My profile Bio data - MoBreed · My profile Frist name: Tilahun Wondimu Family name: Fufa Gender: Male Email [email protected] Telephone: +234(0)8102851238 Bio data I was born

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)