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Food processing can alter protein biochemical properties, impacting immunoreactivity and allergenicity. A key feature of food allergens is their resistance to enzymatic digestion, particularly by pepsin and trypsin. This study compares the digestomes of raw and heat- and/or pressure-treated peanuts, hazelnuts, pistachios and cashews using the INFOGEST harmonized digestion protocol and analyzing their IgE-binding capacity through in vitro methods. Protein patterns from controls and digestomes were resolved by SDS-PAGE and tested with sera from allergic patients, confirmed by competitive ELISA for hazelnuts and peanuts. The results indicate that processing methods differently affect the gastrointestinal (GI) digestion of these allergens. Simulated GI digestion caused a significant destruction of protein structures, reducing but not eliminating IgE reactivity for all four nuts. Boiling for 60 min did not change the SDS-PAGE profiles, but it did stimulate enzymatic activity, decreasing IgE binding capacity. In contrast, applying heat and pressure led to a nearly complete inhibition of allergenic potential during simulated digestion. These findings suggest that employing intense food processing techniques and investigating the gastrointestinal effects of highly allergenic nuts could be crucial steps toward developing new hypoallergenic formulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Terebinth (Pistacia terebinthus) belongs to the same botanical family as pistachio (Pistacia vera) and cashew (Anacardium occidentale). Although it is known that there is cross-sensitivity between pistachio and cashew, the cross-sensitivity of terebinth with pistachio or cashew has not been investigated. The objective of our study was to evaluate the sensitivity to terebinth in children with pistachio sensitivity. Methods: This study was conducted between September 2021 and June 2022 at Adıyaman University Faculty of Medicine Hospital. It analyzed the results of children who underwent skin prick testing (SPT) for food allergy. Of the 712 food skin prick tests reviewed, 27 children were identified with pistachio sensitivity. Prick tests with commercial extract for cashew and prick-to-prick tests for terebinth were applied to these children. Results: The median age was two, and 78% were male. Of the children with pistachio sensitivity, 96% demonstrated cross-sensitivity to terebinth and 100% to cashew. There was a strong correlation between the size of SPT responses in pistachio, cashew, and terebinth. Only four children had previously consumed terebinth, and two of these children had allergic reactions. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates a high cross-sensitivity between terebinth, pistachio, and cashew. We recommend that individuals with pistachio or cashew allergy/sensitivity avoid terebinth until tests confirm it is safe to consume. Further studies are needed to demonstrate the clinical significance of this cross-sensitivity and identify the major allergen involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of microbial transglutaminase (MTGase) on the textural properties and meltability of vegan cheese formulated using cashew paste, tapioca starch, coconut oil, and pea protein. The parameters were evaluated at various MTGase concentrations (0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1%) and different incubation times (30, 60, and 90 min). A MTGase concentration of 0.25% resulted in higher meltability Index of 3.02 ± 0.14 and acceptable hardness of 3479.44 ± 14.49 g at 30 min of incubation time. However, prolonged incubation times were found to adversely affect the texture and meltability of the cheese. A similar adverse effect on texture was observed at an MTGase concentration of 0.1% at 60 and 90 min of incubation. The results revealed that lower MTGase concentrations with longer incubation times produced similar effects as higher MTGase concentrations with shorter incubation times. However, at a lower enzyme concentration of 0.1%, meltability was significantly higher (3.24 ± 0.33, P < 0.05) at 60 min of incubation compared to 90 min. The findings suggest that vegan cheese with improved texture, meltability, and sensory properties can be developed by combining cashew, tapioca starch, coconut oil, and pea protein in a ratio of 50:25:20:10, with 1% each of carrageenan and agar, and 60% water, and incubating the mixture with 0.25% MTGase for 30 min at 40 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following successful oral immunotherapy (OIT) for peanut allergy using boiled peanuts (BOPI trial), this study investigated the potential of wet-thermal-processing-induced allergen modification, specifically soaking and boiling (1–4 h) to reduce the allergenicity of cashew and pistachio allergens. In addition, this study provides a foundation of understanding for developing safer forms of cashew/pistachio administration for application in OIT by gradual exposure to increasing doses of modified allergens with reduced potency as an "allergen ladder". An SDS-PAGE analysis and an intrinsic-fluorescence spectroscopy revealed altered tertiary structures of the allergens, leading to their denaturation and even degradation. Notably, the reduction in both allergen-specific polyclonal IgG and human-specific IgE (sIgE) binding correlated with the treatment time, with the most significant decrease observed after 4 h of boiling. In contrast, shorter soaking treatments showed negligible effects on the IgE-binding capacity of these nuts, therefore indicating a further need for optimization. These findings indicate that extended boiling effectively reduced the amounts of the highly potent allergenic component Ana o 3 in cashew and Pis v 1 in pistachio, as confirmed by ELISA using polyclonal anti-Ana o 3 antibodies, and an immunoblot showed decreased IgE epitope binding in cashew and pistachio allergens, which further modified their allergenic profiles. This approach shows promise as a viable method for offering a safer therapeutic option for cashew/pistachio allergy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) is a predominant tree crop cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The crop is plagued by the regular incidence of polyphagous insect pest tea mosquito bug (TMB) (Helopeltis spp.). TMB causes 30–50% nut yield loss in regular incidences and up to 100% in epidemic situations. The incidence of TMB is prevalent in most of the cashew growing regions but research on the interaction between TMB and year has not been undertaken. To this end 15 cashew germplasms were evaluated for TMB incidence from 2016 to 2022 to study the stability of TMB incidence in cashew. TMB damage scores was analyzed following additive main effect and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) and genotype and genotype by environment (GGE) methods. Years (Y) differed significantly (P ≤ 0.01) whereas genotypes (G) (P = 0.18) and G × Y interactions were not significant (P = 0.96). The variations explained by G, Y and G × Y were 7.15%, 37.05% and 17.18% respectively. The total variability captured by the first two incremental principal component analysis (IPCA) viz., IPCA 1 (49.83%) and IPCA 2 (29.49%) was 79.32%. Accessions NRC 112, 144, 75 and 176 won in the first mega environment and NRC 120, 140, 189 won in second, third and fourth mega environments respectively. Three accessions NRC 301 (0.511), V-8 (0.567) and NRC 270 (0.734) with least TMB incidences were found stable and could serve as useful candidate genotypes in cashew breeding programme for TMB tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Epidemic of Cashew Fusarium wilt disease (CFWD) has been a continuous focal challenge in the cashew farming, in Tanzania. Limited to edaphic conditions as a major factor in its epidemic, the current study aimed to assess the habitat-disease