Exploring Smallholder Farmers’ Preferences for Climate-Smart Seed Innovations: Empirical Evidence from Southern Ethiopia

Rapid plant breeding is essential to overcome low productivity problems in the face of climatic challenges. Despite considerable efforts to improve breeding practices in Ethiopia, increasing varietal release does not necessarily imply that farmers have access to innovative varietal choices. Prior research did not adequately address whether varietal attributes are compatible with farmers’ preferences in harsh environmental conditions. With an agricultural policy mainly aiming to achieve productivity maximization, existing breeding programs prioritize varietal development based on yield superiority. Against this background, we estimated a multinomial logit (MNL) model based on choice-experiment data from 167 bean growers in southern Ethiopia to explore whether farmers’ attribute preferences significantly diverge from those of breeders’ priorities. Four important bean attributes identified through participatory research methods were used. The results demonstrate that farmers have a higher propensity toward drought-tolerant capability than any of the attributes considered. The model estimates further show the existence of significant preference heterogeneity across farmers. These findings provide important insight to design breeding profiles compatible with specific producer segments. We suggest demand-driven breeding innovations and dissemination strategies in order to accelerate the adoption of climate-smart and higher-yielding bean innovations that contribute to achieve the national and global sustainability goals in Ethiopia.

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EMS Derived Wheat Mutant BIG8-1 (Triticum aestivum L.)—A New Drought Tolerant Mutant Wheat Line

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22105314 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (10) ◽

pp. 5314

Author(s):

Marlon-Schylor L. le Roux ◽

Nicolas Francois V. Burger ◽

Maré Vlok ◽

Karl J. Kunert ◽

Christopher A. Cullis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Amino Acids ◽

Water Deficit ◽

Triticum Aestivum L ◽

Water Deficit Stress ◽

Drought Response ◽

Fibrous Root ◽

Wheat Varieties ◽

Breeding Programs ◽

Response Characteristics ◽

Drought Tolerant

Drought response in wheat is considered a highly complex process, since it is a multigenic trait; nevertheless, breeding programs are continuously searching for new wheat varieties with characteristics for drought tolerance. In a previous study, we demonstrated the effectiveness of a mutant known as RYNO3936 that could survive 14 days without water. In this study, we reveal another mutant known as BIG8-1 that can endure severe water deficit stress (21 days without water) with superior drought response characteristics. Phenotypically, the mutant plants had broader leaves, including a densely packed fibrous root architecture that was not visible in the WT parent plants. During mild (day 7) drought stress, the mutant could maintain its relative water content, chlorophyll content, maximum quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm) and stomatal conductance, with no phenotypic symptoms such as wilting or senescence despite a decrease in soil moisture content. It was only during moderate (day 14) and severe (day 21) water deficit stress that a decline in those variables was evident. Furthermore, the mutant plants also displayed a unique preservation of metabolic activity, which was confirmed by assessing the accumulation of free amino acids and increase of antioxidative enzymes (peroxidases and glutathione S-transferase). Proteome reshuffling was also observed, allowing slow degradation of essential proteins such as RuBisCO during water deficit stress. The LC-MS/MS data revealed a high abundance of proteins involved in energy and photosynthesis under well-watered conditions, particularly Serpin-Z2A and Z2B, SGT1 and Calnexin-like protein. However, after 21 days of water stress, the mutants expressed ABC transporter permeases and xylanase inhibitor protein, which are involved in the transport of amino acids and protecting cells, respectively. This study characterizes a new mutant BIG8-1 with drought-tolerant characteristics suited for breeding programs.

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A New Breeding Strategy towards Introgression and Characterization of Stay-Green QTL for Drought Tolerance in Sorghum

Agriculture ◽

10.3390/agriculture11070598 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 598

Author(s):

Nasrein Mohamed Kamal ◽

Yasir Serag Alnor Gorafi ◽

Hanan Abdeltwab ◽

Ishtiag Abdalla ◽

Hisashi Tsujimoto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Phenotypic Expression ◽

