The MYB gene family constitutes one of the largest transcription factors (TFs) modulating various... more The MYB gene family constitutes one of the largest transcription factors (TFs) modulating various biological processes in plants. Although genome-wide analysis of this gene family has been carried out in some species, only three MYB members have been functionally characterized heretofore in sesame (Sesamum indicum L.). Here, we identified a relatively high number (287) of sesame MYB genes (SIMYBs) with an uncommon overrepresentation of the 1R-subfamily. A total of 95% of SIMYBs was mapped unevenly onto the 16 linkage groups of the sesame genome with 55 SIMYBs tandemly duplicated. In addition, molecular characterization, gene structure, and evolutionary relationships of SIMYBs were established. Based on the close relationship between sesame and Arabidopsis thaliana, we uncovered that the functions of SIMYBs are highly diverse. A total of 65% of SIMYBs were commonly detected in five tissues, suggesting that they represent key TFs modulating sesame growth and development. Moreover, we found that SIMYBs regulate sesame responses to drought and waterlogging, which highlights the potential of SIMYBs towards improving stress tolerance in sesame. This work presents a comprehensive picture of the MYB gene family in sesame and paves the way for further functional validation of the members of this versatile gene family.
Background: West Africa's Sahel is characterized by a dry and hot climate with limited rainfall t... more Background: West Africa's Sahel is characterized by a dry and hot climate with limited rainfall that impairs the production of several crops. Sesame is a resilient crop that is well suited to this environment. Unfortunately, there is a lack of data relative to the status of its production in West Africa. We made investigations in four major sesame-growing areas of Senegal and Mali, into the status of the crop's production, its agronomic practices, the challenges farmers face and their preferences concerning the traits that should be improved. Results: A total of 256 sesame producers in 47 villages were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. The results showed that sesame is a multi-ethnic crop and only 20% of the total fields owned by farmers were allocated to its cultivation. The yield and the seasonal production of sesame per farmer was quite weak showing that this crop is still a commodity grown on a small scale. Various cultivars were grown, and the most widely grown ones have considerable levels of oil (53–60.34%) and protein (18–21.89%) contents. In both countries, seed marketing was the main impediment the producers faced on account of a lack of reliable markets and of a considerable fluctuation in prices. Conclusions: Overall, the sesame sector is still traditional but is progressively developing and sesame could become an important cash crop for smallholders in West Africa's Sahel. Research programs should target the release of the varieties with higher yield, a stronger resistance to drought, heat, diseases and pests, a good seed quality and improved plant architecture. This study represents the first insight into the sesame sector in West Africa's Sahel, and our findings may guide researchers and policy-makers to boost this sector for ensuring food security and the improvement of small-scale farmers' livelihood.
Des missions de collectes ont été organisées dans les principales régions de production du niébé ... more Des missions de collectes ont été organisées dans les principales régions de production du niébé au Sénégal dans le but d�obtenir des informations sur la diversité morphologique et moléculaire au sein des variétés traditionnelles de niébé. Ces missions ont permis de réunir 58 accessions. Deux classifications des accessions collectées basées sur les noms vernaculaires donnés par les paysans et les caractéristiques des graines et des gousses ont révélé respectivement neuf et 18 variétés. Un troisième classement réalisé par rapport aux cultigroupes (cv gr) du niébé a classé une accession dans le cv gr Unguiculata, cinq accessions dans le cv gr Biflora et 52 accessions dans le cv gr Melanophthalmus. L�étude moléculaire réalisée sur huit de ces accessions a montré l�existence d�une diversité génétique faible comparée à d�autres cultures. En moyenne 1,31 allèles par locus avec 22 % de loci polymorphes et une diversité génétique totale, HT = 0,38, ont été obtenus. 62% de cette diversité se...
A thorough and extensive germplasm exploration survey was undertaken during 2009 and 2010 to asse... more A thorough and extensive germplasm exploration survey was undertaken during 2009 and 2010 to assess the distribution and variability in seed traits of Jatropha curcas L. in Senegal. Nineteen accessions from different agro ecological zones of the country were collected to evaluate variability in seed characters. Trees aged at least 5 years only were considered. Among the seed traits studied, 100 seed weight ranged from 63.68 to 77.83 g and seed length from 17.89 to 19.15 mm. The highest 100 seed weight (77.83 g) was recorded for the accession Jc-16 collected from Mampatim. Accessions from Soudanian zone showed high values of seed traits while low seed traits were recorded in Soudano- Sahelian zone. Variability in seed traits was not linked to geographic location. Old plantations of Jatropha curcas are spread in the central, south and coastal zones of Senegal where the species is well known by the populations. However, the species was least represented above 400 mm isohyet and unfamil...
