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  • 1
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    MDPI AG ; 2021
    In:  Social Sciences Vol. 10, No. 3 ( 2021-03-19), p. 105-
    In: Social Sciences, MDPI AG, Vol. 10, No. 3 ( 2021-03-19), p. 105-
    Abstract: Compared to their men counterparts, women do not rapidly climb up the leadership ladder due to a glass ceiling obstacle. This study aims to explore the inhibiting factors demotivating Africa women’s leadership pursuit in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). A qualitative approach was adopted using online open-ended questions to seek narratives from African women leaders on their roles and experiences of a STEM career. Data were collected using a non-probability, purposive sample of African women leaders in STEM in African research institutes and universities. Forty-two women in leadership positions in 12 African countries participated in the study, which was content analyzed, seeking patterns and themes to explore the narratives. A common thread exists in the tone and life experiences of the African women leaders in STEM. Scholarship, supportive organizational structure, commitment, hard work, and tenacity were all experienced as enablers of the career path process and their attained positions. The education level contributed to a strong leadership position. Women experience less acceptance than males in STEM leadership as the organizational culture still devalues women in leadership positions in several African countries. The study’s contribution, limitations, recommendations, and managerial implications are discussed, with suggestions for further research are made.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 2076-0760
    Language: English
    Publisher: MDPI AG
    Publication Date: 2021
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2663343-7
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  • 2
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    MDPI AG ; 2022
    In:  International Journal of Molecular Sciences Vol. 23, No. 16 ( 2022-08-20), p. 9422-
    In: International Journal of Molecular Sciences, MDPI AG, Vol. 23, No. 16 ( 2022-08-20), p. 9422-
    Abstract: The plant microbiome is involved in enhancing nutrient acquisition, plant growth, stress tolerance, and reducing chemical inputs. The identification of microbial functional diversity offers the chance to evaluate and engineer them for various agricultural processes. Using a shotgun metagenomics technique, this study examined the functional diversity and metabolic potentials of microbial communities in the rhizosphere of soybean genotype link 678. The dominant genera are Geobacter, Nitrobacter, Burkholderia, Candidatus, Bradyrhizobium and Streptomyces. Twenty-one functional categories were present, with fourteen of the functions being dominant in all samples. The dominant functions include carbohydrates, fatty acids, lipids and isoprenoids, amino acids and derivatives, sulfur metabolism, and nitrogen metabolism. A Kruskal–Wallis test was used to test samples’ diversity differences. There was a significant difference in the alpha diversity. ANOSIM was used to analyze the similarities of the samples and there were significant differences between the samples. Phosphorus had the highest contribution of 64.3% and was more prominent among the soil properties that influence the functional diversity of the samples. Given the functional groups reported in this study, soil characteristics impact the functional role of the rhizospheric microbiome of soybean.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 1422-0067
    Language: English
    Publisher: MDPI AG
    Publication Date: 2022
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2019364-6
    SSG: 12
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  • 3
    In: Applied Sciences, MDPI AG, Vol. 13, No. 6 ( 2023-03-15), p. 3731-
    Abstract: Maize (Zea mays L.) is the most significant grain crop in South Africa. Despite its importance, the cereal is ravaged by several foliar fungal pathogens, which reduce maize quality and quantity at harvest. Hence, this study investigates the fungi associated with foliar diseases of maize in Molelwane, North-West Province, South Africa. The fungi were isolated, characterized and subjected to in vitro nanoparticle control. Samples of diseased maize leaves were aseptically collected from two maize-growing farms. Fungi associated with the samples were isolated and characterized using standard procedures. Bi2S3 (metal-containing) and gC3N4 (non-metallic carbon-based) nanoparticles were synthesized and used to challenge the pathogens using standard procedures. Foliar fungal pathogens isolated from the diseased maize leaves in this study were characterized as Bipolaris zeicola, Phoma herbarum, Epicoccum nigrum, Alternaria alternata and Fusarium brachygibbosum. Phoma herbarium 〉 A. alternata 〉 B. zeicola 〉 F. brachygibbosum 〉 E. nigrum was the order of percentage fungal inhibition by the nanoparticles. Bi2S3 was more effective against the pathogens at lower concentrations and gC3N4 at higher concentration levels. The two nanoparticle types evaluated in vitro shows potential for managing the foliar fungal pathogens, and this needs to be further validated in field studies.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 2076-3417
    Language: English
    Publisher: MDPI AG
    Publication Date: 2023
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2704225-X
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  • 4
    In: Sustainability, MDPI AG, Vol. 14, No. 17 ( 2022-08-31), p. 10839-
