Fonio and Bambara Groundnut Value Chains in Mali: Issues, Needs, and Opportunities for Their Sustainable Promotion

Molecular insight into genetic differentiation, population structure and banding pattern analysis of Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea [L.] Verdc.) linked with inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR)

BACKGROUND

A set of 44 selected Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea [L.] Verdc.) accessions was sampled from 11 distinct populations of four geographical zones to assess the genetic drift, population structure, phylogenetic relationship, and genetic differentiation linked with ISSR primers.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The amplification of genomic DNA with 32 ISSR markers detected an average of 97.64% polymorphism while 35.15% and 51.08% polymorphism per population and geographical zone, respectively. Analysis of molecular variance revealed significant variation within population 75% and between population 25% whereas within region 84% and between region 16%. The Bidillali exposed greater number of locally common band i.e., NLCB (≤ 25%) = 25 and NLCB (≤ 50%) = 115 were shown by Cancaraki while the lowest was recorded as NLCB (≤ 25%) = 6 and NLCB (≤ 50%) = 72 for Roko and Maibergo, accordingly. The highest PhiPT value was noted between Roko and Katawa (0.405*) whereas Nei's genetic distance was maximum between Roko and Karu (0.124). Based on Nei's genetic distance, a radial phylogenetic tree was constructed that assembled the entire accessions into 3 major clusters for further confirmation unrooted NJ vs NNet split tree analysis based on uncorrected P distance exposed the similar result. Principal coordinate analysis showed variation as PC1 (15.04%) > PC2 (5.81%).

CONCLUSIONS

The current study leads to prompting the genetic improvement and future breeding program by maximum utilization and better conservation of existing accessions. The accessions under Cancaraki and Jatau are population documented for future breeding program due to their higher genetic divergence and homozygosity.

Yield response of accessions of Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L) Verdc) inoculated with Bradyrhizobium japonicum strains

Field experiments were conducted in two different agroecological locations of Ibadan and Ikenne in Nigeria from August through December during the 2019 and 2020 cropping seasons. The studies were set up to reduce reliance on inorganic nitrogen fertilizer and to embrace the use of nitrogen-fixing bacteria to improve legume production to increase farmers' output and profitability. Ten accessions of the Bambara groundnut (BGN) were used in the trials. Seeds of each BGN accession were coated with each of the following Bradyrhizobium japonicum strains (B. japonicum): FA3, RACA6, USDA110, and IRJ2180A before planting. Furthermore, Nitrogen (N) fertilizer (20 kg/ha, urea) was applied to seedlings without inoculation, and uninoculated seedlings (without inoculation and without fertilization) served as control. The experiment was, therefore, a factorial arrangement (10 BGN accessions, 4 B. japonicum strains, N fertilizer application, and an uninoculated control). The yield and yield components of the inoculated BGN accessions were significantly enhanced at both agroecological locations and seasons. Among the B. japonicum strains used for inoculation, RACA6 strains significantly enhanced the yield and yield component of TVSu-1698 than other inoculated BGN accessions with a mean value of 6,234 ± 87 kg ha−1 recorded in both locations and seasons, compared to the result obtained in the combination of TVSu-1698 with N fertilizer with a mean value of 3,264 ± 943 kg ha−1. By using TVSu-1698 with RACA6 strain, farmers can get 85% more yield than on average with other genotypes/strains combination, while an average yield of 60% could be obtained by farmers using N fertilizer application.

Fonio grains: Physicochemical properties, nutritional potential, and food applications

Fonio grains are a type of small-seeded cereals native to Western Africa and are important cereal crops for food security. The two species are white fonio (Digitaria exilis) (commonly called acha) and black fonio (Digitaria iburua) (commonly called iburu). As a novel food, fonio has attracted attention from other parts of the world due to their attractive nutritional properties (e.g., in whole grain form and being gluten free) and potential food applications. The information regarding the functional properties and applications of fonio is rather scattered. This review summarizes the chemical composition, physicochemical and nutritional properties, and diverse food applications of fonio. The nutritional composition and processing properties of fonio are similar to other cereals. Fonio has potential to be complementary to major cereals for diverse food uses. There are research opportunities to better explore fonio grains for value-added applications.

Bambara Groundnut: An Underutilized Leguminous Crop for Global Food Security and Nutrition

Rapid population growth, climate change, intensive monoculture farming, and resource depletion are among the challenges that threaten the increasingly vulnerable global agri-food system. Heavy reliance on a few major crops is also linked to a monotonous diet, poor dietary habits, and micronutrient deficiencies, which are often associated with diet-related diseases. Diversification-of both agricultural production systems and diet-is a practical and sustainable approach to address these challenges and to improve global food and nutritional security. This strategy is aligned with the recommendations from the EAT-Lancet report, which highlighted the urgent need for increased consumption of plant-based foods to sustain population and planetary health. Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.), an underutilized African legume, has the potential to contribute to improved food and nutrition security, while providing solutions for environmental sustainability and equity in food availability and affordability. This paper discusses the potential role of Bambara groundnut in diversifying agri-food systems and contributing to enhanced dietary and planetary sustainability, with emphasis on areas that span the value chain: from genetics, agroecology, nutrition, processing, and utilization, through to its socioeconomic potential. Bambara groundnut is a sustainable, low-cost source of complex carbohydrates, plant-based protein, unsaturated fatty acids, and essential minerals (magnesium, iron, zinc, and potassium), especially for those living in arid and semi-arid regions. As a legume, Bambara groundnut fixes atmospheric nitrogen to improve soil fertility. It is resilient to adverse environmental conditions and can yield on poor soil. Despite its impressive nutritional and agroecological profile, the potential of Bambara groundnut in improving the global food system is undermined by several factors, including resource limitation, knowledge gap, social stigma, and lack of policy incentives. Multiple research efforts to address these hurdles have led to a more promising outlook for Bambara groundnut; however, there is an urgent need to continue research to realize its full potential.