Trygve Berg

Genetic erosion of Ethiopian tetraploid wheat landraces in Eastern Shewa, Central Ethiopia

Ethiopia is a centre of diversity and hosts rich genetic resources of tetraploid wheats. Through time, the wheat materials were subject to genetic erosion. Closer investigation was made to assess the status of loss, and identify the possible causes by studying two districts from East Shewa. Information from primary and secondary sources was reviewed and analysed. Farmers identified 26 tetraploid wheat landraces (21 from Akaki and 17 from Ejere), which were once widely grown in the area. Of these, only six were currently available. Compared to the formerly available number of landraces, the loss of diversity in the study area was estimated to be 77%. In the Ejere locality, the loss was 100% before the launching of the on farm landrace conservation programme, and for Akaki it was 95%. Major factors that contributed to the loss include: (1) introduction and expansion of bread wheat varieties; (2) expansion of tef; (3) lack of a mechanism to re-supply seeds of tetraploid wheat landraces; (4) decline in size of landholdings; (5) changes in land use and cropping patterns; (6) lack of policy support; and (7) expansion of improved tetraploid wheat varieties. The lessons from this study underscore the importance of strengthening the local seed supply system as a prerequisite for sustaining on farm conservation of landraces. Moreover, it is necessary to initiate diversity studies focusing on the distribution and status of tetraploid wheat landraces across the country. Complementing these by molecular analyses is essential in order to assess the genetic distinctness of the landraces.

Landraces and folk varieties: a conceptual reappraisal of terminology

Farmers’ seeds are most often lumped together in one broad category called ‘landraces’. But such a category covers variety types that reflect different levels of farmer involvement. Those differences matters when we discuss such issues as genetic erosion, on-farm conservation and seed related policies. The term landrace can be traced to the time when ‘modern’ varieties of cereals were introduced to European farmers in the late nineteenth century. The farmers’ varieties of the time were called ‘landraces’ and understood as seeds adapted to local growing conditions through natural adaptation usually with no intentional selection. But the term was quickly adopted as generic for all farmers’ varieties including those that are bred and maintained by active seed selection on-farm. Such farmer-bred varieties are better termed ‘folk varieties’. The article discusses how interaction of crop characteristics and developing technologies resulted in the evolution of crop varieties as either landraces or folk varieties. It is argued that vulnerability to different agents of genetic erosion and feasibility of on-farm conservation are clearly different for the two categories of farmers’ varieties. Likewise seed policies, particularly the issue of Farmers’ Rights would benefit from clarity of type of farmers’ varieties.

Farmers’ Management of Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana L.) diversity in Tigray, Ethiopia and Implications for on-Farm Conservation

Tigray (region) is one of the major finger millet growing regions in Ethiopia and an important site from an archeobotanical point of view. Three zones of Tigray (east, central and west) were identified as representative sites in the region and a total of 14 districts/ ‘Woreda’ were surveyed. Thirty-seven landraces/farmers’ varieties of finger millet were identified/recorded. Farmers in Tigray undertake pre and post harvest selection in finger millet and sometimes they also select seeds from storage based on a number of attributes. Farmers maintain diversity as a way to ensure harvest security or stability of production, to promote diversity of diet and income sources, minimize crop failure risk, reduce insect and disease incidences and ensure efficient use of labour. The traditional management of finger millet in the entire study area is generally found to be demand driven, showing the existence of potential sites for on-farm conservation. The high morphological diversity (H =0.76 ± 0.09) found in the gene bank collections of Tigrayan origin also reveals the importance of linking ex situ with in situ conservation activities. Furthermore, the enhancement and conservation significance of the crop is discussed.

Ethnolinguistic structuring of sorghum genetic diversity in Africa and the role of local seed systems

Significance This paper shows that cultural factors play a key role in shaping the genetic structure in sorghum. We present molecular evidence of close associations between sorghum population structure and the distribution of ethnolinguistic groups in Africa. We show that traditional seed-management practices, which have played an important role for survival and expansion of agropastoral groups in the past, still are remarkably resilient to threats to human security. We argue that efforts to strengthen African sorghum seed systems are more likely to be successful when building on, rather than seeking to replace, existing traditional seed systems and landraces. Sorghum is a drought-tolerant crop with a vital role in the livelihoods of millions of people in marginal areas. We examined genetic structure in this diverse crop in Africa. On the continent-wide scale, we identified three major sorghum populations (Central, Southern, and Northern) that are associated with the distribution of ethnolinguistic groups on the continent. The codistribution of the Central sorghum population and the Nilo-Saharan language family supports a proposed hypothesis about a close and causal relationship between the distribution of sorghum and languages in the region between the Chari and the Nile rivers. The Southern sorghum population is associated with the Bantu languages of the Niger-Congo language family, in agreement with the farming-language codispersal hypothesis as it has been related to the Bantu expansion. The Northern sorghum population is distributed across early Niger-Congo and Afro-Asiatic language family areas with dry agroclimatic conditions. At a finer geographic scale, the genetic substructure within the Central sorghum population is associated with language-group expansions within the Nilo-Saharan language family. A case study of the seed system of the Pari people, a Western-Nilotic ethnolinguistic group, provides a window into the social and cultural factors involved in generating and maintaining the continent-wide diversity patterns. The age-grade system, a cultural institution important for the expansive success of this ethnolinguistic group in the past, plays a central role in the management of sorghum landraces and continues to underpin the resilience of their traditional seed system.

