#cassava and soil health

[farmerstrend]

The Cassava Revolution in Wang’chieng: Eucabeth Kaudo's Story of Resilience and Vision

In the quiet village of Kamae, Wang’chieng, Homa Bay County, Kenya, cassava plants sway gently in the breeze. Their lush green leaves create a beautiful canopy over Eucabeth Kaudo’s thriving garden. At 62, Mrs. Kaudo is not just a farmer; she’s a nutritionist and a passionate advocate for natural foods. For the past eight years, she has dedicated herself to cassava farming, a journey that is…

[ewan-mo]

Our first graduate and out to the villages

Monday 6th March 2023

Ewan and I first came to Kumi Hospital in 2018. We met Amuron, then a general registered nurse. This year she graduated as a psychiatric clinical officer, having been sponsored by Jamie’s Fund, and is taking the lead in the development of mental health services in Kumi Hospital. Having been impressed by Amuron’s lovely warm personality, intelligence and care for people with mental illness, we are thrilled to have witnessed this career progression.

Dr Raymond, Medical Director, and Amuron

Kumi Hospital was originally for leprosy patients and is a spacious and serene setting – that suits our patients with acute mental illness too. The medical director is new, and is building a good team, supporting Amuron in all the possibilities for the future.  

It is in a poor area.  Most people are subsistence farmers.  The soil looks poor and bare rock is visible in some places.  The main crops are the more drought-resistant ones – millet, sorghum (a kind of millet) and cassava. Most of the houses are of sun dried mud brick, rather than the more durable and more expensive fired brick and most have thatched roofs rather than the corrugated iron we commented on before

We had a morning meeting, with what we thought was an early lunch part way through: bread, boiled egg, mandazi (Ugandan doughnut, sort-of), and banana. Great work in the meeting, reviewing Amuron’s annual report and considering her project proposal for what next.

The team then invited us to join them on a home visit. Oh yes please!

Our vehicle took us with Amuron and her colleague out to a rural area, dry and brown, awaiting the rains.  The vehicle stopped under a tree, and a relative of the lady concerned led us on a long walk through the cassava fields under the midday sun. Brought back so many memories of similar expeditions in earlier times. 

You learn so much on such a visit. We were sitting amidst a ring of thatched houses, the lady herself there, with the husband across the circle, while a whole group of neighbours and assorted children sat in a ring on the dusty ground preparing the cassava tubers in the centre. 

Taking the outer coating off the cassava

The clinical consultation continued, and no one took the slightest heed to issues of confidentiality. That doesn’t take a priority as it does in the west. You need your family, neighbours and friends to support you, and they might as well hear what is being said so they are properly genned up. All very interesting indeed.

Then, would we mind seeing another patient? A similar trek, to find that this patient had taken off to avoid us and didn’t look like she was coming back any time soon. So we talked to the family and concerned friends while we could. 

A relative plaiting rope out of sisal.

Finally, perhaps just one more? Off we went again across the fields. This was a man of 40 or so, at home with his parents, and depressed for a long time. We were able to discuss possible changes of meds, and identified some psychosocial dynamics that might benefit from discussion. 

There is something very special about seeing patients at home.

As we got back, lunch appeared, the full whack with rice, Irish potatoes (called thus since our Malawi days long ago), beef stew, veggie casseroles and water melon. Oh! That earlier little confection must have been breakfast!

We drove on later in the afternoon ...

Rocky outcrop with mudbricks drying. Eucalyptus trees widely grown for straight poles in 4 to 5 years, but alien to the ecology.

... to arrive at the Benedictine Eye Hospital in Tororo, and gave ourselves another, brisker walk to get the legs going again. We are sleeping tonight at the Benedictine Fathers’ Retreat Centre.

At supper we met the delightful Philip, Austrian, working with Caritas, the Catholic development and psychosocial agency, to improve agriculture and another Spanish brother who has worked with people with intellectual disability in a rehab workshop. We think he does carpentry with them. He has virtually no English and our “best” combined language was fractured French. What a wonderful maelstrom of 4 spoken languages and Google translate!

I also talked with the other couple in the dining room who were Ugandan, and were here for husband to have his cataract done tomorrow.

[roy5556]

Capital Colours: Compostable Plastic Manufacturers in India

In the wake of growing environmental concerns, the search for sustainable alternatives to conventional plastic has become more urgent than ever. Traditional plastics, which take hundreds of years to degrade, have caused severe harm to ecosystems, wildlife, and human health. As awareness about the environmental impact of plastic waste spreads, the demand for biodegradable and compostable plastics has surged. One company that stands at the forefront of this transformation in India is Capital Colours, one of the leading compostable plastic manufacturers in India. Through innovation, sustainability, and a commitment to the environment, Capital Colours is driving a new wave of eco-friendly packaging solutions.

What Are Compostable Plastics?

Compostable plastics are a type of biodegradable plastic that not only breaks down more quickly than traditional plastics but also degrades into organic matter, enriching the soil without leaving behind harmful residues. These plastics are typically made from renewable resources like cornstarch, sugarcane, or cassava, making them both eco-friendly and practical.

Compostable plastics can be used in a variety of applications, from food packaging to agricultural films, and their ability to return to nature without polluting makes them an essential component of the fight against plastic pollution.

Capital Colours: Redefining Sustainability in India’s Plastic Industry

As compostable plastic manufacturers in India, Capital Colours is a pioneer in offering high-quality, eco-friendly solutions for businesses across multiple sectors. With a deep commitment to sustainability, Capital Colours has been instrumental in helping India reduce its reliance on single-use plastic and transition to more environmentally responsible alternatives.

The company produces compostable plastics that meet international standards for biodegradability, ensuring that products not only perform effectively but also break down efficiently without causing harm to the environment. Their portfolio includes a range of compostable bags, packaging materials, and films, all designed to be both durable and eco-friendly.

Why Choose Compostable Plastics?

Environmental Benefits: The most significant advantage of compostable plastics is their reduced environmental impact. When composted in industrial or home composting conditions, compostable plastics break down into carbon dioxide, water, and organic matter. This process leaves behind no toxic residues, reducing the strain on landfills and minimizing oceanic pollution.

Renewable and Sustainable: Unlike conventional plastic made from petroleum-based resources, compostable plastics are made from renewable, plant-based materials. This helps reduce the carbon footprint associated with plastic production. By shifting to compostable plastics, businesses not only reduce waste but also contribute to a more sustainable and circular economy.

Meets Regulatory Standards: As governments around the world tighten regulations around plastic waste, compostable plastics are seen as a viable solution. In India, the government has been pushing for a reduction in plastic waste, with initiatives to phase out single-use plastic items. Capital Colours is responding to this call by providing products that comply with both national and international standards for biodegradability and compostability, ensuring their customers can meet these evolving regulations.

Enhanced Brand Reputation: Today’s consumers are more environmentally conscious than ever before. Brands that switch to compostable packaging gain a competitive edge by aligning their operations with consumer values. By partnering with compostable plastic manufacturers like Capital Colours, businesses can enhance their sustainability profile and attract eco-conscious consumers, strengthening their market position.

Capital Colours’ Commitment to Innovation and Quality

One of the standout features of Capital Colours is its dedication to innovation in the compostable plastic space. The company invests heavily in research and development to create advanced materials that are both practical and environmentally friendly. By working closely with industries such as food packaging, hospitality, agriculture, and retail, Capital Colours ensures that its compostable plastic products not only meet sustainability goals but also perform to the highest standards in terms of durability and usability.

The company also understands that successful product adoption requires education and awareness. Capital Colours works directly with businesses to provide guidance on how to implement compostable packaging effectively, ensuring proper disposal methods and composting facilities are in place.

The Future of Compostable Plastics in India

As India continues to grapple with plastic waste issues, compostable plastics offer a promising path forward. With the Indian government tightening regulations on plastic usage and promoting waste reduction initiatives, the demand for sustainable alternatives like compostable plastics is expected to grow exponentially. Capital Colours is poised to play a crucial role in this transition, offering products that help businesses navigate this shift while contributing to a cleaner, healthier planet.

The future of compostable plastics in India looks bright, with increasing consumer demand for sustainable products and stronger environmental policies. Companies like Capital Colours are not just adapting to the market but leading the charge toward a future where eco-friendly, compostable materials are the norm, not the exception.

Conclusion

As one of the top compostable plastic manufacturers in India, Capital Colours is helping to redefine the plastic industry by offering innovative, sustainable, and high-quality compostable alternatives. With their eco-friendly products and strong commitment to reducing plastic waste, Capital Colours is playing an essential role in India’s transition toward a greener, more sustainable future. By choosing compostable plastics, businesses can not only improve their environmental impact but also meet consumer expectations for sustainability, positioning themselves as leaders in the eco-conscious marketplace.

In a world where plastic pollution continues to threaten the environment, companies like Capital Colours are paving the way for a more sustainable and circular economy—one compostable product at a time.

[adalidda]

Sahel Agri-Sol’s Contract Farming Program for 2025

Sahel Agri-Sol, a pioneering Malian enterprise, is dedicated to facilitating access to premier agricultural goods from the Sahel and West African regions for discerning global consumers. Our mission is rooted in the principles of inclusive economic growth, striving to create sustainable pathways for agricultural communities while preserving their rich traditions and natural heritage.

Empowering Agricultural Communities

We believe that the future of agriculture in the Sahel and West Africa lies in the hands of those who have nurtured these lands for generations. Through close collaboration with agricultural cooperatives and producers, Sahel Agri-Sol ensures equitable compensation for their exceptional crops. By doing so, we foster prosperity and resilience within rural landscapes, enabling farmers to reinvest in their communities and contribute to the region's socio-economic development.

Our expertise spans a diverse array of Sahelian and West African products, including coffee, cashew nuts, sesame, soybeans, maize, and gum arabic. In addition to raw agricultural products, we specialize in value-added products derived from mangoes, maize, and cocoa. Our commitment to quality and sustainability extends to the exportation of high-value-added agricultural products such as shea butter, soybean flour, cassava flour, and maize flour, which have gained recognition in international markets.

Contract Farming Program 2025: A Call to Action

For the 2025 season, Sahel Agri-Sol is embarking on an ambitious initiative to source white sesame, maize, and sorghum from agricultural cooperatives across West Africa through our contract farming program. This program is designed to provide farmers with a stable and reliable market for their crops, ensuring that they receive fair compensation for their hard work and dedication.

We are seeking partnerships with cooperatives that can meet the following requirements:

White Sesame: Target price of 700,000 FCFA per tonne, with a minimum supply capacity of 100 tonnes per month.

Maize: Target price of 146,000 FCFA per tonne, with a minimum supply capacity of 500 tonnes per month.

Sorghum: Target price of 205,000 FCFA per tonne, with a minimum supply capacity of 500 tonnes per month.

The prices listed above are for pick-up at the cooperatives' warehouses, and we are committed to ensuring that all logistical arrangements are handled efficiently to minimize disruption to the farmers' operations.

Our Commitment to Partners

At Sahel Agri-Sol, we understand that farming is not just a livelihood but a way of life that deserves respect and support. Our contract farming program is built on a foundation of trust and mutual benefit. We offer our partners secure and timely payments, technical supervision to improve crop yields, and opportunities for growth and diversification. By working together, we can enhance the quality and quantity of agricultural produce in the region, ensuring that West African farmers remain competitive in the global market.

Furthermore, we are committed to the environmental sustainability of our operations. We encourage practices that protect soil health, water resources, and biodiversity, ensuring that future generations can continue to thrive in these lands. Through our partnership, cooperatives will have access to resources and expertise that will help them adopt sustainable farming practices, contributing to the long-term viability of agriculture in West Africa.

A Future of Shared Prosperity

Sahel Agri-Sol invites agricultural cooperatives to join us in this endeavor to enhance the prosperity and resilience of West Africa's agricultural sector. Our program is an exclusive opportunity for cooperatives, and we prioritize direct engagement with farmers to eliminate the inefficiencies and inequities often associated with intermediaries or traders. Together, we can build a future where West African agriculture flourishes, providing economic opportunities and food security for millions.

This is not just a business venture; it's a movement to empower the region's agricultural communities. By participating in our contract farming program, you are contributing to a vision of shared prosperity, where every farmer's contribution is recognized and rewarded. We look forward to building lasting partnerships that will shape the future of agriculture in West Africa.

Conclusion

At Sahel Agri-Sol, our commitment to fostering sustainable growth and development within West African agricultural communities is unwavering. Our contract farming program for 2025 is more than just a sourcing initiative; it is a testament to our belief in the power of collaboration and shared success. We invite agricultural cooperatives across West Africa to seize this opportunity to secure a brighter future for their members and the broader community. Let's work together to empower the future of West African agriculture and create a legacy of prosperity for generations to come.

