Neglected and Underutilized Legume Crops: Improvement and Future Prospects

Sustainable agricultural productivity is hampered by over-dependency on major staple crops, neglect and underutilization of others, climate change, as well as land deterioration. Challenges posed by these limiting factors are undoubtedly contributing to global food insecurity, increased rural poverty, and malnutrition in the less developed countries. Miscellaneous neglected and underutilized grain legumes (MNUGLs) are crops primarily characterized by inherent features and capabilities to withstand the effects of abiotic stress and climate change, significantly replenish the soil, as well as boost food and protein security. This chapter provides insight into the benefits of MNUGLs as food and nutritional security climate smart crops, capable of growing on marginal lands. Exploring and improving MNUGLs depend on a number of factors among which are concerted research efforts, cultivation and production, as well as utilization awareness across global populace geared toward reawakening the interest on the abandoned legumes. The emergence of the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR/cas9) technology combined with marker-assisted selection (MAS) offers great opportunities to improve MNUGLs for sustainable utilization. Advances in improvement of MNUGLs using omic technologies and the prospects for their genetic modification were highlighted and discussed

Barriers and Facilitators of Lean Six Sigma Implementation in Irish Pharmaceutical Companies.

The research set out to interrogate the barrier and facilitators of Lean Six Sigma Implementation in Irish Pharmaceutical companies. To this end, the main objectives was to identify the factors that hindered and facilitated the successful implementation of; Lean Six Sigma in Irish pharmaceutical companies. To achieve its objectives, the qualitative method was adopted and data were sourced through primary and secondary methods with the research interview acting as a main source of data. A purposive sample of participants (n=5) were interviewed to get their perception of the barriers and facilitators to Lean Six Sigma in their organization, the participants were employees of five different pharmaceutical companies in Ireland. Thematic analysis was applied to interpret the data while comparing the results to that of similar studies. The study found out that the major factors that acted as barriers to the implementation of LSS in Irish pharmaceutical companies were the lack of finance to train the required personals to handle the program which led to a shortage of qualified manpower. In addition, adaptability to change, team work, the use of multiple tools and management commitment to LSS were identified as the most important facilitators to LSS. To this end, the study concludes that the major barrier to LSS in Irish pharmaceutical companies was a lack of understanding as to what LSS really is due to poor training tried to several other factors

Molecular characterization of Auricularia spp from south-western Nigeria using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers

This study was conducted to investigate the genetic diversity in 48 samples of Auricularia species randomly collected from secondary forests in Osun (11), Oyo (10), Ondo (9), Ekiti (8), Ogun (8) and Lagos States (8) of Nigeria. Fourteen Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used for molecular characterization of Auricularia species. Phylogenetic relations were determined by cluster analysis and Polymorphic Information Content (PIC) and gene diversity determined using standard procedures. The Auricularia species were grouped into 6 distinct clusters based on morphological traits. The PIC value ranged from 0.5594 (OPH-15) to 0.7819 (OPB-12) and gene diversity from 0.5930 (OPH-15) to 0.7977 (OPB-12). Primer OPB-12 was the most informative for genetic diversity of Auricularia species. However, primer OPB-21 gave the highest number of alleles while OPB-12 showed the highest range of gene diversity and accounted for the diversity of the Auricularia species. The dendrogram and the principal coordinate analysis exhibited similar clustered patterns, revealing that all the tested strains could be divided into six distinct groups, each of which correlated with different geographical regions. Molecular characterisation is essential in genetic diversity studies and has proven useful in the classification of Auricularia spp.Keywords:  Auricularia spp, Cluster analysis, Genetic diversity, Mushroom cultivation, Principal coordinate analysis, Polymorphic information content, RAPD marker

Bioprospecting of microbial strains for biofuel production: metabolic engineering, applications, and challenges

The issues of global warming, coupled with fossil fuel depletion, have undoubtedly led to renewed interest in other sources of commercial fuels. The search for renewable fuels has motivated research into the biological degradation of lignocellulosic biomass feedstock to produce biofuels such as bioethanol, biodiesel, and biohydrogen. The model strain for biofuel production needs the capability to utilize a high amount of substrate, transportation of sugar through fast and deregulated pathways, ability to tolerate inhibitory compounds and end products, and increased metabolic fluxes to produce an improved fermentation product. Engineering microbes might be a great approach to produce biofuel from lignocellulosic biomass by exploiting metabolic pathways economically. Metabolic engineering is an advanced technology for the construction of highly effective microbial cell factories and a key component for the next-generation bioeconomy. It has been extensively used to redirect the biosynthetic pathway to produce desired products in several native or engineered hosts. A wide range of novel compounds has been manufactured through engineering metabolic pathways or endogenous metabolism optimizations by metabolic engineers. This review is focused on the potential utilization of engineered strains to produce biofuel and gives prospects for improvement in metabolic engineering for new strain development using advanced technologies.Instituto de BiotecnologíaFil: Adegboye, Mobolaji Felicia. North-West University. Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. Food Security and Safety Niche Area; SudáfricaFil: Ojuederie, Omena Bernard. North-West University. Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. Food Security and Safety Niche Area; SudáfricaFil: Ojuederie, Omena Bernard. Kings University. Faculty of Science. Department of Biological Sciences; NigeriaFil: Talia, Paola Mónica. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular (IABIMO); ArgentinaFil: Talia, Paola Mónica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Babalola, Olubukola Oluranti. North-West University. Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. Food Security and Safety Niche Area; Sudáfric

