Fonio Research Articles

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Soil Enzyme Activities in Different Fonio Millet (Digitaria exilis Stapf.) Agroecosystems in Senegal

In plant roots, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are the most prevalent microsymbionts, and thereby provide many key ecosystem services to natural and agricultural ecosystems. Despite AMF’s significance for the environment and the economy, little is known about the mycorrhizal inoculum potential and diversity of AMF associated with orphan African cereal crops, specially fonio millet (Digitaria exilis stapf.) under field conditions. We hypothesized that the type of fonio millet agroecosystem influences the AMF density and distribution in soils. We therefore, assessed the inoculum potential, density and diversity of AMF spores and soil enzyme activities in five fonio millet agroecosystems belonging to three climatic zones (Sudanian, Sudano-Sahelian and Sudano-Guinean). By combining AMF spore identification from field-collected soils and trap culture, 20 species belonging to 8 genera (Acaulospora, Ambispora, Dendiscutata, Gigaspora, Glomus, Racocetra, Sclerocystis and Scutellospora) were identified. Glomus was the most represented genus with 8 species, followed by Gigaspora (5 species) and Acaulospora (2 species); the remaining genera were each represented by one species. Except for Ambispora which was not found in the Sudanian area, all genera occurred in the three climatic zones. The abundance and diversity of AMF species and FDA-hydrolytic and phosphatase activities varied between fonio millet agroecosystems as well as between climatic zones. Soil pH and soil texture were the variables that best explained the density and distribution of AMF spores. Our results contribute to paving the way towards the development of microbial engineering approaches for agronomic improvement of fonio millet.

Harnessing the Transcriptomic Resources of Millets to Decipher Climate Resilience and Nutrient Enrichment Traits

Rich nutrients, climate resilience, and the economic importance of millets are believed to ensure food security for future generations. Millets have the habit of growing against abiotic stresses (particularly drought stress). Millets show much better climate resilience and nutrient supplementation properties compared to other major cereals. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of genes that respond to stresses and nutrient transport will help understand the tolerance mechanism and improve against both stresses. Genome sequences are currently available for two major (sorghum and pearl millet) and eight minor millets (foxtail millet, finger millet, kodo millet, barnyard millet, proso millet, job’s tear, fonio millet, and tef). Five minor millets (little millet, kodo millet, brown top millet, guinea millet, and raishan) do not have genome sequences to date. Transcriptome studies help to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs), mine genes induced in a particular stress and develop several molecular markers for all plants, including millets. Some millets have reports on transcriptome datasets for plants exposed to various biotic and abiotic stresses and for nutritional traits. Unfortunately, the transcriptome datasets of millets have not been adequately leveraged to explore genes associated with traits such as climate resilience, nutrient enrichment, and crop improvement. This underutilization stems from a lack of high-resolution studies and limited exploration within the field. As a result, the potential insights and genetic understanding offered by these datasets remain largely untapped. Through this review, we plan to elucidate the current status of transcriptome resources on millets and draw future insights on the utilization of these resources. This review will motivate researchers to utilize the available transcriptome resources for millet improvement.

Phenotypic and molecular differentiation of lactic acid bacteria in fonio millet ogi fermentation and their potential as starter cultures

This study focused on the phenotypic and 16S rRNA characterization of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from spontaneously fermented fonio ogi and evaluation of their starter cultures potentials. The isolates were screened for biochemical characteristics, acidification, organic acid production and growth kinetics. Phenotypically, LABs (n = 28) were identified to be inclusive of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Lactiplantibacillus pentosus, Limosilactobacillus fermentum and Pediococcus species. However, genotypic typing revealed the strains as Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Levilactobacillus brevis, and Pediococcus pentosaceus well as presence of non lactobacillus strains. Suitability for starter cultures revealed higher acidification and organic acid production for strains of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Pediococcus pentosaceus to between 3.20–3.65 (pH); 4.67- 6.67 total titratable acidity (TTA); 46.4 − 57.4 mg/g (lactic acid), 0.27–0.36 h (maximum specific growth rate). The selected LABs were shown to be strain specific and strains with rapid rate of acidification, high organic acid production and low pH exhibited significant potential for starter culture.

