ATDF Journal Volume 6 Issue 3 & 4, 2009 – African Orphan Crops
23 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.
Introduction: HTML
Issues Covered
Enhancing food security in Africa through science, technology and innovation
Constantine Bartel HTML
Role of orphan crops in enhancing and diversifying food production in Africa
Zerihun Tadele HTML
The comparative genomics of orphan crops
Andrew H. Paterson, Barbara K. Mashope and Lifeng Lin HTML
Harnessing biotechnology for conservation and utilization of genetic diversity in orphan crops
Ranjana Bhattacharjee HTML
Tailoring bioinformatics for the genetic improvement of orphan crops
Melaku Gedil HTML
The improvement of African orphan crops through TILLING
Korinna Esfeld and Zerihun Tadele HTML
Importance of tissue culture for orphan crops
Thomas Dubois HTML
Significance of genome sequencing for African orphan crops: the case of tef
Sonia Plaza, Eligio Bossolini and Zerihun Tadele HTML
Progress in prevention of toxico-nutritional neuro-degenerations
Fernand Lambein, Delphin Diasolua Ngudi and Yu-Haey Kuo HTML
African yam bean: a crop with security potentials for Africa
Dominique and A. Daniel HTML
Who is who in African orphan crops research and development
Zerihun Tadele HTML