On-farm cowpea yields of traditional varieties in Africa are at least 5-fold lower than potential... more On-farm cowpea yields of traditional varieties in Africa are at least 5-fold lower than potential yields due in large part to several key biotic and abiotic stresses. Development of cowpea cultivars that resist or tolerate these stresses is a particularly desirable strategy for this crop because it is grown mostly by resource-poor farmers, many of whom are women who lack access to capital. Breeding by several African National Research Systems (NARS), supported by USAID Collaborative Research Support Program (CRSP) projects over the past 25 years have successfully bred cultivars resistant to some of the key pests such as cowpea aphid, cowpea weevil, the parasitic weed Striga gesneroides and cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus (CABMV) and raised on-farm yields, but additional and speedier gains are needed. The genomics revolution has enabled rapid advances in genotyping capabilities and construction of high-density genetic maps that facilitate new plant breeding strategies with the potent...
Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) is an important grain legume and fodder crop grown across sem... more Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) is an important grain legume and fodder crop grown across semi-arid and dry savannah zones of the tropics in sub-Saharan Africa and similar agro-ecological zones worldwide. It also helps to build typically poor and fragile soils that predominate across much of these agro-ecologies. Cowpea is more tolerant than most other legume and non-legume crops to drought, heat and poor soil conditions. Cowpea holds considerable genetic variation for these traits, affording the opportunity to breed for enhanced drought and heat tolerance, and to be a resource for these traits to other less tolerant crop species such as soybean and common bean. We have applied new genomic resources to identify regions of the genome housing QTL controlling drought tolerance and heat tolerance. Key resources include individual and consensus genetic maps, EST-derived mapped-SNP genotyping platforms, BAC libraries, a physical map anchored to the genetic map, and a partial whole gen...
Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) is a primary source of protein in Sub-Saharan Africa where i... more Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) is a primary source of protein in Sub-Saharan Africa where it is grown for fresh and dry grains, and for foliage. Cowpea is grown also in parts of Asia, Latin America, South America, Southeastern USA and California. Cowpea is a warm season legume along with soybean, common bean and pigeon pea in the Phaseoleae tribe of the family Fabaceae, thus sharing extensive genome similarities with these taxonomic relatives. Recently, considerable progress has been made in the establishment of core genomic resources of cowpea. The main resource of relevance to breeding is a set of well-tested SNP markers selected from a genetic map composed of 1107 SNP loci in 856 bins, developed from 1293 individuals in 13 mapping populations. A transition to marker-assisted breeding by NARS in Africa is underway to expedite delivery of improved crop varieties, presently using linked SNP markers for resistance to bacterial blight, ashy-stem blight, foliar and flower thrips,...
Comparative study of phenolic compounds, antioxidant power of various Senegalese sorghum cultivar... more Comparative study of phenolic compounds, antioxidant power of various Senegalese sorghum cultivars and amylolytic enzymes of their malt. The study involved seven cultivars of white sorghum selected to ISRA Bambey and consumed in many regions of Senegal. Several characters and biochemical compounds of the grains (presence of pigmented testa, total phenols, condensed tannins and antioxidant activity) were determined in all cultivars. A three days malting was also carried out and amylolytic enzymes such as α-amylase, β-amylase and limit-dextrinase which are essential for a malt of good quality were proportioned. These enzymes are measured specifically with kits of Megazyme: Amylazyme (α-amylase), Betamyl (β-amylase) and Limit-Dextrizyme (limit-dextrinase). Two cultivars, CE 180-33 and CE 145-66 proved to be tannin sorghums, have the highest levels in total phenols and the most important antioxidant activities (ABTS and DPPH). The results of enzymatic analysis and the index of Kolbach i...
