I am a plant geneticist with wealth of experience in plant tissue culture, plant-microbe interactions, bioinformatics and molecular biology techniques with a passion for enhancing food and nutrition security especially in sub Saharan Africa. I am open for research collaborations and consultancy Phone: +2358084827250
The continuous application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides for crop improvement is a major... more The continuous application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides for crop improvement is a major threat to human health and the environment. Depending on the level of exposure, it could cause neurological, carcinogenic, gastrointestinal, respiratory or reproductive effects and, in some cases, death. Since pesticides and herbicides have detrimental impact on the well-being of man, it, therefore, becomes essential that a cost-effective and eco-friendly approach towards food production should be considered by various governments and policymakers, to safeguard human health. Thus, there is an urgent need for nations to migrate towards using a bio-based approach in crop management and production through the use of microbial inoculants. This review discussed the potential benefits of microbial inoculants in crop production while sustaining human health, as well as the mechanisms utilized in biocontrol of phytopathogens and the bottlenecks involved in its application and possible commercialization. Increasing interest in microbial inoculant bioentrepreneurship necessitates more investment in microbiome research. We also elaborated on the prospects in the use of microbial inoculants to safeguard human health.
Poverty, food, and nutrition insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have become major concerns in... more Poverty, food, and nutrition insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have become major concerns in recent times. The effects of climate change, drought, and unpredictable rainfall patterns threaten food production and sustainable agriculture. More so, insurgency, youth restiveness, and politico-economic instability amidst a burgeoning population requiring a sufficient and healthy diet remain front-burner issues in the region. Overdependence on only a few major staple crops is increasingly promoting the near extinction of many crops, especially orphan legumes, which possess immense potentials as protein and nutritional security crops. The major staple crops are declining in yield partly to their inability to adapt to the continuously changing climatic conditions. Remarkably, the orphan legumes are climate-smart crops with enormous agronomic features which foster sustainable livelihood. Research efforts on these crops have not attained a reasonable comparative status with most commerci...
This study was conducted to investigate the genetic diversity in 48 samples of Auricularia specie... more This study was conducted to investigate the genetic diversity in 48 samples of Auricularia species randomly collected from secondary forests in Osun (11), Oyo (10), Ondo (9), Ekiti (8), Ogun (8) and Lagos States (8) of Nigeria. Fourteen Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used for molecular characterization of Auricularia species. Phylogenetic relations were determined by cluster analysis and Polymorphic Information Content (PIC) and gene diversity determined using standard procedures. The Auricularia species were grouped into 6 distinct clusters based on morphological traits. The PIC value ranged from 0.5594 (OPH-15) to 0.7819 (OPB-12) and gene diversity from 0.5930 (OPH-15) to 0.7977 (OPB-12). Primer OPB-12 was the most informative for genetic diversity of Auricularia species. However, primer OPB-21 gave the highest number of alleles while OPB-12 showed the highest range of gene diversity and accounted for the diversity of the Auricularia species. The dendrogram and the principal coordinate analysis exhibited similar clustered patterns, revealing that all the tested strains could be divided into six distinct groups, each of which correlated with different geographical regions. Molecular characterisation is essential in genetic diversity studies and has proven useful in the classification of Auricularia spp.
Globally, legumes are vital constituents of diet and perform critical roles in maintaining well-b... more Globally, legumes are vital constituents of diet and perform critical roles in maintaining well-being owing to the dense nutritional contents and functional properties of their seeds. While much emphasis has been placed on the major grain legumes over the years, the neglected and underutilized legumes (NULs) are gaining significant recognition as probable crops to alleviate malnutrition and give a boost to food security in Africa. Consumption of these underutilized legumes has been associated with several health-promoting benefits and can be utilized as functional foods due to their rich dietary fibers, vitamins, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), proteins/essential amino acids, micro-nutrients, and bioactive compounds. Despite the plethora of nutritional benefits, the underutilized legumes have not received much research attention compared to common mainstream grain legumes, thus hindering their adoption and utilization. Consequently, research efforts geared toward improvement, u...