    Abstract: Current strategies for increasing food production rely heavily on the use of agrichemicals to improve plant growth and resistance to disease. However, many of these chemicals have been shown to have negative impacts on human health and the environment. Nanotechnology presents itself as one of the promising technologies that can be employed to overcome these challenges, but, in the same way that agrichemicals can be harmful, so too can nanotechnology production lines cause harm. In an effort to produce nanoparticles (NPs) in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner, biological synthesis pathways using microbes and plants are being explored and developed. Synthesis of NPs using endophytic microbiomes is one of the biological approaches showing great potential, offering environmentally friendly alternatives to current production lines and adding value to agricultural systems. This review presents the current potential of NPs synthesized using endophytic microbiomes (primarily bacteria and fungi) to enhance plant growth and improve disease resistance, ultimately making agriculture more sustainable. The future focus on the exploration of this important technique is advocated.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 2071-1050
    Language: English
    Publisher: MDPI AG
    Publication Date: 2022
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2518383-7
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  • 5
    In: Microorganisms, MDPI AG, Vol. 11, No. 8 ( 2023-08-03), p. 2003-
    Abstract: Plant roots host numerous microorganisms around and inside their roots, forming a community known as the root microbiome. An increasing bulk of research is underlining the influences root-associated microbial communities can have on plant health and development. However, knowledge on how plant roots and their associated microbes interact to bring about crop growth and yield is limited. Here, we presented (i) the communication strategies between plant roots and root-associated microbes and (ii) the applications of plant root-associated microbes in enhancing plant growth and yield. This review has been divided into three main sections: communications between root microbiome and plant root; the mechanism employed by root-associated microbes; and the chemical communication mechanisms between plants and microbes and their application in plant growth and yield. Understanding how plant root and root-associated microbes communicate is vital in designing ecofriendly strategies for targeted disease suppression and improved plant growth that will help in sustainable agriculture. Ensuring that plants become healthy and productive entails keeping plants under surveillance around the roots to recognize disease-causing microbes and similarly exploit the services of beneficial microorganisms in nutrient acquisition, stress mitigation, and growth promotion.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 2076-2607
    Language: English
    Publisher: MDPI AG
    Publication Date: 2023
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2720891-6
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  • 6
    In: Horticulturae, MDPI AG, Vol. 9, No. 3 ( 2023-03-02), p. 332-
    Abstract: Cowpea is of great importance to people in most tropical countries of the world. It is the preeminent indigenous African legume and a frontline option for meeting the nutritional protein demands of people and livestock. The use of an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic fertilizers and agro-pesticides has, in recent times, become an attractive research theme. Therefore, bioprospecting for effective endophytic bacteria isolates as potential bioinoculants for enhancing cowpea productivity makes this research a priority. In this study, cowpea tissues were used to isolate and characterize endophytic bacterial strains through morpho-genotypic techniques and then assessed for their in vitro growth promotion, as well as their in planta growth potential in chamber experiments. In all, 33 endophytic bacterial strains were authenticated by sequencing the 16S rRNA and through further bioinformatics analysis. Also, plant-growth promoting (PGP) genes and seed germination percentage improvements were confirmed in the endophytic bacteria isolates. The research findings highlight that the bacterial strains are molecularly diverse and some of the authenticated endophytic bacteria isolates are potential bioinoculants that can be applied in further studies to improve the agronomic productivity of cowpea plant.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 2311-7524
    Language: English
    Publisher: MDPI AG
    Publication Date: 2023
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2813983-5
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  • 7
    In: Horticulturae, MDPI AG, Vol. 9, No. 6 ( 2023-06-02), p. 659-
    Abstract: Over the years, the practice of agriculture has transformed from the era of traditional to that of intensive agriculture in the bid to boost the production index that will satisfy the food needs of the globally growing population. However, the continuous and exaggerated use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has resulted in major adverse impacts on food and environmental safety, whereas most traditional techniques for reclamation of natural soil nutrients, including shifting cultivation and polyculture, are no longer attractive measures of land rejuvenation. There is, therefore, the need for urgent evaluation and adoption of innovative methods of replenishing the agricultural soils that conform to the current agricultural systems without exerting undesirable effects on the ecosystem. In this review, we elucidated the use of key bioresources, such as organic fertilizers, biofertilizers, and biopesticides, as alternatives to chemical-based products in attaining a safe and sustainable agricultural system. Bioresources are naturally available, safe, and easily accessible products. The potential of these biological products in fostering soil microbial growth, plants’ productivity, and induced host immunity to diseases, alongside the promotion of healthy soil–microbe–plant relationships and preservation of the ecosystem processes without disruption, are aspects that were also explored. Therefore, the productive use of bioresources is considered strategic as it pertains to attaining safe and sustainable food production.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 2311-7524
    Language: English
    Publisher: MDPI AG