In the situations of on-going food insecurity under the pressure of abiotic stresses and climate ... more In the situations of on-going food insecurity under the pressure of abiotic stresses and climate variability, the humanity’s greatest challenge is to produce 70% more food for the 9.1 billion peoples expected to populate the planet in 2050. As droughts are predicted to increase in both frequency and intensity, characterisation of drought patterns is an important step in designing strategies for enhancing crops productivity in drought-prone environments. Moreover, success in breeding more resilient cultivars to cope with these crises implies a thorough understanding of plant traits affecting yield under drought. Therefore, to improve yields under drought, a combination of intrinsic and adaptive-traits are needed while speeding up their screening is of crucial importance. A way to help is the science of Phenomics that expedites germplasm phenotyping and selection using innovative research based platform and computing power. Here we report on hypothesis, methodologies, results, and our...
Drought stress is a major constraint on cowpea productivity, since the crop is grown under warm c... more Drought stress is a major constraint on cowpea productivity, since the crop is grown under warm conditions on sandy soils having low water-holding capacity. For enhanced performance of crops facing terminal drought stress, like cowpea, water-saving strategies are crucial. In this work, the growth and transpiration rate (TR) of 40 cowpea genotypes with contrasting response to terminal drought were measured under well-watered conditions across different vapour pressure deficits (VPD) to investigate whether tolerant and sensitive genotypes differ in their control of leaf water loss. A method is presented to indirectly assess TR through canopy temperature (CT) and the index of canopy conductance (Ig). Overall, plants developed larger leaf area under low than under high VPD, and there was a consistent trend of lower plant biomass in tolerant genotypes. Substantial differences were recorded among genotypes in TR response to VPD, with tolerant genotypes having significantly lower TR than s...
As water availability is critical for reproduction, terminal drought tolerance may involve water-... more As water availability is critical for reproduction, terminal drought tolerance may involve water-saving traits. Experiments were undertaken under different vapour pressure deficit (VPD) and water regimes (water stress (WS) and well watered (WW)) to test genotypic differences and trait relationships in the fraction of transpirable soil water (FTSW) at which transpiration declines, canopy conductance (proxied by transpiration rate (TR, gH2Ocm–2 h–1)), canopy temperature depression (CTD, �C), transpiration efficiency (TE, g kg–1) and growth parameters, using 15 contrasting cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) genotypes. Under WWconditions at the vegetative and early podding stages, plant mass and leaf area were larger under low VPD, and was generally lower in tolerant than in sensitive genotypes. Several tolerant lines had lower TR under WW conditions and restricted TR more than sensitive lines under high VPD. Under WS conditions, transpiration declined at a lower FTSW in tolerant tha...
ABSTRACT Sweet sorghum is highly coveted to contribute and take up food and energy challenges. A ... more ABSTRACT Sweet sorghum is highly coveted to contribute and take up food and energy challenges. A collection of 84 West Africa landraces mostly from Senegal and four control cultivars were screened to identify relevant accessions and trait combination for multi-purpose (sugar/grain/biomass). The implication of photoperiod sensitivity was particularly addressed. A total of 20 traits related to phenology, morphology, grain and sugar production were assessed in two sowing dates (July and August) at CNRA Bambey in Senegal. Late sowing resulted in shortened vegetative phase and a significant decrease in traits related to plant size, stem sugar, biomass and grain productions. Broad-sense heritability was moderate to high for most of the phenology, morphology, grain and sugar-related traits, suggesting their interest for breeding. All the traits related to plant size were positively correlated with plant sugar production except plant height. A cluster analysis identified three groups contrasting in their ability to combine sugar, grain or fodder production based on 18 traits measured for the early sowing. Clusters I and III were suitable for one purpose: grain and sugar, respectively. Cluster II was the most suitable for multi-purpose, showing the best trade-off among grain, sugar and vegetative biomass production. The best accessions for stem sugar yield belonged to durra, caudatum and their intermediate types. The relationship between internode size and sweetness should be further studied, in particular exploring their relationship with internode tissue anatomy. Further studies are also needed to evaluate the role that stay-green can play in sugar yield maintenance under post-flowering drought.
... Jallow and Fergusson (1985), and Kwapata and Hall (1990) reported a significant cultivar x de... more ... Jallow and Fergusson (1985), and Kwapata and Hall (1990) reported a significant cultivar x density interaction. ... Variety (A), 9, σ e 2 +σ 2 a+rbσ 2 yLA +yrbσ 2 LA +lrbσ2yA+ylrbφA, 1634507.655**, 842.800**. YA, 9, σ e 2 +σ 2 a+rbσ 2 yLA +lrbσ 2 yA, 390601.799**, 183.617. ...
