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Mung bean is a pulse crop principally grown in the tropic and subtropic parts of the world for its nutrient-rich seeds. Seven mung beans accessions from Eastern Kenya were evaluated using thirteen phenotypic traits. In addition, 10 SSR markers were used to determine their genetic diversity and population structure. This aimed at enhancing germplasm utilization for subsequent mung bean breeding programs. Analysis of variance for most of the phenology traits showed significant variation, with the yield traits recording the highest. The first three principal components (PC) explained 83.4% of the overall phenotypic variation, with the highest (PC1) being due to variation of majority of the traits studied such as pod length, plant height, and seeds per pod. The dendogram revealed that the improved genotypes had common ancestry with the local landraces. The seven mung beans were also genotyped using 10 microsatellite markers, eight of which showed clear and consistent amplification profiles with scorable polymorphisms in all the studied genotypes. Genetic diversity, allele number, and polymorphic information content (PIC) were determined using powermarker (version 3.25) and phylogenetic tree constructed using DARWIN version 6.0.12. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) was calculated using GenALEx version 6.5. A total of 23 alleles were detected from the seven genotypes on all the chromosomes studied with an average of 2.875 across the loci. The PIC values ranged from 0.1224 (CEDG056) to 0.5918 (CEDG092) with a mean of 0.3724. Among the markers, CEDG092 was highly informative while the rest were reasonably informative except CEDG056, which was less informative. Gene diversity ranged from 0.1836 (CEDG050) to 0.5102 (CDED088) with an average of 0.3534. The Jaccards dissimilarity matrix indicated that genotypes VC614850 and N26 had the highest level of dissimilarity while VC637245 and N26 had lowest dissimilarity index. The phylogenetic tree grouped the genotypes into three clusters as revealed by population structure analysis (K = 3), with cluster III having one unique genotype (VC6137B) only. AMOVA indicated that the highest variation (99%) was between individual genotype. In addition, marker traits association analysis revealed 18 significant associations (P < 0.05). These findings indicate sufficient variation among the studied genotypes that can be considered for germplasm breeding programs.

Mung bean is a pulse crop principally grown in the tropic and subtropic parts of the world for its nutrient-rich seeds. Seven mung beans accessions from Eastern Kenya were evaluated using thirteen phenotypic traits. In addition, 10 SSR markers were used to determine their genetic diversity and population structure. This aimed at enhancing germplasm utilization for subsequent mung bean breeding programs. Analysis of variance for most of the phenology traits showed significant variation, with the yield traits recording the highest. The first three principal components (PC) explained 83.4% of the overall phenotypic variation, with the highest (PC1) being due to variation of majority of the traits studied such as pod length, plant height, and seeds per pod. The dendogram revealed that the improved genotypes had common ancestry with the local landraces. The seven mung beans were also genotyped using 10 microsatellite markers, eight of which showed clear and consistent amplification profiles with scorable polymorphisms in all the studied genotypes. Genetic diversity, allele number, and polymorphic information content (PIC) were determined using powermarker (version 3.25) and phylogenetic tree constructed using DARWIN version 6.0.12. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) was calculated using GenALEx version 6.5. A total of 23 alleles were detected from the seven genotypes on all the chromosomes studied with an average of 2.875 across the loci. The PIC values ranged from 0.1224 (CEDG056) to 0.5918 (CEDG092) with a mean of 0.3724. Among the markers, CEDG092 was highly informative while the rest were reasonably informative except CEDG056, which was less informative. Gene diversity ranged from 0.1836 (CEDG050) to 0.5102 (CDED088) with an average of 0.3534. The Jaccards dissimilarity matrix indicated that genotypes VC614850 and N26 had the highest level of dissimilarity while VC637245 and N26 had lowest dissimilarity index. The phylogenetic tree grouped the genotypes into three clusters as revealed by population structure analysis (K = 3), with cluster III having one unique genotype (VC6137B) only. AMOVA indicated that the highest variation (99%) was between individual genotype. In addition, marker traits association analysis revealed 18 significant associations (P < 0.05). These findings indicate sufficient variation among the studied genotypes that can be considered for germplasm breeding programs.

