An appraisal of genotypes performance in cotton (Gossypium sp.) breeding experiments in , Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

Bin Mushambanyi Théodore Munyuli1 and Jumapili2 1 Biology Department, National Center for Research in Natural Sciences, CRSN-Lwiro, D.S. Bukavu, Kivu DR CONGO 2 C*Société Congolaise du développement de la culture cotonnière au Congo-, Cotonnière du Lac, Uvira, Kivu DR CONGO Correspondence author [email protected] /[email protected] An appraisal of genotypes performance in cotton (Gossypium sp.) breeding experiments in Kivu, Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

ABSTRACT important economic and industrial crops since colo- nial time. They continue to generate important income The ultimate aim of a crop improvement program to farmer in DRCongo, through exportation and sales of the products at the local and regional markets. In is the development of improved crop varieties and 1994, it was estimated by DRCongo government that their release for production. Before lines are re- more than 2.7% of annual income of farmers in Kivu, leased as superior performing types, they are tested Kasai and Oriental provinces, was from cotton in multilocational and macroplot experiments for cultivation.(Fisher,1917; Jurion,1941; Neirink,1948; several years. Such zonal trials identify which line Kanff,1946; Vrijdagh,1936). Cotton is very important is best for what environment. The identification of and had played a valuable role in the development of animal industries (cattle and poultry industry) in the superior line is based on an assessment of differ- DRCongo; especially by providing foodstuffs (cotton ences among line means and their statistical sig- seeds, cattle cakes) necessary to elaborate rations of nificance. The importance of genotype x environ- livestock breeds. ment interactions reflects the necessity of evaluat- ing genotypes in more than a single environment. In 1995, cotton covered around 254,476 ha and The plant breeder selects superior genotypes for the annual national production was averagely of 242,356 tonnes (DRCongo Ministry of Agriculture, An- eventual release as commercial varieties based on nual report, 1995). The production of cotton fiber was a rating of these genotypes across varied environ- estimated to be 9000 tonnes, the cotton fiber exported ments for stability/adaptability. This paper, de- being of 679 tonnes (Anonymous,1983; Querton,1925; scribes the performance of several advanced cot- Tandeur,1947; Vandenput,1981). That national an- ton genotypes from Nigeria and Egypt (SAMCOT- nual production could not meet the local need in cot- 10, SAMCOT8, RSA(79)4A, ACSA(79)5B, ton fiber, estimated to be of 21,000 tonnes yearly. The total annual production of cattle cakes and of cotton ACSA(79)5F, ASA(74)80C, RASA(78)11A, oils, were of 804 tonnes and 134 tonnes respectively. 1ACSA(78)8C from Egypt (Giza 76, Giza 75, Giza This production was facilitated by the existence of sev- 89, Giza 70, Giza 86) along aside local varieties eral cotton industrial equipments: 102 factories of cot- Turumbi, Ruzizi I, CotonCongo 1, Luvungi 1-2. ton gin, 12 oil mills, 43 cotton mills (cloth mills) spread These lines were evaluated in experiments repeated in the North, Central and Eastern parts of the country. over two years and six locations in Kivu, Eastern However, the cattle cakes produced annually at that time was enough to meet the needs of livestock in east- DRCongo. A rating of these genotypes across vari- ern and Southern part of the country, where it was esti- ous environments was also attempted using the mated, in 1996, that the total amount of cattle cakes performance index approach. The genotypes and cotton-seed meal consumed by cattle and small SAMCOT-10, Giza 70, Ruzizi I and CotonCongo ruminants under zero grazing system, was of 600 1 were the most outstanding in yield performance tonnes. With the war disturbance since more than 6 and its component across years and locations. The years, the status is unknown. Surely, cotton production has stopped in some provinces due to the outside on- use of the performance index approach in the rat- going rebels war and due to several abiotic and biotic ing cultivars across various environments is rec- constraints. ommended in DRCongo because of ease of com- putation and interpretation when the number of Cotton was introduced earlier in DRCongo (1912) entities and test environments are large and be- colonial scientists. Cotton research has been conducted cause of the gains farmers can get from them. since that time, at several research stations and centres spread in the country: , Lodja, Introduction Katakombe, Lusambo, Lomela–loto, Bene-dibele, Fwamba, Niama, Kabeya, Buama, Yakoma, Doromo (Kasai province), Bambesa (Equator province), Baraka, Cotton is mainly cultivated world widely even in Bukavu , Uvira-Fizi, Kabinda, Lubarika, Kindu, DRCongo for its fiber properties and as source of food , Kiliba, Ruzizi plain, (), Bas-Uélé, for both livestock and humans. Cotton seeds contain Haut-Uélé (oriental province), (Anonymous,1983; 35-38% of edible oil, 35-38% of proteins as for soya Fisher,1917; Knaff,1946; Vandeput,1981; Stenr,1927). bean oil. However, the popularization of the consump- Cotton breeding program started earlier and included tion of cotton-seed oils or proteins is limited by the level / targeted several aims: Resistance to pests and dis- of terpenoid gossypol that is toxic to monogastric ani- eases, yield per hectare and the environmental adap- mals. Gossypol is however a substance that play an tation of various genotypes, production of pure lines important role in defense mechanisms of the plant and new genotypes, earlier maturing and transfer to (Echekwu,2001; Vandeput,1981). flowers genes of resistance to insect attacks and seed- yield and commercial quality of the fiber (Anony- Cotton together with coffee and tea have been mous,1983). Several varieties were used in that pro-

