INTRODUCTION Africa is the centre of origin and still today the major producing area for several cereal crops, notably sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet, teff, fonio and African rice. These traditional African cereals are sometimes called “Orphan Crops”, or even “Lost Crops” (National Research Council, 1996). This is despite the fact that they are staple foods for millions of people in the s...

In spite of substantial introduction of new sorghum and millet cultivars in semiarid SubSaharan Africa, there has been minimum aggregate impact on yields (FAO and ICRISAT, 1996: The World Sorghum Economies: Facts, Trends and Outlook. FAO, Rome, Italy and ICRISAT, Andhra Pradesh, India) in contrast with other crops, such as cotton and maize. Only where inorganic fertilizers and improved water re...

• Inhabitants at the site of TMD (c. 500–1150) relied almost exclusively on pearl millet as a staple crop, though other cultigens were well established in region. Exclusive cultivation may be part pattern regional subsistence specialisation with roots Late Stone Age. Recent archaeobotanical analysis revealed that botanical remains from Tongo Maaré Diabal (Mali) are composed primarily (up to 85%...

Sub-Saharan Africa could have a shortfall of nearly 90Mt of cereals by the year 2025 if current agricultural practices are maintained. Biotechnology is one of the ways to improve agricultural production. Insect-resistant varieties of maize and cotton suitable for the subcontinent have been identified as already having a significant impact. Virus-resistant crops are under development. These incl...

Sorghum/millet-based beverages, Obiolor and Pito, were evaluated for their nutritional and antioxidant dispositions. Analyzed Obiolor and Pito contained 96% and 97% moisture; 7.8% and 3.7% crude protein; 8.9% and 5.6% available carbohydrate; 0.39% and 0.31% crude fat; 0.3% and 0.2% crude fiber; 2.4% and 1.5% ash; and 459.3 and 164 kJ/g energy value, respectively. Obiolor and Pito (1.0 mL) scave...

Most millets are classified with maize, sorghum and Coix (Job's tears) in the grass sub-family Panicoideae, but two species, tef and ragi (finger millet) are placed in a separate sub-family, the Chloridoideae. In all species the major storage proteins are alcohol-soluble prolamins, but their properties vary. For example, although the kafirins of sorghum are closely related to the zeins of maize...

Claviceps sorghi is a pathogen of Sorghum bicolor found only in India and Southeast Asia. The more widespread C. africana is predominant even in India; C. sorghi appears to be marginalized in its restricted range. A significant difference in invasiveness is the relative production of inoculum that spreads plant-to-plant. Claviceps sorghi produces few to no secondary conidia from macroconidia on...

The simultaneous completion of the rainy season and nesting of granivorous birds between October and November in the Sudano-sahelian region of Senegal often results in very extensive bird damage to cereal crops. This occurs from both increased bird populations, due to the presence of juveniles as well as from their accompanying change in diet from insects to seeds. The damage is caused by sever...