Banana Xanthomonas wilt (BXW) caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum (Xcm) is a severe bacterial disease devastating banana production in East and Central Africa, where banana is cultivated as a staple crop. Classical breeding of banana is challenging because the crop is clonally propagated and has limited genetic diversity. Thus, genetic engineering serves as a viable alternative for banana improvement. Several studies have shown that interfamily transfer of the elongation factor Tu receptor gene (AtEFR) from Arabidopsis thaliana to other plant families can increase broad-spectrum resistance against bacterial diseases. In this study, transgenic events of banana cultivar dwarf Cavendish expressing the AtEFR gene were generated and evaluated for resistance against Xcm under greenhouse conditions. The transgenic banana events were responsive to the EF-Tu-derived elf18 peptide and exhibited enhanced resistance to BXW disease compared to non-transgenic control plants. This study suggests that the functionality of AtEFR is retained in banana with the potential of enhancing resistance to BXW disease under field conditions.

Finger millet is one of the most important cereals that are often grown in semiarid and arid regions of East Africa. However, salinity is known to be a major impediment for the crop growth and production. The goal of this study was to understand the mechanisms of physiological and biochemical responses to salinity stress of six Kenyan finger millet varieties (GBK043137, GBK043128, GBK043124, GBK043122, GBK043094, and GBK043050) grown across different agroecological zones under NaCl-induced salinity stress. Seeds were germinated on the sterile soil and treated using various concentrations of NaCl (100, 200 and 300 mM) for two weeks. Again, the early seedling stage of germinated plants was irrigated with the same salt concentrations for 60 days. Results indicated depression in germination percentage, shoot and root growth rate, leaf relative water content, total chlorophyll content contents, leaf K ion concentration, and leaf K/Na ratios in all varieties studied with increased salt levels. On the contrary, it was observed that proline and malonaldehyde (MDA) contents reduced sugar content and leaf total proteins. At the same time, the leaf Na ion and Cl ion amounts of all plants increased substantially with rising stress levels. Clustering analysis revealed that GBK043094 and GBK043137 were placed together and identified as salt tolerant varieties based on their performance under salt stress. Overall, our findings indicated a significant varietal variability for most of the parameters analysed. These superior varieties identified could be potentially used as promising genetic resources in future breeding programmes development directed towards salt-tolerant finger millet hybrids. However, further analysis at genomic and molecular level need to be undertaken in order to better understand specific mechanisms of the factors that promote salinity tolerance in finger millet. Footnotes * The authors did some additional analysis and rewrote the manuscript. There is, therefore, some inconsistency of the deposited preprint and the new manuscript. The new manuscript corrects all these inconsistencies.

We describe the characterization of an African swine fever genotype IX virus (ASFV-Kenya-IX-1033), which was isolated from a domestic pig in western Kenya during a reported outbreak. This includes the efficiency of virus replication and in vivo virulence, together with genome stability and virulence, following passage in blood macrophages and in a wild boar lung cell line (WSL). The ASFV-Kenya-IX-1033 stock retained its ability to replicate in primary macrophages and retained virulence in vivo, following more than 20 passages in a WSL. At the whole genome level, a few single-nucleotide differences were observed between the macrophage and WSL-propagated viruses. Thus, we propose that the WSL is suitable for the production of live-attenuated ASFV vaccine candidates based on the modification of this wild-type isolate. The genome sequences for ASFV-Kenya-IX-1033 propagated in macrophages and in WSL cells were submitted to GenBank, and a challenge model based on the isolate was developed. This will aid the development of vaccines against the genotype IX ASFV circulating in eastern and central Africa.

In this study, we describe an African swine fever genotype IX virus (ASFV-Kenya-1033-IX), which was isolated from a domestic pig in Western Kenya during a reported outbreak, including efficiency of virus replication, in vivo virulence, and genome stability in pulmonary alveolar macrophages (PAM) and in a wild boar cell line (WSL). The ASFV-Kenya-1033-IX stock, which underwent multiple passages in WSL (more than 20), retained its ability to replicate in primary macrophages and it also retained the virulence in vivo. At the genomic level, only a few single nucleotide differences were observed between the macrophage and WSL-grown virus. Thus, we propose that the WSL cell line is suitable to produce live attenuated ASFV vaccine candidates based on this isolate and probably of similar viruses. The genome sequences for ASFV-Kenya-1033-IX grown in macrophages and in WSL cells was submitted to GenBank and a challenge model based on this isolate was set up, which will aid the development of vaccines against genotype IX ASFV circulating in Eastern and Central Africa. Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.