144 World Cotton Research Conference-3 2003 Cape Town - South Africa gram: Triumph 270D64, GAR, Stoneville, Morogoro, province and the study area on Figure 1 below). The Clevewilt, Simpkins, farm relief, Trice, Nyasland-Allen, climate of Kivu area is tropical humid, type Aw3. Two Triumph Big Boll. main seasons, the long rainy season (September-May) followed by the dry season (June-August) are experi- Around 1940-1950, new adapted varieties were enced (Munyuli, 2000; Munyuli and Balezi, 2000). The developed: U.4, Barbeton, U.4. hybrids, Gandajika rainfall pattern is bimodal, and receives an annual av- (S.M), Bambesa, U.4 Barbetton, U.4. hybrids, Triumph erage rainfall, which varies between 800, and 2200 Gandajika,. The main research centres involved were mm, with average temperatures of 15°-28 °C and a Gandajika (Kasai province, Central part of the Coun- relative humidity of 65-76% (Munyuli, 2003; Munyuli try) and Bambesa (, North-Eastern and Balezi, 2001). The tropical humid climate of the part of the Country). With these varieties put on the study area is temperate owing to its high altitude, which market during independence time, the cotton seed-yield varies between 800 and 3200 m. Permanent settle- could vary between 200-800 Kg/ha in Northern part ments are to be found up to an altitude of 2500 m. of the country to1-1.7t /ha in the Eastern part of the Subalpine meadows cover the entire region and abun- country (Kivu, Maniema), (Anonymous,1983). Towards dant mosaic vegetation, from typical savannah to 1978, the cotton breeding program developed and mountain forest via plains, grows on the volcanic and marketed some other varieties such as, Reba B50 (at ferraltic soils (ferrisoils) (Munyuli, 2001; Munyuli, 2002). Bambesa ), NC8, Z407-800-1382-1157, Z407-800- 1832-1155, 7G1 (at Gandajika, Kasai province) The materials used as entry-genotypes were se- (Anonymous,1983). lected from the germplasm pool of the”Institut National pour l’Etude et la Recherche Agronomiques(INERA), The ultimate aim of a crop improvement pro- Gandajika Agricultural Research Center; and from a gram is the development of improved crop varieties cotton company based in Kivu are (Cotonnière du Kivu), and their release for production. Thus is the current (1). Some of these genotypes (Reba B50, NC8,Z407- goal of the cotton improvement program in the 800-1832-1157) were evaluated alongside, of con- DRCongo, and this since 1986 (Munyuli, 2002). Be- sidered as local varieties from Kivu province (Turumbi, fore genotypes are released as superior performing Ruzizi 1, CotonCongo1, Luvungi1-2), from Nigeria types, they are tested in miltilocational and macroplot (Gossypium hirsutum) (SAMCOT-10, SAMCOT-8, experiments for several years. Such zonal trials iden- RSA(79)4A, ACSA(79)5B, ACSA(79)5F, ASA(74)80C, tify which genotype/line is best for what environment. RASA(78)11A, 1ACSA(78)8C, SAMCOT-6, SAMCOT-9 The identification of superior genotypes is based on an and from Egypt (Gossypium barbadense) (Giza 76, assessment of differences among genotype means and Giza 75, Giza 89, Giza 70, Giza 86). These geno- their statistical significance; whenever a significant test types were evaluated for two different cropping sea- is used to discriminate between genotypes, the usual sons in two years (2001A & 2002B) at five locations way of presenting data is arranged the genotype means (Kabare-Mubanda, Kiliba-Ruzizi plain, Mugobora, in order of descending magnitude. Any two means not Lweke and Kalonge), using the randomised complete differing significantly are either underscored by the same block design with three replications. Plots consisted of genotype or signed by the same letter. Likewise, any two rows 12 m long, spaced 1m apart. Seeds were two means differing significantly are not underscored planted per hole with 45 cm spacing between holes by the same genotype or are signed by different small and the seedlings were thinned to two plants per hill at letters. This presentation of data although universally 3-4 weeks after planting. Organic matter mixed to established, lacks simplicity and as the number of geno- manure (cow dung) was applied at the rate of 25 t/ha, types increase, discrimination by eye becomes prob- during land preparation. Weeding started earlier and lematic. (Fasulas,1983; Finley and Wikinson,1963; was done regularly. Insect pests were controlled by 3 Lin,1982). 14-day sprays of Cymbush 10 EC at the rate of 2.5 liters per hectare starting at nine weeks after planting. This paper presents the use of an alternative ap- proach, the performance index (Fasulas,1983; Finley Data used for the analysis were taken from mean and Wikinson,1963; Lin,1982) to evaluate the perfor- seed cotton yields per plot. An analysis of variance mance of genotypes in cotton variety trials in the East- was done using the Gensat 3.2 (version 6) computer ern DRCongo. package. For computation of the cultivar performance index, the mean values of seed cotton yield for the geno- Experimental procedure types were arranged in descending order of magni- tude per site per year. Applying a one-tailed test The study was conducted in areas located be- (Schmitz et al.,1951), LSD obtained from the analysis tween Bukavu and Goma towns, around Kivu and of variance for each site and year was subtracted from Tanganyika lakes, during the dry and rainy consecutive the first mean. The number of genotype means smaller seasons of 2001-2002 in main zones of the crop pro- than this value depicts the number of genotypes that duction of Kivu province (average population density: are significantly inferior, at the chosen level of signifi- 300 inhab/Km²), ( 28°-29° E, 11°-31° S), ( See Kivu cance, to the first genotype mean. This number is noted “W”. The process is repeated for the second and sub-