relationship. Purposive surveys involving assessment of disease prevalence and habitat compositions were conducted across four landscapes of southeastern zone from 2019 to 2023. Findings revealed a widespread of CFWD across diversified landscapes possessing varying habitat characteristics, mainly cultivated land with mature cashew, brownish sand loamy soils, grassland or shrub vegetation, seasonal river streamlines and natural water wells. The highest disease incidence and severity were noted at Nachingwea/Masasi plain (99.28:88.34%) followed by Liwale inland plain (98.64:89.3%), Coastal zone (72.72:59.83%) and Tunduru dissected plain (62.13:54.54%). The habitat characteristics were strongly similar within the landscape (0.86-Jaccard index) except between villages of the coastal zone (0.71-Jaccard index). Across landscapes, Nachingwea/Masasi plains and the Coastal zone were strongly similar to Tunduru dissected plain (0.63—1.0-Jaccard index), but strongly dissimilar with the Liwale inland plain (0.67—0.70- Jaccard distance). Furthermore, the presence of greater than 0.5 suitability indices across landscapes were revealed, with Liwale inland plain having strongest suitability index of 0.743 followed by Coastal zone (0.681), Tunduru dissected plain (0.617) and Nachingwea/Masasi plain. Significantly, the habitats had an increase of 0.1 suitability index, and positively correlated with disease prevalence by triggering disease incidence of 13.9% and severity of 31.4%. The study for the first time revealed the presence of an association between disease prevalence and landscape habitat characteristics of southeastern, Tanzania; paving the way to inclusive thinking of habitat as one of the drivers in the prevalence of fusarium wilt disease of cashews. Further research on the genetic coevolution of Fusarium oxysporum across landscapes to strengthen disease risk management in the cashew industry is recommended.

This study aimed to develop and validate a multi-mycotoxin analysis method applied to cashew nuts by employing a miniaturized QuEChERS method followed by determination by ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS). Satisfactory recoveries for the concentrations 1, 10 and 30 ng g−1, ranging from 66% (fumonisin B1) to 110% (ochratoxin A) and relative standard deviations lower than 9% (fumonisin B2) were obtained for the target compounds. Limits of quantification ranged from 0.004 ng g−1 (sterigmatocystin) to 0.59 ng g−1 (alternariol). The applicability of the analytical method was verified by analyzing 30 cashew nut samples from the city of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, southeastern Brazil. Aflatoxins M1, G2, G1, B2, B1, ochratoxin A and sterigmatocystin were detected, respectively, in 27%, 10%, 17%, 30%, 30%, 30% and 50% of the analyzed samples, at maximum concentrations of 0.56, 0.67, 1.43, 2.02, 4.93, 4.81, and 0.35 ng g−1. The maximum limit established by Brazilian legislation for aflatoxins was not exceeded by any of the analyzed samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anacardium occidentale is the tree source of cashew nuts, a commodity with increased demand globally and threatened by several diseases. Here we report on the occurrence of a disease that has severely affected production of cashew nuts in Panama and that can be of regional importance. Our first observation of this disease was in 2013, in the locality of Gamboa (Colon, Panama). Blight symptoms of the disease starts with foliar lesions characterized by initial necrotic points surrounded by yellow discoloration or chlorotic zones. These lesions progressively expand, transforming into larger, brown patches with rounded to irregular shapes. Lesions can coalesce and cover entire leaves causing them to drop and produce defoliation of entire branches or trees that become unproductive. Trees with similar symptoms were later observed in several provinces in Panama indicating that the disease was widespread in the country. We obtained consistent isolation of the same fungus from lesions on A. occidentale from multiple localities and pathogenicity tests were conducted on detached leaves as well as on healthy leaves on an adult tree. Morphological and phylogenetic analyses of the isolated fungus showed that the causal agent was Calonectria variabilis, a fungus previously reported to occur on Schefflera morototoni, Theobroma grandiflora, and Eucalyptus. This is the first time that C. variabilis is reported as a pathogen of A. occidentale and the first record of this species for Panama. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food security is the most critical issue to address in The Gambia, and cashew production and its respective value chain provide opportunities to improve the quality of livelihood for many families. This study conducts value chain and SWOT analyses to provide information that could improve development opportunities and strengthen linkages to food security within the cashew industry in The Gambia's Kombo East district, West Coast region. The results show that the cashew value chain in the study site is characterized by a large number of producers and relatively few intermediaries working through five marketing channels. The results demonstrate that farmers received 66% of the final market value, but there is a lack of farmer organizations, which severely affected farmers' free and fair access to markets to sell their products. So, there is an immediate need to establish farmers' cooperatives to reduce intermediaries in the value chain and obtain fair product prices. Moreover, the result of SWOT analysis revealed that the strategic position of the cashew industry is an advantageous 'holds and maintains' position, indicating a market penetration, product development, or modifying existing products, and a vertical integration strategy could increase revenue, alleviate poverty, and reduce food insecurity. Adopting the recommended market-based approaches will result in higher producer prices and incomes, thereby reducing poverty and food insecurity. The study contributes to the literature by focusing on the cashew chain value in The Gambia, added value opportunities through transformation, better markets, improved products, and other alternatives to promote global value creation, and the dynamics of the food system, which can promote food security and sustainable rural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryopreservation can be utilized as an efficient and reliable tool for long-term conservation of cashew genetic diversity. This study aims at pollen germination in vitro , SEM studies, pollen cryopreservation and fruit set with cryostored pollen of cashew. Brewbaker's and Kwack (1963) medium enriched with 30% sucrose and15% PEG elicited significant pollen germination in vitro. Madakkathara-2 recorded high viability profiles both with respect to fresh (90.32%) and cryopreserved (85.53%) pollen when compared to other genotypes and species. Anacardium othonianum recorded lower viability in fresh (40.97%) as well as cryopreserved (25.43%). The pollen grains were cryopreserved for six months and post viability assessment was carried out at regular intervals. Field pollination was carried and in vivo fertility was assessed using four month cryostored pollen. A fruit set range of13.17 to 30.67% and a seed germinability range from 37.75 to 63.64% was recorded. Both in vitro and in vivo results show the reliability of pollen cryopreservation, which can be effectively used in breeding and conservation of the cashew gene pool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new species of TarsonemusCanestrini & Fanzago, 1876—namely Tarsonemus bengalicus Karmakar & Bera sp. nov. and Tarsonemus kajuae Karmakar & Bera sp. nov.