In planta seed transformation of Kenyan cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata) with P5CS gene via Agrobacterium tumefaciens.
July 2016
Cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata) are important grain legumes grown by resource poor farmers across Sub-Saharan Africa. In Kenya, cowpeas continue to produce low yields due to erratic rainfall caused by the current climate change. This study sought to enhance drought tolerance in Kenyan cowpeas through transformation by Agrobacterium tumefaciens using L-Pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthase (P5CS) gene. Cowpea variety K80 was...
Effect of rootstock type and scion cultivar on apple leaf total nitrogen in Chencha, GamoGofa zone, Southern Ethiopia
June 2016
This study was conducted to evaluate the interaction between rootstock type and scion cultivar on total nitrogen (N) concentration in the leaf of grafted apple scion at Chencha district of GamoGofa zone, Toloa site. For this purpose rootstocks MM.104, MM.111, MM.106, and M.26 were planted in a completely randomized design with three replications under naturally acidic soil (pH 4.8) condition. After two months of growth...
Anti-insect potential of a lectin from the tuber, Dioscorea mangenotiana towards Eldana saccharina (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)
May 2016
A lectin was purified from the tuber, Dioscorea mangenotiana in this study. The lectin agglutinated erythrocytes from human and rabbit, and the activity was inhibited by glucose and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 50 and 25 mM, respectively. The lectin was composed of two isoforms, DML I and DML II. The apparent native molecular mass of DML I was estimated at 51 kDa and the...
Immobilization and association of microorganisms to improve fermentation performance for ethanol production
March 2016
Alcohol production in industry is carried out almost exclusively by means of batch or continuous fermentation processes. In both cases, cells are found spread throughout the fermenting substrate and have to go through a centrifugation cycle in order to be recovered. Investment in equipment is very high and performance is often lower than expected. According to available information, ethanol fermentation performance...
Contemporary prosopis dilemma: Perception of inhabitants of Sabian Kebele (Goro) towards invasive tree Prosopis juliflora, Eastern Ethiopia
February 2016
The study was conducted in Sabian Kebele specifically Goro locality of Dire Dawa administration, Eastern Ethiopia. The study was aimed at assessing the perception of inhabitants of Sabian Kebele (Goro) towards the exceedingly invasive Prosopis juliflora species. The surveys were conducted between October 2014 and February 2015. The study population was selected based on their settling in P. juliflora infested locality...
Effect of soil variation on quality of shea butter in selected areas of the northern region of Ghana
July 2015
Soil variation and its effect on the physical and chemical properties of shea butter, a product from the nut of the shea tree, were investigated in four districts of the northern region of Ghana. Thirty-six samples of freshly extracted shea butter together with 36 soil samples were collected and stored at 25°C for analysis. Clinical analysis of soil properties and the clinical analysis of the physical and chemical...
Innovation barriers and drivers in Sub-sahara African economies (1976-2012): A cointegration analysis
June 2015
The study relied on secondary data accessed from World Bank data base spanning over 37 years (1976-2012). Data obtained were analyzed using canonical cointegration regression (CCR) method. It was found that poor education (secondary school enrollment) was exerting negative influence on innovation levels in SSA (p<0.05) in the long-run. Credit to the private sector as well as value of official aids received, labour...
Comparative effects of organic and inorganic soil amendments on the growth of cashew nut (Anacardium occidentale l.) seedlings
June 2015
This experiment was established to investigate the comparative effect of organic and inorganic soil amendments on the growth of cashew seedlings. Cashew nuts were planted in potting medium filled with well drained loamy soil and placed in a screenhouse. Cashew seeds with 8 to 9 g weight were selected and viability test was carried out using Tetrazolium test (TZ) viability test to ascertain how viable the seeds were...
Comparative advantages of using modern technology for teaching-learning process in agricultural sciences in Jigjiga University, Ethiopia
May 2015
Modern technology is the backbone approach for teaching technology education. It continues to be increasingly adopted and used by higher institutions in Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to identify the comparative advantages of using modern technology in improve teaching-learning process in agricultural sciences in Jigjiga University. This study was conducted with the sample of 4 departments, and a total of 16...
Institutional determinants of farmer participation in irrigation development post “fast-track†land reform program in Zimbabwe
April 2015
Access to reliable irrigation enables farmers to adopt new technologies and intensify agricultural, water and land productivity. The Fast Track Land Reform Programme (FTLRP) of 2000 in Zimbabwe ushered in new, unskilled cadres in the irrigation sector, drastically reducing the area under irrigation from approximately 200,000 ha developed for irrigation to around 120,000 ha. This trend could be explained by lack of...
