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The conservation biological control (CBC) concept has been explored through research conducted in northern Cameroon on larval parasitism of Helicoverpa armigera , a major cotton pest, on different host plants year round, from early September 2008 to late December 2014. A total of 47,152 caterpillars were reared over the 6-year period. They were found regularly present on crops such as cotton and okra and on wild plants, including Corynandra viscosa and Hyptis spp. The overall percentages of nematode- and disease-infected caterpillars were very low (1.05% and 2.92%, respectively). Diptera species accounted for less than 0.1% of the parasitoids that had emerged from caterpillars. Total hymenopteran parasitism was 10.5%, and varied markedly depending on the host plants. Nine Hymenoptera species were identified, with Meteorus laphygmarum being the dominant one (almost 80% of all 2698 adult parasitoids obtained after rearing), followed by Schoenlandella variegata (16.42%) and Charops spinitarsis (<2%). Out of this total, 35%, 28% and 25% of the adults were obtained respectively on C. vicosa , cotton and Hyptis spp., i.e. < 5% on all other host plants. The analysis conducted on 237 collections showed that, after adjusting for year and month effects, a highly significant difference was found between the parasitism rates observed on the different host plant species. The plants most suitable for H. armigera parasitism were Acantospermum hispidum , C. viscosa and Hyptis spp. The proportion of M. laphygmarum among emerged hymenoptera was highest on C. viscosa , medium on cotton and Hyptis spp. and lowest on L. esculentum. Future studies that could be carried out are outlined in the discussion with the aim of facilitating the transfer of parasitoids from caterpillars present on one plant species to those infesting cotton crops. • Influence of wild or cultivated host plants of H. armigera on parasitism of larvae was investigated in northern Cameroon over 7 years. • The role of Corynandra (= Cleome) viscosa and Hyptis spp. on H. armigera population dynamics was confirmed. • Meteorus laphygmarum (Braconidae) was the main parasitoid species found among the 9 hymenopteran species. • The challenges of the conservation biological control approach and the need to enhance studies on the role and life cycles of wild host plants are addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the central highlands of Madagascar, blast, a serious fungal disease of rice caused by Magnaporthe oryzae , was shown to be less severe in conservation agriculture (CA) than in conventional tillage (CT) cropping systems. To assess the effects of CA cropping systems on rice susceptibility to blast and to understand the mechanisms involved, an experiment was conducted over three growing seasons in two sites (at high and mid-altitude). Two fertilization treatments, one with mineral nitrogen (N) fertilizer, and one without, were studied in interaction with two different cropping systems (CA/CT) and two rice varieties that differ in their susceptibility to blast. The performances of the two cropping systems were assessed, and results showed that yields were no higher in the CA or were lower than in CT cropping systems. The effects of the treatments on upland rice crop growth were measured by leaf N content as an indicator of N crop status, and leaf area index (LAI) as an indicator of canopy density. In all years at both sites, leaf N content during early growth stages was higher in the CT than in the CA cropping system. The LAI was lower in the CA than in the CT cropping system at the high altitude site in all three years, and in two out of three seasons at the middle altitude site. Overall, when the level of blast was high, blast was less severe in the CA cropping system and with no N fertilizer. Leaf N content and LAI were used as intermediate explanatory variables in the statistical analyses, and one or the other or both always masked the effect of the cropping system or of N fertilization. Our results show that leaf N content during early growth stages masks the effect of the cropping system on leaf blast severity. When the LAI is strongly affected by the cropping system, it also masks the effect of the cropping system on the severity of leaf and panicle blast. Very often both variables masked the effects of the cropping system and of N fertilization. These findings should help improve disease management by modifying fertilization practices and crop nutrition in conservation agriculture cropping systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Africa, it is mostly the informal seed system that ensures farmers’ seed supply. This is partly because the formal seed systems are not always effective in meeting demand for new seed varieties. Sometimes informal seed recycling and exchange of improved sorghum varieties will take place alongside formal initiatives, as is the case in southern Mali. Focusing on one particular village in the Dioïla district, we analyze the efficacy of farmers’ strategies for preserving varietal seed purity and genetic integrity of an improved inbred-line (Soumba variety). Six seed lots of Soumba, recycled for two to six years by farmers using different practices, were collected and assessed in on-station trials in order to compare their agronomic performance and phenotypic purity (off-type plant frequencies) with control versions of the variety. Additionally, 30 panicle samples were randomly collected from five farmer fields sown with recycled Soumba and assessed for phenotypic purity in a progeny nursery and investigated for molecular diversity using 12 SSR markers. A total of 150 panicles from five other non-Soumba varieties were collected in the village in order to investigate eventual gene flow and its potential genetic consequences for the Soumba variety. In fields sown with recycled Soumba seed, between 2% and 14% of plants showed phenotypic deviations from the typical Soumba variety. The progeny nursery and SSR marker analysis verified the presence of the off-type plants observed in the field. The STRUCTURE program revealed admixtures with other varieties in 23% of Soumba plants, confirming the presence of gene flow. Gene diversity values in Soumba samples ranged from 0.006 for the commercial sample to 0.257 for recycled samples. Introgression and contamination were best minimized when (1) farmers had received specific training in seed production, (2) they could take advantage of isolated fields and (3) they could practise true-to-type panicle selection. Farmers were generally able to maintain the phenotype, as well as sustain or even improve yield performance of their Soumba variety while at the same time genetically enriching their seed stock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is the staple crop of Burkina Faso in West Africa where guinea race landraces are grown in low-input cropping systems. National and international breeding programs have had little success in disseminating modern varieties based on high yield potential caudatum or kafir race breeding materials, mostly introduced from other countries. It has been argued that the breeding objectives were not sufficiently oriented towards the farmers’ needs and preferences, and that they did not target the prevailing growing conditions of Burkina Faso. The objectives of the present article are (i) to identify and examine farmers’ selection criteria for sorghum varieties in the Centre-West of Burkina Faso, (ii) to compare these criteria with the breeder''s agronomic observations and standard practices, and (iii) to show how the criteria of both farmers and breeders can be effectively integrated into the early stages of a pedigree breeding program. These objectives take into consideration gender differentiation, consistency of selection criteria and the interrelationship of measured quantitative traits, as well as the impact of these traits and criteria on the final selection. The present paper is based on a pedigree breeding program that was carried out over three years (2001–2003) in two villages of Burkina Faso. Options for integrating farmers’ selection expertise with that of the breeders’ were examined. Participatory selection was initiated with 53 F3/F4 progenies in field trials managed by farmers using rating and voting exercises. The breeders measured and analysed the agronomic data while the farmers evaluated a large number of progenies by means of their three most important selection criteria and a general appreciation. Farmers’ initial choices remained consistent in the selection exercises (voting) performed in subsequent years. The farmers’ methods for defining traits turned out to be more multivariate than the breeders’ formal understanding of these same traits. This was especially so for the criteria of grain quality, earliness, and productivity for which the farmers’ definition encompasses factors such as flour yield and stability across environments. However, rating results between farmer groups were variable. A disagreement between female and male ratings was especially found for the grain quality traits. The results clearly show that farmers can effectively select for traits on the basis of progeny and single plants while pursuing specific agronomic aims such as adaption. Subsequent yield improvement schemes will thus be more efficient in terms of selection intensity related to grain yield. The study is showing the way for breeders to adjust their selection criteria to suit the basic needs of small-scale farmer in semi-arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]