Intensive cereal-legume–livestock systems in West African dry Savannas.

The dry savannas of West Africa are undergoing rapid transformation of agricultural practices owing to the rapid human and livestock population growth, increase in agricultural intensification and accelerated climate change which has increased the incidence and severity of diseases, pests and drought. The major constraints to agricultural production in the savanna include poor soil fertility, pests and diseases of crops and livestock, parasitic weeds such as Striga hermonthica, drought, and competition between crops and livestock for resources, Inadequate policies, weak institutional mechanisms, and poor linkages among farmers, and researchers prevent adoption of improved agricultural technologies that can combat these constraints. The risk of continuous cultivation on these poor and fragile soils is huge. Integrating crop and livestock production offers ways to increase production while protecting the environment. Over the years, research and development institutions have generated several agricultural technologies to alleviate the majority of the production constraints in the West African savannas. However, most development organizations use traditional extension methods that result in poor adoption of the improved technologies. The integration of crop and livestock production is particularly desirable in intensively farmed and densely populated areas with access to urban markets. Proper integration of these practices will diversify smallholder income and increase food security. Integrated genetic and natural resource management provides the keys improved eco-efficiency. This includes integrating pesticide use with cultural practices such as modified planting date and disease control; rotating/ intercropping cereals and legumes; use of pest resistant\tolerant cultivars to increase the effectiveness of pest control and reduce the need for pesticides; and improving soil fertility restoration/maintenance. Government and national institutions in West Africa are encouraged to scale-out these technologies to wider areas for increased benefit to farmers through the use of proven extension methods

Amino acid Profile of Trichosantes cucumerina from four Geopolitical Zones in Nigeria.

Abstract The aim of the study was to investigate the amino acid profile of five (5) ecotypes of T. cucumerina (snake gourd) from four geopolitical zones in Nigeria. Fresh ripe fruit of T. cucumerina was collected from the research farm of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Umuahia Abia State Nigeria. The seeds were extracted from the fresh ripe fruit, blended and stored in the refrigerator for further use. Amino acid was determined using HPLC apparatus. Glutamate had the highest protein content which ranged from 14.4643-15.23094g/100 of protein; followed by aspartate with 2.0981-12.20628g/100 of protein, leucine with 7.20846-8.9831g/100 of protein. Glycine protein was the least with a ranged of 0.0435-4.2118g/100. The snake gourd amino acid profile was found highest in North-Central ecotype (Benue State) with a ranged of (1.115-14.46497) g/100 protein; followed by South-West ecotype (Ekiti and Osun States) with a range of (0.87481-12.20628), (0.0435-15. 23094) g/100protein respectively. South- East ecotype (Abia State) T.cucumerina result ranged from (0.54978-14.67031)g/100 protein. The least result was found in South-South ecotype snake gourd with 0.35514-14.46243g/100 protein. Variation in amino acid content in ripe fruits of T. cucumerina accessions investigated revealed that glycine had the highest coefficient variation of 140% followed by tyrosine with 54.31%, aspartate 47.56%, and least from valine 5.62%, isoleucine 7.05%, tryptophan 6.51% and cysteine 6.82% glutamate 2.14%. There were three clusters in the dendrogram of amino acid composition of selected snake tomato ecotypes investigated.  Amino acid result revealed that the highest amino acid content was found in snake gourd from the North -Central and least in South-South ecotype respectively. Keywords: Amino acid, Trichosanthes cucumerina, Ecotypes, South-East, South-South, South-West and North Central

Application of fast technology for analysis (FTA) for sampling and recovery of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) for molecular characterization of cowpea breeding lines for Striga resistance

Article purchasedStriga gesnerioides (Willd) Vatke is a significant constraint to cowpea production in the dry savannas of sub-Saharan Africa. Yield losses caused by S. gesnerioides in these regions are estimated in millions of tons annually and the prevalence of Striga soil infestation is steadily increasing. Conventional breeding efforts have developed some cowpea lines with Striga resistance as well as other important agronomic traits but it is time-consuming and difficult to pyramid favorable traits. The use of marker-assisted selection (MAS) makes it easier to select plant traits and reduce the time needed to develop new varieties. The potential of Fast Technology for Analysis (FTA) as an effective technology for sampling and retrieval of DNA from plant tissue and their subsequent molecular analysis was assessed in the laboratory. DNA was successfully recovered from the leaf tissues of cowpea pressed into the FTA® Classic card and the DNA obtained from the FTA papers was found to be suitable for molecular analysis by PCR-based techniques. The marker efficiency of Sequence Characterized Amplified Region (SCAR) marker MahSe2 and C42B was 93% in detecting SG3 resistance. This study demonstrated that the application of MAS using FTA technology has the potential to put the breeding process on a fast track and increase the efficiency of breeding activities

Performance of semideterminate and indeterminate cowpeas relaycropped into maize in Northeast Nigeria

Field trials were conducted in 2005 and 2006 in Tilla (northern Guinea savanna) and Sabon-Gari (Sudan savanna) in northeast Nigeria to determine the performance of two improved cowpea varieties when relay-intercropped with early and late maize, 6 and 8 weeks after planting the maize. Grain yield, number of branches and number of pods per plant were higher for the variety IT89KD-288 than for IT97K-499-35, whether planted sole or relay-intercropped with maize. Grain yield was lower for IT97K-499-35 than for IT89KD-288 when relay-intercropped with maize irrespective of the maturity period of the companion maize crop. This may be due to the indeterminate growth habit and shade tolerance of IT89KD-288 which allowed a higher pod load than IT97K-499-35. However, relay-intercropping with early maize gave higher yield than relay-intercropping into late maize. Also relay-intercropping at 6 weeks after planting maize (WAP) gave a higher yield than relay-intercropping at 8 WAP. This therefore, suggests that introducing cowpea into short statured early maize may mean less competition for light and soil resources compared to taller late maize. Also introducing the cowpea earlier may allow the crop to make full use of soil moisture during the cropping season

