Agro morphological characterization of cashew trees (Anacardium occidental L.), in improvement for the high yield and high quality of raw nuts in Burkina Faso

The cashew sector has taken a great economic interest, due to the strong global demand for raw nuts. However, in Burkina Faso, the productivity of orchards still remains low, a consequence of a lack of breeding program on the species. In order to increase yields and improve the quality of the raw nut, efficient clones must be developed. Surveys were carried out and a primary in situ collection was made from which a core collection of 15 trees was extracted. An agro-morphological description of the selected trees and an analysis of the structuration of the variability within them were carried out. The study revealed appreciable agro-morphological diversity through shape, size and color of apple, type of inflorescence, fruiting period and the health of trees. A structure of diversity based on agronomic criteria led to identify 5 groups of trees, characterized by an average weight of the nut between 6.64 and 8.32 g, a kernel rate between 28.10 and 31.26% and a yield per tree between 34.27 and 104.42 kg. Performing trees will be erected as heads of clones for the production of grafted plants. La filière anacarde a pris un grand intérêt économique, suite à la forte demande mondiale en noix brutes. Cependant, au Burkina Faso, la productivité des vergers demeure encore faible, conséquence d’une absence de sélection variétale du matériel végétal. En vue d’accroître les rendements et d’améliorer la qualité de la noix brute, une recherche de clones performants était indispensable. Des prospections ont été conduites et une collection primaire in situ a été constituée dont une core collection de 15 arbres a été extraite. Une description agro-morphologique des arbres sélectionnés et une analyse de la structuration de la variabilité en son sein ont été conduites. L’étude a révélé une diversité agro morphologique appréciable à travers la forme, le calibre et la couleur de la pomme, le type d’inflorescence, la période de fructification et l’état sanitaire des arbres. Une structuration de la diversité basée sur les critères agronomiques a permis d’identifier 5 groupes d’arbres, caractérisés par un poids moyen de la noix compris entre 6,64 et 8,32 g, un taux d’amande compris entre 28,10 et 31,26% et un rendement par arbre compris entre 34,27 et 104,42 kg. Les arbres les plus performants constitueront des têtes de clones pour la production de plants par greffage

Promising High-Yielding Tetraploid Plantain-Bred Hybrids in West Africa

The devastating threat of black leaf streak disease caused by Pseudocercospora fijiensis on plantain production in West Africa spurred the development of resistant hybrids. The goal of this research and development (R&D) undertaken was assessing the development and dissemination of two plantain hybrids PITA 3 and FHIA 21 bred in the 1980s by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA, Nigeria) and the Fundaci ́on Hondureña de Investigacion Agŕıcola (FHIA, Honduras), respectively. In Cote d’Ivoire, plantain growers selected PITA 3 and FHIA 21 based on their improved agronomic characteristics and, between 2012 and 2016, they were massively propagated and distributed to farmers in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, and Togo under the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Program (WAAAP) coordinated by the West and Central Africa Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF). In 2016, the Centre National de Recherche Agronomique in Cote d’Ivoire included the hybrids in the improved cultivar directory. This R&D activity illustrates how three decades of crossbreeding, selection, and distribution led to local acceptance. It also highlights how a CORAF-led partnership harnessed CGIAR research for development. The dissemination and acceptance of these plantain hybrids will enhance the sustainable intensification in plantain-based farming systems across the humid lowlands of West and Central Africa