Host genotype, soil composition, and geo-climatic factors shape the fonio seed microbiome

BackgroundFonio (Digitaria exilis), an orphan millet crop, is the oldest indigenous crop in West Africa. Although the yield is low due to pre-domestication characteristics, the quick maturation time, drought tolerance, and the ability to thrive on poor soils make fonio a climate-smart crop. Being holobionts, plants evolve in close interaction with microbial partners, which is crucial for plant phenology and fitness. As seeds are the bottleneck of vertically transmitting plant microbiota, we proposed to unravel the seed microbiome of the under-domesticated and resilient crop fonio. Our study investigated the bacterial seed endophyte diversity across 126 sequenced fonio accessions from distinct locations in West Africa. We conducted a correlation study of the structures and functions of the seed-associated microbiomes with the native geo-climate and soil structure data. We also performed Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify genetic loci associated with seed endophyte diversity.ResultWe report that fonio millet has diverse heritable seed endophytic taxa. We analyzed the seed microbiomes of 126 fonio accessions and showed that despite the diversity of microbiomes from distinct geographical locations, all fonio genetic groups share a core microbiome. In addition, we observed that native soil composition, geo-climatic factors, and host genotype correlate with the seed microbiomes. GWAS analysis of genetic loci associated with endophyte seed bacterial diversity identified fonio SNPs associated with genes functioning in embryo development and stress/defense response.ConclusionAnalysis of the seed endophyte of the climate-smart crop fonio indicated that despite possessing a heritable core microbiome, native conditions may shape the overall fonio seed microbiomes in different populations. These distinct microbiomes could play important roles in the adaptation of fonio to different environmental conditions. Our study identified the seed microbiome as a potential target for enhancing crop resilience to climate stress in a sustainable way.2rD2XEnkfTqrY_JSYv-2oiVideo

Modulation of the Expression of Lipogenic Activity by Malted Hungry Rice Flour (Digitaria exilis.) on Rats Induced with Obesity

Lipolysis and lipogenesis causes obesity and these can be mediated by hormones. The study was aimed at determining the effect of malted hungry rice flour on lipogenic activity on diet-induced obese rats. The study was conducted between September to January 2021 and 2022. Twenty male adult albino rats were divided into four groups and obesity was induced which resemble mild obesity condition in human. The groups for the experiment were normal control (AIN-93), obese control, and two test diets were used to evaluate lipid profile parameter using a standard assay technique. There is an increase in BMI (from 0.37-0.41 to 0.58- 0.72). There are also an increase in other lipid profile with a decrease in HDL (p<0.05) after consumption of a palatable diet. Consumption of the test diet led to a significant reduction in the lipid profile parameter, and a significant increase in HDL cholesterol compared to the (group) obese control (p<0.05). The result suggests that malted hungry rice flour has an anti-obesity effect.

Insights from olivine chemistry into crustal magmatic processes and the mantle source lithology of basalts from Hainan Island, China

Olivine in ocean island basalts can provide unique insights into lithological heterogeneity (i.e., peridotite versus pyroxenite) in the mantle. Here we present high-precision major and trace element data for olivine crystals in basalts from Hainan Island, China, and use these data to investigate their mantle source. Many of the olivines are in disequilibrium with their whole-rock compositions (i.e., Mg# values), and the basalts contain both normally and reversely zoned olivine crystals, which are indicative of magma mixing. The decoupled Fo–NiO profiles and concave-down trends defined by data in a Fo–NiO diagram suggest that diffusive re-equilibration controlled the olivine chemistry. The olivine compositions were significantly affected by crustal magmatic processes, such as fractional crystallization, magma mixing, and diffusive re-equilibration. However, the lack of clear correlations between Mn/Fe, Mn/Zn, Zn/Fe, and Ga/Sc ratios and olivine Fo contents suggests these trace element ratios were not significantly affected by crustal processes, and thus preserve information about the mantle source. The Mn/Zn, 100 × Mn/Fe and 10,000 × Zn/Fe ratios of the examined olivines indicated that the Hainan basalts had a mixed pyroxenite-peridotite mantle source. This is consistent with the whole-rock geochemical data and previously reported isotope geochemistry data for the Hainan Island basalts. However, crustal magmatic processes also affected the compositions of the primitive olivines that crystallized in the mantle-derived magma. Therefore, careful assessment of post-melting processes using olivine textures and minor element chemistry needs to be undertaken before discriminating between pyroxenitic and peridotitic source components based on olivine chemistry.

