Chemical control of mango anthracnose disease in Ghana

AbstractSeven different fungicides were evaluated in-vitro and in the field for their efficacy against the causal agent and incidence and severity of mango anthracnose disease in Ghana. The recommended rates of Bendazim, (Carbendazim), Funguran (Copper hydroxide), Ivory (Mancozeb), Agriette +Ivory (Fosetyl-Al +Mancozeb), Sundomil (Mancozeb+Metalaxyl), Top Cop (Copper +flowable sulphur), Mirage (Prochloraz), Bendazim+Ivory and Funguran+Ivory were mixed with potato dextrose agar (PDA) and the radial mycelial growth of the pathogen was determined on these amended media. The fungicides were applied on fruit bearing trees in a commercial farm in the Yilo Krobo District after which the disease incidence, severity and percentage of exportable fruits were determined. The results showed that the pathogen was not able to grow on PDA amended with the fungicides. In the field, Bendazim and Funguran fungicides were able to suppress the disease to a large extent resulting in the highest percentage of exportable fruits. Prochloraz solution at both ambient temperature and 53 °C were able to completely eradicate the pathogen, and prevented development of postharvest anthracnose disease symptoms.Original scientific paper. Received 30 Apr 14; revised 23 Sept 14

Innovations in market crop waste compost production: Use of black soldier fly larvae and biochar

Purpose Compost production technology and use are known among Ghanaians farmers. However, the long composting period averaging three months has had adverse effect on adoption. The black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae (BSFL) feed voraciously and breaks down organic wastes fast. Addition of rice husk biochar (RHB) neutralises acidity and aerates the compost. Combined application of BSFL and RHB to feedstocks could therefore reduce composting period and improve compost quality. Method Two studies were conducted with market crop waste (MCW) as feedstock. Firstly, feedstocks at two particle sizes (x 10 mm), with and without BSFL were evaluated to determine degradability, chemical content of the degraded residue and to select appropriate feedstock size ideal for composting. Secondly, the selected feedstocks size of between 5 mm and 10 mm were inoculated with or without BSFL and RHB of 0%, 5% 10% and 15% added. Composting trials were conducted in barrels inclined at 30o to facilitate drainage. Physicochemical and biological parameters of feedstock were monitored until maturity. Results Degradability of MCW by BSFL was feedstock specific rather than feedstock size. Inoculation of BSFL and biochar addition reduced composting period from 76 to 45 days. Biochar addition at 15% increased P availability to 1882 mg kg-1 but reduced total N to 10.5 g kg-1. E coli levels decreased in the BSFL-biochar composts to acceptable limits. Conclusion Composting MCW with BSFL and biochar reduced composting period and improved compost quality

Contrast Medium Use in Computed Tomography for Patients Presenting with Headache: 4-year Retrospective Two-Center Study in Central and Western Regions of Ghana

BACKGROUND: Contrast medium (CM) administration during computed tomography (CT) enhances the accuracy in the detection and interpretation of abnormalities. Evidence from literature also validate the essence of CM in imaging studies. CT, by virtue of its ubiquity, ease of use, speed, and lower financial footprint, is usually the first investigation in cases of headache. Through a multicenter retrospective analysis, we compared findings of contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) to noncontrast-enhanced CT (NCECT) head examinations among patients presenting with headache. METHODS: A multicenter retrospective analysis of four years' CT head examination data at two radiology centers located in Central and Western Regions of Ghana were reviewed. Records of patients who presented with headache as principal complaint between January 2017 and December 2020 were reviewed. A total of 477 records of patients with headache were identified, retrieved and evaluated. A Chi-square test and Fisher exact test were used to compare the CECT and NCECT groups. Binary logistic regression analysis was computed to assess association between CECT and each CT findings. Statistical significance was considered at p < 0.05 with a 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: A significant proportion of the patients was females (51.8% in CECT and 60% in NCECT). The NCECT group (40.06 ± 14.76 years) was relatively older than the CECT group (38.43 ± 17.64 years). There was a significant difference between the CECT and NCECT in terms of age (p=0.002) and facility CT was performed (p < 0.0001). The rate of abnormalities was higher in CECT (43.5%, 166/382) compared NCECT (37.9%, 36/95). There was no significant association between CT head findings and contrast enhancement. CONCLUSION: CECT examination accounted for 5.6% increase in the detection of head abnormalities. Efforts required to establish local standard operation procedures (SOPs) for contrast medium use especially in CT head examinations. Further studies to improve the knowledge of agents, mechanism of action, and safety of contrast media used among practitioners in Ghana is recommended

