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Training / Support mission on instrumental textural characterization of boiled and pounded yam by penetrometry and pounded yam by Kieffer dough extensibility, Cirad-Guadeloupe, France
Get PDFThe training/support mission was carried out to train Cirad-Guadeloupe on conducting a new SOP for the measurement of extensibility of pounded yam by the Kieffer dough extensibility (KDGE) and lubricated squeezing flow procedures (LSF) and using already existent SOP for boiled yam characterisation by penetrometer. Moreover, a part of CIRAD-Guadeloupe collection was characterised (D. Alata genotypes) in order to evaluated potential use of these genotypes for pounded yam production. The partners were trained on how to prepare the samples for evaluation, carry out the textural procedures, analysis of the data, dry matter, NIRS and colour determination and precautionary measures needed to ensure accurate conduct of the procedures
Challenges in the Vespertilionidae phylogeny: Resolving Pipistrellus nathusii placement and affirming generic status for Asian pipistrelles
No full textVespertilionidae is a species-rich family of bats that experienced rapid diversification events and contains many morphologically conserved taxa, resulting in challenges to taxonomic and phylogenetic resolution for members of this family. One example of a challenging group is the pipistrelles, which several studies have recovered as paraphyletic. Pipistrellus nathusii is noteworthy for being recovered either as sister to other European Pipistrellus species, more closely related to Nyctalus, or sister to the clade comprising Nyctalus and European Pipistrellus species. Using a core data set of 6 nuclear introns, and an extended data set of 10 nuclear introns, we employ multiple independent phylogenetic methods that are robust in the presence of incomplete lineage sorting or hybridization to resolve the placement of P. nathusii. In addition, our data confirm the distinction of the Asian Pipistrelle taxa which form a distinct genus sister to the clade comprising Vansonia, Pipistrellus, and Nyctalus
Foresight for the transformation of agrifood systems through agroecology. Guidance document for decision makers and practitioners
Get PDFIn a bold step to revolutionize sustainable food systems, the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (German Agency for International Cooperation – GIZ) joined forces in 2022 to leverage foresight processes in driving agroecological transformation. Their collaboration has culminated in a comprehensive guidance document that unlocks new pathways for integrating foresight into the transition to more sustainable, resilient, and biodiverse food systems. This guidance document provides a comprehensive investigation of the existing intricate interplay among foresight methodologies, agroecological principles, and the dynamics of food system transformation. Thus, the guidance document contributes to scientific discourse by providing a novel framework for the integration of agroecology into foresight processes, thereby facilitating a scientifically rigorous and empirically grounded approach for the development of sustainable food systems. Harnessing global expertise, stocktaking, and workshop deliberations, this guidance document provides insights and recommendations on how agricultural foresight processes can be used to properly consider integrated and biodiverse approaches, such as agroecology. The goal is to expand the range of choices and routes available to decision makers and societies when envisioning pathways to transformative food systems. It is designed to help foresight practitioners implement foresight differently and better integrate agroecology that supports transformation towards sustainable food systems. The document can also help agroecology researchers better understand what foresight is, and why such a process is useful in supporting sustainable food system transformation through agroecology
Massire project: Strengthening networks for agricultural and rural innovation in oases and arid zones of the Maghreb
Get PDFThe Massire Project (2019–2024) was a research-for-development project implemented by a consortium of research and education institutions from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and France. It was funded by IFAD, with a financial contribution of project academic partners. The project aimed to strengthen agricultural and rural innovation systems in the oases and arid zones of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Addressing challenges such as resource vulnerability, biodiversity loss, and social inequalities, the project facilitated sustainable development pathways through innovative, participatory, and inclusive approaches
Painting the diversity of a world's favorite fruit: A next generation catalog of cultivated bananas
Get PDFSocietal Impact Statement: Bananas are nutritious fruits of major importance worldwide. Characterizing their diversity is essential to ensure their conservation and use. A catalog showcasing cultivated bananas genomic diversity was compiled and is to be used as a tool to support the classification of banana cultivars. This research revealed that cultivated banana groups are not all made of identical clones. Materials from recent collecting missions indicated that more banana diversity is expected to be found as the exploration of the banana gene pool continues. These discoveries will drive dynamic conservation strategies for banana genetic resources and should increase their use. Summary: Banana is an important food crop cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions around the world. Because banana cultivars often have low fertility, they are typically propagated clonally, which maintains desirable traits across generations. However, different factors, such as synonymy, incomplete passport data, and environmental effects, complicate the morphological-based assignment of banana cultivars to specific clones or cultivar groups. In this study, we applied a previously developed genomic-based tool for fine-scale characterization of banana ancestry, known as in silico chromosome painting, to high-throughput genotyping data from 317 banana accessions. This dataset covers most of the globally conserved, studied, and cultivated cultivar groups and includes both genebanks and new, uncharacterized materials. By comparing curated morphological assignation to the genomic patterns resulting from in silico chromosome painting, we compiled a diversity catalog referencing curated passport data, pictures, and chromosome painting patterns of the cultivar groups. Examining the genomic patterns obtained, intra-cultivar group variability was discovered. In some cultivar groups, mitotic recombination or deletions accumulated clonally. In addition, at least four cultivar groups encompassed cultivars from distinct sexual events co-existing, notably Pisang Awak with five distinct patterns across two ploidy levels. Finally, additional patterns were discovered in the newest materials of the set, showing that a wider diversity of clones still exists on farm