Mineralogical and Re-Os isotope constraints on fluid– and melt–rock interactions and the origin of mantle peridotites from the Amdo ophiolite, northern Tibet

Ophiolites from the Bangong–Nujiang Suture Zone in the central part of the Tibetan Plateau represent relics of Neo-Tethyan oceanic lithosphere. Here we present the results of a detailed mineralogical and Os isotopic study of mantle peridotites of the Amdo ophiolite, which provide new insights into the origin of the peridotites and their diverse melt/fluid–peridotite reactions. The Amdo ophiolite comprises mantle peridotites, mafic–ultramafic cumulates, massive gabbros, diabases, and pillow basalts. The mantle peridotites are mainly refractory harzburgites, composed of olivine (Ol, 65%–85%), orthopyroxene (Opx, 12%–35%), clinopyroxene (Cpx, <4%), and Cr-spinel (Cr-Spl, ~2%). Most olivine grains (Ol-I) are protogranular, locally enclosed in orthopyroxene and Cr-spinel, and have high Fo values (91.1–92.9) and NiO contents (0.29–0.44 wt%), typical of residual origin. In contrast, interstitial olivines (Ol-II) have low Fo values (67.2–84.7) and NiO contents (<0.05 wt%), but extremely high MnO contents (0.28–1.65 wt%), suggesting metasomatism by carbonate-bearing fluids. Hypidiomorphic-granular clinopyroxene grains (Cpx-I) have high Mg# values (~94.5) and low Al2O3 (average 1.26 wt%) and Na2O (<0.19 wt%) contents, typical of residual phases after melting. However, clinopyroxene coronas (Cpx-II) around orthopyroxene have higher Na2O contents (0.24–1.06 wt%), indicative of mantle metasomatism by melts. Osmium isotopic compositions in the harzburgites vary from subchondritic to suprachondritic (187Os/188Os ratios: 0.11716–0.13284). The subchondritic Os isotopic compositions (0.11716–0.12367) correspond to TRD model ages of 0.76–1.56 Ga, suggesting Mesoproterozoic mantle depletion events. On the other hand, several harzburgites with low Os (0.29–0.86 ppb) and suprachondritic 187Os/188Os ratios (0.12823–0.13284) reflect the overprinting of original Os budgets and Os isotopic compositions by percolating melts or fluids. The combined mineralogical and Os isotopic compositions suggest that the Amdo peridotites represent a mixture of ancient subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) and Mesozoic oceanic lithosphere, which were subsequently infiltrated by carbonate-bearing fluids and silicate melts in a supra-subduction zone.

Genome-Wide Scanning Enabled SNP Discovery, Linkage Disequilibrium Patterns and Population Structure in a Panel of Fonio (Digitaria exilis [Kippist] Stapf) Germplasm

White fonio (Digitaria exilis) is a staple food for millions of people in arid and semi-arid areas of West Africa. Knowledge about nutritional and health benefits, insights into morphological diversity, and the recent development of genomic resources call for a better understanding of the genetic structure of the extant germplasm gathered throughout the region in order to set up a robust breeding program. We assessed the genetic diversity and population structure of 259 fonio individuals collected from six countries from West Africa (Nigeria, Benin, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger) in this study using 688 putative out of 21,324 DArTseq-derived SNP markers. Due to the inbreeding and small population size, the results revealed a substantial level of genetic variability. Furthermore, two clusters were found irrespective of the geographic origins of accessions. Moreover, the high level of linkage disequilibrium (LD) between loci observed resulted from the mating system of the crop, which is often associated with a low recombination rate. These findings fill the gaps about the molecular diversity and genetic structure of the white fonio germplasm in West Africa. This was required for the application of genomic tools that can potentially speed up the genetic gain in fonio millet breeding for complex traits such as yield, and other nutrient contents.

