DOCSLIB.ORG

[Striga Gesnerioides (Wild.) Vatke] RESISTANCE USING MARKER ASSISTED SELECTION in NIGER By

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
[Striga Gesnerioides (Wild.) Vatke] RESISTANCE USING MARKER ASSISTED SELECTION in NIGER By University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh BREEDING COWPEA [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] FOR STRIGA [Striga gesnerioides (Wild.) Vatke] RESISTANCE USING MARKER ASSISTED SELECTION IN NIGER By SALIFOU MAHAMADOU (10359704) THIS THESIS IS SUBMITTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, LEGON IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEGREE IN PLANT BREEDING WEST AFRICA CENTRE FOR CROP IMPROVEMENT COLLEGE OF BASIC AND APPLIED SCIENCES UNIVERSITY OF GHANA LEGON DECEMBER, 2015 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh ABSTRACT Striga gesnerioides (Wild.)Vatke is one of the main biotic constraints restricting yield of cowpea in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in general and particularly in Niger. The available resistant varieties developed so far often lack farmers‟ and end-users‟ desired traits and they also show levels of breakdown in resistance. Understanding farmers‟ knowledge regarding production constraints and varietal preferences is invaluable in breeding for cowpea improvement. The development of cowpea varieties by introgressing multiple Striga resistance into adapted genotypes will facilitate the achievement of food security in the country. This study aims to (i) assess farmers‟ preferred traits and perceptions of Striga on cowpea production (ii) identify new sources of Striga resistance in national and other available germplasm (iii) determine the presence of other Striga races besides SG3 in Niger (iv) introgress the resistance gene „Rsg1’ into farmers‟ preferred varieties using marker assisted selection (MAS) (v) assess MAS for selection of Striga resistant genotypes. A participatory rural appraisal technique was used to identify the importance of cowpea in the farming system and its production constraints as well as farmers‟ knowledge on Striga and their cowpea preferred traits. Farmers ranked cowpea as the second most important crop after millet in Niger. Cowpea was grown for both food (56 %) and cash (44 %). The most important variety selection criteria used by farmers were high yielding potential, early maturity, white-colored grain and good taste. The major constraints to production were insects, Striga, drought and low soil fertility. Farmers had good knowledge on Striga and their preferred grain characteristics were large size and white seeded cowpea varieties. ii University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh Eighty cowpea genotypes were screened to evaluate their response to natural Striga infestation in the field. There was significant variation in the resistance of cowpea lines to Striga. The cowpea lines IT93K-693-2, IT99K-573-1-1 and IT98K-205-8 were free of Striga emerged shoots m-2, while the lines 2491-171, 2472-154 and Suvita-2 supported only 0.43 to 0.87 Striga shoots m-2. The other lines supported higher numbers ranging from 3.52 to 9.13 of emerged Striga shoots m-2. Striga infestation resulted in 66% and 79% of yield losses of the susceptible genotypes as compared to the resistant and tolerant lines respectively. The screening did not reveal new sources of Striga resistance; however, the varieties IT93K-693-2, IT99K-573-1-1 and IT98K- 205-8 were confirmed as potential sources of resistance and good donor parents to incorporate Striga resistance into well adapted genotypes. The cultivars B2/16/2378, B1/18/2542 and B1/12/2525-234 were tolerant to Striga with a significant yield potential compared to that of the resistant and the susceptible lines. Therefore, they could be used as donor parents in breeding cowpea for yield improvement in Niger. Field and pot experiments were conducted during years 2013 and 2014 in order to identify the different Striga races that infest cowpea in Niger. Fifteen genotypes were screened under natural infestation as well as inoculated with three samples of the parasitic weed collected in three hot spot regions in Niger. The test revealed Striga attack on three multiracial Striga resistant varieties, B301, IT97K-499-35 and IT98K- 205-8 suggesting the presence of other races other than SG3 in the studied area; or the breakdown of the resistance to Striga race SG3 in these cowpea varieties. Also, the resistance of varieties HTR and Suvita 2 observed, respectively in the field at Kollo and in pots with a sample of inoculum from Magaria suggested the prevalence of iii University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh Striga race SG1 in these sites. The geographical distribution of Striga races needs to be clarified in Niger. Marker assisted selection with backcross breeding was used to transfer „Rsg1’ Striga resistance gene from the breeding line IT93K-693- 2 into three farmers‟ preferred varieties, IT90K-372-1-2, KVx30-309-6G and TN5-78. The microsatellite marker SSR1 was used to track and introgress the resistance gene Rsg1 into the varieties IT90K-372-1-2 and TN5-78. The marker which produced a single band in resistant lines and amplified a 150 bp fragment was validated with the parents and the subsequent F1, F2 and BC1F1 populations. Ten promising lines with the resistance marker were selected in BC2F3, BC3F3 and F6 populations derived from the crosses IT90K-372-1-2 x IT93K-693-2 and TN5-78 x IT93K-693-2. Further evaluations and improvement of these genotypes will accelerate the release of varieties combining farmers‟ preferred traits with stable resistance to Striga. iv University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS All praises and glory be to ALMIGHTY ALLAH who has made