Indigenous knowledge and traditional conservation of fonio millet (Digitaria exilis, Digitaria iburua) in Togo

Adoukonou‐Sagbadja, Hubert; Dansi, Alexandre; Vodouhè, R.; Akpagana, Koffi

doi:10.1007/978-1-4020-5283-5_4

Cited by 26 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…The need for tedious harvesting and postharvest processing of Digitaria spps still pose problems to utilisation of this potential indigenous crop in Africa (Adoukonou-Sagbadja et al 2006). Results obtained by Adoukonou-Sagbadja et al (2007) are relevant for acha and iburu breeding, conservation and management of their genetic resources in West Africa.…”

Section: Other Food Uses Of Acha and Iburumentioning

confidence: 97%

Developments on the cereal grains Digitaria exilis (acha) and Digitaria iburua (iburu)

Jideani

2011

J Food Sci Technol

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Research and development on these indigenous African cereal grains, acha (Digitaria exilis Stapf) and iburu (D. iburua Stapf), is experiencing renewed interest not just in Africa but the rest of the world. It is believed that acha and iburu may have nutraceutical properties, as it is used in some areas for managing diabetes. Value addition and exploitation of fonio (acha and iburu) in the development of health or speciality foods like acha-bread, biscuit, cookies, sour dough, traditional drinks, nonfermented steamed and granulated dumpling products are gaining interest. These grains may also contribute in addressing some very relevant challenges in today's food formulation-both from functionality and health perspectives. The constraint of low yield is receiving attention in cereal breeding programmes which may give rise to a new generation of 'healthy' cereal grains in future. Further research on acha and iburu whole grains will hopefully lead to increase understanding of the health effects of grain components and to increase the intake of health-protective grain components. Moreover, with strong consumer demand for these grains due to their potential nutritional and health benefits, and because they help to satisfy the demand for a more varied cereal diet, efforts should be made to tackle the obstacles militating against production, improved quality, competitiveness and value-addition.

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Section: Other Food Uses Of Acha and Iburumentioning

confidence: 97%

Developments on the cereal grains Digitaria exilis (acha) and Digitaria iburua (iburu)

Jideani

2011

J Food Sci Technol

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“…While the crops are appreciated for their traditional dishes, their productivity has not been improved through conventional breeding. Yields are low (0.6-0.9 t/ha, often under 0.2 t/ha in the Sahelian zone) and highly influenced by climate hazards (Adoukonou-Sagbadja et al 2006;Haq and Ogbe 1995). Plant breeding is, potentially, an even more efficient way to achieve higher yield and good quality products.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reproductive System and Molecular Phylogenetic Relationships of Fonio Millets (Digitaria spp., Poaceae) with Some Polyploid Wild Relatives

Adoukonou‐Sagbadja

Wagner

Ordon

et al. 2010

Tropical Plant Biol.

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Fonio millets (Digitaria exilis, D. iburua) are minor but important indigenous cereals in the semiarid areas of West-Africa. Recent interest in breeding strategies for these crops requires a better understanding of their biology and genetics. Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) markers were employed to assess the phylogenetic relationships among cultivated fonio species and some polyploid wild relatives and examine proposed hypotheses on fonio ancestry. The AFLP analysis was found quite suitable for identifying each species. A very strong genetic affinity (over 92% similarity) was detected between the wild D. longiflora and D. ternata and the cultivated D. exilis and D. iburua, respectively. These data provided additional molecular evidence supporting the previous view of direct domestication of fonio millets from these two wild species. High genetic divergences were expectedly found between fonio species and the other taxonomically distant Digitaria taxa investigated. The results also revealed D. ciliaris and D. sanguinalis as separate species sharing close ancestry. Selfing experiments and subsequent progeny analyses using three isozymes supplemented by AFLPs were further conducted to determine the reproductive system in fonio millets. The results revealed apomixis as absolute mode of reproduction of these crops, except D. exilis in which 2% residual sexuality was detected. Additional data documented on seed set and pollen viability suggested that apomixis in fonio would be of pseudogamous type. The data also revealed fonio crops as highly self-compatible and of allopolyploid origin. This study adds new information about the reproductive system and the evolution of fonio, contributing to the knowledge on their biology, and thus providing useful subsides for future genetic improvement of these valuable crops. Abbreviations APSAmmonium persulfate AFLP Amplified fragment length polymorphism BS Bootstrap support CTAB Cetyl trimethyl-ammonium bromide EDTA Ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid PCR Polymerase chain reaction PGI Phosphoglucoisomerase PGM Phosphoglucomutase NJ Neighbor-Joining RAPD Random amplified polymorphic DNA Communicated by: Desiree M. Hautea Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (

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“…The decline in fonio diversity may be even greater than our results indicate, as many farmers were unaware of the names of the varieties they were growing in 2015, such that variety richness may have been underestimated that year. It is noted that displaced fonio varieties were not necessarily lost thanks to the capacity of the seeds to withstand storage over multiple years (Adoukonou-Sagbadja et al ., 2006; Cruz et al ., 2016) and that vernacular names do not always correspond perfectly with genetic diversity (e.g. Mekbib, 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Both crops are grown primarily for subsistence and are emerging income sources (Jideani and Jideani, 2011; Hillocks et al ., 2012). Their yields are low and irregular and their progressive abandonment has been observed in various parts of West Africa (Adoukonou-Sagbadja et al ., 2006; Berchie et al ., 2010; Dansi et al ., 2010; Abu and Buah, 2011; Sani et al ., 2018). They are currently minor crops in Mali with fonio representing 0.3% of cereal production and Bambara groundnut 4% of legume production (Ministere de l'Agriculture, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Revitalizing cultivation and strengthening the seed systems of fonio and Bambara groundnut in Mali through a community biodiversity management approach

Sidibé

Meldrum

Coulibaly

et al. 2020

Plant Genet. Resour.

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Fonio (Digitaria exilis (Kippist) Stapf) and Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.) are native crops grown at a small scale in Mali that have potential to support agricultural productivity under climate change. A community biodiversity management approach was explored in this study as a means to reinforce the cultivation of these crops by increasing farmers' access to intraspecific diversity and developing capacities of community institutions for their management. The research involved six communities in Ségou and Sikasso regions. Multiple varieties of fonio (10–12) and Bambara groundnut (8–12) were established in diversity fields in each site over 2 years where farmers engaged in experiential learning over the crop cycle. Significant adoption of fonio and Bambara groundnut was detected in several study sites. The precise drivers of adoption cannot be definitively determined but likely include increased seed access and awareness gained through the diversity field fora, seed fairs and community seed banks. No significant yield advantage was detected for any of the varieties in the diversity fields, which showed variable performance by site and year. The number of varieties registered and managed by community seed banks in each site increased from 1–5 varieties of each crop to 11–12 varieties following the interventions. The number of Bambara groundnut varieties cultivated in farmers' fields also increased, while there was evidence of a slight decline in fonio diversity in some communities. The results of this study can inform efforts to strengthen seed systems and cultivation of neglected and underutilized species in Africa.

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Indigenous knowledge and traditional conservation of fonio millet (Digitaria exilis, Digitaria iburua) in Togo

Cited by 26 publications

References 7 publications

Developments on the cereal grains Digitaria exilis (acha) and Digitaria iburua (iburu)

Developments on the cereal grains Digitaria exilis (acha) and Digitaria iburua (iburu)

Reproductive System and Molecular Phylogenetic Relationships of Fonio Millets (Digitaria spp., Poaceae) with Some Polyploid Wild Relatives

Revitalizing cultivation and strengthening the seed systems of fonio and Bambara groundnut in Mali through a community biodiversity management approach

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