West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement
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Item Pre- and Post-Harvest Practices and Varietal Preferences of Tomato in Ghana(Sustainability, 2022) Melomey, L.D.; Ayenan, M.A.T.; Marechera, G.; et al.Tailored interventions in the tomato sector require current information on production and marketing systems, along with the constraints faced by the stakeholders. We conducted this study to understand the current production practices, stakeholders’ varietal preferences, and tomato market trends and challenges along the crop’s value chains. A multistage sampling method coupled with a random walk was used to identify survey locations and identify 180 respondents across seven regions in Ghana. The study showed that tomato were predominantly produced by male (81%) and literate farmers (84%). Tomato farmers were smallholder farmers, generally cultivating less than five acres. Tomatoes were mainly cultivated under rainy conditions. Farmers used both bought seeds and their own saved seeds for production. Farmers in Bono, Greater Accra, and the Upper East region largely cultivated improved tomato varieties, while farmers in the Bono East region cultivated local varieties. Across the regions, being a male and having access to irrigation facilities increased the probability of using improved varieties by 19% and 51%, respectively. The most important farmer and market preference criteria included high yield, medium to large fruit size and rounded fruit shape, red color, time to maturity and disease resistance. The major production challenges of tomato production included diseases, pests, and poor access to water for irrigation. The average yield of tomato varied from 6902.26 kg/ha in the Bono Region to 16,213.98 kg/ha in Bono East. Tomato was exclusively produced for fresh market. The major marketing challenges were low producer prices, low demand for produce and competition from other farmers. This study provides key information to improve tomato value chains and guide the introduction or breeding of improved tomato varieties.Item Retailers’ knowledge and practices on the storage and handling of certified vegetable seeds: A case study of the Ashanti Region, Ghana(Sustainable Futures, 2021) Adom, J.A.; Dzidzienyo, D.K.; Ofosu-Anim, J.Poor seed storage and handling practices adversely affect seed quality. To investigate retailers’ knowledge and practices in handling and storing certified vegetable seeds to ensure seed quality maintenance, a survey was conducted with a questionnaire and a thermo-hygrometer in the Ashanti Region. Results indicated retailers were aware of the factors that affected seed quality during storage. Retailers stored seeds at room temperature, and repackaged seeds in smaller sizes due to challenges like lack of cold storage, lack of credits, seed pricing and seed package sizes. Retailers require cold storage facilities to ensure continuous supply of quality seeds to farmers.Item Characterization of Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Genotypes for Drought Tolerance(AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE DIGEST - A Research Journal of Agriculture, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, 2022) Kachiguma, N.A.; Ifie, B.E.; Maliro, M.F.A.Background: Drought is a major constraint affecting the seed yield of common bean in smallholder farmers’ fields in Malawi. Therefore, there is a need to develop genotypes that can perform well under drought conditions. The study was conducted to assess the variability of common bean genotypes under stressed and optimum soil moisture conditions. Methods: Forty-three common bean genotypes were evaluated under low and optimum soil moisture in a split-plot pot experiment in 2017. Data were collected at flowering stage on five root traits and seed weight. Result: Highly significant (P<0.01) differences were observed among the genotypes and the genotype water treatment interactions for the root traits and seed weight. Water stress increased hypocotyl root number, basal root number and basal root growth angle by 127.1, 11.3 and 46.1%, respectively, while hypocotyl root length, basal root whorl number and seed weight were reduced by 7.1, 1.9 and 9.4%, respectively. Broad-sense heritability and genetic advance (%) were highest for hypocotyl root length. Genotypes CER-78, SAB-560 and SER-125 were considered tolerant to soil moisture stress and should therefore be tested in various drought conditions for release and used for genetic enhancement, focusing on root traits and seed yield.Item Towards Striga-resistant Gene pool in Nigerian Pearl millet landraces(E3S Web of Conferences, 2024) Maryam, D.; Eleblu, J.; Ofori, K.; et al.Parasitism of crop plants by Striga species is a major constraint in the savannah zones of West Africa. A germplasm collection comprised of 240 accessions of pearl millet was screened under natural Striga hermonthica infestation to identify sources of Striga resistance. Data were collected at different time points, specifically at 70, 90 and 140 days after planting for Striga count, Striga vigour and Striga severity. Number of panicles weight and Grain yield were also measured. The results revealed significant variation in the resistance of pearl millet genotypes to Striga. Fifteen genotypes identified as the most resistant were free of emerged Striga shoots. 