CIP Journal Articles

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/53090

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 1225

Structural, Physicochemical, and Digestion Properties of Sweetpotato Starches
(Journal Article, 2025-05-04) Alayouni, R.; Muzhingi, T.; Nakitto, M.; Baride, A.; Yao, T.; Janaswamy, S.
Sweetpotato starch has significant nutritional value. However, there is considerable variability in starch characteristics among different sweetpotato cultivars, necessitating a deeper understanding of the inherent varietal differences. This study compares the structural and physicochemical properties of starches from seven sweetpotato varieties: NASPOT8, NASPOT10 O, NASPOT11, NASPOT12 O, NASPOT13 O, Kakamega, and Ejumula, cultivated in Uganda. The results suggest that sweetpotato starch granules are irregularly elliptical. The amylose content ranges from 20.87% to 35.40%, with low starch damage of 0.19% to 0.53%. The peak viscosity, final viscosity, breakdown viscosity, and setback viscosity vary from 9973 cp to 19258 cp, 2190 cp to 5901 cp, 6791 cp to 14195 cp, and 272 cp to 1501 cp, respectively. X-ray diffraction analysis reveals Cc-type starch with a relative crystallinity of 11.76% to 15.34%. The RDS, SDS, and RS amounts vary significantly (p<0.05) from 70.20% to 79%, 9.42% to 16.02%, and 7.72% to 15.48%, respectively. NASPOT8 has unique features among the seven varieties, including reduced pasting viscosity, higher gelatinization temperature, and lower digestibility. The findings provide valuable insights into using sweetpotato varieties grown in Uganda for various food and non-food applications.
Pesticides and their impact on entomofauna in Andean farmers’ fields in Ecuador
(Journal Article, 2025-04-25) Mina, D.; Cayambe, J.; Cárdenas, T.; Navarrete, I.; Dangles, O.
El desconocimiento del uso racional de insecticidas conlleva a que agricultores de países en desarrollo como Ecuador sobrepasen el límite de aplicaciones permitidas. Además, poco se conoce del efecto que tienen los insecticidas sobre la entomofauna de Lupinus mutabilis (chocho). Este estudio busca analizar el efecto de los insecticidas sobre plagas e insectos benéficos con especial énfasis en polinizadores, sin descuidar el efecto sobre el rendimiento del cultivo. Se tomó como referencia la entomofauna asociada al cultivo de chocho. Se evaluaron 79 campos agrícolas en CotopaxiEcuador, con tratamientos con químico, sin químico y sin ningún control. Una vez socializado el experimento, los agricultores eligieron el manejo para sus campos con las recomendaciones de los investigadores. Para el monitoreo de insectos se usaron trampas pegantes y de plato de color amarillo. Se obtuvieron variables de abundancia y diversidad de insectos. El uso y aplicación de plaguicidas se registró usando encuestas desarrolladas con Survey 123. Los resultados muestran que la aplicación de insecticidas no siempre fue efectiva en el control de las plagas analizadas. Además, los tratamientos evaluados tuvieron efectos distintos según el tipo de insecto polinizador analizado. Por otro lado, se observó que ciertas plagas, en especial barrenadores podrían inducir un efecto de respuesta positivo (70 % más de flores) que beneficiaría el rendimiento final. Estos resultados podrían sugerir que los controles de plagas para este cultivo deberían ser más dirigidos y realizarse antes de la floración, esto evitaría causar daños a polinizadores, barrenadores y probablemente enemigos naturales de plagas.
