Sorghum is an important staple crop in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the Sudano-Sahelian zone of West Africa, sorghum is mainly intercropped with cowpea, but these intercropping systems are facing low-productivity problems. The overall aim of this research was to identify sorghum varieties with different agro-morphological and physiological traits that could improve the performance of the intercropping systems. We followed a two-step methodology comprising (i) identification of varieties and plant traits of interest in intercropping systems, using participatory methods, and (ii) agro-morpho-physiological characterization of 50 sorghum varieties, to examine the range of variation in traits of interest. The results show that landraces are the varieties most widely used by farmers, and that 82.5% of farmers consider the variety type they choose for intercropping to be important. Farmers mentioned plant height, number of leaves and stem diameter as important traits to consider. Analysis of variance showed significant differences between varieties for half of the 24 agro-morpho-physiological traits studied. Hierarchical clustering identified three main groups of varieties, distinguished by morphological traits such as stem diameter, total number and size of leaves (group 1), root traits (depth, growth angle, dry matter) and relative chlorophyll content (groups 2 and 3). Based on this classification, we recommend several varieties from each of the three groups, exhibiting contrasting traits, for an assessment of their performances in intercropping systems.

The objective was to establish a multivariate model using two complementary multivariate statistical techniques, factor analysis and multiple stepwise regression to predict carcase characteristics, carcase cuts, internal fat, viscera and loin eye area from body measurements of goats Boer mestizos. Thirty-two goats were used, with initial average weights of 3.3 ± 0.61 kg and final average weights of 16 ± 2.5 kg. Before slaughter and after 16 h of fasting, body weight was measured along with the biometric measurements (BMs) of each animal: body length, withers height, croup height, chest width, croup width, croup perimeter, thoracic perimeter, leg length and thigh circumference. The half carcases were sectioned in six anatomical regions that made up the commercial cuts: neck, palette, rib, handsaw, loin and ham. BMs showed a high correlation with a few exceptions; most of the correlations are above 50%. What also happens with the Carcass weight and cuts were also correlated above 50% with BMs. The data presented an index for the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin test of 0.80, demonstrating the adequacy of the factor analysis. Through factor analysis, it was possible to observe that the first two factors extracted accumulated 75.47% of the total variance of the studied characteristics. Moderate to high and positive correlations of morphological characteristics with body weight, carcase characteristics and primary carcase cuts suggested the adequacy of morphological characteristics as criteria for early selection of crossbred Boer goats for their body weight and carcase characteristics without slaughter.

To reveal the kinematical aspects of schooling development in the Pacific bluefin tuna Thunnus orientalis, changes in its schooling behaviour traits, local behaviour transmission among school members and morphological traits were investigated as fish developed from the larval to the juvenile stage. Schooling was first observed at around 24 days post-hatching (27 mm body length) in T. orientalis. Behaviour transmission among individuals took much longer among 24 d post-hatching individuals than among older fish. The compactness and polarity of the school progressively improved as the time required for behaviour transmission decreased. One cause of the reduction in the time required for behaviour transmission was the development of manoeuvrability, which resulted from further morphological development of the caudal fin and other organs related to swimming.