The experiment was conducted to ascertain the level of genetic diversity in sweet potato accessions using microsatellites. Thirty sweet potato accessions obtained from the International Potato Center (CIP), Kumasi, Ghana, Mozambique, and local germplasm of the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria, as well as sweet potato vines from local farmers' fields in Jos, Plateau State, and Bauchi State, Nigeria, were analyzed for genetic diversity using five microsatellite markers. The results showed that the polymorphic SSR loci revealed diverse relationship among the sweet potato cultivars, which was grouped into four major clusters by unweighted pair group method analysis (UPGMA) method. Cluster analysis showed a Jaccard co-efficient ranging from 0.0 to 3.0 indicating high genetic diversity. The primers detected a total of 18 alleles and the number of alleles per locus was 4 for IBR-19, IBR-286, IBR-297 and 3 for IBR-16 and IBR-242 with an average of 3.67 alleles per locus. The polymorphic information content (PIC) of the markers varied from 0.35 to 0.72 with an average of 0.497. Marker IBR-19 revealed the highest PIC of 0.72, while marker IBR-297 had the lowest PIC of 0.35. Observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.32 to 0.89 with a mean of 0.675 across the five SSR loci. The results from the Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) which was used to quantify the diversity level and genetic relationship among the thirty sweet potato accessions indicated that a high diversity was mostly distributed within the populations for sweet potato accessions (75.12%) and (15.67%) among the populations.

Cytochrome P450s are a group of monooxygenase enzymes involved in primary, secondary and xenobiotic metabolisms. They have a wide application in the agriculture sector where they could serve as a target for herbicides or fungicides, while they could function in the pharmaceutical industry as drugs or drugs structures or for bioconversions. Alternaria species are among the most commonly encountered fungal genera, with most of them living as saprophytes in different habitats, while others are parasites of plants and animals. This study was conducted to elucidate the diversity and abundance, evolutionary relationships and cellular localization of 372 cytochrome P450 in 13 Alternaria species. The 372 CYP proteins were phylogenetically clustered into ten clades. Forty (40) clans and seventy-one (71) cyp families were identified, of which eleven (11) families were found to appear in one species each. The majority of the CYP proteins were located in the endomembrane system. Polyketide synthase (PKS) gene cluster was the predominant secondary metabolic-related gene cluster in all the Alternaria species studied, except in A. porriof, where non-ribosomal peptide synthetase genes were dominant. This study reveals the expansion of cyps in these fungal genera, evident in the family and clan expansions, which is usually associated with the evolution of fungal characteristics, especially their lifestyle either as parasites or saprophytes, with the ability to metabolize a wide spectrum of substrates. This study can be used to understand the biology, physiology and toxigenic potentials of P450 in these fungal genera.

Genotypes of the sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam) normally exhibit high variability in their morphological characters. A field experiment was carried out in 2017 at the National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria to assess the morphological diversity among the population of 68 first filial generation (F1) sweet potato genotypes (Ligri PC) derived from seeds produced through poly cross systems from the International Potato Center, Kumasi, Ghana, including two local check varieties (UMUSPO3 and TIS87/0087). A randomized complete block design with three replicates was used to set up this experiment. The morphology descriptor was used to evaluate the genotypes of sweet potatoes on sixteen characters that covered both folial and fresh storage root morphology. The data were then subjected to an analysis of variance to identify any differences between the measured morphological parameters and agronomic variables. Using cluster analysis, it was established that all of the genotypes could be categorized into four distinct groups based on their physical characteristics. Consequent, a vast gene pool would provide for effective recombination to create a viable sweetpotato variety with high agricultural value.

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the growth and yield characteristics of plantain varieties in the humid rain forest zone of Nigeria. The research was conducted at the University of Uyo Teaching and Research Farm in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of various plantain varieties with a view to identify high yielding genotypes. The planting material used for this study were the following varieties - 4479-1, 7152-2, Agbagba, Akpakpak, Mbiegome and a local cultivar called “Ogoni Red” obtained from the iInternational iInstitute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Onne, River State. Data collected on shoot and bunch yields characters were statistically assessed by analysis of variance. The growth characters showed significant variations among the plantain varieties. Plant height at 32 weeks after planting showed that variety 4479-1 recorded the highest height, 4.09 m while Agbagba and Mbiegome had heights 3.21 m and 3.07 m, respectively. The bunch characteristics measured after harvesting were statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) among the varieties. The bunch weight differed significantly (P < 0.05) amongst the varieties. The result showed that the yield (bunch weight) for Mbiegome was 10.55 kg, followed by 4479-1 with 10.28 kg., while 7152-2, Ogoni red and Agbagba varieties recorded 07.68 kg, 04.11 kg and 09.5 kg, respectively. In this study, variety Mbiegome outperformed other varieties in terms of yield and yield components apart from the finger thickness and length and is therefore recommended to promotion in Akwa Ibom State.

Six orange-fleshed sweetpotato genotypes, namely, Naspot-12, Umuspo-1, Lourdes, Erica, Delvia and umuspo-3, sourced from National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike were evaluated for fresh storage root yield, dry matter, starch and Beta-carotene content in 2020 and 2021 cropping seasons at the Teaching and Research Farm of the University of Uyo. The experiment was laid in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Analysis of variance, correlation and principal component analysis were performed for yield and yield related traits while standard procedure was followed to determine dry matter, starch and beta-carotene content. In this study, results from the analysis of variance showed that the six orange-fleshed sweetpotato genotypes differed significantly (P≤ 0.05) in number of marketable roots, weight of marketable roots and fresh storage roots yield. Umuspo-3 produced the highest storage root yield (28.78t/ha, 27.55t/ha) in 2020 and 2021 cropping seasons, respectively. The result of the correlation analysis also revealed that number of marketable roots and weight of marketable were highly significantly and positively (P< 0.01) correlated with fresh root yield. Principal component analysis (PCA) had two main principal components explaining 70.25% of the total variation with number of marketable roots, weight of marketable tuber and storage root yield contributing the most to the first PCA. Umuspo-3 recorded the highest dry matter content of 42.78%. Lourdes had the highest starch content, 65.23mg100g -1 while Umuspo-3 had the lowest starch content, 24.55mg100 -1 . Beta-carotene content of the six OFSP genotypes ranged from 1.03mg/100g FW to 9.19mg/100g FW. Umuspo-3 recorded a Beta-carotene content of 9.19 mg/100g FW.Umuspo-3 genotype could be recommended for cultivation in Uyo agro-ecology for high yield and as an excellent source of beta-carotene, it could be consumed to ameliorate vitamin A deficiency in children and pregnancy women within the State and its environs.