Effect of fermentation on proximate composition, physicochemical and microbial characteristics of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) and Acha (Digitaria exilis (Kippist) Stapf) flour blends
March 2015
The objective of this study was to determine the effect of spontaneous fermentation on proximate composition, physicochemical and microbial characteristics of sprouted millet-acha blends with the aim of producing fermented flour blends for traditional beverage. Pearl millet and acha grains were sprouted, milled and blended into different ratios. The blends were mixed with water, fermented for 72 h and dried in an...
Survey on honey production system, challenges and Opportunities in selected areas of Hadya Zone, Ethiopia
October 2014
The study was carried out in Hadiya zone to asses honey production systems, challenges and opportunities in the study area. A total of 196 farmers were selected randomly and interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. The result shows most (90.7%) of the beekeepers in the study area have owned only traditional beehives. The average honey yield from traditional, transitional and frame hive was 3.04 ±0.92,...
Innovation dynamics in cassava production systems in Uganda
September 2014
Traditional knowledge has made appreciable contributions to people’s sustenance and livelihoods. Its contribution to science and technology is however not recorded, codified, stored or systematized to spur knowledge sharing and science and technology development. It continues to be ordinary, couched and associated with low prestige rural life. An innovation systems framework was used to study the dynamics and...
Characterization of wild genotypes of Aroeira: Subsidy for plant breeding
July 2014
The selection of genetically superior materials of different forest species with economic potential involves studies of germplasm characterization. Facing the exploitation of aroeira (Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi.) in areas of natural occurrence the genetic and chemical characterization of individuals is extremely important to suit the selection. The work was carried out to identify genetic and chemical differences in...
Production, consumption and nutritional value of cassava (Manihot esculenta, Crantz) in Mozambique: An overview
July 2014
Both soils and climate in Mozambique suit cassava cultivation and nine million tons fresh weight is produced annually, with a consumption of 85 kg per person per year. The roots are a staple carbohydrate and cooked leaves are served as a vegetable. Cassava is essential to food security, as it is a subsistence crop. Roots and leaves contain vitamin C and some minerals but are deficient in proteins and amino-acids....
Agrobacterium mediated transfer of nptII and gus genes in Camellia assamica
May 2014
The present work is an attempt to develop transgenic hairy root system in Camellia assamica, using leaves infected by Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain LBA9402, harboring binary vector (pART27 and pBI121) carrying β-glucuronidase (gus) as reporter gene and neomycin phosphotransferase (nptII) as selection marker. The transformed hairy roots were grown in phytohormone free MS media in the presence of kanamycin 50...
Role of Dirhinus giffardii Silv. age on the parasitism preference to different days old pupae of Bactrocera zonata and Bactrocera cucurbitae
April 2014
Apprehensions are mounting about the effects of pesticides on human and environment. Therefore, interest is being revived to use biological control, which is recognized as an important component of sustainable pest management. Dirhinus giffardii has been effectively used as pupal parasitoid for the management of fruit flies. Experiments were conducted to determine the suitable host age for rearing of the pupal...
White rot (Sclerotium cepivorum Berk) - an aggressive pest of onion and garlic in Ethiopia: An overview
April 2014
Allium crops are the most indispensable vegetable crops used as condiments in most Ethiopian cuisine. Among them, onion (Allium cepa L.) and garlic (Allium sativum L.) rightly called as “queen of kitchen”, belong to the family Alliaceae and considered as one of the most important vegetable and spice crops produced on large scale in Ethiopia, cultivated during dry and rainy seasons. The global pest, white...
Plasmid profile of bacterial isolates from fertilizer amended tropical agro soils
April 2014
This study assessed the profile of plasmids in the culturable heterotrophic bacterial isolates from organic swine waste (SW) and inorganic (NPK) fertilizer amended tropical soils of the Niger Delta region in Nigeria. Plasmid DNA was extracted and analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis. Plasmid analysis of 70 fertilizer utilizing bacterial isolates revealed the presence of plasmids with molecular weights ranging from...