—are described and illustrated based on specimens collected on leaves of Bamboo, Bambusa vulgaris Schard. and Cashew, Anacardium occidentale L., respectively from Ramnagar, Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, India. Additionally, subgeneric diagnostic characters of Tarsonemus are compiled and a key to the Indian Tarsonemus species is also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Helopeltis schoutedeni (Heteroptera: Miridae) is a significant cashew and cotton pest in East and West Africa. To date, viable laboratory rearing and maintenance protocols have been lacking to facilitate biological investigations on the bug. This drawback has largely hindered its successful management. The potential of three vegetable intercrops, cucumber fruit (Cucumis sativus L.), fresh French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) pods, and pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L.) were the suitable host plants for establishing laboratory colonies of H. schoutedeni. The developmental time, survival, oviposition, and feeding behaviors of H. schoutedeni under screen-house conditions were monitored. Newly hatched nymphs reared on these substrates successfully developed into adults with varying average developmental times of 25.72, 25.81, and 33.26 days for French beans, pigeon peas, and cucumbers, respectively. Similarly, survival varied significantly on the different plants, with the highest survival occurring on pigeon pea seedlings (97-100%) and the lowest on cucumber (48-69%; P < 0.05). Significantly more feeding lesions were recorded on pigeon peas (349.6 ± 82.56) than on cucumbers (52.6 ± 13.62) in the feeding preference test. The proportion of adult feeding during the scotophase was significantly higher than in the photophase (Pigeon pea seedling: t = -3.545; df = 18; P < 0.05, French beans: t = -2.684; df = 28; P < 0.05 and Cucumber t = 3.713; df = 18; P < 0.05). Oviposition was only recorded on pigeon pea seedlings. Present findings demonstrate the potential for using specific vegetables as suitable host plants for H. schoutedeni under confined and open field settings to aid future research studies toward effective management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cultivation of cashew crops carries numerous economic advantages, and countries worldwide that produce this crop face a high demand. The effects of wind speed and wind direction on crop yield prediction using proficient deep learning algorithms are less emphasized or researched. We propose a combination of advanced deep learning techniques, specifically focusing on long short-term memory (LSTM) and random forest models. We intend to enhance this ensemble model using dynamic time warping (DTW) to assess the spatiotemporal data (wind speed and wind direction) similarities within Jaman North, Jaman South, and Wenchi with their respective production yield. In the Bono region of Ghana, these three areas are crucial for cashew production. The LSTM-DTW-RF model with wind speed and wind direction achieved an R2 score of 0.847 and the LSTM-RF model without these two key features R2 score of (0.74). Both models were evaluated using the augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test, which is commonly used in time series analysis to assess stationarity, where the LSTM-DTW-RF achieved a 90% level of confidence, while LSTM-RF attained an 87.99% level. Among the three municipalities, Jaman South had the highest evaluation scores for the model, with an RMSE of 0.883, an R2 of 0.835, and an MBE of 0.212 when comparing actual and predicted values for Wenchi. In terms of the annual average wind direction, Jaman North recorded (270.5 SW°), Jaman South recorded (274.8 SW°), and Wenchi recorded (272.6 SW°). The DTW similarity distance for the annual average wind speed across these regions fell within specific ranges: Jaman North (±25.72), Jaman South (±25.89), and Wenchi (±26.04). Following the DTW similarity evaluation, Jaman North demonstrated superior performance in wind speed, while Wenchi excelled in wind direction. This underscores the potential efficiency of DTW when incorporated into the analysis of environmental factors affecting crop yields, given its invariant nature. The results obtained can guide further exploration of DTW variations in combination with other machine learning models to predict higher cashew yields. Additionally, these findings emphasize the significance of wind speed and direction in vertical farming, contributing to informed decisions for sustainable agricultural growth and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the importance of crop diversification in enhancing household income and food security, significant knowledge gaps remain in terms of the precursors and actual impacts of diversified food-cash crop systems. Thus, we assessed the determinants of food-cash crop diversification, and its impacts on the income and food security of farmers using survey data from 408 randomly-selected households in the Forest-Savannah Transition Zone of Ghana. The study employs the multinomial logistic model (MNL) to examine farm households' decision to practice food-cash crop diversification, while the inverse probability weighted regression adjustment (IPWRA) was performed to determine the impact of the diversification on food security and household income. Diversification of cash and food crops impacted positively on household annual crop income and on food security, and these positive impacts further increased as the diversity of tree cash cropping increased, with the addition of cocoa and/or cashew. Our findings emphasise the importance of income from tree cash crops, and complementarities between cash crops and food crop production in explaining the food security merits of diversified food-cash crop systems. Overall, a food-crop-farmers' decision to diversify into cocoa and cashew in Ghana was significantly predicted by farming experience of the household head, and farm characteristics of the household (fallow land availability, land ownership and livestock ownership), as well as economic (annual crop income and access to off-farm income) and institutional (access to extension) factors. These results imply that enhancing farmers' access to financial and technical support services and promoting livestock farming could encourage the adoption of diversified cropping systems. However, since land ownership rights in sub-Saharan Africa are oftentimes unclear, contested or poorly enforced, pro-poor and equitable land tenure reforms would be indispensable in promoting diversification into tree cash crops by subsistence farm households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food processing can alter protein biochemical properties, impacting immunoreactivity and allergenicity. A key feature of food allergens is their resistance to enzymatic digestion, particularly by pepsin and trypsin. This study compares the digestomes of raw and heat- and/or pressure-treated peanuts, hazelnuts, pistachios and cashews using the INFOGEST harmonized digestion protocol and analyzing their IgE-binding capacity through in vitro methods. Protein patterns from controls and digestomes were resolved by SDS-PAGE and tested with sera from allergic patients, confirmed by competitive ELISA for hazelnuts and peanuts. The results indicate that processing methods differently affect the gastrointestinal (GI) digestion of these allergens. Simulated GI digestion caused a significant destruction of protein structures, reducing but not eliminating IgE reactivity for all four nuts. Boiling for 60 min did not change the SDS-PAGE profiles, but it did stimulate enzymatic activity, decreasing IgE binding capacity. In contrast, applying heat and pressure led to a nearly complete inhibition of allergenic potential during simulated digestion. These findings suggest that employing intense food processing techniques and investigating the gastrointestinal effects of highly allergenic nuts could be crucial steps toward developing new hypoallergenic formulations.