the completion of this work possible for me. I am grateful to the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) who provided funds for this study. I am indebted to the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) for giving me an excellent training in Plant Breeding. Special thanks to WACCI Director, Professor. Eric Y. Danquah, the lecturers and the administration staff of WACCI for the facilitation. I would like to thank my supervisory committee composed of Professor Pangirayi Tongoona, Professor Samuel Offei and Professor Kwadwo Offori for their guidance in this research. I am indebted to my In-country supervisor Doctor Jean Baptiste De La Salle Tignegre for his advises and experience that guided me to the success of this work. I also acknowledge his support and facilitation for the genotyping conducted at INERA, Burkina Faso (Laboratoire de Biotechnologies Végétales de Kamboinsé). I hereby thank INERA staff, particularly the technicians Léandre Poda and Serge Zida who helped me in the genotyping. My sincere gratitude to INRAN, my institution for the facilities during my field research and to my technicians namely Illia Habou, Tassiou Moussa, Ousmane v University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh Adamou, Garba Ali (Maradi station), Mahamadou Bizo (Kollo station) and Siradji Moumouni (Magaria station) for their assistance in field works. A part of germplasm used in this study was introduced from INERA in Burkina Faso and IITA Kano; these institutions are sincerely acknowledged. I thank all those who are not named here but contributed directly or indirectly to the success of this work. Finally I am deeply indebted to my Family, especially my wife and my children for their support and patience during my absence. vi University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ............................................................................................................. i ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................ v TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................. vii LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................... xv LIST OF ABREVIATIONS ...................................................................................... xviii CHAPTER ONE ............................................................................................................. 1 1.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER TWO ............................................................................................................ 8 2.0 Literature review ....................................................................................................... 8 2.1 Cowpea ..................................................................................................................... 8 2.1.1 Origin and taxonomy .......................................................................................... 8 2.1.2 Reproductive biology ......................................................................................... 8 2.1.3 Crossing or artificial hybridization techniques ................................................ 10 2.1.4 Cultivation, production and utilization............................................................. 11 2.1.5 Farmer preferred traits ...................................................................................... 13 2.2 Striga gesnerioides.................................................................................................. 14 2.2.1 Taxonomy and geographical distribution ......................................................... 14 2.2.2 Host species and damage to crops .................................................................... 15 2.2.3 Life cycle of
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Increase Clean Faces! Decrease Flies!
    SUMMARY PROCEEDINGS THIRD ANNUAL PROGRAM REVIEW OF CARTER CENTER-ASSISTED TRACHOMA CONTROL PROGRAMS Increase Clean Faces! Decrease Flies! The Carter Center March 11-12, 2002 Funded by: Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Lions Clubs International Foundation ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Carter Center’s Trachoma Control Program is funded through generous grants from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF), as well as through the generous in-kind donation of Zithromax for some of the countries by Pfizer Inc, through the International Trachoma Initiative. The third annual Program Review for Carter Center-assisted trachoma control programs was made possible through the generosity of the Hilton Foundation, LCIF and Novartis Ophthalmics, North America. The individuals below assisted with the preparation of these proceedings. Their contribution and support are gratefully acknowledged. Ms. Misrak Makonnen The Carter Center Ms. Jennifer Moore The Carter Center Ms. Robin Poovey The Carter Center Note: Inclusion of information in the Trachoma Program Review Proceedings does not constitute “publication” of that information. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The third annual Program Review for Carter Center-assisted trachoma control programs was held on 11-12 March 2002 at The Carter Center’s headquarters in Atlanta. The theme of the meeting was: Increase Clean Faces, Decrease Flies! As in previous years, the objectives of the Program Review were to assess the status of each national trachoma control program, identify challenges encountered in creating national trachoma control programs, assess impediments and problems in program implementation and discuss solutions, as well as to promote sharing and standardization of information. In this, our third year together, special attention was given to improving environmental hygiene, particularly through fly control.
