International Crops Research Institute for Semi Arid Tropics

Increasing nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in agricultural production mitigates climate change, limits water pollution and reduces fertilizer subsidy costs. Nevertheless, strategies for increasing NUE without jeopardizing food security are uncertain in globally important cropping systems. Here we analyse a novel dataset of more than 31,000 farmer fields spanning the Terai of Nepal, Bangladesh’s floodplains and four major rice-producing regions of India. Results indicate that 55% of rice farmers overuse nitrogen fertilizer, and hence the region could save 18 kg of nitrogen per hectare without compromising rice yield. Disincentivizing this excess nitrogen application presents the most impactful pathway for increasing NUE. Addressing yield constraints unrelated to crop nutrition can also improve NUE, most promisingly through earlier transplanting and improving water management, and this secondary pathway was overlooked in the IPCC’s 2022 report on climate change mitigation. Combining nitrogen input reduction with changes to agronomic management could increase rice production in South Asia by 8% while reducing environmental pollution from nitrogen fertilizer, measured as nitrogen surplus, by 36%. Even so, opportunities to improve NUE vary within South Asia, which necessitates sub-regional strategies for sustainable nitrogen management.

Faba bean is a nutritionally and medicinally rich popular legume crop. However, vicine-convicine remain as potential threats for “favism” in human beings. In this study, 189 diverse faba bean accessions have been evaluated for yield component traits and vicine content in seeds followed by a correlation study. Combined genetic variability analysis shows that traits like days to pod initiation (DPI), pod length (PL), test weight (TW) and grain yield have minimally been influenced by the environment. PCA revealed that TW, PL and PW were the primary indicators for deciding yield performance. LC–MS/MS confirms that vicine concentration varied in between 3.489 and 10.025 g/kg and a significant positive correlation (0.40***) was observed between vicine conc. and grain yield of faba bean. Thus, present study demonstrated that the faba bean genotypes containing lower vicine were mostly poor yielding, which might be regulated by vicine in faba bean. Therefore, complete elimination of vicine or development of near-zero vicine faba bean could drastically reduce the yield potential of the crop, hence one has to be very cautious and follow efficient selection strategies while optimizing lower concentration of vicine for development of low vicine varieties. This study shows that faba bean genotypes containing 4.0–5.5 g/kg vicine were fairly productive and also have considerably lower vicine.

Background and aims Limited water and phosphorus availability are major challenges in upland rice production. Plant–microbe interactions, especially with beneficial bacteria, have shown promise in mitigating these stresses. This study investigated the influence of microbial inoculants with hydration-promoting and phosphorus-solubilizing abilities on upland rice yield under drought and phosphorus deficiency. Methods Upland rice (BRS Esmeralda) plants were grown in a greenhouse with different water availability conditions (well-watered and drought), phosphorus levels (normal 200 mg dm⁻³ and low 20 mg dm⁻³), and microbial treatments (no-microorganisms and single isolates, Serratia marcescens strains BRM 32114 and BRM 63523, and combined isolates Bacillus toyonensis BRM 32110 + BRM 32114 and BRM 63523 + BRM 32114). Root and shoot traits, as well as production components, were analyzed. Results While the microbial treatments affected the roots, the larger effects were seen in the shoot rice plants. When both water and phosphorus were limited, grain yield decreased significantly. However, plants inoculated with beneficial bacteria showed a substantial increase in grain yield (average of 39.5% in 2019/2020 and 18.8% in 2020/2021) compared to uninoculated plants under combined stresses. This increase was especially pronounced in plants treated with BRM 63523 (strain) alone or combined with BRM 32114 (strain). These inoculated plants also showed improved photosynthetic activity (average increase of 24.6%), which may have contributed to the higher grain yield. Conclusions Inoculating upland rice with specific Serratia strains effectively increased shoot and root traits under combined water and phosphorous stresses. These findings highlight the potential of plant–microbe interactions for sustainable upland rice production.

