International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
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Socio-economic and food system drivers of nutrition and health transitions in The Gambia from 1990 to 2017
Get PDFIn common with many nations undergoing a nutrition transition, micronutrient deficiencies, undernutrition and
overnutrition coexist in The Gambia. Addressing these challenges simultaneously would require transformational
changes in the country’s food system. However, the evidence base that would enable informed decision-making in the Gambian food system has been scant, despite several sources of routinely-collected data being available. This descriptive study brings together data from four open-access global databases on food supply, political, economic, and demographic variables, and nutrition and health between 1990 and 2017 to study potential leverage points for improvement in the food system. It compares trends in food supply and nutritional outcomes in The Gambia against regional and global averages, and identifies potential drivers taken from a food systems framework. The data show that, over the past three decades, total energy supply has increased, and obesity is rising quickly, but iron deficiency persists in a proportion of the population. Overall diet composition is poor, with lower availability of fruit and vegetables and higher supply of sugar and oils compared to regional and
global averages. Domestic production is low for most food groups and so a high dependence on imports from other countries bridges the gap in terms of energy supply. Measures of economic development, particularly GDP, were positively related with supply of cereals and animal source foods over time, but no such relationship was observed with fruit and vegetable supply. Food system policy to improve nutrition and health outcomes in The Gambia needs to focus on improving the diversity of food supply – especially fruit and vegetables - and maximizing national domestic production to reduce reliance on food imports. The use of open-source global datasets can be feasible in exploring food system characteristics and trends at the national level and could be applied in other contexts
Evaluation of biochemical components of resistance in pigeonpea, Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp. against Callosobruchus chinensis L. (Coleoptera: Bruchidae)
No full textIn laboratory study, we identified the biochemical components of resistance to bruchid (Callosobruchus chinensis L.) in 15 pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) genotypes. The bruchids cause substantial losses to the pigeonpea grains in storage as well under field conditions. The anti-nutritional constituents (Trypsin, cysteine and amylase inhibitors) of pigeonpea played major role in inhibiting the growth and development of C. chinensis. The maximum mean developmental period and minimum adult bruchid weight were observed in the wild pigeonpea genotype ICPW 68 (34.10 days and 4.98 mg respectively), followed by ICPL 20186 (32.4 days and 5.09 mg) and ENT 11 (32.31 days and 5.21 mg) respectively. The highest protease inhibition activity was observed in pH range of 4 to 7, which acts as an anti-metabolite to C. chinensis indicating the relative resistance. The anti-nutritional factors, developmental period and adult weight of bruchids were negatively correlated. The studies revealed that biochemical components in pigeonpea play an important role in resistance to C. chinensis
Phenotypic variation and genotypic diversity of Eleusine coracana L. Gaertn (finger millet) germplasm collection in Malawi
No full textEleusine coracana L. Gaertn has remained neglected and underutilized in Malawi partly due to limited research that includes crop improvement. Any effort to exploit the genetic potential of the available genetic variability could lead to identification of potential germplasm for improved varieties. This study characterised agro-morphological traits and identified genetic diversity amongst the germplasm collections using Kompetitive Allele Specifc PCR (KASP) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers to identify unique traits used for germplasm discrimination for seed production and crop improvement. A total of forty germplasm collections were tested at Crops and Soil Sciences Department's research farm of Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR). The experiment was laid out in an alpha lattice design. From forty germplasm collections, 188 germplasm collection samples were selected for deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) extraction. Phenotypic data on agro-morphological traits were collected and subjected to multivariate analysis. Genotypic data was subjected to analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) in R software environment (R Core Team, 2021). Three principal components (PC1, PC2 and PC3) explained 42% of the total phenotypic variation among the germplasm collection while AMOVA revealed a 48% genotyping variation within and 53% genotypic variation among the germplasm collection. Cluster analysis grouped the 188 genotyped germplasm collection into 6 clusters. Phenotypic variation and genotypic diversity exist in finger millet which aids in the discrimination of the germplasm collection in seed production and in a breeding program
