Starches were isolated from soaked and malted sorghum and studied to understand their physicochemical and functional properties. The swelling power (SP) and the water solubility index (WSI) of both starches were nearly similar at temperatures below 50 °C, but at more than 50 °C, the starch isolated from malted sorghum showed lower SP and high WSI than those isolated from raw and soaked sorghum....

In sub-Saharan Africa rain-fed agriculture cropping system uses a limited agricultural technology, occupies more than 95% of cultivated land. The impact of meteorological drivers on crop yields, and, in addition, the effects of herbicide application on farm productivity were examined at two locations; with a 70km distance between them, El Mazmum and El Dali in semi-arid Sudan. For ten successiv...

The cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a widespread pest of many cultivated and wild plants in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. In 2013, this species was reported in Brazil, attacking various host crops in the midwestern and northeastern regions of the country and is now found countrywide. Aiming to understand the effects of different host plants on th...

Freeze-drying is a well-known dehydration method widely used to preserve microorganisms. In order to produce freeze-dried yeast starter culture for the brewing purpose of African sorghum beer, we tested protective agents (sucrose, glucose, glycerol) in combination with support materials (millet, maize, sorghum, and cassava flours) at 1:1 ratio (v/v). The yeast strains Saccharomyces cerevisiae F...

Global warming has resulted in increasingly frequent and severe drought and/or precipitation events. Severe drought limits crop water availability and impacts agricultural productivity and socioeconomic development. To quantify drought-induced yield loss during the main crop stages in Liaoning province, China, aspects of drought episodes (magnitude, duration, and frequency) were investigated du...

Food security remains a constant source of concern in Mali, where over 75% of the population derives their living from agriculture. Despite the huge theoretical need, the production and use of improved seeds remain very limited. Concurrently, genetic erosion and the disappearance of certain local varieties have been observed. The dual need to preserve agricultural biodiversity as a factor of re...