Effects of variety, cropping year, location and fertilizer application on nutritive value of durum wheat straw

This study was carried out to assess the effects of variety, year, location and level of fertilizer application on chemical composition and in sacco dry matter (DM) degradability of durum wheat straw as well as to understand the relationship between straw quality and agronomic traits of the crop and to assess the possibilities of selecting wheat varieties that combine high grain yield with desirable straw quality. Two local (Arendeto and Tikur sinde) and two improved (Boohai and Gerardo) varieties of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum Desf.) were used in the experiment. The four varieties were grown at two locations (Akaki and Ejere) in the years 2001/2002 and 2002/2003 in 5 x 5 m plots in three replications. Diammonium phosphate and urea fertilizers were applied at four levels (0/0, 32/23, 41/23 and 64/46 kg/ha of nitrogen/phosphorus). Straw quality was assessed based on chemical composition and in sacco DM degradability. Correlation of straw quality with grain and straw yield and with other agronomic characteristics of the crop was determined. The potential utility index (a measure that integrates grain and digestible straw yield) was used for ranking of the varieties. The local varieties had higher crude protein (CP) and lower neutral detergent fibre contents and higher digestibility than the improved varieties. The cropping year and location had significant effect on CP content and degradability of the straw, which could be due to climatic variation. However, the fertilizer level did not have any significant effect on straw quality except that the CP content of the straw tended to increase with increasing level of fertilizer application. Based on the potential utility index the varieties ranked, in a decreasing order, as Tikur sinde > Arendeto > Gerardo > Boohai and the ranking was consistent across years and locations. Except the CP content, straw quality was not negatively correlated with grain and straw yield. This indicates that there is a possibility of selecting varieties of wheat that combine high grain and straw yield with desirable straw quality.

Livestock Production and Feed Resource Constraints in Akaki and Lume Districts, Central Ethiopia

East Shewa in central Ethiopia represents a smallholder crop–livestock mixed farming system in which crops and livestock play a mutually supportive role. Formal and informal surveys were carried out to assess the major constraints in livestock production. The survey revealed that shortages of feed resources constituted a major restriction to raising livestock productivity. Livestock have multiple roles in sustaining the livelihoods of rural communities, the vital one being draught power for crop production. The study stresses that improving the livelihoods of rural communities in mixed farming systems calls for multidisciplinary approaches to address constraints faced in both livestock and crop production.

Access to genes: linkages between genebanks and farmers’ seed systems

Genebanks conserve key resources for handling current and future challenges to food production and security. The role of genebanks has evolved from primarily serving plant breeders to include long-term biodiversity conservation and distribution to a wider user community. International policy frameworks stress the complementarity of ex situ and in situ conservation and management, but a dichotomy prevails in the public and scholarly agricultural development discourse. Here, we present a study of existing linkages between the two conservation and management approaches, their challenges and future options. First, we show that farmers, farmer organizations, and NGOs now comprise a considerable user group of genebank material, receiving at least 8% of the seed samples distributed from international genebanks in 2015, on par with the proportion distributed to the commercial seed sector. Second, we map and categorize approaches to introduce genebank material into farmers’ seed systems. Based on a survey, interviews and a literature review we categorize direct genebank-farmer linkages into six categories: (1) Reintroduction, (2) Emergency Seed Interventions, (3) Community Seed Banks, (4) Participatory Plant Breeding, (5) Variety Introduction, and (6) Integrative Seed System Approaches. We investigate the merits of these approaches as alternative and complementary pathways for enhancing farmers’ access to crop diversity. Finally, we discuss challenges related to scale, sustainability and legal frame conditions and point out opportunities to realize synergies to achieve the ultimate goal of the ex situ conservation agenda and the farmers’ rights agenda, namely to strengthen farmers’ access to suitable seeds.

Farmer's Awareness on Effective Delivery of Farm Information through ICT Mediated Extension Service in Bangladesh

Introduction: The vertical and sagital position of the maxilla and mandible is influenced by the size and the angulation of the cranial base. Sellae turcica is part of the cranial base. It is located in the middle cranial fossa. Thus, the growth and the development of this bony structure are influenced by neural and general skeletal pattern as well. Cephalometric analysis is an important part of orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning. From numerous cephalometric landmarks, the Ssellae point is commonly used to describe the cranial base. Also, it is used to evaluate other bony structures’ position towards it. Objective: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the shape and the dimension of the sellae turcica in different types of malocclusions. Materials and Methods: 136 randomly selected lateral cephalometric radiographs were analyzed. Also, skeletal and facial pattern was identified and the shape and sagital dimension of the sellae was measured. Results: Statistical analysis presented no significancy regarding sellae’s shape in different types of malocclusion. However, the skeletal class II cases presented the most anarchic sellae shapes. Comparing linear measurements of skeletal length and sellae diameter, we found that the smallest diameter of the sellae appears in class III malocclusions. Thus, other skeletal length presents the lowest mean values also. Statistically significant differences among maxillary, mandibular, and cranial base length and sellae diameter were found in class I malocclusion (p=0.013). Conclusions: Sella morphology appears to have certain correlation with cranial and jaw base length and jaw base relationship in skeletal Class I Romanian population European Scientific Journal July 2016 edition vol.12, No.21 ISSN: 1857 – 7881 (Print) e ISSN 18577431 2