GeospatRE: Extraction and geocoding of spatial relation entities in textual documents
No full textSpatial information extraction from textual documents and its accurate geo-referencing are important steps in epidemiology, with many applications such as outbreak detection and disease surveillance and control. However, inaccuracy in extraction of such geospatial information will result into inaccurate location identification, which in consequence may produce erroneous information for outbreak investigation and disease surveillance. One of the problems is the extraction of geospatial relations associated with spatial entities in the text documents. In order to identify such geospatial relations, we categorized them into three major relations: 1) Level-1, e.g. center, north, south; 2) Level-2, e.g. nearby, border; 3) Level-3, e.g. distance from spatial entities e.g. 30 km, 20 miles, 100 m, etc., respectively. This work introduces a novel approach for extracting and georeferencing spatial information from textual documents for accurate identification of geospatial relations associated with spatial entities to enhance outbreak monitoring and disease surveillance. We propose a two-step methodology: (i) Extraction of geospatial relations associated with spatial entities, using a clause-based approach, and (ii) Geo-referencing of geospatial relations associated with spatial entities in order to identify the polygon regions, using a custom algorithm to slice or derive the geospatial relation regions from the place name and their geospatial relations. The first step is evaluated with a disease news article dataset consisting of event information and obtaining a precision of 0.9, recall of 0.88 and F-Score of 0.88 respectively. The second step entails using a qualitative evaluation of shapes by end-users. Promising results are obtained for the experiments in second step
The diasporic meatscapes of the Tamil community in Toronto: How immigrants reconfigure food environments and infrastructures to secure a taste of home
No full textAlthough scholars have studied how people navigate their foodscapes, little research has addressed together the way immigrants experience and shape their food environments. This article explores how the members of the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora eat and purchase meat in Toronto, and how they reconfigure the food infrastructures in the city. Unpacking the intertwined politics and practices of food consumption and distribution, it contributes to a dynamic and relational approach to migrant food environments. Drawing on observations and open-ended interviews with members of the Tamil community and with Tamil food entrepreneurs, I argue that, in Toronto, Tamils give specific materialities and meanings to their food environments and food practices, turning what I call “culinary affordances” into suitable meat and meatscapes for the community. Diasporic foodscapes connect different locations – real or fantasized, close or distant, endured or lamented – notably through immigrants' quest for home specific foods
The emergence of microbiological inputs and the challenging laboratorisation of agriculture: lessons from Brazil and Mexico
Get PDFIn this article, we analyse the tensions associated with the emergence of microorganism-based agricultural inputs in two Latin American countries, Brazil and Mexico. More specifically, we examine the ways in which these technologies, which are based on the use of living organisms, leave public microbiology research laboratories and are further developed by manufacturers or farmers. To this end, we draw on the concept of the 'laboratorisation' of society, part of the actor-network theory. We show that the emergence of these technologies is currently facing a number of challenges, due to the risks associated with their biological nature and the difficulty involved in establishing production processes as reliable as those used in reference laboratories. Whether produced by companies or on farms, the quality and safety of the practices and of these products are the subject of debate, as well as the focus of scientific, economic and political scrutiny. These microbiological inputs are evidence for the transformation of the relationship between science, industry, users and politics that is taking place around the emergence of alternatives to synthetic chemical inputs in agriculture, and more broadly, about the use of microbiological resources in agriculture
A comparative study of phenotypic traits linked to drought tolerance in 83 olive tree varieties grown in Moroccan and French collections
No full textOlea europaea L. is one of the most widespread tree crops in the Mediterranean Basin and the high genetic and phenotypic diversity of cultivars reflects the long evolutionary history of the species in the region. We assessed the intraspecific variability of 83 olive cultivars from different Mediterranean countries, by screening leaf and stem traits involved in plant water-use strategies. The trees were maintained in the worldwide olive germplasm bank of Marrakech (WOGBM), Morocco, and in the French olive Germplasm bank of Porquerolles Island (FOGB), France. Our results showed a considerable phenotypic variability among the varieties within each of the collections, which is partially related to the genetic group ('Eastern', 'Western', and 'Central' Mediterranean Basin and 'admixed') to which each variety can be assigned. Significant differences in average trait values between the two collections were also found for certain traits. Trees maintained in the WOGBM were found to be more conservative, showing higher leaf mass per area, leaf dry matter content and wood density. Our study brings new insights as to how traits of olive cultivars differ among genetic groups. This will allow one to identify the most relevant traits to use for an easy and quick screening of olive germplasm in the broad perspective of sustainability of the olive sector in the Mediterranean Basin