The MYB gene family constitutes one of the largest transcription factors (TFs) modulating various... more The MYB gene family constitutes one of the largest transcription factors (TFs) modulating various biological processes in plants. Although genome-wide analysis of this gene family has been carried out in some species, only three MYB members have been functionally characterized heretofore in sesame (Sesamum indicum L.). Here, we identified a relatively high number (287) of sesame MYB genes (SIMYBs) with an uncommon overrepresentation of the 1R-subfamily. A total of 95% of SIMYBs was mapped unevenly onto the 16 linkage groups of the sesame genome with 55 SIMYBs tandemly duplicated. In addition, molecular characterization, gene structure, and evolutionary relationships of SIMYBs were established. Based on the close relationship between sesame and Arabidopsis thaliana, we uncovered that the functions of SIMYBs are highly diverse. A total of 65% of SIMYBs were commonly detected in five tissues, suggesting that they represent key TFs modulating sesame growth and development. Moreover, we found that SIMYBs regulate sesame responses to drought and waterlogging, which highlights the potential of SIMYBs towards improving stress tolerance in sesame. This work presents a comprehensive picture of the MYB gene family in sesame and paves the way for further functional validation of the members of this versatile gene family.
Background: West Africa's Sahel is characterized by a dry and hot climate with limited rainfall t... more Background: West Africa's Sahel is characterized by a dry and hot climate with limited rainfall that impairs the production of several crops. Sesame is a resilient crop that is well suited to this environment. Unfortunately, there is a lack of data relative to the status of its production in West Africa. We made investigations in four major sesame-growing areas of Senegal and Mali, into the status of the crop's production, its agronomic practices, the challenges farmers face and their preferences concerning the traits that should be improved. Results: A total of 256 sesame producers in 47 villages were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. The results showed that sesame is a multi-ethnic crop and only 20% of the total fields owned by farmers were allocated to its cultivation. The yield and the seasonal production of sesame per farmer was quite weak showing that this crop is still a commodity grown on a small scale. Various cultivars were grown, and the most widely grown ones have considerable levels of oil (53–60.34%) and protein (18–21.89%) contents. In both countries, seed marketing was the main impediment the producers faced on account of a lack of reliable markets and of a considerable fluctuation in prices. Conclusions: Overall, the sesame sector is still traditional but is progressively developing and sesame could become an important cash crop for smallholders in West Africa's Sahel. Research programs should target the release of the varieties with higher yield, a stronger resistance to drought, heat, diseases and pests, a good seed quality and improved plant architecture. This study represents the first insight into the sesame sector in West Africa's Sahel, and our findings may guide researchers and policy-makers to boost this sector for ensuring food security and the improvement of small-scale farmers' livelihood.
Des missions de collectes ont été organisées dans les principales régions de production du niébé ... more Des missions de collectes ont été organisées dans les principales régions de production du niébé au Sénégal dans le but d�obtenir des informations sur la diversité morphologique et moléculaire au sein des variétés traditionnelles de niébé. Ces missions ont permis de réunir 58 accessions. Deux classifications des accessions collectées basées sur les noms vernaculaires donnés par les paysans et les caractéristiques des graines et des gousses ont révélé respectivement neuf et 18 variétés. Un troisième classement réalisé par rapport aux cultigroupes (cv gr) du niébé a classé une accession dans le cv gr Unguiculata, cinq accessions dans le cv gr Biflora et 52 accessions dans le cv gr Melanophthalmus. L�étude moléculaire réalisée sur huit de ces accessions a montré l�existence d�une diversité génétique faible comparée à d�autres cultures. En moyenne 1,31 allèles par locus avec 22 % de loci polymorphes et une diversité génétique totale, HT = 0,38, ont été obtenus. 62% de cette diversité se...
A thorough and extensive germplasm exploration survey was undertaken during 2009 and 2010 to asse... more A thorough and extensive germplasm exploration survey was undertaken during 2009 and 2010 to assess the distribution and variability in seed traits of Jatropha curcas L. in Senegal. Nineteen accessions from different agro ecological zones of the country were collected to evaluate variability in seed characters. Trees aged at least 5 years only were considered. Among the seed traits studied, 100 seed weight ranged from 63.68 to 77.83 g and seed length from 17.89 to 19.15 mm. The highest 100 seed weight (77.83 g) was recorded for the accession Jc-16 collected from Mampatim. Accessions from Soudanian zone showed high values of seed traits while low seed traits were recorded in Soudano- Sahelian zone. Variability in seed traits was not linked to geographic location. Old plantations of Jatropha curcas are spread in the central, south and coastal zones of Senegal where the species is well known by the populations. However, the species was least represented above 400 mm isohyet and unfamil...
