International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
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Identification of salivary proteins of the cowpea aphid Aphis craccivora by transcriptome and LC-MS/MS analyses
No full textAphid salivary proteins mediate the interaction between aphids and their host plants. Moreover, these proteins facilitate digestion, detoxification of secondary metabolites, as well as activation and suppression of plant defenses. The cowpea aphid, Aphis craccivora, is an important sucking pest of leguminous crops worldwide. Although aphid saliva plays an important role in aphid plant interactions, knowledge of the cowpea aphid salivary proteins is limited. In this study, we performed transcriptomic and LC-MS/MS analyses to identify the proteins present in the salivary glands and saliva of A. craccivora. A total of 1,08,275 assembled transcripts were identified in the salivary glands of aphids. Of all these assembled transcripts, 53,714 (49.11%) and 53,577 (49.48%) transcripts showed high similarity to known proteins in the Nr and UniProt databases, respectively. A total of 2159 proteins were predicted as secretory proteins from the salivary gland transcriptome dataset, which contain digestive enzymes, detoxification enzymes, previously known effectors and elicitors, and potential proteins whose functions have yet to be determined. The proteomic analysis of aphid saliva resulted in the identification of 171 proteins. Tissue-specific expression of selected genes using RT-PCR showed that three genes were expressed only in the salivary glands. Overall, our results provide a comprehensive repertoire of cowpea aphid salivary proteins from the salivary gland and saliva, which will be a good resource for future effector functional studies and might also be useful for sustainable aphid management
Soil Properties, Crop Yield, and Economic Return in Response to Lime Application on Acidic Nitisols of Southern Highlands of Ethiopia
Get PDFSoil acidity is one of the major crop production constraints in the highlands of Ethiopia. Liming is becoming a common practice to amend soil acidity, but its effects on soil properties, crop yield, and farm income are not well studied. In this study, an on-farm liming experiment was conducted for two consecutive years (2020-2021) on acidic Nitisols (pH < 5.5) in Southern Ethiopia. The experiment consisted of six liming rates (control, 2.74, 4.11, 5.48, 6.85, and 8.22 t·ha−1) laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Soil, agronomic, and economic data were collected in 2020 and 2021 cropping seasons and analyzed. The application of lime in the ranges of 2.74–8.22 t·ha−1 increased soil pH by 0.46–1.25 units and reduced exchangeable acidity by 2.02–3.17 units. Higher lime rates of 6.85–8.22 t·ha−1 increased soil pH sharply from 5.22 to 5.99 and 6.46, respectively, but such a rise in soil pH was not proportionally reflected in the yield increment. Higher available phosphorus contents of 7.16 and 6.01 mg·kg−1 were measured at the liming rates of 4.11 and 5.48 t·ha−1, respectively. Combined over the two years, 5.45 t·ha−1 lime application yielded the highest barley total biomass of 19,199 kg·ha−1 and a grain yield of 4,328 kg·ha−1, which are 46% and 30% higher than those of the control, respectively. It also yielded the highest marginal rate of return of 477% and a gross margin of 192,857.3 ETB1·ha−1, which is 53% higher than the control. Based on our results, 5.45 t·ha−1 of lime appears to have the optimal rate for economically viable barley production in the study area or similar environments
Determining the impact of stripe rust and leaf rust on grain yield and yield components' losses in Indian wheat cultivars
Get PDFRust diseases continue to cause economic losses to wheat production worldwide. Host-plant resistance significantly non-race-specific or combining race-specific and non-race-specific resistance is the most efficient, economic and ecofriendly way to control wheat rusts, besides eliminating the use of fungicides. Evidence on the effects of race-specific and non-race-specific resistance categories on stripe rust caused by Puccinia striiformis Westend. f. sp. tritici Eriks. and Henn and leaf rust (Puccinia triticina) development and in defending yield component losses in Indian wheat cultivars is still limited. Experiment was conducted to study the impacts of stripe rust and leaf rust on grain yield and yield components of some Indian wheat cultivars under artificial epiphytotic conditions. Cultivars with highly effective adult plant resistance to stripe rust viz. HD 2733, HD 2967, HD 3263, HS 562, NIAW 34, HI 1621, DBW 187, HD 3226, VL 829, VL 829, C 306, HD 3086, and NI 5439, and HD 3086, HD 3226, HI 1620, DBW 187, WH 1124, HI 1628, HS 562, RAJ 4496, MACS 6222, and VL 907 for resistance to leaf rust exhibited low values of epidemiological parameters as well as low yield components’ losses despite moderate disease levels might possessing APR gene(s). In this study, cultivars having slow rusting resistance with low values of epidemiological parameters were identified. These cultivars can be best utilized in varietal development programs to get improved varieties with high levels of durable resistance against novel virulent races of leaf rust