10 genotypes supported 1–4 4 Striga shoots but with appreciable yield and 15 genotypes supported 1-4 Striga shoots and low grain yield. Principal Component and cluster analyses grouped these genotypes into 3 main clusters medium yielding tolerant to Striga, low yielding susceptible to Striga and medium to high yielding resistant to Striga. The high level of resistance observed in some breeding lines enabled the selection of suitable parents for population development.Item Citrus Extract Found Potent in the Control of Seed-Borne Fungal Pathogens of Pearl Millet—A Recommendation for Farmers’ Seed Saving Systems(Horticulturae, 2023) Anafo, M.A.; Sugri, I.; Asungre, P.A.; Ankamah-Yeboah, T.; Eleblu, J.S.Y.; Danquah, E.Y.Seed saving is crucial to ensure seed and food security, especially in developing countries. In Ghana, about 90% of pearl millet farmers utilise farmer-saved seed for production. Such seeds usually have a low germination rate, and may carry important seed-borne pathogens. In this study, the quality of farmer-saved seeds and the potential of botanicals to control seed-borne fungi were examined. A structured questionnaire was administered to 120 farmers from Garu, Bongo and Kassana-Nankana districts in Ghana. During the survey, 60 samples of farmer-saved seed were obtained for seed quality evaluation. Aqueous extracts of neem (Azadirachta indica) and citrus (Citrus sinensis) were prepared as seed treatments compared with a control. Fourteen (14) fungal species were associated with the seed samples, but the four dominant ones were Curvularia spp. (62%), Talaromyces spp. (53%), Aspergillus spp. (52%) and Exserohilum spp. (42%). The application of citrus extract inhibited fungal incidence (15–31.7%) compared to neem extract (33.3–93.3%) and the control (96.7–98.3%). The application of citrus extract resulted in a higher (74.7–82.8%) field germination rate compared to neem extract (62.3–73.2%) and the control (65.5–69.2%). The citrus extract was the most efficient treatment in reducing the incidence of fungi and enhancing the seed germination and vigour of pearl millet.Item Elucidation of the Genetic Diversity within Some In Situ Shea Germplasm in Ghana(Agronomy, 2023) Anyomi, W.E.; Barnor, M.T.; Eleblu, J.S.Y.; et al.: Shea is an agroforestry tree species known primarily for its rich butter, which contains stearin and tocopherol, and has ultraviolet ray absorption property; it is used in cooking, body care and traditional medicines. This tree is, however, uncultivated and collection of its nuts by rural dwellers is threatened by increased urbanization with its accompanying land use pressure and the need for fuel wood for rural households. There is also increased demand for shea products worldwide necessitating the need for shea improvement strategies. At the apex of this improvement program lies the need for germplasm collection, characterization, conservation and utilization. In order to conserve elite shea materials amidst dwindling shea populations threatened by climate change, there is a need to develop shea germplasm banks based on the representation of genetic and phenotypic variation focusing on known traits. The objective of the study was to evaluate 282 shea accessions for germplasm conservation and to determine the genetic diversity of the collected materials to inform future collections and drive crop improvement strategies. Leaf traits were used to differentiate and group the selected materials. Leaf length ranged between 16.83 cm and 30.85 cm, and leaf blade length ranged between 12.28 cm and 20.68 cm. Petiole length varied between 5.53 cm and 10.2 cm and the blade to petiole ratio was from 1.41 to 2.69. Correlation studies revealed significant negative correlation between the latitude of collection and all leaf traits measured. There was significant positive correlation between blade length and petiole length (0.57), blade length and total leaf length (0.87) and petiole length and breadth (0.49). The collected materials were grouped at 90% into two, based on the morphological descriptors studied. Three different approaches were employed to genetically analyze the materials based on single nucleotide polymorphic markers (SNP). A phylogenetic tree was constructed based on the SNPs generated; this grouped the materials into three, with various subgroups. Principal coordinate analysis also produced three distinct groups with groupings not based on geographical area of collection. Discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) also confirmed three groupings. The genetic diversity of the collection was very low (Hs) = 0.0406, which is an indication of potential inbreeding within the shea populations. To conclude, there was higher variation within locations than between locations.Item Genome-Wide Association Mapping of Oil Content and Seed-Related Traits in Shea Tree (Vitellaria paradoxa subsp. nilotica) Populations(2023) Odoi, J.B.; Adjei, E.A.; Danquah, A.; et al.Shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa) is an important fruit tree crop because of its oil used for cooking and the industrial manufacture of cosmetics. Despite its essential benefits, quantitative trait loci linked to the economic traits have not yet been studied. In this study, we performed association mapping on a panel of 374 shea tree accessions using 7530 Single-Nucleotide Polymor phisms (SNPs) markers for oil yield and seed-related traits. Twenty-three SNP markers significantly (−log10 (p) = 4.87) associated with kernel oil content, kernel length, width, and weight were iden tified. The kernel oil content and kernel width had the most significant marker–trait associations (MTAs) on chromosomes 1 and 8, respectively. Sixteen candidate genes identified were linked to early induction of flower buds and somatic embryos, seed growth and development, substrate binding, transport, lipid biosynthesis, metabolic processes during seed germination, and disease resistance and abiotic stress adaptation. The presence of these