My profile
Frist name: Tilahun Wondimu
Family name: Fufa
Gender: Male
Email [email protected]
Telephone: +234(0)8102851238
Bio data
I was born on 28 April 1974 in Ethiopia. I attended school from 1979 to 1990 in Oromia. I joined
Jimma University and graduated with a diploma in Plant Science on 8 August 1992, BSc in
Horticulture Science on 12 July 2006 and MSc in plant breeding on 17 October 2014. Since my
graduation I had served public as development worker and researcher (breeder) on root and tuber
crops. Currently, I am in Nigeria for PhD study in Plant breeding and genetics at Ebonyi State
University. Prof. Happiness OSELEBE and Dr. Wosene G/Silase are my host and home
institution supervisors, respectively. I had published journals on Coccinia abyssinica, Yam and
Sweet potato.
Major publication
1. Tilahun Wondimu, Sentayehu Alamerew, Amsalu Ayana and Wayessa Garedew, 2014.
Variability and association of quantitative traits in anchote (Coccinia abyssinica (Lam.)
Cogn.) in Ethiopia. Int. J. plant breed. and Genet,8(1):1-12.
2. Tilahun Wondimu, Sentayehu Alamerew, Amsalu Ayana and Wayessa Garedew, 2014.
Genetic diversity analysis among anchote (Coccinia abyssinica (Lam.) Cogn.) in western
Ethiopia. Int. J. Agric. Res., 9(3): 149-157.
3. Tilahun Wondimu, Girma Chemeda, Lelise Ararsa, Abraham Negera, Bikila Akkesa,
Negash Teshome, Meseret Negash and Daniel Mokonon, 2015. Registration of "Tola"
sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.)Lam.) Variety. East African Journal of Science.
Volume 9(1). ISSN 1992-0407
4. Bikila Akkesa,Abraham Negera , Girma Chemeda, Tilahun Wondimu, Lelise Ararsa,
Negash Teshome, Meseret Negash and Daniel Mokonon, 2015. Registration of "Bulcha
and Lalo” Yam (Ipomoea batatas (L.)Lam.) Varieties. East African Journal of Science.
Volume 9(1). ISSN 1992- 0407
5. Abraham Negear, Fayera Takele and Tilahun Wondimu, 2017. Evaluation of Integrated
Management Practices of Sweet Ppotato Weevil (Cylas punctiollis (Boheman )
(Coleoptera:Brentidae) in Bako, Western Ethiopia. Journal of natural science research.
ISSN 2225- 0921. Vol.7,No.8
6. Aschalew Sisay, Kedir Wako, Tilahun Wondimu and Teshome Bogale, 2007. Research
and farmers experience on anchote, dinicha oromo, and Arial yam in western Oromia.
Research report. oromia Agricultural research institute, Bako agricultural research center.
7. Aschalew Sisay, Kedir Wako, Tilahun Wondimu and Teshome Bogale, 2007. Research
and farmers experience on Hot pepper production in western Oromia. Research report.
Oromia Agricultural research institute, Bako agricultural research center.
Crop of Interest
In developing regions like sub-Saharan Africa food shortage and subsequent malnutrition
particularly among the resource poor population is obvious. In addition to other crops,
cultivation of such locally grown nutritionally rich orphan crops like my crop of interest
Colocasia esculenta (taro) will increase the total food production and income of the farmers. It
is largely produced and consumed in topical and sub-tropical countries with a lion share in West
Africa. Nigeria ranks first in taro production worldwide. It is widely consumed by both rural and
urban population as a main component or as soup thickener. The corm is rich in starch, fiber, ash,
minerals and vitamins while the leaf is known by its high protein content. The crop provides
substantial returns for local communities and there is an increasing interest for its cultivation in
Africa. It also adapts an area where other crops do not survive. Unluckily, the production of taro
is diminishing and farmers has been substituting by other root crops due to low yield, disease and
undesirable traits, the difficulties related to its production and processing. Though, the crop is
neglected and no improved varieties so far it is a sources of income for producers and sellers
especially for women. It has high cost on market (the current global average price for taro corm
is $1.6 – 2.4 USD per kilogram).