On-farm cowpea yields of traditional varieties in Africa are at least 5-fold lower than potential... more On-farm cowpea yields of traditional varieties in Africa are at least 5-fold lower than potential yields due in large part to several key biotic and abiotic stresses. Development of cowpea cultivars that resist or tolerate these stresses is a particularly desirable strategy for this crop because it is grown mostly by resource-poor farmers, many of whom are women who lack access to capital. Breeding by several African National Research Systems (NARS), supported by USAID Collaborative Research Support Program (CRSP) projects over the past 25 years have successfully bred cultivars resistant to some of the key pests such as cowpea aphid, cowpea weevil, the parasitic weed Striga gesneroides and cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus (CABMV) and raised on-farm yields, but additional and speedier gains are needed. The genomics revolution has enabled rapid advances in genotyping capabilities and construction of high-density genetic maps that facilitate new plant breeding strategies with the potent...
Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) is an important grain legume and fodder crop grown across sem... more Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) is an important grain legume and fodder crop grown across semi-arid and dry savannah zones of the tropics in sub-Saharan Africa and similar agro-ecological zones worldwide. It also helps to build typically poor and fragile soils that predominate across much of these agro-ecologies. Cowpea is more tolerant than most other legume and non-legume crops to drought, heat and poor soil conditions. Cowpea holds considerable genetic variation for these traits, affording the opportunity to breed for enhanced drought and heat tolerance, and to be a resource for these traits to other less tolerant crop species such as soybean and common bean. We have applied new genomic resources to identify regions of the genome housing QTL controlling drought tolerance and heat tolerance. Key resources include individual and consensus genetic maps, EST-derived mapped-SNP genotyping platforms, BAC libraries, a physical map anchored to the genetic map, and a partial whole gen...
Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) is a primary source of protein in Sub-Saharan Africa where i... more Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) is a primary source of protein in Sub-Saharan Africa where it is grown for fresh and dry grains, and for foliage. Cowpea is grown also in parts of Asia, Latin America, South America, Southeastern USA and California. Cowpea is a warm season legume along with soybean, common bean and pigeon pea in the Phaseoleae tribe of the family Fabaceae, thus sharing extensive genome similarities with these taxonomic relatives. Recently, considerable progress has been made in the establishment of core genomic resources of cowpea. The main resource of relevance to breeding is a set of well-tested SNP markers selected from a genetic map composed of 1107 SNP loci in 856 bins, developed from 1293 individuals in 13 mapping populations. A transition to marker-assisted breeding by NARS in Africa is underway to expedite delivery of improved crop varieties, presently using linked SNP markers for resistance to bacterial blight, ashy-stem blight, foliar and flower thrips,...
Comparative study of phenolic compounds, antioxidant power of various Senegalese sorghum cultivar... more Comparative study of phenolic compounds, antioxidant power of various Senegalese sorghum cultivars and amylolytic enzymes of their malt. The study involved seven cultivars of white sorghum selected to ISRA Bambey and consumed in many regions of Senegal. Several characters and biochemical compounds of the grains (presence of pigmented testa, total phenols, condensed tannins and antioxidant activity) were determined in all cultivars. A three days malting was also carried out and amylolytic enzymes such as α-amylase, β-amylase and limit-dextrinase which are essential for a malt of good quality were proportioned. These enzymes are measured specifically with kits of Megazyme: Amylazyme (α-amylase), Betamyl (β-amylase) and Limit-Dextrizyme (limit-dextrinase). Two cultivars, CE 180-33 and CE 145-66 proved to be tannin sorghums, have the highest levels in total phenols and the most important antioxidant activities (ABTS and DPPH). The results of enzymatic analysis and the index of Kolbach i...