Phenotypic Selection ◽

Breeding Strategy ◽

Stay Green ◽

Breeding Programs ◽

The Public ◽

Drought Tolerant ◽

Selection Step ◽

The Cost

Several marker-assisted selection (MAS) or backcrossing (MAB) approaches exist for polygenic trait improvement. However, the implementation of MAB remains a challenge in many breeding programs, especially in the public sector. In MAB introgression programs, which usually do not include phenotypic selection, undesired donor traits may unexpectedly turn up regardless of how expensive and theoretically powerful a backcross scheme may be. Therefore, combining genotyping and phenotyping during selection will improve understanding of QTL interactions with the environment, especially for minor alleles that maximize the phenotypic expression of the traits. Here, we describe the introgression of stay-green QTL (Stg1–Stg4) from B35 into two sorghum backgrounds through an MAB that combines genotypic and phenotypic (C-MAB) selection during early backcross cycles. The background selection step is excluded. Since it is necessary to decrease further the cost associated with molecular marker assays, the costs of C-MAB were estimated. Lines with stay-green trait and good performance were identified at an early backcross generation, backcross two (BC2). Developed BC2F4 lines were evaluated under irrigated and drought as well as three rainfed environments varied in drought timing and severity. Under drought conditions, the mean grain yield of the most C-MAB-introgression lines was consistently higher than that of the recurrent parents. This study is one of the real applications of the successful use of C-MAB for the development of drought-tolerant sorghum lines for drought-prone areas.

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Emergency Response to Australia’s Black Summer 2019–2020: The Role of a Zoo-Based Conservation Organisation in Wildlife Triage, Rescue, and Resilience for the Future

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11061515 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 1515

Author(s):

Marissa L. Parrott ◽

Leanne V. Wicker ◽

Amanda Lamont ◽

Chris Banks ◽

Michelle Lang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Emergency Response ◽

State Government ◽

Captive Breeding ◽

Catastrophic Events ◽

Breeding Programs ◽

Leading Role ◽

The Future ◽

The Face ◽

Captive Breeding Programs

Modern zoos are increasingly taking a leading role in emergency management and wildlife recovery. In the face of climate change and the predicted increase in frequency and magnitude of catastrophic events, zoos provide specialised expertise to assist wildlife welfare and endangered species recovery. In the 2019–2020 Australian bushfire season, now called Australia’s Black Summer, a state government-directed response was developed, assembling specialised individuals and organisations from government, non-government organisations, research institutions, and others. Here, we detail the role of Zoos Victoria staff in wildlife triage and welfare, threatened species evacuation and recovery, media and communications, and fundraising during and after the fires. We share strategies for future resilience, readiness, and the ability to mobilise quickly in catastrophic events. The development of triage protocols, emergency response kits, emergency enclosures, and expanded and new captive breeding programs is underway, as are programs for care of staff mental health and nature-based community healing for people directly affected by the fires. We hope this account of our response to one of the greatest recent threats to Australia’s biodiversity, and steps to prepare for the future will assist other zoos and wildlife organisations around the world in preparations to help wildlife before, during, and after catastrophic events.

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Drought-tolerant Varieties as an Adaptation Strategy in the Context of Climate Change: Insight from Maize Production Systems in Benin

Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension Economics & Sociology ◽

10.9734/ajaees/2019/v37i430287 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

Mohamed Nasser Baco

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Food Security ◽

Crop Production ◽

Production Systems ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Value Chains ◽

Maize Production ◽

Ecological Zones ◽

Drought Tolerant ◽

Agro Ecological Zones

Previous studies suggested that maize is set to become a cash crop while ensuring food security better than any other crop. However, climate change has become one of the key production constraints that are now hampering and threatening the sustainability of maize production systems. We conducted a study to better understand changes here defined as adaptations made by smallholder farmers to ensure food security and improve income through maize production in a climate change context. Our results show that maize farmers in northern Benin mainly rely on traditional seeds. Drought as abiotic stress is perceived by farmers in many agro-ecological zones as a disruptive factor for crop production, including maize. When drought is associated with pest damages, both the quantity (i.e. yield) and the quality (i.e. attributes) of products/harvests are negatively affected. The adverse effects of drought continue to reduce production in different agro-ecological zones of the country, because of the lack of widespread adoption of tolerant varieties. The study suggests actions towards the production of drought-tolerant maize seeds, a promotion of seed companies, the organization of actors and value chains. Apart from climate change, the promotion of value chains is also emerging as one of the important aspects to take into account to sustain maize production in Benin.