To contact us:

Sahel Agri-Sol

Hamdallaye ACI 2 000,

« BAMA » building 5th floor APT 7

Bamako

Mali

Phone: +223 20 22 75 77

Mobile:  +223 70 63 63 23, +223 65 45 38 38

WhatsApp/Telegram global marketing and sales : +223 90 99 1099

Email: sales@sahelagrisol.com

Web sites

English https://sahelagrisol.com/en

Français https://sahelagrisol.com/fr

Español https://sahelagrisol.com/es

简体中文 https://sahelagrisol.com/zh

عربي https://sahelagrisol.com/ar

Social media

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/sahelAgri-Sol

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/sahel-agri-sol

Twitter @sahelagrisol https://twitter.com/sahelagrisol

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj40AYlzgTjvc27Q7h5gxcA

Sahel Agri-Sol, a pioneering Malian enterprise with office in Mali, Senegal and Ivory Coast, is dedicated to facilitating the access of premier agricultural goods from the Sahel and West African regions to discerning global consumers. Our foundation rests on the principles of inclusive economic growth, aiming to forge sustainable pathways for agricultural communities while safeguarding their traditions and natural heritage.

Through close collaboration with agricultural cooperatives and producers across the Sahel and West Africa, we ensure equitable compensation for their exceptional crops, fostering prosperity and resilience within rural landscapes.

Photo: Maize (credit: Pixabay / Public domain)

[govindhtech]

ListenField helps farmers use AI and ML

ListenField innovative AgTech StartUp

Growing up in Thailand, he saw the difficulties farmers faced, such as the increasing demand for food, the labor scarcity, and the unpredictable crop yields brought on by climate change. This led to a situation where many smallholder farmers were unable to decrease food insecurity because of poor yields but were also unable to make the necessary investments for a more lucrative future.

He was committed to changing things, after completing his information management master’s degree. He joined a study at the University of Tokyo where we monitored spinach fields in Thailand using sensors. Impressive results were obtained from this pioneering experiment in precision farming. They demonstrated that organic crops could be cultivated with little to no fertilizer usage, and customers profited with Thai spinach of greater quality. 

He was motivated by this in 2017 to launch ListenField. By gathering information from many sources, such as field sensors, soil scans, meteorological data, seasonal predictions, and satellite imaging, they want to revolutionize farm management. We provide farmers knowledge that enables them to maximize production “from soil to harvest” by modeling this data.

An abundance of agricultural information

Our prediction platform, which combines crop health monitoring, growth prediction, and soil nutrition analysis, is heavily reliant on artificial intelligence and machine learning. Our FarmAI Mobile App allows farmers to apply real-time information to their calendar, and our FarmAI Dashboard enables agri-food companies to work with farmers and agronomists to develop more profitable and environmentally friendly producing methods.

Their business strategy also includes AgroAPI, which makes their analytics accessible to other parties. Customers may integrate deep analytics into their applications, such as crop growth forecasting and remote sensing analysis, without having to independently create complex algorithms and data pipelines.

They are also enthusiastic about the genetic prediction study they are doing in association with the Japanese government and many research firms. Breeders and seed firms may upload their genomic data to their Data-Driven Breeding Platform and obtain useful insights that assist hasten the reproduction of high-quality seeds and plants.

Our technique is now used by over 30,000 farmers, mostly in Vietnam and Thailand where it is used to increase rice, cassava, and sugar cane yields. Farmers of oranges and mangoes are also getting access to the technology, which will allow them to monitor specific trees and modify watering to increase the sweetness of the fruit when it comes time to harvest.

Swift reaction to a changing environment

Their company was currently utilizing another cloud service, but a member of the ListenField team brought Google Cloud to our notice. They were drawn in by the technology as well as the Google for Startups Cloud Program, which gives us Google Cloud credits for our first and second years of use. They also got to know our Account Representative, who offers us savings throughout Google, business and tech support, and training. It’s wonderful to have someone we can turn to who can support us as we go on our business adventure and use Google’s resources to the fullest.

They were able to experiment and make adjustments in response to early tests by easing the strain on their budget and human resources. They were also able to convince both potential and current investors with a strong business case because to their flexibility.

They gained further impetus from Navagis, a Google Cloud Platform Partner that specializes in geospatial data and mapping. The integration of Google Earth Engine, which we use to map agricultural regions, was also greatly aided by them.

Additionally, they utilize Google Workspace for team communication and Firebase for the creation of applications. We can rapidly design, implement, and expand our machine learning models thanks to Colab and Vertex AI, keeping them competitive and appealing to new clients.

Providing female business owners with the chance to succeed

They received assistance from the Google Cloud team and Listenfield coworkers at Navagis in overcoming the difficulties that many early-stage firms encounter. Because of his expertise in research and academics, he valued the commercial perspective that both organizations provided to aid in their further expansion and scaling.

It might be challenging to be a female entrepreneur running a firm, but Google Cloud and Navagis enabled him to establish a powerful network, get finance, and have his opinion heard. Currently, ListenField has a number of female executives, 50% of their researchers, and a significant portion of the farmers using our platform. 

Above all, Google Cloud enables them to fuel a transformation in South-East Asian agriculture. By switching from analog to digital farming, smallholder farmers may increase their yields and cut down on waste. Greater food security and less use of commercial fertilizers, which produce harmful greenhouse gasses, are two other important economic advantages.

And that’s only the start of what they are capable of. The organization’s next goal is to work with 50,000 farmers and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by one million tonnes. He is certain that they will accomplish these goals despite the fact that it seems ambitious with the support of the Google Cloud and Navagis teams.

[adeinsights]

Thriving in the Rain: A Guide to Successful Farming During the Rainy Season

Introduction: The rainy season brings with it the promise of rejuvenation for farms, but it also poses unique challenges for farmers. With proper planning and a few essential strategies, farming during the rainy season can be not only productive but also rewarding. In this article, we'll explore how to make the most of the rainy season and ensure your farm thrives when the skies open up.

Soil Preparation:

Rainy seasons often mean heavy rainfall, which can lead to soil erosion and nutrient leaching. To combat this, focus on good soil management. Implement proper drainage systems, add organic matter to the soil, and conduct regular soil tests to ensure it has the necessary nutrients for your crops.

Crop Selection:

Certain crops thrive in the rainy season. Opt for varieties that are well-suited for the increased moisture and reduced sunlight. Consider crops like rice, maize, okra, and cassava, which are known for their ability to flourish in wet conditions.

Pest and Disease Control:

The rainy season can create a conducive environment for pests and diseases. Implement integrated pest management strategies, use natural pesticides, and regularly inspect your crops for signs of infestation. Prevention is key to maintaining healthy crops.

Crop Rotation:

Rotate your crops to prevent soil exhaustion and the buildup of specific pests and diseases. Crop rotation helps maintain soil fertility and reduce the risk of pests that may favor certain crops.

Water Management:

While nature provides plenty of rain during this season, it's essential to manage water effectively. Collect rainwater for irrigation and consider using techniques like raised bed farming to prevent waterlogging.

Protective Measures:

Invest in protective measures such as mulching and the use of cover crops. Mulching helps regulate soil temperature, reduce erosion, and retain moisture, while cover crops improve soil health.

Timely Planting and Harvesting:

Plan your planting schedule carefully, taking into account the expected duration of the rainy season in your region. Also, monitor the weather forecasts to ensure timely harvesting and prevent crop damage due to waterlogging.

Organic Farming:

Consider adopting organic farming practices during the rainy season. Organic methods often result in healthier crops and soil while reducing environmental impact.

Conclusion: Farming during the rainy season offers great potential for bountiful harvests, but it requires careful planning and diligent management. By following these strategies, you can navigate the challenges and make the most of the rainy season, ensuring your farm not only survives but thrives in the wetter months. Embrace the rains, and watch your agricultural endeavors flourish.

[agritech08]

Agronomy III - Root Crops

Discover how to grow some of the most important crops in the world: root veggies!   With the help of this thorough course in growing root crops, you can expand what you are currently producing on your farm or launch a new business.   https://agritech.college/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Agronomy.mp4   The second-most significant staple crop in the world is roots. Over the world, they are a vital source of carbohydrates for people. As the agricultural environment is altered by climate, we will need to switch to resilient, carbohydrate and protein-rich, easily grown crops to replace those that are heavily dependent on water (such as rice) for their productivity and survival. They are also important crops for food security for both humans and animals. Root crops includes: - potatoes - sweet potatoes - yams - turnips - carrots - swedes Root crops are also becoming very popular in the developed world as people start to realise the benefits to their health and to the environment by growing and eating root vegetables. In developing countries, some types of root crops (for example, yams and cassava) contribute to the diet as a substitute for other, less accessible, protein foods such as fish or meat. You will learn the finest growing strategies, different harvesting methods, and several root vegetable kinds in this course. Lesson Structure There are 10 lessons in this course: - Scope and Nature of Root Cropping and the Botany of Roots - What are root vegetables? - Human nutrition and root vegetables - Botany of roots - Cultural Practices A: Soil Management, Crop Scheduling and Soil Water - General guide to growing root vegetables - Improving soils - Sampling soils - Cover crops - Cultivation techniques - Soil fertility and plant growth - Plant nutrition - Fertiliser - Soil and water - Cultural Practices B: Weed control, Pest Management - Weed and weed management - Methods of weed control - Pest and disease management - Toxicity - Diseases - Common environmental problems - Potatoes - Growing conditions - Nutrient requirements - Planting - Care - Watering - Problems - Harvest and post-harvest - Carrots and their Relatives - Carrots - Parsnips - Bulb fennel - Turnip rooted chervil - Skirret - Celeriac - Turnips and their Relatives - Turnips - Rutabaga (swede) - Radish - Horseradish - Daikon - Kohlrabi - Beets - Growing conditions - Nutrient requirements - Planting - Care - Watering - Problems - Harvest and post-harvest - Taro, Yams and Sweet Potato - Growing conditions - Nutrient requirements - Planting - Care - Watering - Problems - Harvest and post-harvest - Other Root Crops - Salsify - Scoronera - Scolymus - Mashua - Jerusalem artichoke - Potato bean - Arrowroot - Oca - Dandelion - Chinese artichoke - Water chestnuts - Yacon or jicama - Root chicory - Ullico - American groundnut - Harvest and Post-Harvest Management - Harvesting root vegetables - Cooling methods - Storage Each lesson ends with an assignment that is sent in to the school, graded by the tutors there, and returned to you with any pertinent comments and suggestions—and, if necessary, additional reading—if they are applicable. Aims - Explain root vegetables, including their varieties, health benefits, and morphological internal and external structures. - Provide a brief description of the cultural practises required to grow vegetables. - Describe how to manage weeds and pests, as well as the types of specialised equipment used in the production of root crops. - Describe the conditions needed for potato culture and how to grow potatoes. - Describe the growth practises for carrots and their relatives as well as the cultural requirements. - Describe the growth practises for turnips and their relatives as well as the cultural requirements for them. - Describe the growth practises for beets and their relatives as well as the cultural requirements. - Describe the cultural requirements and methods for growing yams, taro, and sweet potatoes. - Describe the cultural needs and growth methods for a variety of other root crops that were not covered before in this course. - Explain the requirements for root vegetable crops during harvest and after harvest. What You Will Do - Create a bed for root vegetables. - Make and keep a log book with information about your bed. - Do tests to identify the moisture range. - Describe how to enhance the soil for a group of root crops. - Describe crop rotation techniques. - Talk about seed preparation and planting methods. - Establish a weed collection. - Create pest and disease control strategies for use from planting through harvest. - Create a schedule for agricultural production. - Discuss when to harvest certain kinds. WHO SHOULD TAKE THIS COURSE? - Farmers and agricultural labourers - Agricultural supply companies and related services - Agricultural professionals and students - Small-scale or hobby farmers thinking about new "niche" crops - livestock managers and owners who seek to make animal feed Read the full article

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Oil palm agroforestry in Brazil dispels myths about monocultures

Interview with Andrew Miccolis on International Day of Forests

For many people, the mere mention of palm oil conjures up dystopian images of trees planted in military drill formation across vast stretches of land bereft of the brilliant greens and abundant foliage that characterize tropical rainforests in their natural state.

But 18 demonstration farms on 60 hectares of land in the Amazonian state of Pará in northern Brazil are repainting that picture, posing a challenge to the convention that the vital oil can only be profitably grown in high volumes as a chemically dependent monoculture.

Since 2017, Andrew Miccolis and a team of researchers from the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), have been demonstrating that oil palms can produce higher yields and a wide range of benefits in mixed agroforestry systems.

Building on pioneering efforts on three farms in 2008 by cosmetics company Natura & Co., Brazil’s crop research agency Embrapa, and Pará-based cooperative Tomé-Açu Mixed Agricultural Cooperative through the SAF Dendê project, the researchers have also shown that oil palm agroforestry can deliver competitive financial returns.

