International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
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Application of Genome Editing Tools for Genetic Enhancement of Pulses for Stress-Resilient Traits
No full textGenome editing tools can revolutionize the genetic enhancement of pulses for stress-resilient traits. Genome editing tools, such as CRISPR/Cas9, TALENs, and ZFNs, enable precise modification of an organism’s DNA, offering a broad range of applications from understanding molecular responses to various environmental cues to improving resilience in pulse crops. These tools help to introduce nucleotide variations leading to the generation of new, modify existing, or delete alleles of our genes of interest, leading to phenotypic changes. In pulse crops, genome editing can help to develop genotypes tolerant to abiotic stresses, including moisture, temperature, and poor soil, and resistant to biotic stresses, including diseases and insect pests. The application of genome editing tools in pulses is still in its early stages but has the potential to significantly contribute to improving global food security and sustainability
Harnessing Genebank Diversity for Future-ready Crops
No full textPlant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) play a vital role in ensuring sustainable agriculture and food security worldwide. The conservation of PGRFA is primarily through ex-situ genebanks, with approximately 7.4 million germplasm accessions stored in 1,750 genebanks globally. Notably, the 11 CGIAR genebanks conserve over 730,000 accessions of crop, forage and tree species, and are made available through the Plant Treaty's multilateral system. These resources are conserved at CGIAR genebanks and safety duplicated Svalbard Global Seed Vault and at one more genebank under long term storage condition. Exsitu genebanks, that conserve PGRFA serve as vital repositories for preserving crop diversity. The ICRISAT genebank is one of the largest repositories in the CGIAR system and conserves over 131,000 accessions of 11 crops and their wild relatives. Among the 11 crops, groundnut is one of the important crops with 15393 accessions from 93 countries including 7484 landraces and 401 accessions of wild species. National genebank of India conserves 13893 accessions of
groundnut both under long term and medium-term storage conditions. These genetic resources are reservoirs of useful genes that can contribute to the present and future crop improvement programs. To promote the utilization of these resources, ICRISAT genebank developed diverse subsets in groundnut, such as core (1704 accessions), and mini core (184 accessions). Extensive evaluation of these subsets resulted in the development of trait-specific subsets for rust and late leaf spot (76 accessions) and multiple trait-specific subset (56 accessions). Furthermore, SSRbased
genotyping of the global groundnut composite collection led to the formation of reference set (300 accessions). ICRISAT genebank, so far has distributed over 1.72 million seed samples to users in 151 countries, including, 102,859 samples of groundnut. Germplasm and breeding material distributed from ICRISAT led to development and release of 250 varieties in 39 countries. Genome-wide association studies on the mini-core collection have led to the identification of several MTAs linked with key traits such as fresh seed dormancy, stem rot resistance and nutritional traits. These genomic resources provide ample opportunities for germplasm curators, breeders and molecular biologists to optimize genebank operations, allele mining, identify genetically diverse material with traits of importance and accelerate crop improvement to enhance production in the face of climate change
Effect of fermentation on the proximate composition, antinutrients, bioaccessibility of minerals, and sensory quality of pearl millet-based Injera
Full text linkPearl millet is a cereal rich in both macro- and micronutrients; however, it also contains high levels of antinutrients, such as phytate, tannin, and phenols, which can hinder nutrient absorption. This study examined the impact of fermentation on the nutrient composition, antinutritional content, mineral bioaccessibility, and sensory quality of Injera prepared from pearl millet flour alone, as well as from a composite flour of pearl millet and maize (in 1:1 and 1:2 ratios). Fermentation significantly improved the nutrient profile and sensory attributes of Injera samples. Significant improvements (p < .05) were observed in all Injera samples, with reductions in phytate (81.5%–99.2%) and tannin (72.4%–96.1%) contents, and increased mineral bioaccessibility for iron (62.1%–73.5%), zinc (53.8%–83.3%), and calcium (19.6%–54.6%). These findings showed that traditional fermentation methods can effectively decrease antinutrients, enhance the nutrient profile, and improve mineral bioaccessibility in pearl millet-based Injeras
South Asia's Ecosystems Are a Net Carbon Sink, But the Region Is a Major Net GHG Source to the Atmosphere
