Genome-wide association analysis uncovers stable QTLs for yield and quality traits of spring bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) across contrasting environments
Heat and drought are the foremost abiotic stress factors that significantly diminish both grain yield and quality parameters of bread wheat. Genetic improvement of varieties withstanding such stresses and able to give sufficient grain yield with...
Molecular detection of Toxoplasma gondii and Sarcocystis spp. co-infection in Tunisian Merguez, a traditional processed sausage beef meat
With the increase of raw food consumption, there is a growing interest in the risk posed by zoonotic infections to human health. This study was performed to identify in popular processed beef meat-based sausages (Merguez) the prevalence of...
Metabolite database for root, tuber, and banana crops to facilitate modern breeding in understudied crops
Roots, tubers, and bananas (RTB) are vital staples for food security in the world’s poorest nations. A majorconstraint to current RTB breeding programmes is limited knowledge on the available diversity due to lackof efficient germplasm...
Eye-balling and heart girth models for live weight estimation of highly admixed Sudani shorthorn zebu cattle for precise production and veterinary services
Cattle production is a key pillar of food security in Africa. The majority of African cattle is highly admixed with unknown breed composition. Accurate estimation of live weight (LW) of these cattle would improve the precision of feeding...
Genetic Diversity and Population Structure Analysis of Triticum aestivum L. Landrace Panel from Afghanistan
Landraces are a potential source of genetic diversity and provide useful genetic resources to cope with the current and future challenges in crop breeding. Afghanistan is located close to the centre of origin of hexaploid wheat. Therefore...
Comparative ecology of two specialist bees: Dasypoda visnaga Rossi, 1790 and Dasypoda maura Pérez, 1895 (Hymenoptera, Melittidae)
Many wild bee species are declining globally. To design efficient mitigation strategies to slow down or reverse these trends, we urgently need to better understand their basic ecological requirements. In this context, we studied two specialist...
Conversion and Validation of Uniplex SNP Markers for Selection of Resistance to Cassava Mosaic Disease in Cassava Breeding Programs
Cassava mosaic disease (CMD) is a major viral disease adversely affecting cassava production in Africa and Asia. Genomic regions conferring resistance to the disease have been mapped in African cassava germplasm through biparental quantitative...
Antibioisis and antixenosis resistance to Dactylopius opuntiae (Hemiptera: Dactylopiidae) in Moroccan cactus germplasm
The wild cochineal, Dactylopius opuntiae (Cockerell), has become the main pest of the prickly pear [(Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Miller] cactus crop in most of the Mediterranean countries, including Morocco since 2014. The use of D. opuntiae...
Community diversity, functional traits and adaptation of Stipa tenacissima L. under different grazing regimes in a North African arid montane rangeland
The mountain rangeland chain of Matmata (southern Tunisia) is characterised by an arid Mediterranean climate with severe droughts and high temperatures, combined with substantial human disturbance. In order to withstand these harsh conditions...