Variety use and preferences among smallholder sweetpotato farmers and how best to improve their access to quality seed: A gendered perspective and implications for breeding program design
(Journal Article, 2025-03-17) Bayiyana, I.; Okello, J.J.; Ojwang, S.O.; Mulwa, C.K.; Shikuku, Kelvin Mashisia; Mayanja, S.; Ssali, R.T.; Namanda, S.; Kemigisha, D.; Lagerkvist, Carl Johan
Uganda is a secondary centre of diversity of sweetpotato with most farmers maintaining at least four varieties in their fields. However, most of these varieties are landraces, with the uptake of improved sweetpotato varieties being quite low in the country, especially among women. Efforts to decrease the gender technology adoption gap are critical for inclusive impacts of innovations. This study aims to understand gendered drivers of sourcing and use of sweetpotato varieties among smallholder farmers exposed to behavioural interventions in Uganda. Key informant interviews (KII), focus group discussions (FGDs) and semi-structured interviews (SSI) were used to gather baseline information from farmers located in communities that received behavioural interventions. The results indicate that while men sourced seed-vines mainly from purchasing in the market, women farmers did so mainly from social networks including fellow farmers or neighbours. Men had higher tendency to source vines from the market likely because of higher mobility than women. Consumption traits, especially quality characteristics were strongly associated with variety use. Notably, sweet taste played a big role and was linked to preference for Iboi, Ejumula and Kakamega, the leading varieties. This was followed by high root yield. The challenges women face in sweetpotato production included limited labour force and shortage of farm equipment/machinery, lack of timely access to planting material at on-set of rains, and lack of access to affordable/ cost of improved varieties. These findings highlight the importance of paying attention to both quality and agronomic traits, and not only the latter, in variety development. They also suggest the need for implementation of effective promotional strategies including demonstration gardens, technical backstopping to extensionists to equip them, radio talk shows and market linkages.
Weather uncertainty and demand for information in technology adoption: Case of Namibia
(Journal Article, 2025-06) Visser, M.; Mulwa, C.K.; Gitonga, Z.; Baard, M.
This study examines the impact of risk and ambiguity preferences on farmers' technology adoption decisions under uncertainty, with an emphasis on the role of precise weather information in guiding these decisions. Using framed lab-in-the-field experiments conducted with rural households in the North-Central region of Namibia, we elicit individual risk and ambiguity attitudes and observe technology choices across varying levels of known and unknown probabilities of favourable weather. Our findings show that risk-seeking behaviour significantly increases the likelihood of adopting higher-risk, higher-return agricultural technologies when probabilities are known. Under ambiguity, both risk and ambiguity preferences significantly influence technology choices, with ambiguity-averse farmers tending towards safer options. Importantly, we demonstrate that farmers' willingness to pay for precise weather information escalates with the level of objective uncertainty that they face. Access to accurate weather forecasts leads to significant improvements in weather-related decisions under complete uncertainty, promoting the adoption of improved technologies and increasing expected payoffs. These results underscore the crucial role of objective uncertainty in shaping demand for information and highlight the potential of targeted weather information services to enhance farmers' agricultural decision-making, particularly in the arid and semi-arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa. Our study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence on how reducing uncertainty through information provision can facilitate technology adoption, suggesting that investments in weather forecasting and dissemination could substantially benefit farmers in regions vulnerable to climate variability and when there are high levels of objective uncertainty.
Evaluation of Genetic Diversity and Genome-Wide Association Studies of Resistance to Bacterial Wilt Disease in Potato
(Journal Article, 2025-03-22) Okiro, L.A.; Mulwa, R.M.; Oyoo, M.E.; Ojwang, P.; Otieno, S.; Gaiero, P.; Pereira, G.S.; Mendes, T.
The development of novel improved varieties adapted to unstable environmental conditions is possible through the genetic diversity of breeding materials. Potato is among the most important food crops worldwide; however, there are still significant hindrances to breeding gains attributed to its autotetraploid and highly heterozygous genome. Bacterial wilt caused by the Ralstonia solanacearum species complex is an important disease affecting potato among many economically important crops worldwide. No cultivated potato genotypes have shown a satisfactory level of resistance to bacterial wilt. Nevertheless, resistance can play a crucial role in effective integrated disease management. To understand the genetic landscape of bacterial wilt resistance in cultivated potato, we evaluated the diversity of 192 accessions from the International Potato Center (CIP) using 9,250 single-nucleotide polymorphisms and their associations with the response to bacterial wilt disease evaluated over two independent trials. Twenty-four accessions showed high resistance throughout both trials. Genetic diversity analysis revealed three major clusters whose subgroups were mostly represented by CIP clones derived from common parents. Genome-wide association analyses identified six major hits: two on chromosome 8 and one on each chromosome 2, 4, 5, and 9. These results facilitate genetic dissection of bacterial wilt resistance and enable marker-assisted breeding in elite genotypes for potato breeding initiatives.