145 An appraisal of genotypes performance in cotton (Gossypium sp.) breeding experiments in Kivu, Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

sequent genotype entries, and series of “W” values are There is several methods developed by scientists obtained for each genotype in each year and each for the rating of genotypes across environments for yield site. The cultivar performance index was calculated as stability/adaptation (Jurion,1941; Lin,1982; Munyuli, follows: P=(100 W) / (V-1) (Finley & Wikinson,1963) 2000; Munyuli, 2002). An alternative method is the where W=number of significantly inferior genotypes and cultivar performance index (P). A rating of genotypes V=number of genotypes tested in the trial. tested across years, locations and year x locations us- ing this method is presented in Table 4. Results and Discussion Across the two years, SAMCOT-10, SAMCOT-8, Among all varieties tested, some of them were Giza70, Ruzizi1, CotonCongo1, having the highest not viable; we are presenting results for genotypes that values of P, were the most superior genotypes at Kiliba could survive during the whole cropping seasons (two and Kalonge. SAMCOT-8, Giza 75, Ruzizi 1, years). CotonCongo were the most outstanding at Mugobora. SAMCOT-10, ACSA(79)5B and Turumbi, were the most The performance of genotypes in two years (two outstanding at Kabare site. When the performance cropping seasons) and five locations are summarized index is taken across the five locations, the best geno- in Tables 2 and 3. The Genotypes, SAMCOT-10, types in 2001A were SAMCOT-10, Giza75, Ruzizi1, SAMCOT-8, ACSA (79)5B , Ruzizi I, CotonCongo 1 and CotoCongo1, ACSA(79)5B. Across the two years and Giza 70, with cultivar performance indexes varying five locations, the most outstanding genotypes were between 50 and 66%, were the most outstanding in CotonCongo1, Ruzizi1, SAMCOT-10, SAMCOT-8, yield performance in 2001 (Season A: September-Oc- Giza70 and Turumbi. tober) trials at Kiliba, Kalonge and Lweke sites. Their performance indexes denote that these genotypes In general, the performance index brings out the outyielded significantly 66% (SMCOT-10), 54-56% genotypes SAMCOT-10, SMCOT-8, CotonCongo1, (SAMCOT-8), 50-51% (ACSA (79)5B, 60% (Ruziz I), 63% Ruziziz1 and Giza 75, as the most outstanding in these (CotonCongo1), 53% (Giza70), of all the genotypes trials. Giza 75, SAMCOT-10 and SAMCOT-8, are in- tested at Kiliba, Kalonge and Lweke. The genotypes troduced varieties from Egypt and Nigeria. with P value equal to zero, are denoting that they failed CotonCongo 1 and Ruzizi1 have been found to be very to outyield significantly. There were however no signifi- stable cotton varieties, released as new varieties long cant differences between genotypes in the trials at time ago by extension services and Cotton companies Kabare and Mugobora (Table 2). The trend in perfor- in collaboration with research institutions. mance of the genotypes in the 2002B trials (Table 3) was not apparently different from 2001A trials. The attraction of the performance index approach in the rating of cultivars across environments is in rela- At Kiliba, SAMCOT-10, SAMCOT-8, Giza 70, tion to its ease of computation and interpretation espe- Ruzizi I and CotonCongo 1, with a performance index cially when the number of genotypes (varieties) and of 44, 40, 50, 51, 58 respectively, were more superior, test-environments are large, a situation, which makes outyielding, significantly 40% to 58% of all the geno- other conventional methods more cumbersome. This types tested (Table 3). At Kalonge, Turumbi, Ruzizi1, method is also currently in use in Nigeria and several CotonCongo and Luvungi outperformed 68%, other African countries for that reason. 61%,61% and 47% of all the other genotypes. All the genotypes in trial at Mugobora in 2002B (season: Acknowledgments March-June) failed to perform well. At Kabare, Giza 86, Giza 89, Ruzizi 1, Coton Congo1, Luvungi 1-2, We thank Dr. Joubert to have invited us to this however, are standing out as superior, outyielding sig- important meeting. We also thank the Organizing com- nificantly 40%, 37%, 44%, 49% and 38% of all the geno- mittee members for facilities offered during the confer- types at the site. ence. We are very grateful to the director general of CRSN-Lwiro who allowed us to present this paper. We The differential performance of the genotypes in would like to acknowledge farmers for providing fields two years and five locations for these trials, brings out used for these trials. very clearly, the existence of genotype x season x envi- ronment effect and makes the screening of genotypes References for high stability/adaptation under varying environmen- tal conditions an essential step in all any plant breed- • Anonymous, (1983). La sélection et l’amélioration ing program. du cotonnier en RDCongo. Rapport Technique du Centre de Recherche de l’INERA à Gandajika, This has been adopted in the DRCongo for staple INERA-Kinshasa, RDCongo, 357 pp, and cash crops that provides to our farmers revenues • Ahanchédé, A. (2000). Compétition entre mauvaises with low input (intrans) to combat abiotic and biotic herbes et culture cotonnière: influence du nombre productivity constraints. de sarclages sur la biomasse et le rendement.

