Journal of Agriculture and Ecology Research International 3(3): 97-106, 2015; Article no.JAERI.2015.037 ISSN: 2394-1073 SCIENCEDOMAIN international www.sciencedomain.org Evaluation of Potential Accessions of African Rice (Oryza glaberrima Steud) with Essential Mineral Elements for Breeding Purposes H. M. Amoatey1,2, H. A. Doku3*, K. Nyalemegbe4 and D. Bansa5 1Nuclear Agriculture Centre, Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, P.O.Box LG 80, Legon-Accra, Ghana. 2Department of Nuclear Agriculture and Radiation Processing, School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, University of Ghana, P.O.Box AE 1, Atomic Energy, Kwabenya- Accra, Ghana. 3Department of Biotechnology, Seed and Food Science Division / Rice, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Crops Research Institute, P.O.Box 3785, Fumesua-Kumasi, Ghana. 4Department of Agriculture Economics and Agribusiness, Evangelical Presbyterian University College, P.O.Box HP 678, Ho, Ghana. 5Nutrition Research Centre, Radiological and Medical Sciences Research Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, P.O.Box LG 80, Legon-Accra, Ghana. Authors’ contributions This research was carried out by all authors. Authors HMA and HAD conceived the original idea and designed the study. Authors KN and DB conducted the research and managed the literature searches. Authors HM and HAD performed statistical analysis and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Article Information DOI: 10.9734/JAERI/2015/15314 Editor(s): (1) Claudia Belviso, Laboratories of Environmental & Medical Geology, CNR-IMAA, Italy. (2) Inż. Krzyszt of Skowron, Department of Microbiology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Collegium Medicum of L. Rydygier in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Reviewers: (1) Anonymous, India. (2) Anonymous, India. (3) Georgina Dede Arthur, Nature Conservation , Mangosuthu University of Technology, Durban, South Africa. (4) Muhammad Yasin, Dept. of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan. Complete Peer review History: http://www.sciencedomain.org/review-history.php?iid=923&id=37&aid=8232 Received 19th November 2014 nd Original Research Article Accepted 2 February 2015 th Published 24 February 2015 ABSTRACT Aim: The study was to identify superior accessions of African rice (Oryza glaberrima Steud.) for breeding to obtain nutrient-rich varieties to combat micro-nutrient malnutrition. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ *Corresponding author: Email: [email protected]; Amoatey et al.; JAERI, 3(3): 97-106, 2015; Article no.JAERI.2015.037 Place and Duration of Study: Field experimentation was carried out at Soil and Irrigation Research Institute, University of Ghana. Laboratory analyses were done at Ghana Research Reactor 1 (GHARR-1) and the Department of Chemistry and Environmental Research Centre, both of the National Nuclear Research Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission. All the research activities were conducted between the period July, 2010 and June, 2011. Methodology: Seventeen local accessions of African rice were evaluated for their reproductive and yield characteristics alongside NERICA 1, a high-yielding, protein-rich hybrid purposely bred for Africa. The dried seeds were analyzed for seven essential mineral elements: calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium and zinc using atomic absorption spectrophotometry and neutron activation analysis. Results: The study did not identify any accession with high or appreciable levels of both iron and zinc which are considered vital in alleviating micro-nutrient malnutrition. However, the accession N/4 showed significantly (P < 0.05) high zinc content (30.10 mg kg-1) while Awerema significantly (P < 0.05) recorded the highest amount of iron (386.6 mg kg-1). Conclusion: The two accessions may therefore be utilized in a hybridization program for developing new lines of African rice rich in both iron and zinc. Keywords: Atomic absorption spectrophotometry; biofortification; genetic diversity; micronutrient mal- nutrition; neutron activation analysis; Oryza glaberrima. ABBREVIATIONS AAS: Atomic absorption spectrophotometry; Cu: copper; DAP: days after planting DFH: days to 50% heading; DM: days to maturity; ESADDI: estimated safe and adequate daily dietary intake; FARA: Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa; Iron: Fe; GL: grain length ; GW: grain weight ; GY: grain yield; GRiSP: Global Rice Science Partnership; IRRI: International Rice Research Institute; Mg: magnesium; Mn: manganese; MR: minimum requirement; NERICA: new rice for Africa; NAA: Neutron activation analysis; NPK: nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus; RDA: recommended dietary