Assessing the Potential Impact of Integrated Agricultural Research for Development (IAR4D) on Adoption of Improved Cereal-Legume Crop Varieties in the Sudan Savannah Zone of Nigeria

This article provides an assessment of the potential impact of operationalizing agricultural innovation platforms (IPs) in the Sudan Savannah zone of Nigeria on adoption of improved maize/legume crop varieties, as measured by the potential outcome approach. The results show that, if the whole population in the intervention area were exposed to these varieties, the adoption rate could be increased to 69% instead of 49%. The study also shows that exposure, as well as adoption, is influenced by numerous social and institutional factors and suggests that the operationalization of IPs could help boost the adoption rate to around 51%.     

Growth and magnesium uptake of tall fescue clones with varying root diameters

Abstract

A cool season perennial grass with a root system capable of penetrating hardpans and which can accumulate adequate Mg to prevent deficiencies in forage is needed in the Coastal Plain region. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to determine the effects of magnesium (Mg) concentration in nutrient solution and root diameter on Mg uptake and growth of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.). Propagules of two fescue clones with large root diameter (LDR >1 mm), two clones with small root diameter (SDR <0.8 mm), and a single clone from ‘Kentucky 31’ (Ky‐31) were transferred into 12‐liter tanks containing Mg concentrations of 3, 21, 42, 125, 250, and 500 μM as MgSO₄ and grown for 39 or 70 days. Leaf Mg concentration was increased linearly with Mg solution concentration in LDR clones for a 39‐day growth period (Harvest 1), but increased according to a cubic equation in the SDR clones and the Ky‐31. Predicted leaf Mg concentration as a function of solution Mg followed a cubic equation for a 70‐day growth period (Harvest 2) in all clones. Predicted root Mg concentration was linearly related to Mg solution concentration for the LDR clones and the Ky‐31, but followed a cubic equation for the SDR clones for the first growth period. For the second growth period, the root Mg concentration of the SDR clones and the Ky‐31 was increased linearly, while the LDR clones followed a quadratic equation. Magnesium uptake followed a cubic equation with Mg solution concentration for both growth periods on all tall fescue clones. This nonlinear variation of Mg uptake and plant Mg concentration with respect to solution Mg concentration strongly suggests that a dual uptake mechanism might have been present in tall fescue clones. Root volume was greater in the SDR than LDR clones or Ky‐31 for both growth periods. The Ky‐31 had the greatest leaf and root dry weight for both growth periods, while the LDR clones had the lowest.     

Large heterogeneity of the obesity epidemic in Danish adults

OBJECTIVE: To examine to what extent the obesity epidemic is a general phenomenon in adults by assessing the secular change, by birth cohort and age, in the prevalence of obesity and median body mass index (BMI) in Danish men and women measured between 1964 and 1994. DESIGN: Multiple cross-sectional population surveys. SETTING: The greater Copenhagen area of Denmark. SUBJECTS: The study included 17,065 men (30 336 observations) and 13,417 women (24,065 observations), aged 20-84 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Trends in median BMI and prevalence of obesity estimated from measured height and weight in 10-year age groups. RESULTS: In general the prevalence of obesity was increasing, although in an irregular way: among men in two phases, during the 1970s and 1990s and among women only during the 1990s. Great heterogeneity was observed between birth cohorts and age groups. There was only little indication of an increasing trend in obesity prevalence for women, except for the 55-64-year-olds. In men, the prevalence of obesity was increasing in all age groups except in the youngest ones, and it was statistically significant only for men aged 35-74 years. There was no significant linear change in median BMI in any group, except for an increasing trend among men aged 50 years and above. CONCLUSION: Although the overall Danish trend for obesity prevalence, similar to trends world-wide, showed a marked increase, the trend was very heterogeneous and generally neither uniform nor significantly positive; the changes were irregular, different among men and women, and different in the different age and birth cohorts. The obesity problem in middle-aged and older men of certain birth cohorts poses a specific public health challenge. Future studies of determinants behind the heterogeneity in the development of the obesity epidemic may provide clues to its causes.     

