Tomato is an important vegetable crop and plays a major role in the food and nutrition security of the people of Mali. Production has increased in the recent decades but improvement in the fruit yield and quality remains suboptimal. Limited access to the best-adapted tomato varieties to the local conditions, pests and diseases are the major limiting factors for improving productivity. This study evaluated the performance of different tomato entries and varieties for their productivity, resistance to pests and diseases and postharvest fruit quality in Mali. Twenty-two entries and varieties of tomato in the rainy season and twenty-four in the dry season were evaluated. Varieties that were well adapted, better yielded, disease resistant and with good fruit quality were identified. Major plant diseases observed included tomato yellow leaf curve disease (TYLCD), bacterial wilt, bacterial leaf spot, early blight and southern blight. However, TYLCD was the major problem during the dry season. The variety of Icrixina was the most affected by TYLCD in both the rainy and dry seasons, although its total yield was not affected and remained one of the highest. Konica was one of the most susceptible varieties to bacterial wilt and bacterial leaf spot diseases. Tomato accession AVTO1710 provided the highest fruit yield (40.9 t/ha), while AVTO1704 provided the lowest (6.50 t/ha) in the rainy season. In contrast the highest yield during the dry growing season was 20 t/ha from VIO43614. Tomato entries and varieties varied in their postharvest fruit quality attributes (firmness, total soluble solid, pH and dry matter). Production season clearly influenced yield, disease occurrence and severity, as well as postharvest fruit qualities. The study identified better disease-resistant and yielding tomato entries suitable for rainy and dry growing seasons, which can be considered and scaled up for production so that farmers in Mali can produce tomato all year round.

Onion is one of the most economically and nutritionally important vegetable crops in West Africa. Onions are very important for consumers due to the antioxidants and compounds they contain that may reduce inflammation, lower triglycerides and reduce cholesterol levels, resulting in lower risks of heart disease and blood clots. However, high-yielding varieties that are accessible to farmers remain scarce. The objective of the present study was to identify adapted onion genotypes for sustainable production in Northern Ghana and Southern Mali. Nine onion lines, including a check variety, were assessed for yield stability using a randomized complete block design. The trials were carried out in “technology parks” under the joint management of farmers and researchers. Onion bulb weight was recorded for each plot after harvest. Separate analyses of variances were performed for each location and season. Analysis of variance of combined locations, seasons and lines was performed to determine the most stable varieties using the line-superiority measure and ecovalence stability coefficients. Results indicated that the lines AVON1310 and AVON1325 were most stable for yield performance over locations and seasons (Wi = 2.20 and 11.60, respectively; Pi = 1.32 and 6.56, respectively). From the genotype main effects and genotype-by-environment interaction biplots, the best performing lines were AVON1310 (33.32 t.h⁻¹), AVON1308 (28.81 t.h⁻¹) and AVON1325 (31.68 t.h⁻¹). The stability of these lines makes them potential candidates for commercial release in West Africa to contribute to sustainably intensifying onion production in the region.

Understanding the perception of sack gardening technology is important in order to better support the adoption of sack gardening in households, given the nutritional role vegetables play. This notwithstanding, research has not yet been carried out to understand the stakeholders’ perception of sack gardening technology in the zones of Bougouni and Koutiala, where sack gardening technology was introduced under the Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation (Africa-RISING) project. This study assessed the perception of farm households on sack gardening technology and specifically to understand to what extent this innovation responds to household needs. Q-methodology was used to identify rural household’s viewpoints and principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to compare stakeholders’ opinion typologies to discourses retained by Q-method results. Focus group discussions were used to identify the statements used for the q-set in the individual surveys. Our findings showed three factors or discourses which reflected the stakeholders’ viewpoints. A nutritional role, the role of making vegetables available for household consumption and the role of environment protection, specifically soil protection, were indicated in the stakeholders’ opinions. The understanding of the different discourses retained provides insights that can be used to design public and private interventions to support the usage of the technology in households or the adoption of this technology.

Onion is one of the most economically and nutritionally important vegetable crops in West Africa. However, high-yielding varieties that are accessible to farmers remain scarce. Onion lines from the World Vegetable Center’s Allium program were evaluated during the cool and dry season from September to March for three years to identify adapted onion lines suitable for sustainable intensi-fication of production systems in Northern Ghana and Southern Mali. Trials were implemented in the Upper East and Northern Regions of Ghana and in two districts in the Sudan savanna zones of Mali (Bougouni and Koutiala). Nine onion lines, including a check variety were assessed for yield stability using a randomized complete block design. The trials were carried out in “technology parks” under the joint management of farmers and researchers. Onion bulb weight was recorded for each plot after harvest. Separate analyses of variances were performed for each location and season. Analysis of variance of combined locations, seasons and lines was made to determine the most stable varieties using the line-superiority measure and ecovalence stability coefficients. Results indicated that lines AVON1310 and AVON1325 were most stable for yield performance over lo-cations and seasons. From the genotype main effects and genotype-by-environment interaction (GGE) biplot, the best performing lines were AVON1310 (33.32 t.h-1), AVON1308 (28.81 t.h-1) and AVON1325 (31.68 t.h-1). These lines are potential candidates for sustainable intensification of onion production in Ghana and Mali.