Farmers’ Preferences for Genetic Resources of Kersting’s Groundnut [Macrotyloma geocarpum (Harms) Maréchal and Baudet] in the Production Systems of Burkina Faso and Ghana

Pulses play important roles in providing proteins and essential amino-acids, and contribute to soils’ nutrients cycling in most smallholder farming systems in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). These crops can be promoted to meet food and nutrition security goals in low-income countries. Here, we investigated the status of Kersting’s groundnut (Macrotyloma geocarpum, Fabaceae), a neglected pulse in West Africa. We explored its diversity, the production systems, the production constraints and farmers’ preferences in Burkina Faso and Ghana. Focus groups and semi-structured interviews were conducted in 39 villages with 86 respondents grouped in five sociolinguistic groups. Our results indicated that Macrotyloma geocarpum was produced in three cultivation systems: in the first system, farmers grew Kersting’s groundnut in fields, mostly on mounds or on ridges; in the second system, farmers grew it as field border; and in the third system, no clear tillage practice was identified. The main constraints of those farming systems included: difficulty to harvest, the lack of manpower and the damage due to high soil humidity at the reproductive stage. A total of 62 samples were collected and clustered in six landraces based on seed coat colors including cream, white mottled with black eye, white mottled with greyed orange eye, black, brown mottled, and brown. All six groups were found in the southern-Sudanian zone whereas only white mottled with black eye and black colors were found in the northern-Sudanian zone. The white mottled with black eye landrace was commonly known and widely grown by farmers. Farmers’ preferences were, however, influenced by sociolinguistic membership and the most preferred traits included high yielding, drought tolerance, and resistance against beetles. These findings offer an avenue to develop a relevant breeding research agenda for promoting Kersting’s groundnut in Burkina Faso and Ghana.

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Poultry farmer response to disease outbreaks in smallholder farming systems in southern Vietnam

eLife ◽

10.7554/elife.59212 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Alexis Delabouglise ◽

Nguyen Thi Le Thanh ◽

Huynh Thi Ai Xuyen ◽

Benjamin Nguyen-Van-Yen ◽

Phung Ngoc Tuyet ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Virus Transmission ◽

Disease Outbreaks ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Low Income Countries ◽

Small Scale ◽

Smallholder Farming ◽

Southern Vietnam ◽

Small Scale Farmers ◽

The Impact

Avian influenza outbreaks have been occurring on smallholder poultry farms in Asia for two decades. Farmer responses to these outbreaks can slow down or accelerate virus transmission. We used a longitudinal survey of 53 small-scale chicken farms in southern Vietnam to investigate the impact of outbreaks with disease-induced mortality on harvest rate, vaccination, and disinfection behaviors. We found that in small broiler flocks (≤16 birds/flock) the estimated probability of harvest was 56% higher when an outbreak occurred, and 214% higher if an outbreak with sudden deaths occurred in the same month. Vaccination and disinfection were strongly and positively correlated with the number of birds. Small-scale farmers – the overwhelming majority of poultry producers in low-income countries – tend to rely on rapid sale of birds to mitigate losses from diseases. As depopulated birds are sent to markets or trading networks, this reactive behavior has the potential to enhance onward transmission.

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302 Phenomics and its potential impact on livestock development in low income countries: Innovative applications of emerging related digital technology

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skaa278.049 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 98 (Supplement_4) ◽

pp. 27-28

Author(s):

Chinyere Ekine ◽

Raphael Mrode ◽

Karen Marshall ◽

Mizeck Chagunda ◽

Bridgit Muasa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Developing Countries ◽

Data Collection ◽

Real Time ◽

Low Income ◽

Production Systems ◽

Routine Data ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Low Income Countries ◽