Handling, processing and utilization of milk and milk products in Ezha district of the Gurage zone, Southern Ethiopia
December 2013
A survey study was conducted in Ezha district of Gurage zone to understand the hygienic practices during production and further handling of milk and milk products; and their utilization. One hundred and twenty households were selected based on ownership of dairy cows, milk processing practice and willingness to participate in the study from two agro-ecologies (Dega and Woyna Dega) within the district. None of the...
Effect of locust bean fruit pulp (parkia biglobosa) flour on the quality of wheat biscuits
December 2013
Composite biscuits were produced from blends of wheat flour and African locust bean fruit pulp flour. The wheat/locust bean fruit pulp flours were mixed in the ratio of 100:0, 90:10, 85:15, 80:20 and 70:30%, respectively. The physical characteristics of the biscuits ranged in value, with diameter from 6.10 to 6.35cm, height from 1.08 to 1.20 cm, weight from 15.20 to 16.40 g, spread ratio from 4.90 to 5.88 and break...
Determination of some agronomic characters in different age groups of traditional rice cultivars in Sri Lanka under fertilized and non-fertilized conditions
September 2013
Yields of traditional rice cultivars are typically low. The objective of this study was to understand the yield and agronomically important phenotypic traits of some traditional rice cultivars with different days to maturity at fertilized conditions. A field experiment was done at Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna, Mapalana, Kamburupitiya, Sri Lanka during Maha 2011 to 2012...
Crop-machinery management system for field operations and farm machinery selection
September 2013
The main objective of this study is to develop a computer system for farm management and selection of required farm machinery to perform field operations in time for crops grown in rotations. Excel and Visual basic software were used to develop the program. The input data included 4 crops (sorghum, sesame, sunflower and cotton), 3 field operations (seedbed preparation, seeding, and weeding operations) and 3...
Biochemical and microbiological analysis of shea nut cake: A waste product from shea butter processing
July 2013
In the quest for finding ways of utilizing shea nut cake (SNC), 24 samples of SNC were obtained from six industries to investigate the presence of microbes, minerals, proximate and phytochemical constituents. The samples were examined for total coliforms, total viable, faecal and Escherichia coli contamination. Other microbes were isolated and identified with the aid of the API kit. The SNC samples...
Technological model for improving the management and yield of rainfed maize in Cohetzala-puebla-Mexico
July 2013
This work presents a methodology for executing a technological intervention model that improves the management of maize and its yield per hectare. In order to meet the aforesaid goals, 60 maize growers were surveyed; the use of exotechnologies and endotechnologies was assessed through the calculation of the modern technology appropriation index (IATM, by its acronym in Spanish) and the rural technologies use...
Influence of canopy structure on yield of cassava cultivars at various toposequences of an inland valley agro ecosystem
May 2013
A two-year trial to evaluate differences in canopy parameters in relation to productivity of cassava was conducted in inland valley ecology in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. Canopy parameters differed between sites, toposequence positions and years due to large differences in water table depth and weather conditions. Leaf number, leaf formation rate, leaf area index, canopy area and stay green ability...
Factors determining farmers’ participation in Striga resistant maize variety (SAMMAZ 11) production in Ushongo Local Government area of Benue State, Nigeria
May 2013
Parasitic weed called Striga hemonthica has been found to be a serious problem in Ushongo Local Government Area. It was in the light of this that farmer-led approach was employed to create awareness to farmers on the available improved technology in Striga control. A demonstration plot was designed whereStriga resistant maize variety (SAMMAZ 11) was grown. One hundred and twenty...
Correlation of stipe length, pileus width and stipe girth of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) grown in different farm substrates
May 2013
A study was performed to correlate the stipe length, pileus width and stipe girth of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) grown in different farm substrates. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design with eight treatments and four replications. The farm substrates (treatments) were composed of mixtures of different types of agricultural wastes with lime and water as additives to each...
Integration of social, ecological, political and technological issues into economic development programs: Key to sustainable development of human society
February 2013
We need to plan for ‘Development without Destruction’ and manage our environment based on the ethical principle of social equality, economic prosperity with ecological security to achieve the goals of sustainable development. Environmental management and economic development programs should go hand in hand for achieving sustainability in global human society. Changes in the way we develop our...
Endosulfan: A potential genotoxicant on Allium cepa root tip cells
February 2013
The present study reports the potential genotoxic effects of a widely used insecticide, endosulfan (Endoin 35% EC), on root tip cells of onion (Allium cepa L.). Treatment of onion root tips at a concentration of 0.156 μg/L of endosulfan showed highest fluctuation of mitotic depression at various durations (0.38 to -181%) of exposure. The mitotic index decreased with the increase in the concentrations...
