Combining ability of extra-early maize inbreds derived from a cross between maize and Zea diploperennis and hybrid performance under contrasting environments

Open Access JournalKnowledge of the genetic mechanisms conditioning drought tolerance in maize is crucial to the success of hybrid breeding programs aimed at developing high-yielding cultivars under drought. The objectives of this study were to determine the combining ability of extra-early inbreds, compute the heritability of measured traits, assess the performance of inbreds in hybrid combinations and investigate the associations among traits under drought and optimal conditions. A total of 252 hybrids generated by crossing 63 inbreds to four testers, along with four commercial hybrid checks, were evaluated for 2 years under drought and rainfed conditions. General combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) for the traits were significant. A total of 57.1% and 53.4% of the genotypic sum of squares were attributable to GCA effects for grain yield under managed drought and rainfed conditions, respectively. Hybrids TZdEEI 91 × TZEEI 21 and TZdEEI 55 × TZEEI 13 out-yielded the best checks under drought and optimal conditions by 49.13% and 39.05%, respectively. The most promising hybrids with consistently high grain yield under drought and rainfed conditions, were TZdEEI 54 × TZEEI 13, TZdEEI 91 × TZEEI 21 and TZdEEI 55 × TZEEI 21 and should be further evaluated for possible commercial production in sub-Saharan Africa

Granular structure, physicochemical and rheological characteristics of starch from yellow cassava (Manihot esculenta) genotypes

ABSTRACTThis study examined the structural and physicochemical characteristics of starch isolated from seven yellow cassava genotypes. The structural properties of yellow cassava starch from these cultivars were elucidated by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry and Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Their water interaction properties, digestibility and viscoelastic behavior were also compared, and principal component analysis was used to establish factors associated with the variability in properties of the starch. All the starches were of the A-type diffraction pattern, with crystallinity ranging between 31 and 37%. Most of the granules exhibited spherical and oval shapes, some with a flat surface on one side. They had smooth surfaces and their sizes ranged from 4 µm for round granules to 23 µm for the major axis of oval-shaped granules. Significant differences (p < .05) were observed in amylose content, in-vitro digestibility, peak and breakdown viscosity of the starches, and these ranged between 13.6–18.1%, 11.4–18.5%, 354–520 BU and 233–366 BU, respectively. Significant differences were also recorded in the hydration and textural behavior of starches from these cassava cultivars. The differences observed in granular and physicochemical properties are likely to influence the performance of these cassava cultivars in food applications

Consumer Preference Testing of Boiled Sweetpotato Using Crowdsourced Citizen Science in Ghana and Uganda

Crowdsourced citizen science is an emerging approach in plant sciences. The triadic comparison of technologies (tricot) approach has been successfully utilized by demand-led breeding programmes to identify varieties for dissemination suited to specific geographic and climatic regions. An important feature of this approach is the independent way in which farmers individually evaluate the varieties on their own farms as “citizen scientists.” In this study, we adapted this approach to evaluate consumer preferences to boiled sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam] roots of 21 advanced breeding materials and varieties in Ghana and 6 released varieties in Uganda. We were specifically interested in evaluating if a more independent style of evaluation (home tasting) would produce results comparable to an approach that involves control over preparation (centralized tasting). We compiled data from 1,433 participants who individually contributed to a home tasting (de-centralized) and a centralized tasting trial in Ghana and Uganda, evaluating overall acceptability, and indicating the reasons for their preferences. Geographic factors showed important contribution to define consumers’ preference to boiled sweetpotato genotypes. Home and centralized tasting approaches gave similar rankings for overall acceptability, which was strongly correlated to taste. In both Ghana and Uganda, it was possible to robustly identify superior sweetpotato genotypes from consumers’ perspectives. Our results indicate that the tricot approach can be successfully applied to consumer preference studies

From shade to light : fonio, an african orphan crop, towards renewed challenges

The FAO recently estimated that demand for food will increase by 70% by 2050. The challenge will not only be on increasing the food supply but also on improving its nutritional value under an accelerating rate of environmental and social changes. One solution would be the wider use of underutilized crops to diversify alimentation and develop sustainable and low-input agriculture. Are orphan crops commodities for the future, and how can they be promoted. In this regard, fonio (Digitaria exilis Stapf) appears to be a promising crop. It is an indigenous staple cereal from Western Africa playing a crucial role in food security. Additionally, it is a model crop in important up-to-date concepts such as resilience, agroecology, population health, climatic changes, poverty reduction, and women's empowerment. Nevertheless, fonio has received limited attention from mainstream research compared to other dryland cereals, such as pearl millet and sorghum. Increasingly available genomic resources promise to promote advanced breeding strategies in fonio. This paper presents the past, present, and future of fonio research. We argue the need for interdisciplinarity and multistakeholder research approaches for increasing fonio production, conservation, and sustainable uses