scholarly journals The genome of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata [L.] Walp.)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefano Lonardi ◽  
María Muñoz-Amatriaín ◽  
Qihua Liang ◽  
Shengqiang Shu ◽  
Steve I. Wanamaker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vigna Unguiculata ◽  
Single Molecule ◽  
Warm Season ◽  
Multiple Organ ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Parasitic Weed ◽  
Nutritional Security ◽  
Striga Gesnerioides ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Food And Nutritional Security

ABSTRACTCowpea (Vigna unguiculata [L.] Walp.) is a major crop for worldwide food and nutritional security, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, that is resilient to hot and drought-prone environments. A high-quality assembly of the single-haplotype inbred genome of cowpea IT97K-499-35 was developed by exploiting the synergies between single molecule real-time sequencing, optical and genetic mapping, and a novel assembly reconciliation algorithm. A total of 519 Mb is included in the assembled sequences. Nearly half of the assembled sequence is composed of repetitive elements, which are enriched within recombination-poor pericentromeric regions. A comparative analysis of these elements suggests that genome size differences between Vigna species are mainly attributable to changes in the amount of Gypsy retrotransposons. Conversely, genes are more abundant in more distal, high-recombination regions of the chromosomes; there appears to be more duplication of genes within the NBS-LRR and the SAUR-like auxin superfamilies compared to other warm-season legumes that have been sequenced. A surprising outcome of this study is the identification of a chromosomal inversion of 4.2 Mb among landraces and cultivars, which includes a gene that has been associated in other plants with interactions with the parasitic weed Striga gesnerioides. The genome sequence also facilitated the identification of a putative syntelog for multiple organ gigantism in legumes. A new numbering system has been adopted for cowpea chromosomes based on synteny with common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris).

Achieving food and nutritional security through agroforestry: a case of Faidherbia albida in sub-Saharan Africa

2011 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neo C. Mokgolodi ◽  
Moffat P. Setshogo ◽  
Ling-ling Shi ◽  
Yu-jun Liu ◽  
Chao Ma
Keyword(s):  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Faidherbia Albida ◽  
Nutritional Security ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Food And Nutritional Security

scholarly journals Evaluation De Quatre Cultivars De Niebe (Vigna Unguiculata (L.) Walp.) Pour Leur Resistance Au Deficit Hydrique Et A L’adventice Parasite, Striga Gesnerioides (Willd.) Vatke Au Togo

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 215
Author(s):  
Yorikoume Kondi ◽  
Aziadekey Mawuli ◽  
Banito Agnassim ◽  
Pocanam Yentchabre ◽  
Tozo Koffi
Keyword(s):  
Water Deficit ◽  
Vigna Unguiculata ◽  
Yield Components ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Water Regimes ◽  
Striga Gesnerioides ◽  
Cowpea Cultivars ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Sub Saharan

Drought and weed parasite Striga gesnerioides(Willd.)Vatke, are major constraints to cowpea production in sub-Saharan Africa. The purpose of this study was to examine the response of four cowpea (Vigna unguiculata(L.)Walp.)cultivars, VITOCO, VITA5, IT87D-10-10, and IT98K589-2 to water deficit, to a weed parasite S. gesnerioides and to determine the effect of this weed parasite on these cowpea cultivars under water deficit conditions. Pot experiment was conducted in a greenhouse condition under artificial infestation at the Agronomic Experimentation Station of Lomé. The experimental design was a split-split-plot design with three replications of two levels of S. gesnerioides;(presence and absence) in main plot, four water regimes; (periodic watering of 5, 10, 15 and 20 days) in sub-plot, and the cultivars in sub sub-plot. Data were collected on yield components (number of seed per pod, number of pod per plant and seeds weight per plant). Data collected on parasitic plantdate of emergence and its rate of emergence per pot. Water deficit tolerance was evaluated by the rank summation index (RSI).The results showed that the water régimes of 10 and 15 days had significant depressive effect on all yield components. The number of S. gesnerioides emerged per pot ranged from 10.20 (VITOCO) to 48.60 (IT98K589-2). In addition, the infestation of S. gesnerioides showed a significant reduction of all yield components evaluated in all tested cultivars. Therefore, no cultivar proved to be resistant, nor tolerant to S. gesnerioides.The overall rankings of the evaluated cultivars in terms of growth and yield parameters studied revealed that the cultivar IT98K-589-2 showed the best adaptive response in drought condition. The results also revealed that, the significant negative effect of water deficit on the seeds weight per plant is exacerbated by the S. gesnerioides infestation.

