Two-tier Witchweed (Striga hermonthica) Resistance in Wild Pearl Millet (Pennisetum glaucum) 29Aw

Weed Science ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Olivier Dayou ◽  
Willy Kibet ◽  
Patroba Ojola ◽  
Prakash Irappa Gangashetty ◽  
Susann Wicke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pearl Millet ◽  
Pennisetum Glaucum ◽  
Microscopic Analysis ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Striga Hermonthica ◽  
Seedling Biomass ◽  
Natural Infestation ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Vascular Connections

Abstract The parasitic plant purple witchweed [Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth.] poses a serious threat to cereal production in sub-Saharan Africa. Under natural infestation, the wild pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] line 29Aw demonstrates resistance against the parasite, but the mechanism of its resistance is unknown. Striga resistance can be due to: (i) low induction of Striga germination (pre-attachment resistance) or (ii) inhibition of parasite attachment and development (post-attachment resistance). Germination bioassays and root chamber (rhizotron) resistance screening assays were used to determine the extent of pre- and post-attachment Striga resistance in 29Aw compared with the Striga-susceptible SOSAT-C88-P10 variety. Regarding pre-attachment resistance, 29Aw stimulated 10-fold less Striga seed germination at a maximum germination distance of 7.96 ± 2.75 mm from the host root compared with 35.94 ± 2.88 mm in SOSAT-C88-P10. Post-attachment resistance revealed 10 to 19-fold fewer, 2.5-fold shorter, and 28-fold less Striga seedling biomass growing on 29Aw compared to SOSAT-C88-P10. Microscopic analysis showed that Striga penetration in 29Aw was blocked at endodermis and cortex levels. Post-attachment resistance in 29Aw was further supported by fewer (22%) Striga-host vascular connections in 29Aw compared to 79% in SOSAT-C88-P10. Together, these findings demonstrate that 29Aw harbors both pre- and post-attachment resistance mechanisms against S. hermonthica.

scholarly journals Genetic Gains in Pearl Millet in India: Insights Into Historic Breeding Strategies and Future Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Om Parkash Yadav ◽  
S. K. Gupta ◽  
Mahalingam Govindaraj ◽  
Rajan Sharma ◽  
Rajeev K. Varshney ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pearl Millet ◽  
Pennisetum Glaucum ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Hybrid Breeding ◽  
Future Perspective ◽  
Yield Increase ◽  
Genetic Gains ◽  
Parental Lines ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Periodic Replacement

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum R. Br.) is an important staple and nutritious food crop in the semiarid and arid ecologies of South Asia (SA) and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In view of climate change, depleting water resources, and widespread malnutrition, there is a need to accelerate the rate of genetic gains in pearl millet productivity. This review discusses past strategies and future approaches to accelerate genetic gains to meet future demand. Pearl millet breeding in India has historically evolved very comprehensively from open-pollinated varieties development to hybrid breeding. Availability of stable cytoplasmic male sterility system with adequate restorers and strategic use of genetic resources from India and SSA laid the strong foundation of hybrid breeding. Genetic and cytoplasmic diversification of hybrid parental lines, periodic replacement of hybrids, and breeding disease-resistant and stress-tolerant cultivars have been areas of very high priority. As a result, an annual yield increase of 4% has been realized in the last three decades. There is considerable scope to further accelerate the efforts on hybrid breeding for drought-prone areas in SA and SSA. Heterotic grouping of hybrid parental lines is essential to sustain long-term genetic gains. Time is now ripe for mainstreaming of the nutritional traits improvement in pearl millet breeding programs. New opportunities are emerging to improve the efficiency and precision of breeding. Development and application of high-throughput genomic tools, speed breeding, and precision phenotyping protocols need to be intensified to exploit a huge wealth of native genetic variation available in pearl millet to accelerate the genetic gains.