This paper examines the determinants of abandonment of conservation agriculture (CA) techniques among smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe. The analysis uses four rounds of a balanced panel from a survey aimed at monitoring CA adoption among farmers who participated in CA promotion projects. Findings indicate that a large share of farmers who had adopted CA during the period of active promotion eventually abandoned the practice in the absence of support from non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Households with more farming experience, bigger household sizes and a greater number of cultivated plots were less likely to stop using CA. In turn, wealthy households and farmers in the drier areas were more likely to stop using CA. The finding that persistent adoption is more prevalent among the poor, supports claims that CA is a pro-poor technology. Lastly, we find a strong, negative and robust relationship between continued NGO support and abandonment of CA. This finding suggests that improved support institutions are necessary to ensure that farmers continue to use CA as a productivity-boosting and sustainable farming method.

Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) in groundnut leads to substantial yield losses and reduced seed quality, resulting in reduced market value of groundnuts. Breeding cultivars with 14–21 days of fresh seed dormancy (FSD) holds promise for precisely mitigating the yield and quality deterioration. In view of this, six multi-locus genome-wide association study (ML-GWAS) models alongside a single-locus GWAS (SL-GWAS) model were employed on a groundnut mini-core collection using multi season phenotyping and 58 K “Axiom_Arachis” array genotyping data. A total of 9 significant SNP-trait associations (STAs) for FSD were detected on A01, A04, A08, A09, B02, B04, B05, B07 and B09 chromosomes using six ML-GWAS models. Additionally, the SL-GWAS model identified 38 STAs across 14 chromosomes of groundnut. A single STA on chromosome B02 (qFSD-B02-1) was consistently identified in both ML-GWAS and SL-GWAS models. Furthermore, candidate gene mining identified nine high confidence genes viz., Cytochrome P450 705 A, Dormancy/auxin associated family protein, WRKY family transcription factor, Protein kinase superfamily protein, serine/threonine protein phosphatase, myb transcription factor, transcriptional regulator STERILE APETALA-like, ethylene-responsive transcription factor 7-like and F-box protein interaction domain protein as prime regulators involved in Abscisic acid/Gibberellic acid signaling pathways regulating dormancy/germination. In addition, three of the allele-specific markers developed from the identified STAs were validated across a diverse panel. These markers hold potential for increasing dormancy in groundnut through marker-assisted selection (MAS). Thus, this research offers insights into genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying groundnut seed dormancy in addition to providing markers and donors for breeding future varieties with 2–3 weeks of FSD.

Peanut mottle virus (PeMoV) is a single-stranded RNA virus transmitted through seeds and aphids that affects peanut crops worldwide. Currently, Enzyme Linked Immune-Sorbent assays and Reverse-Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction techniques are widely employed to detect PeMoV in infected plants. ELISA is labor-intensive and time-consuming, as it involves the preparation of buffers and the production of polyclonal antibodies. Even though RT-PCR bypasses the need for buffer preparation and antibody production, it demands trained professional’s manpower, requires expensive equipment like thermal cyclers, and involves complex procedures such as RNA isolation and cDNA conversion. To avoid these constraints, there is a need for a fast, reliable, efficient, and economical method for detecting PeMoV to ensure the production of healthy seeds. This study optimized the Reverse Transcriptase Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RT-RPA) method by eliminating the steps of RNA extraction, cDNA conversion, and the use of a thermal cycler. The optimized RT-RPA assay successfully detected PeMoV at concentrations as low as 10–6 and 10–7 dilutions (1 and 0.1 µg/µl) of both RNA an-6d crude sap templates, demonstrating high sensitivity comparable to the routine RT-PCR assay. The new RT-RPA technique was tested against other viruses that infect peanuts like the Peanut stunt Virus, Tomato spotted wilt virus and Peanut bud necrosis virus, this technique demonstrated great specificity and no cross-reactivity. The developed RT-RPA using a crude leaf sap template is time-saving, less laborious, not very complicated, high specificity, sensitivity, economical and efficient. Therefore, laboratories with limited resources can use the RT-RPA assay for preliminary screening of PeMoV in nurseries, farm and glasshouse conditions, and quarantine stations. The current study reports the development, optimization and validation of Reverse Transcriptase Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RT-RPA) using crude sap as template for the onsite detection of PeMoV infection in peanut crops under field conditions for the first time.