Full text linkAs part of the REgional Carbon Cycle Assessment and Processes-2 (RECCAP-2) project of the Global Carbon Project, here we estimate the GHG budgets (anthropogenic and natural sources and sinks) for the South Asia (SA) region as a whole and each country (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka) for the decade of 2010–2019 (2010s). Countries in the region are experiencing a rapid rise in fossil fuel consumption and demand for agricultural land, leading to increased deforestation and higher greenhouse gas emissions. This study synthesizes top-down (TD) and bottom-up (BU) dynamic global vegetation model results, BU GHG inventories, ground-based observation upscaling, and direct emissions for major GHGs. The fluxes for carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) analyzed include fossil fuel emissions, net biome productivity, land use change, inland waters, wetlands, and upland and submerged soils. Our analysis shows that the overall total GHG emissions contributed to a net increase of 34%–43% during the 2010s compared to the 2000s, primarily driven by industrial activities. However, terrestrial ecosystems acted as a notable exception by serving as a CO2 sink in the 2010s, effectively sequestering atmospheric carbon. The sink was significantly smaller than overall carbon emissions. Overall, the 2010s GHG emissions based on BU and TD were 4,517 ± 639.8 and 4,532 ± 807.5 Tg CO2 eq, with CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions of 2165.2 ± 297.1, 1,404 ± 95.9, and 712 ± 466 Tg CO2 eq based on BU models 2,125 ± 515.1, 1,531 ± 205.2, and 876 ± 446.0 Tg CO2 eq based on TD models. Total emissions from SA in the 2010s accounted for approximately 8% of the global share. The terrestrial CO2 sinks estimated by the BU and TD models were 462.9 ± 195.5 and 210.0 ± 630.4 Tg CO2, respectively. Among the SA countries, India was the largest emitter contributing to 80% of the region's total GHG emissions, followed by Pakistan (10%) and Bangladesh (7%)
A Comprehensive Review of Aflatoxin in Groundnut and Maize Products in Africa: Prevalence, Detection and Mitigation Strategies
Full text linkAflatoxins are a toxic secondary metabolite, mainly produced by the fungi Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus. Aflatoxin contamination of food is a global concern, as they are carcinogenic, mutagenic and teratogenic. Groundnuts and maize products are highly susceptible to aflatoxin contamination at both pre- and postharvest stages; this leads to a great risk for those countries that rely on these products for food and nutrition security as well as income. Groundnut and maize products have contributed a substantial amount of aflatoxin exposure to human and animal health risks, especially in countries that experience tropical climate and recurrent drought, favouring mould developments. Due to the strange health impacts of aflatoxin in agricultural commodities, different countries have set the acceptable limits for groundnut and maize products, whereas most of the countries use the same limit for both commodities. Detection and quantification of aflatoxins in groundnut and maize products are mainly through enzyme-linked immunoaffinity assay (ELISA) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), among others. However, currently rapid, accurate and cost-effective techniques are emerging to quickly monitor and enforce the regulation limits. Among the widely applied strategies for aflatoxin mitigation are biological control including atoxigenic Aspergillus strains, plant extracts, and chemical and physical methods of detoxification and decontamination. Aflatoxin decontamination using plant extracts is promising for most countries in sub-Saharan Africa owing to the availability, ease of access and affordability; however, there is a need for further screening to isolate the bioactive ingredients. This review could provide insight into the researchers, stakeholders and consumers on the prevalence of aflatoxin in groundnut and maize products as well as mitigation strategies to improve food safety
Agroinfiltration-mediated transient assay for rapid evaluation of constructs in pigeonpea
Full text linkThe process of generating stable transformants is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and genotype-dependent. In contrast, transient gene expression techniques, such as agroinfiltration, offer a rapid assessment of gene function and expression. Agroinfiltration, widely employed for studying gene function, has been extensively applied in leaf tissues of Nicotiana benthamiana and various other plant species. Despite its broad utility in various plants, to our knowledge, no prior investigation has been reported in pigeonpea. In this study, we developed an agroinfiltration method for transiently expressing a green fluorescent protein (mGFP5) reporter gene in four pigeonpea genotypes using syringe infiltration at the seedling stage under greenhouse conditions. The expression of the reporter gene mGFP5 was assessed at 72-, 96-, and 120 h post-infiltration (hpi). Additionally, we assessed the effect of morphogenic genes, specifically growth-regulating factor 4 (GRF4) and GRF-interacting factor 1 (GIF1), from both rice and pigeonpea on the expression of mGFP5 in four pigeonpea genotypes. Our findings demonstrate that OsGRF4-GIF1 led to enhanced mGFP5 expression compared to CcGRF4-GIF1 in four diverse pigeonpea genotypes. Fluorescence could be detected till 120 hpi. Furthermore, PCR, RT-PCR, and fluorescence quantification confirmed the presence and expression of mGFP5 at 72 hpi. Our results highlight the efficacy of agroinfiltration in quickly evaluating candidate genes in four genetically diverse pigeonpea genotypes, thereby reducing the time required for the initial assessment of constructs suitable for diverse molecular biology analyses
CRISPR plants against drought stress: Methods and applications
No full textDrought stress is one of the main causes of reduced plant development and significant annual losses among all abiotic stresses due to climate change. It has become a common and severe problem throughout the world that reduces crop yield, leading to food shortages worldwide. Hence, drought-tolerant plant development is badly needed but using a conventional approach, requires a long time to produce and is tedious as well. The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/Cas endonuclease is a cutting-edge technique and has established itself as an outstanding tool among all gene editing approaches because of its extensive application, ease of use, adaptability, and flexibility. In the present study, the general mechanisms, methods, and applications of the CRISPR/Cas tool against drought stress are emphasized
