Morphological diversity in purple nutsedge from four agro-ecological zones in Ghana

Morphological characterization of genotypes is fundamental in providing information on their genetic status to guide on their conservation and improvement. The objective of this study was to determine agro-morphological diversity within horned melon in Kenya. The study was carried out in two seasons at the University of Embu in Kenya. The study characterized 19 horned melon accessions collected from different agro-ecological zones in Eastern, Central and Western regions in Kenya. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Morphological characterization of the accessions was based on melon descriptors from International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) with slight modifications. Significant differences were observed in all the quantitative traits except the number of branches and main vine length. However, qualitative variations were only observed in fruit shape, rind colour and seed shape. Principle Component Analysis (PCA) showed that fruit weight, main vine length and days to maturity had the highest contribution to the observed diversity. Cluster analysis separated the accessions into seven groups with between classes diversity of 79.20% and within classes diversity of 20.80%. The diversity observed can be exploited by plant breeders for genetic improvement of the crop.

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Differential Adaptation Strategies By Agro-Ecological Zones In African Livestock Management

10.1596/1813-9450-4601 ◽

2008 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

S. Niggol Seo ◽

Robert Mendelsohn ◽

Ariel Dinar ◽

Pradeep Kurukulasuriya

Keyword(s):

Adaptation Strategies ◽

Ecological Zones ◽

Livestock Management ◽

Differential Adaptation ◽

Agro Ecological Zones

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Towards Understanding Variability in Droughts in Response to Extreme Climate Conditions over the Different Agro-Ecological Zones of Pakistan

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13126910 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (12) ◽

pp. 6910

Author(s):

Adil Dilawar ◽

Baozhang Chen ◽

Arfan Arshad ◽

Lifeng Guo ◽

Muhammad Irfan Ehsan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pearson Correlation ◽

Principal Component ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

Precipitation Extremes ◽

Climate Mitigation ◽

Mean Annual Temperature ◽

Climate Extreme ◽

Ecological Zones ◽

The Mean ◽

Agro Ecological Zones

Here, we provided a comprehensive analysis of long-term drought and climate extreme patterns in the agro ecological zones (AEZs) of Pakistan during 1980–2019. Drought trends were investigated using the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) at various timescales (SPEI-1, SPEI-3, SPEI-6, and SPEI-12). The results showed that droughts (seasonal and annual) were more persistent and severe in the southern, southwestern, southeastern, and central parts of the region. Drought exacerbated with slopes of −0.02, −0.07, −0.08, −0.01, and −0.02 per year. Drought prevailed in all AEZs in the spring season. The majority of AEZs in Pakistan’s southern, middle, and southwestern regions had experienced substantial warming. The mean annual temperature minimum (Tmin) increased faster than the mean annual temperature maximum (Tmax) in all zones. Precipitation decreased in the southern, northern, central, and southwestern parts of the region. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed a robust increase in temperature extremes with a variance of 76% and a decrease in precipitation extremes with a variance of 91% in the region. Temperature and precipitation extremes indices had a strong Pearson correlation with drought events. Higher temperatures resulted in extreme drought (dry conditions), while higher precipitation levels resulted in wetting conditions (no drought) in different AEZs. In most AEZs, drought occurrences were more responsive to precipitation. The current findings are helpful for climate mitigation strategies and specific zonal efforts are needed to alleviate the environmental and societal impacts of drought.

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Stock and stability of organic carbon in soils under major agro-ecological zones and cropping systems of sub-tropical India

Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment ◽

10.1016/j.agee.2021.107317 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 312 ◽

pp. 107317

Author(s):

Nirmalendu Basak ◽

Biswapati Mandal ◽

Ashim Datta ◽

Manik Chandra Kundu ◽

Arvind Kumar Rai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Ecological Zones ◽

Agro Ecological Zones

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Diversity of Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp] Landraces in Mozambique: New Opportunities for Crop Improvement and Future Breeding Programs

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11050991 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 991

Author(s):