A review of the orphan small grain cereals improvement with a comprehensive plan for genomics‐assisted breeding of fonio millet in West Africa

AbstractOrphan small grain cereals highly contribute to food and nutrition security worldwide, although the genetic and genomic resources for these cereals are far less available compared to major grain cereals. Consequently, there is low progress in their genetic improvement notwithstanding the high nutrient content, diversity, and health benefits of many of them. Therefore, additional efforts are expected to improve our understanding of the genes related to important agronomic traits. In this review, we provide an overview of achievements and bottlenecks in orphan small cereals improvement. We point out the need for the generation of basic knowledge that should guide the initial breeding process of orphan small cereals. Focusing on fonio, we showed how conventional breeding combined with advances in next‐generation sequencing technologies could potentially speed up the genetic improvement of the crop. Furthermore, a comprehensive action plan that integrates research, technological development and dissemination, and value chain improvement was illustrated in this review. These actions will foster the economy of West African fonio millet through wider cultivation, marketing, and consumption.

Toxicity of Soursop Leaf Powder and Its Relevance in Determining The Micronutrient Status in Formulated Complementary Food

Complementary food was produced from blends of hungry rice (A), pigeon pea (P) and soursop leaves (S). The raw materials were washed with portable water, dried at room temperature, milled with hammer mill, fermented for 24 hours at 28 ± 2 °C (28 ± 2 °C), oven-dried at 50 °C for 12 hours, remilled, sieved to 1 mm pore size and packaged in polyethylene bags for further analysis. The samples were in the ratio of 70:30:0 (sample APS), 65:30:5 (sample APS1), 60:30:10 (sample APS2) and 55:30:15 (sample APS3). Toxicity test for lethal dose (LD50) was carried out on the soursop leaves. Bioassay was carried out with male albino rats for 28 days including acclimatization period of 7 days. Feed intake and weight gain of experimental rats were recorded daily and weekly. Blood serum was collected before and after feeding trials for analyzing bioavailability of the selected micronutrients. The data were subjected to one-way analysis of variance. Means were separated using the Duncan’s multiple range test and significance was accepted at probability level of 0.05 %. The toxicity test (LD50) indicated safety of soursop leaf as an infusion (oral administration) at lower doses of 10-1000 mg/kg body weight of rats. The bioassay revealed that food intake was significantly (p &lt; 0.05) different among the samples in the first, second and third week. Rats that ate normal rat chow had the highest food intake while the rats that ate APS3 had the lowest food intake. Weight gain was highest in rats that ate rat chow while it was lowest in the rat that ate APS3. Bioavailability of selected micronutrient revealed that calcium content had the highest bioavailability in rats fed with rat chow and lowest in AP. Sample of APS1 had the highest iron bioavailability (47.83 %) among the fortified samples and the rat chow. Zinc had the highest bioavailability (52.86 %) in APS1. The work revealed that selected vitamins were most available in APS2 and the selected minerals were most available in sample APS1.

Hungry Rice-based Biscuits: Effects on Some Biochemical Indices of Alloxan- induced Diabetic Adult Male Wistar Rats

Background: High costs of hypoglycemic drugs and their side effects have caused an increase in demand for the production of low glycemic plant foods and snacks from locally available nutrient dense crops for diabetes management. Hungry rice is known for its high fiber content and hypoglycemic properties. Objectives: The study investigated the effect of Hungry rice-based biscuits on some biochemical indices of alloxan-induced diabetic Wistar rats. Methods: Four groups of six adult male Wistar rats each with a mean weight of 164.59 g were fasted overnight and induced diabetes by a single intraperitoneal injection of alloxan at a dose of 150 mg/kg body weight and fed biscuits containing hungry rice/unripe plantain/cashew nut (80:10:10%), hungry rice/unripe-plantain (80:20%), hungry rice/cashew nut (80:20%) or wheat (100%) and water ad libitum for 21 days. The non-induced rats fed poultry growers’ mash serve as the control. The rats’ body weight and food intake were evaluated while the lipid profile, liver enzyme markers, and serum protein were assayed. Results: Hungry rice-based biscuits showed decreases in fasting blood glucose, AST, ALT, ALP, TC, TG, and LDL-C and increases in HDL-C and total serum protein of rats. ALP and serum protein were more in rats fed Wheat biscuit and 80% hungry rice-20% unripe plantain biscuit. The biscuit containing 20% cashew nut showed a better desirable effect on all the parameters tested. Conclusion: The hungry rice-based-biscuits exhibited hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic potentials with desirable effect on liver biomarkers and serum proteins; and may be good for diabetes and weight management.