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.

scholarly journals Effects of Cultivation Management on Pearl Millet Yield and Growth Differed with Rainfall Conditions in a Seasonal Wetland of Sub-Saharan Africa

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 1767
Author(s):  
Yoshihiro Hirooka ◽  
Simon K. Awala ◽  
Kudakwashe Hove ◽  
Pamwenafye I. Nanhapo ◽  
Morio Iijima
Keyword(s):  
Pearl Millet ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Pennisetum Glaucum ◽  
Growth Parameters ◽  
Growth Period ◽  
Fertilizer Application ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Mineral Fertilization ◽  
Seasonal Wetlands ◽  
Sub Saharan

The production of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br.) is important in Namibia, in sub-Saharan Africa, owing to the prevailing low precipitation conditions. Most fields supporting crop production in northern Namibia are located in a network of seasonal wetlands. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of ridging and fertilizer application on the yield and the growth of pearl millet in the seasonal wetlands under different rainfall conditions. The study was conducted for two years (2017–2018) in the experimental fields in northern Namibia, and yield, yield components, and growth parameters were evaluated in relation to the application of different fertilizers (manure and mineral) with and without ridge-furrows. Manure fertilizer application presented the highest yield in 2018, whereas mineral fertilizer application showed the highest yield in 2017. The proportion of rainfall was the highest during the mid-growth period in 2017, and the reproductive stage in 2018. Thus, pearl millet plants under manure fertilization overcame damage resulting from waterlogging stress during the seed setting stage by improving the soil and plant nutrient conditions. In contrast, the plants under mineral fertilization were more tolerant to large amounts of rain during the mid-growth period. In this study, yield was mainly determined by total dry weight, and it was closely related to panicle density in both years. Therefore, we concluded that fertilizer application, including additional fertilizer based on the growth diagnostic, could be important for improving crop production in seasonal wetlands.

scholarly journals Pearl Millet as a Sustainable Alternative Cereal for Novel Value-added Products in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Dube ◽  
N. Nyoni ◽  
S. Bhebhe ◽  
M. Maphosa ◽  
A. Bombom
Keyword(s):  
Pearl Millet ◽  
Pennisetum Glaucum ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Processing Technologies ◽  
Nutritional Factors ◽  
Marginal Areas ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Extension Support

Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] is an underutilized small grain, nutrient-rich cereal crop cultivated in the arid and semi-arid tropics of Asia and Africa. However, several barriers exist that preclude the full exploitation of the crop such as low yield, inadequate processing technologies, lack of extension support and limited productive varieties. Furthermore, anti-nutritional factors in the grain such as polyphenols reduce digestibility, palatability and bio-availability of other nutrients. Reduction or elimination of these anti-nutritional factors through pre-treatments like boiling, cooking, roasting, soaking improves the nutritional quality of the grain. Underutilized pearl millet genetic resources and processing has the potential to contribute towards sustainable agriculture particularly in drought prone and marginal areas of Africa. This review focuses on nutritional value, pearl millet cultivation and utilization challenges, processing and value addition interventions to improve crop adoption and productivity in sub-Saharan Africa.

scholarly journals Archaeobotanical evidence for pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) in sub-Saharan West Africa

Antiquity ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 75 (288) ◽  
pp. 341-348 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. C. D'Andrea ◽  
M. Klee ◽  
J. Casey
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Pearl Millet ◽  
Pennisetum Glaucum ◽  
Archaeological Site ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Northern Ghana ◽  
Cultural Complex ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Forest Habitats

The remains of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) dating to 3460±200 and 2960±370 BP have been recovered at the archaeological site of Birimi, northern Ghana, associated with the Kintampo cultural complex. This finding represents the earliest known occurrence of pearl millet in sub-Saharan Africa. Results indicate that Kintampo peoples developed effective subsistence adaptations to savannas as well as tropical forest habitats.

scholarly journals Constraints to Pearl Millet (Pennisetum glaucum) Production and Farmers’ Approaches to Striga hermonthica Management in Burkina Faso