Bulk genetic characterization of Ghanaian maize landraces using microsatellite markers

Maize (Zea mays L) was first introduced into Ghana over five centuries ago and remains the most important cereal staple, grown in all agro-ecologies across the country. Yield from farmers’ fields are low, which is attributed in part to farmer’s preferences and/or reliance on local landraces for cultivation. Efforts are underway to improve some of these landraces for improved productivity. Seeds of maize landraces cultivated in all agro-ecologies were col¬lected for genetic characterization using a bulked fingerprinting technique and 20 SSR markers. In all, 20 popula¬tions of 15 plants each from Ghana and 4 control populations from Latin America were characterized. The cluster analysis grouped the 20 landraces into two major groups corresponding to the vegetation/climatic conditions of the north and south of the country. Genotypes from Ashanti, which is centrally located, fell into both major clus¬ters, which suggest its importance in maize seed distribution in Ghana and also the diverse climate/vegetation. A Structure analyses grouped the genotypes into two major clusters similar to the UPGMA cluster, and populations were not fully distinct according to F statistics. The results suggest that breeders should make performance data available to seed dealers for better productivity

Imaging patterns of the arterial supply of the prostate gland in adult Ghanaian men

Background Prostatic arterial embolization (PAE) is a novel procedure in West Africa and Ghana. A thorough understanding of the prostate artery's (PA) anatomy and pattern is required for successful prostatic arterial embolization and to guarantee targeted intervention. This study focuses on prostate arterial supply in adult males, including prevalence, variability, and imaging pattern. Methodology A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted, at Euracare Advanced Diagnostics and Heart Centre. Patients who presented for Computed Tomography Angiography of the pelvis were included in the study. A total of 52 males were included and 104 pelvic CT angiography (one for each side) were analyzed, including: prostatic artery diameter, prostatic gland volume and prostate artery branching pattern. The PA branching pattern was classified using de Assis et al. classification. Result Thirty-seven (71.15%) men had enlarged prostate volume (>30ml). On each side there was only one prostatic artery and no accessory one was found. Only three types of arterial branching were identified: type I, II,III. The type I artery was the most common origin 58.7% (61/104). PA originating from the anterior division of the internal iliac artery (type II) and the type III is from the internal pudendal artery, accounted for 16.3% (17/104) and 25% (26/104) respectively. Conclusion The most frequent type of PA origin was type I followed by type III then II. Knowing the different and most frequent types of anatomy of PA may help standardization and effectiveness of the PAE in developing countries

Introgression of drought tolerance traits into adapted Kenyan chickpea varieties using marker assisted backcrossing (MABC)

Drought is the major constraint causing considerable yield reduction in chickpea. Roots play a critical role in enhancing drought tolerance. The main objective of the study was to introgress drought tolerant root traits into Kenyan chickpea varieties through marker assisted breeding (MABC). Eight simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, linked to quantitative trait loci (QTL) for root and yield traits, were used to screen the parents at ICRISAT, India. In addition, 1144 single nucleotide polymorphic markers (SNPs) were also used in genotyping these parents at Legume Genomics Center, United Kingdom. Crosses were made between two selected varieties, ICCV 92944 (Chania Desi II) and ICCV 00108 (LDT 068) and ‘QTL-hotspot’ donor parent ICC 4958 that has extensive rooting system. Polymor- In the face of increasing water scarcity, breeding for higher transpiration efficiency (TE), that is, the biomass produced per unit of water transpired, has become crucial. This could be achieved by reducing plant transpiration through a better closure of the stomatal pores at the leaf surface. However, this strategy generally also lowers growth, as stomatal opening is necessary for the capture of atmospheric CO2 that feeds daytime photosynthesis. Here, we considered the reduction in transpiration rate at night (En), when photosynthesis is inactive, as a possible strategy to limit water use without altering growth. We carried out a genetic analysis for En and TE in grapevine, a major crop in drought-prone areas. A 3 year experiment was conducted on the F1 progeny from a cross between Syrah and Grenache cultiphic SSR and SNP markers were used to select progenies with root QTL at F1, BC1F1 and BC2F1 that were later advanced to BC2F3. The BC2F3 populations were evaluated for root traits at Egerton University in randomized complete block design with two replications in pot experiment. The BC2F3 families were significantly different for root dry weight (RDW), shoot dry weight (SDW), total plant dry weight (PDW) and root to shoot dry weight (R/S) ratio (R/S) for Chania Desi II x ICC 4958 and R/S for LDT 068 x ICC 4958. These lineshad significantly improved root traits compared the recurrent parents. MABC is aneffective and efficient method of introgressing complex drought tolerant traits which leads to improvement in yield especially under drought conditions

