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Project information
»The problem
In the African diet, legumes are a source of high-quality
protein and other nutrients. Unlike many other crops, they
can adapt to nitrogen-deficient soils of parts of South Africa
by interacting with certain soil microbes to meet their nitrogen
requirements. Nevertheless, the process constrains the yields
of African legumes. The legumes are also vulnerable to insect
pests, diseases, and striga, a parasitic weed.
»The approach
This project works with two indigenous grain legumes, cowpea
and Bambara groundnut, which are grown extensively throughout
Africa. In particular, the project focuses on developing varieties
that are efficient at nitrogen fixing and resistant to insects
and striga. Certain plant signals may be important for the
plant's ability to interact with beneficial soil microbes
and to avoid insect pests and weeds. Molecules of the flavonoid
pathway are known to be important in regulating both root
nodulation and plant defense. Crop genotypes that fix nitrogen
efficiently and that suppress pests and diseases will be identified,
and the role of flavonoids in these traits will be determined
to develop better cultivars and agronomic practices.
»The goal
To determine whether the legumes can be improved by targeting
the flavonoid pathway.
 Group
mapping exercise
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Investigators
Principal Investigator
Dr. Felix Dakora, University
of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
Associates
Dr. Michiel Adriaan Smit, University
of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
Collaborators
Dr. James Ampofo, Selian Agricultural Research Institute,
Arusha, Tanzania
Dr. Paul Gepts, University
of California Davis (UC Davis), Irvine, California
Dr. Evelyne Lazaro, Sokoine
University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
Dr. Herman Loubser, ARC-Grain Crops Institute, South Africa
Dr. Jesse Naab, Savanna
Agricultural Research Institute (SARI), Bawku, Ghana
Dr. Patrick Ndakidemi, Selian Agricultural Research Institute,
Arusha, Tanzania
Dr. Donald Phillips, UC
Davis , Irvine, California
Dr. Kallunde Sibuga, Sokoine
University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
Dr. Paul Tanzubil, SARI,
Bawku, Ghana
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Annual progress reports
Click the links below for annual progress reports.
Year 1 (1/2003-12/2003)
Progress
report
Year 2 (1/2005-12/2005)
Progress
report
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Publications
None listed as of
.
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Related Links
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