genes suggests their role in promoting bioactive functions that condition high oil synthesis in shea seeds. This study provides insights into the important marker-linked seed traits and the genes controlling them, useful for molecular breeding for improving oil yield in the speciesItem Adaptability and yield performance of taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) cultivars in three agro-ecological zones in Ghana(Ecological Genetics and Genomics, 2023) Oduro, E.; Donkor, E.F.; Ackah, E.; Santo, K.G.Low yields of taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) reported in Ghana are due to inadequate agricultural tech niques and research. To explain the reported yields under these conditions, it is necessary to understand how various soils and climatic factors affect the growth and development of these new varieties when selecting appropriate genotypes for diverse agro-ecological environments. Four cultivars of taro namely; Huogbelor, Asempa, Agyenkwa and Y’anyawoa were, evaluated for their adaptability and yield performance in the rain forest, semi-deciduous forest and forest-savannah transition zones in Ghana in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Analysis of variance showed significant (P < 0.05) differences among the agro-ecological zones in terms of the vegetative growth, number of suckers/stand and inflorescence numbers of taro but not for corm yield. Taro cultivars also differed significantly (P < 0.05) in terms of the number of leaves/ stand but were statistically similar (P > 0.05) for number of suckers. Number of inflorescences differed signif icantly (P < 0.05) among the agro-ecological zones, cultivars as well as their interactions. The results also revealed significant (P < 0.05) agro-ecological zone and cultivar interactions for taro growth and yield. The Coastal-savannah translated the high vegetative growth of Hougbelor into corm yield of 25.67 tons/ha while the Agyenkwa cultivar produced higher numbers of suckers (25.0) and inflorescences (2.43) in the same agro ecological zone.Item High‑density DArTSeq SNP markers revealed wide genetic diversity and structured population in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) germplasm in Ethiopia(Molecular Biology Reports, 2023) Gelaw, Y.M.; Eleblu, J.S.Y.; Ofori, K.; Fenta, B.A.; Mukankusi, C.; Emam, E.A.; Ofei, S.Introduction Common bean is one of the widely consumed food security crop in Africa, Asia, and South America. Under standing genetic diversity and population structure is crucial for designing breeding strategies. Materials Two hundred and eighty-nine germplasm were recently collected from diferent regions of Ethiopia and introduced from CIAT to estimate genetic diversity and population structure using 11,480 DArTSeq SNP markers. Results The overall mean genetic diversity and polymorphic information content (PIC) were 0.38 and 0.30, respectively, suggested the presence of adequate genetic diversity among the genotypes. Among the geographical regions, landraces col lected from Oromia showed the highest diversity (0.39) and PIC (0.30). The highest genetic distance was observed between genotypes collected from SNNPR and CIAT (0.49). In addition, genotypes from CIAT were genetically more related to improved varieties than the landraces which could be due to sharing of parents in the improvement process. The analysis of molecular variance revealed that the largest proportion of variation was due to within the population both in geographical region (63.67%) and breeding status (61.3%) based classifcation. Model-based structure analysis delineated the 289 com mon bean genotypes into six hypothetical ancestoral populations. Conclusions The genotypes were not clustered based on geographical regions and they were not the main drivers for the diferentiation. This indicated that selection of the parental lines should be based on systematic assessment of the diversity rather than geographical distance. This article provides new insights into the genetic diversity and population structure of common bean for association studies, designing efective collection and conservation for efcient utilization for the improve ment of the croItem Plant fruit extracts enhance the in vitro propagation of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) on Murashige and Skoog media(Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture (PCTOC), 2023) Markin, G.; Eleblu, J.S.Y.; Amissah, J.N.; Reynolds, S.; Soraru, C.; Craze, M.S.; Wallington, E.J.; Bentley, A.R.; Danquah, E.Y.Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) is a versatile legume with diverse nutritional and nutraceutical properties that serve as a food security and medicinal crop for millions of households across Africa. An efficient protocol was developed to propagate shoot tip and cotyledonary node explants from six cowpea breeding accessions in vitro on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal media supplemented with either banana extract, coconut water, orange or tomato juice. Micropropagation performance was compared to MS medium supplemented with B5 vitamins. A total of 500 plantlets were obtained in vitro across treatments and MS basal media supplemented with tomato juice had the highest micropropagation performance (154 plantlets), followed by banana extract (112 plantlets), orange juice (107 plantlets), and coconut water (82 plantlets). Three accessions (AGRAC 216, TA, and Asontem) were found to be the most amenable to in vitro propagation using plant-derived extracts. Overall, this study successfully established that plant-derived extracts can support in vitro cowpea propagation in the absence of synthetic plant growth regulators.