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Smallholder farmers’ climate change adaptation practices contribute to crop production efficiency in Southern Ethiopia

Agronomy Journal ◽

10.1002/agj2.20900 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Dessalegn Anshiso Sedebo ◽

Gu‐Cheng Li ◽

Kidane Assefa Abebe ◽

Bekele Gebisa Etea ◽

John Kojo Ahiapka ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Climate Change Adaptation ◽

Crop Production ◽

Production Efficiency ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Southern Ethiopia ◽

Adaptation Practices

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Drought Response of Rice in Northeastern Thailand Assessed via Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy

Acta Agrobotanica ◽

10.5586/aa.7421 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 74 ◽

Author(s):

Piyaporn Phansak ◽

Supatcharee Siriwong ◽

Nantawan Kanawapee ◽

Kanjana Thumanu ◽

Wuttichai Gunnula ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fourier Transform ◽

Drought Stress ◽

Lignin Content ◽

Principal Component ◽

Fourier Transform Infrared ◽

Breeding Programs ◽

Treatment Groups ◽

Drought Tolerant ◽

Relative Water ◽

Rice Landrace

Abstract Drought isa major constraint in many rainfed areas and affects rice yield. We aimed to characterize the physiological changes in rice in response to drought using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Eighty rice landrace seedlings were subjected to drought in the greenhouse using a PEG 6000. Physiological parameters, including total chlorophyll content, relative water content, electrolyte leakage, and biochemical changes were evaluated. Based on the FTIR results, the landraces were divided into three main groups: tolerant, moderately tolerant, and susceptible. Principal component analysis revealed spectral differences between the control and drought stress treatment groups. Lipid, pectin, and lignin content increased after drought stress. The biochemical components of plants at different drought tolerance levels were also compared. The lipid (CH2 and CH3), lignin (C=C), pectin (C=O), and protein (C=O, N–H) contents were the highest in the drought-tolerant cultivars, followed by the moderately tolerant and susceptible cultivars, respectively. Cultivar 17 and 49 were the most tolerant, and the functional groups were identified and characterized using FTIR. Overall, these results will be useful in selecting parental cultivars for rice breeding programs.

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The History of Cacao and Its Diseases in the Americas

Phytopathology ◽

10.1094/phyto-05-20-0178-rvw ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 110 (10) ◽

pp. 1604-1619 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jorge R. Díaz-Valderrama ◽

Santos T. Leiva-Espinoza ◽

M. Catherine Aime

Keyword(s):

Latin American ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Colonial Period ◽

Breeding Programs ◽

Center Of Origin ◽

Republican Period ◽

History Of ◽

Broom Disease ◽

The Tropics ◽

Frosty Pod Rot

Cacao is a commodity crop from the tropics cultivated by about 6 million smallholder farmers. The tree, Theobroma cacao, originated in the Upper Amazon where it was domesticated ca. 5450 to 5300 B.P. From this center of origin, cacao was dispersed and cultivated in Mesoamerica as early as 3800 to 3000 B.P. After the European conquest of the Americas (the 1500s), cacao cultivation intensified in several loci, primarily Mesoamerica, Trinidad, Venezuela, and Ecuador. It was during the colonial period that cacao diseases began emerging as threats to production. One early example is the collapse of the cacao industry in Trinidad in the 1720s, attributed to an unknown disease referred to as the “blast”. Trinidad would resurface as a production center due to the discovery of the Trinitario genetic group, which is still widely used in breeding programs around the world. However, a resurgence of diseases like frosty pod rot during the republican period (the late 1800s and early 1900s) had profound impacts on other centers of Latin American production, especially in Venezuela and Ecuador, shifting the focus of cacao production southward, to Bahia, Brazil. Production in Bahia was, in turn, dramatically curtailed by the introduction of witches’ broom disease in the late 1980s. Today, most of the world’s cacao production occurs in West Africa and parts of Asia, where the primary Latin American diseases have not yet spread. In this review, we discuss the history of cacao cultivation in the Americas and how that history has been shaped by the emergence of diseases.

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Technological Advancement and the Economic Benefit of Indonesian Rain-Fed Farming Development

Advances in Agriculture ◽

10.1155/2019/9689037 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

A. A. Sulaiman ◽

A. Candradijaya ◽

M. Syakir

Keyword(s):

Food Production ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Production Capacity ◽