Comparative sensory evaluation of Agidi made from hungry rice (Acha) (Digitaria exilis) and corn (Zea mays).

This work evaluated the Comparative sensory properties of agidi made from hungry rice (acha/ Digitaria exilis) and maize (zea mays)”. The production of hungry rice and maize were made up of the following recipe: 1200g hungry rice, 300g of chewable cow bone, 14 medium fresh tomatoe balls, 6 medium balls of onions, pepper to taste, curry powder, 4 cubes of maggi (seasoning), 200g of crayfish, and 240ml of vegetable of oil and plantain leaves. Data was collected through sensory evaluation, as well as descriptive statistics for data analysis. Based on the research carried out on hungry rice agidi, the responses on the appearance, taste, texture, and generally acceptability of AG 1 are as follows 33.33%, 38.89%, 30.56% and 16.67% where AG 2 are; 16.67%, 16.67%, 19.44% and 13.89% respectively. Despite higher percentages to AG 1 produced from corn, AG 2 which is produced from hungry rice should be taken as main and staple food because of its nutritional benefits. From the results, the AG2 agidi was not poorly scored. Hence, more emphasis should be made on both meals as it is well known that in this part of the country and world, we have limited food options.

Fonio millet genome unlocks African orphan crop diversity for agriculture in a changing climate

Sustainable food production in the context of climate change necessitates diversification of agriculture and a more efficient utilization of plant genetic resources. Fonio millet (Digitaria exilis) is an orphan African cereal crop with a great potential for dryland agriculture. Here, we establish high-quality genomic resources to facilitate fonio improvement through molecular breeding. These include a chromosome-scale reference assembly and deep re-sequencing of 183 cultivated and wild Digitaria accessions, enabling insights into genetic diversity, population structure, and domestication. Fonio diversity is shaped by climatic, geographic, and ethnolinguistic factors. Two genes associated with seed size and shattering showed signatures of selection. Most known domestication genes from other cereal models however have not experienced strong selection in fonio, providing direct targets to rapidly improve this crop for agriculture in hot and dry environments.

Genetic Resources and Varietal Environment of Grown Fonio Millets in West Africa: Challenges and Perspectives

Fonio, known to be the smallest and oldest form of millet grown in sub-Saharan Africa, has remained relatively poor of research despite its nutritional, sociocultural, agroecological, therapeutic and economic potentials. Based on systematic literature review, this critical study showed that fonio genetic breeding progress is at a low level. Genetic resources are threatened by erosion, particularly extra-early cultivars of Digitaria exilis, and mainly D. iburua species have practically disappeared in some cultivation countries including Benin. Varietal environment is characterized by lack of improved varieties and seeds, so that cultivars are ecotypes derived from natural selection often with low yields. Seeds, very tiny, are generally heterogenous, in polyvarietal mixtures because of unimproved systems and management by farmers. These ecotypes are susceptible to stem lodging and seed shattering. An exhaustive list of fonio genetic resources from West and Central Africa into catalog remains to be documented. There is a need for regional and international networking of fonio researchers with institutional support for harmonizing germplasm characterization methods, will facilitate descriptors development for all countries. It is necessary to consider in this work wild relative species that have potential genes of resistance/tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress. Starting from autogamy and apomixis revealed on fonio, homogenization program using pureline and mass selection of cultivars could enable rapid release of homogeneous and higher yielding materials to farmers and processors. Development of early and yielded varieties, with upright stem and coarse grains, resistant to lodging, shattering, and facilitating mechanical harvesting would enhance effective production revival.