Following successful oral immunotherapy (OIT) for peanut allergy using boiled peanuts (BOPI trial), this study investigated the potential of wet-thermal-processing-induced allergen modification, specifically soaking and boiling (1–4 h) to reduce the allergenicity of cashew and pistachio allergens. In addition, this study provides a foundation of understanding for developing safer forms of cashew/pistachio administration for application in OIT by gradual exposure to increasing doses of modified allergens with reduced potency as an “allergen ladder”. An SDS-PAGE analysis and an intrinsic-fluorescence spectroscopy revealed altered tertiary structures of the allergens, leading to their denaturation and even degradation. Notably, the reduction in both allergen-specific polyclonal IgG and human-specific IgE (sIgE) binding correlated with the treatment time, with the most significant decrease observed after 4 h of boiling. In contrast, shorter soaking treatments showed negligible effects on the IgE-binding capacity of these nuts, therefore indicating a further need for optimization. These findings indicate that extended boiling effectively reduced the amounts of the highly potent allergenic component Ana o 3 in cashew and Pis v 1 in pistachio, as confirmed by ELISA using polyclonal anti-Ana o 3 antibodies, and an immunoblot showed decreased IgE epitope binding in cashew and pistachio allergens, which further modified their allergenic profiles. This approach shows promise as a viable method for offering a safer therapeutic option for cashew/pistachio allergy.

Sustainable soil nutrient management has been a current focus on different crop cultivation including cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.). Scarce availability of manure and high cost of inorganic fertilizers, triggered evaluation of cashew apple on soil fertility and performance of cashew. Cashew seeds were sown into soiled polythene bags incorporated with fresh, decayed, and fermented juicy of cashew apple at 0.25, 0.5, and 1.0 Kg/Kg Soil with 0.005 KgDAP and untreated as controls in screenhouse at TARI-Naliendele from 2019 to 2022. Findings revealed that fermented juicy and decayed apple at 0.25 Kg/Kg soil influenced 60–70% seed germination analogous with diammonium phosphate (DAP) and untreated (80–90%). About 1.0 Kg/Kg soil of decayed and fermented juicy exhibited higher plant height (70 cm), wider canopy spread (36.4 cm), and huge stem girth (2.6 cm) compared to others. Also, decayed apple had high number of branches and medium tap root with numerous lateral roots. High ground cover area (1011.5 cm2), leaf area (LA) (123.5 cm2), and canopy to girth ratio (14.5) were displayed with decayed and fermented juicy at 1.0 Kg/Kg Soil. On biomass yield, decayed and juicy had succulent fresh weight and high dry weight outperforming other treatments. Furthermore, decayed and fermented juicy exhibited high available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium at 1.0 Kg/Kg Soil after 196 d of application. Fresh apple at all rates showed high soil moisture content and temperature. Therefore, this new research suggests the application of decayed cashew apple at 1.0 Kg/Kg soil as organo-fertilizers for replenishing soil nutrient and improving growth and development of cashew. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The patterns and extent of genetic variation among 56 cashew germplasm with respect to 32 qualitative and 33 quantitative traits were evaluated for two successive years in the present study. Additionally, maturase K gene-based genetic diversity among those breeding materials was also assessed. The cashew hybrids were developed from five crosses (local parent × 2/9 Dicherla; H-2/15 × red hazari; WBDC-V × JGM-1; BLA-39-4 × H-2/15 and H-2/15 × yellow hazari) involving eight parents of Indian cashew. Different genotype groups (parents and their hybrids) showed significant variation in both the years of assessment based on quantitative characters. The highest Shannon–Weaver diversity (H ′) was obtained for the colour of the young leaf (0.96), possibly indicating differential exposure to sunlight, mixing of various pigments and another set of chemicals such as phenolics, carotenoids, etc. in trees. From correlation studies, canopy spread, tree spread, nuts/m2 and nuts/panicle were found to be significantly and positively correlated with nut yield. In the year 2021, nuts/m2, area and tree height were the significant explanatory variables that explained 80% of the variation in the yield, whereas in 2022, nuts/m2, tree area, nuts/panicle, kernel weight, shell thickness, inflorescence breadth and sex ratio explained 86% of the variation. Principal component analysis indicated that the genotypes under study are diverse enough to be exploited for the future cashew improvement programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mucorales is an order of mostly saprobic fungi which includes broad host range plant pathogens. They are often associated with fruits, causing post-harvest deterioration and economic loss. In markets in the municipality of Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, fruits with symptoms of soft rot and the presence of fungi with the appearance of Mucorales have been observed. Sporangiophores bearing black and globose sporangia were visualized on the surface of the rotten tissues. Isolates obtained from symptomatic tissues were cultured in potato dextrose agar culture medium, and cultural and microscopic observations were performed. According to the morphological characteristics, the isolates were identified as Gilbertella persicaria and their identity was confirmed by phylogenetic analyses of the ITS and LSU rDNA regions. Gilbertella persicaria, the unique species of the genus, is commonly found in soil, water, dung and often isolated from fruit with post-harvest soft rot. In the present study, nine isolates were obtained and identified, five from acerola, two from cashew, one from papaya and breadfruit. To our knowledge, this is the first report of G. persicaria causing acerola and papaya rot in Brazil and the first report of the species as a cashew and breadfruit pathogen in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anacardium occidentale L. stem bark Traditional Herbal Preparations (AoBTHPs) are widely used in traditional medicine to treat inflammatory conditions, such as diabetes. The present study aims to evaluate the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and genotoxic potential of red and white Portuguese AoBTHPs. Using a carrageenan-induced rat paw edema model, a significant anti-edema effect was observed for all tested doses of white AoBTHP (40.2, 71.5, and 127.0 mg/kg) and the two highest doses of red AoB THP (71.5 and 127.0 mg/kg). The anti-edema