“A combination of oil palm interspersed with rows of timber trees and crops such as açaí (Euterpe oleracea), banana, cocoa, passionfruit and cassava can do as well or even better than monocultures,” said Miccolis, CIFOR-ICRAF Brazil country coordinator and lead researcher on this project, during an interview ahead of International Day of Forests.

“Benefits extend to improved farmer livelihoods, and healthier ecosystems due to better soil health and increased plant diversity, as well as higher carbon sequestration as compared to conventional monocrop systems. Project farmers have also reported these systems better adapted to the effects of climate change, such as prolonged droughts, which are increasingly common in this region.”

Continue reading.

[drlaurynlax]

50 Ways to Boost Your Immune System Naturally

Approximately 80% of our immune system is produced in the gut.

The Bottom Line: Our immune health is a direct reflection of what is going on in the inside (our gut health and foods we eat).

Immune Health=Inflammation

Immune conditions (from allergies, to autoimmune conditions, acne, breakouts, eczema, psoriasis, colds and flu’s etc.) are a sign of “inflammation” in the body.

What causes chronic inflammation?  It starts in the gut.

The Gut is the Root of Your Immune System

Eighty percent of our body’s health and immunity is produced in your gut, making our gut health a crucial component to maintaining a low level of inflammation in the body. When our gut is not healthy our body has a difficult time eradicating inflammation, allowing greater room for an “immune response” to occur—from skin breakouts, to allergies, colds, the flu, autoimmune disease and more.

What to do about it?

Boost your immune system…in your gut!

Love Your Gut to Boost Your Immune System

It all starts with anti-inflammatory gut-loving foods, supplements and lifestyle choices that help create less internal stress for a chronic “immune response” to occur. 

After all, inflammation is not a bad thing, but when inflammation persists (chronic inflammation) without the ability to recover or your immune cells go into “hyperactive” (overdrive) mode is when “immune issues” (like skin breakouts, autoimmune conditions, allergies, and more occur.

Want a stronger immune system?  

Here are more than 50+ nutrition, supplement and lifestyle essentials that go beyond expensive face washes, allergy shots, steroids, and Benadryl.

50+ Ways to Boost Your Immune System Naturally 

Natural Immune Boosting Foods

Eat These Superfoods

Incorporate these foods on a regular basis in your diet:

Wild-caught fatty fish (1 lb./week) &/or extra virgin cod liver oil

Fermented Foods

low-sugar kombucha

kefir (coconut, water)

Kvass

fermented yogurt & coconut yogurt

sauerkraut

kimchi

Fermented veggies

Prebiotic fiber

cooked & cooled potatoes/sweet potatoes;

cassava;

coconut flour;

green dehydrated plantains;

jicama;

artichoke;

asparagus;

chicory root;

Root veggies & soluble fibers (rutabaga, turnips, beets, squash, roasted carrots)

garlic/onion (as tolerated);

Apples, green-tipped bananas & berries

Meat Stock or Bone Broth. 1 cup/day

Dark Leafy Greens (raw and cooked. Mix it up)

Pastured egg yolks

Organic organ meats

Grass-fed, pastured meats/poultry

Fermented dairy (only if tolerated)

Remove Foods That Trigger an Immune Response (“AIP”)

For at least 30-60 days, take a break from the top inflammatory foods:

Grains (corn, rice, pasta, bread, ancient grains)

Legumes (peanuts, black beans, chickpeas, lentils, pinto beans, etc.)

Coffee

Soy

Alcohol

Chocolate

Nightshades (white potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes, bell peppers, spices derived from peppers like paprika & chili powder, sweet and hot peppers)

Gluten-cross reactive foods (oats, quinoa, buckwheat, casein, whey, rice, white potato, corn, hemp, millet, barley, amaranth, rye, sesame, sorghum, spelt)

Refined sugars and oils

Nuts and seeds (almond, walnuts, cashews, quinoa, pumpkin seeds, flax, chia, etc.)

Food additives and chemicals

NSAIDS (asprin, ibuprofen)

Sugar

Dairy

Eggs

Natural Immune Boosting Gut Health

Not to sound like a broken record, but your gut holds the key to good skin health:

Probiotics

Probiotics help regulate and balance the immune system as well as promote the function of T regulatory cells. Think of probiotics as “immune regulators,” not increasing the number of beneficial bacteria in the gut, but instead fine-tuning and regulating the immune system. (Prebiotics help increase the number of probiotics.

Find In: Supplements: Soil based formulas are often best tolerated by most people until you’ve assessed whether or not you have bacterial overgrowth through gut testing (stool, SIBO, urine organic acids testing); Foods: Fermented foods, Prebiotic foods (see list above)

Pre-biotics

Feed healthy bacteria that’s already in the gut and will increase those levels over time.

Find In: Supplements*: Partially hydrolyzed guar gum, unmodified potato starch, plantain or banana flour, oligosaccharides (FOS, XOS, GOS), *start dose small; Foods: Prebiotic foods (see list above)

Digestive Enzymes

Helps break down foods you eat so your body can more easily digest them! Find In: Supplements (pancreatic enzymes, ox bile), Foods: Sprouted Seeds/Legumes, Pineapple, Kiwi, Grapefruit, Papaya, Mango, Raw honey, Avocado, Bee pollen, Raw fermented dairy, Extra virgin olive oil, Coconut oil

Hydrochloric Acid (HCL)

Boosts stomach acid to assist in the complete breakdown of foods

Find In: Supplements, Apple Cider Vinegar (1 tbsp in 4-8 oz water), Lemon Water

Possibly: Antimicrobial Herbs

If you have an underlying inflammatory gut or liver condition, antimicrobial herbs may be warranted. (See Signs & Symptoms Assessment Hacks in Resources)

Find In: Supplements. A broad spectrum herb is often best. May include: Oregano oil, thyme, sage, garlic, berberine: goldenseal, Oregon grape, olive leaf, Pau d’arco, ginger, licorice, and skullcap, Foods: Oregano, garlic, ginger, clove, raw honey, thyme, basil

Possibly: Biofilm Disruptors

If you discover you have an underlying bacterial overgrowth, bacterial infection, parasite, dysbiosis or candida/fungal overgrowth, then antimicrobial herbs in conjunction with a short-term course of taking a biofilm disruptor can be helpful for ridding of unwanted pathogens. Biofilms are often overlooked when working on gut healing.

Most bacteria are present in biofilms, not as single-acting cells.

Biofilm is like the “steel armor” of some gut bacteria. When individual yeast, pathogens and parasites attach to a surface, such as the GI tract, they clump together into a matrix and create a colony. Larger colonies can contain different species, creating very complex structures.This matrix forms a type of shield (biofilm) around the clump making the microorganisms hiding inside hard to detect in testing, and difficult to address. If unaddressed, biofilm can prevent your “gut healing” herbs and protocol from working.

Find In: Supplements (some of these are found in antimicrobial herbs as well). Interfase Plus (Klair Labs), NAC (N-acetylcysteine), Monolaurin (Lauricidin), Colloidal silver, citrus seed extract, berberine, oregano oil, chitosan, citrus pectin  Foods: Cranberry, garlic, Manuka Honey, olive oil/oleic acid, apple cider vinegar, ginger

Natural Immune Boosting Supplements

There are several natural herbal and supplemental strategies for building a stronger immune system when allergies, autoimmune conditions, colds and skin imbalances strike.

Allergies

All of the following work to boost T-cell function and counter the histamine response.

Extra Virgin Cod-Liver Oil Anti-inflammatory fats that activates immune fighting cells. Find In: Supplements or 1 lb./cold water fatty fish/week

Ginger Tea. Works as a natural antihistamine, potent antiviral agent, and immune booster. Find In: Tea or add, eat raw to recipes/foods.

L-Glutamine Powder, Colostrum or a Dairy-free Source Immunoglobulin G (IgG) Promotes healing support for the intestinal lining. Find In: Supplements, Colustrum Whey Protein

Liposomal Curcumin

The active ingredient in turmeric that promotes T regulatory cell function, decreases inflammation and reduces oxidative damage. However, most forms of curcumin are poorly absorbed when taken orally or consumed in foods; reach for a liposomal form. Find In: Liposomal curcumin supplements (600 mg, 1-2 times per day)

Liposomal Vitamin C Fights oxidative damage and strengthens the stress (adrenal) response. Find In: Spinach & other dark Leafy greens, Citrus fruits, Bell Peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kiwi, Strawberries, Supplements: Liposomal Vitamin C (500 mg)

Oregano Oil, Olive Leaf and Garlic. Food and supplement forms help diminish the flare of bacteria often associated with allergens. Find In: Oregano herbs, garlic, supplements, essential oils

Quercetin, Bromelain, N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine, Stinging Nettles Leaf. Natural anti-histamines that kick the release of histamine from the air or food sensitivities. Find In: Supplements

Raw Manuka Honey. An anti-microbial, anti-bacterial and anti-viral agent—all in one. Honey is nature’s “immune booster.” It is also a powerhouse of antioxidants, which are very effective for the removal of free radicals from the body. Find In: Raw Manuka Honey (food)

Zinc:

Promotes good skin immunity and wound healing, as well as protects against UV radiation and inflammation

Find In: Spinach, Shellfish (Shrimp, Oysters), Grass-Fed Bison & Beef, Flax Seeds, Kidney Beans, Pastured Egg Yolks, Wild-Caught Salmon, Pastured Turkey, Organic Chicken, Cocoa powder,

Supplement: Zinc (aqueous or chelate) (15-30 mg/day for 8 weeks);

Note: Copper imbalance may also be a reason why zinc levels are “low.” One of the most common and important imbalances that we see in clinical practice with trace minerals is excess copper and deficient zinc. If you have this Copper-Zinc imbalance, your body could really be starving for oxygen, hence why it’s more prone to immune imbalances causing oxidative stress. Consider a serum blood test for zinc and 24-hour urine test for copper to assess. A “Zinc Tally” taste test is also worth trying with aqueous zinc to assess).

Autoimmune Conditions

Curcumin: Decreases Inflammation

The active ingredient in turmeric that promotes T regulatory cell function, decreases inflammation and reduces oxidative damage. However, most forms of curcumin are poorly absorbed when taken orally or consumed in foods; reach for a liposomal form.

Find In: Liposomal curcumin supplements (600 mg, 1-2 times per day)

Glutathione: Fights Oxidative Stress & Damage

An essential for preventing oxidative stress in the body, often deficient in autoimmune conditions. Glutathione is the body’s master antioxidant. It also promotes healthy function of T regulatory cells.

Find in: Liposomal GlutathioneSupplements (preferably with N-acetylcysteine, a precursor to glutathione), and these foods:

Pastured, Grass-Fed Organic Proteins — aim for at least 15 percent of calories as protein (75 grams on a 2,000- calorie diet or 95 grams on a 2,500-calorie diet)

Collagen (peptides, bone broth, skin on chicken)

Polyphenol-rich fruits and vegetables — berries, peaches, pears, pomegranates, purple sweet potatoes, broccoli, garlic, cabbage, and spinach

Selenium-rich foods — Brazil nuts, ocean fish, and poultry

Omega 3 Fats: Anti-inflammatory Booster

Natural anti-inflammatory fats that activate your immune system fighting cells.

Find in: Cold water wild caught fatty fish (salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel, whitefish, herring), extra virgin cod liver oil, flax seed, walnuts (soaked, dried)

Vitamin D: Creates a Stealth Immune System

Promotes T-cell function and immune system balance. Ideal levels are between 40-60 ng/mL in healthy individuals. If deficient consider supplementation for 8 weeks at a dose of 5000-10,000 IU/day, followed by a re-check of your blood levels. Long term supplementation is not recommended.

Find in: Supplements, extra virgin cod liver oil, sunlight, pastured egg yolks

Cold & Flu

Colloidal Silver Nose Spray. Can benefit people as a nasal spray and kills off Staph aureus often seen with sinus infections. Find In: Supplemental form/nose spray.

Double Up on Probiotics: Good Gut Bug Support

Help support the breakdown and eradication of the healthy bugs in your gut in the face of illness (in conjunction with your prebiotics). Find In: Supplements, fermented foods

Echinacea: Cold Cutter

According to a research report (1)reviewing 14 different studies on this herb, they found that Echinacea cuts the chances of catching a common cold by 58 percent and Echinacea reduces the duration of the common cold by almost one-and-a-half days. Find In: Herbal Tea or supplemental form (take 1,000 mg 2-3x daily)

Homemade Vapo-Rub: Breathe Easy

For temporary relief make a “Vaporub” with coconut oil + essential oils like peppermint + eucalyptus oil and put it on your chest to help clear sinuses. Find In: Natural essential oils + coconut oil. While you’re at it, consider getting an essential oil com diffuser to diffuse oils like peppermint, lemon, Eucalyptus, red thyme, cinnamon oil and Bergamot

Neti Pot: Drainage Flow Good bye drainage! Hello clear head and nose! This baby drains all that gunk up there to help you…breathe easy. Find In: Neti-Pot

Omega 3 Fats: Anti-inflammatory Booster

Natural anti-inflammatory fats that activate your immune fighting cells.

