9 research outputs found
SSR genetic diversity assessment of popular pigeonpea varieties in Malawi reveals unique fingerprints
Background: Pigeonpea ( Cajanus cajan L. Millsp.) is a drought
tolerant legume of the Fabaceae family and the only cultivated species
in the genus Cajanus. It is mainly cultivated in the semi-arid tropics
of Asia and Oceania, Africa and America. In Malawi, it is grown as a
source of food and income and for soil improvement in intercropping
systems. However, varietal contamination due to natural outcrossing
causes significant quality reduction and yield losses. In this study,
48 polymorphic SSR markers were used to assess the diversity among all
pigeonpea varieties cultivated in Malawi to determine if a genetic
fingerprint could be identified to distinguish the popular varieties.
Results: A total of 212 alleles were observed with an average of 5.58
alleles per marker and a maximum of 14 alleles produced by CCttc019
(Marker 40). Polymorphic information content (PIC), ranged from 0.03 to
0.89 with an average of 0.30. A neighbor-joining tree produced 4
clusters. The most commonly cultivated varieties, which include
released varieties and cultivated land races, were well-spread across
all the clusters observed, indicating that they generally represented
the genetic diversity available in Malawi, although substantial
variation was evident that can still be exploited through further
breeding. Conclusion: Screening of the allelic data associated with the
five most popular cultivated varieties, revealed 6 markers \u2013
CCB1, CCB7, Ccac035, CCttc003, Ccac026 and CCttc019 \u2013 which
displayed unique allelic profiles for each of the five varieties. This
genetic fingerprint can potentially be applied for seed certification
to confirm the genetic purity of seeds that are delivered to Malawi
farmers
Evaluation of chickpea genotypes for resistance to Ascochyta blight (Ascochyta rabiei) disease in the dry highlands of Kenya
Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) is an edible legume grown widely for its nutritious seed, which is rich in protein, minerals, vitamins and dietary fibre. It’s a new crop in Kenya whose potential has not been utilized fully due to abiotic and biotic stresses that limit its productivity. The crop is affected mainly by Ascochyta blight (AB) which is widespread in cool dry highlands causing up to 100% yield loss. The objective of this study was to evalu- ate the resistance of selected chickpea genotypes to AB in dry highlands of Kenya. The study was done in 2 sites (Egerton University-Njoro) and Agricultural Training centre-ATC-Koibatek) for one season during long rains of 2010/2011 growing season. Thirty six genotypes from reference sets and mini-core samples introduced from ICR- SAT were evaluated. There were significant (P<0.001) differences in AB responses and grain yield performance in test genotypes in both sites. AB was more severe at Egerton-Njoro (mean score 5.7) than ATC-Koibatek (mean score 4.25), with subsequent low grain yield. Genotypes ICC7052, ICC4463, ICC4363, ICC2884, ICC7150, ICC15294 and ICC11627 had both highest grain yield in decreasing order (mean range 1790-1053 Kg ha-1) and best resist- ance to AB. Further evaluation is needed in other multi-locations and their use in breeding program determined especially because of their undesirable black seed color. Commercial varieties (LDT068, LDT065, Chania desi 1, and Saina K1) were all susceptible to AB, but with grain yield >1200 Kg ha-1. The findings of the study showed that chickpea should be sown during the short rains (summer) in the dry highlands of Kenya when conditions are drier and warmer and less favorable for AB infection. However yield could be increased by shifting the sowing date from dry season to long rain (winter) thus avoiding terminal drought if AB resistant cultivars with acceptable agronomic traits could be identified
Leveraging institutions for collective action to improve markets for smallholder producers in less-favored areas
Using survey data from the community, producer marketing groups (PMGs) and farm
households in Kenya, this paper investigates the potential of rural institutions (farmer
organizations, their rules and enforcement mechanisms) for remedying pervasive market
imperfections and facilitate access to new technology in rural areas. Qualitative and
quantitative analyses show that while the functioning of markets is constrained by high
transaction costs and coordination failures, PMGs present new opportunities for small
producers through vertical and horizontal coordination of production and grain marketing.