effect of red AoBTHP's highest dose was much more effective than indomethacin 10 mg/kg, Trolox 30 mg/kg, and Tempol 30 mg/kg. In DPPH, FRAP, and TAC using the phosphomolybdenum method, both types of AoBTHPs showed similar antioxidant activity and no genotoxicity up to 5000 µg/plate in the Ames test. The LC-UV/DAD-ESI/MS fingerprint allowed the identification of gallic and protocatechuic acids as the two main marker compounds and the presence of catechin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin gallate, and ellagic acid in both AoBTHPs. The obtained results support the validation of red and white AoB and their THPs as anti-inflammatory agents and contribute to the possible development of promising new therapeutic options to treat inflammatory conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cultivation of cashew crops carries numerous economic advantages, and countries worldwide that produce this crop face a high demand. The effects of wind speed and wind direction on crop yield prediction using proficient deep learning algorithms are less emphasized or researched. We propose a combination of advanced deep learning techniques, specifically focusing on long short-term memory (LSTM) and random forest models. We intend to enhance this ensemble model using dynamic time warping (DTW) to assess the spatiotemporal data (wind speed and wind direction) similarities within Jaman North, Jaman South, and Wenchi with their respective production yield. In the Bono region of Ghana, these three areas are crucial for cashew production. The LSTM-DTW-RF model with wind speed and wind direction achieved an R2 score of 0.847 and the LSTM-RF model without these two key features R2 score of (0.74). Both models were evaluated using the augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test, which is commonly used in time series analysis to assess stationarity, where the LSTM-DTW-RF achieved a 90% level of confidence, while LSTM-RF attained an 87.99% level. Among the three municipalities, Jaman South had the highest evaluation scores for the model, with an RMSE of 0.883, an R2 of 0.835, and an MBE of 0.212 when comparing actual and predicted values for Wenchi. In terms of the annual average wind direction, Jaman North recorded (270.5 SW°), Jaman South recorded (274.8 SW°), and Wenchi recorded (272.6 SW°). The DTW similarity distance for the annual average wind speed across these regions fell within specific ranges: Jaman North (±25.72), Jaman South (±25.89), and Wenchi (±26.04). Following the DTW similarity evaluation, Jaman North demonstrated superior performance in wind speed, while Wenchi excelled in wind direction. This underscores the potential efficiency of DTW when incorporated into the analysis of environmental factors affecting crop yields, given its invariant nature. The results obtained can guide further exploration of DTW variations in combination with other machine learning models to predict higher cashew yields. Additionally, these findings emphasize the significance of wind speed and direction in vertical farming, contributing to informed decisions for sustainable agricultural growth and development.

Purpose: the study aim was to evaluate the farmers' knowledge on fertilizer use in cashew by assessing their awareness on the fertilizers, extent of use, obtained benefits from use in cashew, limiting factors of use, availability and changes after use. Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L) is a recent topmost strategic crop in Tanzania. Through cashew, earnings of > $585 million were reached in 2017/18 season. Chlorosis, flower abortion and dropping of immature nuts hinder cashew production referring the decrease from 3200,000 Metric Tons (MT) in 2017/18 to less than 200,000 MT in 2021/2022. Farmers’ knowledge on fertilizer use in cashew is not precisely known. Methods: through cross-section design using questionnaires, purposive sampling of respondents was done. Four villages each from three agro-ecologies i. e, Makonde Plateau (MP), Tunduru Dissected Plains (TDP), and Masasi-Nachingwea Plains (MNP) were selected in South-eastern, Tanzania. About 480 households were interviewed. Results: about 75% of respondents were aware of foliage fertilizers while 45.4% agreed on their suitability for cashew. About 44.7%, 27.9%, and 27.4% of respondents use foliar fertilizers in TDP, MP, and MNP, respectively. Some respondents (3.7%) apply 1 L of foliage fertilizers per round acre−1 and 5.1% apply for 1–3 rounds, and some few (1%) apply up to 10 rounds season−1. Cashew farming experience and credit access negatively influenced foliar fertilizer uses; hence foliar fertilizer prices linearly reduced the extent of use. Conclusion: limited knowledge among the farmers on fertilizer use in cashew was a challenge. Therefore, farmers' training and detailed fertilizer use research are recommended.

Weeds are among the limiting factors that influence low production of economically important crops including cashew (Anacardium occidental L.). Shrub weeds attribute to inter-competition for resources, hinder harvesting and ultimately reduce cashew yields in Tanzania. The current study determined the distribution, characteristics and chemical control option of Dichapetalum Engl in Lindi and Mtwara regions, Southeastern Tanzania. The distribution study involved a survey for weed presence along the areas of Lindi and Mtwara regions. The characterization included distilling, and assessing the growth and development properties of shrub weed. Chemical herbicides; glyphosate 480g. ai/l, 2, 4 D - Dichlorirophenoxyacetic 720g. ai/l, triclopyr 160g a.i./l and 1:1 mixture of glyphosate 480g a.i./l plus triclopyr 160g a.i./L at 15, 20 and 25 mls of formulated product/L of water per 4 m2 were tested on tender, mature and blooming growth stages of D. Stuhlmannii and three spraying frequencies. Findings revealed that the D.stuhlmannii, is a widely distributed shrub weed in Lindi and Mtwara regions. The weed was characterized with three main growth stages of seedling, mature and blooming with a long tap root and evergreen throughout the wet and dry seasons. The tested herbicides revealed the potential suppression of D. Stuhlmannii growth. Glyphosate and a mixture of glyphosate + triclopyr at 15 ml/L outperformed triclopyr and 2, 4 D across all the growth stages. Double spraying of glyphosate and its mixture bettered frequencies of triclopyr and 2, 4 D. The delayed regrowth of suppressed shrub weed took 90–120 days after application of herbicides. The current study recommends for single or double applications of glyphosate herbicides at 15 ml/L or 10,700 ml/ha on tender or mature D. Stuhlmannii in cashew farms. Further studies on the economic feasibility and effect on the microbiota of applied fungicides are required.