    Publication Date: 2023
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2813983-5
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  • 8
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    MDPI AG ; 2022
    In:  Agronomy Vol. 12, No. 8 ( 2022-08-08), p. 1867-
    In: Agronomy, MDPI AG, Vol. 12, No. 8 ( 2022-08-08), p. 1867-
    Abstract: Endophytes are well-known for their symbiotic interaction with plants and their ability to promote plant growth by producing various metabolites. The most well-studied endophytes are bacteria and fungi. For generations, viruses were misnamed, and their symbiotic associations were ambiguous. Recent advances in omics techniques, particularly next-generation sequencing, have given rise to novel developments in the mutualistic relationships that exist between plants and viruses. Endogenous viruses have received a lot of attention in the animal world, but limited information exists on their functions and importance to plants. Therefore, endophytic viral populations inhabiting the root of a maize plant were assessed in this study for the first time using shotgun metagenomics. Complete DNA was extracted and sequenced using shotgun metagenomics from the maize roots in farming sites where organic fertilization (FZ), inorganic fertilization (CZ), and maize planted with no fertilization (NZ) are being practised in an experimental field. Our results identified 2 orders namely: Caudovirales (67.5%) and Herpesvirales (28.5%) which dominated the FZ site, although they do not show any significant difference (p 〉 0.05) across the sites. At the class level Microviridae, Phycodnaviridae, Podoviridae, Phycodnaviridae, and Poxviridae dominated the FZ site. Myoviridae and Podoviridae were more abundant in the CZ site, while only Siphoviridae predominated the inorganic fertiliser site (NZ). Diversity analysis revealed that viral populations were more abundant in organic fertilization (FZ). Taken together, this research adds to our understanding of the symbiotic integration of endophytic viruses with maize plants and that their abundance is affected by farming practices. In addition, their potential can be exploited to solve a variety of agronomic issues.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 2073-4395
    Language: English
    Publisher: MDPI AG
    Publication Date: 2022
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2607043-1
    SSG: 23
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  • 9
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    MDPI AG ; 2021
    In:  Agriculture Vol. 11, No. 2 ( 2021-02-17), p. 163-
    In: Agriculture, MDPI AG, Vol. 11, No. 2 ( 2021-02-17), p. 163-
    Abstract: The world’s human population continues to increase, posing a significant challenge in ensuring food security, as soil nutrients and fertility are limited and decreasing with time. Thus, there is a need to increase agricultural productivity to meet the food demands of the growing population. A high level of dependence on chemical fertilizers as a means of increasing food production has damaged the ecological balance and human health and is becoming too expensive for many farmers to afford. The exploitation of beneficial soil microorganisms as a substitute for chemical fertilizers in the production of food is one potential solution to this conundrum. Microorganisms, such as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria and mycorrhizal fungi, have demonstrated their ability in the formulation of biofertilizers in the agricultural sector, providing plants with nutrients required to enhance their growth, increase yield, manage abiotic and biotic stress, and prevent phytopathogens attack. Recently, beneficial soil microbes have been reported to produce some volatile organic compounds, which are beneficial to plants, and the amendment of these microbes with locally available organic materials and nanoparticles is currently used to formulate biofertilizers to increase plant productivity. This review focuses on the important role performed by beneficial soil microorganisms as a cost-effective, nontoxic, and eco-friendly approach in the management of the rhizosphere to promote plant growth and yield.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 2077-0472
    Language: English
    Publisher: MDPI AG
    Publication Date: 2021
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2651678-0
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  • 10
    In: Plants, MDPI AG, Vol. 12, No. 3 ( 2023-02-01), p. 637-
    Abstract: Botrytis cinerea is the causal agent of grey mould and one of the most important plant pathogens in the world because of the damage it causes to fruits and vegetables. Although the application of botrycides is one of the most common plant protection strategies used in the world, the application of plant-beneficial bacteria might replace botrycides facilitating agroecological production practices. Based on this, we reviewed the different stages of B. cinerea infection in plants and the biocontrol mechanisms exerted by plant-beneficial bacteria, including the well-known plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB). Some PGPB mechanisms to control grey mould disease include antibiosis, space occupation, nutrient uptake, ethylene modulation, and the induction of plant defence mechanisms. In addition, recent studies on the action of anti-Botrytis compounds produced by PGPB and how they damage the conidial and mycelial structures of the pathogen are reviewed. Likewise, the advantages of individual inoculations of PGPB versus those that require the joint action of antagonist agents (microbial consortia) are discussed. Finally, it should be emphasised that PGPB are an excellent option to prevent grey mould in different crops and their use should be expanded for environmentally friendly agricultural practices.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 2223-7747
    Language: English
    Publisher: MDPI AG
    Publication Date: 2023
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2704341-1
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