ATDF Journal on
African Orphan Crops: Their Significance and Prospects for Improvement
May 2010
This special issue of the ATDF Journal is dedicated to the Orphan Crops of Africa. Although orphan crops are also known by different names (e.g. underutilized-, lost- or disadvantaged-crops), they all refer to a group of crops that are vital to the economy of developing countries due to their suitability to the agro-ecology and socio-economic conditions, but remain largely unimproved due to less attention has been given by the world scientific community. In order to boost food production in Africa emphasis should be given, not only to the major crops but also, to the orphan crops.
The topics covered in this issue range from germplam collection and conservation to the application of modern techniques (Bhattacharjee; Dominique & Daniel). Under ‘Comparative Genomics’ Patterson and colleagues showed the relationships of different orphan crops at a molecular level. The same group led the international group of scientists to complete the sequence of sorghum genome (Nature 457:551-556; 2009). Sorghum is also another important crop of Africa that was until recently considered as an orphan crop. But due to concerted efforts made by the national and international institutes, significant number of cultivars with desirable agronomic traits reached the farming community. Gedil presents how bioinformatic tools can be applied to the orphan crops. Recently, some orphan crops researchers got an opportunity to implement modern improvement techniques that have proved to be efficient in the improvement of major crops of the world. Among these, tissue culture (Dubois) and TILLING (Esfeld & Tadele) are discussed in detail. In addition, genome sequencing has been recently completed for orphan crops such as cassava and in progress for tef (Plaza et al.). Lambein and colleagues report their efforts to remove toxic substances from the two orphan crops that are extremely tolerant to drought but cause neuro-degenerations when consumed without proper processing. ‘Who is who in African orphan crops’ presents the names and addresses of institutes directly or indirectly involved in orphan crops research and development (Tadele). Some key organizations might be missed from the list but the list provides useful information, at least, for orphan crops researchers who need to establish research partnerships and are seeking for grants.
Zerihun Tadele
Institute of Plant Sciences
University of Bern, Switzerland
Content
3.Enhancing food security in Africa through science, technology and innovation Constantine Bartel
4.Role of orphan crops in enhancing and diversifying food production in Africa Zerihun Tadele
5.The comparative genomics of orphan crops Andrew H. Paterson, Barbara K. Mashope and Lifeng Lin
7. Tailoring bioinformatics for the genetic improvement of orphan crops Melaku Gedil
8.The improvement of African orphan crops through TILLING Korinna Esfeld and Zerihun Tadele
9.Importance of tissue culture for orphan crops Thomas Dubois
12.African yam bean: a crop with security potentials for Africa D. Dominique and A. Daniel
13. Who is who in African orphan crops research and development Zerihun Tadele
Dr. Ranjana Bhattacharjee, Molecular Geneticist, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), PMB 5320, Oyo Road, Ibadan, Nigeria. Email: R.Bhattacharjee@cgiar.org
Dr. Eligio Bossolini, Post-doctorial Researcher, Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013 Bern, Switzerland. Email: eligio.bossolini@ips.unibe.ch
Dr. Adewale Daniel, Research Fellow, Genetic Resources Centre, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, P.M.B., 5320, Oyo Road, Ibadan, Nigeria. E-mail: dadewale@cgiar.org
Dr. Dumet Dominique, Head, Genetic Resources Center, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, P.M.B., 5320, Oyo Road, Ibadan, Nigeria. E-mail: d.dumet@cgiar.org
Dr. Thomas Dubois, Researcher, Banana Seed Systems in East Africa, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, P.O. Box 7878, Plot 15, East Naguru Road, Upper Naguru, Kampala, Uganda. Email: t.dubois@cgiar.org.
Dr. Korinna Esfeld, Researcher, Molecular Breeding and Genomics of Tef, Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern., Altenbergrain 21, 3013 Bern, Switzerland. Email: korinna.esfeld@ips.unibe.ch
Dr. Melaku Gedil, Molecular Geneticist, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). PMB 5320, Oyo Road, Ibadan, Nigeria. Email: m.gedil@cgiar.org
Dr. Yu-Haey Kuo, Plant Pathologist, Institute of Plant Biotechnology for Developing Countries (IPBO), Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium. Email: YuHaey.Kuo@ugent.be
Prof. Fernand Lambein, Project Leader, Institute of Plant Biotechnology for Developing Countries (IPBO), Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium. Email: fernand.lambein@ugent.be
Dr. Lifeng Lin, Researcher, Plant Genome Mapping Laboratory, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA. lifeng_lin@yahoo.com
Dr. Barbara K. Mashope, Regional Coordinator (Western Cape), Early Detection and Evaluation of Invasive Alien Plants, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Kirstenbosch Gardens, P/Bag X7, Claremont 7735, Cape Town, South Africa. Email: Mashope@sanbi.org
Dr. Delphin Diasolua Ngudi, Nutritionist, Institute of Plant Biotechnology for Developing Countries (IPBO), Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium. Email: Delphin.DiasoluaNgudi@ugent.be
Prof. Andrew H. Paterson, Distinguished Research Professor and Head, Plant Genome Mapping Laboratory, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA. Email: paterson@uga.edu
Dr. Sonia Plaza, Post-doctorial Researcher, Molecular Breeding and Genomics of Tef, Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013 Bern, Switzerland. Email: sonia.plaza@ips.unibe.ch
Dr. Zerihun Tadele, Group Leader, Molecular Breeding and Genomics of Tef, Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013 Bern, Switzerland. Email: zerihun.tadele@ips.unibe.ch