ABSTRACT Stem rust of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) caused by Puccinia graminis f.sp. tritici had been controlled globally through the use of resistant varieties. However, the emergence of a new and more virulent race Ug99 (designated TTKSK) and its variants reversed these gains. The objectives of this study therefore were: to assess the progress in using adult plant resistance (APR) in controlling stem rust in CIMMYT wheat lines and to evaluate CIMMYT wheat lines for seedling and adult plant ...
ABSTRACT Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill.] Breeders’ prefer genotypes with high grain yield along with high oil and protein content. Soybean in Kenya is important in the manufacture of feed, food and natural resource management. Availability of high yielding and stable varieties is among the constraints that limit adoption and production of soybean in Kenya. The objectives of the study were to determine the performance of fifteen soybean genotypes in five environments, the broad sense her...
Thirty-one cowpea genotypes from 2000 planting season of derived savanna ecology to determine the genetic diversity, using multivariate analysis. In four location - season environments twenty cultivars were grown to measure genotype x environment interaction and stability. Data were collected on gronomic and yield characters. The first three axes of the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) captureJ 40. 7% or the total variation among the enteries. lleight at flowering and maturity, length ...
ABSTRACT Vegetable amaranths are highly valued for being rich in proteins and micronutrients such as iron, calcium, zinc, vitamin C and vitamin A. In spite of the crop’s exceptional nutritional qualities, very little effort has been put in to improve the foliage yield potential in Kenya. Reports on morphological phenotypic variation analysis in Amaranthus are rare and detailed agronomic recommendations for leaf and seed yields and quality enhancement are scanty. Research on the extent of th...
ABSTRACT Declining soil fertility in general and nitrogen (N) in particular limit crop production on many smallholder farms in western Kenya. Soil N deficiency is usually ameliorated with inorganic N fertilizers but their high costs preclude their use by resource poor smallholder farmers. In addition there are concerns that increased use of inorganic fertilizers could lead to environmental degradation. Organic inputs offer sustainable alternatives to expensive inorganic N fertilizers but the ...
ABSTRACT The obligate root hemi-parasite, Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth., native to sub-Saharan Africa causes serious economic constraint to cereal production. There has been limited study to understand the genetics of Striga tolerance or resistance in maize in Kenya and the information on mechanisms of resistance to Striga in maize in very limited. T he use of maize ( Zea mays L.) genotypes that support reduced Striga hermonthica emergence can form an important basis for developing Striga ...
ABSTRACT End-of-season drought, characterized by low and erratic rainfall, is the most important factor limiting groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) production in Niger. Information about farmers' varietal preferences and production constraints are limited. Genotypes have not yet been screened for earliness and tolerance to end-of-season drought. Data on combining ability and heritability estimates are not available. Development of varieties that have better ability to use limited available water...
ABSTRACT Maize is increasingly consumed by Nigerien households. Limited studies have been conducted on the production and productivity of this crop in Niger and very few cultivars (mostly open pollinated varieties) are available to farmers. Knowledge and understanding of farmers’ preferences for new varieties would be invaluable in designing a successful maize breeding program. Maize cultivars grown in Niger are derived mainly from tropical yellow-grained extra-early and early-maturing lowl...
ABSTRACT Consumer preference is very important in acceptance of an improved crop variety. Participatory rural appraisal (PRA) was therefore conducted on preferred traits of cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp] among Ghanaian consumers in Ketu North, Ho and Akatsi districts. It was confirmed that the age long preference for large white cowpea among Ghanaian consumers still exists. Based on the results of the PRA, cowpea germplasm was assembled and used in genetic studies on seed coat colour and...
ABSTRACT Solanum aethiopicum is one of the most important Solanum species, with four morphological groups. Two of the groups, Gilo and Shum, are mainly cultivated because of their nutritional value and income generating potential for farmers in developing countries. Of focus for this study was the Shum, a leafy morphological group whose productivity and quality is directly affected by drought. Global limitations on water resource availability call for the need to develop productive varieties ...
ABSTRACT Sorghum panicle architecture is a complex trait involving growth, elongation and branching pattern. The main objective of this research was to determine the genetic control of sorghum panicle architecture and its involvement in grain yield. Molecular markers associated with statistical analyses were used to identify the genomic regions or QTLs controlling quantitative traits. A population composed of 401 F4 families was derived from a cross between two contrasted parents for panic...
ABSTRACT Chickpea is an important legume crop in the arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs). It is commonly grown during the post-rainy season under receding soil moisture conditions. This exposes the crop to drought especially terminal drought which occurs towards the end of the cropping period, causing high yield losses. Developing drought tolerant and high yielding chickpea genotypes, incorporating farmer prefer traits, is an important goal for plant breeders in the ASALs for increased productiv...
Studies were conducted to explore the potential of utilizing Ghanaian maize landraces for improved grain yield and resistance to the maize streak virus disease. Farmer perceptions of the maize streak virus disease as well as constraints to the adoption of improved varieties and farmers’ continuous reliance on local landraces or farmer varieties and production constraints were investigated. Genomic characterization of Maize streak virus (MSV) strains found in the forest and transitions zones...
ABSTRACT Though an important crop, the yield of groundnut has been decreasing for years because of a lack of a strong breeding programme in Togo. In recent years, efforts have been going on to establish a well-functioning breeding programme to develop varieties for improving productivity and production of groundnut. The main aims of this study were to: assess farmers’ perceptions of production constraints and preference criteria, characterize cultivated groundnut varieties and study genetic...
ABSTRACT Sorghum is a staple crop and a major source of food and energy for the World’s developing countries. However, its utilization as human food is constrained by the low availability of its proteins after wet cooking which could lead to malnutrition, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. West Africa has a great diversity of sorghum yet, its study and use for improved protein digestibility remains unexplored. To provide knowledge on the characterization of West African sorghum germplasm fo...