Find in: Cold water wild caught fatty fish (salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel, whitefish, herring), extra virgin cod liver oil, flax seed, walnuts (soaked, dried)

Oregano Oil & Olive Leaf: Immune Builder Natural anti-oxidants to fight free radicals looming about. Put a few drops of essential oil oregano in a pot of steaming water, and then inhale the steam, or take in supplemental form. Find In: Supplements, essential oils

Zinc + Liposomal Vitamin C (together): Antioxidant Fighter Team

 These two together are a powerful combination to speeding up cold healing, found to be significantly more efficient than placebo at reducing a sinus infection over 5 days of treatment in clinical trials. Find In: Supplements; Vitamin C: Citrus fruits, berries, kiwi, dark leafy greens; Zinc: Organ meats, pastured grass-fed meats, soaked nuts & seeds, dark leafy greens

Skin Health

Biotin: Prevents Hair Loss, Dermatitis & Dandruff

An essential cofactor for enzymes that regulate fatty acid metabolism, essential to help protect cells against damage and water loss. Biotin deficiency causes hair loss, dermatitis, and dandruff.

Find in: Supplements, egg yolks, liver, Swiss chard, spinach, sunflower seeds, almonds, walnuts, avocados, sweet potato, fermented dairy, cauliflower, mushrooms

Omega 3 Fats: Anti-inflammatory Booster

Inadequate intake of anti-inflammatory healthy fats can impact skin health and worsen inflammatory skin conditions.

Find in: Cold water wild caught fatty fish (salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel, whitefish, herring), extra virgin cod liver oil, flax seed, walnuts (soaked, dried)

Pantothenic Acid (B5): Increases Glutathione & Protects Against Oxidative Damage

Supports wound healing, growth and skin cell regeneration. It also increases glutathione levels in the cells, protecting against oxidative damage. Find In: B-Vitamin Supplements, organ meats like liver and kidney, egg yolks, and broccoli. It’s also in fish, shellfish, dairy products, chicken, mushrooms, avocado, and sweet potatoes

Selenium: Skin Cancer Protector & Acne Defender

Selenium is a component of selenoenzymes that allow glutathione to function.

Foods. Brazil nuts, ocean fish, poultry, Grassfed beef, organ meats

Silica: Firm Skin Toner

Interacts with glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), to form building blocks of the skin tissue, increasing skin firmness and elasticity; also hydrates skin naturally

Foods: leeks, green beans, garbanzo beans, strawberries, cucumber, mango, celery, asparagus, rhubarb

Vitamin A: Anti-Dry & Rough Skin

Promotes new cells and healthy immunity. Deficiency signs include: rough and dry skin

Find in: Cod Liver Oil (1-2 tsp/day), Liver, Kidney, Other Organ Meats, Grass-Fed Dairy, Carrots, Bell Peppers, Sweet Potatoes, Dark Leafy Greens, Winter Squash, Cantaloupe; Supplements: Vitamin A supplements are not recommended aside from cod liver oil, since the conversion of supplemental forms does not happen well in most people.

Vitamin C: Smooth Wrinkle Free Skin

Essential for healthy collagen in skin (helps protect against wrinkles and keratinization-hardening of skin)

Find In: Spinach & other dark Leafy greens, Citrus fruits, Bell Peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kiwi, Strawberries, Supplements: Liposomal Vitamin C (500 mg)

Vitamin E: Natural Skin Cancer Protector

Defends against free radicals that cause skin damage and inflammation. It also has a synergistic effect with selenium to boost glutathione levels, preventing inflammatory damage from sun rays. Find In: turnip greens, chard, sunflower seeds, almonds, bell peppers, asparagus, collards, kale, and broccoli, extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil; do not use supplements due to their cardiovascular disease risk factors

Vitamin K2: Skin Wrinkle Guard

Prevents calcification of the skin’s elastin (what gives skin its youthful, springy quality, prevents lines and wrinkles). People who can’t metabolize vitamin K can end up with premature skin wrinkling. Find In: High-fat grass-fed dairy, especially cheese and ghee, egg yolks, liver, natto, which is fermented soybean, and sauerkraut.

Zinc: General Immunity & Anti-Inflammation

Promotes good skin immunity and wound healing, as well as protects against UV radiation and inflammation

Find In: Spinach, Shellfish (Shrimp, Oysters), Grass-Fed Bison & Beef, Flax Seeds, Kidney Beans, Pastured Egg Yolks, Wild-Caught Salmon, Pastured Turkey, Organic Chicken, Cocoa powder,

Supplement: Zinc (aqueous or chelate) (15-30 mg/day for 8 weeks)

Note: Copper imbalance may also be a reason why zinc levels are “low.” One of the most common and important imbalances that we see in clinical practice with trace minerals is excess copper and deficient zinc. If you have this Copper-Zinc imbalance, your body could really be starving for oxygen, hence why it’s more prone to immune system imbalances causing oxidative stress. Consider a serum blood test for zinc and 24-hour urine test for copper to assess. A “Zinc Tally” taste test is also worth trying with aqueous zinc to assess).

Natural Immune Boosting Lifestyle Hacks

Eliminate Stressors.

Stress may worsen or provoke many skin conditions, especially autoimmune-related skin issues Commit to regular (daily/weekly) stress management practice such as meditation, deep breathing, yoga, prayer, time in nature, acupuncture, journaling, etc.

Get Enough Sleep.

Lack of sleep activates the stress response, in turn activating how we experience stress most. (For some of us, that is sleep).

Exercise Regularly…But Don’t Overdo It.

Both overdoing it or under-doing it can create stress for your body. Aim for a mix of cardio and resistance exercises (e.g., walking/jogging and weight lifting) three to five days per week. Regular exercise can increase glutathione levels (antioxidant boosting chemical) Exercise also releases endorphins (“feel good” chemicals that cause the “runner’s high” and also regulate the immune system).

Use Toxin Free Products.

Not all “natural” skin care options are created equal. We need to update the 1938 law that gives the FDA almost no authority to regulate cosmetics. Today, companies are allowed to put nearly any chemical into personal care products sold in the US—even known carcinogens—without any safety testing, and without disclosing all the chemicals on labels. Each day, the average American woman uses about a dozen personal care products containing more than 100 chemicals that we ingest, inhale, and absorb through our skin, so they end up inside us. Use resources like the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Database and Think Dirty phone app to choose truly green products, and when in doubt, good ol’ food-based sources (like apple cider vinegar, honey, coconut oil, olive oil, castle soap and water go a long way). 

Filter Your Shower Water.

Similar to how tap water is not so great for our gut, the same thing goes for the water in which we bathe.

Sun Exposure.

Vitamin D is a natural immune system booster. Ideally our Vitamin D levels should be between 35-60 ng/mL. Supplementation can also be helpful if you fall below that level.

Do you have any favorite immune system boosting secrets? Share them with us in comments and we will add ‘em to the list!

References

1. University of Connecticut. (2007, June 26). Echinacea Could Cut Chance Of Catching Cold By More Than Half, Study Suggests. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 7, 2019 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070626152809.htm

The post 50 Ways to Boost Your Immune System Naturally appeared first on Meet Dr. Lauryn.

Source/Repost=> https://drlauryn.com/gut-health/boost-immune-system-naturally/ ** Dr. Lauryn Lax __Nutrition. Therapy. Functional Medicine ** https://drlauryn.com/

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Organic farming with gene editing: An oxymoron or a tool for sustainable agriculture?

by Rebecca Mackelprang

Many farmers cultivating organic crops believe that genetically modified crops pose threats to human health. mythja/Shutterstock.com

A University of California, Berkeley professor stands at the front of the room, delivering her invited talk about the potential of genetic engineering. Her audience, full of organic farming advocates, listens uneasily. She notices a man get up from his seat and move toward the front of the room. Confused, the speaker pauses mid-sentence as she watches him bend over, reach for the power cord, and unplug the projector. The room darkens and silence falls. So much for listening to the ideas of others.

Many organic advocates claim that genetically engineered crops are harmful to human health, the environment, and the farmers who work with them. Biotechnology advocates fire back that genetically engineered crops are safe, reduce insecticide use, and allow farmers in developing countries to produce enough food to feed themselves and their families.

Now, sides are being chosen about whether the new gene editing technology, CRISPR, is really just “GMO 2.0” or a helpful new tool to speed up the plant breeding process. In July, the European Union’s Court of Justice ruled that crops made with CRISPR will be classified as genetically engineered. In the United States, meanwhile, the regulatory system is drawing distinctions between genetic engineering and specific uses of genome editing.

For many, perception of genetically modified foods has changed little from those of this protester dressed as a genetically altered ‘Killer Tomato’ marching through downtown San Diego, June 24, 2001. Joe Cavaretta/AP Photo

I am a plant molecular biologist and appreciate the awesome potential of both CRISPR and genetic engineering technologies. But I don’t believe that pits me against the goals of organic agriculture. In fact, biotechnology can help meet these goals. And while rehashing the arguments about genetic engineering seems counterproductive, genome editing may draw both sides to the table for a healthy conversation. To understand why, it’s worth digging into the differences between genome editing with CRISPR and genetic engineering.

What’s the difference between genetic engineering, CRISPR and mutation breeding?

Opponents argue that CRISPR is a sneaky way to trick the public into eating genetically engineered foods. It is tempting to toss CRISPR and genetic engineering into the same bucket. But even “genetic engineering” and “CRISPR” are too broad to convey what is happening on the genetic level, so let’s look closer.

In one type of genetic engineering, a gene from an unrelated organism can be introduced into a plant’s genome. For example, much of the eggplant grown in Bangladesh incorporates a gene from a common bacterium. This gene makes a protein called Bt that is harmful to insects. By putting that gene inside the eggplant’s DNA, the plant itself becomes lethal to eggplant-eating insects and decreases the need for insecticides. Bt is safe for humans. It’s like how chocolate makes dogs sick, but doesn’t affect us.

Another type of genetic engineering can move a gene from one variety of a plant species into another variety of that same species. For example, researchers identified a gene in wild apple trees that makes them resistant to fire blight.They moved that gene into the “Gala Galaxy” apple to make it resistant to disease. However, this new apple variety has not been commercialized.

Scientists are unable to direct where in the genome a gene is inserted with traditional genetic engineering, although they use DNA sequencing to identify the location after the fact.

In contrast, CRISPR is a tool of precision.

Just like using the “find” function in a word processor to quickly jump to a word or phrase, the CRISPR molecular machinery finds a specific spot in the genome. It cuts both strands of DNA at that location. Because cut DNA is problematic for the cell, it quickly deploys a repair team to mend the break. There are two pathways for repairing the DNA. In one, which I call “CRISPR for modification,” a new gene can be inserted to link the cut ends together, like pasting a new sentence into a word processor.

In “CRISPR for mutation,” the cell’s repair team tries to glue the cut DNA strands back together again. Scientists can direct this repair team to change a few DNA units, or base pairs (A’s, T’s, C’s and G’s), at the site that was cut, creating a small DNA change called a mutation. This technique can be used to tweak the gene’s behavior inside the plant. It can also be used to silence genes inside the plant that, for example, are detrimental to plant survival, like a gene that increases susceptibility to fungal infections.

In genetic engineering, a new gene is added to a random location in a plant’s genome. CRISPR for modification also allows a new gene to be added to a plant, but targets the new gene to a specific location. CRISPR for mutation does not add new DNA. Rather, it makes a small DNA change at a precise location. Mutation breeding uses chemicals or radiation (lightning bolts) to induce several small mutations in the genomes of seeds. Resulting plants are screened for beneficial mutations resulting in desirable traits. Rebecca Mackelprang, CC BY-SA

Mutation breeding, which in my opinion is also a type of biotechnology, is already used in organic food production. In mutation breeding, radiation or chemicals are used to randomly make mutations in the DNA of hundreds or thousands of seeds which are then grown in the field. Breeders scan fields for plants with a desired trait such as disease resistance or increased yield. Thousands of new crop varieties have been created and commercialized through this process, including everything from varieties of quinoa to varieties of grapefruit. Mutation breeding is considered a traditional breeding technique, and thus is not an “excluded method” for organic farming in the United States.

CRISPR for mutation is more similar to mutation breeding than it is to genetic engineering. It creates similar end products as mutation breeding, but removes the randomness. It does not introduce new DNA. It is a controlled and predictable technique for generating helpful new plant varieties capable of resisting disease or weathering adverse environmental conditions.

