Testcross performance and combining ability of intermediate maturing drought tolerant maize inbred lines in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Drought is a major constraint on maize ( L.) production and productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The increase in frequency and severity of drought, driven by climate change, is expected to worsen in the future.

Employment-related time poverty, time stress and food away from home behaviour: Panel evidence from Australia.

This study examines the link between employment-related time poverty and food away from home (FAFH) behaviour. We use a large representative sample of Australians drawn from five waves of panel data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey. Endogeneity biases stemming from reverse causality and omitted variable issues are resolved using fixed effect-instrumental variable approach while other quasi-experimental methods are applied to check for consistency in findings.

A socioeconomic and cost benefit analysis of Tropical Race 4 (TR4) prevention methods among banana producers in Colombia.

The global banana industry faces a significant threat from Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Tropical Race 4 (TR4).

Effects of different afforestation years on soil moisture and nutrient content in Maxian Mountain of the Loess Plateau.

In the area of "returning farmland to forest" on the Loess Plateau in China, it is difficult to cultivate artificially planted trees into forests. In the current study, abandoned cultivated land after 10 years of natural restoration served as controls (CK), while the treatments included afforestation periods of 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 years. Soil samples were collected from various depths: 0-20, 20-40, 40-60, 60-80, to 80-100 cm.

Gender mainstreaming in sweetpotato breeding and dissemination in Ghana and Malawi.

Gender responsiveness in breeding programs to meet client and end user preferences for crops is essential. This case study analyzes the implementation experience of gender-responsive breeding and variety dissemination in Malawi and Ghana, focusing on good practices and challenges encountered. In Malawi, a training-of-trainers approach was employed to share knowledge among trained farmers.

Molecular Characterization Analysis and Adaptive Responses of (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to Nutritional and Enzymatic Variabilities in Various Maize Cultivars.

The fall armyworm, Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), a common agricultural pest known for its extensive migration and wide host ranges, causes considerable harm to maize ( L.). In this study, we utilized two molecular marker genes, and , to compare the genetic characteristics of the collected original samples.

Quantitative trait loci and genomic prediction for grain sugar and mineral concentrations of cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.].

Development of high yielding cowpea varieties coupled with good taste and rich in essential minerals can promote consumption and thus nutrition and profitability. The sweet taste of cowpea grain is determined by its sugar content, which comprises mainly sucrose and galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) including raffinose and stachyose. However, GOS are indigestible and their fermentation in the colon can produce excess intestinal gas, causing undesirable bloating and flatulence.

Gender trait preferences among smallholder cowpea farmers in northern Ghana: lessons from a case study.

Introduction: This case study reports on how a gender responsive breeding program contributes to meeting the trait preference of men and women for improved cowpea varieties in northern Ghana.

Methods: Fifty-eight early-maturing, medium-maturing and dual-purpose cowpea lines were planted at the CSIR-SARI research fields and women and men farmers invited for participatory plant breeding (PPB) in 2016. Selected lines from the PPB were further evaluated in 2017 using participatory varietal selection (PVS) in 5 districts in northern Ghana.

The groundnut improvement network for Africa (GINA) germplasm collection: a unique genetic resource for breeding and gene discovery.

Cultivated peanut or groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is a grain legume grown in many developing countries by smallholder farmers for food, feed, and/or income. The speciation of the cultivated species, that involved polyploidization followed by domestication, greatly reduced its variability at the DNA level.

Bacillus velezensis FX-6 suppresses the infection of Botrytis cinerea and increases the biomass of tomato plants.

Botrytis cinerea causing tomato gray mold is a major cause of economic loss in tomato production. It is urgent and necessary to seek an effective and environmentally friendly control strategy to control tomato grey mold disease. In this study, Bacillus velezensis FX-6 isolated from the rhizosphere of plants displayed significant inhibitory ability against B.

Oviposition Preference and Age-Stage, Two-Sex Life Table Analysis of (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on Different Maize Varieties.

Host plants play an important role in the growth, development, and reproduction of insects. However, only a few studies have reported the effects of maize varieties on the growth and reproduction of . In this study, a free-choice test was used to evaluate the oviposition preferences of female adults on ten common maize varieties and ten special maize varieties.

Population growth of Tetranychus truncatus (Acari: Tetranychidae) on different drought-tolerant potato cultivars.

Tetranychus truncatus Ehara (Acari: Tetranychidae) has become one of the major phytophagous pests in China in recent years, and is found on a wide range of host plants. However, little information is available on the population performance of this arthropod pest on potatoes. In this study, we explored the population growth of T.

Effects of different plantation years on grassland plant community in Maxian Mountain area of the Loess Plateau.

Plant communities in the Loess Plateau's artificial afforestation forests play an important role in fragile ecosystem restoration. Therefore, the composition, coverage, biomass, diversity, and similarity of grassland plant communities in different years of artificial afforestation in cultivated land were investigated. The effects of years of artificial afforestation on grassland plant community succession in the Loess Plateau were also investigated.