IntroductionMaize is a major staple cereal crop grown and consumed globally. However, due to clim... more IntroductionMaize is a major staple cereal crop grown and consumed globally. However, due to climate change, extreme heat and drought stresses are greatly affecting its production especially in sub-Saharan Africa. The use of a bio-based approach to mitigate drought stress is therefore suggested using plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR).MethodsThis study investigated the abilities of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase producing PGPR Pseudomonas sp. MRBP4, Pseudomonas sp. MRBP13 and Bacillus sp. MRBP10 isolated from maize rhizosphere soil, to ameliorate the effect of drought stress in maize genotypes MR44 and S0/8/W/I137TNW//CML550 under two water regimes; mild drought stress (50% FC) and well-watered conditions (100% FC). The rhizobacterial strains were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing and biochemical tests, and evaluated for plant growth-promoting and abiotic stress tolerance traits.Results and discussionThe synergistic effect of the bacterial strains had a h...
Drought is a major cause of the present decrease in crop yield and agricultural productivity arou... more Drought is a major cause of the present decrease in crop yield and agricultural productivity around the globe. The disastrous effects of drought on plants call for a renewed concern on effective strategies to improve plant growth and yield under drought stress. This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of Arthrobacter arilaitensis and Streptomyces pseudovenezuelae to improve maize growth under drought stress at three soil moisture levels using two inoculation methods. Seven rhizosphere actinomycetes isolates were screened for the production of plant growth promoting (PGP) traits and it was observed that all isolates produced one or more PGP properties. The inoculated plants were not only protected from the deleterious effects of drought, but also showed significant increases in the physiological parameters measured. The findings of this study suggest that these isolates are important tools capable of being developed into bio-inoculants to effectively improve drought tolerance in plants.
The African forest, which was and still is the heart of biodiversity, is fast losing its bio-comp... more The African forest, which was and still is the heart of biodiversity, is fast losing its bio-components due to natural disasters and human encroachment. A catalogue of the bio-components of the African forest is imminent so that conservation programs can be established to safeguard rare germplasm(s) from extinction. The population density of wild Auricularia (Mushroom) of Southwestern Nigeria was the focus of this research. DNA primers were obtained from Operon Technology,
African yam bean (AYB) is an “orphan” crop in Africa, despite its nutritional benefits and potent... more African yam bean (AYB) is an “orphan” crop in Africa, despite its nutritional benefits and potentials as a food security crop. It produces two valuable products, edible seeds and tubers. The tubers which are consumed in most parts of East and Central Africa have not been given much attention in West Africa. This study also evaluated 40 AYB accessions for tuberization and investigated the proximate, mineral and anti-nutritional composition of tubers of some AYB accessions harvested in the 2011/2012 cropping season. Tuberization occurred in 42.5 % of accessions investigated. Accession TSs 140 produced the highest number of tubers (6 tubers/plant) while AYB1 had the least (1 tuber). Three different tuber shapes were identified; ovate, spindle and irregular, with the spindle shape being the most dominant. Tuberization was more pronounced in 2012 with less rainfall (185.74mm) and sunshine hour (4.9 hr), compared to the 2011 season. The tubers were low in moisture content (10.3%) while cr...
African yam bean (AYB) (Sphenostylis stenocarpa (Hochst Ex. A. Rich) Harms is a neglected and und... more African yam bean (AYB) (Sphenostylis stenocarpa (Hochst Ex. A. Rich) Harms is a neglected and underutilised legume in tropical Africa. Its utilisation has been hampered by the presence of anti-nutritional factors and lack of improved varieties. The objective of this study was to investigate pollination and determine the rates of selfing and outcrossing in the species. Accession TSs5 had the highest fruit set (63.16%) in the open-pollinated breeding method; while AYB50 had the lowest value (46.61%). Seed set in the selfed accessions ranged from 91.45% (AYB50) to 94.97% (TSs66). Fruit set was highest in the open-pollinated breeding method, with a mean average fruit set of 51.32%. Significant differences (P < 0.01) were obtained in fruit set from accessions isolated with net bags which had the lowest seed set (88.91%) Seed set was highest (92.92%) in the selfed accessions. The self incompatibility index ranged from 1.33 to 2.26 and the rate of fruit set from artificial self-pollination was greater than 30% in the field, and the screen house showing that the species is highly self compatible. Selfing and outcrossing rates of 91.38 and 8.62% showed that S. stenocarpa is not an obligate selfer. AYB sets fruits and seeds when open pollinated, isolated, selfed or crossed with other accessions.
