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Chapter 17. Summary: Crop water productivity: a catalyst for food and water security
No full textAgriculture accounts for over 70% of freshwater withdrawals globally, yet water and food insecurity remain prevalent. The challenge of water insecurity is compounded by climate change, rapid urbanisation, and the need to increase the agricultural area to produce more crops to meet the growing needs of an increasing population. Improving crop water productivity at the farm level is key to resource security and climate change adaptation and resilience as it enhances the production of more food with less water. This summary chapter provides a brief overview of each chapter in this book, highlighting the pathways to improved crop-water productivity in both rainfed and irrigated cropping systems. Specifically, the major highlight is that water productivity can be enhanced by practicing well-adapted climate-smart crop types that have the potential to reduce unproductive water losses and, at the same time, maintain healthy and suitably adapted crops that optimise water, nutrient, and agronomic management.385-39
Gender (in)equity and the adoption of farm machinery: Opportunities and trade-offs in Bangladesh livestock systems
No full textAgricultural mechanization can improve wellbeing and livelihoods in agrifood systems, but its benefits may not be evenly shared between women and men. This is a concern given the increased interest in agricultural mechanization in development programs. In this study, we analyzed data from 373 livestock producers in Bangladesh to assess the associations between adopting mechanized fodder choppers and gendered time-allocation, participation in decision-making, and control over livestock income. Accounting for observed heterogeneity between adopters and non-adopters, we find that the use of mechanized fodder choppers was associated with husbands claiming more influence over the use of livestock income. Adoption was also correlated with women's time savings in livestock production, which they used for additional resting. While the associations in this study should not be interpreted as causal relationships, we conclude that the gendered outcomes of the adoption of mechanized fodder choppers can be complex. Development programs promoting farm machinery may need to consider ways that allow women to capture benefits while employing safeguards to prevent a potential weakening of women's agency in livestock production
Developing pangenomes for large and complex plant genomes and their representation formats
No full textBackground: The development of pangenomes has revolutionized genomic studies by capturing the complete genetic diversity within a species. Pangenome assembly integrates data from multiple individuals to construct a comprehensive genomic landscape, revealing both core and accessory genomic elements. This approach enables the identification of novel genes, structural variations, and gene presence-absence variations, providing insights into species evolution, adaptation, and trait variation. Representing pangenomes requires innovative visualization formats that effectively convey the complex genomic structures and variations. Aim: This review delves into contemporary methodologies and recent advancements in constructing pangenomes, particularly in plant genomes. It examines the structure of pangenome representation, including format comparison, conversion, visualization techniques, and their implications for enhancing crop improvement strategies. Key scientific concepts of review: Earlier comparative studies have illuminated novel gene sequences, copy number variations, and presence-absence variations across diverse crop species. The concept of a pan-genome, which captures multiple genetic variations from a broad spectrum of genotypes, offers a holistic perspective of a species’ genetic makeup. However, constructing a pan-genome for plants with larger genomes poses challenges, including managing vast genome sequence data and comprehending the genetic variations within the germplasm. To address these challenges, researchers have explored cost-effective alternatives to encapsulate species diversity in a single assembly known as a pangenome. This involves reducing the volume of genome sequences while focusing on genetic variations. With the growing prominence of the pan-genome concept in plant genomics, several software tools have emerged to facilitate pangenome construction. This review sheds light on developing and utilizing software tools tailored for constructing pan-genomes in plants. It also discusses representation formats suitable for downstream analyses, offering valuable insights into the genetic landscape and evolutionary dynamics of plant species. In summary, this review underscores the significance of pan-genome construction and representation formats in resolving the genetic architecture of plants, particularly those with complex genomes. It provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancements, aiding in exploring and understanding plant genetic diversity
A comparative assessment of the regulatory framework for public technology dissemination in Tanzania and the Eastern and Southern Africa Region
No full text37 page
Financial statements and Independent auditor’s report: December 31, 2024 and 2023
No full text61 page
Impact of nine years of conservation tillage and precise nutrient management on equivalent yields, soil microbial dynamics, and water-energy footprints of the maize–mustard rotation
No full textIn South Asian regions, the traditional maize–mustard rotation (MMR) has become less profitable and unsustainable due to inappropriate fertilization practices and the degradation of soil properties. Therefore, climate-smart and sustainable farm practices are necessary to mitigate production risks and improve soil properties. This study evaluated the long-term impacts of conservation tillage and nutrient management on equivalent yields, soil microbial properties, and water-energy savings. A long-term field experiment was initiated 9 years ago, using the split-plot design to evaluate the three conservation tillage (CA)-based crop establishment practices, i.e., zero tillage (ZT) and conventional tillage (CT), permanent beds (PNB). Each practice was accompanied by the recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF), improved RDF (RDFI), and nutrient expert-guided (NEI) fertilization. CA-based tillage (ZT or PNB) resulted in 24.4–25.2% greater maize grain equivalent yields (EY) compared to the CT, while the NEI and RDFI produced statistically (p = 0.05) identical EY, being 26.6–30.3% greater than the RDF. These practices substantially reduced the water footprints, besides 11.9–12.9% and 23.4–26.6% (9-yrs average) greater water productivity