Ana Maria Figueira Gomes ◽

David Draper ◽

Nascimento Nhantumbo ◽

Rafael Massinga ◽

José C. Ramalho ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vigna Unguiculata ◽

Production Systems ◽

Crop Improvement ◽

Morphological Diversity ◽

Ecological Zones ◽

Nutrition Security ◽

Food And Nutrition ◽

High Level ◽

Nutrition Sensitive

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) is a neglected crop native to Africa, with an outstanding potential to contribute to the major challenges in food and nutrition security, as well as in agricultural sustainability. Two major issues regarding cowpea research have been highlighted in recent years—the establishment of core collections and the characterization of landraces—as crucial to the implementation of environmentally resilient and nutrition-sensitive production systems. In this work, we have collected, mapped, and characterized the morphological attributes of 61 cowpea genotypes, from 10 landraces spanning across six agro-ecological zones and three provinces in Mozambique. Our results reveal that local landraces retain a high level of morphological diversity without a specific geographical pattern, suggesting the existence of gene flow. Nevertheless, accessions from one landrace, i.e., Maringué, seem to be the most promising in terms of yield and nutrition-related parameters, and could therefore be integrated into the ongoing conservation and breeding efforts in the region towards the production of elite varieties of cowpea.

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Diverse symbiovars nodulating Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) in highly adaptable agro-ecological zones in Mozambique

Systematic and Applied Microbiology ◽

10.1016/j.syapm.2021.126220 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 126220

Author(s):

Margarida G. Simbine ◽

Sanjay K Jaiswal ◽

Felix D. Dakora

Keyword(s):

Vigna Unguiculata ◽

Ecological Zones ◽

Agro Ecological Zones

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Comparative Experimental Effects of Intercropping and Cypermethrin on Insect Pest Infestation and Yield of Maize, Cowpea and Okra in Two Cameroonian Agro-Ecological Zones

AgriEngineering ◽

10.3390/agriengineering3020025 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 383-393

Author(s):

Patient Farsia Djidjonri ◽

Nukenine Elias Nchiwan ◽

Hartmut Koehler

Keyword(s):

Field Experiments ◽

Insect Pests ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Insect Pest ◽

Maize Yield ◽

Ecological Zones ◽

Pest Infestation ◽

Final Yield ◽

Cropping Seasons ◽

Agro Ecological Zones

The present study investigates the effect of intercropping (maize-cowpea, maize-okra, maize-okra-cowpea, okra-cowpea) compared to insecticide application on the level of infestation of insect pests and the final yield of maize, cowpea and okra. Field experiments were conducted during the 2016 and 2017 cropping seasons in the Guinean Savannah (Dang-Ngaoundere) and Sudano Sahelian (Gouna-Garoua) agro-ecological zones in Cameroon. Our experimental design was a split plot arrangement in a randomized complete block with four replications. The main factor was assigned to the use of insecticide (Cypermethrin) and sub plots were devoted for cropping systems. We compared the efficiency of intercropping to that of Cypermethrin application on the Yield of maize, cowpea and okra as influenced by insect pest damages. The comparison of monocropped sprayed by Cypermethrin to unsprayed showed that, in Dang, insect pests reduced maize yield by 37% and 24% in 2016 and 2017, respectively, whereas in Gouna, it was lower than 8% during the both years. Reduction in seed yield by insect pests on cowpea in Dang represented 47% and 50% in 2016 and 2017, respectively, whereas in Gouna, it was 55% and 63% in 2016 and 2017, respectively. For okra, insect pests reduced okra fruit yield by 25% and 44% in Dang and 23% and 28% in Gouna, respectively, in 2016 and 2017. Crop yield was lower in intercropping compared to monoculture due to competition of plants in association on different resources. Considering the total yields obtained from each intercropping, intercropping trials resulted generally in higher yields compared to mono-culture (LER > 1) in both sites and years but the respective yields were quite different. On the basis of the results obtained, we recommend maize-cowpea intercropping as a sustainable solution to reduce the infestation level of their pest insects.

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