Our current agricultural system faces a perfect storm-climate change, burgeoning population, and unpredictable outbreaks like COVID-19 disrupt food production, particularly for vulnerable populations in developing countries. A paradigm shift in agriculture practices is needed to tackle these issues. One solution is the diversification of crop production. While ~56% of the protein consumed from plants stems from three major cereal crops (rice, wheat and maize), underutilized crops such as millets, legumes and other cereals are highly neglected by farmers and the research community. Millets are one of the most ancient and versatile orphan crops with attributes like fast-growing, high-yielding, withstanding harsh environments, and rich in micronutrients such as iron and zinc, making them appealing to achieve agronomic sustainability. Here, we highlight the contribution of millet to agriculture and pay attention to the latest research on the genetic diversity of millet, genomic resources, and next-generation omics and their applications under various stress conditions. Additionally, integrative omics technologies could identify and develop millets with desirable phenotypes having high agronomic value and mitigating climate change. Here, we emphasize that biotechnological interventions, such as genome-wide association, genomic selection, genome editing, and artificial intelligence/machine learning, can improve and breed millets more effectively.

Background Groundnut oil is a popular and important cooking oil, known for its good taste and health benefits. One of the key factors determining the quality of groundnut oil is its fatty acid composition, particularly the levels of oleic acid (a healthy monounsaturated fat) versus linoleic acid (a polyunsaturated fat). Increasing oleic acid in groundnut oil improves its nutritional value and helps the oil stay fresh longer by reducing rancidity. This study focuses on understanding how mutations in two key genes, ahFAD2A and ahFAD2B , affect the levels of oleic and linoleic acid in groundnut. The goal is to identify new groundnut lines with higher oleic acid content, which could benefit both consumers and farmers. Materials and Methods We examined 100 F 6 Recombinant Inbred Lines (RILs) of groundnut, chosen from 350 lines created in a high oleic acid breeding initiative at RARS, Tirupati, ANGRAU Three common groundnut varieties—TAG 24, Dheeraj, and Visishta—were crossed with ICGV 181024, a donor with a high oleic acid content, to create these lines. Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS), a sensitive and effective method, was used to analyze the oil content and fatty acid profiles (oleic acid, linoleic acid, and others). We tracked changes in the ahFAD2A and ahFAD2B genes using Marker-Assisted Selection (MAS) to comprehend the genetic basis of oil composition. Results Our results showed that genetic variations in the ahFAD2 genes play a key role in determining the oil’s fatty acid composition. Out of all the RILs, 24 lines had oleic acid levels above 70%, which is considered high for groundnut. The ahFAD2B mutation had the most significant impact, with lines carrying this mutation averaging 53.42% oleic acid, compared to 37.92% for lines with the ahFAD2A mutation. This suggests that ahFAD2B is more effective at boosting oleic acid. Interestingly, selecting for the ahFAD2B mutation alone was just as effective as selecting for both genes, making the breeding process quicker and easier. Four lines—RIL 16, RIL 18, RIL 71, and RIL 86—stood out with oleic acid levels above 70% and an oleic/linoleic acid ratio over 9. These lines hold great potential for producing stable, long-lasting oils that benefit both the industry and consumers.