Opportunity lost – learning from genetic engineering

Most commercialized genetically engineered traits confer herbicide tolerance or insect resistance in corn, soybean or cotton. Yet many other engineered crops exist. While a few are grown in the field, most sit all but forgotten in dark corners of research labs because of the prohibitive expense of passing regulatory hurdles. If the regulatory climate and public perception allow it, crops with valuable traits like these could be produced by CRISPR and become common in our soils and on our tables.

Dr. Peggy Lemaux, holding seeds from the hypoallergenic wheat she helped develop with genetic engineering. James Block, CC BY-SA

For example, my adviser at UC Berkeley developed, with colleagues, a hypoallergenic variety of wheat. Seeds for this wheat are held captive in envelopes in the basement of our building, untouched for years. A tomato that uses a sweet pepper gene to defend against a bacterial disease, eliminating the need for copper-based pesticide application, has struggled to secure funding to move forward. Carrot, cassava, lettuce, potato and more have been engineered for increased nutritional value. These varieties demonstrate the creativity and expertise of researchers in bringing beneficial new traits to life. Why, then, can’t I buy bread made with hypoallergenic wheat at the grocery store?

Loosening the grip of Big Agriculture

Research and development of a new genetically engineered crop costs around US$100 million at large seed companies. Clearing the regulatory hurdles laid out by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, EPA and/or FDA (depending on the engineered trait) takes between five and seven years and an additional $35 million. Regulation is important and genetically engineered products should be carefully evaluated. But, the expense allows only large corporations with extensive capital to compete in this arena. The price shuts small companies, academic researchers and NGOs out of the equation. To recoup their $135 million investment in crop commercialization, companies develop products to satisfy the biggest markets of seed buyers – growers of corn, soybean, sugar beet and cotton.

The costs of research and development are far lower with CRISPR due to its precision and predictability. And early indications suggest that using CRISPR for mutation will not be subject to the same regulatory hurdles and costs in the U.S. A press release on March 28, 2018 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture says that “under its biotechnology regulations, USDA does not regulate or have any plans to regulate plants that could otherwise have been developed through traditional breeding techniques” if they are developed with approved laboratory procedures.

If the EPA and FDA follow suit with reasonable, less costly regulations, CRISPR may escape the dominant financial grasp of large seed companies. Academics, small companies and NGO researchers may see hard work and intellectual capital yield beneficial genome-edited products that are not forever relegated to the basements of research buildings.

Common ground: CRISPR for sustainability

In the six years since the genome editing capabilities of CRISPR were unlocked, academics, startups and established corporations have announced new agricultural products in the pipeline that use this technology. Some of these focus on traits for consumer health, such as low-gluten or gluten-free wheat for people with celiac disease. Others, such as non-browning mushrooms, can decrease food waste.

The lingering California drought demonstrated the importance of crop varieties that use water efficiently. Corn with greater yield under drought stress has already been made using CRISPR, and it is only a matter of time before CRISPR is used to increase drought tolerance in other crops. Powdery mildew-resistant tomatoes could save billions of dollars and eliminate spraying of fungicides. A tomato plant that flowers and makes fruit early could be used in northern latitudes with long days and shorter growing seasons, which will become more important as climate changes.

The rules are made, but is the decision final?

Dave Chapman, owner of Long Wind Farm, checks for insects on organic tomato plant leaves in his greenhouse in Thetford, Vt. Chapman is a leader of a farmer-driven effort to create an additional organic label that would exclude hydroponic farming and concentrated animal feeding operations. Lisa Rathke/AP Photo

In 2016 and 2017, the U.S. National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) voted to exclude all genome-edited crops from organic certification.

But in my view, they should reconsider.

Some organic growers I interviewed agree. “I see circumstances under which it could be useful for short-cutting a process that for traditional breeding might take many plant generations,” says Tom Willey, an organic farmer emeritus from California. The disruption of natural ecosystems is a major challenge to agriculture, Willey told me, and while the problem cannot be wholly addressed by genome editing, it could lend an opportunity to “reach back into genomes of the wild ancestors of crop species to recapture genetic material” that has been lost through millennia of breeding for high yields.

Breeders have successfully used traditional breeding to reintroduce such diversity, but “in the light of the urgency posed by climate change, we might wisely employ CRISPR to accelerate such work,” Willey concludes.

Bill Tracy, an organic corn breeder and professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, says, “Many CRISPR-induced changes that could happen in nature could have benefits to all kinds of farmers.” But, the NOSB has already voted on the issue and the rules are unlikely to change without significant pressure. “It’s a question of what social activity could move the needle on that,” Tracy concludes.

People on all sides of biotechnology debates want to maximize human and environmental outcomes. Collaborative problem-solving by organic (and conventional) growers, specialists in sustainable agriculture, biotechnologists and policymakers will yield greater progress than individual groups acting alone and dismissing each other. The barriers to this may seem large, but they are of our own making. Hopefully, more people will gain the courage to plug the projector back in and let the conversation continue.

About The Author:

Rebecca Mackelprang is a Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley.

This article is republished from our content partners, The Conversation, under a Creative Commons license. 

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HUMAN HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT OF HEAVY METALS IN CASSAVA TUBERS FROM QUARRY SITES IN OLD NETIM, AKAMKPA LGA, CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA |  Journal of Global Ecology and Environment

Heavy metals in cassava tubers planted at three quarry sites in Old Netim, Akamkpa LGA, Cross River State, Nigeria, were assessed for human health risk. Soil and cassava tubers were collected from three (3) quarry sites in Oban Okoroba, each 4.5 kilometres apart and 20 kilometres from the Control. A soil auger was used to collect a composite of soil samples from 0km, 0.3km, 0.6km, and 0.9km at a depth of 15cm, whereas cassava samples were taken with a shovel. Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry was used to assess the concentration of heavy metals (AAS). Across all sites and samples, the relative abundance of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), arsenic (As), and manganese (Mn) was in the sequence Mn > Cu > Pb > As > Cd. Maximum Mn concentrations  Pb, As, and Cd were found in cassava tubers from quarry site C (78.651 10.048 mgkg-1 and 7.138 3.203 mgkg-1, respectively), whereas Pb, As, and Cd were found in quarry site D (2.018 1.251 mgkg-1, 0.195 0.205 mgkg-1, and 0.167 0.116 mgkg-1, respectively). The Bioaccumulation Factor (BF) of heavy metals from soil to cassava tubers demonstrated substantial Mn accumulation in tubers across all quarry sites, with BF > 1. Consumption of cassava tubers growing within quarries in Old Netim was shown to be safe and free of non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks using estimated daily intake (EDI), Target Hazard Quotient (THQ), and Life Carcinogenic Risk (LCR). THI, on the other hand, discovered the possibility of a non-carcinogenic danger with continued intake of these native tubers. Please see the link :- https://www.ikprress.org/index.php/JOGEE/article/view/7616 Keywords :- Composite ,quarry sites, heavy metals ,cassava tubers ,bioaccumulation factor

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Photo: Breads, cakes, fries, and noodles using cassava flour as ingredient (Sahel Agri-Sol / Public Domain)

Unleash the Versatile Power of West African Cassava Flour

July 12, 2024

Sahel Agri-Sol, a leading agricultural producer in West Africa, proudly introduces our exceptional cassava flour. This outstanding product, produced in West Africa, offers unparalleled quality, versatility, and sustainability for food and cosmetics manufacturers worldwide.

A Legacy of Excellence

Rooted in West Africa's rich agricultural traditions, our producers have perfected the art of cassava cultivation and processing. Each batch of our cassava flour embodies the passion and expertise of generations of West African farmers.

For Food Manufacturers: A Gateway to Innovation

Gluten-Free Perfection

Our finely milled cassava flour stands as the quintessential gluten-free alternative for your diverse product range. Its neutral flavor profile and exceptional binding properties make it an ideal ingredient for a wide array of applications:

Bakery Innovations: Create mouthwatering gluten-free breads, cakes, and pastries that rival their wheat-based counterparts in taste and texture.

Pasta Reinvented: Develop gluten-free pasta products that maintain the perfect al dente texture consumers crave.

Snack Food Revolution: Formulate crispy, crunchy snacks that cater to the growing demand for gluten-free options.

Thickening Agent: Utilize our cassava flour as a natural thickener in sauces, soups, and gravies, ensuring a smooth consistency without artificial additives.

Nutritional Powerhouse

Beyond its functional properties, our cassava flour boasts impressive nutritional benefits:

For Cosmetics Manufacturers: Nature's Beauty Secret

Harness the natural power of cassava flour to elevate your cosmetics and skincare formulations:

Gentle Exfoliation: Our fine-textured flour provides mild exfoliation properties, perfect for facial scrubs and body polishes.

Oil Absorption: Utilize cassava flour's excellent absorbent qualities in face masks, body powders, and dry shampoos.

Natural Thickener: Achieve the perfect consistency in creams, lotions, and gels without synthetic thickeners.

Skin-Soothing Properties: Capitalize on cassava's gentle nature for sensitive skin products and baby care lines.

Anti-Aging Potential: Explore the antioxidant properties of cassava flour in anti-aging formulations.

Sustainability at Our Core

At Sahel Agri-Sol, we believe in nurturing both our products and our environment:

Sustainable Farming: Our cassava is grown using eco-friendly practices that preserve soil health and biodiversity.

Water Conservation: We employ innovative irrigation techniques to minimize water usage without compromising crop quality.

Community Support: Our operations provide fair employment and economic opportunities to local communities in West Africa.

Carbon Footprint Reduction: We continuously strive to reduce our carbon emissions through efficient processing and transportation methods.

Why Choose Sahel Agri-Sol's Cassava Flour?

Unmatched Quality: Consistently superior product that meets the highest industry standards.

Versatility: One ingredient, endless possibilities in both food and cosmetics applications.

Gluten-Free Guarantee: 100% free from gluten and other common allergens.

Nutritional Benefits: Rich in resistant starch and other health-promoting properties.

Sustainable Sourcing: Eco-friendly practices that support local communities and protect the environment.

Reliable Supply Chain: Consistent availability and competitive pricing to meet your manufacturing needs.

Innovation Partner: Our team of experts is ready to collaborate on custom formulations and product development.

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Whether you're crafting the next generation of gluten-free foods or formulating innovative natural cosmetics, Sahel Agri-Sol's premium cassava flour is your key to success. Experience the perfect blend of tradition and innovation and give your products the competitive edge they deserve.

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[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Brazil develops its first-ever organic mango farming system

Embrapa’s cassava and fruit culture unit has completed research on its new system. The resulting growers’ guide provides information on everything from soil preparation to addressing pests, and the workings of the mango market.

Brazil has its first-ever organic mango farming system. Research had been underway for over 10 years at the Mandioca e Fruticultura (Cassava and Fruit Culture) unit of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa). Now, the results are available to growers online in a guide that covers everything from preparing the soil to dealing with pests and irrigation.

Embrapa has developed organic farming systems for over 50 items in the past, including pineapple. The new mango system was developed for the Chapada Diamantina area of the state of Bahia, but it is replicable anywhere in Brazil. “It was developed for this locality, but it can be adapted to other regions, because all of the basic principles of organic farming are described in the system,” said Ana Lúcia Borges, who’s responsible for the new farming system.

After 10 years of farming, the organic crop’s average yield began to resemble, and even surpassed that of conventional systems. “We were really pleased with these results, because organic farming requires the grower’s attention. You need to watch your crop closely each day. And then there’s health benefits to growers, most of whom are family farmers looking to grow food they would buy for their own families,” said Borges, noting that organic fruit usually lasts longer on the shelf than the conventional kind.

Continue reading.

[irispublishersagriculture]

Iris Publishers - World Journal of Agriculture and Soil Science (WJASS)

Biofertilizer Impacts on Cassava (Manihot Esculenta Crantz) Cultivation: Improved Soil Health and Quality, Igbariam, Nigeria

Authored by Ayodele A Otaiku

Introduction

Many diseases are caused by pathogens, whose damage symptoms appear on the leaves, stems and storage roots [1] during cassava cultivation. The common diseases of cassava are cassava mosaic disease, cassava bacterial blight, cassava anthracnose disease, cassava bud necrosis and root rot. Some of these diseases attack the leaves and stems of cassava plants while others attack the storage roots [2]. Cassava mosaic disease is caused by the African cassava mosaic virus which occurs inside the leaves and stems and causes yield reductions of up to 90 percent [3]. Economical damage by diseases, pests and weeds of cassava is relatively moderate, although white flies can be a menace in some regions, if the problem is not identified early, and remedial action not implemented in a timely manner (Figure 1). Correct identification of the pest and an understanding of its behaviour, including its most vulnerable stages would provide insights into its management affects crops yield and development. Care must be then taken if pesticide application is contemplated, since there is the likelihood of high residual levels remaining in the product after harvest if an inappropriate formulation is not used.