Abstract. Using the right growing media is pivotal for cultivating high-quality seedlings. While topsoil remains a prevalent choice in nurseries, there is a growing need to explore its effectiveness in cashew seedling production and find potential alternatives that might reduce our dependence on it. A three-month experiment was undertaken at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria's nursery. The setup followed a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) incorporating ten treatment variations, each replicated thrice. These treatments involved two cashew nut types, Jumbo and Medium, and five distinct growing media: 100% Topsoil, 100% Sawdust, 75% Topsoil + 25% Sawdust, 50% Topsoil + 50% Sawdust, and 25% Topsoil + 75% Sawdust. For the procedure, each of these media was filled into perforated polythene bags measuring 30cm x 15cm, with one seed planted per bag. Data collected were on % emergence, morphological, shoot and root data. Data were subjected to ANOVA using SAS (version 2010) statistical package and means were separated using DMRT at (P≤0.05). Findings revealed no notable variance in percentage mean emergence at four weeks post-planting or in leaf count at the twelve-week mark. Control treatments (100% topsoil) for jumbo and medium had the shortest plant height, lowest number of leaves, seedling vigour, fresh root weight and taproot length. 100% topsoil as a growing medium for raising cashew seedlings should be discouraged as the experimented growing media offered statistically the same or improved emergence, morphology, and root growth development.

Cajuína is a processed drink derived from cashew and is widely consumed in the northeast region of Brazil. This study evaluated the effect of a cajuína-based hydroelectrolytic drink on the aerobic performance and hydration status of recreational runners. Seventeen males (31.9 ± 1.6 years, 51.0 ± 1.4 ml/kg/min) performed three time-to-exhaustion running sessions on a treadmill at 70% VO2max, ingesting cajuína hydroelectrolytic drink (CJ), high carbohydrate commercial hydroelectrolytic drink (CH) and mineral water (W) every 15 min during the running test. The participants ran 80.3 ± 8.4 min in CJ, 70.3 ± 6.8 min in CH and 71.8 ± 6.9 min in W, with no statistical difference between procedures. Nevertheless, an effect size of η2 = 0.10 (moderate) was observed. No statistical difference was observed in the concentrations of sodium, potassium, and osmolality in both serum and urine between the three conditions. However, the effect size was moderate (urine sodium) and high (serum sodium, potassium, and osmolality). Urine specific gravity, sweating rate and heart rate were not significantly different between drinks. The cajuína-based hydroelectrolytic drink promotes similar effects compared to commercial hydroelectrolytic drink and water, considering specific urine gravity, heart rate, sweating, and time to exhaustion in recreational runners.

A study was conducted at Cashew Research Station, Madakkathara, Kerala Agricultural University, to evaluate the hybrid vigor of 19 cashew hybrids developed during 2003. These hybrids selected from an initial evaluation trial, resulted from a cross between 11 parents. The hybrids were evaluated along with the parents for morphological, phenological and yield characters for two consecutive seasons. Poornima, the latest released variety of cashew, was used as check. The analysis of results based on mean values on various flowering parameters and yield parameters showed significant variations among the genotypes for all the characters. The highest nut weight and nut yield per tree was observed in the hybrid, H03-21/10. Hybrids, H03-97/2, H03-110/1, H03-36/8, H03-52/5 and H03-21/10 can be considered as high yielders (> 18 Kg/tree/year) with bold sized nuts (>10 g), premium quality kernels (>2.5 g) and high shelling percentage (> 28%). These hybrids also exhibited better heterosis in terms of nut weight and kernel weight. The five potential hybrids were identified for replicated yield trials for commercialization in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silvopastoral systems can have animal welfare and sustainability benefits because trees continually remove carbon from atmosphere, reducing greenhouse effects. Thisstudy identified the most promising fruit trees for inclusion in silvopastoral systems to dairy cattle calves. This experiment was conducted at Embrapa Agrossilvipastoril, Brazil, between 2014 and 2018. Five silvopastoral systems with fruit trees and 'Tifton-85' grass were designed to evaluate tree growth and light environment under the canopies. Data were analyzed using SAS® and PDIFF (P < 0.10). Caja fruit trees had the greatest tree height (5.4 m) and trunk diameter (23.4 cm), while acerola fruit tree had the smallest (1.8 m and 8.3 cm, respectively). At 42 months (drought 2017), caja, cashew, and guava trees had similar heights. Guava trees had the highest light interception (89.3%), both cashew cultivars provided medium levels of shade (50 to 60% LI) and with greater constancy between the rainy and dry seasons. The systems that showed increased light interception during the drought period were those with CCP76 in 2017 and EMB51 in 2018. Higher incidences of wavelengths of the spectral composition of light occurred between the rainfall (2015) and drought (2017) periods, and greater differences in the ratio of red:far red in 2015. By 2018, there were no more differences between the rainy and dry seasons for the spectral composition of light under the tree canopies. Cashews and guava trees have adequate growth and light environment to support silvopastoral systems but Caja and acerola fruit trees showed limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successful hybridization primarily depends on the crossability of the parents involved as well as development of the F1 hybrids and their derivatives. In the present study, 12 crosses were attempted to study the crossability relationship among cashew genotypes. Among the crosses, the highest crossability was recorded in the cross H-303 x VTH 711/4 (17.16%), whereas, high rate of abscission of young fruits was observed in crosses involving NRCC Selection -2 as female parent. The genotype VTH 711/4 has shown substantially high per cent of crossability and better nut set with different genotypes of cashew. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of the study was to evaluate proximate attributes and sensory properties of milk drink produced from cashew nut (Anacardium occidentale) and African black plum (Vitex doniana). Specifically, the study determined proximate attributes, vitamins, mineral, flavonoid content and sensory properties of the milk drink. Cashew nuts were bought from Oba market in Nsukka, Enugu State. The cashew nuts were washed thoroughly and soaked for eight hours and stored in the refrigerator. The cashew nuts were washed thoroughly the second time ground with a food blender to obtain the milk. The vitex doniana was washed thoroughly in salted water rinsed thoroughly, skinned and deseeded. Water was added to the pulp, the pulp was pasteurized. The cashew nut milk and vitex doniana pulp were mixed with honey and blended. The instrument used for data collection was the use of standard scientific method of chemical analysis of AOAC, 2010 and an organoleptic test template of 9-point hedonic scale was used. Findings reveal that the drink (drink made with cashew nut and African black plum and honey ( DRMC )is high in energy (289.58 kcal), crude protein(5.85%), fat (10.15%) ash (2.43%) carbohydrate(8.85%) crude fibre(4.01%) moisture(84.77%)zinc (198.33 μg/100g). iron (3821.04μg/100g); potassium (17.58mg/100g), vitamin A, B,C,E, flavonoid(0.65mg/100g) and low level phytate (1.18mg/100g). The produced drink is therefore rich in nutrients and was highly accepted (X̄ = 8.6), texture rated (X̄ = 8.4), appearance (X̄ = 7.8), taste (X̄ = 8.8). Base on the findings three recommendation