In the situations of on-going food insecurity under the pressure of abiotic stresses and climate ... more In the situations of on-going food insecurity under the pressure of abiotic stresses and climate variability, the humanity’s greatest challenge is to produce 70% more food for the 9.1 billion peoples expected to populate the planet in 2050. As droughts are predicted to increase in both frequency and intensity, characterisation of drought patterns is an important step in designing strategies for enhancing crops productivity in drought-prone environments. Moreover, success in breeding more resilient cultivars to cope with these crises implies a thorough understanding of plant traits affecting yield under drought. Therefore, to improve yields under drought, a combination of intrinsic and adaptive-traits are needed while speeding up their screening is of crucial importance. A way to help is the science of Phenomics that expedites germplasm phenotyping and selection using innovative research based platform and computing power. Here we report on hypothesis, methodologies, results, and our...
Drought stress is a major constraint on cowpea productivity, since the crop is grown under warm c... more Drought stress is a major constraint on cowpea productivity, since the crop is grown under warm conditions on sandy soils having low water-holding capacity. For enhanced performance of crops facing terminal drought stress, like cowpea, water-saving strategies are crucial. In this work, the growth and transpiration rate (TR) of 40 cowpea genotypes with contrasting response to terminal drought were measured under well-watered conditions across different vapour pressure deficits (VPD) to investigate whether tolerant and sensitive genotypes differ in their control of leaf water loss. A method is presented to indirectly assess TR through canopy temperature (CT) and the index of canopy conductance (Ig). Overall, plants developed larger leaf area under low than under high VPD, and there was a consistent trend of lower plant biomass in tolerant genotypes. Substantial differences were recorded among genotypes in TR response to VPD, with tolerant genotypes having significantly lower TR than s...
As water availability is critical for reproduction, terminal drought tolerance may involve water-... more As water availability is critical for reproduction, terminal drought tolerance may involve water-saving traits. Experiments were undertaken under different vapour pressure deficit (VPD) and water regimes (water stress (WS) and well watered (WW)) to test genotypic differences and trait relationships in the fraction of transpirable soil water (FTSW) at which transpiration declines, canopy conductance (proxied by transpiration rate (TR, gH2Ocm–2 h–1)), canopy temperature depression (CTD, �C), transpiration efficiency (TE, g kg–1) and growth parameters, using 15 contrasting cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) genotypes. Under WWconditions at the vegetative and early podding stages, plant mass and leaf area were larger under low VPD, and was generally lower in tolerant than in sensitive genotypes. Several tolerant lines had lower TR under WW conditions and restricted TR more than sensitive lines under high VPD. Under WS conditions, transpiration declined at a lower FTSW in tolerant tha...
ABSTRACT Sweet sorghum is highly coveted to contribute and take up food and energy challenges. A ... more ABSTRACT Sweet sorghum is highly coveted to contribute and take up food and energy challenges. A collection of 84 West Africa landraces mostly from Senegal and four control cultivars were screened to identify relevant accessions and trait combination for multi-purpose (sugar/grain/biomass). The implication of photoperiod sensitivity was particularly addressed. A total of 20 traits related to phenology, morphology, grain and sugar production were assessed in two sowing dates (July and August) at CNRA Bambey in Senegal. Late sowing resulted in shortened vegetative phase and a significant decrease in traits related to plant size, stem sugar, biomass and grain productions. Broad-sense heritability was moderate to high for most of the phenology, morphology, grain and sugar-related traits, suggesting their interest for breeding. All the traits related to plant size were positively correlated with plant sugar production except plant height. A cluster analysis identified three groups contrasting in their ability to combine sugar, grain or fodder production based on 18 traits measured for the early sowing. Clusters I and III were suitable for one purpose: grain and sugar, respectively. Cluster II was the most suitable for multi-purpose, showing the best trade-off among grain, sugar and vegetative biomass production. The best accessions for stem sugar yield belonged to durra, caudatum and their intermediate types. The relationship between internode size and sweetness should be further studied, in particular exploring their relationship with internode tissue anatomy. Further studies are also needed to evaluate the role that stay-green can play in sugar yield maintenance under post-flowering drought.
... Jallow and Fergusson (1985), and Kwapata and Hall (1990) reported a significant cultivar x de... more ... Jallow and Fergusson (1985), and Kwapata and Hall (1990) reported a significant cultivar x density interaction. ... Variety (A), 9, σ e 2 +σ 2 a+rbσ 2 yLA +yrbσ 2 LA +lrbσ2yA+ylrbφA, 1634507.655**, 842.800**. YA, 9, σ e 2 +σ 2 a+rbσ 2 yLA +lrbσ 2 yA, 390601.799**, 183.617. ...
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