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

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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Optimizing ruminant production systems for sustainable intensification, human health, food security and environmental stewardship

Outlook on Agriculture ◽

10.1177/0030727019840758 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 48 (2) ◽

pp. 85-93 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Victor Mlambo ◽

Caven M Mnisi

Keyword(s):

Crop Production ◽

Production Systems ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Health Food ◽

Animal Products ◽

Root Cause ◽

Nutrition Security ◽

Food And Nutrition ◽

Negative Impacts ◽

High Standards

Whereas the contribution of ruminants to human civilization remains unequivocal, there are concerns regarding the unintended negative consequences of rearing these animals for food. These concerns range from the ruminant’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions to negative impacts of its products on the health of consumers. Rearing ruminants for food is thus seen as the root cause of ills such as climate change, species extinction, deforestation, food insecurity, cardiovascular disease, obesity, cancer and diabetes. Indeed, critics of ruminant production envision a future where humanity does not have to rely on animal products for food. They are convinced that this would be the panacea to food and nutrition insecurity, environmental pollution and meat-induced nutritional disorders and diseases in humans. The critics seem to be unaware of the wide diversity of ruminant production systems in use as well as the array of benefits that can be derived from these enterprises. For instance, there are large human communities that inhabit climatically hostile areas, which have no food crop production potential. Food and nutrition needs of these communities are largely dependent on nourishment provided by products and income derived from ruminants and other herbivores. The aim of this review article is to interrogate the validity of the concerns around the use of ruminants for food and highlight appropriate strategies and technologies that may be applied to mitigate some of these challenges. We conclude that solutions already exist that have the potential to deliver efficient, environmentally friendly and consumer-conscious ruminant production systems based on high standards of animal welfare. Such sustainable production systems will ensure that ruminants continue to play a crucial role in food and nutrition security of humans as they have done for millennia.

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Generación de energía eléctrica en la edificación mediante tecnología de disco Stirling =Electrical energy generation in building by means of Stirling dish technology

Anales de Edificación ◽

10.20868/ade.2017.3567 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 9

Author(s):

Carlos Morón ◽

Daniel Ferrández ◽

Jorge Pablo Díaz ◽

Pablo Saiz

Keyword(s):

Production Systems ◽

Real Data ◽

Electrical Energy ◽

Stirling Engine ◽

Single Family ◽

Expected Performance ◽

New Energy ◽

Increasing Demand ◽

High Level

ResumenLa creciente demanda de energía acompañada de los elevados niveles de emisión de gases contaminantes a la atmosfera hace patente la necesidad de encontrar nuevos sistemas de producción de energía. Una de las posibles alternativas se encuentra en la energía solar de concentración, y más concretamente en la tecnología termosolar con motor Stirling que alcanza unos niveles de rendimiento muy superiores a la energía solar fotovoltaica en cuanto a producción de energía eléctrica. En este trabajo se muestra el diseño y la caracterización de un prototipo de captador paraboloidal con motor Stirling, que permite obtener datos reales del funcionamiento de este tipo de sistemas. Esto permitirá modelizar de manera real el comportamiento esperado de equipos comerciales reales antes de abordar su implantación en edificios y viviendas unifamiliares.AbstractThe increasing demand for energy accompanied by high level of emission of the contaminating gases into the atmosphere underscores the need to find new energy production systems. One of the possible alternatives is concentrating solar power and, more specifically, solar thermal technology with a Stirling engine that reaches higher performance levels than photovoltaic solar energy in terms of electricity generation. This paper shows the design and characterization of a prototype paraboloidal collector with a Stirling engine that allows obtaining real data of this type of systems functioning. This will allow modelling in a real way of expected performance of real commercial devices before approaching their introduction in buildings and single-family houses.

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Adaptation to Impacts of Climate Change on the Food and Nutrition Security Status of a Small Island Developing State

Natural Resources Management ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-0803-8.ch043 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 919-944 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Antoine Marie Moustache

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Production Systems ◽

Small Island ◽

Adaptation Measures ◽

Coastal Fisheries ◽

Food And Nutrition Security ◽

Nutrition Security ◽

Food And Nutrition ◽

Seychelles Islands ◽

Farm Structures

More frequent extreme weather events, foreseen with climate change, will impact severely on the agricultural and fisheries production systems of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) such as the Seychelles Islands. Understanding the impacts on agricultural production and coastal fisheries is important to plan adaptation measures for sustainable development, particularly for national food and nutrition security. This chapter addresses some impacts on soil systems in Seychelles: the main cultivation medium. It proposes soil management and conservation practices, and adaptation measures relevant to farm structures and homes to counter these impacts. It addresses alien invasive species and their impacts on food production systems along with coastal fisheries. In conclusion, it urges the implementation of simple, cost-effective adaptation measures to counter these threats.