Biopesticides can exert fungicidal, insecticidal, or nematocidal action via the microbial inoculate in the biofertilizer, a combination of them and possibly other auxiliary functions such as bird and mammal repellents or herbicides. According to recent classifications [4,5]. Bio-control action is due to multiple synergic mechanisms, generally including: i) production of antibiotics and other secondary metabolites (e.g., phenazines by Pseudomonas spp., lipopeptides by Bacillus spp., and hydrocyanic acid by Rhizobia); and ii) secretion of lytic and defense enzymes (e.g., chitinases, glucanases, peroxidases, polyphenol oxidases, and phenylalanine ammonia lyases produced by Trichoderma, Fusarium, Rhizoctonia, Serratia, Streptomyces and Bacillus strains) [6,7]. The drawback of using living microorganisms is that their efficacy is often unpredictable under changing field conditions, and their fitness is reduced by the presence of an indigenous microbiota difficult to displace by non-native microorganisms [7,8]. Additionally, the antagonistic interactions occurring in formulations containing more than one microbial species limit their potential in integrated pest management strategies [9,10].

Climate change and soil biological health

It is commonly observed that applying only N or N + P can lead to a decline in particulate organic matter (>53 m fraction) and soil biological activity (soil respiration, microbial biomass C and N). These however improved significantly by moving towards balanced application through the addition of NPK or NPK+ organics [19]. Also, actual field studies on microbial diversity and activity are few. Contrary to a hypothesis that leaf litter produced under elevated CO2 and having a high C: N ratio would be difficult to decompose, the microorganisms were found to adapt to changing soil carbon input under elevated CO2 and there was no effect on their turnover and behaviour [20]. Expectedly, under 15 elevated CO2, increased immobilization of fertilizer N by stimulation of mineralization (SMB) of soil organic matter (SOM) nitrogen was observed [21].

Thus, greater microbial demand for N (>27%) was observed under elevated CO2 [22]. As warmer temperatures are maintained, the less efficient use of carbon by the microbes causes them to decrease in number, eventually resulting in less carbon dioxide being emitted into the atmosphere [23] via an agricultural soil vis-à-vis a desert soil (warmed in real world over time) attests this reality. Mycorrhizal and N2-fixing relationships are generally enhanced by CO2 enrichment, but effects of warming are highly variable [24]. There are reports proving that soil resistance and resilience is linked to soil biodiversity [25] and ‘higher’ soil diversity protects the soil against ecosystem malfunctions under stress or disturbance: an ‘insurance hypothesis’ linked to soil biodiversity [26].

Unfortunately, some African soils lack essential nutrients. In Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania low yield of crops was attributed mainly to poor soil fertility [27]. For instance, Zn is deficient in most West African soils, especially the lowland areas [28] while plant viable P is unavailable in the iron-rich tropical soils of Africa due to low pH and high level of iron and aluminum oxides [29]. The soil lacks Ca, Mg and K, and when acidic, has a high level of free Mn, which is toxic to crops. Buhmann, et al. [30], some South African soils are deficient in K and P, making it unsuitable for cultivation. Africa has lower fertilizer consumption when compared to other regions of the world. In 2002, sub-Saharan Africa had about 8 kg/ha of fertilizer consumption which increased to 12 kg/ ha in 2010 and 18 kg/ha in 2013 (Sommer et al., 2013). This is far below that of other regions of the world such as North America, South Asia, and East Asia and Pacific which were estimated at 127.9 kg/ha, 151.8 and 337.0 kg/ha respectively (World Bank Fertiliser Consumption, 2013).

Sub-Saharan Africa fertilizer market lacks basic infrastructure for sustainability, efficient pricing and competition (Sommer et al., 2013). Biofertilizers should not be misunderstood for organic fertilizers such as compost, animal manure and plant manure or extracts [31,32]. However, whether the beneficial microbes improve crop accessibility to nutrients [6,33] or replenish soil nutrients (Shridhar, 2012; Thamer et al., 2011), if the overall nutrient condition of crop and soil has been improved, such substances containing the beneficial microorganisms are considered as biofertilizers [32]. The objectives are:

• How biofertilizer functional architecture links system design (microbial inoculant) impacts on the cassava crops nutrient use efficiency.

• To use the outcome indicators (crop yield, soil organic matter) as a determinant of soil health and quality and soil nutrient facility management.

• How the microbial inoculant impacts on the integrated soil management?

• What are the indicators of soil quality?

Methodology

Biofertilizer functional models - soil health and quality

The environment-centric view (biofertilizer impacts) considers function as its effects (biofertilizer). The device-centric view considers function in term of internal parameters of the object (cassava crop physiology). The device-centric functions are the outcome (yield, soil health and quality) of the deployment of the environment centric functions. Eppinger and Browning, 2012 define. Underrating the biofertilizer system architecture of cassava crop cultivation within the agro-ecology, their relationships to crop development, evolution and outcome (yield, soil health and quality). Models are representations of the current understanding of a phenomenon or process of interest [34,35]. Functional models describe the relationship among variables using the simplest description of causal relations possible that still provides a useful description of the process or phenomenon [36]. A functional model would describe the components of the biofertilizer system and how they interact soils and crops cultivation. A mechanistic model would describe the properties of the biofertilizer contained in the components of the soil systems during cultivation. Information is also required on the driving forces that impact the variables controlling outcomes This driving force-outcome-response framework (or pressure-state- response framework) is widely used in environmental assessment [37].

Biofertilizer is dependent variable is the variable being tested and measured in the cassava (independent variable or manipulated variable) field experiment. The independent variable (cassava crop) effect on the dependent variable is observed and recorded. Indicators can be used to communicate information on driving forces, outcomes, or responses. Driving force indicators communicate information on the causes of a problem, which may provide incentives for appropriate responses or be used to monitor the efficacy of responses. Outcome indicators communicate information on the effects of a problem on a goal. Outcome indicators are often slow to respond but are directly related to the issue and are useful for assessment and planning. Response indicators communicate information on the extent to which remedial actions are implemented. Response indicators respond quickly, but their effects are not evident until much later. Indicators may communicate information on level, change or structure [38]. An indicator of structure provides information on industry or policy structures related to driving force (e.g., average farm size) or response (e.g., proportion of farms with an environmental farm plan). Water quality: watersheds with the greatest risk of non-point pollution are identified based on leaching and runoff vulnerability indices calculated for pesticides and nutrients (Figure 3).

For example, vulnerability indices for nutrients are obtained from estimates of excess nutrient levels (manure or commercial fertilizer sources) combined with estimates of leaching (based on precipitation and hydrologic factors) or estimates of run-off, Figure 2 reported by Kellogg et al. [39]. In the United States to develop soil ratings based on measured soil properties for the comparison of land management systems [40] and the approach, soil quality is considered an inherent property of the soil that can be determined from measurable soil attributes [41]. When a soil quality parameter declines below an acceptable limit, an appropriate response is required to increase soil quality. Acceptable limits depend on land use, soil characteristics, landform and climatic conditions. Many potential parameters of soil quality, measurable at various scales of assessment, have been proposed (Table 1). Wander & Bollero [42] concluded that particulate organic matter, mean wet weight diameter of aggregates, bulk density and penetration resistance may be good indicators of soil quality because they are sensitive to management and environmentally relevant.

Acton & Gregorich [43] defined soil quality as “the soil’s fitness to support crop growth without resulting in soil degradation or otherwise harming the environment”. Larson & Pierce [41] stated that “soil quality describes how effectively soils: 1) accept, hold, and release nutrients and other chemical constituents; 2) accept, hold, and release water to plants, streams and groundwater; 3) promote and sustain root growth; 4) maintain suitable biotic habitat; and 5) respond to management and resist degradation”. Karlen et al. [44] defined soil quality as “the capacity of a specific kind of soil to function, within natural or managed ecosystem boundaries, to sustain plant and animal productivity, maintain or enhance water and air quality, and support human health and habitation”.

Soil quality and health

Soil quality can be defined as the fitness of a specific kind of soil, to function within its capacity and within natural or managed ecosystem boundaries, to sustain plant and animal productivity, maintain or enhance water and air quality, and support human health and habitation [45]. Soil quality is related to soil functions and soil health concepts views soil as a finite and dynamic living resource [46]. Plant health is clearly a component of soil health but necessarily not of soil quality [47]. Baker & Cook [48] described the soils in which disease severity or incidence remains low, in spite of the presence of a pathogen, a susceptible host plant and climatic conditions favorable for disease development, as suppressive soils. Soil biota like arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi play a significant role in improving plant nutrition but also act as bioprotectants against pathogens and toxic substances [49]. Thus, there is a considerable degree of overlap in the meaning of soil quality and soil health (Doran, 2002), though soil health perceptions tend to focus more on biotic components of soil [50]. Soil degradation or deterioration in soil health or quality implies loss of the vital functions of soil: (i) providing physical support, water and essential nutrients required for growth of terrestrial plants; (ii) regulation of the flow of water in the environment and (iii) elimination of the harmful effects of contaminants by means of physical, chemical and biological processes, i.e., environmental buffer or filter [38,51]. The quality and health of soil determine agricultural sustainability and environmental quality, which jointly determine plant, animal and human health [21,52].

Results and Discussion

Biofertilizer - mechanism of action

The absence of a population of degrading microorganisms can be overcome by the inoculation of the plant rhizosphere with pollutant degrading strains and biosurfactants during crop cultivation via biofertilizer. This approach successful in reducing the levels of benzene, ethylene, toluene xylenes, hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls and pesticides in polluted environments [50,53] especially in Africa poor soil profile. The rhizosphere is defined as the volume of the soil over which roots have influence, and which is shared with soil bacteria. Plants release exudates in the rhizosphere likely to serve as carbon source for microbes [54]. Consequently, rhizosphere microbes can promote plant health by stimulating root growth via production of plant growth regulators, enhance mineral and water uptake. Some bacteria, especially fluorescent pseudomonads, produce siderophores that have very high affinities for iron as compared to fungal siderophores [55] and can sequester this limited resource from other microflora thereby preventing their growth [56].

Earlier reports have demonstrated the importance of P. fluorescens siderophores in disease suppression [57,58], Figure 4. However, many endophytic bacteria are facultative plant colonizers and have to compete well in the rhizosphere before entering the plant [59] and might be therefore equipped with a rich arsenal of metabolites involved in defense as well as in interaction with the plant. Many bacteria with the capacity of colonizing plants utilize the nutrient niche of root surfaces in the rhizosphere and most of them might even actively switch from root surface to endophytic lifestyles [59,60]. These bacteria comprise several well characterized species of Bacillus and Pseudomonas and a number of metabolites, particularly lipopeptides synthesized by non-ribosomal peptide synthesases, have been described to be important for rhizosphere bacteria for antibiosis and for inducing plant defense mechanisms (Figure 5). Biofertilizer characteristics (Table 2) and biosurfactants (Table 3) applied in the filed cassava cultivation requires no chemical pesticide. This was as a result of might be cassava plant-associated lifestyle requires adaptation to several niches, in which different metabolites act as signals for interaction (communication) with the plant and host specific plants nutrient and crop protection.

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[annieboltonworld]

Juniper Publishers-Open Access Journal of Environmental Sciences & Natural Resources

Comparative Evaluation of the Cyanide and Heavy Metal Levels in Traditionally Processed Cassava Meal Products Sold Within Enugu Metropolis

Authored by Ezeh E

Abstract

Studies were carried out to comparatively evaluate the cyanide and heavy metal levels in traditionally processed cassava meal products (abacha, akpu and garri) sold within Enugu Metropolis using relevant analytical procedures and instrumentation. The mean levels of cyanide in the abacha, akpu and garri samples sold within Enugu metropolis were, 11.07, 6.84 and 9.22ppm respectively. Only the mean cyanide levels in abacha samples sold within the metropolis was above the maximum safe intake limits of 10ppm in cyanide containing food/feed for human and animals. The levels of cyanide in the samples were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Cd, Zn, Cu, Pb and Fe were all detected at non-toxic levels in the traditionally processed cassava meal product sold within Enugu metropolis. The mean levels of the metals in akpu were significantly higher than in the other studied samples sold within the metropolis (p < 0.05). Varying periods of fermentation, soil chemistry and ecology was attributed to be responsible for the varying levels of cyanide in the samples. Contamination during processing and in the soil where the cassava were harvested could have significantly influenced the levels of the studied heavy metals in the samples.