Phenotypic Data ◽

Improvement Programs

Abstract Infrastructure and institutional frameworks supporting sustainable phenotyping systems are lacking in most developing countries, which are characterized by subsistence agricultural systems with small, highly dispersed farms having few animals, which makes performance recording inefficient, unattractive and expensive. Nevertheless, capturing performance data in near real time using digital devices for livestock improvement is fast gaining ground in many emerging economies around the world because of technological advancements made in the use of information and communications technologies (ICT), mobile devices and a myriad of digital innovations. Several initiatives in developing countries have demonstrated that ICT models for livestock performance recording in small-holder farming systems coupled with appropriate feedback to farmers for improved management and decision making is sustainable. More work needs to be done in developing and designing simple, efficient, inexpensive, non-evasive and sturdy phenotyping devices to support the collection of a range of existing or new quantitative data relating to animal welfare, production, reproduction, product quality, feed efficiency, etc. on farms. Most suitable technologies will be those that will support routine data collection to be transmitted in real time/near real time, but can also function without the internet, and can be easily incorporated into genetic/genomic improvement programs with a community-based breeding program approach. Animal scientists will need to collaborate with an interdisciplinary team of scientists (software developers, engineers, programmers, etc.) to design these next generation of innovative technologies needed for phenotypic data collection. Efficient methods for data collection will generate a lot of data and will need trained scientists to transform this data into information needed for improving animal production systems. Application of these technologies will be critical in attracting youth into agriculture and thus ensure sustainable systems for phenomics in developing countries.

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Monetary Policy in Sub-Saharan Africa

10.1093/oso/9780198785811.001.0001 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Keyword(s):

Monetary Policy ◽

Low Income ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Low Income Countries ◽

African Countries ◽

Policy Regimes ◽

Export Prices ◽

Policy Work ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Policy Guidance

Having broadly stabilized inflation over the past two decades, many policymakers in sub-Saharan Africa are now asking more of their monetary policy frameworks. They are looking to avoid policy misalignments and respond appropriately to both domestic and external shocks, including swings in fiscal policy and spikes in food and export prices. In many cases they are finding current regimes—often characterized as ‘money targeting’—lacking, with opaque and sometimes inconsistent objectives, inadequate transmission of policy to the economy, and difficulties in responding to supply shocks. At the same time, little existing research on monetary policy is targeted to low-income countries. What do we know about the empirics of monetary transmission in low-income countries? (How) Does monetary policy work in countries characterized by a huge share of food in consumption, underdeveloped financial markets, and opaque policy regimes? (How) Can we use methods largely derived in advanced countries to answer these questions? And (how) can we use the results to guide policymakers? This book draws on years of research and practice at the IMF and in central banks from the region to shed empirical and theoretical light on these questions and to provide practical tools and policy guidance. A key feature of the book is the application of dynamic general equilibrium models, suitably adapted to reflect key features of low-income countries, for the analysis of monetary policy in sub-Saharan African countries.

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COVID-19 pandemic: the implications of the natural history, challenges of diagnosis and management for care in sub-Saharan Africa

Beni-Suef University Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences ◽

10.1186/s43088-021-00106-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Lawrence Omo-Aghoja ◽

Emuesiri Goodies Moke ◽

Kenneth Kelechi Anachuna ◽

Adrian Itivere Omogbiya ◽

Emuesiri Kohworho Umukoro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Natural History ◽

Low Income ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Low Income Countries ◽

Diagnosis And Management ◽

Severe Acute Respiratory Infection ◽

Identification Technique ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Policies And Programs

Abstract Background Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a severe acute respiratory infection which has afflicted virtually almost all nations of the earth. It is highly transmissible and represents one of the most serious pandemics in recent times, with the capacity to overwhelm any healthcare system and cause morbidity and fatality. Main content The diagnosis of this disease is daunting and challenging as it is dependent on emerging clinical symptomatology that continues to increase and change very rapidly. The definitive test is the very expensive and scarce polymerase chain reaction (PCR) viral identification technique. The management has remained largely supportive and empirical, as there are no officially approved therapeutic agents, vaccines or antiviral medications for the management of the disease. Severe cases often require intensive care facilities and personnel. Yet there is paucity of facilities including the personnel required for diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). It is against this backdrop that a review of key published reports on the pandemic in SSA and globally is made, as understanding the natural history of a disease and the documented responses to diagnosis and management is usually a key public health strategy for designing and improving as appropriate, relevant interventions. Lead findings were that responses by most nations of SSA were adhoc, paucity of public health awareness strategies and absence of legislations that would help enforce preventive measures, as well as limited facilities (including personal protective equipment) and institutional capacities to deliver needed interventions. Conclusion COVID-19 is real and has overwhelmed global health care system especially low-income countries of the sub-Sahara such as Nigeria. Suggestions for improvement of healthcare policies and programs to contain the current pandemic and to respond more optimally in case of future pandemics are made herein.