    [Show full text]
  • Livelihoods Zoning “Plus” Activity in Niger
    LIVELIHOODS ZONING “PLUS” ACTIVITY IN NIGER A SPECIAL REPORT BY THE FAMINE EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS NETWORK (FEWS NET) August 2011 Table of Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 3 Methodology ................................................................................................................................................. 4 National Livelihoods Zones Map ................................................................................................................... 6 Livelihoods Highlights ................................................................................................................................... 7 National Seasonal Calendar .......................................................................................................................... 9 Rural Livelihood Zones Descriptions ........................................................................................................... 11 Zone 1: Northeast Oases: Dates, Salt and Trade ................................................................................... 11 Zone 2: Aïr Massif Irrigated Gardening ................................................................................................ 14 Zone 3 : Transhumant and Nomad Pastoralism .................................................................................... 17 Zone 4: Agropastoral Belt .....................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Profil Des Moyens D'existence Région De Zinder
    Profil des moyens d’existence région de Zinder Magaria et Dungass – Zone agricole centrale de culture de céréales et des légumineuses Niger1 1 Ce profil a été réalisé en Mars 2016 dans la zone agricole des départements de Magaria et Dungass–région de Zinder. L’étude a touché particulièrement la zone centrale de culture de mil, sorgho, niébé, arachide et sésame. Les informations présentées font référence à l’année de consommation Octobre 2014– Septembre 2015. À l'exception de changements significatifs de moyens d’existence de la zone, ces informations auront une validité d’environ cinq à dix ans. Profil de Moyens d’Existence – Magaria agricole centrale – département de Magaria - Dungass, région de Zinder—Niger I. Contexte 1.1. Description de la zone Mars 2016 Le département de Magaria est situé au sud du Niger dans la région de Zinder. Il couvre une superficie de 8 434 km² et son chef-lieu est Magaria. Suite à la réforme administrative au Niger de 2011, le département de Magaria a été divisé en deux départements notamment le département de Magaria et Dungass. Le département de Magaria couvre dorénavant les communes rurales de Bandé, Dantchiao, Kwaya, Sassoumbroum, Wacha, Yékoua et a une population d’environ 718 440 habitants en 2016. Le nouveau département de Dungass couvre les communes rurales de Gouchi, Mallawa, Dungass et Dogo Dogo et une population estimée en 2016 à 440 044 habitants ce qui donne une densité d’environ 83 habitants par kilomètre carré. Les deux départements sont limités au nord par les départements de Matamèye et Mirriah, à l'Est par le département de Gouré, au Sud par le Nigéria et à l’Ouest par le département de Tessaoua.
    [Show full text]
  • Niger – Food Insecurity
    FACT SHEET #1, FISCAL YEAR (FY) 2011 SEPTEMBER 30, 2011 NIGER – FOOD INSECURITY KEY DEVELOPMENTS Following Niger’s food insecurity and acute malnutrition crisis of 2009/2010, food security in Niger generally improved in FY 2011 due to favorable rainfall and harvest patterns and increased grain price stabilization. The 2010 harvest produced an estimated 5.5 million metric tons (MT) of grain, approximately 40 percent above the five-year average. An evaluation of food security conditions conducted by Niger’s national early warning system in May and June 2011 found that approximately 2.3 million people in Niger were food-insecure, a 63 percent decrease from the same period in 2010. In addition, the quantity of food consumed in Niger remains at normal levels, despite an increase in demand due to the return of migrants from Libya, as a result of targeted food distributions to vulnerable households, according to the USAID-funded Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET). Despite improved food security conditions in many areas, extreme weather events, including drought and floods, continue to negatively impact agricultural activities in many parts of Niger, as the majority of the predominantly agro- pastoral population relies on a single rainy season for crop cultivation and pasture renewal. Flooding in mid-August, for instance, affected nearly 14,000 people in Tillabéri and Maradi regions, destroying more than 100,000 hectares of crops and 1,000 houses, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Due to improved food security and ongoing acute malnutrition relief interventions, the national prevalence of global acute malnutrition (GAM) among children under five years of age decreased to 12.3 percent as of July 2011, a decline from the prevalence of 16.7 percent in November 2010.
