Annual Research & Review in Biology

Exploring Genetic Variability, Heritability and Genetic Advance for Yield and Its Component Traits in Indian Mustard (Brassica juncea L. Czern. & Coss.)

S. K. Singh, Joni Kumar, Saundar Lal, Abhishek Singh — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A field experiment was conducted during the Rabi season of 2024–25 at the research farm of Ch. Chhotu Ram (PG) College, Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, under the aegis of the Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding (Agricultural Botany). The primary objectives were to quantify genetic variability, estimate heritability and genetic advance, and explore trait interrelationships for yield enhancement in Indian mustard. The analysis of variance demonstrated highly significant genotypic differences across all characters, confirming the presence of considerable genetic diversity within the germplasm. For the majority of traits, phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) estimates marginally exceeded genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV), suggesting limited environmental influence on trait expression. Several yield-related attributes exhibited elevated GCV and PCV values, indicating substantial opportunities for selection-mediated genetic improvement. Traits registering high heritability alongside significant genetic advance as a percentage of the mean reflected the predominance of additive genetic effects, thereby supporting the efficacy of phenotypic selection in subsequent generations. Moreover, the pronounced direct contributions of these traits to seed yield underscore their potential as dependable selection indices in mustard breeding initiatives. Collectively, the findings establish the availability of exploitable genetic variability and identify key economically important traits that directly influence yield. Accordingly, prioritising these characteristics in breeding frameworks may accelerate the development of high-yielding, genetically superior mustard cultivars adaptable to diverse agro-climatic conditions.

Effect of Mixed Fertilization Based of Potassium Chloride and Cow Manure on Oil Palm Fruit Bunch Production in La Mé, Southeast Côte d’Ivoire

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The combined use of mineral and organic fertilisers may reduce reliance on chemical fertilisers while supporting soil fertility and oil palm productivity. This study evaluated mixed fertilisation based on potassium chloride (KCl) and cow manure for fresh fruit bunch production in 11-year-old C1001F oil palms at La Mé, southeastern Côte d’Ivoire. Seven treatments, including unfertilised and KCl controls and different KCl-cow manure combinations, were arranged in a completely randomised One Tree Plot Design with 10 palms per treatment. The experiment lasted eight months. New leaf emergence, monthly trunk growth, fresh fruit bunch number, total bunch weight, and average bunch weight were assessed. Fertilisation treatments did not significantly affect new leaf emergence (P = 0.6101) or bunch number (P = 0.664). Monthly trunk growth differed significantly among treatments (P = 0.0101), with the highest value recorded under T4, comprising 1 kg KCl and 5 kg cow manure (4.38 ± 0.83 cm/month). Total fresh fruit bunch weight (P = 0.0014) and average bunch weight (P = 0.0011) also differed significantly. Treatment T2, comprising 3 kg KCl and 3 kg cow manure, produced the highest total bunch weight (19.24 ± 1.02 kg) and average bunch weight (12.41 ± 1.02 kg/bunch). The findings indicate that balanced mixed fertilisation with KCl and cow manure may support short-term oil palm productivity under the conditions of La Mé, although longer-term evaluation is required before broader recommendations are made.

Assessment of Insect Infestation of Senegalia macrostachya (Reichenb. ex DC.) Kyal. & Boatwr. Seeds at Pod Harvest in the Northern and Southern Sudanian Agroclimatic Zones of Burkina Faso

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Aims: To assess the effect of insect pest infestation on the quality of S. macrostachya seeds at pod harvest in the North- and South-Sudanian agroclimatic zones of Burkina Faso.

Study Design: Seeds of S. macrostachya were collected and examined, and the insects that emerged were identified.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at the Laboratory of Fundamental and Applied Entomology, Joseph KI-ZERBO University, between December 2025 and June 2026.

Methodology: Three batches of 2,000 S. macrostachya pods were collected from Bama and Gonsé. At each site, each batch was sampled from 20 different shrubs. The samples were transported to the laboratory where they were threshed and 1,000 seeds from each batch were examined and monitored under ambient laboratory conditions for 90 days.

Results: At harvest, 57.46% and 49% of the seeds were perforated in Bama and Gonsé, respectively. Bruchidius silaceus was the predominant insect pest of S. macrostachya seeds in January in both non-perforated and perforated seeds collected at Bama, representing 74.31% and 66% of the specimens collected, respectively. In Gonsé, no B. silaceus individuals emerged from unperforated seeds in January, whereas the species accounted for 75.93% of the insects emerging from the perforated seeds. C. furcatus first appeared in the seed stocks in February. Apomecyna sp., which was collected with the pods in Bama, was not recorded in Gonsé. Eupelmus sp. was the most abundant parasitoid species.

Conclusion: S. macrostachya pods should be harvested immediately after reaching physiological maturity to minimise seed perforations caused by the emergence of insect pests.

The State of Beekeeping in Lower Guinea (Maritime Guinea): A Critical Narrative Review of Production Systems, Constraints and Prospects for Sustainable Development

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Lower Guinea (Maritime Guinea) combines a humid coastal climate, forest and agroforestry resources, horticultural production, peri-urban markets and rural communities for which low-capital livestock and non-timber forest enterprises can be attractive. Beekeeping therefore has plausible livelihood, food-product, biodiversity and pollination value, yet the regional evidence base is unusually fragmented. This critical narrative review evaluates what can presently be concluded about beekeeping systems in Lower Guinea, the constraints that limit performance and the development pathways that are most defensible. Evidence was integrated from Guinean agricultural statistics and livestock diagnostics, Lower Guinea project records, peer-reviewed West African apiculture studies and broader African honey-bee research, with explicit attention to geographic transferability and methodological strength. The synthesis indicates a sector in transition rather than a consistently modernised industry. Traditional fixed-comb practices and wild-swarm dependence coexist with Kenyan top-bar and movable-comb interventions, but representative information on hive occupancy, colony retention, yield, profitability, disease status and beekeeper demographics is lacking. Official statistics contain substantial missingness and discontinuities and are organised by administrative regions that do not map cleanly onto the natural region, precluding robust regional trend estimation. The most consequential constraints are therefore not simply a shortage of hives. They include unreliable colony establishment, weak technical support, seasonal and landscape-dependent forage, destructive or poorly controlled harvesting practices, limited honey-quality assurance, fragmented markets, inadequate finance, and almost complete absence of systematic bee-health and genetic surveillance. Sustainable development should prioritise measurement before scale, locally adapted colony management, year-round forage and landscape stewardship, hygienic post-harvest systems, traceability, aggregation and market institutions, and explicit protection of locally adapted honey-bee diversity. The strongest near-term opportunity is to treat apiculture as a coupled production, ecosystem-management and rural-enterprise system, while evaluating interventions against colony survival, product quality, net income and habitat outcomes rather than hive distribution alone.