Future Research ◽

Cropping Pattern ◽

Technological Advancement ◽

Sustainable Food ◽

Drought Tolerant ◽

Self Sufficiency ◽

Cultivation Techniques

The contribution of rain-fed farming to national food production in Indonesia has yet to be optimal. The major constraint has been limited water supply, where it relies exclusively on the rainfall, and hence its planting index (PI) is still low, on average only 1.05. The establishment of water management system to support rain-fed fields with the introduction of suitable cultivation techniques (gogo rancah, walik jerami, super jarwo, and ratoon paddy) is known to be effective in rain-fed farming. Further, the use of drought-tolerant paddy variety and changing cropping pattern to focus on paddy, maize, and soybean would potentially improve the food production capacity in Indonesia. This study has shown these interventions, when applied to the existing 4 million ha rain-fed fields, are estimated to increase annual rice production by 16.7 million tons. The production of maize and soybean is also expected to increase by 3.7 million tons and 0.98 million tons per year, respectively. It is beyond the scope of this study, however, to consider the actual benefit felt by rain-fed smallholder farmers. Future research with farmers as its focus and the capacity of Indonesian institutions toward rain-fed farming thus will contribute further to the rain-fed farming development in Indonesia. This article shares a strategy in maximising the contribution of the currently available 4 million hectares of rain-fed land to the national food production, and hence sustainable food self-sufficiency in Indonesia.

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Climate Change-Induced Impacts on Smallholder Farmers in Selected Districts of Sidama, Southern Ethiopia

Climate ◽

10.3390/cli7050070 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (5) ◽

pp. 70 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Tafesse Matewos

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Adaptive Strategies ◽

Southern Ethiopia ◽

Climatic Data ◽

Rural Farmers ◽

Women's Participation ◽

Family Decision Making ◽

Literacy Level ◽

Increasing Trends

Different factors control the types of adaptive strategies and likelihoods of experiencing climate change-induced impacts by smallholder farmers. By using a mixed research method, this study examines the types and determinants of climate change-induced impacts on smallholder rural farmers in drought-prone low lands of Sidama, Southern Ethiopia. Randomly selected (401) households were surveyed on climate change-induced impacts. Longitudinal climatic data were also collected from the Ethiopian National Meteorological Agency to assess the trend of rainfall (RF), temperature and drought incidents. The analyses of the data revealed that RF and temperature had shown decreasing and increasing trends, respectively, during the three decades under consideration (1983–2014). These changes in RF and temperature exposed farmers to climate-related epidemics, drought, harvest loss, and hunger. The logit model results revealed that different factors control the likelihood of exposure to climate change-induced impacts. The findings revealed that literacy level, involving women in family decisions and farmers’ involvement in adaptation planning, reduces the likelihood of exposure to climate change-induced hunger. Therefore, there is a need to work on human capital of the farmers through expanding education, strengthening women’s participation in family decision-making, and by improving public participation in climate change adaptation undertakings to minimize climate change-induced impacts.

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Differential Activity of Antioxidant Enzymes and Physiological Changes in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Under Drought Stress

Notulae Scientia Biologicae ◽

10.15835/nsb11210390 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 266-276

Author(s):

Kamal MIRI-HESAR ◽

Ali DADKHODAIE ◽

Saideh DOROSTKAR ◽

Bahram HEIDARI

Keyword(s):

Water Stress ◽

Drought Stress ◽

Field Capacity ◽

Triticum Aestivum L ◽

Plant Production ◽

Breeding Programs ◽

Drought Tolerant ◽

Severe Water Stress ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Relative Water

Drought stress is one of the most significant environmental factors restricting plant production all over the world. In arid and semi-arid regions where drought often causes serious problems, wheat is usually grown as a major crop and faces water stress. In order to study drought tolerance of wheat, an experiment with 34 genotypes including 11 local and commercial cultivars, 17 landraces, and six genotypes from International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) was conducted at the experimental station, School of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Iran in 2010-2011 growing season. Three different irrigation regimes (100%, 75% and 50% Field Capacity) were applied and physiological and biochemical traits were measured for which a significant difference was observed in genotypes. Under severe water stress, proline content and enzymes’ activities increased while the relative water content (RWC) and chlorophyll index decreased significantly in all genotypes. Of these indices, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and RWC were able to distinguish tolerant genotypes from sensitives. Moreover, yield index (YI) was useful in detecting tolerant genotypes. The drought susceptibility index (DSI) varied from 0.40 to 1.71 in genotypes. These results indicated that drought-tolerant genotypes could be selected based on high YI, RWC and SOD and low DSI. On the whole, the genotypes 31 (30ESWYT200), 29 (30ESWYT173) and 25 (Akbari) were identified to be tolerant and could be further used in downstream breeding programs for the improvement of wheat tolerance under water limited conditions.

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