Summary of proposal
In sub Saharan Africa Colocasia esculenta cultivation is constrained by low yield, leaf blight
disease and high acridity. This situation is due to the fact that the species has been neglected and
underutilized for a long time. This results in the absence of improved varieties for a farmers. My
project is intended to develop high yielding, leaf blight disease tolerant and low acrid genotypes
for farmers through merging molecular and conventional tools in order to increase income
generation and farmer’s resilience to climate change. Specifically, the project will: i) assess the
genetic diversity of taro for leaf blight tolerance and low acridity content ii) determine
quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated to corm yield traits in Colocasia esculenta iii) identify
genes related to disease tolerance and high acridity iv) evaluate corm yield and disease tolerance
stability in the species through GGE biplot and V) assess farmers perception on the
recommended lines of adoption. At the end of the project i) genomic resources are available for
pursing genomic selection; ii) improved disease tolerant and low acrid lines will be
recommended to farmers; inbreed lines for hybrid development are available; iv) QTLs
associated to corm yield, disease tolerance and acridity are mapped) environmental divers for
corm traits are identified.
A graphic abstract of the research proposal
Germplasm Collection
Marker Assisted Selection
Morphological variablity
studies
Genomic diversity analysis
Yield Trial
Quality test
Stablity test Improved genotype
Preferance test
Useful pictures
Personal comment about the MoBreed opportunity
MoBreed is on the right track to save the world. Because, of climate change we may miss our
major staple food crops. Though neglected, the orphan crops are adapting itself to the changing
climate than those major food crops. I hope, the fate of feeding world will relay on the orphan
crops in the future so that I said MoBreed is on the right path.
Progress report
Though orphan, taro is one of the oldest food crop providing energy for 500 million peoples
worldwide. It is largely produced in the tropics and sub tropics with a lion share in West African
of which Nigeria takes the topmost in the world. Taro production in sub Saharan Africa
explicitly in West Africa is with multifaceted limitation ranging from biological, environmental
to social factors. Because of this and other reasons farmers are using the landraces whose
productivity is very low as compered the crop potential under good management. Besides, the
corm yield losses due to taro leaf blight (Phytophthora colocasiae Rac.) is very high and the
eating quality of taro is in question because of the high oxalate contents. The project has been
focused on assessing the genetic diversity of taro for quantitative trait loci and generating basic
information for germplasm conservation and future breeding purposes. Thus, the objective of the
project was to estimate the extent and patterns of genetic variation among accessions using SNP
markers and to identify stable high yielding, quality, diseases tolerant taro genotypes.
Accordingly, hundred (100) taro accessions were collected from major taro growing areas of
Nigeria. The accessions have been under purification and morphological characterization at
Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, in 2018 and 2019 cropping season. The treatments were
arranged in 10 x 10 simple lattice design. Variance component methods were used to estimate
phenotypic and genotypic variation, heritability and genetic advance. From one year data (2018),
Analysis of variance were conducted and the accessions differed highly significantly for most of
the characters studied and the occurrence of relatively wide range of mean for most characters,
indicating the existence of variation among the tested materials. High genotypic coefficient of
variation along with high heritability and genetic advance was obtained for most characters
indicating additive genetic effects. The data were subjected to D2 analysis and the populations
were clustered in to three different major groups according to their similarity levels and this
makes the accessions to become moderately divergent. This dataset was reduced to three
significant Principal components (PCs) that cumulatively explained 65.58% of the variance.
About 43.36% of the variance accounted for by the first PC alone resulted largely from the
variations in contrasting effects of discriminatory traits like yield per plant, plant height, corm
weight, maturity date, stem girth, cormel yield, corm yield, cormel weight, corm girth, sheath
length, corm length, leaf length, disease severity and corm dry matter content. Over all, the study
confirmed the presence of character diversity in taro landraces. This assessment of traits diversity
can assist geneticist and breeders to identify populations with desirable characteristics for
inclusion in variety breeding program. Further evaluation at multi-locations, genotype by
sequencing using SNP markers to study genetic diversity and identifying the quantitative trait
loci, nutritional content analysis and test farmers acceptability are the uncompleted research part
of this project.