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Genetic Diversity among Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) Landraces Suggests Central Mozambique as an Important Hotspot of Variation

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy10121893 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 1893

Author(s):

Ana Maria Figueira Gomes ◽

David Draper ◽

Pedro Talhinhas ◽

Paula Batista Santos ◽

Fernanda Simões ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Diversity ◽

Gene Flow ◽

Vigna Unguiculata ◽

African Countries ◽

High Genetic Diversity ◽

Ecological Zones ◽

Nuclear Microsatellite ◽

Tropical Areas ◽

Other World ◽

High Level

Cowpea is a multiple-purpose drought-tolerant leguminous pulse crop grown in several dry tropical areas. Its domestication center is thought to be East or West Africa, where a high level of genetic diversity is apparently still found. However, detailed genetic information is lacking in many African countries, limiting the success of breeding programs. In this work, we assessed the genetic variation and gene flow in 59 Vigna unguiculata (cowpea) accessions from 10 landraces spanning across six agro-ecological zones of Mozambique, based on nuclear microsatellite markers. The results revealed the existence of high genetic diversity between the landraces, even in comparison to other world regions. Four genetic groups were found, with no specific geographic pattern, suggesting the presence of gene flow between landraces. In comparison, the two commercial varieties had lower values of genetic diversity, although still close to the ones found in local landraces. The high genetic diversity found in Mozambique sustains the importance of local genetic resources and farm protection to enhance genetic diversity in modern varieties of cowpea worldwide.

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Abiotic stresses in rice production: Impacts and management

ORYZA- An International Journal on Rice ◽

10.35709/ory.2021.58.spl.4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 58 (Special) ◽

pp. 103-125

Author(s):

Himanshu Pathak ◽

Mahesh Kumar ◽

Kutubuddin A Molla ◽

Koushik Chakraborty

Keyword(s):

Abiotic Stresses ◽

Crop Improvement ◽

Rice Production ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

Improvement Strategy ◽

Nutrition Security ◽

Mitigation And Adaptation ◽

Yield And Quality ◽

Food And Nutrition ◽

Production Technologies

Rice, a key staple food crop in the world and India, offers food and nutrition security to millions of the global population. Abiotic (water, soil, atmospheric) stresses affect yield and quality of rice. This necessitates stress-resilient rice production technologies sufficiently fortified by novel stress mitigation and adaptation strategies. Recent crop improvement strategy has partially managed to resolve the challenges presented by abiotic stresses such as high temperature, drought, salinity, alkalinity, waterlogging and mineral deficiency. The complication and multiplicity of abiotic stresses necessitate the use of extensive, integrative and multi-disciplinary techniques to achieve resilience. Crop improvement, along with the agronomic interventions, is essential to stabilise the productivity and profitability of rice production. This article gives an overview of the potential impacts of abiotic stress on rice and suggests the adaptation and mitigation strategies.

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Diversity, Physicochemical and Technological Characterization of Elite Cassava (Manihot esculentaCrantz) Cultivars of Bantè, a District of Central Benin

The Scientific World JOURNAL ◽

10.1155/2015/674201 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2015 ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Abadjayé Faouziath Sanoussi ◽

Laura Yéyinou Loko ◽

Hyacinthe Ahissou ◽

Adidjath Koubourath Adjahi ◽

Azize Orobiyi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physicochemical Properties ◽