    [Show full text]
  • Nutrition Causal Analysis in Niger
    Nutrition Causal Analysis in Niger Report of Key Findings March 2017 This publication was prepared by Christine McDonald under the United States Agency for International Development Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) Indefinite Quantity Contract, AID-OAA-I-12-00006. The author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. FEWS NET NCA Research in Niger March 2017 Table of Contents List of Tables and Figures …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………………… 2 Acronyms……...……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….… 3 1. Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………………..…………………………………………………………. 4 2. Background……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 6 3. Rationale for NCA Research.…………………………………………………….……………………………………………………………………….. 7 4. Scope and objectives of the NCA study in Maradi and Zinder.……………………..……………………………………………………. 8 5. Local collaboration……………..……………………………………………………………………………………………………..……………………… 8 6. Study setting.……………………..……………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………….… 9 7. Methodology………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………….……………………………….… 12 7.1 Study design and sample size calculations………………………………………..……………………………….…….………… 12 7.2 Sampling strategy………………………………………..………………………………………………………………………..………….. 12 7.3 Survey procedures………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………….………….. 13 7.4 Data entry and analysis………………………………………..………………………………………………………………….………… 14
    [Show full text]
  • Annual Report
    Resilience and Economic Growth in the Sahel - Enhanced Resilience REPUBLICS OF NIGER and BURKINA FASO REGIS-ER Annual Report OCTOBER 1, 2017 TO SEPTEMBER 30, 2018 Revised, December 2018 Cooperative Agreement No. 625-A-14-00001 Blvd. Mali Béro, Rue IB-73 B.P. 12 909, NIAMEY Tel.: (227) 20.35.16.48 Table of Contents I. Executive summary.………………………………………………………………… 3 II. Programs………………………..………………………………………………….... 7 Program 5 – Governance Sub-Section A: Promotion of Local Institutions ................................... 7 Program 1 – Habbanayé plus Animal Health and Feed ................................................................ 9 Program 2 - Horticulture ............................................................................................................... 12 Program 3 – Access to Financial Services ..................................................................................... 15 Program 4 - Resilient Production Systems .................................................................................... 17 Program 5 – Governance Sub-Section B: Natural Resource Management, Disaster Risk Management, Conflict Management and Land Tenure Security ................................................. 19 Program 6 – Water Services ........................................................................................................... 21 Program 7 – Hygiene and Sanitation ........................................................................................... 24 Program 8 – Community-based Health and Nutrition ...............................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Niger 2009 Profile Irrigated Zo
    SC UK HEA NIGER: MAGARIA/KANTCHÉ IRRIGATED LIVELIHOOD ZONE Livelihood Profile Zinder Region Magaria/Kantché Irrigated Livelihood zone December 20091 Zone Description Located in south-central Niger, in the southern part of Zinder region, this livelihood zone stretches across south-eastern Kantché department heading eastward over much of northern Magaria department. The zone is located in close proximity to northern Nigeria, sharing strong cultural, economic and historical links. This study focused on settled people, mainly Hausa, living within the villages rather than taking in to account minority residents living in hamlets around the villages with livelihood patterns distinct from those of their Hausa neighbors. The main towns are Matemey, Bande, Bangaza, Gouchi and Wacha. Magaria town is also located very nearby. The area by and large has a very good road network and there are two main (paved) commercial links to Nigeria (via Matameye to Mai Adua and via Magaria to Mutum). This zone is located in one of the most populous parts of Niger and has an estimated density of about 70-110 inhabitants per sq km. The topography of the zone is distinguished by a system of wet basins (cuvettes or bas fonds) tracing the Korama, a dry riverbed running through the center of the zone. In some places, the ground water table is actually exposed and visible on the surface. The area is characterized by scattered dunes, with an increasing pattern of dune encroachment as one moves eastward across the zone - this phenomenon is coupled with fewer opportunities for irrigated farming moving from west to east. There are scattered semi permanent and permanent ponds in the zone, again with a greater concentration of ponds in the western half of the zone.