Introduction The increase in vapor pressure deficit (VPD) is among the expected change in futur climate, and understanding its effect on crop growth is of much significance for breeeding programs. Three groups (G1,G2 and G3) of pearl millet germplasm, originating from regions with different rainfall intensities, were grown in the field during period of high and low VPDs. The groups G1,G2 and G3 were respectively from Guinean (rainfall above 1000 mm), Soudanian (rainfall between 600 mm and 900 mm), and Sahelian zones (rainfall between 600 and 300 mm) of Africa. The objective was to assess if there was any growth response difference among the germplasm groups. Method Four trials were conducted, two in the dry season of 2019 (Ds19) and 2020 (Ds20) with avarage VPDs of 3.62 kPa and 2.92 kPa, respectively, and two in the rainy season of 2019 (Rs19) and 2020 (Rs20) with avaerage VPDs of 1.14 kPa and 0.61 kPa, respectively. Results In order to avoid possible confounding effects of radiation on millet growth and yield, data were normalized by the quantity of light received during each season. After this normalization, leaf area and grain yield decreased in the highest-VPD seasons whereas tiller number decreased only in Ds19 (one high VPD season). The comparison of the three germplasm groups indicates that G3 the germplasm group from Sahelian regions showed greater tolerance to high VPD than G1 and G2. Discussion Germplasm from the G3 group could be a good material for developing tolerant germplasm to future climate that is bound to have high VPD.

Edible insects are widely consumed in different parts of the world and can serve as an alternative nutritional source to conventional foods. Nonetheless, little attention has been given to their quality and shelf life in different packages when exposed to different storage environments. In this study, the effect of storage temperature, duration and type of packaging on the storage stability of the adult house cricket meal was examined. The samples were boiled, solar dried, milled and packaged into polypropylene (PP), plastic (PL) and polyethylene (PL) packages. The samples were then stored for six months in refrigerated and ambient conditions where by changes in physical and biochemical attributes were monitored. Iodine values significantly decreased in all the packages while peroxide, p-anisidine and saponification values significantly increased. SFA, MUFA and PUFA contents reduced during storage although a higher tendency for MUFA and PUFA values was observed in the refrigerated samples. Total viable count (TVC) and yeast and molds counts significantly increased in storage. Three types of fungi; Aspergillus spp., Alternaria spp. and Penicillium spp. were isolated in all the packages. Overall color change steadily decreased with increase in storage time. Deterioration was higher in samples stored in ambient conditions than in refrigeration. The degree of deterioration in the two storage environments among the different packages was in the order; PP>PE>PL. Although the PL package outperformed the other packages it is recommended to carry out sensory analysis and avoid post-processing contamination that can adversely affect the product quality and safety during storage.

Originally devised and notably effective in human disease genetics, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), also known as association mapping, have now found widespread adoption across various fields in the realm of plants. Over the past decade, several thousand studies have been published, spanning multiple crop species. The GWAS analysis comprises a well-orchestrated suite of elements, encompassing germplasm selection, precise phenotyping, high-throughput genotyping, and rigorous statistical analysis. These collective efforts unveil genetic insights into the traits of interest. The applications of GWAS paint a vivid canvas of its potential. It acts as a treasure map for Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs), guides Genomic Selection (GS) and Marker-Assisted Selection (MAS), unravels complex trait architectures, and unveils candidate genes associated with target traits. When seamlessly integrated with omics data, it weaves a holistic narrative of molecular understanding. The identification of such important QTLs holds paramount importance from the standpoint of plant breeders. This chapter presents a detailed landscape of GWAS in plant breeding, illuminated by numerous successful case studies, and heralds a promising future for the role of GWAS in enhancing crop plants.