A gap analysis of terrestrial protected areas in England and its implications for conservation policy

Many protected area (PA) systems have developed in response to socio-economic and aesthetic criteria and need to be modified to increase their conservation value. National gap analyses are an important step in describing and addressing this problem, so we sought to determine the representativeness of English PAs devoted to biodiversity conservation by using Natural Areas (NAs), elevation and PA boundary data. We found that National Nature Reserves (NNRs) and Sites of Special Scientific Interests (SSSIs) cover only 6.3% of England and are generally small, with respective median areas of 1.1 and 0.2 km². The English PA system under-represents lowland areas and provides a median level of 2.5% protection for the NA types, with seventy nine per cent of NA types having less than 10% protection. Therefore, we suggest that England's PA system needs to be expanded, although this would probably entail modification of existing legislation to increase involvement by landowners. We also compare our results with previous appraisals that used species distribution record data and suggest that landscape-level analyses may give a more accurate and less positive assessment.     

Isotopic fractionation during N2 fixation by four tropical legumes

To quantify the contribution of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) to legume crops using the ¹⁵N natural abundance technique, it is necessary to determine the ¹⁵N abundance of the N derived from BNF—the B value. In this study, we used a technique to determine B whereby both legume and non-N₂-fixing reference plants were grown under the same conditions in two similar soils, one artificially labelled with ¹⁵N, and the other not. The proportion of N derived from BNF (%Ndfa) was determined from the plants grown in the ¹⁵N-labelled soil and it was assumed that the %Ndfa values of the legumes grown in the two soils were the same, hence the B value of the legumes could be calculated. The legumes used were velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens), sunnhemp (Crotalaria juncea), groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) and soybean (Glycine max) inoculated, or not, with different strains of rhizobium. The values of %Ndfa were all over 89%, and all the legumes grown in unlabelled soil showed negative δ¹⁵N values even though the plant-available N in this soil was found to be approximately +6.0‰. The B values for the shoot tissue (B_s) were calculated and ranged from approximately −1.4‰ for inoculated sunnhemp and groundnut to −2.4 and −4.5‰ for soybean inoculated with Bradyrhizobium japonicum strain CPAC 7 and Bradyrhizobium elkanii strain 29W, respectively. The B (B_wp) values for the whole plants including roots, nodules and the original seed N were still significantly different between the soybean plants inoculated with CPAC 7 (−1.33‰) and 29W (−2.25‰). In a parallel experiment conducted in monoxenic culture using the same soybean variety and Bradyrhizobium strains, the plants accumulated less N from BNF and the values were less negative, but still significantly different for soybean inoculated with the two different Bradyrhizobium strains. The results suggest that the technique utilized in this study to determine B with legume plants grown in soil in the open air, yields B values that are more appropriate for use under field conditions.     

Microbial activity and leaching during initial oak leaf litter decomposition

The decomposition of oak leaf litter was studied by means of a litterbag experiment in an oak forest in the Netherlands. The contribution of microbial activity and leaching to weight loss and element dynamics during the first 6 weeks of decomposition was investigated by means of frequent respiration measurements and extractions of the litter and by a qualitative comparison of throughfall and litter percolation water chemistry. The oak-leaf litter lost 9.3% of its initial dry weight during the first 6 weeks. In total, 90% of this observed weight loss was explained by the processes studied. About 5.9% (64% of the total) of this weight loss was attributed to microbial tespiration and 0.5% (5%) to the loss of inorganic solutes. Leaching of dissolved organic compounds was estimated to account for 2.0% (21%). The results indicated a fast leaching of K and Cl out of the fresh litter during the first 2 weeks, while Mg, Fe, Mn, Si, ortho P, and dissolved organic N were released at a much lower rate. At the same time, small amounts of H⁺, NH _inf4 ^sup+ and NO _inf3 ^sup- were retained in the litter.     

Enchytraeids and nematophagous fungi in soil microcosms

In small containers of soil in the laboratory, the enchytraeid Enchytraeus crypticus destroyed colonies of the nematophagous fungus Hirsutella rhossiliensis growing from pelletized hyphae, and reduced biological control of the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne javanica. The enchytraeid also reduced the population densities of the nematode-trapping fungi Monacrosporium gephyropagum, Arthrobotrys thaumasia, and A. haptotyla. Because addition of pelletized hyphae caused rapid and large increases in numbers of E. crypticus, the enchytraeid apparently interfered with biological control by ingesting and consuming the fungi. Received: 15 January 1997     

Compatibility of crosses between gene pools and evolutionary classes in the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