scholarly journals Pulse Production, Consumption and Utilization in Nigeria within Regional and Global Context

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 48
Author(s):  
Nkechi P. Akah ◽  
Catherine N. Kunyanga ◽  
Michael W. Okoth ◽  
Lucy K. Njue
Keyword(s):  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Nutritional Security ◽  
Global Context ◽  
Production And Consumption ◽  
Positive Growth ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Food And Nutritional Security ◽  
Desk Review ◽  
Pulse Production

Malnutrition, hunger, and poverty are still major challenges globally especially in Sub-Saharan Africa affecting most countries like Nigeria. Legumes play key roles in food and nutritional security, health, and income generation. This review highlights status of pulse production and consumption in Nigeria and need for improvement. The study involved in-depth desk review. Data sources include FAO Statistics and other publication sources. Cowpea is Nigeria’s major pulse accounting for 95.45% area and 97.55% of the pulse production in 2016-18. Nigeria is the leading global cowpea producer with 39% production in 2016-18. However, the cowpea area has been declining, with 30% loss at 1.71% yearly between 2006-08 and 2016-18. The production appreciated by 40% viewed from 1996-98 due to increase in yield; but, overall, Nigeria’s cowpea production is marked with fluctuations/stagnation. It, thus, imports to meet domestic demand. In contrast, cowpea area, yield and production received steady and remarkable positive growth in places like Niger (73% at 2.8%, 213% at 5.9%, and 428% at 8.7% annually, respectively). Per capita availability of pulses in Nigeria is over 10 times less than cereals’ and roots/tubers’; hence, pulses contribute poorly to daily calorie and protein intakes. They are mainly utilized as cooked bean and steamed/fried pastes. Low pulse consumption is seriously contributing to nutritional problems in developing countries like Nigeria. Diverse utilization, optimizing nutritional quality of the traditional dishes, and improving safety and acceptability of especially those sold as street food can enhance their consumption, production and contribution to nutritional security.

scholarly journals Molecular Mechanisms and Biochemical Pathways for Micronutrient Acquisition and Storage in Legumes to Support Biofortification for Nutritional Security

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manish Roorkiwal ◽  
Sarita Pandey ◽  
Dil Thavarajah ◽  
R. Hemalatha ◽  
Rajeev K. Varshney
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Food System ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Nutrient Deficiency ◽  
Nutrient Content ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Nutritional Security ◽  
Legume Crops ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Poor Nutrition

The world faces a grave situation of nutrient deficiency as a consequence of increased uptake of calorie-rich food that threaten nutritional security. More than half the world’s population is affected by different forms of malnutrition. Unhealthy diets associated with poor nutrition carry a significant risk of developing non-communicable diseases, leading to a high mortality rate. Although considerable efforts have been made in agriculture to increase nutrient content in cereals, the successes are insufficient. The number of people affected by different forms of malnutrition has not decreased much in the recent past. While legumes are an integral part of the food system and widely grown in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, only limited efforts have been made to increase their nutrient content in these regions. Genetic variation for a majority of nutritional traits that ensure nutritional security in adverse conditions exists in the germplasm pool of legume crops. This diversity can be utilized by selective breeding for increased nutrients in seeds. The targeted identification of precise factors related to nutritional traits and their utilization in a breeding program can help mitigate malnutrition. The principal objective of this review is to present the molecular mechanisms of nutrient acquisition, transport and metabolism to support a biofortification strategy in legume crops to contribute to addressing malnutrition.

scholarly journals Contrasting Response Mechanisms of Maize Lines to Striga hermonthica