The effects of Cassia alata L. aqueous leaf extract on the germination of Corchorus olitorius
January 2013
The effect of different concentrations of Cassia alata crude aqueous leaf extract on the germination ofCorchorus olitorius was investigated. All concentrations of C. alata aqueous leaf extract (10, 30, 50, 75 and 100% C) used in this study caused significant (P < 0.05) decrease in the total percentage and germination rate of C. olitorius. Similarly, all concentrations of...
Genetic estimates and trend analysis of some growth parameters of cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) as influenced by nine nutrient combinations
January 2013
Good seedling establishment has a positive impact on the productive capacity of tree crops. This study investigated the optimum combination of phosphorus and organic fertilizer (OF) for the growth of cashew seedling at the pre-flowering stage. Two cashew accessions of the same nut size category from two geographical sources (Ochaja and Oro, Kogi State of Nigeria) were evaluated to assess their responses to...
Framework for sustainable development education and lessons learned
November 2012
Today, educators face a compelling responsibility to serve society by fostering the transformations needed to set the path to sustainable development. The time has come to ensure that the concepts of education for sustainability - in the broadest sense - are discussed and woven into a framework upon which current and future educational policy is based. Understanding the principles of sustainability...
Household food security in a coastal rural community of South Africa: Status, causes and coping strategies
November 2012
Food insecurity is a challenge in rural South Africa. This paper employed descriptive statistics, household food accessibility index, and ordinal regression analysis on a sample of 159 randomly selected households to model the risk of inadequate access to food among households in a coastal-rural community of Hamburg, in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Data was collected using household...
A comparative analysis of yield performance of maize (Zea mays L.) under different tillage methods in Musana communal area, Zimbabwe
July 2012
In order to reduce the negative effects of conventional tillage there is need to develop or adopt alternative tillage systems. A comparative study on the effects of three tillage methods on the yield performance of a maize cultivar SC633 was conducted in Musiiwa ward of Musana Communal Area, Mashonaland Central Province in Zimbabwe. The experiment was conducted on existing farmers’ fields. A randomized...
Comparative evaluation of rice and sunhemp root inhabiting Pseudomonas fluorescens for optimized glucanase production
July 2012
Exploitation of rhizosphere inhabiting Pseudomonas fluorescens for useful products like industrial enzymes remains largely less explored. Glucanase enzyme produced by P. fluorescens has wide range of application in food, textile and brewing industry, other than their antifungal activity for agricultural use. In our study, native isolates of P. fluorescens from rice and sunhemp...
The Qur’anic sustainable remedy to the global food crisis: Nigeria as a case study
June 2012
Agriculturalists, economists and experts from different fields of studies have raised alarm on food crisis. All of the theories propounded did not proffer a sustainable remedy to the invisible catastrophe. Therefore, views of the experts of various fields in both advanced and developing countries were examined. It was discovered that a feasible alternative to sustainable remedy to the global crisis not yet...
Effectiveness of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in protection of maize (Zea mays L.) against witchweed (Striga hermonthica Del Benth) infestation
June 2012
Striga hermonthica is one of the most important obligate root hemiparasitic weeds of cereals such as maize and sorghum. This study investigated the impact of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on theStriga-maize host interaction and its potential application in management of Striga infestation. Two maize varieties: Striga-susceptible Nyamilambo and Striga-tolerant KSTP94; three...
The role of microtubules in the growth of pollen tube tip
May 2012
Pollen grains were sown on agar germination media containing increasing concentrations of the following disruptors, oryzalin and colchicines. Germination tube length was examined and results were evaluated. Treatment with oryzalin caused a slight but significant reduction in pollen germination while colchicines did not affect germination. All the microtubules (MTs) disruptors caused a decline in pollen tube...
Performance of catfish (Clarias gariepinus, Burchell, 1822) fed enzyme supplemented dried rumen digesta
May 2012
The growth response of catfish (Clarias gariepinus) fingerlings fed with varying levels of enzyme supplemented dried rumen digesta meal (EDRD) was conducted for 70 days in Nursery cages (hapa nets) suspended in outdoor concrete tanks. One hundred and fifty (150) fish were randomly assigned to five diets formulated such that EDRD replaces soybean at 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40%, respectively. Thirty fish...