MECHANISM FOR POLLINATION IN AFRICAN YAM BEAN

African yam bean (AYB) ( Sphenostylis stenocarpa (Hochst Ex. A. Rich) Harms is a neglected and underutilised legume in tropical Africa. Its utilisation has been hampered by the presence of anti-nutritional factors and lack of improved varieties. The objective of this study was to investigate pollination and determine the rates of selfing and outcrossing in the species. Accession TSs5 had the highest fruit set (63.16%) in the open-pollinated breeding method; while AYB50 had the lowest value (46.61%). Seed set in the selfed accessions ranged from 91.45% (AYB50) to 94.97% (TSs66). Fruit set was highest in the open-pollinated breeding method, with a mean average fruit set of 51.32%. Significant differences (P < 0.01) were obtained in fruit set from accessions isolated with net bags which had the lowest seed set (88.91%) Seed set was highest (92.92%) in the selfed accessions. The self incompatibility index ranged from 1.33 to 2.26 and the rate of fruit set from artificial self-pollination was greater than 30% in the field, and the screen house showing that the species is highly self compatible. Selfing and outcrossing rates of 91.38 and 8.62% showed that S. stenocarpa is not an obligate selfer. AYB sets fruits and seeds when open pollinated, isolated, selfed or crossed with other accessions.La l\ue9gumineuse igname de l\u2019Afrique (AYB) ( Sphenostylis stenocarpa (Hochst Ex. A. Rich) Harms est une l\ue9gumineuse n\ue9glig\ue9e et sous utilis\ue9e en Afrique tropicale. Sa teneur en substances toxique et le manque de vari\ue9t\ue9s am\ue9lior\ue9es constituent un frein pour son utilisation massive. Il a \ue9t\ue9 ici question d\u2019\ue9tudier sa pollinisation et de d\ue9terminer les taux de pollinisation crois\ue9e et auto-pollinisation dans l\u2019esp\ue9ce. L\u2019accession TSs5 avait le nombre de gousses le plus \ue9lev\ue9 (63,16%) sous pollinisation ouverte, tandis que l\u2019accession AYB50 a exhib\ue9 la valeur la plus faible (46,61%). Les nombres de gousses sous auto pollinisation variaient de 91,45% (AYB50) \ue0 94,97% (TSs66). Ce nombre \ue9tait plus \ue9lev\ue9 sous pollinisation ouverte, avec une moyenne de 51,32%. Des differences significatives (P < 0.01) ont \ue9t\ue9 observ\ue9es dans les nombres de gousses chez les accessions prot\ue9g\ue9es par des filets et qui avaient les plus faibles nombres de grains (88,91%). Le nombre de grains le plus \ue9lev\ue9 (92,92%) \ue9tait observ\ue9 par auto pollinisation. L\u2019indice de d\u2019auto incompatibilit\ue9 \ue9tait de 1,33 \ue0 2,26 et le taux de fructification chez les plantes artificiellement auto pollinis\ue9es \ue9tait sup\ue9rieur \ue0 30% dans le champs, et en serre, indiquant ainsi que l\u2019esp\ue8ce est hautement auto compatible. Les taux d\u2019auto pollinisation 91,38 et de pollinisation crois\ue9e 8,62% montrent que l\u2019auto pollinisation chez S. stenocarpa n\u2019est pas obligatoire. AYB produit des gousses et graines sous toutes forms de pollinisation

The role of plant growth promoting bacteria on arsenic removal: a review of existing perspectives

Phytobial remediation is an innovative tool that uses plants and microbes to mitigate Arsenic (As) contamination of the environment. Recently, plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) that assists phytoremediation has been highly touted for both improving plant metal tolerance and promoting plant growth while achieving the goal of large-scale removal of As. This review focuses on the PGPB characteristics influencing plants and the mechanisms in which they function to overcome/lessen As-induced adversities. Several recent examples of mechanisms responsible for increasing the availability of As to plants and coping with As stresses facilitated by PGPB will be reviewed. Although drawbacks to phytoremediation have been reported, encouraging results have been developed with regular monitoring. Introducing PGPB-assisted phytoremediation of As in a field requires an assessment of the environmental effects of PGPB, especially with respect to the impacts on indigenous bacteria

Microbial and Plant-Assisted Bioremediation of Heavy Metal Polluted Environments: A Review