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Tropicultura, 1818: 148-151. Tropicultura, 1919: 171-175. • Decaene, R. (1948). Méthodes statistiques pour • Munyuli, M.T. (2002). Elevage contrôlé des l’étude des essais de rendements cotonnier à grenouilles au Kivu, République Démocratique du Bambesa. Bulletin Agricole du Congo Belge, 39: Congo. Cahiers Agricultures, 1111: 267-274. 802-818. • Munyuli, M.T. and Balezi, N. (2001). Tuteurage du • Echekwu, C.A. (2001). Correlations and correlated haricot volubile( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) par le Responses in upland Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum mais(Zea mays L.) dans une association culturale L.). Tropicultura, 1919: 210-213. de haricot- mais- manioc à Katana, Sud-Kivu, • Fasulas, A.C. (1983). Rating cultivars and trials in République Démocratique du Congo. African Crop applied plant breeding. Euphytica, 2323: 939-943. Science Conference Proceedings, 55: 985-990. • Finley, K.W. and Wilkinson, G.N. (1963). The analy- • Munyuli, M.T. (2002). Contribution à la promotion sis of adaptation in plant breeding program. Aus- de la culture du blé (Triticum eastivum L.) au Sud- tralian Journal Agric.Research, 1414: 742-754. Kivu, République Démocratique du Congo : Evalu- • Fisher, M. (1917). Culture du cotton au Congo ation du potentiel de rendement de 2 génotypes belge. Ferme expérimentale de Loukala (sankuru). d’origine Burundaise, dans différentes zones agro- Bulletin Agricole du Congo Belge, 77: 29-37. écologiques locales. Tropicultura, 2020: 210-216. • Jurion, F. (1941). Quelques considérations sur • Munyuli, M.T. (2003). Effet de différentes poudres l’orientation de la sélection cotonnière au Congo végétales sur l’infestation des semences de belge. Bulletin Agricole du Congo Belge, 3232: 677- légumineuses et de céréales au cours de la conser- 713. vation au Kivu, République Démocratique du • Lin, C.S. (1982). Grouping genotypes by a cluster Congo. Cahiers Agricultures,France, 1212: 23-31. method directly related to genotype-environment • Knaff, E.E.A. (1946). Méthodes culturales interaction mean square. Theoretical and applied cotonnières du milieu indigène dans le Bas-uélé. genetics, 62: 277-280. Bulletin Agricole du Congo Belge, 3737: 816-821. • Neirinkx, G. (1948). Teneur en Gossypol des • Miller, A.J. (1984). Selection of subsets of regres- graines de coton du Congo belge et de leurs sous- sion variables (with discussion). Journal Of The produits. Bulletin Agricole du Congo Belge, 3939: 819- Royal Statistical Society, A 147147: 389-425. 