A 6.49-Mb inversion associated with the purple embryo spot trait in potato
(Journal Article, 2025-01-18) Wang, P.; Cheng, L.; Pan, J.; Ma, L.; Hu, X.; Zhang, Z.; Li, D.; Zhu, Y.; Chang, S.; Yuan, P.; Kear, P.; Lassois, L.; Zhu, G.; Huang, S.; Du, H.; Zhang, C.
The embryo spot trait leads to a deep purple or reddish coloration at the base of the cotyledons of the embryo, visible on both sides of flat potato (Solanum tuberosum) seeds. This trait has long been used by potato researchers and breeders as a morphological marker during dihaploid induction. The formation of embryo spots reflects the accumulation of anthocyanins, but the genetic basis of this trait remains unclear. In this study, we mapped the embryo spot trait to a 6.78-Mb region at the end of chromosome 10 using an F2 population derived from a cross between spotted and spotless plants. The recombination rate in the candidate region is severely suppressed, posing challenges for the map-based cloning of the underlying gene and suggesting large-scale rearrangements in this region. A de novo genome assembly of the spotted individual and a comparative genomic analysis to the reference genome of spotless potato revealed a 6.49-Mb inversion present in the spotted plant genome. The left breakpoint of this inversion occurred in the promoter region of an R2R3 MYB transcription factor gene that is highly expressed in the cotyledon base of spotted embryos but is not expressed in that of spotless embryos. This study elucidated the genetic basis for embryo spot formation in potato and provides a foundation for future cloning of the causative gene.
Comprehensive transcriptional regulatory networks in potato through chromatin accessibility and transcriptome under drought and salt stresses
(Journal Article, 2025-03-21) Wen, S.; Jian, H.; Shang, L.; Kear, P.; Zhang, M.; Li, Y.; Yuan, P.; Lyu, D.
Drought and high salt stress have a great negative impact on potato growth and development. However, the molecular mechanisms by which different tissues and organs of potato plants respond to drought and high salt stress at different stress times lack definition. In this study, we mapped the whole genome of THSs in potato in response to different stresses using RNA-seq and ATAC-seq technologies and constructed the unique and shared transcriptional regulatory networks (TRNs) under different stresses, stress time points, and tissues in potato. The results showed opposite trends for changes in chromatin accessibility and expression of genes under drought and salt stresses. Forty-eight hours and root-specific TRNs were more complex than those of 3 h and leaf, and there were genes with inconsistent drought- and salt-stress-regulated expression only in root-shared TRNs, demonstrating the variability of potato's response to stresses under different tissues and treatment times. These results provide a basis for elucidating the transcriptional mechanisms underlying the specific response of potato to drought or salt stress and the common response to salt and drought stress.
Seed Potato Quality Assurance in Ethiopia: System Analysis and Considerations on Quality Declared Assurance Practices
(Journal Article, 2025-03-18) Tessema, L.; Kakuhenzire, R.; McEwan, M.
Smallholder potato farmers in Ethiopia do not realize the theoretical yield potential of the crop because they do not benefit from the advantages of using quality seed potato of improved varieties. The high disease incidence in seed potatoes has large implications on the potato farming system since the country lacks appropriate seed quality assurance mechanisms. Seed potato quality assurance relies more on the technical support provided by the national research and extension systems than the official seed certification agency. This paper elaborates systematic challenges and opportunities within the potato seed system and poses two research questions: (1) What type of seed quality assurance mechanisms (informal, quality declared, certified) are under implementation in Ethiopia? (2) How does the current seed quality assurance system operate in terms of reliability, accessibility, and quality standards to deliver quality seed potato? The data were collected through face-to-face in-depth key informant interviews with various seed regulatory laboratory managers and technicians in the Oromia, SNNP, and SWEP regions in the main seed- and ware-producing areas of Ethiopia. This was complemented by a comprehensive analysis of relevant documents. The findings show that currently there is no established procedure in place to officially certify early-generation seed potatoes. Two out of six seed quality control laboratories assessed for this study inspected seed potato fields in 2021 but as quality declared seed (QDS), and approved the fields inspected based on visual inspection alone. Our study revealed a weak linkage between early-generation seed (EGS) potato producers, commercial, and QDS seed potato producers, and seed quality control laboratories. Seed potato quality assurance operations were carried out by only a few seed regulatory laboratories with several concerns raised over the effectiveness of quality standards since seed-borne diseases, such as bacterial wilt, have been found at high frequency in the country’s seed potato system. Hence, the current procedures and challenges call for the necessity of upgrading current quality assurance in seed potato certification. Our study underlines the need for policymakers, development partners, and researchers to collaborate and pool efforts to consider transforming the quality declared system to appropriate seed certification. We recommended that institutionalizing novel plant disease diagnostics into seed regulatory frameworks is needed for sustainable potato production and food security in Ethiopia.