The extent of genetic divergence between the Mesoamerican and Andean gene pools and between evolutionary classes (wild, landrace and bred) in Phaseolus vulgaris was explored. The compatibility of crosses was assessed by the frequency with which pollination was successful and the number of seeds in the resulting pod. Mesoamerican genotypes were more effective as pollinators than Andean genotypes, regardless of the gene pool of the female parent. Though certain individual genotypes were more easily pollinated by genotypes of one or other of the gene pools, there was no consistent tendency for pollinations between genotypes within a gene pool to be more successful than those between gene pools. In crosses among wild and landrace genotypes, the landrace genotypes were more easily pollinated. In those among wild and bred genotypes, the bred genotypes were more effective as pollinators, and the number of seeds per pod was greater in crosses between the evolutionary classes than in those within classes. In crosses among landrace and bred genotypes, those within evolutionary classes had higher success rates than those between classes (47.2% vs. 38.9%), and produced more seeds per pod. However, these results do not represent a major barrier between the evolutionary classes. The hypothesis that dwarf-lethal incompatibility in inter-gene pool crosses is controlled by two complementary dominant genes (the DL-gene hypothesis) was tested by comparing the numbers of normal and abnormal plants in the progeny of three-way crosses, and the ratios obtained were consistent with the hypothesis. It is concluded that there is no biological barrier between the two gene pools and that they are distinct because, by accident of ancestry, they are located in geographically isolated and ecologically distinct areas, with different cultural practices and preferences. Research programmes aimed at transferring desirable traits between the gene pools should therefore be encouraged.     

Capillary electrophoretic behaviour of humic substances from Sphagnum peats of various geographical origin: relation with the degree of decomposition

Humic substances (HS) extracted from 14 Sphagnum peats of various geographical origin were submitted tocapillary electrophoresis (CE) in free solution and in entangled polymer solutions (25 gl^-1 and 50 gl^?1) of polyethylene glycol (PEG). Electrophoretic runs were made in uncoated capillaries (75 μm internal diameter) using a tris-hydroxymethylaminomethane (TRIS)-phosphate buffer (pH 8.3) eventually containing PEG and applying a voltage of 10 kV. The HS extract of a Lithuanian peat was fractionated by ultrafiltration into five fractions with a nominal mean relative molecular mass (M) of 3000, 7500, 20 000, 75 000 and 200 000 Da. Without PEG, migration times were not correlated with the logarithm of M, but linear relations were obtained with 25gl^?1 and 50gl^?1 PEG solutions. Both solutions separated the different fractions by size; the best regression and the largest interval of linearity, M from 3000 to 200 000 Da, was obtained with the 25gl^?1 PEG solution. At 10kV and without PEG, migration times ranged from 6.5 to 8.1 min and did not differentiate the peats, whereas at 25gl^?1 PEG, migration times ranged from 3.3 to 6.5 min and, when plotted as a function of either the r value or the von Post index (H), which are used to evaluate the degree of decomposition of horticultural peats, they separated samples on the basis of their geographical origin and probable type of mire complex. At 25gl^?1 PEG, migration times also showed a well-defined linear decreasing trend with the increase of mean annual temperatures. These relations suggest the hypothesis that humification in mires goes along with an increase in the average size of humic molecules.     

Time-course of dinitrogen fixation of promiscuous soybean cultivars measured by the isotope dilution method

 Soybean cultivars capable of nodulating with indigenous Bradyrhizobium spp. have been developed by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and national programs in Africa in order to avoid artificial inoculation by resource-poor farmers in Africa. The current selection procedure for enhanced N₂ fixation is based on an assessment of nodule formation which does not directly quantify the proportions of crop N derived from the atmosphere. We have monitored N accumulation patterns and N₂ fixation in nine promiscuous soybean cultivars with different maturity periods, using the ¹⁵N dilution technique. Nodule development generally peaked at the early podfill stage for all cultivars except Tgx 1519-1D and Tgx 1447-2D in which it continued to increase. The proportion of crop N derived from fixation (%NDFA) ranged between 51% and 67%, 77% and 84%, and 66% and 73% at full bloom, early podfill, and physiological maturity stages, respectively. Total N accumulation increased in all soybean genotypes with increasing plant age. Significant correlations (P<0.001) were established between nodule weight and %NDFA, even though this did not explain the relationship between nodule development and N₂ fixation in cultivars such as Tgx 1519-1D. Promiscuous soybean cultivars retained between 10% and 19% of total N accumulated at the final harvest, in belowground biomass. Our results indicated that these soybean cultivars can derive substantial proportions of plant N from N₂ fixation in soils where compatible indigenous bradyrhizobia populations are adequate and effective. Also, we have substantiated the claims that qualitative nodulation parameters currently used to select varieties with a high N₂ fixation capacity need to be validated with other measurements of N₂ fixation. Received: 5 November 1998