Grain legume seed systems for smallholder farmers: perspectives on successful innovations

Open Access Article; Published online: 01 Sept 2020Grain legumes are nutritionally important components of smallholder farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Unfortunately, limited access to quality seed of improved varieties at affordable prices due to inadequate seed systems has reduced their contribution to improving nutrition and reducing poverty in these regions. This paper analyses four seed systems case studies: chickpea in Ethiopia and Myanmar; cowpea in Nigeria; and tropical grain legumes in Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda highlighting outcomes, lessons learned, and the enabling factors which supported the successful innovations. All four case studies highlighted at least some of the following outcomes: increased adoption of improved varieties and area planted; increased productivity and income to farmers; improved market access and growth; and significant national economic benefits. Important lessons were learned including the value of small seed packets to reach many farmers; the value of innovative partnerships; capacity building of value chain actors; and continuity and coherence of funding through Tropical Legumes projects II and III and the recently funded Accelerated Varietal Improvement and Seed Delivery of Legumes and Cereals in Africa (AVISA) project. Successful adoption of innovations depends not just on the right technologies but also on the enabling environment. The case studies clearly showed that market demand was correctly identified, establishment of successful partners and institutional linkages overcame constraints in production and delivery of improved seed to smallholders, and fostered conducive policies supported national seed systems. All were integral to seed system viability and sustainability. It is hoped that these examples will provide potential models for future grain legume seed systems efforts. In addition, the analysis identified a number of areas that require further research

Enthusiasm of actors within the groundnut value chain sharing impact stories in Uganda

Published online: 11 Mar 2020The role of women in traditional African homes is often considered subordinate than that of men. Women in most cases are expected to look after the household and the children and ensure food security while men, on the other hand, are tasked with ensuring financial security. In Uganda, women contribute to 53% agricultural labor force; this is because they have limited access to land and thus resort to offering labor to farm owners. Tropical Legumes projects has strived to empower women through creating awareness and sensitizations to women groups in various parts of the country (Fig. 4.1)

Seed dressing maize with imazapyr to control Striga hermonthica in farmers’ fields in the savannas of Nigeria

Open Access Journal; Published online: 17 Mar 2020Use of small doses of imazapyr and pyrithiobac for seed coatings of imazapyr-resistant maize hybrids (IR-Maize) offers an effective means to control Striga hermonthica. Field trials were conducted in Bauchi and Kano States of Nigeria in 2014 and 2015 under heavy Striga infestation to evaluate the potential effectiveness of herbicide coated hybrids maize on Striga control in farmers’ field. Results showed that herbicide coated seeds reduced number of emerged Striga per m2 and Striga damage symptoms in farmers’ fields in all the locations. In Kano the number of emerged Striga was 4.9 to 7.9 times less in herbicide treated hybrids in comparison with those of the same hybrids planted without herbicide treatment. The Striga-resistant open pollinated variety (OPV) (TZL COMP1 SYN) had 6.7 to 8.0 times more Striga than the treated hybrids. In Bauchi, the number of emerged Striga on the untreated IR-maize hybrids were over four-times higher on the treated IR-maize hybrids than on the untreated hybrids. The Striga-resistant OPV check had four-times more Striga than the treated IR-maize hybrids and twice more than the untreated IR-maize hybrids across the two years. However, the effects of herbicide seed coating on grain yields were not consistent because of strong seasonal effects. The result revealed that coating of imazapyr-resistant hybrid maize seeds with imazapyr was effective in reducing Striga infestation in farmers’ fields. Although herbicide seed coating did not give consistent yield advantages of the hybrids over the untreated checks, a combination of herbicide seed treatment and genetic resistance to Striga would serve as an effective integrated approach that could significantly reduce the parasite seed bank from the soil and prevent production of new seeds. The IR-hybrids and the OPV checks contained Striga resistance/tolerant genes that protected them against drastic yield loss in the Striga infested fields in both Bauchi and Kano

Maize-soybean intercropping for sustainable intensification of cereal-legume cropping systems in northern Nigeria

Article purchased; Published online: 20 Nov 2017Field studies were conducted during the 2014 and 2015 wet seasons at Zaria in the northern Guinea savanna and at Iburu in the southern Guinea savanna of Nigeria to determine the productivity of maize– soybean intercropping system. There were four treatment combinations in the experiment: sole maize; sole soybean; maize spaced at 50 cm and intercropped with soybean; and maize spaced at 65 cm and intercropped with soybean. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The results showed that sole cropped maize and soybean generally outperformed the intercropped component crops. Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) was greater than 1 for all the intercrop treatments, indicating that it is advantageous to grow maize and soybean in association than in pure stands. Except for 2014 in Zaria, LER for intercropped maize spaced at 50 cm was higher than that for maize spaced at 65 cm. Gross Monetary Value (GMV) was generally higher for intercrops than sole crops except in Iburu in 2015 where GMV for intercropped maize spaced at 65 cm was similar to those of sole maize and soybean. Monetary Advantage Index (MAI) was positive for all intercrop treatments in both locations and years, which shows definite yield and economic advantages compared to the sole cropping systems. This suggests that farmers can intercrop soybean and maize with maize spaced at 50 cm and 65 cm