ABSTRACT Postharvest physiological deterioration (PPD) is a serious abiotic stress in cassava that renders the roots unmarketable, thereby reducing the economic value of the crop. This study was undertaken to determine farmers‟ perception of PPD and identify cassava genotypes with delayed PPD that can be used for better shelf life improvement of cassava. A Participatory Rural Appraisal was conducted among 490 respondents that comprised farmers, processors, marketers and consumers in 12 com...
ABSTRACT Low soil nitrogen (N) is one of the most important constraints to maize production in subSaharan Africa (SSA) in general and in particular the Bimodal Humid Forest Zone (BHFZ) of Cameroon. The development and adoption of maize varieties tolerant to low N soils could reduce the need for nitrogen inputs and significantly contribute to sustainable maize production. The objectives of this research were to: i) identify maize production constraints and farmers preferred maize characterist...
ABSTRACT Pearl millet is a major food crop in the northern part of Nigeria. However, its production has been constrained due to several factors, among them is Striga hermonthica. To understand pearl millet farmers’ varietal preference traits, production constraints and knowledge of Striga infestation, a participatory rural appraisal was conducted across six districts in three local government areas of Jigawa State in Nigeria. Data were sourced using a semi-structured questionnaire among 143...
ABSTRACT Alkalinity stress is one of the most important abiotic stresses limiting rice production in irrigated systems. Alkalinity stress during seedling stage widely affects irrigated rice production of Office du Niger in Mali. The development of rice cultivars that tolerate alkalinity stress condition has been hindered by the lack of an elaborate breeding program. The objectives of this study were: (i) to evaluate and validate production constraints and varietal preferences of rice farmers...
ABSTRACT Studies were undertaken to obtain information on the genetics of traits related to biological nitrogen fixation in cowpea, in soils deficient in phosphorus prevailing in the humid forest zone (HFZ) of Cameroon. In this zone, farmers are not usually consulted in the development of new varieties in cowpea breeding programmes. Participatory rural appraisal (PRA) technique through focus group discussions and questionnaire administration was used to assess farmers‟ knowledge on the role...
ABSTRACT The study was carried out to understand the genetic basis for yield under drought environments, and to map quantitative trait loci associated with yield and yield related components under drought stress in sweetpotato. The sweetpotato BxT mapping population, generated from a cross between sweetpotato varieties Beauregard and Tanzania was used for this study. Genotypes were evaluated in irrigated and drought environments to evaluate the effect of drought on yield and yield related p...
ABSTRACT The number of people suffering from chronic undernourishment in sub-Saharan Africa has increased. The potential of the cowpea to be the crop of the future to address food and nutrition insecurity is evident in sub-Saharan Africa. This study was carried out to evaluate cowpea accessions for early maturity and drought tolerant genotypes with potential for higher yields for smallholder farmers in South Sudan. One hundred and six cowpea accessions were sourced from different backgrounds....
ABSTRACT Studies were undertaken to identify the constraints to increase sweetpotato utilization in Ghana and to develop end-user preferred varieties that would increase utilization in Ghana and beyond. A survey was conducted using Focus Group Discussion (FGD) followed by administration of Semi-Structured Questionnaire. This was done in some selected communities in Ghana where sweetpotato is popular in February 2012. Sweetpotato germplasm was also collected from farmers’ field in these area...