Relationship between Indigenous Bradyrhizobia Population and the Degree of Nodulation and Nitrogen Fixation among Promiscuous Soybean (Glycine max (L) Merill) Lines in Five Ghanaian Soils

In the light of conflicting reports, the earlier expectation that the promiscuous Tropical Glycine cross (TGx)  varieties developed by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan would relieve farmers in Africa of the need to inoculate their soybean crops for optimum nitrogen fixation and yield has become questionable and calls for more verification. Soil must contain enough compatible bradyrhizobia population for optimum nodulation and nitrogen fixation of promiscuous soybean lines.The presence of indigenous bradyrhizobia nodulating promiscuous soybean was determined using the Most Probable Number (MPN) technique. Soil series such as Chichiwere contained 6.0 x 103 cells/g soil as against the minimum required level of 40x101 in Bekwai soils indicating that the soils contained enough bradyrhizobia for nodulation and nitrogen fixation. Greenhouse experiments were carried out at the University of Ghana-Legon to determine the effect of indigenous bradyrhizobia on nodulation, nodule dry weight %N and total N in five soils with local  names Aveime (a Chromic cambisol)  Hatso ( a Gleic cambisol), Adenta (a Ferric acrisol), Chichiwere (a Dystric fluvisol), and Bekwai (a Ferric acrisol) in which  nodulation, nodule dry weight, growth, nitrogen accumulation and nitrogen fixing abilities of three nodulating uninoculated soybean cultivars, comprising three promiscuous soybean lines bred in International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)-Ibadan, Nigeria such as Anidaso (TGx 813-6D), TGx 1448-2E and TGx 1903-8F soybean were examined using a non-nodulating soybean  variety as the reference crop. Nitrogen fixed by the indigenous bradyrhizobia strains was measured by total nitrogen difference method between the fixing crop and the reference one. Chichiwere soil had the highest nodule number, nodule dry weight, shoot dry weight, total N accumulation as well as the highest N fixed recording an average of 66.8mgN/ plant equivalent to 86.4%N in the plant. TGx 1903-8F, the best symbiotic soybean cultivar in this study fixed as high as 91.0mgN/ plant indicating that even though more bradyrhizobia were found in Chichiwere soil series most were not compatible for nodule infection and nitrogen fixation. The nitrogen fixed by these soybean cultivars in descending order were as follows TGx 1903-8F< Anidaso< TGx 1448-2E. Keywords: Anidaso, Bradyrhizobium japonicum,  nitrogen fixation,  non-nodulating soybean, promiscuous soybean

Effect of Bradyrhizobium japonicum Population on Nodulation, Nitrogen Fixation and Dry Matter Yield on Soybean (Glycine max L Merrill) in Some Ghanaian Soils

In as much as the noted ability of the promiscuous TGx soybean varieties developed by the International Instituteof Tropical Agriculture in Ibadan to nodulate profusely with indigenous bradyrhizobia confers advantages wherelack of fertilizers and suitable inoculants act as disincentives to growing the crop, the ability of these nodules tofix nitrogen should be even more important. Selection for promiscuous nodulators in different soils musttherefore go hand in hand with their nitrogen fixing abilities. The symbiotic performance of promiscuoussoybeans depends upon the population size and survival of bradyrhizobia on the field. A pot experiment wasconducted in the greenhouse within the Geography Department in University of Ghana-Legon using soilscollected from ten farmer’s field located in one Agro Ecological Zone (Coastal savanna) to determine nodulation,nitrogen fixation and dry matter yield by indigenous bradyrhizobia in five Ghanaian soils using threepromiscuous soybean varieties and one American type, Bragg, a non promiscuous variety. Nodulation by thethree promiscuous soybean varieties (Bengbie [TGx 536-2D], TGx 1835-10E, and TGx 1830-20E) rangedbetween 21 to 25 and the non-promiscuous variety (Bragg) recorded 13. Hake soil series which contains thehighest bradyrhizobia cell count (6.0 x 103 cellgsoil-1 also produced the highest number of nodules 22. Hakeagain produced the highest nodule dry weight, (176.0mg), shoot dry weight (3.85g), Total nitrogen (N)(106.0mgN plant-1), Total N fixed (88.9mgN plant-1) and %N fixed (69%). TGx 1830-20E also maintain itssuperiority in nodule dry weight (220.0mg plant-1) production, Total N (105.3mgN plant-1), Total N fixed(88.5mgN plant-1) and % N fixed (83.43). Bragg performed poorly in terms of nodule dry weight (67.0mg plant-1), Total N (83.8mg plant-1), Total N fixed (67.0mg plant-1) and %N fixed (78.05). The Most Probable Number(MPN) counts on sand grown soybean indicated 6000, 5300, 4700, 3600 and 3200 native B. japonicum cells g-1in Hake, Goi, Simpa, Agawtaw and Prampram soils respectively. The nodulation, N content and dry matter yieldresults showed that Ghanaian soils contain effective bradyrhizobia capable of nodulating soybean and N2fixation rendering inoculation unnecessary.Keywords: Agrecological zone. Effective bradyrhizobia. Nitrogen fixation. Nodulation Promiscuous soybea

Adaptation of the Wound Healing Questionnaire universal-reporter outcome measure for use in global surgery trials (TALON-1 study): mixed-methods study and Rasch analysis

BackgroundThe Bluebelle Wound Healing Questionnaire (WHQ) is a universal-reporter outcome measure developed in the UK for remote detection of surgical-site infection after abdominal surgery. This study aimed to explore cross-cultural equivalence, acceptability, and content validity of the WHQ for use across low- and middle-income countries, and to make recommendations for its adaptation.MethodsThis was a mixed-methods study within a trial (SWAT) embedded in an international randomized trial, conducted according to best practice guidelines, and co-produced with community and patient partners (TALON-1). Structured interviews and focus groups were used to gather data regarding cross-cultural, cross-contextual equivalence of the individual items and scale, and conduct a translatability assessment. Translation was completed into five languages in accordance with Mapi recommendations. Next, data from a prospective cohort (SWAT) were interpreted using Rasch analysis to explore scaling and measurement properties of the WHQ. Finally, qualitative and quantitative data were triangulated using a modified, exploratory, instrumental design model.ResultsIn the qualitative phase, 10 structured interviews and six focus groups took place with a total of 47 investigators across six countries. Themes related to comprehension, response mapping, retrieval, and judgement were identified with rich cross-cultural insights. In the quantitative phase, an exploratory Rasch model was fitted to data from 537 patients (369 excluding extremes). Owing to the number of extreme (floor) values, the overall level of power was low. The single WHQ scale satisfied tests of unidimensionality, indicating validity of the ordinal total WHQ score. There was significant overall model misfit of five items (5, 9, 14, 15, 16) and local dependency in 11 item pairs. The person separation index was estimated as 0.48 suggesting weak discrimination between classes, whereas Cronbach's α was high at 0.86. Triangulation of qualitative data with the Rasch analysis supported recommendations for cross-cultural adaptation of the WHQ items 1 (redness), 3 (clear fluid), 7 (deep wound opening), 10 (pain), 11 (fever), 15 (antibiotics), 16 (debridement), 18 (drainage), and 19 (reoperation). Changes to three item response categories (1, not at all; 2, a little; 3, a lot) were adopted for symptom items 1 to 10, and two categories (0, no; 1, yes) for item 11 (fever).ConclusionThis study made recommendations for cross-cultural adaptation of the WHQ for use in global surgical research and practice, using co-produced mixed-methods data from three continents. Translations are now available for implementation into remote wound assessment pathways