Role of nutrition-sensitive agriculture in enhancing sustainable humanitarian assistance: Evidence from orange-fleshed sweetpotato interventions in Kenya
(Journal Article, 2025-04) Mulwa, C.K.; Grant, F.; Gatto, M.; Moyo, M.; Amunga, D.; Kwikiriza, N.; Malit, J.; Okello, J.J.; Maru, J.; Campos, Hugo; Heck, S.
The increasing frequency of climate-related shocks in arid and semi-arid regions has subjected local populations to cyclical livelihood disruptions and poverty traps. Humanitarian assistance is key to sustainable livelihoods in such regions, but this has largely been in the form of emergency aid. Sustainability concerns and public f iscal burden have necessitated a shift towards resilience building. Such interventions include biofortification, an important nutrition-sensitive agricultural approach that can sustainably improve food and nutrition security among vulnerable populations. However, there is limited evidence of success and lessons for scaling this approach. Using a sample of 636 households drawn from three arid and semi-arid counties in Kenya, this study uses a doubly robust estimator and non-parametric methods to investigate the effect of promoting vitamin-A-biofortified sweet potato as a nutrition-sensitive, climate-smart agricultural intervention to improve nutritional outcomes in humanitarian settings. We find that interventions combining demand-creation strategies and access to biofortified planting material significantly enhance nutrition knowledge and household nutrition indicators such as dietary diversity and food security. Individual interventions that either create demand or provide access to planting material enhance nutrition awareness but do not lead to primary nutrition outcomes such as dietary diversity. Lastly, enhancing access to planting material leads to higher nutritional outcomes compared to demand-creation strategies carried out in isolation.
A field survey of eight common potato pathogens in China based on integrated-loop-mediated isothermal amplification assays
(Journal Article, 2024-12-10) Zhang, X.; Chen, H.; Wu, J.; Wang, X.; Wang, S.; Chen, J.; Yu, Q.; Zhang, Z.; Zheng, X.; Zeng, J.; Dong, S.
Various pathogens from oomycete, fungi, and bacteria kingdoms can infect potato and significantly reduce potato yield. The early diagnosis of potato pathogens is important for tracing disease epidemics and the subsequent disease management. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a critical technique for pathogen detection, but available LAMP assays do not effectively meet the requirement of field diagnoses due to complexities including co-infection of different pathogens. Hence, this study aims to develop integrated-LAMP assays (iLAMPs) for simultaneous detection of eight common potato pathogens and apply iLAMPs to pathogen detection in field samples from the four main potato-growing regions of China in 2023. Therefore, eight sets of primers showing gene- and genus-specificity were designed and used for iLAMPs to determine their specificity, sensitivity, and visualization. Subsequently, iLAMPs-mediated pathogen detection revealed that 72.82% of 206 diseased leaves and 84.94% of 239 diseased tubers carry more than one pathogen. The detection rate for each pathogen significantly varies from 1.94 to 65.53% in diseased leaves, and ranges from 26.78 to 52.72% in diseased tubers, respectively. In addition, the detection rate of Phytophthora infestans and Alternaria solani positively correlates in both leaves and tubers, especially for those samples from the southwestern and southern regions. Taken together, iLAMPs developed in this study enables simultaneous detection of eight common potato pathogens from field samples and may have broad applications in early management of potato diseases.