They pay 20 to 25% higher prices than other buyers and facilitate the adoption of improved
varieties that help increase marketable surplus. Their accumulated assets and traded
volumes are influenced by participatory decision making, member contributions and initial
start-up capital. While participation declines with farm size, the associated benefits depend
on marketed amounts. Moreover, the time lag to payment for deliveries makes PMGs less
attractive marketing channels for the poor. The success of such groups requires policy
support, increased capital access, rural finance and market information
4Kenya School of Government
ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT A pigeonpea fallow-maize crop rotation trial was carried out over a period of 4 seasons in western Kenya. The trial compared six high altitude long duration pigeonpea varieties i.e. ICEAP 00020, ICEAP 00040, ICEAP 00048, ICEAP 00053, ICP 9145 and ICP 13076 and a medium duration variety i.e. ICP 13211 for productivity, post fallow maize crop yield and financial returns indicators. Long duration pigeonpea varieties take 140-180 days to mature while medium duration varieties take >200 days to mature. Continuous maize cropping acted as a control. Depending on the variety, pigeonpea grain yield ranged between 1.3 and 1.9 t ha -1 . Post fallow maize grain yield from each of pigeonpea variety plot was approximately 3 fold higher than yield from continuous maize plots. The medium duration pigeonpea plots yielded significantly higher maize grain than the long duration (ICEAP 00053, ICEAP 00040) pigeonpea variety plots. Relative to the control, incremental returns to land were highest for medium duration pigeonpea fallow plots (619 USD ha -1 ) and lowest for ICEAP 00040 fallow plots (305 USD ha -1 ). We estimated that by selecting an appropriate pigeonpea variety for a fallow-maize rotation system, a household could produce sufficient food for consumption and remain with a surplus of approximately 2.8 tons for sale. For widespread adoption of pigeonpea based technologies in western Kenya, there is a need for policy improvement on issues related to improved seed production systems, cost of fertilizers, extension services, and market for the end products
Pigeonpea in Mozambique: An Emerging Success Story of Crop Expansion in Smallholder Agriculture
We document the rapid emergence of pigeonpea as a smallholder export crop in Mozambique and discuss implications of pigeonpea’s expansion in this study. An analysis of seven years of nationally and provincially representative rural survey data from 2002 to 2012 and an assessment of pulse production and consumption in India gave the following major results
SSR genetic diversity assessment of popular pigeonpea varieties in Malawi reveals unique fingerprints
Background: Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) is a drought tolerant legume of the Fabaceae family and the only cultivated species in the genus Cajanus. It is mainly cultivated in the semi-arid tropics of Asia and Oceania, Africa and America. In Malawi, it is grown as a source of food and income and for soil improvement in intercropping systems. However, varietal contamination due to natural outcrossing causes significant quality reduction and yield losses. In this study, 48 polymorphic SSR markers were used to assess the diversity among all pigeonpea varieties cultivated in Malawi to determine if a genetic fingerprint could be identified to distinguish the popular varieties.
Results: A total of 212 alleles were observed with an average of 5.58 alleles per marker and a maximum of 14 alleles produced by CCttc019 (Marker 40). Polymorphic information content (PIC), ranged from 0.03 to 0.89 with an average of 0.30. A neighbor-joining tree produced 4 clusters. The most commonly cultivated varieties, which include released varieties and cultivated land races, were well-spread across all the clusters observed, indicating that they generally represented the genetic diversity available in Malawi, although substantial variation was evident that can still be exploited through further breeding.
Conclusion: Screening of the allelic data associated with the five most popular cultivated varieties, revealed 6 markers – CCB1, CCB7, Ccac035, CCttc003, Ccac026 and CCttc019 – which displayed unique allelic profiles for each of the five varieties. This genetic fingerprint can potentially be applied for seed certification to confirm the genetic purity of seeds that are delivered to Malawi farmers
Determinants of Agricultural Technology Adoption: The Case of Improved Pigeonpea Varieties in Tanzania
If dryland legumes are to meet the expectations of reducing poverty and hunger in the semi-arid tropics, there will be need for a full understanding of their potential for diffusion and the barriers to adoption. We apply a program evaluation technique to
data obtained from Tanzania to derive estimates of the actual and potential adoption rates of improved pigeonpea varieties and their determinants. The study reveals that only 33% of the sampled farmers were aware of the improved pigeonpea varieties which consequently restricted the sample adoption rate of improved varieties to only 19%. The potential adoption rate of improved pigeonpea if all farmers had been
exposed to improved varieties is estimated at 62% and the adoption gap resulting from
the incomplete exposure of the population to the improved pigeonpea is 43%. We further find that the awareness of improved varieties is mainly influenced by attendance
of Participatory Variety Selection activities. The adoption of improved varieties is more pronounced among farmers with smaller landholdings suggesting that farmers facing land pressure intensify pigeonpea production through the adoption of improved high yielding varieties. The findings are indicative of the relatively large demand for improved pigeonpea varieties suggesting that there is scope for increasing their adoption rate in Tanzania once the farmers are made aware of the existence of the technologies