Edible caterpillars ( and ) as emerging source of nutrients and bioactive compounds.

Globally, despite the commercial and cultural importance of edible caterpillars ( and ), comprehensive information on their dietary and therapeutic benefits has not been fully explored. The study was aimed at evaluating the nutritional composition and bioactive compounds profile of two important edible caterpillars ( and ) in Africa. Our results demonstrated that and are capable of amplifying host plant protein (17 %) by 4.

Effects of changing farming practices in African agriculture.

Information on the effects of changing agricultural management on crop and livestock performance is critical for developing evidence-based policies, investments, and programs. Evidence for Resilient Agriculture (ERA) v1.0.

Reduction in vertical transmission rate of bean common mosaic virus in bee-pollinated common bean plants.

Vertical transmission, the transfer of pathogens across generations, is a critical mechanism for the persistence of plant viruses. The transmission mechanisms are diverse, involving direct invasion through the suspensor and virus entry into developing gametes before achieving symplastic isolation. Despite the progress in understanding vertical virus transmission, the environmental factors influencing this process remain largely unexplored.

Sensory properties of selected biofortified common bean () varieties grown in Burundi.

The dry common bean is an important grain legume used for human consumption worldwide. In Eastern Africa, Burundi has a significantly high per capita consumption of the crop. There has been significant research on the underlying agronomic traits of dry biofortified common beans, such as disease resistance.

A case of transdisciplinarity and collaborative decision making: the co-construction of Gendered Food Product Profiles.

Crop breeding in sub-Saharan Africa has made considerable gains; however, postharvest and food-related preferences have been overlooked, in addition to how these preferences vary by gender, social difference and context. This context is changing as participatory approaches using intersectional gender and place-based methods are beginning to inform how breeding programmes make decisions. This article presents an innovative methodology to inclusively and democratically prioritise food quality traits of root, tuber and banana crops based on engagement with food systems actors and transdisciplinary collaboration.

Analysis of association of sensory and laboratory assessments for quality and consumer acceptability of steamed East Africa highland bananas.

Background: The relevance of several characteristics for the acceptability of steamed East Africa bananas (matooke) was assessed using consumer-preferred characteristics, the overall liking scores, check-all-that-apply (CATA) and the Just About Right scale. The study was conducted in rural and urban locations in three banana growing regions of Uganda. Two landraces and two hybrids were processed into matooke.

Prospects of snap beans () production and commercialization in Benin.

Background: Vegetables and fruits are highly recommended in diets because of their nutritional importance. Among those, leguminous vegetables are more important, for low-income countries, because of their protein, mineral contents and potential to increase food security and income. In Benin, snap beans () are the most consumed leguminous vegetables; however, their production is declining, driving the need to understand the current status of its industry to propose solutions for the revival of the sector.

High-density DArTSeq SNP markers revealed wide genetic diversity and structured population in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) germplasm in Ethiopia.

Introduction: Common bean is one of the widely consumed food security crop in Africa, Asia, and South America. Understanding genetic diversity and population structure is crucial for designing breeding strategies.

Materials: Two hundred and eighty-nine germplasm were recently collected from different regions of Ethiopia and introduced from CIAT to estimate genetic diversity and population structure using 11,480 DArTSeq SNP markers.

Development of NIRS calibration curves for sugars in baked sweetpotato.

Background: Variability in sugar content between raw and cooked sweetpotato storage roots impact nutritional and dietary importance with implications for consumer preference. High-throughput phenotyping is required to breed varieties that satisfy consumer preferences.

Results: Near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) calibration curves were developed for analysing sugars in baked storage roots using 147 genotypes from a population segregating for sugar content and other traits.

Connecting data for consumer preferences, food quality, and breeding in support of market-oriented breeding of root, tuber, and banana crops.

The 5-year project 'Breeding roots, tubers and banana products for end user preferences' (RTBfoods) focused on collecting consumers' preferences on 12 food products to guide breeding programmes. It involved multidisciplinary teams from Africa, Latin America, and Europe. Diverse data types were generated on preferred qualities of users (farmers, family and entrepreneurial processors, traders or retailers, and consumers).

Using preschoolers to improve caregivers' knowledge, attitude, and practices relating to biofortified crops: Evidence from a randomized nutrition education trial in Kenya.

This 2018 randomized controlled trial examined the role behavioral nudges can play in improving caregivers' knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) relating to biofortified orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP). The experiment involved 431 preschooler-caregiver pairs in 15 villages. The preschoolers were enrolled in public-run Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) centers in the respective villages.

Introgression of bruchid ( resistance into small red common bean () background and validation of the BRU_00261 (snpPV0007) resistance marker.

Bruchids are a major storage pest of common bean. Genetic resistance is a suitable method to avoid grain losses during storage. The objective of the study was to introgress the arcelin-based resistance locus into selected advanced breeding line and to validate the molecular marker BRU_00261.

Acceptability of orange corn-common bean as an alternative to corn-soybean complementary porridge in Malawi.

This study assessed the acceptability of porridge from a corn-common bean flour blend to increase the diversity of complementary foods in Malawi. Porridges prepared using commercial corn-soybean flour (C-CSB), homemade orange corn-soybean flour (H-CSB), and orange corn-common bean flour (CCBB) were evaluated by 101 pairs of mothers and their respective children aged from 6 to 24 months. A home use test (HUT) setup was used in this study, and the flours were given sequentially to participating households following a randomized complete block design.