Importance of the Social Structures in Cowpea Varietal Demands for Women and Men Farmers in Segou Region, Mali
Get PDFCowpea is the second most consumed leguminous crop after groundnut in Mali. Its national production was 260,000 tons in 2018. It contributes to nitrogen fixation in the soil. The improved varieties of cowpea cultivars contain traits such as high grain yield, drought resistance, and early
maturity. However, the adoption of improved cowpea varieties remains low. The non-participation and or non-consideration of the needs of men and women farmers in the varietal selection process contributed to the low adoption rate of improved cowpea varieties. This study aims to understand
the gender dynamics and social structures within the communities. It examines its influence on the adoption of improved varieties of cowpea. Anchored on gender relations theories, gender and social structures are analyzed as the core frame for organizing social relations that guide and coordinate individuals’ actions in a given situation. Qualitative and quantitative approaches were applied to
collect data from cowpea growers in 11 villages around the Cinzana Research Station. It emerged from the study that male farmers are quick adopters of newly released cowpea varieties because they are mainly more involved in trials, innovation platforms, field visits, demonstration plot activities, and FPVS than women. Women are less involved in these activities, except in sorting harvested cowpea grains and seeds in the Cinzana Research Station. Women’s participation in cowpea relatedactivities is determined by the rules and norms of physical mobility and the structures that control and guide social interactions and connections within and outside of households and communities. The study recommends efficient resource allocation within households and communities, and the set up of strong institutional frameworks (such as innovation platforms) to enable women in adopting new and improved cowpea varieties and to expand the available opportunities in the cowpea production system
Sustainable intensification opportunities for Alfisols and Vertisols landscape of the semi-arid tropics
Get PDFLand and water management interventions are key to achieving sustainable intensification in the drylands. This study explores opportunities for doing so in Vertisols and Alfisols using 34-year (1976–2009) long-term experimental
data. Four cropping systems were evaluated in each soil types with two land form management interventions, i.e., raised beds and flat beds. Surface runoff generated and soil water content in each system were monitored along with crop yields. In Vertisols, maize-chickpea sequential cropping and sorghum+pigeon pea intercropping on raised beds representing an improved practice was followed for 34 years (1976–2009). Sole chickpea and sole sorghum were grown on flat beds as a traditional system during the same period. In Alfisols,
groundnut/pigeon pea intercrop and sole sorghum were grown for 5 years (2002–2006) and sorghum/pigeon pea intercrop and sole castor were grown for 3 years (2007–2009) under raised bed and flat bed conditions, respectively. The use of improved practices in Vertisols produced 3–5 times higher yield compared to traditional practices with net returns estimated at US 90–350/ha/year under the traditional practice. Despite growing an additional crop, chickpea yield under the improved practice was close to the yield obtained from the traditional practice. In Alfisols, raised beds improved crop yields by 15–20% compared to the flat bed method, leading to an additional net return of US$ 80–100/ha/year. Sorghum/pigeon pea intercrop was found to be superior followed by sole castor, groundnut/pigeon pea intercrop and sole sorghum in Alfisols. Hydrological monitoring revealed opportunities to harvest surface runoff, especially in Alfisols, by building low-cost rainwater harvesting structures that can provide life-saving irrigation during dry spells. An interpretive machine learning (IML) approach was used to estimate four response variables (Sorghum equivalent yield; Net Income; Technical Water Productivity, and Economic Water Productivity) using five different predictor variables (i.e., cropping systems, land form, soil order, effective rainfall (Reff= rainfall-runoff), and water regimes (dry, wet, and normal). Results showed that cropping system is the highest mean feature importance for all the