Interventions on fruit and vegetable intake in low-, middle-, and high-income countries: A scoping review of evidence and knowledge gaps
(Journal Article, 2025) Azupogo, Fusta; Koyratty, Nadia; Smith, Taryn J.; Hinnouho, Guy-Marino; Tharaney, Manisha; Bliznashka, Lilia; Amunga, Dorcas A.; Angeles-Agdeppa, Imelda; Goyena, Eva; Grant, Frederick; Kinabo, Joyce; Mitchodigni, Irene Medeme; Silva, Renuka; Sitisekara, Hasara; Olney, Deanna K.; Hess, Sonja Y.
Background Adequate fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake is important for health, yet populations globally are failing to meet recommendations. Objective A scoping review to summarize available evidence of evaluations of interventions to increase F&V intake globally, focusing on target populations, intervention strategies, research methods, and summarizing their evaluated impacts. Methods We searched PubMed and Web of Science in February 2023 for intervention studies in which dietary intake of fruit and/or vegetables were documented. Eligible studies included all age groups, excluding those targeting populations with specific disease-related conditions, such as cancer patients/survivors. Only articles published in English since 2012 were included in the review. Results We identified 6338 articles, with 226 meeting inclusion criteria, comprising 223 unique studies and 284 intervention comparisons. Most comparisons occurred in high-income countries (n = 192) compared to low- and middle-income countries (n = 92). Randomized controlled trials (RCTs; 37.3%) and cluster RCTs (52.5%) were predominant. Interventions primarily targeted adults (31.7%), school-aged children (18.0%), children under-five (14.4%), and adolescents (13.7%), lasting an average of 24 weeks (range: 2 weeks to 20 years). Food-frequency questionnaires (59.2%) and 24-h recalls (26.8%) were the most used dietary assessment method. Health and nutrition education (75.9%) was the most common intervention, utilizing interpersonal communication, mass media, and information-communication technology, often in combinations. Positive impacts on fruit (43.9%), vegetable (40.2%), and combined F&V intake (53.0%) were observed in nearly half the intervention comparisons. Conclusions These findings highlight the predominance of health and nutrition education interventions, predominantly in high-income countries, showing mixed success in improving F&V intake, emphasizing the need for context-specific strategies and standardized methodologies to design sustainable, cost-effective interventions for better diet quality and health outcomes.
Multivariate and Association Analyses of Various Seed Yield Contributing Traits Divulge Genetic Diversity Among Pisum sativum L. Genotypes
(Journal Article, 2025-01-21) Parveen, N.; Umer, S.; Tan, C.; Jabbar, A.; Kanwal, B.; Haider, I.; Raza, W.; Usma, A.; Mehmood, A.; Junaid, M.B.; Abbasi, S.H.; Alfagham, A.T.; Iqbal, R.
Genetic variability plays a pivotal role in enhancing yield-related traits. A diverse genetic pool offers the potential for combining desirable allelic combinations to improve yield and related characteristics. This study analyzed data from 99 genotypes, focusing on various morphological traits. Correlation analysis revealed significant and positive associations among seed yield per plant, hundred fresh seed weight, and hundred dry seed weight. Principal component analysis (PCA) identified the first four principal components (PCs) with eigenvalues exceeding one, accounting for 64.186% of total variability in morphological traits. PC-1 exhibited positive factor loadings for all morphological traits except number of pods per plant, number of branches per plant, number of seeds per pod, and pod length with hundred fresh seed weight, being the highest contributor. Cluster analysis categorized genotypes into three distinct clusters with Cluster-II, displaying the highest hundred fresh seed weight. Using the Ward’s method, greater distance was observed between Cluster-I and Cluster-III, suggesting that crosses between genotypes from these clusters may yield hybrid vigor in breeding programs and contribute to the selection of desirable genotypes.
Trees, terraces and llamas: Resilient watershed management and sustainable agriculture the Inca way
(Journal Article, 2025-01-27) Frogley, M.R.; Chepstow-Lusty, A.; Thiele, G.; Chutas, C.A.
The Inca and their immediate predecessors provide an exceptional model of how to create high-altitude functional environments that sustainably feed people with a diversity of crops, whilst mitigating erosion, protecting forestry and maintaining soil fertility without the need for large-scale burning. A comparison is provided here of landscape practices and impacts prior to and after the Inca, derived from a unique 4200-year sedimentary record recovered from Laguna Marcacocha, a small, environmentally sensitive lake located at the heart of the Inca Empire. By examining ten selected proxies of environmental change, a rare window is opened on the past, helping to reveal how resilient watershed management and sustainable, climate-smart agriculture were achieved. We contend that, in the face of modern environmental uncertainty, a second climate-smart agricultural revolution is necessary, but one that accounts for the significant social capital of highland communities whilst still leaning heavily on native crops, trees and livestock.
