African Journal of Plant Breeding

African Journal of Plant Breeding ISSN 2375-074X Vol. 6 (9), pp. 001-004, September, 2019. © International Scholars Journals

Short Communication

Synthesis of human haemoglobin by plants

Onyesom, I.

Department of Medical Biochemistry, Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria. E-mail: [email protected]. Tel: +234 803 052 801 6.

Accepted 10 May, 2019

Abstract

Haemoglobin, Hb is the red, protein pigment in blood that transports oxygen round the body. Decreased quantity could lead to anaemia, and when the anaemic condition turns severe, blood transfusion becomes inevitable. However, the safety of human source has become questionable in recent times, and this has aroused the interest of scientists to search for alternative source(s). Interestingly, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, a soil bone, gram-negative bacterium has been discovered to integrate a segment of its Ti plasmid into plant chromosome through wounds. Workers thus, exploited this natural genetic engineering process to transfer Hb gene into plants. Evidence suggests that initial trials recorded some measure of success. Although, the nascent technology is still being refined, when fully developed it would reduce the fear and risk associated with the human source of blood for transfusion.

Key words: Haemoglobin, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Ti-plasmid, anaemia.

African Journal of Plant Breeding ISSN 2375-074X Vol. 6 (8), pp. 001-003, August, 2019. © International Scholars Journals

Short Communication

Cluster analysis in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.)

Mabel Jendeka Mahasi and John Waweru Kamundia

National Plant Breeding Research Centre, P. O. Njoro, Kenya.

Accepted 16 April, 2019

Abstract

Many oilseed crops (e.g. sunflower, soybeans, rapeseed/mustard, sesame, groundnuts etc) are grown in Kenya. But oilseed rape is preferred because of its high yields (1.5 tons – 4.0 tons/ha) with high oil content of 42 – 46%. It is soft seeded hence oil extraction is relatively easy. The meal is high in protein and very useful in livestock feed supplementation. The success of any crop improvement programme depends on the extent of genetic diversity in the material. Hence, it is essential to evaluate introductions for adaptation and study the similarities if any among them. Evaluation trials were carried out on 17 rapeseed genotypes (nine of Canadian origin and eight of European origin) at 4 locations in Kenya namely Endebess, Njoro, Timau and Mau Narok for two years. An analysis of variance was carried out on seed yields which indicated that the genotypes were significantly different (LSD, 0.05). Cluster analysis based on mean seed yields suggested only one major group existed within the material. In the first year, genotypes 2, 3, 8 and 9 didn’t group with the rest. Genotype 8 was the only one that did not classify with the rest of the Canadian genotypes. Three European genotypes (2, 3 and 9) were however not classified with the others. In the second year, genotypes 10 and 6 didn’t fall in the major cluster. Of these two, genotype 10 is of Canadian origin. Genotypes were more similar in the second year than the first year due to favorable weather. It is evident that genotypes from different geographical areas, that is, Europe and Canada fell in the same clusters suggesting that they have genetic similarity. The groupings indicated no correspondence between geographical diversity and clustering pattern.

Key words: Genetic diversity, cluster analysis, genetic similarity and cluster pattern.

African Journal of Plant Breeding ISSN 2375-074X Vol. 6 (7), pp. 001-006, July, 2019. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Characteristics of new breeding lines of triticale

Ramazan Dogan¹*, Oya Kacar¹, Nazan Coplu² and Nedime Azkan¹

¹Faculty of Agriculture, University of Uludag, 16059, Görükle, Bursa, Turkey.

²Central Institute of Food Control and Research-Bursa, Turkey.