productivity parameters followed by effective rainfall. This paper also discusses soil water dynamics, production functions and technical and economic water productivity which could aid in resource optimization and in developing strategies for land, water and crop management interventions with the aim of bridging yield gaps in the semi-arid tropics
Biochar-based nutrient management as a futuristic scalable strategy for C-sequestration in semiarid tropics
No full textClimate and agriculture experts emphasize the need to develop a carbon sink in the soil to help alleviate the effects of climate change. A 2-year field experiment in semiarid tropical drylands tested sustainable nutrient management approaches to sequester carbon in the soil. We analyzed nine different treatments, including chemical fertilizers (as blanket and soil test-based [STB] recommendations), sole organic (biochar and compost), and their combinations (with 75% and 50% STB recommendation) as integrated applications (integrated nutrient management [INM]) in the maize–chickpea cropping sequence. We report that biochar treatments show higher (24%–30%) organic carbon stock in the top layer of soil than the respective compost treatments. Furthermore, the biochar-based INM showed the maximum residual effect in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) crops. The system equivalent yield showed the best results (8 Mg ha−1) for 50% need-based fertilizer and 50% biochar. Although we observed that sole-biochar sequestered the highest amount of soil organic carbon (0.69%) in the topsoil compared to the other treatments, it was not scalable due to the lower yield for maize crops. Similarly, composts showed more labile carbon concentrations as microbial biomass but lagged behind biochar treatments for organic carbon storage. The system performance expressed as net returns and benefits–cost ratio also showed better results for biochar-based INM. The findings show that drylands facing widespread land degradation in terms of nutrient imbalances and low C levels will benefit from an integrated approach of need-based fertilizer with biochar application. Therefore, this might be a long-term sustainable strategy for C-sequestration and food security for semiarid tropical drylands
Determinants of adoption and intensity of improved haricot bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) varieties: A Socio-agronomic study from southern Ethiopia
Get PDFThe Haricot bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an important legume crop in Ethiopia, serving as the main cash crop and the least expensive protein source for farmers in many of the lowlands and midlands of the country. This study examines the factors that influence the adoption and intensity of improved haricot bean varieties and associated agronomic techniques in the study area. To choose four rural kebeles (purposive sampling) and 100 (technology user) respondents (systematic random sample), a two-stage selection approach was used. In addition, focus group discussions and key informant interviews were held. The findings of the Tobit econometric model revealed that a wide range of factors had varying effects on adopting better haricot bean production practices. The adoption and intensity of improved haricot bean varieties and related agronomic practices were positively and significantly influenced by the gender of the head of the household, attendance at improved training in haricot bean production, field day programs, demonstrations, access to improved seed credit, and membership in a seed multiplication group, while the market distance was negatively influenced. When evaluating and choosing improved haricot bean varieties, farmers in the study area gave high yield, market demand
and price advantage, maturity time, grain color, grain size, disease resistance, and storage priority. The Nasir
cultivar comes first based on these criteria, followed by the Dimtu cultivar. Furthermore, fewer farmers in the
study area applied fertilizer and seed at rates than advised by research and extension. Lack of extension assistance,
high fertilizer costs, and lack of funds contributed to farmers’ departure from advised packaging practices. To enhance the adoption of improved cultivars, it is suggested that the promotion of improved haricot bean cultivars, as well as improved farmers’ access to extension services and timely market information, be emphasize
Frequency of Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab resistance alleles in pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella Saunders from Andhra Pradesh, India