840. • Querton (1925). Rapport sur la propagation • Munyuli, M.T. (2000). Yield loss evaluation of sweet cotonnière dans le district du Sankuru. Bulletin potato due to leaf caterpillar, Acraea acerata, (Lepi- Agricole du Congo Belge, 1616: 347-353. doptera: Nymphalidae), in Kivu, D.R.Congo. Afri- • Steel, R.G.D. and Torrie, J.H. (1980). Principles and can Potato Association Conference Proceedings, 55: procedures of statistics. A biometrical approach, 233-236. second edition, McGraw Hil Book Co. New york, • Munyuli, M.T. (2002). Use of cockroaches and ter- 633pp. mites as potential substitutes of meal meat in broil- • Schmitz, G., Gutknecht, J. and Boulanger, J. (1951). ers feeding, in South-Kivu, Democratic Republic of Observations relatives a l’influence des Dysdercus Congo. Tropicultura, 2020: 10-16. et de l’helopeltis sur la production et la qualité des • Munyuli, M.T and Balezi, N. (2001). Utilisation des graines du cotonnier. Bulletin Agricole du Congo poudrages des plantes médicinales à propriétés Belge, XLIIXLII: 890-900. insecticides dans la protection des semences et • Stener, (1927). Rapport mycologique sur la denrées alimentaires stockées (haricot, mais & campagne cotonnière de 1927 au Manièma et au sorgho) contre les coléoptères ravageurs des stocks, Kivu, Bulletin Agricole du Congo Belge, 88: 529-551. au Kivu, RDCongo. African Crop Science Confer- • Tandeur (1947). Utilisation de la farine des graines ence Proceedings, 55: 293-303. de coton dans l’alimentation humaine au Congo • Munyuli, M.T. (2001). Farmer’s perception of bean Belge. Bulletin Agricole du Congo Belge, 2727: 1-58. pest problems in Kivu area, Democratic Republic of • Vandenput, R. (1981). Les principales cultures en Congo. African Crop Science Conference Proceed- Afrique centrale, AGCD, Bruxelles, Belgique, p : ings, 55: 705-713. 857-896., AGCD, Belgique, Bruxelles, 1252 pages. • Munyuli, M.T. (2001). Contribution à la domesti- • Vrijdagh, J.M. (1936). Contribution à l’étude de la cation des essences forestières recherchées et maladie des chancres des tiges du cotonnier causée exploitées par la population rurale dans le Parc par Helopeltis Bergrothi REUT. Bulletin Agricole du national de Kahuzi Biega: Cas d’Arundinaria alpina, Congo Belge, 2727: 1-69. Est de la République Démocratique du Congo.

147 An appraisal of genotypes performance in cotton (Gossypium sp.) breeding experiments in Kivu, Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

Table 1. Characteristics of trial sites where cotton genotypes were evaluated, in multi-locational trials during two years (2001A & 2002B).

Table 2. Performance of cotton genotypes according to mean and performance index (P), Eastern DR Congo, 2001A.

148 World Cotton Research Conference-3 2003 Cape Town - South Africa

Table 3. Performance of cotton genotypes according to mean and performance index (P), Eastern DR Congo, 2002B.

Table 4. Rating of cotton genotypes using the performance index (mean of the 2 seasons), eastern DRCongo, 2001-2002.

149 An appraisal of genotypes performance in cotton (Gossypium sp.) breeding experiments in Kivu, Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

Figure 11. Map of Demo- cratic Republic of Congo (Study area is shown between the two points). The study area is indicated by a red arrow, between the two points in Kivu province.

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