Transcription control by the ENL YEATS domain in acute leukaemia

Recurrent chromosomal translocations producing a chimaeric MLL oncogene give rise to a highly aggressive acute leukaemia associated with poor clinical outcome. The preferential involvement of chromatin-associated factors as MLL fusion partners belies a dependency on transcription control. Despite recent progress made in targeting chromatin regulators in cancer, available therapies for this well-characterized disease remain inadequate, prompting the need to identify new targets for therapeutic intervention. Here, using unbiased CRISPR-Cas9 technology to perform a genome-scale loss-of-function screen in an MLL-AF4-positive acute leukaemia cell line, we identify ENL as an unrecognized gene that is specifically required for proliferation in vitro and in vivo. To explain the mechanistic role of ENL in leukaemia pathogenesis and dynamic transcription control, a chemical genetic strategy was developed to achieve targeted protein degradation. Acute loss of ENL suppressed the initiation and elongation of RNA polymerase II at active genes genome-wide, with pronounced effects at genes featuring a disproportionate ENL load. Notably, an intact YEATS chromatin-reader domain was essential for ENL-dependent leukaemic growth. Overall, these findings identify a dependency factor in acute leukaemia and suggest a mechanistic rationale for disrupting the YEATS domain in disease.K. LubinE. Wood

Reviewing the material and metal security of low-carbon energy transitions

The global transition to a low-carbon economy will involve changes in material markets and supply chains on a hitherto unknown scale and scope. With these changes come numerous challenges and opportunities related to supply chain security and sustainability. To help support decision-making as well as future research, this study employs a problem-oriented perspective while reviewing academic publications, technical reports, legal documents, and published industry data to highlight the increasingly interconnected nature of material needs and geopolitical change. The paper considers a broad set of issues including technologies, material supplies, investment strategies, communal concerns, innovations, modeling considerations, and policy trends to help contextualize policy decisions and regulatory responses. Policy options are outlined for each topical section, as well as areas for further research. Together, these recommendations serve to help guide the complex, interdisciplinary approach to materials required for a low-carbon transition

Identification and molecular characterisation of Colletotrichum species from avocado, citrus and pawpaw in Ghana

Owing to previous identifications based solely on morphological characteristics, the identity of the causal agents of anthracnose disease of pawpaw and avocado in Ghana is in doubt. In addition, the pathogen has not been identified previously on citrus. In this study, isolates of the pathogen were obtained from anthracnose lesions on avocado and pawpaw, and atypical anthracnose lesions on citrus. The isolates were identified using PCR with speciesspecific primers, complemented by phylogenetic analysis of nucleotide sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region and partial glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene. The pathogenicity of the isolated fungi was determined on detached matured fruits. All isolates, including those isolated from citrus, were identified as Colletotrichum gloeosporioides from the expected 480 bp PCR products amplified by PCR. The phylogenetic analysis showed that isolates from avocado and pawpaw were C. siamense, rather than C. gloeosporioides, whereas isolates from citrus were C. gloeosporioides sensu stricto. The pathogens were able to induce disease only on wounded mature fruits.Keywords: Colletotrichum gloeosporioides sensu stricto, Colletotrichum siamense, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, internal transcribed spacer regio