INIA 333-CHUGAYNA new Potato Variety Resilient to Climate Change for the Family Farming System with Tolerance to Frost, Resistant to Late Blight and high Quality for Fresh Consumption
(Journal Article, 2025-02) Cabrera, H.; Otiniano, R.; Pando, R.; Garcia, H.S.; Rodriguez, W.H.; Pérez, J.M.; Haan, Stef de; Gastelo, M.
The new potato variety INIA 333-CHUGAYNA, is the result of the joint work of the NGO Asociaci & oacute;n Pataz, INIA and the International Potato Center, it was generated through traditional breeding and the use of the participatory varietal selection methodology, as a variety resilient to climate change with frost tolerance, resistance to late blight, compared to the improved variety INIA 302-Amarilis and the native varieties, Huevo de Indio. This new variety is also resilient to climate change, tolerant to frost, with field resistance to late blight, high tuber yield, low glycoalkaloid content and high quality for fresh consumption, adapted up to 4000 m above sea level. It was released in 2023 and officially registered in the national registry of commercial varieties of Peru. The new variety INIA 333-CHUGAYNA requires minimal use of fungicides and has a high economic profitability that will improve the living standards of small and medium-sized farmers in Peru. It can also be used as a parent in breeding programs in other countries in development, to confront climate change, especially frost. TLa nueva variedad de papa INIA 333-CHUGAYNA, es el resultado del trabajo conjunto de la ONG Asociaci & oacute;n Pataz, INIA y el Centro Internacional de la Papa, se gener & oacute; a trav & eacute;s del mejoramiento tradicional y el uso de la metodolog & iacute;a de selecci & oacute;n varietal participativa, como una variedad resiliente al cambio clim & aacute;tico con tolerancia a las heladas, resistencia al tiz & oacute;n tard & iacute;o, en comparaci & oacute;n con la variedad mejorada INIA 302-Amarilis y las variedades nativas, Huevo de Indio. Esta nueva variedad tambi & eacute;n es resistente al cambio clim & aacute;tico, tolerante a las heladas, con resistencia de campo al tiz & oacute;n tard & iacute;o, alto rendimiento de tub & eacute;rculos, bajo contenido de glicoalcaloides y alta calidad para el consumo en fresco, adaptada hasta los 4000 metros sobre el nivel del mar. Fue liberada en 2023 e inscrita oficialmente en el registro nacional de variedades comerciales del Per & uacute;. La nueva variedad INIA 333-CHUGAYNA requiere un uso m & iacute;nimo de fungicidas y tiene una alta rentabilidad econ & oacute;mica que mejorar & aacute; el nivel de vida de los peque & ntilde;os y medianos agricultores en el Per & uacute;. Tambi & eacute;n puede ser utilizada como progenitor en programas de mejoramiento en otros pa & iacute;ses en desarrollo, para enfrentar el cambio clim & aacute;tico, especialmente las heladas.
Environmental impact and phenotypic stability in potato clones resistant to late blight Phytophthora infestans (Mont) de Bary, resilient to climate change in Peru
(Journal Article, 2025-02-15) Gastelo, M.; Bastos, C.; Ortiz, R.; Blas, R.