allowance; SSA: Sub-Saharan Africa; SSR: simple sequence repeat ; SWAC/OECD: Sahel and West Africa Club / Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ; Zinc: Zn. 1. INTRODUCTION mainly from Asian white rice (Oryza sativa L.), which is inherently inferior to the indigenous rice Rice (Oryza sp.) is a cereal produced and of West African origin (Oryza glaberrima Steud.) consumed in 38 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa in nutrition and it is further impoverished through (SSA) [1]. It is currently a main staple in many the combined processes of milling and polishing countries, having replaced traditional foods such [8]. as millet (Pennisetum glaucum), yam (Discorea spp) and cocoyam (Xanthosoma saggittifolium). Already, micronutrient malnutrition is widespread In the past few years, consumption of rice in SSA in SSA, affecting many people, especially has grown steadily at an annual rate of 4.5% children and women. The region has been home thereby making this crop a commodity of to 14% of the world’s micronutrient-malnourished strategic importance across the continent [2]. populations particularly mineral and vitamin This trend has been enhanced by changing deficiencies of most common public health demographic patterns with concomitant changing importance namely iodine (I), Iron (Fe) and food preferences in both rural and urban settings vitamin A [9]. Adopting the wrong strategy in [3,4]. meeting the nutritional needs of the populace may lead to a situation where SSA will surpass Throughout the SSA, production of rice has not South Eastern Asia as the region with the highest kept pace with demand, creating a 40% gap [1,5] prevalence of nutrient-deficiency problems in the which is filled by rising imports from Thailand and world [10,11]. Vietnam [6]. Currently, SSA is a net importer of rice, with Nigeria, Senegal, and Cote d’Ivoire In the past, global attempts to address micro ranking among the top 10 rice importers in the nutrient under-nutrition have focused on world [7]. In Ghana, approximately US$ 500 pharmaceutical supplementation and industrial million is spent annually on the import of rice to fortification, with limited successful impact as supplement local production [5]. This is derived these programs were expensive and required to 98 Amoatey et al.; JAERI, 3(3): 97-106, 2015; Article no.JAERI.2015.037 be carried out annually [12,13,14,15]. Kpong, in the Eastern Region of Ghana, latitude Furthermore, agronomic fortification through the 6° 09ˈ N and longitude 0° 04ˈ E, 22 m above sea application of mineral fertilizers to increase the level, 80 km NE of Accra, from July to December mineral content in crops has not gone beyond 2010. Soil order of the experimental area is the initial investigations because of the obvious Vertisol. A total of 17 accessions of African rice adverse effects of that strategy on the (Oryza glaberrima Steud) collected from five environment [16]. Hence, the new paradigm geographical locations (Old baika, Lolobi and tends to favor genetic fortification (biofortification) Akpafu of Volta region, Northern region and to enhance the nutrient status of staple crops Ashanti region) of Ghana alongside NERICA 1 through development of nutrient-dense varieties as a check, were grown in the field in a to address the negative economic and health randomized complete-block design with four consequences of vitamin and mineral replications. Nitrogen, potassium and deficiencies in humans [13,17,18,19,20]. Such phosphorus (NPK) compound fertilizer was varieties must be able to mobilize, uptake, and applied at four-leaf stage (21 days after sowing) translocate these nutrients to edible parts as basal, at a rate of 45 kg ha-1 and top-dressed [21,22,23]. Micronutrient enrichment traits exist in (60 days) with sulphate of ammonia at 45 kg ha- the rice genome and these have been 1. Weeds were controlled three times using a successfully tapped in the production of high β- combination of propanil and 2, 4-D at a rate of carotene ‘golden rice’ and high ferritin-Fe rice 7.51 L ha-1 and 2.51 L ha-1 respectively. using transgenic approaches [24] as well as protein-rich NERICA varieties using conventional Data on reproductive and ripening crossing [25,26,27]. characteristics, such as days to 50% heading (DFH) and days to maturity (DM) were collected. Apart from its well-known resistance to biotic and Seeds were harvested upon maturity when more abiotic stress factors of the environment than 80% of the grains on the panicle were fully [28,29,30,31,32], African rice (Oryza glaberrima ripened. They were threshed and air dried to a Steud) also contains higher amounts of some moisture content of 14%. Moisture content of essential micronutrients than Asian rice (Oryza accessions were determined by