The genetic diversity of 40 African yam bean (AYB) accessions was assessed using Amplified Fragme... more The genetic diversity of 40 African yam bean (AYB) accessions was assessed using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) markers. Seeds of 40 accessions of AYB obtained from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T) Ibadan, Nigeria, were grown in a greenhouse and young leaves from two weeks old plants collected for DNA extraction. The four primer combinations used generated a total of 1730 amplification fragments across the AYB accessions used in this study of which 1647 were polymorphic (95.20%). The number of amplified polymorphic AFLP bands per primer pair varied from 360 to 520 with an average percentage polymorphism of 95.6%. E-AGC/M-CAG produced the highest number of polymorphic bands (520). Polymorphic information content (PIC) values ranged from 0.9447 to 0.9626. The highest level of polymorphism (100%) was recorded for two primer combinations (E-AAC/M-CAG and E-ACT/M-CAG). The results of clus...
Ploidy determination of germplasm is necessary before initiating breeding or genetic studies. Thi... more Ploidy determination of germplasm is necessary before initiating breeding or genetic studies. This research was conducted to determine the DNA ploidy level of 40 African yam bean (AYB) accessions using flow cytometry. Ploidy was assessed using a Partec PAS II Flow cytometer. TSs 5 was used as the external standard to run the analysis. A diploid ploidy level (2x) was obtained for all accessions studied. No variations were observed in the relative fluorescence intensity (Channel number) recorded in the ploidy level obtained as the test samples maintained the same Channel number (100) as the external standard TSs 5. Coefficient of variation values ranged from 1.30 to 3.43 which reflect the narrowness and accuracy of the peaks. The mean values ranged from 94.69 to 101.08. The peak means of the flow cytometric analysis of the 40 accessions of AYB were highly significant (P < .0001). Flow cytometry is faster and gives more accurate ploidy determination than root tip chromosome counting...
The continuous application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides for crop improvement is a major... more The continuous application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides for crop improvement is a major threat to human health and the environment. Depending on the level of exposure, it could cause neurological, carcinogenic, gastrointestinal, respiratory or reproductive effects and, in some cases, death. Since pesticides and herbicides have detrimental impact on the well-being of man, it, therefore, becomes essential that a cost-effective and eco-friendly approach towards food production should be considered by various governments and policymakers, to safeguard human health. Thus, there is an urgent need for nations to migrate towards using a bio-based approach in crop management and production through the use of microbial inoculants. This review discussed the potential benefits of microbial inoculants in crop production while sustaining human health, as well as the mechanisms utilized in biocontrol of phytopathogens and the bottlenecks involved in its application and possible commercialization. Increasing interest in microbial inoculant bioentrepreneurship necessitates more investment in microbiome research. We also elaborated on the prospects in the use of microbial inoculants to safeguard human health.
Poverty, food, and nutrition insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have become major concerns in... more Poverty, food, and nutrition insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have become major concerns in recent times. The effects of climate change, drought, and unpredictable rainfall patterns threaten food production and sustainable agriculture. More so, insurgency, youth restiveness, and politico-economic instability amidst a burgeoning population requiring a sufficient and healthy diet remain front-burner issues in the region. Overdependence on only a few major staple crops is increasingly promoting the near extinction of many crops, especially orphan legumes, which possess immense potentials as protein and nutritional security crops. The major staple crops are declining in yield partly to their inability to adapt to the continuously changing climatic conditions. Remarkably, the orphan legumes are climate-smart crops with enormous agronomic features which foster sustainable livelihood. Research efforts on these crops have not attained a reasonable comparative status with most commerci...