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8460
Author(s):  
Armel Rouamba ◽  
Hussein Shimelis ◽  
Inoussa Drabo ◽  
Mark Laing ◽  
Prakash Gangashetty ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Burkina Faso ◽  
Pearl Millet ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Pennisetum Glaucum ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Striga Hermonthica ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Central Plateau ◽  
South Central

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) is a staple food crop in Burkina Faso that is widely grown in the Sahelian and Sudano-Sahelian zones, characterised by poor soil conditions and erratic rainfall, and high temperatures. The objective of this study was to document farmers’ perceptions of the prevailing constraints affecting pearl millet production and related approaches to manage the parasitic weeds S. hermonthica. The study was conducted in the Sahel, Sudano-Sahelian zones in the North, North Central, West Central, Central Plateau, and South Central of Burkina Faso. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire and focus group discussions involving 492 participant farmers. Recurrent drought, S. hermonthica infestation, shortage of labour, lack of fertilisers, lack of cash, and the use of low-yielding varieties were the main challenges hindering pearl millet production in the study areas. The majority of the respondents (40%) ranked S. hermonthica infestation as the primary constraint affecting pearl millet production. Respondent farmers reported yield losses of up to 80% due to S. hermonthica infestation. 61.4% of the respondents in the study areas had achieved a mean pearl millet yields of <1 t/ha. Poor access and the high cost of introduced seed, and a lack of farmers preferred traits in the existing introduced pearl millet varieties were the main reasons for their low adoption, as reported by 32% of respondents. S. hermonthica management options in pearl millet production fields included moisture conservation using terraces, manual hoeing, hand weeding, use of microplots locally referred to as ‘zaï’, crop rotation and mulching. These management techniques were ineffective because they do not suppress the below ground S. hermonthica seed, and they are difficult to implement. Integrated management practices employing breeding for S. hermonthica resistant varieties with the aforementioned control measures could offer a sustainable solution for S. hermonthica management and improved pearl millet productivity in Burkina Faso.

A Land Management Based Approach to Integrated Striga hermonthica Control in sub-Saharan Africa

1996 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 157-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dana Berner ◽  
Robert Carsky ◽  
Kenton Dashiell ◽  
Jennifer Kling ◽  
Victor Manyong
Keyword(s):  
Land Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Cultural Control ◽  
Crop Rotations ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Striga Hermonthica ◽  
Bush Fallow ◽  
Sub Saharan

Striga hermonthica, an obligate root parasite of grasses, Is one of the most severe constraints to cereal production in sub-Saharan Africa. In the recent past, prior to increased production pressure on land, S. hermonthica was controlled in African farming systems by prolonged crop rotations with bush fallow. Because of increasing need for food and concomitant changes in land management practices, however, these fallow rotations are no longer extensively used. Shorter crop rotations and fallow periods have also led to declines in soil fertility which present a very serious threat to African food production. A sustainable solution will be an integrated approach that simultaneously addresses both of these major problems. An integrated programme that replaces traditional bush fallow rotation with non-host nitrogen-fixing legume rotations, using cultivars selected for efficacy in germinating S. hermonthica seeds, is outlined. The programme includes use of S. hermonthlca-free planting material, biological control, cultural control to enhance biological suppressiveness, host-plant resistance, and host-seed treatments.

scholarly journals Striga Infestation in Kenya: Status, Distribution and Management Options

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evans Atuti Atera ◽  
Takashige Ishii ◽  
John C. Onyango ◽  
Kazuyuki Itoh ◽  
Tetsushi Azuma
Keyword(s):  
Control Program ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
Stress Factors ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Striga Hermonthica ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Qualitative Interaction ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Serious Injury