Keywords: Heavy Metal; Cyanide; Akpu; Garri; Abacha

Theoretical Basis and Methodology

Cassava (Manihot esculentacrantz) is a tuberous root belonging to the surphorbiaceae family. Due to its high adaptability to a variety of environmental conditions, cassava is considered an important nutritive source [1-30]. It is the third largest source of carbohydrates after rice and maize, being an important dietary component for populations worldwide [16]. Cassava is an all season crop of the tropics and ranks among the top ten food crops in the world [15]. Today, Africa is the largest producer of cassava referred to as the bread of the tropics, with Nigeria leading with nineteen percent of global market share [10]. It holds the position as a primary food security crop in Africa due to its resistance to drought and disease, flexible planting, harvest cycles and tolerance of low-quality soils [17]. Cassava is a tuber crop that is propagated by stem and matures between 6-12 months of planting depending on the variety [22]. It supplies about 70% of the daily calorie of over 50 million people in Nigeria [8]. Edible part of fresh cassava root contains 32-35% carbohydrate, 2-3% protein, 75-80% moisture content, 0.1% fat, 1.0% fibre and 0.70-2.50% ash [29-31].

According to [14] fresh cassava roots cannot be stored for long because they rot within days of harvest since they are bulky with about 75% moisture content with the roots and leaves containing varying amounts of cyanide which is toxic to humans. Therefore, cassava must be processed into various forms in order to increase the shelf-life of the products, facilitate transportation and marketing, reduce cyanide content and improve palatability [32-36]. Cassava can be processed into a number of products both traditionally and industrially [13]. Depending on the product, the methods involved in processing cassava include, peeling, cutting, and submerged fermentation, dewatering, sieving, frying, washing, frying, cooking and pounding [34]. Some commonly processed cassava meals include chips, abacha, fufu, lio-lio, tapioca, cassava flour and garri [21]. For instance, abacha is a traditionally processed by first harvesting and peeling the cassava and was quickly followed by cooking the tubers to soften for a period of time. The cooked cassava will be sliced and soaked in water over night. After about 12hours of soaking, the cooked and sliced cassava will be washed thoroughly with water until it become edible [21]. According to 33, the cassava product called akpu is usually prepared by harvesting and pealing cassava tubers and then washing them into a container where it will be fermented with water for atleast seven days to ten days. It is then removed from the fermented water and mashed in a sieve bag that drains out water when compressed/ swizzed. The mashed cassava in the sieve bag can be cooked and pounded into gelatinized pastes called fufu [30]. Stated that the traditional production of garri involves peeling of the cassava tubers and grating it into fine pulp. Next the pulp is transferred into lessian sacks and compressed to drain and ferment for days. The fermented and relatively dewatered pulp will be sieved to remove fibrous materials and palm oil could be added according to preference. Roasting is carried out in large frying pan to yield gelatinized granules of reduced moisture content which can be stored for relatively long-time. Palm oil is added to cassava mash to give the garri an aesthetic value and source of vitamin A.

Though cassava mealed products such as fufu, cassava and abacha contain a list of mineral elements in trace amounts which are of good use to the body, May also contain a number of heavy metals. These heavy metals sometimes are accumulated in the cassava through the soil. Heavy metals are environmental contaminants with the capability of finding their way into the food we eat and causing human health problems. They are given special attention throughout the world due to their ubiquitous nature and toxic effects even at low concentrations [11]. Heavy metals contamination of the environment and food materials are major source of concern. In humans, heavy metals are taken up through consumption of heavy metal laden food, water and inhalation of heavy metal contamination of heavy metal contaminated air [24]. Heavy metals such as Cu and Zn are essential for normal plant growth and development since they are constituents of many enzymes and other proteins [36]. Elevated concentrations of both essential and non-essential metals in the soil can lead to toxicity symptoms and accumulation in parts of plants [18]. Plants growing within the heavy metals contaminated areas usually take up heavy metals by absorbing minute deposits on the parts exposes to the air in the polluted environments and during uptake of contaminated soils [37-39]. Analysis of processed cassava flour has revealed the presence of poisonous metals such as lead, arsenic and cadmium [5].

Cadmium, chromium and nickel are carcinogenic [28]. Lead causes neurological impairment and central nervous system damage by its ability to mimic and inhibit the actions of calcium in its neurotransmission function [26]. Some heavy metals such as cobalt, copper, iron, manganese and zinc are essential macro elements for living things however; they are toxic at high concentrations [4]. Cassava contains the cyanogenic glucosides, linamarin and lotaustralin which are hydrolyzed after tissue damage by the endogenous enzyme, linamarase to the corresponding cyanolydrin and further to hydrogen cyanide (HCN) [9]. The hydrogen cyanide is responsible for the chronic toxicity when inadequately processed cassava products are consumed by humans and animals for prolonged periods [8]. During processing, cassava tubers are disrupted and cyanogenic glucosides is brought in contact with p – glucosisases and a-hydroxynitrile lyases, engendering and hydrolysis of cycinogenic glucosides into cyanolydrins, hydrogen cyanides and ketones [8]. Based on the wide consumption of cassava products as everyday diet in many Nigerian homes, studies were carried out to comparatively evaluate the cyanide and heavy metal levels in traditionally processed cassava meal products (garri, akpu and abacha) sold within Enugu metropolis.

Materials and Method

Sample Collection

Samples of abacha, akpu and garri were obtained at various market outlets within Enugu metropolis.

Elemental Analysis

The samples were oven-dried at 100oC for 3hrs. Thereafter, the samples were ground into a fine powder and 0.5g each was weighed into a 100ml volumetric flask. Thirty mililitres (30ml) of mixed concentrated acid (650ml nitric acid + 80mlperchloric acid+20ml suphuric acid) were added and the mixture heated at 150oC until dense white fumes of nitric acid escaped. Thereafter, it was cooled and brought to a volume of 50ml using de-ionized water in a 50ml volumetric flask. The resulting solution was analyzed with atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS model Pa 990). The spectrometer was standardized using standard solutions of the elements analyzed and distilled water was acidified and aspirated to zero using air acetylene for Cu, Cd, Zn, Pb and Fe. The absorption radiation of the elements produced from the metals at various wavelengths was measured using the atomic absorption spectrometer.

Statistical Analysis

All data were expressed in mean and standard deviation. The data was subjected to one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) using SPSS version 18.0 at 5% level of confidence.

Hydrogen Cyanide Determination

This was carried out using the method adopted by [31]. 2g each of the samples were made into paste in 20ml of distilled water in a corked conical flask overnight after which extraction took place. The extract was filtered and the filtrate was used for the analysis. 1ml of this was put in a test-tube, followed by the addition of 4ml alkaline picrate solution. This was heated in water at 90oC for 5min. After the colour development, the absorbance value of each sample was determined at 490nm using spectrophotometer (AAS 6200 SHIMADZU). The actual amount of cyanide was extrapolated from the standard cyanide was extrapolated from the standard cyanide curve. A blank reagent from 4ml picrate solution and 1ml distilled water were also prepared to standardize the spectrophotometer before measuring the absorbance. Table 1 shows that the mean levels of cyanide in abacha, akpu, and garri sold within Enugu metropolis were, 11.07, 6.84 and 9.22ppm respectively. These cassava meal products (akpu, garri and abacha) were traditionally processed using different methods, with the sole aim of reducing the cyanide level, improve storability, convenience and palatability of the meal products. The order of decrease of cyanide levels in the sample were, abacha>garri>akpu as shown in Figure 1. The mean levels of cyanide in the abacha samples sold within Enugu metropolis was above the maximum safe limit of 10ppm in cyanide contaminating food/feed for humans and animals [38]. Abacha is a ready-to-eat cassava meal product widely consumed in many Nigerian homes, so to have found the cyanide level above the recommended limit in this edible food/snack is of public health concern. According to [29], fermentation of cassava tubers is a major determining factor in achieving a significant reduction in cyanide content in cassava meal products [33]. Stated that the disparity in cyanide content in cassava meal products is as a result of difference in ecological factors and soil chemistry in the various places were the cassava is grown [8]. Stated that key component of soil such as potassium, calcium and magnesium adversely affected the biosynthesis and translocation of cyanide to storage organs, which invariably contributed to inconsistencies in cyanide content in the plant tissues.

WHO STD-10.00ppm

Another reason that can be attributed to the high level of cyanide in the abacha and garri samples sold within Enugu metropolis can be attributed to the short period of fermentation employed by the processors. According to [12], HCN is responsible for tissue hypoxia. Chronic exposure to HCN causes neurological, respiratory, cardiovascular and thyroid defects. Symptoms of this may be seen less than one minute following ingestion of cyanide [19].

Cadmium

Table 2 shows that the mean levels of cadmium in the abacha, akpu and garri sold within Enugu metropolis were, 0.084, 0.206 and 0.135ppm respectively. The order of decrease of the metal in the samples were,akpu>garri>abacha (Figure 2) Statistical analysis of cadmium levels in the samples shows significant difference at p < 0.05. According to [39], plants growing within heavy metal contaminated areas usually take-up heavy metals by absorbing minute deposits on the parts exposed to air in the polluted environments and during uptake from contaminated soils.

The difference in soil chemistry from which the cassava tubers were processed into the sample products were grown, heavy metal contamination levels of such soils, contamination from water used during the fermentation process and general processing environment could have significantly influenced the levels of cadmium and other metals in the samples. The mean concentrations of cadmium in the samples were within recommended permissible limits for a solid food product [38] Chronic exposure to cadmium could cause nephrotoxicity in humans, mainly due to abnormalities of tubular re-absorption [27,28]. Higher values of 0.55  0.002mg/kg, for cadmium in cassava tubers sold in major markets in Benue State, Nigeria, than obtained in this research [13]. Did not detect cadmium in cassava flour sold in Anyigba market, Kogi State, Nigeria.

Zinc

Table 2 shows that the mean levels of zinc in abacha, akpu and garri sold within Enugu metropolis were, 4.82, 6.76 and 5.49ppm respectively. The mean concentration of zinc in the cassava meal samples were statistically significant (p < 0.05) and within the established recommended maximum safe limits. The order of decrease of zinc in the sample were, akpu>garri>abacha. The mean values of zinc obtained for the cassava meal products in the research compared very well with 5.660.31mg/kg reported by [24] for the metal in garri sold in some major markets in Yenegoa metropolis, Nigeria. Zinc is one of the major essential elements required by the human system [23]. Zinc plays several functions in the human body, such as wound healing, blood clotting, and proper thyroid function, maintenance of vision, bone mineralization, fetal growth, sperm production and cell growth. High concentrations of zinc in the body induce several health effects such as vomiting, gastrointestinal irritation, weakness, anaemia and loss of hair [2].

Copper

Table 2 shows that the mean levels of copper in abacha, akpu and garri sold within Enugu metropolis were, 1.34, 2.81 and 1.65ppm respectively. The order of decrease in mean levels of cooper in the samples were,akpu>garri>abacha as shown in Figure 2. The mean levels of copper in the cassava meal samples were found to be statistically significant and equally within the maximum permissible limit [38]. Higher mean values of 3.720.87mg/kg was obtained for Cu by [24] in garri sold in some major markets in Yenegoa metropolis, Nigeria, than reported in this study [6].

A higher mean value of 10.180.73mg/g for copper in cassava flour processed by road side drying along Abuja Lokoja highway, Nigeria, than what was obtained for the metal in the studied cassava meal products in this research. The plant uptake of heavy metals is dependent upon a number of factors. These factors include; physical processes such as root intrusion, water and ion fluxes and their relationship to the kinetics of metals solubilization in soils, biological parameters, including kinetics of membrane transport, ion interactions and metabolic fate of absorbed ions, soil acidity and the ability of the plants to adapt metabolically to charging stresses in the environment [7].

Although, copper is an essential element of life, it causes adverse effects on health by acute or chronic intoxications or even death of animals, when it is introduced in excess in the body. The biological functions of copper include cell metabolism, normal iron metabolism, red blood cell synthesis, connective tissue metabolism and bone development [35,3]. Chronic exposure to high concentration of copper causes irritation of nasal mucosa, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, kidney and liver damage.

Lead

The mean levels of lead in abacha, akpu and garri samples sold within Enugu metropolis were, 0.203, 0.431 and 0.323ppm respectively. The mean levels of the metal in the cassava meal samples decreased in the following order; akpu>garri>abacha and shown in Figure 2. The mean concentration of lead was found to be statistically significant (p < 0.05) in the cassava product samples. Lead was present at non-toxic levels in the analyzed samples. Dietary intake of many heavy metals through consumption of plants has long term detrimental effects on human health [37]. Heavy metal polluted food can severely reduce some vital nutrients in the body that are accountable for declining immunological defenses, growth delay, reduced psychological abilities and gastro-intestinal cancer [23]. High level of lead in adults’ body can generate heart diseases, cancer and infertility. For children the disease caused by lead can lead to antisocial behaviour, low intelligence or hyperactivity [3,28]. Obtained a higher mean value of 0.889mg/kg for lead in garri sold in two major garri markets in Benue State, Nigeria, than reported for the metal in cassava meal samples in this research.