Proximate analysis of Sphenostylis stenocarpa and Voadzeia subterranean consumed in South - Eastern Nigeria
February 2012
Proximate analyses of two traditional grain legumes consumed in Eastern Nigeria- Bambara groundnut (Voadzeia subterranean) and African yam beans (Sphenostylis stenocarpa) were carried out. Bambara groundnut was found to contain 2.86 ± 0.02% moisture, 32.40 ± 0.02% protein, 7.35 ± 0.02% fat, 5.78 ± 0.02% ash, 2.68 ± 0.02% crude fiber and 51.78 ± 0.02% total...
Effect of Potassium Bearing Rock on the Growth and Quality of Potato Crop (Solanum tuberosum)
February 2012
The main target of this research work is to evaluate the possibility of substituting partly or totally the expensive potassium fertilizers by natural deposits of feldspars bearing rocks. A field experiment was conducted to grow potatoes on poorly sandy soils. Four treatments were followed: control using K-sulfate only; ½ K-sulfate +½ K-feldspar; ¼ K-sulfate +¾ K-feldspars and...
Effects of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers and cotyledon removal on establishment and growth of yeheb nut bush (Cordeauxia edulis Hemsl.) outside its natural habitat
December 2011
Yeheb nut bush (Cordeauxia edulis) is a multipurpose but endangered shrub native to arid south-Eastern Ethiopia and Central Somalia. Establishment of this species was studied in two sets of experiments during 2005 to 2007. In the first set of experiment, field establishment was conducted at Dire Dawa, Ethiopia, which is located 725 km north west of the natural habitat (Bokh). Nitrogen at 0, 46 and 92 level...
Biofertilizer: A novel approach for agriculture
December 2011
The nodulation activity in some legume plants was estimated using two nitrogen fixing microorganisms that produced and introduced in different growth conditions. Two isolates of agriculturally important nitrogen fixing microorganisms, Rhizobium meliloti and Azospirillium lipoferum were isolated from Western Maharashtra soil habitat. The standard isolation technique was carried out in...
Genetics of fruit yield and it’s contributing characters in tomato (Solanum lycopersicom)
December 2011
Tomato is a premier vegetable crop of round the year and one of the prominent eco-industrial crops of India generating sizeable employment. The present study which consisted 10 genotypes was evaluated in randomized block design replicated thrice at Regional Agricultural Research Station-Ujjain during Rabi2007 to 2008. The variation was maximum (424 to 825 qtl/ha) for fruit yield and minimum for fruit...
Modification of surface structure and crystallinity of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) following recombinant α-L-arabinofuranosidase (abfa) treatment
November 2011
This research was aimed to investigate the modification of surface structure and crystallinity of water hyacinth after recombinant α-L-arabinofuranosidase treatment. The process of water hyacinth hydrolysis was optimized first, by determination of the most optimal intracellular enzyme (P) and extracellular enzyme (S) mixture ratio, and its incubation time. The optimum of water hyacinth...
Study of copper phytotoxicity on in vitro culture of Musa acuminata cv. ‘Bantala’
October 2011
The present study aimed to investigate the effect of different concentration of copper on growth and development of Musa acuminata cv. Bantala grown in vitro. The results showed that 1.0 μM copper stimulated root induction, elongation and shoot growth when compared with the control (0.1 μM copper). In addition, higher level of copper (100 µM) has toxic effect on banana leaves with...
Sustainable approach towards agricultural production and employment generation in Bangladesh: A case study of SSWRDP
October 2011
Agriculture and fisheries are dependent on water; hence, integrated approach in water management involving local stakeholders is the key to solve the food and water crisis for today and future. In Bangladesh, major small scale water resources development interventions are undertaken by Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) Bangladesh, under its Small Scale Water Resources Development Projects...
Biomass energy resources utilisation and waste management
October 2011
This article discusses a comprehensive review of biomass energy sources, environment and sustainable development. This includes all the biomass energy technologies, energy efficiency systems, energy conservation scenarios, energy savings and other mitigation measures necessary to reduce emissions. The current literature is reviewed regarding the ecological, social, cultural and economic impacts of biomass...
Land use planning regarding sustainable development through agritourism: Şarköy example
October 2011
In rural areas, where agricultural tourism activities are not dense but having apparent potential, in order to provide sustainable development, it is necessary to maintain a rational and protective planning process. With this point, firstly, landscape potential of a field should be determined, while the activities which can be performed and the implementation areas regarding this potential should be...
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