Potato is one of the three most important foods in the world’s diet and is staple in the Peruvian highlands. This crop is affected by late blight, a disease that if not controlled in time can decimate production. The oomycete (Phytophthora infestans) causing this disease is controlled using fungicides, which affect the environment and human health, another form of control is the use of resistant cultivars. 30 potato clones from the LBHTC2 population were evaluated, with the objective of selecting clones with high levels of resistance to this disease, stable for tuber yield, low environmental impact and high economic profitability. The clones were planted in three field experiments in the 2021–2022 growing season. Two experiments with and without late blight chemical control in Oxapampa and Huánuco and one experiment under normal conditions of a potato crop in El Mantaro, Junin, using randomized complete blocks with three replications. The cultivars Yungay, Amarilis and Kory were used as controls for late blight resistance and tuber yield. Late blight resistance and environmental impact were determined based on experiments with and without control in Huánuco and Oxapampa. Yield stability and economic profitability were evaluated based on information from the three experiments. Clones CIP316375.102, CIP316361.187, CIP316367.117, CIP316356.149, CIP316367.147 were the ones that presented the highest yields, high Late blight resistance, phenotypically stable for tuber yield, with low environmental impact and high economic profitability, superior to control cultivars. These clones have high potential for sustainable production systems that allow reducing environmental impact, increasing economic profitability and improving producers’ living standards.
Tester selection for combining ability estimation of storage root yield and sweetpotato virus disease in sweetpotato breeding
(Journal Article, 2025-02-15) Swanckaert, J.; Santos, I.G.D.; Chaves, S.F.S.; Ssali, R.T.; Mwanga, R.O.M.; Azevedo, C.F.; Mendes, T.; Boeck, B. de; Eyzaguirre, R.; Kitavi, M.; Gemenet, D.; Andrade, M.I.; Grüneberg, W.J.; Lindqvist-Kreuze, H.; Yencho, George Craig; Campos, Hugo; Silva Pereira, G. da
General combining ability (GCA) is the major selection criterion for new sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) parents in a reciprocal recurrent selection (RRS) scheme. Here we aimed to estimate GCA and specific combining ability (SCA) by using 16 potential testers involved in an 8 × 8 partial diallel and propose a procedure to identify testers in sweetpotato breeding. Data on storage root yield in tons per hectare (rytha), and sweetpotato virus disease (vir2) from 64 families (1,913 clones) were collected in five trials at two locations in Uganda. The estimates of the female GCA accounted for the largest additive genetic variation for storage root yield compared to the male GCA for both traits. Mid-parent heterosis ranged from − 6.2 to 7% for rytha, and − 1.1 to 1.3% for vir2 in the progeny families. A stepwise procedure to identify testers top-ranked ‘NASPOT 7’ as a dual tester for both traits. Besides this parent, ‘Ejumula’ and ‘NASPOT 10 O’ for rytha, and ‘NASPOT 1’, ‘NK259L’, ‘SPK004’, and ‘NASPOT 11’ for vir2 are particularly suitable as respective single-trait testers. Testers are important in many plant breeding programs to enhance efficiency of RRS, and thus other crop species might benefit from the strategy and methods applied herein.
Discriminating Robusta coffee (Coffea canephora) cropping systems using leaf-level hyperspectral data
(Journal Article, 2025-02-11) Kebede, G.; Mudereri, B.T.; Abdel-Rahman, E.M.; Mutanga, O.; Landmann, T.; Odindi, J.; Motisi, N.; Pinard, F.; Tonnang, H.E.Z.
The coffee agro-ecosystems are increasingly being transformed into small-scale coffee-growing agricultural systems. In this context, the challenge of accurately classifying coffee cropping systems (CSs) becomes more significant, particularly in regions such as Uganda where dense vegetation and diverse topography complicate traditional land surveys. We harness the capabilities of remote sensing to provide hyperspectral data crucial for distinguishing between various coffee CSs and other land covers. Specifically, we focus on the spectral analysis of three types of Robusta coffee CSs—those integrating agroforestry, those combined with banana cultivation, and those in full sun exposure. Using in situ hyperspectral measurements captured by the FieldSpec 2™ spectroradiometer across the 325 to 1075 nm range of the electromagnetic spectrum, we aimed to (1) analyze the unique spectral properties and behaviors of these Robusta coffee CSs and (2) effectively discriminate among them using advanced hyperspectral datasets alongside the machine learning (ML) classification algorithms. The key to this process was the use of narrow spectral bands (NSBs) and various narrow-band vegetation indices (VIs), serving as predictor variables. A selection of critical variables (NSB = 9 and VIs = 8) was identified through the guided regularized random forest (RF) technique and then applied to four ML algorithms—RF, stochastic gradient boosting (GB), linear discriminant analysis, and support vector machine for classification experiments. The findings indicated high discrimination accuracy, with the RF and GB algorithms achieving overall accuracies of 93% and 90.5%, respectively, when using the selected VIs, and 87.3% (RF) and 83% (GB) when applying the chosen NBSs. These results underline the efficacy of integrating hyperspectral datasets and ML algorithms in reliably categorizing Robusta coffee CSs, a crucial step toward enhancing sustainable coffee cultivation practices.