<p><em>Striga</em> spp. is considered to be the greatest biological constraint to food production in sub-Saharan Africa, a more serious problem than insects, birds and plant diseases. They are among the most specialized root-parasitic plants inflicting serious injury to their host depriving them water, minerals and photosynthate. The greatest diversity of <em>Striga </em>spp. occurs in grassland. However, <em>Striga hermonthica</em> mainly occurs in farmland infecting grasses. The parasite devastating effect is accomplished prior to its emergence from the soil. It may cause yield losses in cereals ranging from 15% under favourable conditions to 100% where several stress factors are involved, thereby affecting the livelihood of millions of resource-poor farmers. Piecemeal approach to address one aspect of <em>Striga</em> problem at a time has been a setback in technology transfer to producers. Future <em>Striga</em> control programs should not be conducted separately, but should rather be conducted in an integrated approach that combines research talents of various institutions. This will facilitate collaborative research and achieve qualitative interaction between stakeholders, which can easily produce reliable technologies that are practical and available to farmers. <em>Striga</em> being a pervasive pest, time is of essence in controlling it. There is an urgent need for the establishment of policies to promote, implement, and ensure a long-term sustainable <em>Striga</em> control program.</p>

scholarly journals Pearl millet genome sequence provides a resource to improve agronomic traits in arid environments

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (10) ◽  
pp. 969-976 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajeev K Varshney ◽  
Chengcheng Shi ◽  
Mahendar Thudi ◽  
Cedric Mariac ◽  
Jason Wallace ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pearl Millet ◽  
Genome Sequence ◽  
Arid Regions ◽  
Agronomic Traits ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Whole Genome Sequence ◽  
Arid Environments ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Staple Crop ◽  
Trait Associations

Abstract Pearl millet [Cenchrus americanus (L.) Morrone] is a staple food for more than 90 million farmers in arid and semi-arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa, India and South Asia. We report the ∼1.79 Gb draft whole genome sequence of reference genotype Tift 23D2B1-P1-P5, which contains an estimated 38,579 genes. We highlight the substantial enrichment for wax biosynthesis genes, which may contribute to heat and drought tolerance in this crop. We resequenced and analyzed 994 pearl millet lines, enabling insights into population structure, genetic diversity and domestication. We use these resequencing data to establish marker trait associations for genomic selection, to define heterotic pools, and to predict hybrid performance. We believe that these resources should empower researchers and breeders to improve this important staple crop.

scholarly journals Characterization of West and Central African accessions from a pearl millet reference collection for agro-morphological traits and Striga resistance

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 260-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. T. Sattler ◽  
M. D. Sanogo ◽  
I. A. Kassari ◽  
I. I. Angarawai ◽  
K. W. Gwadi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pearl Millet ◽  
Pennisetum Glaucum ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Field Trials ◽  
Morphological Characterization ◽  
Striga Hermonthica ◽  
Effective Population ◽  
Reference Collection ◽  
Breeding Programmes

AbstractTo promote the utilization of West and Central African (WCA) genetic resources of pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.], this study aimed at agro-morphological characterization of selected accessions from the pearl millet reference collection, established by the Generation Challenge Program and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). A total of 81 accessions were included, comprising 78 landraces originating from 13, predominantly WCA countries and three improved cultivars. All 81 accessions were evaluated together with 18 checks for resistance to the parasitic weed Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth. in an artificially infested field at one location in Niger. Determined by available seed quantity, 74 accessions were characterized together with seven checks in the rainy season 2009 in field trials under low-input and fertilized conditions in Nigeria, Niger and Mali, respectively. Wide ranges were observed for various traits. Several accessions were identified as sources for specific traits of interest, i.e. long panicles, high-grain density, earliness, Striga resistance and stable yielding across environments. The observed yield inferiority of all Genebank accessions compared with checks may indicate lost adaptation or inbreeding depression due to an insufficient effective population size during multiplication. A principal component analysis revealed an immense diversity but also strong admixture among the tested accessions, i.e. there were no clearly distinct groups. The seed of all genotypes is available from ICRISAT. The online availability of the characterization data is expected to facilitate efficient use of these pearl millet accessions by breeding programmes in WCA and worldwide.

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