Multi-locus genome-wide association studies reveal genomic regions and putative candidate genes associated with leaf spot diseases in African groundnut ( L.) germplasm.

Early leaf spot (ELS) and late leaf spot (LLS) diseases are the two most destructive groundnut diseases in Ghana resulting in ≤ 70% yield losses which is controlled largely by chemical method. To develop leaf spot resistant varieties, the present study was undertaken to identify single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers and putative candidate genes underlying both ELS and LLS. In this study, six multi-locus models of genome-wide association study were conducted with the best linear unbiased predictor obtained from 294 African groundnut germplasm screened for ELS and LLS as well as image-based indices of leaf spot diseases severity in 2020 and 2021 and 8,772 high-quality SNPs from a 48 K SNP array Axiom platform.

Identification of sources of resistance in cowpea lines to Macrophomina root rot disease in Northern Ghana.

Macrophomina root rot disease (MRRD) caused by is an emerging threat to the profitable cowpea production in northern Ghana. Recommended control methods including the use of fungicides are ineffective and expensive for resource poor farmers whilst biocontrol options are not commercially available. An integrated method based on host plant resistance is considered the cheapest and most effective method of managing the disease.

Combining Abilities and Heterotic Patterns among Early Maturing Maize Inbred Lines under Optimal and -Infested Environments.

Information on the general combining ability of inbred lines and the specific combining ability of hybrid combinations is crucial for successful hybrid development. The objectives of this study were to (i) determine the combining ability of thirty selected early maturing maize inbred lines under -infested and optimal environments, (ii) classify the inbred lines into heterotic groups using the general combining ability effects of multiple traits (HGCAMT) and the single nucleotide polymorphism genetic distance (SNP- GD) methods, and (iii) assess the effectiveness of the heterotic grouping methods. One hundred and fifty single-cross hybrids were generated from the thirty inbred lines using the North Carolina Design II mating method.

Farmers' response to COVID-19 disruptions: The case of cropland allocation decision.

This study provides new evidence on the determining factors of cropland allocation decisions within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic by using the seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) model on 309 farm households. The results reveal that socio-economic, production, institutional, and political factors significantly influence the choice and size of cropland allocation decisions among legumes and cereals. Beyond these factors, we find that COVID-19 education increases land area allocated to staples while perception of disruptive effect of COVID-19 on agriculture positively correlates with the area under commercial crop (soybean) production.

Effects of abiotic stresses on the expression of chitinase-like genes in .

Insect chitinases play a crucial part to digest chitin in the exoskeleton during the molting process. However, research on insect chitinase related to the environmental stress response is very limited. This study was the first conducted to expression analysis of chitinase- related genes in under abiotic stresses.

Potato ( L.) Leaf Extract Concentration Affects Performance and Oxidative Stress in Green Peach Aphids (Sulzer).

This study was conducted to determine the aphicidal effect of a leaf extract of the Atlantic potato cultivar on the performance of green peach aphids. Three concentrations of the leaf extract (100, 75, and 50% potato extract), synthetic pesticide (Beta cypermethrin 4.5%), and distilled water (control) treatments were applied in a greenhouse experiment.

Household Processing Methods and Their Impact on Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Activities of Sweetpotato Genotypes of Varying Storage Root Flesh Colours.

Sweetpotato storage roots, peeled and unpeeled, of varying flesh colours (white, cream, yellow, pale orange, deep orange, and purple) were spectrophotometrically evaluated for their bioactive compounds and antioxidant activities. Roots were boiled, steamed, baked, fried, or microwaved. The unpeeled roots had relatively higher (p < 0.

Perceptions of COVID-19 shocks and adoption of sustainable agricultural practices in Ghana.

Most studies on the novel COVID-19 pandemic have focused mainly on human health, food systems, and employment with limited studies on how farmers implement sustainable agricultural practices (SAPs) in response to the pandemic. This study examines how perceptions of COVID-19 shocks influence the adoption of SAPs among smallholder farmers in Ghana. We find that perceptions of COVID-19 shocks influence the probability and intensity of SAPs adoption.

Responses of Six Wheat Cultivars () to Wheat Aphid () Infestation.

Resistant variety screening is widely recommended for the management of . The purpose of this study was to assess responses of six wheat varieties (lines) to . The aphid quantity ratio (AQR) was used to assess resistance.

Responses of Fungi Maggot ( Johannsen) to Allyl Isothiocyanate and High CO.

Botanical pesticide is highly recommended for integrated pest management (IPM), due to its merits such as environmental friendliness, safe to non-target organisms, operators, animals, and food consumers. The experiment was conducted to determine the lethal and sub-lethal effects of allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) on eggs, third instar larvae, pupae, and females and males of Johannsen (). Different concentrations of AITC under ambient CO by the conical flask sealed fumigation method were used for the experiment.