Agriculture ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 485
Author(s):  
Nnanna N. Unachukwu ◽  
Abebe Menkir ◽  
Adekemi Stanley ◽  
Ebenezer O. Farombi ◽  
Melaku Gedil
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effective ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Striga Hermonthica ◽  
Maize Line ◽  
Parasitic Weed ◽  
Resistant Lines ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Better Than

Strigahermonthica (Del.) Benth is a parasitic weed that devastates cereals in Sub-Saharan Africa. Several control measures have been proposed for the parasite, of these, host plant resistance is considered the most cost-effective for poor farmers. Some tolerant/resistant lines have been developed and these lines display tolerance/resistance mechanisms to the parasite. A series of studies was done to investigate some of the mechanisms through which a resistant (TZISTR1108) and a susceptible (5057) maize line responds to S. hermonthica infestation, as well as the effects of parasitism on these lines. In this study, TZISTR1108 stimulated the germination and attachment of fewer S. hermonthica plants than 5057, both in the laboratory and on the field. In TZISTR1108, the growth of the S. hermonthica plants, that successfully attached, was slowed. When compared to the un-infested plants, the infested resistant plants showed fewer effects of parasitism than the infested susceptible plants. The infested TZISTR1108 plants were more vigorous, taller and resembled their un-infected counterparts. There were substantial reductions in the stomatal conductance and nitrogen content of the 5057 upon infestation. The resistant inbred line showed multiple mechanisms of resistance to S. hermonthica infestation. It thrives better than the susceptible line by reducing the attachment of S. hermonthica and it delays the parasite’s development.

Rhamphicarpa fistulosa, a parasitic weed threatening rain-fed lowland rice production in sub-Saharan Africa – A case study from Benin

2011 ◽  
Vol 30 (10) ◽  
pp. 1306-1314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonne Rodenburg ◽  
Norliette Zossou-Kouderin ◽  
Gualbert Gbèhounou ◽  
Adam Ahanchede ◽  
Amadou Touré ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rice Production ◽  
Lowland Rice ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Parasitic Weed ◽  
Sub Saharan

The contributions of wild tree resources to food and nutrition security in sub-Saharan African drylands: a review of the pathways and beneficiaries

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-82
Author(s):  
C.K. Koffi ◽  
A. Lourme-Ruiz ◽  
H. Djoudi ◽  
E. Bouquet ◽  
S. Dury ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Economic Relations ◽  
Food And Nutrition Security ◽  
Nutrition Security ◽  
Causal Pathways ◽  
Food And Nutrition ◽  
Wild Tree ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Food And Nutritional Security

Wild tree resources are known to play an important role in local stakeholders' livelihoods particularly in the food and nutrition security of people living in semi-arid sub-Saharan Africa. Based on a comprehensive review of the literature, this article examines the relative importance of the contributions of tree resources to food and nutrition security for rural households, while considering alternative causal pathways. The main conclusions of the review are that most studies provide useful evidence on specific contributions of tree products to food and nutritional security, and for whom. However, detailed data on the actual contribution of tree products are still lacking. In addition, we argue that the concept of access as a pillar of food security is not sophisticated enough to understand the landscape dynamics and the socio-economic relations at the nexus of food security and rights of access. Links are needed to better understand the underlying processes in the definition of each stakeholder's rights of access to tree resources in a context of rapidly changing landscapes, and how income generated by tree resources contributes to food and nutrition security. An approach to food security based on rights of access would advance our understanding of their use and tackle the root causes of food deficiency based on different social groups. In light of current patterns of access to tree food for different stakeholders, including women and children, an intersectional approach that accounts for age, gender, ethnicity and wealth would benefit food security research by a more targeted and discerning approach to existing rights of access and to the roles of different community members.

scholarly journals Affordable Processing of Edible Orthopterans Provides a Highly Nutritive Source of Food Ingredients

Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 144
Author(s):  
Forkwa Tengweh Fombong ◽  
John Kinyuru ◽  
Jeremiah Ng’ang’a ◽  
Monica Ayieko ◽  
Chrysantus Mbi Tanga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Schistocerca Gregaria ◽  
Locusta Migratoria ◽  
Essential Amino Acids ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Promising Alternative ◽  
Food Ingredients ◽  
Alternative Ingredients ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Food And Nutritional Security

Edible orthopterans (grasshoppers, crickets, and locusts) are major delicacies, especially across sub-Saharan Africa. Their promotion as food ingredients is increasingly gaining momentum. This study evaluates the nutritional profiles of three widely consumed orthopterans: Gryllus bimaculatus, Locusta migratoria, and Schistocerca gregaria after blanching and oven-drying. All three species had high protein (65.3, 54.2, and 61.4% on a dry matter (DM) basis for G. bimaculatus, L. migratoria, and S. gregaria, respectively) and fat contents. Oleic (22.9–40.8%) and palmitic (26.1–43.0%) were the two most abundant fatty acids. All essential amino acids (in mg/100 g protein) were present, with glutamic acid (120–131), alanine (90.2–123), and leucine (82.3–84.6) being the most abundant. The minerals (in mg/100 g dry matter) potassium (796–1309) and phosphorus (697–968) were moderately high, and iron (4.60–7.31), zinc (12.7–24.9), manganese (0.40–7.15), and copper (1.20–4.86) were also observed in the samples. Vitamin B12 contents were high (0.22–1.35 µg/100 g dry matter). Our findings demonstrate that the excellent nutritional profile of the three processed insects could serve as promising alternative ingredients for improving food and nutritional security.

scholarly journals Genetic, textual, and archaeological evidence of the historical global spread of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata [L.] Walp)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ira A. Herniter ◽  
María Muñoz-Amatriaín ◽  
Timothy J. Close
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Vigna Unguiculata ◽  
Southeastern United States ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Northwest Mexico ◽  
Global Spread ◽  
Columbian Exchange ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

ABSTRACTCowpea (Vigna unguiculata [L.] Walp.) was originally domesticated in sub-Saharan Africa but is now cultivated on every continent except Antarctica. Utilizing archaeological, textual, and genetic resources, the spread of cultivated cowpea has been reconstructed. Cowpea was domesticated in Africa, likely in both West and East Africa, before 2500 BCE and by 400 BCE was long established in all the modern major production regions of the Old World, including sub-Saharan Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, India, and Southeast Asia. Further spread occurred as part of the Columbian Exchange, which brought African germplasm to the Caribbean, the southeastern United States, and South America, and Mediterranean germplasm to Cuba, the southwestern United States and Northwest Mexico.

scholarly journals Production Constraints and Improvement Strategies of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) Genotypes for Drought Tolerance

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Gabriel V. Nkomo ◽  
Moosa M. Sedibe ◽  
Maletsema A. Mofokeng
Keyword(s):  
Drought Tolerance ◽  
Vigna Unguiculata ◽  
Animal Feed ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Pests And Diseases ◽  
Production Constraints ◽  
Worldwide Production ◽  
Improvement Strategies ◽  
Sub Saharan

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp. L) is an important leguminous crop largely grown by smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa for food security and animal feed. The objective of this study was to review the production constraints and improvement strategies of cowpea genotypes for drought tolerance. Data were analysed through use of literature review from various sources. In sub-Saharan Africa, cowpeas are produced mainly from West Africa, which accounts for 60% of worldwide production. A lot of pests and diseases affect cowpeas, and this often results in total crop loss. Through continuous improvement, many new cultivars are continually being identified and genetically characterised, and it is thus necessary to evaluate these new lines under different environments. There is a need for multidisciplinary collaborations among breeders and other relevant stakeholders such as farmer and extension workers because the improved cultivars must be according to the farmers preferred traits. Due to declining rainfall pattern in sub-Saharan Africa, there is an urgent requirement for cowpea breeding programmes that focus on developing varieties with short maturity, drought, pest, and disease tolerance. The present review discusses the constraints and improvement strategies of cowpea varieties for drought tolerance.

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