were made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cashew (Anacardium occidentale) is a plant used by Indonesian people a traditional medicine. The leaves are consumed as fresh vegetables and to treat various diseases. Endophytic fungi can live symbiotically in plant tissue and have the ability to produce substances called secondary metabolites. The research aims to isolate endophytic fungi from cashew leaves and identify them morphologically and molecularly as well as identify the secondary metabolite from the most active antioxidant extract. The identification of endophytic fungal species was done using morphological and molecular techniques. Both the culture and extraction processes used Potato Dextrose Broth (PDB) media and ethyl acetate as a solvent. The ethyl acetate extract, which is included in the strong antioxidant category, was continued to the stage of isolating the pure compound and then its chemical structure was analyzed using spectroscopic methods. A total of eight endophytic fungus (RDM1-RDM8) were found on cashew leaves. Ethyl acetate extract from the endophytic fungi RDM4 has the strongest antioxidant activity with an IC50= 13.80 µg/mL. Morphological and molecular identification through phylogenetic analysis shows that RDM4 is Neopestalotiopsis clavispora. This endophytic fungus produces 5-isopropyl-4- methylfuran-2-one as a secondary metabolite. Ethyl acetate extract of the Neopestalotiopsis clavispora has more potential to be developed as a new source of antioxidants than the pure compound because it is thought that there is a synergistic effect between the compound components contained in the extract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cashew (Anacardium occidentale Linn.) is an important cash crop in Zambia. However, the cashew production is about 3–20 kgs/tree and the quality of the nuts is extremely poor due to the use of unimproved cashew genotypes. There are variations in cashew trees grown in farmers' fields because cashew is highly cross pollinated. As a short-term measure, farmers are currently planting cashew polyclonal seeds imported from Tanzania. Nevertheless, there are numerous cashew germplasm that were introduced to Zambia since 1940s. These cashew trees have adapted to the local environment and a small proportion of them are high yielding with good nut quality. Researchers need to identify these genotypes in farmers' fields and collect them as mother trees to initiate a cashew breeding programme. In Zambia, cashew research is still at its infancy hence the knowledge and skills are still low among the small-scale cashew farmers. Though cashew improvement programmes are being developed in several countries, there is enormous knowledge and technologies that have been generated from some cashew producing countries which could be adopted and later adapted in Zambia to revamp the whole cashew value chain. The approaches to accelerate cashew improvement in Zambia include; evaluation of germplasm for genetic diversity, conservation of germplasm, introduction of new alleles, selection of elite materials, vegetative propagation techniques, hybridization and marker assisted selection. This paper reviews the various knowledge, technologies and approaches that have been developed over time for cashew improvement and discusses their implication to the Zambia cashew industry. • Cashew is an important cash crop in Zambia. • Its yields are very low due to use of unimproved genotypes. • Since 1940s, many cashew germplasm varieties have been brought to Zambia. • However, cashew growers have limited knowledge and expertise in cashew genotypes. • Thus, germplasm diversity evaluation is vital to speed up cashew improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Cashew nut (Anacardium occidentale L.) farmers are facing challenges producing quality nuts due to inadequate knowledge of cashew insect pests and their management practices in Bangladesh. For this reason, a survey of 144 cashew farmers was conducted from June 2020 to December 2022. Tea mosquito bug (70.1%), cashew stem and root borer (52.8%), and apple and nut borer (45.8%) were the top-ranked among 21 insect pest species of cashew. The highest insect pest infestation was observed in the tender leaves (49.8%). Overall, 56.3% farmers noticed 11–20% yield losses caused by insect pests, while 9% of the farmers believed that yield losses could be more than 40% in cashew orchards. Although physical (7.7%) and mechanical (7.6%) pest management tactics, like hand-picking, use of coal tar, kerosene, and yellow sticky traps were used to control pests, most farmers (84.7%) relied on chemical pesticides. Young and educated farmers were interested in non-chemical pest management options compared to their counterparts. Farmers believed that intercultural operation like weeding and pruning could reduce insect pests in cashew orchards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the inherent potential of and merits in adopting modern agricultural technology, the present-day farmer in Sub-Saharan Africa is yet to catch up with the rest of the world in harnessing this potential. To extend the knowledge in the adoption of technology theory, this study examines factors, in particular farmers' group participation and access to agricultural extension services on farmers' adoption of modern agricultural technologies (specifically, the use of fertilizers, chemicals and appropriate plant density) and the consequent impact of adopting these agricultural technologies on farmers' economic performance (income) in the coastal regions of Kenya. Logit regression and multiple linear regression models were used to analyse a sample of 372 smallholder cashew farmers in the Coastal Province of Kenya in 2018. The results show that access to extension services and group membership have statistically significant effects on adopting modern agricultural technologies, namely on fertilizer and pesticide usage and appropriate planting densities. However, fertilizer usage had a negative effect on economic performance while pesticide application showed no effect, and higher planting density had a positive effect. The study recommends that the policy should prioritize extension programs that leverage local platforms such as farmer groups to disseminate agricultural information and economically feasible technologies, such as appropriate cashew planting density – as this was shown to lead to more profitable agribusiness ventures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The incidence of wilt disease of cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) caused by Fusarium sp. has recently emerged in two-year-old cashew trees in an experimental field at the Regional Agricultural Research Station, Pilicode, in the Kasaragod district of Kerala, India. The disease was characterized initially by chlorosis of foliage and shoots, followed by necrosis and wilting, with internal symptoms including vascular necrosis, eventually resulting in complete plant mortality. Methods A fungal pathogen was isolated repeatedly from the infected vascular tissues onto potato dextrose agar medium. Symptomology, cultural, morphological and molecular studies were performed to characterize the pathogen causing the disease. Results In culture, the colony of fungus was white, later turning pink. The fungus produced both macro and micro conidia in culture. Molecular characterization revealed the identity of the isolates as Fusarium decemcellulare Brick. Pathogenicity of the isolate was confirmed in cashew seedlings, thereby demonstrating Koch’s postulates. Conclusion To our knowledge, this is the first record of wilt disease of cashew caused by F. decemcellulare in India. The culture of the fungus has been deposited with the National Fungal Culture Collection of India at Agharkar Research Institute, Pune, India with accession number NFCCI 4801, and sequence of the fungus was deposited at GenBank of NCBI with accession number OP942472.

