Alfred Oduor Odindo

The analysis of genetic gain and changes in economic traits among modern and older cultivars is important to estimate breeding progress, evaluate the effectiveness of selection methods, identify optimised and neglected attributes, detect trade-offs, and inform strategies in crop improvement programs. This meta-analysis analysed global genetic gain and changes in seed yield, yield-related traits, and seed compositional attributes in soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.). A meta-database comprising 272 genetic gain data points recorded from 29 studies and 2555 mean performances captured from 34 research papers was compiled from research reporting cultivars released globally between the 1920s and 2010s. The mean values extracted from these studies were subjected to the R-Software analysis of variance (ANOVA) to reveal the effects of year of cultivar release and production region on the studied agronomic and compositional attributes. Boxplots were constructed to visualise data distribution and variability, and Pearson correlation and principal component analysis (PCA) were performed to examine inter-relationships among the measured traits with year of cultivar release and production region. Significant differences (p < 0.001) in mean performance were found among decades of cultivar release for seed yield (SY), number of seeds per pod (NSPod), days to flowering (DTF), days to maturity (DTM), and total biomass (TB). Cultivars released in the 2000s attained the highest mean SY of 3737.62 kg ha⁻¹, compared to 2156.08 kg ha⁻¹ observed for varieties released in the 1960s. Annual mean increases for SY ranged from 1.75 to 47 kg ha⁻¹year⁻¹, driven primarily by improvements in number of seeds per plant (NSP), NSPod, plant height (PH), DTF, TB, and hundred seed weight (HSW). Conversely, seed protein content (SPC) declined across most breeding programs, while seed oil content (SOC) showed only modest improvement, and no consistent genetic gains were documented for micronutrient traits, including iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), calcium (Ca), or phytic acid (PA) content. Phytic acid, a potent chelator of essential minerals and a known inhibitor of protein digestibility in monogastric species, represents a critical but largely untracked compositional target in global soybean breeding. The absence of PA as a systematically monitored trait constitutes a significant gap in the literature, with direct implications for the nutritional quality of improved cultivars. Future breeding programs should adopt an integrated approach that simultaneously targets high SY, enhanced micronutrient bioavailability, and reduced antinutritional factor concentrations to advance both agricultural productivity and global food and nutrition security.

Grafting is an important technique in watermelon production systems to enhance biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, fruit yield, and quality. Grafting watermelon using compatible rootstocks of closely related Citrullus species offers opportunities for the development of watermelon crops possessing unique product profiles. Therefore, the objective of this review is to appraise the utilities of citron watermelon as a potential and candidate rootstock for grafted watermelon to develop unique graft combinations possessing market and consumer-needed attributes. We conducted a search in various databases, including Web of Science, Science Direct, and Scopus, and accessed the relevant peer-reviewed publications and composed five sections for the review. The first section outlined the benefits of citron watermelon rootstock on grafted watermelon against biotic stress tolerance. The second section discussed the impact of citron watermelon rootstock for inducing abiotic stress tolerance in grafted watermelon. Thirdly, citron watermelon rootstock/watermelon scion on fruit yield is discussed. The fourth section reviews fruit quality of grafted sweet watermelon as affected by citron watermelon rootstocks. Lastly, the genetic resources of citron watermelon and their attributes for rootstock applications in grafted watermelon are presented. The findings highlight citron watermelon as a promising alternative rootstock for improving resilience and fruit quality in grafted sweet watermelon production systems.

The global demand for sanitation, food, and healthcare is intensifying as the world’s population continues to rise, projected to reach nearly 10 billion people by 2050 (Turk 2016; Falcon et al. 202...

Quantitative genetic parameters associated with the inheritance of biomass yield and related traits were evaluated in Gynandropsis gynandra for selecting a

Drought stress poses a significant challenge to food security in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly for smallholder farmers in dryland systems. Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.), an underutilised legume with inherent drought tolerance, remains underexplored in terms of its root system traits. This greenhouse study investigated the early root and shoot responses of six Bambara groundnut genotypes under well-watered (100% field capacity) and water-stressed (50% field capacity) conditions using rhizotron-based phenotyping. Significant genotypic differences (p < 0.01) were observed in root traits such as root system depth (RSD: 11.0–19.9 cm), root system width (RSW: 6.96–12.2 cm), and root dry mass (RDM: 0.42–1.27 g). The ARC genotype exhibited a strong drought-avoidance strategy, increasing RSD from 12.2 to 19.9 cm and RDM from 0.42 to 1.16 g under stress. The Tiga Nicuru DIP-C-F7471 genotype showed adaptive plasticity, maintaining deeper roots (11.0–14.5 cm), high convex hull area (CHA), and root–shoot ratio (RSR) values, despite a reduction in RDM, suggesting a resource-conserving strategy. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) captured 93.6% of the total variability among genotypes. Root traits, particularly total root length (TRL), convex hull area (CHA), root system width (RSW), and root dry mass (RDM), were the main contributors to genotype differentiation. Strong positive correlations (r = 0.88–0.97) between root and shoot traits suggest that genotypes with more developed root systems also supported greater shoot growth, highlighting the coordinated response of above- and below-ground traits under drought stress. These findings provide valuable targets for breeding and highlight the value of rhizotron-based screening for root trait selection. Future field validation and full-season studies are recommended to confirm their relevance for improving yield stability in dryland agriculture.