Get PDFSince 2002, transgenic crops that produce Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab toxins have been used in India to control bollworms. From 2002 to 2009, Bt-cotton effectively controlled the pink bollworm (PBW). However, since 2009 numerous studies have reported high survival of PBW on Bt-cotton expressing Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab toxins, indicating reduced susceptibility to Cry toxins expressed in Bt-cotton. In the current study, we attempted to estimate the frequency of resistance alleles to Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab toxins in a field collected population of pink bollworms from Andhra Pradesh. Resistance allele frequency was estimated using an F2 screen methodology for the first time after 17 years of Bt-cotton cultivation. Our study finds that the allele frequency for Cry1Ac is 0.082 and for Cry2Ab is 0.054, with a detection probability of greater than 97%. In our survey conducted in 2018–19 and 2019–20, we also noticed high survival and damage by PBW on Bt-cotton expressing Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab. Our survey report reveals, > 30% flower damage, > 90% green boll damage and > 80% locule damage by PBW on Bt-cotton expressing Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab toxins
ICRISAT Annual Report 2022 - Commemorating 50 years of Impact
Get PDFWe begin the year 2022 with great enthusiasm, having
been honored with the prestigious Africa Food Prize 2021.
This recognition has further strengthened our commitment
to advancing agriculture and food security in the dryland
tropics, and we are pleased to present to you ICRISAT’s
annual report for this year, which is particularly significant as it marks the Institute’s 50th anniversary.
This milestone was commemorated by the Prime Minister
of India, Narendra Modi, who recognized our deep
contributions made to dryland agriculture and food security
not only in India, but in Africa and further afield. We are
immensely proud of this recognition by a global leader of
his stature, and take great pride in the many partnerships
that have enabled this success. It underscores the impact
and relevance of our work in supporting robust agri-food
systems in the drylands to improve the lives and livelihoods
of small-holder farmers and their communities.
Our organization’s Strategic Plan continues to guide
our efforts towards achieving our vision of a prosperous,
food-secure, and resilient dryland tropics. Our three global
research programs and three regional programs work
seamlessly across our regions and together they continue
to make a significant impact on the lives and livelihoods of
smallholder farmers in Africa, India, and beyond, particularly in the areas of crop improvement, natural resource management, and market-oriented development. These
practical contributions to the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) are particularly noteworthy, and we are proud
to be contributing to these important global targets
Identification of Promising Three-Way Hybrids of Pearl Millet for Drought-Prone Environments of North-Western India
Get PDFStable, drought-tolerant, and high-yielding dual-purpose hybrids are needed for cultivation in the drought-prone areas of India. Working towards this, this study was conducted to assess the associations between grain yield and its component traits and the relationships among genotypes to select the most promising hybrids based on multiple traits. In the present investigation, thirty newly developed three-way hybrids (TWHs), along with four popular commercial single-cross hybrids and two open pollinated varieties (OPVs) were evaluated at three sites in the drought-prone ecology of India during the rainy season of 2021–2022. A principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the first three component axes (PC) were significant, with eigenvalues more than one, and together contributed to 74.10% of the total variance. A hierarchical cluster analysis based on the Euclidean distance between hybrids suggested the existence of three clusters. Cluster III (C-III) had hybrids with maximum grain yield, dry fodder yield, and important component traits such as panicle harvest index and grain harvest index that are required for adaptation to drought-prone environments. A genotype by yield X trait (GYT) biplot and a superiority index (SI) were generated to identify the
best hybrids with high grain yield and other component traits. These results were used to identify TWHs, namely TH-114, TH-138, TH-49, TH-67, and TH-79, with more than 30% standard heterosis and stable performance coupled with better drought-adaptive traits