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Mitochondrial Genetic Diversity among Farmed Stocks of Oreochromis spp. (Perciformes, Cichlidae) in Madagascar

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d13070281 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (7) ◽

pp. 281

Author(s):

Nicolas Hubert ◽

Elodie Pepey ◽

Jean-Michel Mortillaro ◽

Dirk Steinke ◽

Diana Edithe Andria-Mananjara ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Diversity ◽

Low Income ◽

Food System ◽

Production Systems ◽

Dna Barcode ◽

Diversity Indices ◽

Low Income Countries ◽

Wild Populations ◽

Fast Development ◽

Well Differentiated

The fast development of aquaculture over the past decades has made it the main source of fish protein and led to its integration into the global food system. Mostly originating from inland production systems, aquaculture has emerged as strategy to decrease malnutrition in low-income countries. The Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) was introduced to Madagascar in the 1950s, and is now produced nationally at various scales. Aquaculture mostly relies on fry harvested from wild populations and grow-out in ponds for decades. It has recently been diversified by the introduction of several fast-growing strains. Little is known how local genetic diversity compares to recently introduced strains, although high and comparable levels of genetic diversity have previously been observed for both wild populations and local stocks. Our study compares DNA barcode genetic diversity among eight farms and several strains belonging to three species sampled. DNA-based lineage delimitation methods were applied and resulted in the detection of six well differentiated and highly divergent lineages. A comparison of DNA barcode records to sequences on the Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD) helped to trace the origin of several of them. Both haplotype and nucleotide diversity indices highlight high levels of mitochondrial genetic diversity, with several local strains displaying higher diversity than recently introduced strains. This allows for multiple options to maintain high levels of genetic diversity in broodstock and provides more options for selective breeding programs.

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Within-Season Changes in Land-Use Impact Pest Abundance in Smallholder African Cassava Production Systems

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects12030269 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 269 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Andrew Kalyebi ◽

Sarina Macfadyen ◽

Andrew Hulthen ◽

Patrick Ocitti ◽

Frances Jacomb ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Bemisia Tabaci ◽

Large Scale ◽

Production Systems ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Negative Relationship ◽

Central Africa ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Smallholder Farming ◽

Manihot Esculenta Crantz

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz), an important commercial and food security crop in East and Central Africa, continues to be adversely affected by the whitefly Bemisia tabaci. In Uganda, changes in smallholder farming landscapes due to crop rotations can impact pest populations but how these changes affect pest outbreak risk is unknown. We investigated how seasonal changes in land-use have affected B. tabaci population dynamics and its parasitoids. We used a large-scale field experiment to standardize the focal field in terms of cassava age and cultivar, then measured how Bemisia populations responded to surrounding land-use change. Bemisia tabaci Sub-Saharan Africa 1 (SSA1) was identified using molecular diagnostics as the most prevalent species and the same species was also found on surrounding soybean, groundnut, and sesame crops. We found that an increase in the area of cassava in the 3–7-month age range in the landscape resulted in an increase in the abundance of the B. tabaci SSA1 on cassava. There was a negative relationship between the extent of non-crop vegetation in the landscape and parasitism of nymphs suggesting that these parasitoids do not rely on resources in the non-crop patches. The highest abundance of B. tabaci SSA1 nymphs in cassava fields occurred at times when landscapes had large areas of weeds, low to moderate areas of maize, and low areas of banana. Our results can guide the development of land-use strategies that smallholder farmers can employ to manage these pests.

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