Scientist Discovers Fungi Enhance Drought Tolerance in Yam
A female Soil Scientist, Nkiruka Odoh, has discovered the use of Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), a natural occurring soil organism to enhance drought tolerance of yams in the face of climate change.
Odoh, in her research findings, noted that Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi helps yam to absorb more water and nutrients from the soil.
The University of Abuja teacher noted that her research work assessed the contribution of moisture stress and AMF inoculation and their effects on drought tolerance of yam (D. rotundata).
She revealed that moisture stress imposed at tuber initiation stage significantly resulted in the reduction of the growth factors particularly fresh and dry tuber weight. Losses due to moisture stress at tuber initiation stage could be as high as 76.6% in dry tuber weight of D. rotundata. Mycorrhizae inoculation treatment significantly increased fresh tuber weight of D. rotundata by 33.3 percent and 37.7 percent dry weight was recorded.
According to Odoh, the research was carried out at the instance African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD), a career-development program for women agricultural scientists across sub-Saharan Africa.
The two-year fellowship is awarded annually to African Women in field of Agriculture through a highly competitive process.
In 2014, Odoh was among the 70 selected African agricultural women scientists out of 970 applications on a two-year fellowship awarded annually to African Women.
The fellowship is awarded to research with a major aim of improving the daily lives of smallholder farmers particularly women.
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