Purpose: The aims of this article are to highlight pre-breeding procedures for identifying primary sources of Striga-resistance genes and to summarize complimentary breeding techniques that enhance partial resistance of maize varieties against Striga species.
Materials and methods: The paper presented a comprehensive account of Striga screening and controlling techniques and highlighted the potential of integrating partial resistance with FOS to boost maize production and productivity in SSA.
Results:Striga infestation is a major constraint to maize production and productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). A lack of Striga-resistant maize varieties and the limited adoption of other control methods hinder effective and integrated control of the parasitic weed in maize and related cereal crops globally. Genetic resistance of maize should be complemented with the use of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. strigea (FOS), a biocontrol agent known to suppress Striga.
Conclusions: A combined use of genetic resistance and FOS has remained largely unutilized in controlling Striga in Africa. A combination of conventional and molecular Striga-resistance breeding tools as well as the use of FOS are promising methods to effectively control Striga in SSA. 相似文献
To investigate the effects of Centella asiatica (L.) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and blood composition in piglets, 32 nursery pigs were fed 0.0, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0% dietary C. asiatica (L.) from 15 to 90 kg BW. At 30 kg BW, nutrient digestibility was measured and at 35 kg BW piglets were vaccinated with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae. Hematological parameters were checked at 40 and 80 kg BW. Compared with the control, growth performance was not affected. The ether extract, ash and calcium digestibility were lower at 0.5%, and dry matter, crude protein, crude fat, phosphorus and energy digestibility were lower at 1.0% (P < 0.05). On hematological values, at 40 kg hematocrit, total white blood cells, neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, monocytes and lymphocytes were higher at the 2.0% level (P < 0.05). Most of these values except basophils and monocytes continued until at 80 kg, at which total white blood cells, neutrophils, eosinophils and lymphocytes were higher even at 1.0% (P < 0.05); neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio tended to be higher at 2.0% (P < 0.03). Cholesterol, triglycerides and antibody levels against M. hyopneumoniae did not differ except that at 40 kg the cholesterol of 0.5% was lower (P < 0.05) and M. hyopneumoniae‐specific antibodies tended to be higher with increasing levels of C. asiatica (L.) (P < 0.07). The result that C. asiatica (L.) could not improve growth performance but increased values of serum hematocrit and white blood cells, and mycoplasma immunity to M. hyopneumoniae might suggest that C. asiatica (L.) has no function to elevate body weight but has the potential to enhance innate immunity. 相似文献