Environmental pollution from hazardous waste materials, organic pollutants and heavy metals, has adversely affected the natural ecosystem to the detriment of man. These pollutants arise from anthropogenic sources as well as natural disasters such as hurricanes and volcanic eruptions. Toxic metals could accumulate in agricultural soils and get into the food chain, thereby becoming a major threat to food security. Conventional and physical methods are expensive and not effective in areas with low metal toxicity. Bioremediation is therefore an eco-friendly and efficient method of reclaiming environments contaminated with heavy metals by making use of the inherent biological mechanisms of microorganisms and plants to eradicate hazardous contaminants. This review discusses the toxic effects of heavy metal pollution and the mechanisms used by microbes and plants for environmental remediation. It also emphasized the importance of modern biotechnological techniques and approaches in improving the ability of microbial enzymes to effectively degrade heavy metals at a faster rate, highlighting recent advances in microbial bioremediation and phytoremediation for the removal of heavy metals from the environment as well as future prospects and limitations. However, strict adherence to biosafety regulations must be followed in the use of biotechnological methods to ensure safety of the environment

Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacterial Mitigation of Drought Stress in Crop Plants: Implications for Sustainable Agriculture

Abiotic stresses arising from climate change negates crop growth and yield, leading to food insecurity. Drought causes oxidative stress on plants, arising from excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to inadequate CO2, which disrupts the photosynthetic machinery of plants. The use of conventional methods for the development of drought-tolerant crops is time-consuming, and the full adoption of modern biotechnology for crop enhancement is still regarded with prudence. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) could be used as an inexpensive and environmentally friendly approach for enhancing crop growth under environmental stress. The various direct and indirect mechanisms used for plant growth enhancement by PGPR were discussed. Synthesis of 1-aminocyclopropane−1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase enhances plant nutrient uptake by breaking down plant ACC, thereby preventing ethylene accumulation, and enable plants to tolerate water stress. The exopolysaccharides produced also improves the ability of the soil to withhold water. PGPR enhances osmolyte production, which is effective in reducing the detrimental effects of ROS. Multifaceted PGPRs are potential candidates for biofertilizer production to lessen the detrimental effects of drought stress on crops cultivated in arid regions. This review proffered ways of augmenting their efficacy as bio-inoculants under field conditions and highlighted future prospects for sustainable agricultural productivity

Serological detection of seed borne viruses in cowpea regenerated germplasm using Protein A sandwich enzyme linked immunorsorbent assay

Cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) is susceptible to a number of fungal, bacterial and viral diseases. The effects of viruses can be devastating and are a major constraint to the production of cowpea. A study was carried out to detect the presence of seed borne viruses in fourteen cowpea accessions screened from 300 regenerated cowpea germplasm from the genebank collection of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Nigeria. Protein A Sandwich Enzyme linked Immunosorbent Assay (PAS ELISA) was used to detect seed borne viruses in the accessions. Out of 36 accessions of TVu 2033 indexed, 31 were infected with Cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus genus Potyvirus, which is of great economic importance in germplasm conservation and exchange between countries as it causes great loss. Southern bean mosaic virus was not detected in any of the accessions evaluated. Seeds were harvested from the infected mother plants at maturity and the embryos excised in vitro onto hormone free medium composed of 4.43 g MS basal salt, 30 g sucrose and 8 g of agar. The seedlings obtained were serologically indexed to detect any seed-borne viruses after acclimatisation to screen house conditions. The seedlings obtained from excised embryos got from harvested seeds gave a negative ELISA result.Le niébé ( Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) est sensible à un certain nombre de maladies fongiques, bactériennes et virales. Les effets des virus peuvent être dévastateurs et constituent un obstacle majeur à la production de niébé. Une étude a été effectuée pour détecter la présence de virus transmis par la semence dans quatorze accessions de niébé sélectionnées parmi les 300 régénérées à partir du germoplasme collecté dans la banque de gènes de l'Institut International d'Agriculture Tropicale (IITA) au Nigeria. Un test PAS ELISA (Protein A Sandwich Enzyme linked Immunosorbent Assay) a été utilisé pour détecter les virus transmis par la semence dans les accessions. Parmi les 36 accessions testées de TVu 2033 indexées, 31 étaient infectées par le virus du genre Potyvirus (Cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus ), virus réputé d'une grande importance économique dans la conservation du germoplasme et l'échange entre les pays eu égard aux pertes qu'il entraîne. "Southern bean mosaic virus" n'a pas été détecté dans aucune des accessions évaluées. Les semences ont été récoltées à la maturité à partir des plantes mères infectées et les embryons excisés in vitro sur un milieu sans hormone, composé de 4,43 g de sel MS, 30 g de saccharose et de 8 g d'agar. Les plantules obtenues ont subi un test sérologique afin de détecter tous les virus transmis par la semence après l'acclimatation dans la serre. Les plantules obtenues à partir d'embryons de graines excisées ont donné le résultat négatif d'ELISA