Effluents from decentralised wastewater systems, using an anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR), have high concentrations of nitrogen (N) unsuitable for safe disposal. The study investigated the effects of duckweed ( Lemna minor ) density and effluent dilution on N removal and biomass accumulation, over 14 days. The duckweed biomass was tested as a fertiliser for ryegrass ( Lolium perenne ) at (i) 200 kg N ha ⁻¹ (DWN), (ii) 80 kg P ha ⁻¹ (DWP), (iii) DWN with mineral P to 80 kg P ha ⁻¹ (DWN + P), compared with (iv) inorganic N fertiliser and two negative controls with (v) P and potassium (K), and (vi) K only. Biomass and N (11–56 mg L ⁻¹ ) removal increased with effluent dilution and higher density. The 1:3 dilution (effluent: water) and chemical fertiliser (CF) had higher biomass than other treatments, except 1:1 at 800 g m ⁻² . The treatments had similar percentage N removal (> 79%), except the 3:1 with 400 g m ⁻² duckweed (73%). Duckweed treatments had higher ryegrass dry matter, and N and P uptake, than the controls without N. The DWP and inorganic fertiliser with N had similar ryegrass dry matter and N uptake, which were higher than for DWN and DWN + P. The findings showed that duckweed, cultured at 600–800 g m ⁻² , could efficiently remove N from diluted ABR effluent for safe disposal, and that duckweed biomass increases ryegrass N uptake and dry matter to similar levels as inorganic N fertiliser, especially when applied to meet P requirements.

Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.) is a drought-tolerant, underutilised legume with the potential to improve food security, but its slow, uneven germination due to hard seed coats constrains cultivation. This study investigated the effects of hydropriming (0, 12, 24, and 36 h) on the seed imbibition, emergence, and early seedling growth in four landraces (NW, Nov4, ARC, and 519) under greenhouse conditions. The results showed genotype-specific variation in the water uptake, with Genotype 519 exhibiting the highest water imbibition (17.31%) at 36 h, while NW displayed slower but steadier hydration (13.51%). These differences reflect contrasting seed coat permeability and hydration strategies, which influenced the subsequent emergence patterns. Hydropriming significantly reduced the time to emergence (50% emergence by Day 5 in NW) and increased the seedling vigour. After 9 days of growth, the shoot length increased from 7.8 cm to 12.7 cm, the root length from 11.6 cm to 18.1 cm, and the dry mass from 0.38 g to 0.67 g. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significant effects (p < 0.01) of the genotype, the priming duration, and their interaction on traits such as the root length, dry mass, and root-to-shoot ratio. PCA identified the whole-plant dry mass, root dry mass, and root-to-shoot ratio as key contributors to performance. Pearson correlation showed a strong positive association (r = 1.0, p < 0.001) between the priming duration and seedling biomass, although the extended imbibition time may partially explain this trend. Hydropriming, particularly for 36 h, showed promise in promoting early growth, indicating that it is a favourable low-cost intervention. Field-level validation is recommended to assess the practical scalability under diverse environmental conditions.

Crop diversification is a vital strategy for achieving sustainable agriculture and food security, yet adoption rates remain low. This study examined the socioeconomic factors influencing crop diversification among smallholder farmers. A two-stage sampling procedure was employed to elicit data from 161 farmers solely specializing in crop production. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data, analyzed using descriptive statistics. The multiple linear regression and multivariate probit regression models were applied to assess the socioeconomic factors influencing diversification. The results revealed that smallholders primarily focused on vegetable cultivation (87%), followed by cereals (56%) and legumes (43%). Education level, household size, market access, and the perceived benefits of diversification significantly (p < 0.05) influenced diversification decisions. Also, sources of irrigation water, age, marital status, and farm size were key factors in vegetable diversification, while farming experience, farm size, and perceived benefits influenced legume diversification. Only marital status and farming experience were positively linked to cereal crop diversification. Furthermore, 48.4% of farmers practice intercropping, integrating maize with pumpkins or sugar beans, while 33.5% still rely on monoculture, predominantly maize, due to limited resources. These findings highlight the need for policies and extension support to address socioeconomic barriers and encourage a wider adoption of crop diversification strategies.

Increasing demand for nutritious, safe, and healthy food, including the need to preserve biodiversity and other resources, signifies a prodigious challenge for agriculture, which is already at risk from climate change. Diverse and healthy plant-based diets may significantly reduce food insecurity, malnutrition, diet-related diseases, and other health-related issues. More attention to agricultural systems diversity is mandatory to improve the economic, environmental, ecological, and social sustainability of food production in developing countries. In this context, neglected legume production could significantly provide nutritional and healthy benefits for people while adhering to sustainability principles. However, the contribution of neglected legumes to food and nutrition security is still limited due to socio-economic challenges faced by farmers that contribute to the underutilization of neglected legumes, leading to overreliance on a few legumes with poor resilience to climatic perturbations, thus posing a risk to sustainable food production. While major legumes offer higher economic returns and more developed value chains, they also contribute to environmental degradation and resource depletion. Neglected legumes, on the other hand, provide ecosystem services, promote biodiversity, and offer climate resilience but face economic challenges due to limited market demand and underdeveloped value chains. Consequently, food nutritional insecurity and human health concerns remain prevalent, especially in developing countries. There is an urgent need to promote neglected legumes in agricultural systems through policy change implementation, genetic improvement, and development, fostering international cooperation to share knowledge, technologies, and best practices in the production and utilization of neglected legumes. This review comprehensively explores the utility of neglected legumes for food, nutritional security, and human health. It identifies knowledge gaps that should be prioritized as part of research strategies for sustainable future food systems in sub-Saharan Africa.