Table 2. Analysis of variance (mean squares) for 25 characters of 100 taro accessions grown at Abakaliki (2018)
Sources 0f
Variation
Mean Squares
R2% Efficiency In Relation
To RCBD Replication
Treatments Block with in replication
(adjusted)
Error
Unadjusted Adjusted intera RCBD
DF 1 99 99 18 81 99 - -
GD 34.45 38.92 27.2985** 48.48 15.51 21.51 79.11 123.36
LNPP 3.32 0.86 0.557** 0.8 0.27 0.36 82.5 121.18
PH(cm) 6983.26 209.08 156.84*** 99.11 46.92 56.41 88.57 109.72
PL(cm) 11.52 58.81 53.085*** 40.4 24.26 27.2 76.95 104.5
LL(cm) 161.1 101.63 70.703** 64.48 40.67 44.99 77.56 103.69
LW(cm) 102.24 40.58 30.769* 36.45 19.75 22.78 74.908 106.5
LLWR 0.0002 0.0156 0.0128*** 0.0118 0.0052 0.0064 80.634 111.64
Canopy(cm) 32 530.96 414.0515*** 4.85 3.98 4.14 99.39 100.68
NSPP 0.283 4.826 3.5114*** 2.016 0.682 0.924 90.3 121.01
SHL(cm) 7239.65 169.12 142.78*** 99.99 55.27 63.40 85.20 106.08
SG(cm) 196.28 27.47 25.94*** 21.86 9.36 11.64 81.38 112.57
NCRPP 53.90 34.15 26.46*** 17.57 7.159 9.045 86.61 114.16
YPP(kg) 0.017 0.063 0.048*** 0.025 0.009 0.012 90.05 117.31
CL(cm) 0.884 1.405 1.238** 0.804 0.696 0.716 73.25 100.37
CG(cm) 30.194 23.123 20.98*** 11.725 5.295 6.464 85.50 111.01
CRL(cm) 1.665 1.022 0.681** 0.756 0.331 0.408 81.27 111.91
CRG(cm) 1.446 2.514 2.01ns 1.191 1.560 1.493 68.25 95.69
CW(kg) 0.0014 0.0075 0.0057*** 0.0009 0.0004 0.0005 95.35 108.73
CRW(gm.) 51.00 229.90 180.03*** 53..51 30.93 35.03 90.46 105.20
MD 112.50 129.63 107.34*** 142.52 18.71 41.22 91.09 190.22
DM (%) 51.27 128.54 106.42*** 21.07 11.11 12.92 93.59 107.1
DS (%) 288 93.49 65.354*** 12.06 5.26 6.49 95.81 112.02
CY(tha-1) 2.068 5.033 3.876*** 0.428 0.247 0.281 96.19 105.20
CRY(tha-1) 12.285 9.127 7.252*** 0.728 0.567 0.596 95.28 101.10
YLD(tha-1) 24.437 16.77 13.78*** 1.465 1.006 1.089 95.45 102.46 Key: *: significant at 0.05 probability level,**: highly significant at 0.01 probability level , ***: very highly significant at < 0.01 probability level, ns: non-significant, RCBD: randomized complete block design, R2: reliability of model DF: degree of freedom , GD: Germination Date, LNPP: Leaf Number Per Plant ; PH: Plant height(cm), PL: Petiole Length(cm), LL: Leaf Length (cm), LW: Leaf
Width (cm), LLWR: Leaf Length Width Ratio, NSPP: number of suckers per plant, SHL: Sheath length, SG: Stem Girth(cm), NCRPP: Number of cormel per plant, YPP: Yield per plant (kg), CL: Corm
length (cm), CG: Corm Girth (cm), CRL: Cormel Length (cm), CRG: Cormel Girth (cm), CW: Corm Width (cm), CRW: Cormel Width, MD: Maturity Date, DM: Dry Matter , DS: Disease severity (taro leaf blight), CY: Corm Yield (tha-1), CRY: Cormel Yield (tha-1), TYLD: Total Yield (tha-1)
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