Effect of Variety on the Proximate and Sensory Properties of Wheat/Millet Cake

The effect of variety on the proximate and sensory properties of wheat millet cakes was assessed. Cake samples were produced from varying compositions of flour from wheat/millet varieties (pearl, finger and fonio millet). Wheat was substituted with 10 to 40% millet and plain wheat used as control. The cakes were evaluated for proximate and sensory properties using standard methods. The proximate composition of different wheat/millet cake showed that moisture content ranged between 15.90-19.15% (pearl),15.61-19.15% (finger) and 12.52-19.15% (fonio millet), while ash content ranged between 1.0-2.05% (pearl), 1.90-2.49% (finger) and 0.70-2.05% (fonio millet). Fat content of cakes from flour blends ranged between 18-18.67% (pearl millet), 15.91-18.00% (finger millet) and 14.90-18.00% (fonio millet), while protein content ranged between 5.75-13.16% (pearl millet), 5.75-11.85% (finger millet) and 5.35-10.54% (fonio millet) respectively. Crude fibre content ranged between 1.32-2.00% (pearl millet), 1.67-3.00% (finger millet) and 0.68-1.67% (fonio millet), while carbohydrate content of wheat/millet cakes ranged between 44.72-51.72% (pearl millet), 43.51-51.16% (finger millet) and 34.34-48.83% (fonio millet). Sensory evaluation result of cakes from blends of wheat/millet varieties showed 4.60-8.05 (pearl), 3.65-8.30 (finger) and 5.65-7.80 (fonio) for color, while appearance values ranged from 5.10-7.80, 3.20-8.50 and 5.25-7.85 for finger, pearl and fonio blend respectively. Flavor ranged between 5.05-7.90, 4.30-7.70 and 5.15-7.80 for pearl, finger and fonio millet blends, while texture values ranged between 5.60-7.50 for pearl, 3.90-7.60 for finger and 4.80-7.55 for fonio millet blend respectively. Taste ranged from 5.20 -7.86, 4.09 -7.89 and 5.20-7.86, with overall acceptability of products ranging from 5.10-8.00, 4.35-7.75 and 5.65-7.80 for pearl, finger and fonio millet blends respectively. The substitution of different quantities of millet varieties for wheat flour caused a decrease in moisture, ash and fat contents with an increase in protein, fibre and carbohydrate with cake samples competing favorably with the wheat cake sample. The study has shown millet to have good potential for confectionary production.

Friction Coefficients of Local Food Grains on Different Structural Surfaces

Knowledge of friction coefficient of agricultural commodities on various structural surfaces is imperative in the design and material selection for postharvest handling, transportation, processing and storage equipment. This paper presents the friction coefficients of local food grains on different structural surfaces as a function of moisture content. The experiment was conducted using a Complete Randomized Design (CRD) in a factorial treatment design to evaluate the influence of different structural surfaces (glass, mild steel, plastic, ply-board, and aluminium) and moisture content levels (6, 12, 18, and 24% wet basis) on the coefficient of friction of selected local grains (benniseed, finger millet, pearl millet, and hungry rice). Results obtained indicate that the friction coefficient (μ) of the studied grain samples increased linearly with increase in moisture level for all the tested structural surfaces. Within the range of the studied moisture content, benniseed exhibited the highest μ-value (0.526 ± 0.031 ≤ μ ≤ 0.784 ± 0.157) on ply-board, whereas hungry rice had the lowest value (0.248 ± 0.018 ≤ μ ≤ 0.527 ± 0.023) on glass material. Amongst the tested metal surfaces, aluminum had the lowest μ-value (0.236) at 6% moisture content. The effect of structural surfaces and moisture contents as well as their interactions on friction coefficient were statistically significant at P =.05 for all the studied grain samples. High values of correlation coefficient (R2) &gt; 0.95 were obtained to indicate strong correlation between μ-values and experimental factors. A low coefficient of variation (CV) of 2.75% was obtained to show high experimental reliability.

Comparative of Proximate and Mineral Composition of Commercially-Available Millet Types in Katsina Metropolis, Nigeria

The study revealed a high nutritional quality and possible therapeutic effect of the studied millet varieties which are locally sourced and relatively cheaper source of food for a teeming population like ours. The millet varieties were obtained from the central market in Katsina state, Nigeria. The millet varieties (finger millet, pearl millet and fonio millet) were cleaned by washing in water, de-watered, sun dried, milled into flour and stored in sealed polythene bags. The results obtained from the studied millet varieties showed a protein content level within the range of (10.09%-10.85%), fat content level between the range (2.76%-4.43%), carbohydrate, fat and ash content between the range (71.56% - 73.18%), (2.23% - 3.24%) and (0.86% - 1.94%) respectively. The mineral composition showed it contained mineral elements of health importance, such as; phosphorus, calcium, potassium, sodium and magnesium as well as other minor elements such as copper, manganese, zinc and iron.