Climate-resilient agricultural ploys can improve livelihood and food security in Eastern India
No full textAgricultural practices naturally interject greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere; consequently, analyzing decadal variation in N2O, CO2, and CH4 is indispensable over a major rice cultivating area (West Bengal) in subtropical India. Analysis of EDGAR data shows an unremitting increase in GHGs in the study region over two decades. The increasing global warming makes us revisit climate-resilient strategies to mitigate the risk of climate change on paddy production in agrarian economies. However, adapting to these strategies and impact assessment is necessary to comprehend their productiveness and further policy recommendation. Therefore, this study identifies the determinants of adaptation and measures the impact of these strategies on farm performance (yield and net income) and food security of smallholder paddy farmers in India. We used primary data from 612 paddy farmers from 20 villages in the Hooghly district, West Bengal, India. The study used probit regression analysis to identify adaptation constraints and Multinomial Logistic Regression (MLR) to determine the change in the direction and magnitude of the determinants of adaptation strategies. The study also used the Propensity Score Matching (PSM) approach to estimate the causal impact of climate adaptation on paddy yield, net income, and food security. Probit model outcomes identified that education level, cooperative membership, access to extension services, and institutional credit adoption positively and significantly impacted climate change adaptation across smallholders. MLR analysis identified that the direction and magnitude of the discussed determinants changed with different combinations of adaptation choices. The PSM results estimated that adaptation of climate-resilient strategies impacted paddy productivity, net income, and food security positively and significantly. In addition, paddy farmers using a more significant number of climate adaptation strategies experienced better yield, revenue, and food security than those farmers using fewer adaptation strategies
Genetics, breeding, and genomics of Indian barnyard millet (Echinochloa frumentacea): status and perspectives
Get PDFRecently, the potential of small millets in addressing food and nutritional security has been realized globally. However, compared with the efforts invested in improving major cereals, small millets have received little research attention. Indian barnyard millet (Echinochloa frumentacea) is one of the prominent small millets, capable of ensuring food, feed, and nutritional security among the growing population and cope with the changing climate. Genetic variation for the traits of economic importance is well preserved in the ex situ collections in various international and national gene banks. Yet, utilization of these resources in trait improvement is often limited by poorly understood genetic mechanisms in Indian barnyard millet. Consequently, the genetic gain has been slower than expected for the traits of economic interest. Compared with conventional breeding approaches, the next-generation breeding coupled with high-throughput genomics could help in the development of genomic resources to dissect complex traits into their components, i.e., quantitative trait loci. Genomic resources are less elaborate in Indian barnyard millet due to associated ploidy complexity and narrow genetic base. This chapter summarizes the breeding, genomics, and nutritional aspects of Indian barnyard millet. International collaborative efforts toward improving agronomic traits, value addition, and trade value of Indian barnyard millet would not only help marginal farmers of southeast Asia but will also help to enhance the commercial value of this sturdy millet
Identification of Transgressive Segregants and Variability Studies in Segregating Generations of Four Crosses in Chickpea
Get PDFBackground: An impressive progress has been made in development and promotion of extra-large kabuli chickpea varieties in India during the past decade. As a result, India has become from importer to exporter of kabuli chickpea. The breeding programmes need to continue efforts on enhancing genetic gain in breeding kabuli chickpea varieties through increasing genetic variability and precision and efficiency of selection. This study was aimed at evaluating early segregating generations of chickpea to assess genetic variability for various important traits.