Nutrition—sensitive agricultural interventions and maternal and child nutrition outcomes in arid and semi—arid lands of Kenya
(Journal Article, 2025-02) Grant, F.; Amunga, D.; Mulwa, C.K.; Moyo, M.; Kwikiriza, N.; Malit, J.; Mwaura, L.; Maru, J.; Heck, S.
Genotyping Genebank Collections: Strategic Approaches and Considerations for Optimal Collection Management
(Journal Article, 2025-01-31) Anglin, Noelle L.; Wenzl, P.; Azevedo, V.C.R.; Lusty, C.; Ellis, D.; Gao, D.
The maintenance of plant germplasm and its genetic diversity is critical to preserving and making it available for food security, so this invaluable diversity is not permanently lost due to population growth and development, climate change, or changing needs from the growers and/or the marketplace. There are numerous genebanks worldwide that serve to preserve valuable plant germplasm for humankind’s future and to serve as a resource for research, breeding, and training. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) and the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) both have a network of plant germplasm collections scattered across varying geographical locations preserving genetic resources for the future. Besides the USDA and CGIAR, there are germplasm collections established in many countries across the world that also aim to preserve crop and plant collections. Due to the advancement of technology, genotyping and sequencing whole genomes of plant germplasm collections is now feasible. Data from genotyping can help define genetic diversity within a collection, identify genetic gaps, reveal genetic redundancies and verify uniqueness, enable the comparison of collections of the same crop across genebanks (rationalization), and determine errors or mix-ups in genetic identity that may have occurred in a germplasm collection. Large-scale projects, such as genotyping germplasm collections, require strategic planning and the development of best practices. This article details strategies and best practices to consider when genotyping whole collections, considerations for the identity verification of germplasm and determining genetic replicates, quality management systems (QMS)/QC genotyping, and some use cases.
The importance of genotyping within the climate-smart plant breeding value chain – integrative tools for genetic enhancement programs
(Journal Article, 2025-02-06) Garcia-Oliveira, Ana Luisa; Ortiz, Rodomiro; Sarsu, Fatma; Rasmussen, Søren K.; Agre, Paterne; Asfaw, Asrat; Kante, Moctar; Chander, Subhash
The challenges faced by today’s agronomists, plant breeders, and their managers encompass adapting sustainably to climate variability while working with limited budgets. Besides, managers are dealing with a multitude of issues with different organizations working on similar initiatives and projects, leading to a lack of a sustainable impact on smallholder farmers. To transform the current food systems as a more sustainable and resilient model efficient solutions are needed to deliver and convey results. Challenges such as logistics, labour, infrastructure, and equity, must be addressed alongside adapting to increasingly unstable climate conditions which affect the life cycle of transboundary pathogens and pests. In this context, transforming food systems go far beyond just farmers and plant breeders and it requires substantial contributions from industry, global finances, transportation, energy, education, and country developmental sectors including legislators. As a result, a holistic approach is essential for achieving sustainable and resilient food systems to sustain a global population anticipated to reach 9.7 billion by 2050 and 11.2 billion by 2100. As of 2021, nearly 193 million individuals were affected by food insecurity, 40 million more than in 2020. Meanwhile, the digital world is rapidly advancing with the digital economy estimated at about 20% of the global gross domestic product, suggesting that digital technologies are increasingly accessible even in areas affected by food insecurity. Leveraging these technologies can facilitate the development of climate-smart cultivars that adapt effectively to climate variation, meet consumer preferences, and address human and livestock nutritional needs. Most economically important traits in crops are controlled by multiple loci often with recessive alleles. Considering particularly Africa, this continent has several agro-climatic zones, hence crops need to be adapted to these. Therefore, targeting specific loci using modern tools offers a precise and efficient approach. This review article aims to address how these new technologies can provide a better support to smallholder farmers.

Browse

Recent Submissions