The effects of light and quantity of spawn on the sporophore and sclerotial yields of Pleurotus tuber-regium, cultivated on cotton wastes, rice straw, cocoyam peel, comcob, groundnut shell and sawdusts of Mansonia altissima, Khaya ivorensis and Boscia angustifolia were observed. The organism had sporophore and sclerotial yield values of 36.8 and 27.6 g kg(-1) waste, respectively, in cotton wast...

BACKGROUND The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an important eukaryotic workhorse in traditional and modern biotechnology. At present, only a few S. cerevisiae strains have been extensively used as engineering hosts. Recently, an astonishing genotypic and phenotypic diversity of S. cerevisiae was disclosed in natural populations. We suppose that some natural strains can be recruited as superio...

This paper briefly reviews research on the causative agents of blackleg and soft rot diseases of potato, namely Pectobacterium and Dickeya species, and the disease syndrome, including epidemiological and aetiological aspects. It critically evaluates control methods used in practice based on the avoidance of the contamination of plants, in particular the use of seed testing programmes and the ap...

At harvest, potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tubers are in a dormant state and do not have the ability to sprout. After harvesting, tuber dormancy is released progressively. This release is accompanied by numerous physiological and biochemical changes, such as carbohydrate hydrolysis and the accumulation of saccharides, which are detrimental to the nutritional and processing qualities of potatoes....

BACKGROUND AND AIMS The control of dormancy in yam (Disocorea spp.) tubers is poorly understood and attempts to shorten the long dormant period (i.e. cause tubers to sprout or germinate much earlier) have been unsuccessful. The aim of this study was to identify and define the phases of dormancy in Dioscorea rotundata tubers, and to produce a framework within which dormancy can be more effective...

AIM The tuber of Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Family-Araceae), commonly called suran or jimikand, has medicinal and food value. It is used in ethnomedicinal practices for correction of gastrointestinal disturbances such as constipation and hemorrhoids. The present study evaluated the effect of A. paeoniifolius tuber on gastrointestinal motor functions. MATERIALS AND METHODS The tuber was col...

The evaluation of potato germplasm for resistance to potato tuberworm, Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is a valuable component of integrated pest management; however, few attempts have been made to identify natural genetic tuber resistance to tuberworm on potato germplasm. The objective of this study was to screen potato germplasm with potential tuberworm resistance...

The two morphologically similar truffles Tuber aestivum and T. uncinatum have caused confusion because T. uncinatum is regarded by different authors, as either a distinct species, variety, subspecies, or synonym of T. aestivum. A clarification of the relationship between the two truffles would help both conservation biology and cultivation. We aimed both to test the reliability of the only quan...

The high rate of male infertility and the meager resources to manage same in sub Saharan Africa have necessitated the search for cost effective and available alternatives. Mushrooms have been used traditionally in folk medicine and as nutraceuticals. This study has investigated the effect of the wild mushroom Pleurotus tuber-regium on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) deleterious effects on the repro...

Recent studies, including those from our laboratory, have provided evidence that by improving tuber Ca level we can reduce tuber internal defects and improve its storability. The purpose of the present study was to determine the influence of supplemental Ca fertilization on tuber size and tuber number. For this purpose, plantlets of Solanum tuberosum cv Russet Burbank raised in tissue culture w...