The existing methods of improving crops won’t be sufficient to provide adequate food for the world’s population by 2050. Meeting these increasing food demands calls for a fundamental shift in the traditional breeding framework. Recent progresses in genomics research are leading to a revolution in plant breeding, with new strategies promising more precise methods for developing better crops. For instance, advanced techniques such as high-throughput sequencing are employed to explore the vast and intricate genomes of crop plants as well as their wild counterparts. A thorough understanding of the crop genomes and underlying genetic diversity is providing new foundations to rapidly address the challenges faced in agriculture. The combination of data generated from sophisticated sequencing techniques and automated phenotyping systems, coupled with precise trait mapping methods, speeds up the accessibility of favourable alleles for crop breeding and research purposes. Together with optimized breeding approaches and precise genome editing technologies to rapidly assemble and target the favourable alleles, genomics is transforming the processes of trait discovery and genetic engineering. The comprehensive strategy charted here will be important in providing a continuous supply of ideal crops for a secure future of agriculture.

Development of high-yielding plant varieties resilient to environmental challenges is often hindered by the absence of genotype and growth-stage specific insights into the molecular mechanisms involved in plant survival under stress conditions. In the present study, we aimed to address this gap by analysing various physiological traits in three mungbean genotypes, viz., MGG 295, MGG 351 and LGG 460 subjected to NaCl stress (8 dS m⁻¹ and 16 dS m⁻¹) during early vegetative stage. MGG 295 and MGG 351 exhibited superior salt tolerance compared to LGG 460, as evidenced by their growth performance and physiological responses, including photosynthesis, transpiration rate, membrane integrity, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and scavenging. Interestingly, MGG 295 showed low-ionic discrimination and non-selective uptake of Na⁺ and K⁺ in roots for salt tolerance. Conversely, MGG 351 exhibited low leaf and root Na⁺ content, indicative of Na⁺ extrusion and sequestration, similar to the salt-sensitive LGG 460. Expression of different Na⁺ and K⁺ transporter genes suggested SOS1, SOS2-mediated ion exclusion in LGG 460 and NHX1- mediated ion sequestration in LGG 460 and MGG 351. Tolerant genotypes exhibited AKT1-mediated K⁺ uptake. Moreover, MGG 295 blocked the uptake of Cl⁻ suggesting an ion-wise differential strategy adopted by the plant to survive ion toxicity. These preliminary findings provide some interesting insights into the alternate approaches to salinity tolerance that are potentially less energy intensive for stress survival.

Food systems must be reconfigured for them to alleviate poverty, hunger, food losses, and waste, promote healthy diets, inclusivity, resilience, and livelihood opportunities, and be environmentally sustainable. This requires a shift in production, and consumption, as well as transformative research, responsive policy, people-centered innovations, and safety nets for the most vulnerable people. Transformation of food systems also depends on a shift in science, policy, and practice to promote sustainable futures. For science to be transformative, discipline-oriented research is important, however, societal challenges are becoming more complex hence requiring more interdisciplinary research with collaboration and integration of knowledge from actors in policy and practice. Scientists must learn to first work together, and then work with non-academic actors to solve complex problems facing food systems and the society at large. This kind of research is transdisciplinary, meaning right from the framing of complex problems, data collection, analysis, and validation, non-academic actors must be actively involved in the process of knowledge co-creation to create sustainable outcomes. This study demonstrates how co-production of knowledge between academic and non-academic actors through a participatory negotiated process, can contribute to transformative development intervention. The study applies a case study of an agro-pastoral community involved in a milk value chain in Laikipia County. The transformative areas in the study were; (a) capacity development in commercial dairy farming, (b) formation of Umande farmers’ Cooperative, and (c) construction of a cooler house, and installation of a milk cooling system for milk bulking, and value addition. The case study offers several lessons; (a) the role of transdisciplinarity in science, policy, and practice, (b) proper identification of stakeholders in collaborative community development initiatives, (c) the community must always be at the forefront of any development initiative for ownership and sustainability, and (d) skills development and economic empowerment are paramount for any innovation in the community. The objectives of the study were (a) participatory assessment of the local food system to identify the strengths and weaknesses, (b) assessment of perceived benefits of farmer capacity development and lessons learned, and (c) assessment of farmer perception of the benefits of milk cooling and bulking system on livelihoods. More farmer -led development initiatives are needed to improve livelihoods of actors in food systems.

