Welcome to MELSpace
DSpace is a digital service that collects, preserves, and distributes digital material. Repositories are important tools for preserving an organization's legacy; they facilitate digital preservation and scholarly communication.
Recent Submissions
The Wheat Seed Sector in the Sudan
Author(s): Bishaw, Zewdie; Turner, Michael; Gizaw, Solomon Assefa; Tahir, Izzat (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), 2017-05-01)
Date: 2017-05-01
Type: Internal Report
Status: Open access
The African Development Bank is currently funding the project “Support to Agricultural Research for Development – Strategic Crops” (SARD-SC), within which twelve countries participate in the wheat sub-project coordinated by ICARDA. These countries are grouped based on an agroclimate, and Sudan provides the ‘hub’ for work in the East African Lowlands. The Agricultural Research Corporation of Sudan (ARC) has a long history and rich experience in wheat research, particularly for breeding heat-tolerant varieties it is therefore well-placed to host this program. Despite this positive research background, the national wheat production in Sudan has decreased in recent years, and this is a serious drain on the economy because of the rising demand for bread and the high cost of imported grain. The government is committed to restoring wheat production and has announced ambitious annual targets. This can be achieved by both productivity gains and an increase in the planted area.
The lack of good quality seed is widely regarded as a major factor contributing to the low performance of wheat crops in recent years, and this reflects a wider concern about the overall status of the seed sector. The Government of Sudan requested ICARDA to review the wheat seed sector, identify key constraints, and make recommendations for its revitalization. The inception workshop of the SARD-SC held in March 2013 had already prioritized seed as a key component of technology transfer. Therefore, ICARDA, as the coordinator of the project undertakes this mission with the main focus on wheat but also considers the wider seed issues in Sudan. This dual purpose was emphasised in briefings with senior Ministry officials at the start of the mission.
Although the institutional and regulatory aspects of this study are specific to Sudan, the analysis presented in this report may be relevant to other countries within the sub-project because the supply of wheat seed does present some generic challenges that arise from its biological and agronomic characteristics.
Solar Powered Net-House
Author(s): Nejatian, Arash; Niane, Abdoul Aziz (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), 2024-09-27)
Date: 2024-09-27
Type: Poster
Status: Open access
Saving Resources, Maximized Yield, Efficient Space Utilization
• AC/DC Hybrid Solar-Powered Energy
• Closed Hydroponics Systems
•Ultra-Low Energy Drippers
• Root Zone Cooling
•Vertical farming
Soilless Vertical Farming
Author(s): Nejatian, Arash; Niane, Abdoul Aziz (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), 2024-09-29)
Date: 2024-09-29
Type: Poster
Status: Open access
Since 2002, ICARDA, in collaboration with National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS), has pioneered a high-density vertical soilless cultivation system in the Arabian Peninsula. Tailored for medium-sized farmers, this innovative system is optimized for the production of high-value crops such as herbs, leafy greens, and fruits.
An Agro-economic comparison between Dwarf and Long green beans production in soilless production system
Author(s): Nejatian, Arash; Naqbi, Tahra; Ibrahim, Haliema; Ono, Eiichi (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), 2024-09-28)
Date: 2024-09-28
Type: Poster
Status: Open access
Study Objective
Compare the yield and income of dwarf and long beans in a hydroponic system in the UAE.
Methodology
• Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD)
• Dwarf beans (SHADE): Vertical system (60m²)
• Long beans (Saphiros): Flat system (120m²)
• Location: 8x30m greenhouse at Al Dhaid
• Irrigation: Closed Hydroponics System
Key Findings
Yield: Dwarf beans 1.98 kg/m²; Long beans 0.98 kg/m².
Timing: Dwarf beans start earlier and produce one week longer
Genome-wide analyses of cassava Pathogenesis-related (PR) gene families reveal core transcriptome responses to whitefly infestation, salicylic acid and jasmonic acid
Author(s): Irigoyen, Maria; Garceau, Danielle; Bohorquez-Chaux, Adriana; Becerra, Augusto; Perez-Fons, Laura; Paul, Fraser; Walling, Linda (BMC)
Date: 2020-01-29
Type: Journal Article
Status: Open access
Background
Whiteflies are a threat to cassava (Manihot esculenta), an important staple food in many tropical/subtropical regions. Understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating cassava’s responses against this pest is crucial for developing control strategies. Pathogenesis-related (PR) protein families are an integral part of plant immunity. With the availability of whole genome sequences, the annotation and expression programs of the full complement of PR genes in an organism can now be achieved. An understanding of the responses of the entire complement of PR genes during biotic stress and to the defense hormones, salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA), is lacking. Here, we analyze the responses of cassava PR genes to whiteflies, SA, JA, and other biotic aggressors.
Results
The cassava genome possesses 14 of the 17 plant PR families, with a total of 447 PR genes. A cassava PR gene nomenclature is proposed. Phylogenetic relatedness of cassava PR proteins to each other and to homologs in poplar, rice and Arabidopsis identified cassava-specific PR gene family expansions. The temporal programs of PR gene expression in response to the whitefly (Aleurotrachelus socialis) in four whitefly-susceptible cassava genotypes showed that 167 of the 447 PR genes were regulated after whitefly infestation. While the timing of PR gene expression varied, over 37% of whitefly-regulated PR genes were downregulated in all four genotypes. Notably, whitefly-responsive PR genes were largely coordinately regulated by SA and JA. The analysis of cassava PR gene expression in response to five other biotic stresses revealed a strong positive correlation between whitefly and Xanthomonas axonopodis and Cassava Brown Streak Virus responses and negative correlations between whitefly and Cassava Mosaic Virus responses. Finally, certain associations between PR genes in cassava expansions and response to biotic stresses were observed among PR families.
Conclusions
This study represents the first genome-wide characterization of PR genes in cassava. PR gene responses to six biotic stresses and to SA and JA are demonstrably different to other angiosperms. We propose that our approach could be applied in other species to fully understand PR gene regulation by pathogens, pests and the canonical defense hormones SA and JA.