Methods: Four large-seeded kabuli chickpea genotypes (JGK 2, KAK 2, KRIPA and ICC 17109); were crossed with a common smallseeded kabuli genotype (ICC 16644). F1, F2 and F3 along with parents were evaluated under normal field conditions and observations were recorded on various phenological, morphological and yield traits. Data was analysed to estimate genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance in the segregating populations. Result: Considerably high variability was observed in F2 and F3 populations of all the crosses. Heritability estimates in broad sense were high coupled with high genetic advance as per cent of mean for days to first flower, days to pod initiation, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per plant and 100-seed weight which indicated the presence of additive gene action for these traits. Large number of transgressive segregants was identified for number of seeds per plant followed by number of pods per plant and yield per plant. The most promising transgressive segregants could be used in future breeding programme
Nitrogen dose dependant changes in grain morphology parameters are correlated with grain protein and yield traits in field-grown diverse rice genotypes
No full textNitrogen (N) deficiency alters grain morphology and reduces yield and quality rice (Oryza sativa L.). This study investigates the impact of nitrogen (N) deficiency on grain morphology, yield, and quality in 30 diverse rice genotypes. The genotypes were grown under field conditions during the 2019 and 2020-kharif seasons, subjected to two N regimes: N deficient (N0) and N sufficient (N120). Nitrogen deficiency resulted in reduced grain weight and protein content. Variations in grain morphology-related traits were observed among rice genotypes under different N applications, and these changes were correlated with yield. Certain genotypes, like APO, Nerica-L-42, and Kalinga-1, exhibited better performance under N0, indicating their tolerance to low N environments. Additionally, specific genotypes showed higher grain protein content under both N0 and N120 treatments. The study highlights the relationship between grain N content, grain morphology, and yield traits in rice under varying N conditions
Long-Term Evaluation of Crop Production Systems Based on Locally Available Biological Inputs in India
Get PDFThis chapter reports the results from a full decade of research conducted at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics at Patancheru near Hyderabad in Telangana, India, between 1999 and 2009 on a rainfed vertisol. Appropriate use of such biological approaches has been previously reported to enhance the populations of soil microorganisms and macrofauna, thereby enhancing microbial transformations of different nutrients from their bound forms to available forms. Larger farms, because of their size, use their resources more extensively than intensively, and their higher total returns from agriculture usually derive more from their size of operation than from greater factor productivity or efficiency. Earthworms are widely accepted as having a beneficial influence on soil structure and chemistry that promotes plant, especially root, growth. A number of leguminous species offer opportunities to enhance biomass availability as cover crops or green manures
Millets
No full textMillets are cereal crops grown in various parts of the world under rainfed conditions with minimal inputs of fertilizers and pesticides. The production of millets is adversely affected by many virus diseases. This chapter provides a comprehensive account of different viruses infecting major millet crops, their biological and genomic properties, diagnostics, epidemiology, and management
Millets: A Nutritional Powerhouse With Anti-cancer Potential
Get PDFMillets are important food crops widely grown by smallholder farmers in the arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Millets are rich in protein, dietary fiber, micronutrients, and have a low glycemic index (GI) and desirable bioactive compounds. Due to their higher nutritional content, millets are popularly known as "nutricereals". Coinciding with the United Nations and the Food and Agriculture Organization's declaration of 2023 as the "International Year of Millets," this review underscores the nutritional value of these grains from the Poaceae family.
The consumption of nutricereals is associated with several health benefits including lowering of blood sugar levels (diabetes), controlling blood pressure, and providing protection against thyroid, cardiovascular, and cancer diseases. A review of the literature from PubMed and Google Scholar was done focusing on the health benefits and anti-cancer properties of different millets. Millets have a rich content of macronutrients like carbohydrates and proteins, as well as micronutrients and bioactive compounds, including dietary fibers, essential fatty acids, and phytochemicals. This article explores millets' nutritional elements, i.e., macronutrients, micronutrients, and bioactive compounds, and provides insights into the types of carbohydrates present, the prebiotic function of dietary fibers, and millets' low GI. The study identified the mechanisms by which millets may deter cancer growth, focusing on the roles of dietary fibers, plant protease inhibitors, and bioactive peptides. Additionally, it compared the mineral and vitamin content of millets to other common grains, such as rice and wheat, and explored the potential health advantages of millets over other cereal crops. This review systematically investigated the health advantages of millets, particularly, their anti-cancer capabilities. Dietary fibers, plant protease inhibitors, and bioactive peptides present in millets have the capacity to induce apoptosis, inhibit cell proliferation, and interact with gut microbiota leading to potential anti-cancer effects. This review also identified existing challenges in the bioavailability and effective delivery of millets' bioactive peptides, advocating for further research to maximize their health benefits