Khasi Mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco) is one of the most extensively cultivated and commercially important fruit crop of Northeast India, and it is widely used for culinary purposes due to its fragrance and unique taste. This study investigated the genetic variability of elite Khasi mandarin plants from diverse altitudes in the northeastern state of Meghalaya, India. Morphological, biochemical and molecular analyses were conducted on fruits collected from nine locations spanning various altitudes. Significant variation was observed in tree morphology, fruit characteristics, and biochemical composition. Higher altitudes were associated with distinct fruit quality traits, such as higher total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity, sugar and ascorbic acid content, with correlation research showing that higher altitudes generally corresponded to better overall fruit quality parameters. This study provides insights for optimizing fruit production across altitudinal gradients. Eleven out of 40 simple sequence repeat markers used for genetic diversity analysis exhibited polymorphism. Cluster analysis grouped genotypes by altitude, and the analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) confirmed significant genetic distinctions between populations (74%). Positive correlations were observed between genetic and geographical distances (r = 0.230) and between genetic distances based on molecular and morphological data (r = 0.506). These insights are crucial for future conservation and crop improvement efforts.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) contamination (AC) increases as the severity of drought stress increases in peanuts. Identifying drought-tolerant (DT) genotypes with resistance to Aspergillus flavus colonization and/or infection may aid in developing peanuts resistant to aflatoxin contamination in the semi-arid tropics. The goal of this study is to identify DT genotypes with seed coat biochemical resistance to A. flavus infestation and aflatoxin contamination. Experiments were carried out at ICRISAT Sahelian Center; fifty-five genotypes were assessed under adjacent intermittent water-stressed (WS) conditions imposed from the 60th day after sowing to the maturity date and well-watered (WW) conditions in an alpha lattice design with two factors. The yield and its components, the incidence of A. flavus colonization, aflatoxin contamination, and seed coat total polyphenol (SCTPP) were investigated. Our findings show that the water deficit reduced the pod yield, seed yield, and haulm yield by up to 19.49%, 27.24%, and 22.07%, respectively, while it increased the number of immature pods per plant (IMPN) and the aflatoxin contamination by up to 67.16% and 54.95%, respectively. The drought tolerant genotypes ICG 2106, ICG 311, ICG 4684, ICG 4543, and ICG 1415 maintained a high yield, small number of IMPN under WS and low aflatoxin content variation between WW and WS. Our findings revealed that in the drought-tolerant genotypes ICG 1415, ICG 2106, ICG 311, ICG 4684, and ICG 4543, there was a significant relationship between the aflatoxin resistance and the seed coat total polyphenol under the two water treatments (r2 = 0.80; r2 = 0.82). This suggests that these drought-tolerant genotypes kept their seed coat intact and minimized the aflatoxin contamination under an intermittent water deficit.

Nanoparticles have recently garnered significant interest across various disciplines such as physics, chemistry, material science, medicine, and biology. This heightened attention is a consequence of their distinctive electronic, magnetic, optical, mechanical, and chemical properties. Among the plethora of nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles stand out as particularly valuable, finding extensive applications in both industrial and medical contexts. The rhizosphere is home to a complex and dynamic microbial community, including bacteria, fungi, archaea, and other microorganisms. These microorganisms play crucial roles in nutrient cycling, plant growth promotion, and protection against pathogens. The rhizosphere is a hotspot for interactions between plants and microorganisms. Au-NPs in various studies have shown an increase in microfauna growth when the particle size greater than 45 nm has bacterial growth and also improved germination rate and seedling vigour. Improved rhizosphere led to better plant growth and development. But Au-NPs are proven to be lethal when applied in larger concentration and in smaller sizes (10–15 nm). In order to recommend the use Ai-NPs for crop area there should be clarity regarding beneficial and adverse effects. This chapter will discuss the positive and detrimental aspects of the use of Au-NPs on rhizosphere growth and diversity.