ABSTRACT This study was aimed at assessing the extent to which probiotics are used in the poultry feed industry in Kenya and their efficacies in broiler diets. In experiment 1, two surveys involving 100 Agro Vets and 36 Poultry farmers were carried out. 16 products were being sold as probiotics in Agro Vets in Kiambu County. The actual trade names of the probiotics are coded as Products 1 to 16 (see Appendix 3). It was found that 74.4% of the farmers used probiotics. The most commonly used b...
ABSTRACT Liriomyza huidobrensis (Blanchard), Liriomyza sativae (Blanchard) and Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess) are multivoltine flies, which are highly polyphagous, prolific and invasive. They are currently important pests in areas where horticultural crops are grown in Kenya. Both the adult flies and larvae cause considerable damage to crops. Infestation results to reduced photosynthetic potential of plants, which translates to reduction of the expected yield and loss of the aesthetic value. I...
ABSTRACT Blackberry is a crop of great economic potential but it has not been exploited commercially in Kenya. Breeding and commercial production of blackberry requires rapid propagation which is not possible through the traditional seed and vegetative techniques. This study aimed at developing an efficient protocol for rapid multiplication of blackberry (Rubus sp). The study comprised of seven separate experiments to establish the best sterilization protocol, explant size, source of explant...
ABSTRACT Evidence has shown that Time Allocation (TA) to various activities by gender has implications for the poverty status of households. Yet, there is little empirical evidence on the influence of TA on household poverty in rural Nigeria. Hence, the influence of gender TA on the poverty status of rural farming households in Southwestern Nigeria (SWN) was investigated. Oyo and Osun states were randomly selected from SWN. Two rural Local Government Areas (LGAs) were randomly chosen from eac...
ABSTRACT Washed, sliced and oven-dried whole sweet potato tubers (Iponwea batatas) of the local variety wcre milled and supplemented with a mineral salts solution containing (g litre) glucose, 5; (NH4)2SO4 1.5; KH2PO4, 1.5; MgS04 0.05; Yeast extract, 0.05 and fermented at 30C for 72 hr by solid siate fermentation (SSF) using Neurospora sitophila, Aspergillus niger, Candida ulilis and Saccharomyces warum. i tbe end of the fermentation period A.niger gave the highest protein content of 11.8%, D...
Abstract Consumption pattern and demand analysis of Dacryodes edulis commonly called ube by the Igbos in Umuahia, Nigeria was studied. The various uses and reasons for consumption of Dacryodes edulis, socio- economic characteristics of respondents, income elasticity, and chi square to determine the relationship between Consumption of Dacryodes edulis and some variables that affect it, are addressed. Simple random sampling was adopted. A well-structured questionnaire were used for Dacryodes ed...
Abstract Onifade, A.A. and Abu, O.A. 1998. Productive response of rabbits to supplemental copper in a diet based on tropical feedstuffs. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 13: 129-135. Effects of supplemental copper in a diet based on tropical feedstuffs on productive performance, carcass measurements and haematology of rabbits were investigated in a 70d trial. Copper as CuS04.0H2O was supplemented at 0, 125, 250 and 375 mg kg1 into a basal diet. The basal diet served as control treatment. Eight rabbits, e...
Abstract This study was conducted to assess population structure and threat to the sustainable management of woody species in the various ago-ecosystems in Dutsin-Ma Local Government Area (LGA) Katsina State, Nigeria. Purposive and stratified random sampling techniques were used to collect data from 21 randomly demarcated 100m × 100m sample plots. All woody plant species found in the sample plots with stem diameter >2 cm at 20cm above ground, were recorded. Population structure was summariz...
ABSTRACT The media, especially the newspapers play a major role as sources of biotechnology information and will be useful avenues for disseminating related information. It is in view of this that this study examined coverage of biotech- nology and Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in Nigerian daily newspapers as an avenue to raise mass awareness especially amongst literate farmers. This study content analysed 63 GMOs and biotechnology items framed in four Nigerian newspapers (the Guardi...
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Forestry sector plays key roles in supporting the livelihood of all Rwandans by providing most of the energy consumed by the bulk population, controlling soil erosion and protecting water catchments and supplying other goods and ecological services. Hence, the present and future extent of forest coverage in Rwanda is central to sustainable development and climate change considerations. Currently, about 87% of the population and 70% of the country’s land area are de...
Executive Summary Presently, Nigeria is among the nations that are technically unable to meet their food supply needs from rain-fed production at a low level of inputs and appear likely to remain so even at intermediate levels of inputs at some point’s time between 2000 and 2025 (FAO 2002). For the rural areas of semi-arid Northern Nigeria, which experiences significant climatic and anthropogenic changes that have exacerbated food insecurity in the region, floodplain agriculture is criti...
ABSTRACT The study investigated stem distributions and height-diameter relationships of two Irvingiaceae species in Oban Forest, Cross River State, Nigeria with a view to suggesting appropriate management strategies for their conservation in the area. Using systematic sampling technique, six 2km-transect was cut in each of the primary and secondary forests in the area. Four 50m×50m plots were laid alternately along each transect. Thus, twenty-four plots were used in each of the two forest ty...
ABSTRACT Hibiscus sabdariffa is a non-timber-forest-plant (NTFP) that has the potential of producing fibers good in paper-making. Germination and growth potentials of H. sabdariffa under farmland, fallowland, plantation and forest ecosystems were studied. Seeds of H. sabdariffa were sown to assess germination percentage, germination rate, germination time and velocity coefficient on established plots of each ecosystem. Seedlings were randomly selected to measure growth and yield parameters of...
ABSTRACT Biodiversity enhances capacity of ecosystems to provide food resources and sequestration services of pollutants in soil and water. Bitumen seepage could impact negatively on soil and vegetation, thereby reducing their value. Information on the impact of bitumen seepage on the abundance of biodiversity in Nigeria is scanty. In this study, effects of bitumen seepage on biodiversity were therefore investigated. The study was conducted in bitumen belt of Ondo state for three years, wit...
SUMMARY Global warming has heightened the need to substitute fossil fuels with biomass-based energy sources. Some West African countries have recorded appreciable progress in this regard though with inadequate documentation. This study documents the extent of production and use of different biofuels and incentives for sustainability in the sub-region. Field visits were conducted in Benin, Ghana, Niger and Nigeria with the aid of structured questionnaire and focus group discussions; and l...