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The importance of Guizotia abyssinica (niger) for sustainable food security in Ethiopia

  • Notes on Neglected and Underutilized Crops
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Abstract

Niger (noug; Guizotia abyssinica) is an economically important edible oilseed crop. This review sought to demonstrate the significance of niger for sustainable food security in Ethiopia, where it is produced exclusively by smallholders. In addition to its edible oil, niger seed is an important source of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and fiber that significantly contribute to the human diet. The crop has a wide genetic basis that is reflected in the form of a high variation in desirable traits, including seed yield, seed oil content, seed oil quality and photoperiod sensitivity. However, the wealth of niger genetic diversity has so far remained largely unexploited and research efforts have not yet yielded satisfactory results in the form of new and superior cultivars. The recent molecular and nutritional quality studies coupled with pre-breeding work have opened up new opportunities for the improvement of niger. A high yielding niger cultivars with oil content of up to 60 % and/or oleic acid content of up to 70 % can easily be bred based on Ethiopian niger gene pool through the combined use of novel genomic tools, traditional breeding and farmer-participatory approaches. The improvement of niger will have a significant contribution towards Ethiopia’s food security and sustainable development in general and self-sufficiency in edible oil in particular. Overall, an investment in the niger improvement programs will likely be of benefit far beyond Ethiopia’s borders and could potentially lead to the expansion of the crop outside the regions where it is currently grown.

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Acknowledgments

The research work on niger at Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) has been financed by the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), the Nilsson-Ehle Foundation, the Einar and Inga Nilsson fund, and Strategic Grants from the LTJ Faculty, SLU (SS) to which the authors of this review are highly grateful.

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  1. Department of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P. O. Box 101, 230 53, Alnarp, Sweden

    Mulatu Geleta & Rodomiro Ortiz

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  1. Mulatu Geleta
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  2. Rodomiro Ortiz
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Correspondence to Mulatu Geleta.

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Geleta, M., Ortiz, R. The importance of Guizotia abyssinica (niger) for sustainable food security in Ethiopia. Genet Resour Crop Evol 60, 1763–1770 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-013-9997-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-013-9997-9

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