Evaluation of Hybrid Sorghum Parents for Morphological, Physiological and Agronomic Traits Under Post-Flowering Drought
Full text linkSorghum (Sorghum bicolor, (L.) Moench.), is one of the most important cereals in semi-arid and subtropical regions of Africa. However, in these regions, sorghum cultivation is often faced with several constraints. In Mali, terminal or post-flowering drought, caused by the early cessation of rains towards the end of the rainy season, is one of the most common constraints. Sorghum is generally adapted to harsh conditions. However, drought combined to heat reduce its yield and production in tropical and subtropical regions. To identify parents of sorghum hybrids tolerant to post-flowering drought for commercial hybrids development and deployment, a total of 200 genotypes, including male and female parents of the hybrids, were evaluated in 2022 by lysimeters under two water regimes, well-irrigated and water-stressed, at ICRISAT in Niger. Agronomic traits such as phenological stages, physiological traits including transpiration efficiency, and morphological traits such as green leaf number were recorded. Genotype × environment (G × E) interaction was significant for harvest index (HI), green leaf number (GLN), and transpiration efficiency (TE), indicating different responses of genotypes under varying water conditions. Transpiration efficiency (TE) was significantly and positively correlated with total biomass (BT), harvest index (HI), and grain weight (GW) under both stress conditions. Genotypes ICSV216094, ICSB293, ICSV1049, ICSV1460016, and ICSV216074 performed better under optimal and stress conditions. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) results led to the identification of three groups of genotypes. The Groups 1 and 3 are characterized by their yield stability and better performance under stress and optimal conditions. These two groups could be used by breeding programs to develop high yield and drought tolerant hybrids
Testing Used Tyres as Soil and Water Conservation Control Measures to Favour Circular Economy in Mali
No full textMicroplastics are an emerging global threat in all ecosystems and have potential negative effects through multiple exposure pathways. In Mali, innovations such as the manufacture of chairs, sandals, decorative objects, etc. are being developed to reuse used tyres in order to combat environmental pollution. The special feature of this study is the experimentation with old tyres in agricultural plots to examine their effects on infiltration, runoff, moisture and soil loss. "Pneusol" works on the basis of gathering old tyres, cutting them into arcs, and positioning them in the ridges perpendicular to the direction of flows. The experimental set-up composed by control plot pair with a “pneusol” plot (30 m long and 10 m wide) has been installed on erosion crusted soil in Djindjila. Each plot has been isolated by corrugated sheets 30 cm high above the ground, embedded 20 cm deep. The results show the effectiveness of pneusol is quite significant, since it reduces the amount of water runoff by 34%, increase average moisture by 22.33% and reduce soil lost by 52.63% compared to control plot. The ability of tyres to limit runoff, improve infiltration and increase soil moisture, thereby stimulating agricultural production, has been demonstrated in this study. This result offers interesting prospects for farmers who are already experiencing the harmful effects of climate change. The effect of capturing and infiltrating runoff water, combined with the soil amendment, make “pneusol” an effective agricultural production technique on degraded land, directly from the first year of implementation. Also, the repurposing of used tyres in a circular economy makes it possible to turn a potentially problematic waste into a resource, promoting a more environmentally friendly and long-lasting model
Synthesis, function, and genetic variation of sorgoleone, the major biological nitrification inhibitor in sorghum
Full text linkSorghum is the third most important food crop, grown on nearly 40 million ha globally, and is known for its resilience under unfavorable conditions. Sorghum is reported to have a strong biological nitrification inhibition (BNI) capacity in root systems, a plant function that suppresses soil nitrifier activity, which in turn prevents the nitrogen (N) loss by reducing nitrous oxide (N2O), nitric oxide (NO) emission, and nitrate (NO3−) leaching into water bodies. Sorgoleone, a major hydrophobic phytochemical released from sorghum roots, provides a significant part of BNI function in sorghum. The function of sorgoleone in suppressing nitrifying bacteria in pure cultures has been established. In addition, sorgoleone suppresses transformation of ammonium (NH3) to NO3− and N2O emissions from soils. Therefore, introducing high-sorgoleone phenotype into elite sorghum hybrids can increase nitrogen use efficiency while decreasing the environmental footprint of sorghum production systems. In recent years, significant progress has been made in identifying the mechanisms of sorgoleone production and secretion. Moreover, studies using both wild accessions and elite breeding materials reported significant genetic variation for sorgoleone secretion, and sorgoleone secretion was found to be highly heritable, making it a good target for breeding. This review distills the current understanding of sorgoleone release in relation to BNI function and opportunities to exploit this trait. Also, we provide our assessment for genetic interventions of Sorgoleone biosynthesis and secretion pathways to enhance BNI capacity in sorghum. High-BNI sorghum hybrids can be an important component of low-nitrifying, low-N2O-emitting agricultural production systems that are eco-friendly, productive, and sustainable