Iron

Iron plays an essential role in living organisms such as the formation of heamoglobin, transferrin, ferritin and bone iron – containing enzymes, transport, deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis, and electron transport chain, regulation of cell growth and differentiation and cytochromes [25].

Table 2 shows that the mean concentrations of iron in abacha, akpu and garri samples sold within Enugu metropolis were, 18.16, 23.04 and 20.25ppm respectively. The concentrations of iron in the traditionally processed cassava meal products were statistically significant (p < 0.05) and within the recommended maximum safe limits for an edible solid food. The order of decrease of the mean levels of iron in the samples were, akpu>garri>abacha [13] obtained a lower mean value of 1.27mg.g for iron in cassava flour sold in Anyigba market, Kogi State, Nigeria, than reported for the metal in cassava meal products studies in the research.

Conclusion

Cyanide was found present in abacha, akpu and garri samples sold within Enugu metropolis. The mean levels of cyanide in abacha samples sold within the metropolis were detected at above the maximum safe intake in cyanide containing food/ feed for humans and animals. The least concentration of cyanide was detected in akpu samples. The concentrations of cyanide in the traditionally processed cassava meal products (abacha, akpu and garri) sold within Enugu metropolis were statistically significant at p < 0.05. The varying duration of fermentation of the samples, soil chemistry and ecology of where the cassava were grown could have significantly influence the cyanide levels in the studied samples.

The studied heavy metals (Cd, Zn, Cu, Pb and Fe) were detected at non-toxic levels in abacha, akpu and garri samples sold within Enugu metropolis. The levels of the analyzed metals in the samples were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Higher levels of heavy metals were found present in akpu samples than in the other studied cassava meal samples.

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Game-changing GM crop finally planted in Nigeria

After decades of research, Nigeria’s farmers are growing a GM version of their staple legume that will help millions combat hunger and poverty.

Last July, for the first time, subsistence farmers in Nigeria planted a new variety of genetically modified (GM) cowpea – and it promises to bolster food security for over 200 million Nigerians.

This follows a decision made in December 2019, when Nigeria became the first country in the world to approve the commercialisation of GM cowpea.

Cowpeas are a staple food and an important source of protein, mostly grown in West Africa. Credit: CSIRO

The protein-rich cowpea, commonly known as “poor man’s meat”, is the country’s staple legume. This new variety took a team of African and international devotees 40 years to develop: 20 years to improve its traits through traditional breeding and another 20 using genetic engineering to develop resistance to the destructive Maruca pod borer.

Mohammad Ishiyaku, a geneticist and cowpea breeder at Ahmadu Bello University in Northern Nigeria, says the new variety is a game-changer for farmers.

“The demand is outstripping supply,” he says.

Farming families comprise about 70% of the Nigerian population, with most living on half-acre (about 2000 sq m) lots where they grow sorghum, millet, cassava, yams, plantain and – most importantly – cowpea. Most families consume cowpeas daily either boiled and eaten with rice or fermented and cooked in oil to provide a tasty local dish known as akara. The stalks are also nutritious fodder for livestock, and any extra harvest can bring in cash at the local market.

But what farmers grow is what they put on the table and when their crops fail, their families starve. Some 91 million people are considered at risk; most can’t afford fertiliser and chemicals, there’s no irrigation or power, and life has only gotten tougher in recent years due climate change and conflict.

Researchers expect that the GM cowpea will not only increase food security, but also give farming families a leg up out of poverty. Ishiyaku estimates that by lowering their spending on pesticides and raising yields, the crop could enhance farmers’ income by close to 30%.

The new variety should also help the country���s bank balance. While Nigeria is the world’s largest producer of cowpea, it still needs to import 500,000 tonnes per year.

The long road to GM cowpea

Cowpea is a hardy legume, well adapted to the dry conditions and poor soils of the tropical savannah. But while handed down the generations from farmer to farmer, it had been left behind by the breeding programs that dramatically improved the yield of staples like rice, corn or wheat.

Improving cowpea has long been the holy grail for Nigerian plant breeders.

Read more: Gene-edited plants aid food security

Their journey began in 1979 when plant breeder B B Singh joined Nigeria’s International Institute of Tropical Agriculture. Singh was known as ‘Mr Soybean’, for breeding high-yielding soybean varieties in the US and introducing them to India. In Nigeria he was soon to become ‘Mr Cowpea’.

Dr BB Singh in the greenhouse with cowpea plants at Texas A&M University in College Station. Credit: Texas A&M AgriLife photo

Like a racehorse breeder, Singh appraised the traits of 15,000 varieties of cowpea from around the world, plying his art to mix and match desired traits. When he began farmed varieties of cowpea sprawled along the ground using up precious space and took five months to ripen their pods. Sixteen years later his ‘racehorse’ variety grew upright so more could be packed into the farmer’s field. Their time to ripen was shortened to two months, safeguarding a harvest if seasonal rains failed, an increasingly common occurrence. And to top it off, he bred in resistance to thrip, aphids, bruchids and striga – a pretty pink parasitic weed.

After 16 years Singh’s efforts increased the yield of cowpea grown in the greenhouse from 0.2 tons per hectare to over two tons per hectare.

But out in the fields, those gains could be obliterated by a little brown and white moth: Maruca, whose caterpillars routinely devour between 20% and 80% of the crop.

For the die-hard cowpea breeders, it was a call to arms.

The only weapon was spraying with pesticides up to eight times over the growing period. But besides being prohibitively expensive for farmers living on $1.50 per day, spraying was dangerous for those unfamiliar with pesticide use and lacking protective gear.

Pod borer moths lay their eggs on cowpea plants and the emerging caterpillars feed on the plant, drastically reducing yield. Credit: Carl Davies

Singh knew that the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis offered an organic solution to the Maruca problem. When the bacterium infects caterpillars, it kills them because one of its genes bores a hole into the caterpillar’s stomach. Organic farmers spray the bacterial soup directly onto crops. It’s ecologically friendly because bees and other insects are unaffected. But sprays don’t reach caterpillars inside pea pods. The most effective approach was to supply the plant with an inbuilt version of the bacterium’s gut-boring gene through genetic engineering.

The bacterial gene, commonly referred to as Bt, had been successfully introduced to soybeans, corn and cotton, but success in cowpea had been elusive. Singh’s comrade-in-arms in the Maruca wars, entomologist Larry Murdock at Purdue University, Indiana, had tried for years. But Murdock knew a scientist from Australia’s national research agency, CSIRO, who might succeed. “Higgins was my secret weapon,” he says. Murdock arranged a conference in Senegal in 2001 and invited T J Higgins as keynote speaker.

Higgins was famous for having used genetic engineering to improve legumes for the benefit of sheep. Unaware of the reason for being honoured as keynote speaker, Higgins regaled his audience with his feat of improving livestock fodder. His audience was singularly unimpressed. When they asked him to turn his efforts to improving ‘poor man’s meat’, Higgins, the son of a poor Irish farmer, could not refuse.

He took up the punishing task of introducing the bacterial gene into cowpea. It relied on hijacking the operations of yet another soil bacterium, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, which induces gnarly tumours around the roots of plants. It does this by sneaking its own DNA into plant cells to turn them into factories for producing its preferred nutrients.

But while Agrobacterium readily infects roses and fruit trees, it shows little inclination for grains and legumes. To infect them requires tissue culture. That means mincing plant tissue into clumps of cells, incubating them in a cocktail of Agrobacterium, plant hormones and nutrients, selecting out plant cells that had taken up the bacterial genes and then trying to generate a complete plant from those cells.

Every step of the procedure is “hit and miss” and success is often hard to replicate.

Large companies like US agricultural and chemicals company Monsanto (acquired by German company Bayer in 2018) ultimately succeeded for soybeans, cotton, canola and corn – the huge investment justified by the profits.

TJ Higgins with African colleagues. Credit: AAAS

But Higgins was a public sector scientist – his day job was deputy head of CSIRO Plant Industry – and he was on a modest budget.

At first it was a night-time affair. While CSIRO space and infrastructure was allotted for the African cause, Higgins had to get grants from the Rockefeller Foundation and then USAID in order to fund manpower and material.

By 2006, the team had their first success at coaxing the reluctant cowpea to accept new genes from Agrobacterium tumefaciens. It was a slow quest – only one in a thousand baby plants accepted the new gene.

By 2009, Nigerian scientists were testing GM plants in the field at Ahmadu Bello University. Compared to non-GM plants, they were highly protected against Maruca.

The plants are ready – but the public isn’t

Developing the GM cowpea in Higgin’s lab took a decade. Carrying out the necessary safety studies – along with navigating Nigeria’s biosafety regulatory hoops – took another.

In most African and Asian countries, campaigns led by anti-GM groups have blocked genetically modified crops from being approved. This is despite more than 30 years of testing by the world’s food safety regulators, which has consistently found that the consumption of genetically modified crops such as corn, soybeans, rice or papaya to be as safe as consuming conventional crops.

Arguably, GM crops are safer because of the stringent testing required. GM produce must be tested for potential allergenic or inflammatory effects. But while traditional breeding or organic farming can produce foods with harmful health effects, neither are subject to the same high bar of safety testing.

Watch: Cosmos Briefing: The Future of Food

Testing GM foods is based on a commonsense approach, explains Don MacKenzie, head of the not-for-profit Institute for International Crop Improvement at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St Louis, Missouri, which contributed to the testing of GM cowpea.

MacKenzie illustrates the basic logic of food safety testing with a simple question: “Is there a study that’s looked at the safety of rice?”

The cowpea. Credit: Gabriel Vergani / EyeEm

(There isn’t.)

“It’s impossible to prove absolute safety,” MacKenzie says. “All you can do is show the GM food is as safe as the food that we have a long history and familiarity with.

“Our mission is to do what we can do to shorten the time it takes to put good safe technology in the hands of smallholder farmers. The number of hungry people in the world is going up.”

Testing focuses on the known differences between the traditional variety and the GM version. These differences are the protein products of the introduced genes. GM plants are tested for their effects on human or animal health, as well as their performance in the field to see if the inserted genes affect the plant’s growth. There are also ecological tests, to assess the risk of whether a GM plant might interbreed with another variety to create a super weed, or take over from wild varieties reducing biodiversity.

The GM cowpea variety produced by the Higgins group passed all these tests. They showed that the insertion of the foreign genes in the cowpea did not result in a toxic or allergenic effect. Neither did the genes alter the growth or nutritional composition of the plant. Hundreds of studies with other crops (including those organically grown) attest to the safety of the Bt protein for human and animal consumption. And finally, tests showed that the GM plant was unlikely to interbreed. As a self-pollinator, cowpea keeps its genes to itself.

Finally, after a decade of testing, in December 2019 Nigeria became the first country to approve the commercialisation of GM cowpea.

Cowpea of the future

Over the last year, the seeds (which go by the trade name SAMPEA 20-T) have been multiplied by three certified local growers and sold to farmers across the country.

“The cost is on par with traditional varieties,” says Ishiyaku.

Farmers are free to re-sew their seeds just as they do with traditional varieties. 

At the end of July this year, Ishiyaku says almost all the stock of GM cowpea had gone and farmers were clamouring for more.

“They are excited by what they have seen in planted demonstrations in the north and southwest,” he says.

Scientist Kafayat Falana tries to test the viability of cowpea germinated seed in the laboratory at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan, southwest Nigeria, in 2017. Credit:TAFP PHOTO / PIUS UTOMI EKPEI / Getty Images.

Plans are being made to increase the supply of the seed for the next season.

Improved seed can make a real difference to subsistence farmers, just as it did in Asia, when high yielding wheat and rice varieties lifted millions out of poverty during the Green Revolution of the 1970s.

According to a recent estimate, Nigeria’s producers and consumers could gain US$350 million (AUD480 million) over 25 years if 15–45% of farmers take up GM cowpea. If adopted at 100% in Nigeria, Niger and Benin, the gain would be at least US$840 million (AUD1.15 billion) per year across the three countries.

For the cowpea scientists, this is their dream. But it is not yet complete.

B B Singh continues his work on improving the traits of the cowpea, splitting his time between Texas A&M University and G B Pant University in northern India.

Meanwhile Higgins is working on an upgrade to fortify the cowpea in its battle against Maruca.

The arms race between plants and pests is never-ending and sooner or later Maruca is likely to develop resistance to the Bt gene in the cowpea.

Jose Barrero, Higgins’ heir apparent for the CSIRO cowpea project, is now leading the effort to equip cowpeas with two different types of Bt resistance genes – a hurdle that will be much harder for Maruca to overcome.

“We’re working like crazy,” says Higgins. He expects it will be ready in another five years.

And then, says the 77-year-old, “I can retire.”

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