This study was conducted to investigate the genetic diversity in 48 samples of Auricularia specie... more This study was conducted to investigate the genetic diversity in 48 samples of Auricularia species randomly collected from secondary forests in Osun (11), Oyo (10), Ondo (9), Ekiti (8), Ogun (8) and Lagos States (8) of Nigeria. Fourteen Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used for molecular characterization of Auricularia species. Phylogenetic relations were determined by cluster analysis and Polymorphic Information Content (PIC) and gene diversity determined using standard procedures. The Auricularia species were grouped into 6 distinct clusters based on morphological traits. The PIC value ranged from 0.5594 (OPH-15) to 0.7819 (OPB-12) and gene diversity from 0.5930 (OPH-15) to 0.7977 (OPB-12). Primer OPB-12 was the most informative for genetic diversity of Auricularia species. However, primer OPB-21 gave the highest number of alleles while OPB-12 showed the highest range of gene diversity and accounted for the diversity of the Auricularia species. The dendrogram and the principal coordinate analysis exhibited similar clustered patterns, revealing that all the tested strains could be divided into six distinct groups, each of which correlated with different geographical regions. Molecular characterisation is essential in genetic diversity studies and has proven useful in the classification of Auricularia spp.
Globally, legumes are vital constituents of diet and perform critical roles in maintaining well-b... more Globally, legumes are vital constituents of diet and perform critical roles in maintaining well-being owing to the dense nutritional contents and functional properties of their seeds. While much emphasis has been placed on the major grain legumes over the years, the neglected and underutilized legumes (NULs) are gaining significant recognition as probable crops to alleviate malnutrition and give a boost to food security in Africa. Consumption of these underutilized legumes has been associated with several health-promoting benefits and can be utilized as functional foods due to their rich dietary fibers, vitamins, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), proteins/essential amino acids, micro-nutrients, and bioactive compounds. Despite the plethora of nutritional benefits, the underutilized legumes have not received much research attention compared to common mainstream grain legumes, thus hindering their adoption and utilization. Consequently, research efforts geared toward improvement, u...
IntroductionMaize is a major staple cereal crop grown and consumed globally. However, due to clim... more IntroductionMaize is a major staple cereal crop grown and consumed globally. However, due to climate change, extreme heat and drought stresses are greatly affecting its production especially in sub-Saharan Africa. The use of a bio-based approach to mitigate drought stress is therefore suggested using plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR).MethodsThis study investigated the abilities of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase producing PGPR Pseudomonas sp. MRBP4, Pseudomonas sp. MRBP13 and Bacillus sp. MRBP10 isolated from maize rhizosphere soil, to ameliorate the effect of drought stress in maize genotypes MR44 and S0/8/W/I137TNW//CML550 under two water regimes; mild drought stress (50% FC) and well-watered conditions (100% FC). The rhizobacterial strains were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing and biochemical tests, and evaluated for plant growth-promoting and abiotic stress tolerance traits.Results and discussionThe synergistic effect of the bacterial strains had a h...
Drought is a major cause of the present decrease in crop yield and agricultural productivity arou... more Drought is a major cause of the present decrease in crop yield and agricultural productivity around the globe. The disastrous effects of drought on plants call for a renewed concern on effective strategies to improve plant growth and yield under drought stress. This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of Arthrobacter arilaitensis and Streptomyces pseudovenezuelae to improve maize growth under drought stress at three soil moisture levels using two inoculation methods. Seven rhizosphere actinomycetes isolates were screened for the production of plant growth promoting (PGP) traits and it was observed that all isolates produced one or more PGP properties. The inoculated plants were not only protected from the deleterious effects of drought, but also showed significant increases in the physiological parameters measured. The findings of this study suggest that these isolates are important tools capable of being developed into bio-inoculants to effectively improve drought tolerance in plants.
