising traits in terms of nutrition, adaptation to local agroecosystems, and economic potential for local populations. Focusing on fonio, a gluten-free traditional cereal, and Bambara groundnut, a protein-rich leguminous crop, we investigate issues in their production, commercialization, and consumption in southern Mali. The aim was to assess needs and opportunities for improving their value chains and increasing their use and societal benefits. Using a Rapid Market Appraisal method, we surveyed traders, producers, processors, and consumers of target crops in 2017 and 2018. Our findings indicate that while both crops are consumed and praised by local populations, critical bottlenecks inhibit their wider socioeconomic potential. Lack of access to inputs and equipment and presence of sand in the commercialized product are important issues for fonio, whereas the Bambara groundnut value chain suffers from poor processing facilities and lack of market promotion. Policy recommendations to tackle the identified bottlenecks are proposed

Terminaliamide, a new ceramide and other phytoconstituents from the roots of Terminalia mantaly H. Perrier and their biological activities

Terminaliamide (1), a new ceramide was isolated from the roots of Terminalia mantaly H. Perrier (Combretaceae) along with 4 known compounds (2–5). The structures of the compounds were elucidated using 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy analysis and mass spectrometry. Compound 1 exhibited moderated antibacterial activity towards Staphylococcus aureus with MIC value of 62.5 μg/mL. The crude MeOH extract (TMr) highly reduced Plasmodium falciparum growth with an IC50 value of 10.11 μg/mL, while hexane fraction (F1) highly reduced Trypanosoma brucei brucei growth with an IC50 value of 5.60 µg/mL. All tested samples presented little or no in vitro cytotoxicity on HeLa cell line. The present work confirms that T. mantaly is medicinally important and may be used effectively as an antimicrobial, an antiplasmodial and an antitrypanosomial with promising therapeutic index