Physicochemical Analysis ◽

High Yield ◽

Food Crops ◽

Staple Food ◽

Total Sugars ◽

Nutrition Security ◽

Scientific Analysis ◽

Food And Nutrition

Cassava is one of the staple food crops contributing significantly to food and nutrition security in Benin. This study aimed to assess the diversity of the elite cassava cultivars of Bantè district, determine the physicochemical properties of the most preferred ones as well as the sensory attributes of their major derived products (gari and tapioca), and compare them with the farmers’ and processors’ perception on their technological qualities. The ethnobotanical investigation revealed existence of 40 cultivars including 9 elites that were further classified into three groups based on agronomics and technological and culinary properties. Clustered together, cultivarsIdilèrou, Monlèkangan,andOdohoungbocharacterized by low fiber content, high yield of gari and tapioca, and good in-ground postmaturity storage were the most preferred ones. Their physicochemical analysis revealed good rate of dry matters (39.8% to 41.13%), starch (24.47% to 25.5%) and total sugars (39.46% to 41.13%), low fiber (0.80% to 1.02%), and cyanide (50 mg/kg) contents. The sensory analysis of their gari and tapioca revealed very well appreciated (taste, color, and texture) products by the consumers. The confirmation by scientific analysis of the farmers’ perception on qualities of the most preferred cultivars indicated that they have good knowledge of their materials.

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Coping or adapting? Experiences of food and nutrition insecurity in specialised fishing households in Komodo District, eastern Indonesia

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-10248-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Emily Gibson ◽

Natasha Stacey ◽

Terry C. H. Sunderland ◽

Dedi S. Adhuri

Keyword(s):

Food Insecurity ◽

Maternal Education ◽

Household Wealth ◽

Fishing Communities ◽

Small Scale ◽

Food And Nutrition Security ◽

Nutrition Security ◽

Eastern Indonesia ◽

Food And Nutrition ◽

Nutrition Sensitive

Abstract Background There is growing recognition of the need for fish to be better integrated into nutrition-sensitive strategies for addressing malnutrition. Fish are overwhelmingly produced by the small-scale sector, which supports food and nutrition security directly through the provision of fish and indirectly through the generation of income which can be used to purchase other desired foods. However, there has been relatively little research on the extent of food and nutrition security in specialised fishing communities. This study assessed food and nutrition security among households in specialised fishing communities in Komodo District, eastern Indonesia. Methods We assessed the seasonal nutrition quality of household diets using the Food Consumption Score for nutritional analysis and food insecurity using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale in 66 households across three communities, using a modified cluster sampling strategy. We calculated and generated descriptive statistics for these indicators with Microsoft Excel and ran a logistic generalized linear mixed model to determine factors associated with severe food insecurity using SPSS. We used semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions to understand perceptions of, change over time, and strategies for dealing with food shortfalls. Results While most households have acceptable access to nutritious foods, especially protein and heme iron-rich foods, nearly one half of households consumed vitamin A rich foods on less than 3 days of the 7-day recall period in either season. More than half of households reported experiencing a moderate or severe level of food insecurity, with higher food insecurity in the wet season. Low maternal education (OR: 3.8, 95%CI 1.5–9.9) and lower household wealth (OR: 0.5, 95%CI 0.3–0.9) were found to be associated with a severe level of food insecurity. Household’s consumptive and non-consumptive response strategies reflect adaptation to chronic food insecurity but are nutritionally and economically unsustainable. Conclusion Households in specialised fishing communities in Komodo District consumed diets with low diversity and experienced high levels of food insecurity. There is a need for culturally-appropriate nutrition-sensitive strategies to enhance food and nutrition security in vulnerable fishing communities.

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An Overview of Food and Nutrition Security Situation of Kenya

10.37512/1000 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 112-129

Keyword(s):

Production Systems ◽

Educational Achievement ◽

Political Stability ◽

County Governments ◽

Food And Nutrition Security ◽

Nutrition Security ◽

Farmer Organizations ◽

Big 4 ◽

Food And Nutrition ◽

The Status

Achieving food and nutrition security remains a challenge for Kenya, despite International bodies providing long-term active support in order to achieve it. Low technological capability, inefficient production systems, inconsistent economic growth, increasing population and lately climate variability, affect food production, leading to either stagnation or only modest gains in food and nutrition security in Kenya. Nevertheless, food and nutrition security continues to improve, albeit at a slow pace. The major drivers of the improvements are political stability, ambitious economic planning, the quest for higher agricultural productivity, improving educational achievement, sanitation and health. To accelerate the process, Kenya embraced Vision 2030, devolution of governance and resources to County Governments, and lately, the Big 4 Agenda. This overview examines the status of food and nutrition security in Kenya including the prospects and the challenges faced. The analysis provides specific recommendations for achieving it. These include investment in agriculture, decelerating population growth, using adaptive research to solve farmer-problems, improving the management of farmer-organizations and formation of cooperatives.

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