The African forest, which was and still is the heart of biodiversity, is fast losing its bio-comp... more The African forest, which was and still is the heart of biodiversity, is fast losing its bio-components due to natural disasters and human encroachment. A catalogue of the bio-components of the African forest is imminent so that conservation programs can be established to safeguard rare germplasm(s) from extinction. The population density of wild Auricularia (Mushroom) of Southwestern Nigeria was the focus of this research. DNA primers were obtained from Operon Technology,
African yam bean (AYB) is an “orphan” crop in Africa, despite its nutritional benefits and potent... more African yam bean (AYB) is an “orphan” crop in Africa, despite its nutritional benefits and potentials as a food security crop. It produces two valuable products, edible seeds and tubers. The tubers which are consumed in most parts of East and Central Africa have not been given much attention in West Africa. This study also evaluated 40 AYB accessions for tuberization and investigated the proximate, mineral and anti-nutritional composition of tubers of some AYB accessions harvested in the 2011/2012 cropping season. Tuberization occurred in 42.5 % of accessions investigated. Accession TSs 140 produced the highest number of tubers (6 tubers/plant) while AYB1 had the least (1 tuber). Three different tuber shapes were identified; ovate, spindle and irregular, with the spindle shape being the most dominant. Tuberization was more pronounced in 2012 with less rainfall (185.74mm) and sunshine hour (4.9 hr), compared to the 2011 season. The tubers were low in moisture content (10.3%) while cr...
African yam bean (AYB) (Sphenostylis stenocarpa (Hochst Ex. A. Rich) Harms is a neglected and und... more African yam bean (AYB) (Sphenostylis stenocarpa (Hochst Ex. A. Rich) Harms is a neglected and underutilised legume in tropical Africa. Its utilisation has been hampered by the presence of anti-nutritional factors and lack of improved varieties. The objective of this study was to investigate pollination and determine the rates of selfing and outcrossing in the species. Accession TSs5 had the highest fruit set (63.16%) in the open-pollinated breeding method; while AYB50 had the lowest value (46.61%). Seed set in the selfed accessions ranged from 91.45% (AYB50) to 94.97% (TSs66). Fruit set was highest in the open-pollinated breeding method, with a mean average fruit set of 51.32%. Significant differences (P < 0.01) were obtained in fruit set from accessions isolated with net bags which had the lowest seed set (88.91%) Seed set was highest (92.92%) in the selfed accessions. The self incompatibility index ranged from 1.33 to 2.26 and the rate of fruit set from artificial self-pollination was greater than 30% in the field, and the screen house showing that the species is highly self compatible. Selfing and outcrossing rates of 91.38 and 8.62% showed that S. stenocarpa is not an obligate selfer. AYB sets fruits and seeds when open pollinated, isolated, selfed or crossed with other accessions.
The genetic diversity of 40 African yam bean (AYB) accessions was assessed using Amplified Fragme... more The genetic diversity of 40 African yam bean (AYB) accessions was assessed using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) markers. Seeds of 40 accessions of AYB obtained from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T) Ibadan, Nigeria, were grown in a greenhouse and young leaves from two weeks old plants collected for DNA extraction. The four primer combinations used generated a total of 1730 amplification fragments across the AYB accessions used in this study of which 1647 were polymorphic (95.20%). The number of amplified polymorphic AFLP bands per primer pair varied from 360 to 520 with an average percentage polymorphism of 95.6%. E-AGC/M-CAG produced the highest number of polymorphic bands (520). Polymorphic information content (PIC) values ranged from 0.9447 to 0.9626. The highest level of polymorphism (100%) was recorded for two primer combinations (E-AAC/M-CAG and E-ACT/M-CAG). The results of clus...
Ploidy determination of germplasm is necessary before initiating breeding or genetic studies. Thi... more Ploidy determination of germplasm is necessary before initiating breeding or genetic studies. This research was conducted to determine the DNA ploidy level of 40 African yam bean (AYB) accessions using flow cytometry. Ploidy was assessed using a Partec PAS II Flow cytometer. TSs 5 was used as the external standard to run the analysis. A diploid ploidy level (2x) was obtained for all accessions studied. No variations were observed in the relative fluorescence intensity (Channel number) recorded in the ploidy level obtained as the test samples maintained the same Channel number (100) as the external standard TSs 5. Coefficient of variation values ranged from 1.30 to 3.43 which reflect the narrowness and accuracy of the peaks. The mean values ranged from 94.69 to 101.08. The peak means of the flow cytometric analysis of the 40 accessions of AYB were highly significant (P < .0001). Flow cytometry is faster and gives more accurate ploidy determination than root tip chromosome counting...
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