Soils have a unique property called "phosphorus (P) retention capacity," which refers to their ability to bind with phosphates. When soil has a high P retention capacity, the P fertilizer applied in a cropland may bind to the soil before being absorbed by crops. This reduces the efficiency of fertilization. Therefore, P retention capacity is used for fertilization management. Recent studies have shown a close relationship between P retention capacity and soil moisture content. A research team from JIRCAS and the University of Antananarivo in Madagascar used this relationship to develop a method that accurately and easily estimates P retention capacity from soil moisture content, including a clever use of table salt (sodium chloride).

 

Rice is Madagascar's staple food, and the per capita rice consumption is among the highest in the world. In Madagascar, rice is mainly cultivated by smallholders in low fertility soils with no external inputs such as mineral fertilizers. As a result, rice productivity remains low and the gap between rice production and consumption is widening at the national level. We have evaluated genetic resources from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) genebank, and identified loci associated with low soil fertility tolerance for total panicle weight per plant, straw weight, total plant biomass, heading date and plant height. A donor carrying total panicle weight loci was identified and crossed to a local variety, to initiate variety development through a combination of marker-assisted selection with selection on-farm to improve rice yield under local cultivation conditions.

The approach of increasing zinc (Zn) concentrations in edible parts of food crops (Zn-biofortification) is a global breeding goal to alleviate Zn malnutrition, which particularly affects small children that need it for proper development. Because the Zn concentration in polished rice is usually too low to provide a sufficient proportion of the daily Zn intake, Zn deficiency is widespread in households where rice is the staple food and where people cannot afford to diversify their diet by adding mineral-rich fruits, vegetables, and meat. We used a genomic prediction model to predict Zn concentrations in 3000 genetic resources and selected potential high-Zn donors for experimental validation and subsequent biofortification breeding in Madagascar.

Malnutrition has major lifelong consequences for children. In this issue, we present a paper that looks at the diversity of agricultural production, food diversity, and its impact on children's nutritional status in rural Madagascar, looking at the diversity of each farmer's agricultural production, food diversity, and its impact on children's nutritional status.

The World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) is leading a study aimed at understanding the diversity of traditional African vegetables used by Malagasy farmers, assessing their conservation status, and exploring opportunities for income generation and increased consumption. Details of the study supported by the Darwin Initiative are presented in an article by Ritha Luoga and Sognigbe N'Danikou published in the WorldVeg website.