Lack of Association between Fluconazole Susceptibility and Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Clinical Isolates from Uganda.

Fluconazole is the drug of choice for cryptococcal meningitis (CM) monoprophylaxis in resource-limited settings such as Uganda. Emerging fluconazole resistance linked to mutations in the Cryptococcus neoformansERG11 gene (CYP51) has been observed in clinical isolates. Currently, the single nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs] in the Cryptococcus spp.

Cost-benefit analysis of prioritized climate-smart agricultural practices among smallholder farmers: evidence from selected value chains across sub-Saharan Africa.

Prioritization of adaptation options is complex. This study presents a multi-dimensional framework to evaluate how to allocate resources among competing alternatives. The main objectives of the study were to identify the prioritized climate-smart agricultural practices adopted among smallholder farmers in different value chains across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and to assess the economic feasibility of the practices using Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) to develop a portfolio of viable and cost-effective options.

Factors constraining the adoption of soil organic carbon enhancing technologies among small-scale farmers in Ethiopia.

Declining soil fertility is one of the major causes of food insecurity and high levels of poverty, both of which tend to hamper economic development in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). To improve soil fertility, the implementation of soil organic carbon (SOC) enhancement technologies has become crucial to slowing land degradation, through increasing SOC, which is the basis of soil fertility. Using data from 381 households from Azuga-Suba and Yesir watersheds in Ethiopia, this study explores the extent of the adoption of technologies that enhance SOC.

Smallholder farmers' perception of climate change and adoption of climate smart agriculture practices in Masaba South Sub-county, Kisii, Kenya.

Many countries experience the negative impacts of climate change especially in the decline of agricultural productivity leading to decreased national and household food security. This study assessed smallholder farmers' perception of climate variability and change and their adaptation strategies in Masaba South Sub-County, Kisii County, Kenya. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to collect data from 196 smallholder farmers.

Is investment in Climate-Smart-agricultural practices the option for the future? Cost and benefit analysis evidence from Ghana.

A majority of smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries depend to a large extent on agriculture for food security and income. Efforts aimed at improving farm-related profitability are therefore important to improving livelihoods among smallholder farmers. In Ghana, for example, smallholder farmers that depend on agriculture face serious risks especially those related to climate change and variability and soil degradation.

The East African highland cooking bananas 'Matooke' preferences of farmers and traders: Implications for variety development.

'Matooke' is a staple food made from Highland cooking bananas in the Great Lakes region of East Africa. Genetic improvement of these bananas for resistance to pests and diseases has been a priority breeding objective. However, there is insufficient information on fruit quality characteristics that different users prefer, resulting in sub-optimal adoption of new varieties.

Survey data on income, food security, and dietary behavior among women and children from households of differing socio-economic status in urban and peri-urban areas of Nairobi, Kenya.

This article describes data collected to analyze consumer behaviors in vulnerable populations by examining key access constraints to nutritious foods among households of differing socio-economic status in urban and peri‑urban areas of Nairobi, Kenya. The key variables studied include wealth status, food security, and dietary behavior indicators at individual and household level. Household food insecurity access scale (HFIAS), livelihood coping strategies (LCS), food expenditure share (FES), food consumption score (FCS), household dietary diversity score (HDDS), minimum dietary diversity-women(MDD-W), and child dietary diversity score (CDDS) indicators were used to measure food security.

The Rural Household Multiple Indicator Survey, data from 13,310 farm households in 21 countries.

The Rural Household Multiple Indicator Survey (RHoMIS) is a standardized farm household survey approach which collects information on 758 variables covering household demographics, farm area, crops grown and their production, livestock holdings and their production, agricultural product use and variables underlying standard socio-economic and food security indicators such as the Probability of Poverty Index, the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, and household dietary diversity. These variables are used to quantify more than 40 different indicators on farm and household characteristics, welfare, productivity, and economic performance. Between 2015 and the beginning of 2018, the survey instrument was applied in 21 countries in Central America, sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.

Genomics, genetics and breeding of common bean in Africa: A review of tropical legume project.

Common bean ( L.) is an important legume crop worldwide. The International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and its national partners in Africa aim to overcome production constraints of common bean and address the food, nutrition needs and market demands through development of multitrait bean varieties.

Survey-based data on food security, nutrition and agricultural production shocks among rural farming households in northern Uganda.

Climate change, degradation of natural resources, conflict or civil war, diseases and poverty are among the key threats that impact agriculture, human nutrition, food security and food safety among rural households in developing countries. Sustainability of food systems and livelihoods will thus crucially depend on not only the ability to accommodate or recover from these threats but also to tap into opportunities for strengthening long-term capabilities. One approach to enhancing resilience to enhance food security and nutrition is building an evidence base to better understand the various types of smallholders, threats to agriculture production and the associated risks to food security and nutrition and household food preferences.

Analyses of African common bean ( L.) germplasm using a SNP fingerprinting platform: diversity, quality control and molecular breeding.

Common bean ( L.) is an important staple crop for smallholder farmers, particularly in Eastern and Southern Africa. To support common bean breeding and seed dissemination, a high throughput SNP genotyping platform with 1500 established SNP assays has been developed at a genotyping service provider which allows breeders without their own genotyping infrastructure to outsource such service.