    [Show full text]
  • Different Conceptions of Food Insecurity and Vulnerability
    Report No. 44072-NE Report No. 44072-NE Niger Food Security and Safety Nets Public Disclosure Authorized February 18, 2009 Human Development, AFTH2 Country Department AFCF2 Africa Region Niger Food Security and Safety Nets Food Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Document of the World Bank Public Disclosure Authorized QUIBB Questionnaire sur les Indicateurs de Base et de Bien-&tre UEMOA Union Economique et Mone'taire Ouest Africaine UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund UNDP United Nations Development Program USAID United States Agency for International Development FEWS NET USAID- Famine Early Warning System Network WAEMU West African Economic and Monetary Union WFD World Food Program WHO World Health Organization Vice President: Obiageli Katryn Ezekwesili Country Director Madani M. Tall Sector Director Yaw Ansu Sector Manager Eva Jarawan Task Team Leader Setareh Razmard Carlo Del Ninno ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This report was prepared by a team consisting of Jenny C. Aker (Consultant), Paul Dorosh (FEU), Menno Mulder-Sibanda (AFTH2), Carlo Del Ninno (HDNSP, co-task team leader), and Setareh Razmara (AFTH2, co-task team leader). Valuable inputs were provided by Phillippe George Leite (HDNSP), Koffi Akakpo (VAM Officer WFP - Niger), and Khamada Baye (Local Consultant). The report draws from two background papers that provided substantial inputs: (i)Food Security, Social Safety Nets and Food Crises: Country Experience from Niger (Jenny C. Aker, Consultant); and (ii)Production Shocks, Regional Trade and Cereal Prices in Niger: A (Multi-Market) Simulation Analysis (Paul Dorosh). Valuable guidance and suggestions were provided by Ousman Diagana (Country Manager for Niger); Patrick Verissimo, El Hadj Adama Toure, and Amadou Alassane (AFTAR); Xiao Ye (AFRCE); Richard Seifman and Leandre Bassole (AFTHV); and Amadou Ibrahim (AFTP4).
    [Show full text]
  • C:\Mes Documents\Annuaires\Annu
    ANNUAIRE STATISTIQUE DU NIGER 2013 - 2017 REPUBLIQUE DU NIGER MINISTERE DU PLAN -©©©- INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA STATISTIQUE Etablissement Public à Caractère Administratif ANNUAIRE STATISTIQUE 2013-2017 Edition 2018 Novembre 2018 1 Institut National de la Statistique ANNUAIRE STATISTIQUE DU NIGER 2013 - 2017 2 Institut National de la Statistique ANNUAIRE STATISTIQUE DU NIGER 2013 - 2017 ANNUAIRE STATISTIQUE 2013 - 2017 EDITION 2018 Novembre 2018 3 Institut National de la Statistique ANNUAIRE STATISTIQUE DU NIGER 2013 - 2017 4 Institut National de la Statistique ANNUAIRE STATISTIQUE DU NIGER 2013 - 2017 Ce document a été élaboré par : - Sani ALI, Chef de Division de la Coordination Statistique et de la Coopération Ont également participé à l’élaboration de cette publication, les structures et personnes suivantes de l’Institut National de la Statistique (INS) : Les structures : - Direction de la Comptabilité Nationale, de la Conjoncture et des Etudes Economiques (DCNCEE) ; - Direction des Statistiques et des Etudes Démographiques et Sociales (DSEDS). Les personnes : - Idrissa ALICHINA KOURGUENI, Directeur Général de l’Institut National de la Statistique ; - Issoufou SAIDOU, Directeur de la Coordination et du Management de l’Information Statistique. Ce document a été examiné et validé par les personnes ci-après : - Maman Laouali ADO, Conseiller du DG/INS ; - Djibo SAIDOU, Inspecteur des Services Statistiques (ISS) ; - Ghalio EKADE, Inspecteur de Services Statistiques (ISS) ; - Sani ALI, Chef de Division de la Coordination Statistique et de
    [Show full text]
  • Pdf | 270.45 Kb
    NIGER Monthly Food Security Update March 2006 Alert Level: No alert Watch Warning Emergency SUMMARY Summary of the food and nutrition situation Summary & timeline.................1 The food security situation in Niger as of the month of March was marked by pockets of Current hazard summary .........1 food insecurity in agropastoral and pastoral areas of the country, in the wake of the Food security, health and nutrition depletion of grain reserves, the repayment of debts incurred during last year’s crisis, .................................................2 localized grain and forage deficits and relatively high price levels compared with the five- Stream flow conditions.............4 year average. There has been very little movement in prices for major grain crops since Market