Resilience of Hungry Rice Cropping in Sudano-Guinean Area of Mali: Case Study in the Village of Mandela

One study was conducted in the hosted village of the cooperative of women producing hungry rice of Mandela in order to point out the manner of women to relay men in hungry rice cropping and to analyze how they manage this crop in the context of climate change. Information was collected with 50% of the cooperative members selected randomly. Tools used were historical profile, matrix of climate change and semi-structured interview. Results have shown men abandoning hungry rice cropping since the drought of the early year of eighty’s. Cropping continuity was insured by women who produced hungry rice in one local inputs based cultural practice (use of local genotypes, crop rotation and manure application). The two cropping systems (rotation maize-hungry rice and hungry rice receiving 2t of mature/ha) have improved yield by 48% and 62% respectively. The gross income generated by these cropping systems are 30 000 and 60 000 FCFA/ha respectively. Hungry rice production conditions are characterized by the absence of local source of input supply, selling agricultural produce at low prices, specific use of female labor and low soil fertility.

Effect of planting date on growth and grain yield of fonio millet (&lt;i&gt;Digitaria exilis&lt;/i&gt; Stapf) in the Southeast of Senegal

A field experiment was carried out during the rainy cropping seasons of 2010 and 2011 in Southeastern Senegal. The study aimed at investigating the effects of sowing dates on plant growth and grain yield of fonio millet (Digitaria exilis Stapf). Seven planting times (from early July to mid August with 7-day interval) were laid out in a randomized complete block design. In general, plant growth and grain yield were significantly better for the early July sowing dates compared to other sowing dates. However, tillering capacity and grain size were not influenced by the sowing date. Highest grain yields were obtained on 15-July planting date with an average of 1,111 kg ha-1 in 2010 and 1,269 kg ha-1 in 2011. Compared to this planting date, the delay in sowing reduced grain yield by 50% in 2010 and 87% in 2011. Detrimental high rains to seedling vigor, decreasing sunshine during the plant growth, and rain deficit during the reproductive phase were among the main limiting factors for late sowings. Hence, the first fortnight of July could be recommended as optimal sowing period for early maturing cultivars of fonio in Southeastern Senegal.Key words: Fonio, Digitaria exilis, sowing date, growth, yield, Senegal.

English

This study investigates microbial load and shelf life of locally processed cereal-legume-oil seed flour mixes used for infant feeding in rural northern Nigeria. Free fatty acid (FFA), water activity (aw), pH, total viable count (TVC) and presence of yeast, coliform bacteria and mold were the parameters determined. Hungry rice or Digitaria exilis, benne seed or Sesamum indicum and soybean or Glycine max seeds flours were produced using traditional processing methods, including washing, boiling, fermenting and roasting. The test samples were milled into flour that could pass through a 70 mm mesh sieve and blended on protein basis at 70:30 cereal-legume/oilseed ratios to produce D70S30, D70G30, D70S15G15, D70S20G10 and D70S10G20 and stored at 30 to 32°C for 60 days. The parameters were determined at day 0 and intervals of 14, 28, 42 and 60 days. At the end of the storage period, all the parameters increased. FFA increased from 0.15 - 0.16% to 0.47 - 0.58%; aw from 0.46 - 0.48 to 0.72 - 0.80; pH from 3.9 to 4.7 - 4.9 and TVC from <1.0x102 to 2.2x103 to 3.6×104cfu/g for 0 and 60 days, respectively. The differences between the values of the parameters of the formulations were significant (p<0.05) especially from day 14. Yeast and coliform were not detected in all the samples but mold was detected from days 14 to 60. The formulation D70S30 had best shelf life; however, the samples should be consumed within 14 days of production. Key words: Seed flour, multi-mixes, children, microbial load, shelf life.