This study was conducted out to evaluate the soil fertility in under the cashew tree canopy and nutritional contents of cashew trees on the Makonde Plateau in southeast Tanzania. Seven villages were included, all of which were geographically close to one another yet had the same agro-ecology. The cashew plant samples were taken above the same longitudinal segment as the soil samples, which were taken in under canopies of cashew trees. Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium, and micro nutrients (Iron, Zinc, Sodium, and Copper) were all examined in the samples. However, soils were analysed for Organic Carbon, Organic Matter, and pH with soil samples taken at two different depths of 0–30 cm and 30–50 cm, these tests were conducted during the wet and dry seasons. The results confirmed that Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, and Iron varied significantly with soil depth, as well as with soil depth, seasons, and their interactions, for Organic Carbon and Organic Matter. During the wet season, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Zinc concentrations in cashew trees were all statistically higher. Nitrogen and Phosphorus were significantly strong and positively (r = 0.95) correlated in cashew plants with respect to all other nutrients, suggesting synergistic effects. These results imply that macro nutrients including Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Magnesium, and Calcium, and micronutrients such as Iron, Zinc, Sodium and Copper limit cashew production in the research area. It is necessary to determine site-specific recommendations and dosages for these nutrients.

Using the right growing media is pivotal for cultivating high-quality seedlings. While topsoil remains a prevalent choice in nurseries, there is a growing need to explore its effectiveness in cashew seedling production and find potential alternatives that might reduce our dependence on it. A three-month experiment was undertaken at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria's nursery. The setup followed a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) incorporating ten treatment variations, each replicated thrice. These treatments involved two cashew nut types, Jumbo and Medium, and five distinct growing media: 100% Topsoil, 100% Sawdust, 75% Topsoil + 25% Sawdust, 50% Topsoil + 50% Sawdust, and 25% Topsoil + 75% Sawdust. For the procedure, each of these media was filled into perforated polythene bags measuring 30cm x 15cm, with one seed planted per bag. Data collected were on % emergence, morphological, shoot and root data. Data were subjected to ANOVA using SAS (version 2010) statistical package and means were separated using DMRT at (P≤0.05). Findings revealed no notable variance in percentage mean emergence at four weeks postplanting or in leaf count at the twelve-week mark. Control treatments (100% topsoil) for jumbo and medium had the shortest plant height, lowest number of leaves, seedling vigour, fresh root weight and taproot length. 100% topsoil as a growing medium for raising cashew seedlings should be discouraged as the experimented growing media offered statistically the same or improved emergence, morphology, and root growth development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy budgeting is important for determining the sustainability and vulnerability of a crop production system. In the present study, an assessment of the energy requirements for cashew cultivation under three different planting densities was carried out during 2015-20. The study revealed that the total input energy consumption for cashew cultivation ranged from 75292.68 to 120903.58 MJ/ha. The energy productivity from 0.04 to 0.13 kg/MJ and energy use efficiency varied from 8.46 to 24.61% under three planting densities. The highest energy was consumed in terms of chemical fertilizers for all the planting densities followed by fuel (diesel), machinery, farmyard manure (FYM), pesticides, petrol and human energy. The analysis revealed the need to implement improved management practices to enhance the energy efficiency by reducing the energy consumption in inputs, by optimizing energy consumption and/or improving the crop yield by optimizing the cultivation methods and switching from non-renewable sources to renewable sources of energy. Among the three different planting densities, 2.5x2.5 m spacing consumed the highest energy followed by 5x5 m and 7.5x7.5m spacing. However, the planting density of 2.5x2.5 m spacing was more energy efficient over the years due to more yields per unit area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of increasing the levels of cashew production on income, food security, nutrition and consumption among rural households are very complex. While its production is expected to boost rural households' income, it has tendencies of reducing land and other resources for food crop production. However, to the best of the researcher's knowledge there is not much empirical data available on its effects on households that are engaged in cashew farming in Nigeria. As a result, food security in Nigerian households engaged in cashew farming was analyzed, and the factors influencing food security were identified. Using a multi-stage sampling technique, 228 cashew farmers were carefully chosen for this study. Descriptive statistics, logit regression and food security index, were used to evaluate the primary data that was obtained through the use of a structured questionnaire. The result revealed that with an average of 2145 kcal per capita calorie intake, the majority (58.8%) of cashew farming households were food insecure. Food security status among cashew farming households was determined by household size, farming experience, education level of households food planner, roots and tubers output, Annual off-farm income, output of cashew and output of cereals. The study recommended the need for nutrition-oriented programmes, adoption of modern family planning techniques and income diversification among cashew farming households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]