situation .......................4 February, but price levels are still relatively high compared with the average, despite a Relief efforts.............................5 good harvest this past growing season. Most likely, this price stability is connected with the improvement in grain availability derived from commercial imports from neighboring countries such as Mali and Nigeria. According to nutrition stakeholders, admissions rates for therapeutic feeding centers in the Maradi and Zinder regions are starting to inch upwards and are expected to pick up even further during the upcoming lean period. As far as health conditions are concerned, according to the National Health Information System (SNIS), 984 cases of meningitis were reported over the period between January 1 and March 21, with 64 fatalities. These localized signs of a deterioration of food security and nutrition warrant the implementation of special programs designed to quickly ease adverse conditions in highly food-insecure areas by strengthening the capacity of local households to deal with a possible serious erosion of their sources of food and income.
    [Show full text]
  • Tree Cover Mapping Tool—Documentation and User Manual
    Tree Cover Mapping Tool—Documentation and User Manual Open-File Report 2016–1067 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Cover. Agroforestry parkland in central Burkina Faso. Tree Cover Mapping Tool—Documentation and User Manual By Suzanne Cotillon and Melissa Mathis Open-File Report 2016–1067 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior SALLY JEWELL, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Suzette M. Kimball, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2016 For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment—visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1–888–ASK–USGS. For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://store.usgs.gov. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may contain copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items must be secured from the copyright owner. Suggested citation: Cotillon, Suzanne, and Mathis, Melissa, 2016, Tree cover mapping tool—documentation and user manual (ver. 1.0, March 2016): U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2016–1067, 11 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20161067. ISSN 2331-1258 (online) iii Contents Abstract ...........................................................................................................................................................1
    [Show full text]
  • Niger Food Insecurity Fact Sheet #1
    FACT SHEET #1, FISCAL YEAR (FY) 2011 SEPTEMBER 30, 2011 NIGER – FOOD INSECURITY KEY DEVELOPMENTS Following Niger’s food insecurity and acute malnutrition crisis of 2009/2010, food security in Niger generally improved in FY 2011 due to favorable rainfall and harvest patterns and increased grain price stabilization. The 2010 harvest produced an estimated 5.5 million metric tons (MT) of grain, approximately 40 percent above the five-year average. An evaluation of food security conditions conducted by Niger’s national early warning system in May and June 2011 found that approximately 2.3 million people in Niger were food-insecure, a 63 percent decrease from the same period in 2010. In addition, the quantity of food consumed in Niger remains at normal levels, despite an increase in demand due to the return of migrants from Libya, as a result of targeted food distributions to vulnerable households, according to the USAID-funded Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET). Despite improved food security conditions in many areas, extreme weather events, including drought and floods, continue to negatively impact agricultural activities in many parts of Niger, as the majority of the predominantly agro- pastoral population relies on a single rainy season for crop cultivation and pasture renewal. Flooding in mid-August, for instance, affected nearly 14,000 people in Tillabéri and Maradi regions, destroying more than 100,000 hectares of crops and 1,000 houses, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Due to improved food security and ongoing acute malnutrition relief interventions, the national prevalence of global acute malnutrition (GAM) among children under five years of age decreased to 12.3 percent as of July 2011, a decline from the prevalence of 16.7 percent in November 2010.
    [Show full text]