compared to CT and RDF, respectively. In fact, at 0–45 cm soil depth, residues retained ZT or PNB had 31.9–42.2%, 56.5–67.2%, and 16.5–18.3% more bacterial (107), fungi (104), and actinomycetes (104) populations, respectively. Across soil depths, ZT or PNB recorded 7.65–11% and 23.2–31.9% greater soil microbial biomass-C and -P, respectively. Compared to CT-based practices, these practices also improved soil mineralizable N (NO3− N/NH4+ N). The conventionally tilled plots consumed greater direct and indirect non-renewable energy than the CA-based residue-retaining practices. By virtue of residue retention, the PNB and ZT had ~108% greater energy input (EI) than the CT, whereas it was vice versa in terms of the energy output (EO). The NEI registered a 7.6–28.7% higher EO than the RDFI and RDF. These long-term field studies demonstrated that adopting CA-based ZT, or PNB, in combination with precise nutrient management would enhance equivalent yields and soil microbial dynamics, besides improving water-energy footprints in maize–mustard growing ecologies
Exploring arabinoxylans in durum wheat: Contrasting genotypes and environments across different crop seasons
No full textWheat is a major source of dietary fibers (DF), with arabinoxylans (AX) being the primary component found in cell walls. Apart from structural functions, AX also influence the technological and nutritional properties of wheat-based foods. Nevertheless, it is still unclear how changes in the wheat growing environment could impact AX composition and concentration. The objective of this research is to enhance our understanding of wheat AX variability as determined by abiotic stress, and to better understand the impact that the genotype, the environment, and their interaction have on this component’s variation. A set 6 durum wheat (DW) samples with contrasting quality characteristics were grown across 3 cropping seasons (2014-2015, 2015-16 and 2016-17) in Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, under 7 environments: 3 environments with no heat or drought stress but different plot size and growing conditions (flat vs bed); intermediate and severe drought; and early or late heat. Total (TOT-AX) and water-souble AX (WE-AX) fractions were measured in duplicate. ANOVA showed significant genotype × environment interactions across all conditions. Intermediate drought was the most stable environment for both fiber fractions. PCA indicated Mexicali had the lowest, and Cirno the highest, variability across environments. Based on these preliminary results it is clear that both the growing cycle, the genotype and their interaction, play a role in the quantity and quality variation of the AX. Further work on the same wheat samples grown under drought and heat stress will help reveal the effect that these stresses have on the biosynthesis of AX.2 pag
Upgrading opportunities in Tanzania’s groundnut value chains for improved nutrition, livelihoods, and food safety outcomes at scale
No full textGroundnut value chains are expanding rapidly in Tanzania, driven in part by rising urban demand and the growth of peanut butter processing. However, supply chains remain fragmented and informal, with limited incentives or mechanisms to ensure quality and food safety, restricting the sector’s potential to improve nutrition, livelihoods, and public health. This brief presents findings from qualitative fieldwork and ongoing research aimed at identifying constraints to value chain upgrading and opportunities for innovation. Engagement with value chain actors and stakeholders highlighted five potential market failures: weak quality verification systems, a lack of incentives for upstream quality investment, coordination failures, food safety externalities (e.g., lower-quality nuts with higher contamination risk entering other markets), and incomplete markets for improved seeds. We outline a research agenda to test institutional and technological innovations to address market failures and strengthen quality incentives for improved livelihood, nutrition, and food safety outcomes at scale.11 page
Draft genome assemblies of 38 Aspergillus parasiticus isolates collected from South Georgia crop fields
No full textAspergillus parasiticus is a fungus recognized for producing highly carcinogenic mycotoxins. In this study, we collected 38 isolates of A. parasiticus from fields in South Georgia. We performed whole genome re-sequencing and developed 38 draft genome assemblies of A. parasiticus. The average genome size was 38.7 Mb, with larger genomes (~40 Mb) found in peanut fields in Turner County. Scaffold N50 was recorded highest for isolates collected from the corn fields of Tifton. The average BUSCO completeness score for these assemblies was 99.1%. The genome sequences generated for these 38 isolates will serve as a valuable genomic resource for the community working on aflatoxin mitigation strategies in crops
Molecular diversity studies in sweet corn inbred lines using Single Nucleotide Polymorphic markers
No full textSweet corn (Zea mays L. saccharata) is an important specialty maize, valued for its sweetness and nutritional quality with high consumer demand. The development of superior hybrids relies on genetically diverse inbred lines. Advances in genotyping technologies have transformed the way breeding programs manage their genetic resources. The identification of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) can improve understanding of the molecular diversity of sweet corn inbred lines and their classification into heterotic groups, which is useful in determining certain crosses to obtain hybrids with higher yield performance. To evaluate molecular diversity, 23 sweet corn inbred lines were genotyped using 97 genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers through Kompetitive Allele-Specific PCR (KASP) during 2024-25 at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur, Karnataka. After quality filtering, 56.04% of markers were polymorphic, with polymorphism information content (PIC) values ranging from 0 to 0.375 (mean = 0.39), indicating moderate genetic variability. Cluster analysis using the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) grouped the lines into three major clusters, with most inbreds concentrated in Cluster I, while Clusters II and III contained divergent sweet corn inbred lines (SC-40, SC-9, SC-34 and SC-16), highlighting their potential as valuable sweet corn inbred lines. Principal component analysis (PCA) corroborated the clustering, identifying SC-34, SC-40 and SC-16 as distinct from the core group. The results demonstrate that SNP-based genotyping effectively reveals genetic structure and diversity in sweet corn, further providing a robust framework for heterotic grouping and informed parental selection in hybrid breeding programs.977-98