Accepted 19 March, 2019

Abstract

The objective of this study was to develop new cultivars of triticale possessing high yield and quality which would be adaptable to ecological conditions of Marmara Region. For this purpose, seven selected lines from breeding programs conducted previously and one standard cultivar were used as plant entries of the research. Yield and yield components were taken up to determine the best lines to be candidate for future varieties. Field experiments were conducted on the Research Center of Agriculture Faculty, Uludag University, Bursa, during 2004 - 2005 and 2005 - 2006 growing seasons. A randomized complete block design with three replications was chosen for experimentation. ANOVA of two-year results indicated that differences among genotypes were significant for grain number/spike, grain weight/spike and hectoliter weight. Genotype x year interaction was found to be significant for grain number/spike, grain weight/spike and grain yield. There were no significant differences among genotypes in term of their grain yield. This means that the new lines produced grain yield at par with the standard cultivar used in this experiment. Yields of the genotypes ranged between 6512 and 7133 kg ha^-1. As a result of correlation analysis, simple correlation coefficient analysis revealed that there had been positive and significant correlations of grain yield with the grain number/spike, grain weight/spike, plant height and hectoliter weight.

Key words: New triticale genotypes, yield, yield components.

African Journal of Plant Breeding ISSN 2375-074X Vol. 6 (5), pp. 001-008, May, 2019. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Effects of light colour and oscillator frequency on earthworm bioactivity

Owa, S. O.*, Peters, S., Dedeke, G. A. and Aladesida, A.

Department of Plant Science and Applied Zoology, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Nigeria.

Accepted 09 January, 2019

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at the Zoology Laboratory of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Nigeria to evaluate the suitability of different light colours. Being generated from 15-watt, low- heat, or frequency-generated flourescent tubes as stimulants to enhance, major cast productivity of the earthworm species Hyperiodrilus africanus. The aim was to determine if exposure to the different light colours would improve the cast productivity of the worms and show whether H. africanus would show preference for any particular light colour, in terms of mass of cast produced and rates of emigration. The earthworms were kept in cylindrical plastic containers and put in different cubicles on a wooden shelf, where they are subjected to different light colours that is, white, dark (control), green, blue, and red. Results indicated that the red light colour was the most suitable in terms of cast productivity, as casting was highest (11.96 g/worm), followed by blue (10.66 g/worm), green (9.49 g/worm), dark (7.2 g/worm) and white (4.86 g/worm), respectively. Least emigration was recorded under the control (dark) , followed by red, white, blue and green respectively, which indicated that the worms were probably more ‘comfortable’ in the dark and the red light than the other light colours tested. Results suggest that if red light is introduced to a farm, casting activities can be increased and therefore, soil fertility can be improved.

Key words: Cast productivity, different light colour, earthworm, Hyperiodrilus africanus.

African Journal of Plant Breeding ISSN 2375-074X Vol. 6 (4), pp. 001-007, April, 2019. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Highly client-oriented breeding with farmer participation in the Ethiopian cereal tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter]

Getachew Belay*, Hailu Tefera, Anteneh Getachew, Kebebew Assefa and Gizaw Metaferia

Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Debre Zeit Centre, P.O. Box 32, Debre Zeit, Ethiopia.

Accepted 11 November 2018

Abstract

This paper describes a highly client- oriented breeding applied to enhance the development and release of a tef (Eragrostis tef) variety with farmer participation in Ethiopia. The main features include; clear objective, target cross, early-stage researcher selection, multi-location yield trial, farmer on-station selection, judicious selection of few candidate varieties based on farmers' and researchers' selections, farmer managed on-farm trials, and release through the existing formal procedure. In the application of this strategy, tef exemplifies a crop with local importance, a clear market-driven selection criterion (cash crop) and farmers have better judgment of the criterion than researchers. Using farmers' consistent selection of genotypes, in conjunction with the required quantifiable data, breeders were able to release a new tef variety named "Quncho". The new variety was not the highest yielder, but it was higher in grain yield and better in seed-color quality (very white seed- color) than the long-time cultivated variety DZ-01-196 (Magna), which was used as quality check. Given the appropriate degree of client-orientation, the results also show how farmer participation and formal breeding programs complement each other so as to overcome the rather prohibitive variety release procedures based on data from participatory breeding alone.

Key words: Highly client-oriented breeding, Eragrostis tef, Ethiopia, participatory breeding, tef variety.