Allelopathic Effects of Sphaeranthus suaveolens on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Phaseolus vulgaris and Oryza sativa

This research article published by Hindawi, 2021Weeds with allelopathic effect have been reported to cause significant damage in agriculture particularly in smallholder farming systems. ,is study assessed the allelopathic effects of different concentrations of crude extract of a noxious weed Sphaeranthus suaveolens on seed germination and seedling growth of Phaseolus vulgaris and Oryza sativa by examining germination, seedling height, and total chlorophyll content after seven and fourteen days of crude extract treatment, respectively. Results showed that seed germination and seedling growth were significantly (p < 0.001) decreased with increase in concentration of crude extract, signifying concentration dependency. Highest concentration (100%) of S. suaveolens crude extracts resulted in 90% and 100% inhibition of P. vulgaris and O. sativa seed germination, respectively. Chlorophyll content, fresh weight, and root and shoot length of both P. vulgaris and O. sativa were also significantly (p < 0.001) affected by highest concentration (100%) of S. suaveolens crude extracts. Results from this study suggest that the extract of S. suaveolens contains water-soluble allelochemicals which significantly reduce growth and productivity of P. vulgaris and O. sativa

AR-NAFAKA Project Vegetable Component: 2016-2017 Progress

United States Agency for International Developmen

AR-NAFAKA Project Maize Based Systems Component: 2016-2017 Progress

United States Agency for International Developmen

Toward an Open-Access Global Database for Mapping, Control, and Surveillance of Neglected Tropical Diseases

There is growing interest in the scientific community, health ministries, and other organizations to control and eventually eliminate neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Control efforts require reliable maps of NTD distribution estimated from appropriate models and survey data on the number of infected people among those examined at a given location. This kind of data is often available in the literature as part of epidemiological studies. However, an open-access database compiling location-specific survey data does not yet exist. We address this problem through a systematic literature review, along with contacting ministries of health, and research institutions to obtain disease data, including details on diagnostic techniques, demographic characteristics of the surveyed individuals, and geographical coordinates. All data were entered into a database which is freely accessible via the Internet (http://www.gntd.org). In contrast to similar efforts of the Global Atlas of Helminth Infections (GAHI) project, the survey data are not only displayed in form of maps but all information can be browsed, based on different search criteria, and downloaded as Excel files for further analyses. At the beginning of 2011, the database included over 12,000 survey locations for schistosomiasis across Africa, and it is continuously updated to cover other NTDs globally

Gender, vegetable value chains, income distribution and access to resources: insights from surveys in Tanzania

In sub-Saharan countries, male farmers are frequently seen as producers of cash crops and marketable vegetables, while female farmers are perceived as producers of food crops for home consumption. Few authors have tried to validate this perception of gender in the production of traditional vegetables, and gender differences in access to resources and markets remain underexplored. The same holds true for traders of traditional vegetables who share the same value chain. The few studies available have tended to focus either on the household (as the unit of production) or on the market (for trade), neglecting interrelationships between the two. This knowledge gap must be addressed if men and women are to benefit equally from interventions to counteract poverty. A survey of 360 smallholder farmers and 82 vegetable traders in Tanzania was conducted under the “Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation” program funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and led by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). Its objective was to examine gender relationships within production and within trade, as well as between the actors in both groups. Research foci were on production activities and income, market performance and access to resources as important areas of gendered value chain analysis. Results show no pronounced gender division in the production process, with the exception of pest and disease management, input purchase and seed selection (all predominantly carried out by men). Clear differences between male and female farmers emerged in the allocation of income from various crops. An exploration of why leafy vegetables are grown revealed that the juxtaposition of food crops and cash crops in relation to gender needs to be rethought. Market performance of female producers of leafy vegetables was weaker than that of their male counterparts and that of female traders. Both male and female traders rated their decision-making power as high in relation to the income generated through vegetable sales. For female smallholders, access to land constituted a major constraint. Women in male-headed households had the least contact with extension officers and training. Without careful consideration of these and other results of gender analysis in value chains, interventions are at risk of failing to improve the livelihoods of producers and traders